Dutch Treat Quilt....

I finished all 196 blocks in October 2018 - I think it took a couple of years to do them all as it was hand reverse applique ....

Then last year I quilted it but this year I have done the binding and now it is a finish....

I used a lovely new cotton sheet for the backing....

I had a peeper round the edge of the joined blocks ... and then added another peeper before I sewed on the binding.... hand sewn binding down on the back....

Different coloured hand dyed fabrics were used for the backs and a soft Tilda was the main fabric

Simple quilting just outside seam lines on the squares and then some ruler work in the border

Finished at 74" square

I'm very happy with how this quilt turned out..... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... sorting out those disaSTARs today.... I think I've worked what happened!

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend

Stitching Happening.... and unhappening...

I've had a fairly busy sewing week with one thing and another....

As much as I am avoiding going out to busy places as much as I can.... I am still having my small group sewing days with friends while we can....

Tuesday hand-sewing I glue basted a bunch of half hexagons ready to start sewing into pairs for my Inner City quilt ...

Then I sewed a couple of pies .....

Wednesday machine sewing I started by doing some machine applique on blocks that were part of a BOM last year...

They still need quilting as it is a QAYG project...

Then I started on my stars.... and being the clever thing I am I decided to get several done at once and chain sew away happily.....  I realised pretty soon I had made a big cutting error and not cut enough of what I needed but too many of what I didn't need.... Not sure what I did as I am usually so careful about cutting but I think I got the different fabrics mixed up.....

They are in a box whilst I sulk and get brave enough to take them out and see what I can salvage.... I am making this with a few friends and there have been some good ideas passed on.

So then I got onto my pretty little pinwheels and made them into bigger blocks.....

These bigger blocks (6 1/2") are not sewn together yet and there still needs triangles to square it up.

I mentioned I am basing my plan on a quilt Jennifer made... she has done a blog post showing hers HERE if you would like to see.....  

Today I did some handsewing... and maybe too much talking....

Shopping is done, went to specialist butcher and greengrocers, more expensive but at least we could get everything we wanted... 

Righto, coffee is drunk and I'm working up the energy to try and sort out my Star DisaStar....  I did say a few bad words.

Keep Safe, Keep Smiling and Keep Stitching

 

Home Stay

Limited going out is meaning more time in my sewing room!

I have 80 little 2 1/2" pinwheels all trimmed and ready to go....

Background is purchased.... a soft buttercup yellow floral design and this is the basic idea... thanks to Jennifer who shared pictures of her lovely quilt made with lots of little pinwheels...

My quilt made with the Sew Kind of Wonderful quick curve ruler has been quilted .....

It's all in batik fabric (purchased on a trip to Bali years ago) ... including the backing....

I've added the binding - just need to hand sew it down now...

I still enjoy some sit down quilting and did this 12 1/2" block ....

Close up the quilting is a little bit messy in places ....  I do very little with contrasting colour

A new project is cut and ready for sewing on a Sew Day next week..... I am using the free PopStar pattern by Fat Quarter Shop and sewing along with a few other friends....  plan is one block a week if we can.....  If anyone else wants to join in feel free....

All tucked into it's own project box ready for pick up and sew...

I have hand stitched down lots of little flowers and leaves into the mini baskets...

My accuracy is not amazing and it shows in little blocks far more than in big ones....   

Another block for Civil War Bride is my evening sewing at the moment....

Righto, Gotto Go... time to research our evening meal ....

Have a lovely weekend....  keep safe, keep smiling and keep stitching ...

Dancing in the New Year

- well I was in bed fast asleep for the actual event but I am very thrilled to have finished my dancing girls quilt

Introducing Mama Tembu.....

93" x 84"

The African Queen block was drafted and shared freely by Sew Preeti Quilts for International Women's Day in 2017.  Find it HERE....

Coming from Zimbabwe, Africa and danced my way through my youth (and maybe a bit more) I just had to make some blocks with some Africa style fabrics I had in my stash....

 

Some have hands in demurely, and others facing outwards rather precociously....

Quilted on the Sweet Sixteen....

Mama Tembu's Wedding is a song that I danced to so much in the 70's and 80's - the African beat is hard to not dance to. (sung by Margaret Singana with Ipi 'NTombi)

So my African Queen dancing girls is called Mama Tembu.  I very seldom name my quilts but this one is my youth ... so it gets a name.

A lovely bold blue backing and orange binding.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... I had a long day of binding... all 354" of it... thanks to the Tuesday girls for keeping me company...

End of December - almost

Finishing up the year....

I have been cleaning up the sides of my blog, taking down some lists etc.... and noted that I did indeed get quite a lot of finishes done this year....

.... and started lots of new projects.....

.... and kitted up lots of new ones to make.....

Thanks Kris for keeping count on OPAM.... always fun to look back and see what was made in the month....

Thanks to Cheryll and Wendy who each month host a virtual sewing evening..... always fun to go and visit and see what others have made...

Thanks to those who comment on my blog.... it's the best part of blogging for me.... I do reply to comments and if I am not it's because they are on no reply or I don't have an email for you... apologies....

Thanks to those who write blogs... I love visiting you....  being entertained, motivated, encouraged and most often tempted to start something else...

Back to December....

Finishes included.....

A cushion (black-work stitching done throughout the year - thanks to Helen for the arm-twisting to join this one!)

Black work was my new skill/technique that I learnt this year..... very much enjoy it

In the black-work theme I made these as decorations to send out this year....... 

Made on plastic canvas and fiddly diddly ....  15 made altogether

Then I made 25 masks.... boring snoring.....

6 of these little pouches went as gifts for my regular sewing friends.... happy snappy

And during the break I have been quilting quilting away 

Mama Tembo - each dancer is done separately to show off her pretty dress -  and swirls in the sashing and edge triangles..... 

Splendid Sampler - each block (100)  is done differently to fit the design - scrolls in the sashing...

I have made their bindings and machine sewn them on.... will need some cooler weather, loan of the dining room table and a good book to listed to in order to hand sew down the binding...

Wishing you and yours all the very best for 2022 - I am going to endeavour not to take things for granted... well the special things that are important to me anyway.

Righto, Gotto Go.... time to prepare to see the New Year in (which will mean BBQ, shower and pyjamas)

Catch up with you next year .... 

That bit is done.....

Christmas has been and gone... it was a quiet affair here with lots of family calls and a lunch with YD and widget.   

Otherwise a restful time which means I got time in my sewing room...

I have neglected "From The Heart" for many months ... this is block 7 done...

Lots of Splendid Sampler blocks have been quilted.... the last two rows (20 blocks) and the bottom border are left.....

This year I made a quilt using William Morris fabrics and a buttercup yellow... I always sew two seams when it's possible to save the corners for another project.

So I pressed my little offcuts and I am slowly going through lots of little HST's to trim them down nice and straight (cutting at 1 1/2").  Mindless and good having an audio book to listen to.

I mini wholecloth has been planned and drawn out. (this is supposed to be part of a BOM which I got very far behind)  The design was a museum in Pedukah which I am never likely to see so I am just doing my own....  Then hopefully I will get fired up to do the other blocks.  (this one is April!!!)  This is a start on my UFO pile!!!

 

Mama Tembo is more or less done on the Sweet Sixteen.... I am very lucky in that I don't need to put things away and this means I can pop in and out and do 20 minutes in between those other chores to be done in a home...  Binding needs to be made....

Have started looking through drawers to find hidden UFO's.... I think I mostly have unstarted projects (which are kitted up ready to go).  

Wishing you all the best ....... and heaps of love... so many wonderful friends in blogland

Too hot to sleep

Feeling the heat and humidity tonight so while I'm up I'll chat to my online friends!

This block for Civil War Bride has taken me a long time....  I've been lucky if I sew one leaf in a night - and you can see there were a lot of leaves!!

I did make lots of masks.....

Christmas ones......

... and every day ones....

I have some, Hubz has some, DD and GS have some, friends have some.... we are sorted...

This is my Happy Christmas face!

I made these little pouches for a group of stitching friends... there were 6 in total ....

a sewing girl on each side... they can be used for glasses, rotary cutters, knick knacks etc and have those clever little metal squeeze closures.....

It was our last day sewing for this year so I made trifle... there were two... one with sherry and one without...

... went down very well .....

I am planning on lots of my own sewing over the next couple of weeks.... 

Splendid Sampler was made in 2016 ... and has a backing pieced from the left over fabrics (and a couple of extra blocks)

I have loaded her on the frame ...

My Sista's (Mama Tembo) was made in 2019 but it is too big for the frame so I have pinned it and will quilt on the Sweet Sixteen....

It's hard on the shoulders so when I need a break I can stand up and play on the frame...  that room is such a fun place

I also want to go through cupboards and sort out UFO's etc - I do like to have some sort of plan/list to work on.  I know I have been tempted by a few quilts and projects and not started them.

Righto, Gotto Go, I am yawning away now..... hopefully will drop off quickly

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week.....xx