Third week of March ....

This month is disappearing .....

I did a basic Log Cabin quilt using most of a jelly roll and quilted it.... it has now been completed.... It's a lap size quilt and I rather like the softness of the colours

Last year my scrap buster project was making lots of scrappy stars...

This top has been put together using half of them (and I still have cut scraps to use so there is likely to be more of these)

This top will be given to the Quilt club, for use in their community quilts project

(I am no longer a member there but I did get a bunch of light fabrics from their stash to make up the stars)

A few more of my Tuesleydale blocks were done .....

I managed to put together my stitch sampler bag.  I did line quilting along the ticking lines and then folded and bound the edges.  Magnetic clasps to hold it shut....

I'm happy with it, thought the magnets are very week and so I will look at swapping them out for something better....

My African Violet which struggled in the pot is flowering so beautifully now it is outside

We got a new recipe book a couple of weeks ago.  I do use online quite a lot but do love a book too!

This lady runs a charity which feeds vulnerable/homeless and funds from book sales go towards it.  I love her recipes and will get her more recent book too in due course.

Her gorgeous dog features a lot in it, sadly he passed away recently but it's lovely to see the bond they shared.

We had family over for a meal so I tried a couple from the book.....

First was brisket done in a spicy barbeque sauce in the slow cooker - the teenage boys wolfed it down.... no leftovers for sandwiches!  There was sauce/gravy left over though and this was lovely on chicken and sausages over the next few days.

Then I made her chocolate cake and icing for dessert..... it was yummy too but sooooo big - loads of leftovers so they took some, and we kept some.

I have picked out a couple more recipes to try..... the goal is for one new recipe a week....

Righto, Gotto Go..... I've had a busy day and ready to put my feet up....  have a lovely weekend...xx

Quilts to their new home ......

We had such a great visit from UK son - time went really quick.

I pulled out quilts for him to choose some to take back.

First choice was 3 from the binding queue - so that's what I spent our chat times doing.

This Noughts and Crosses quilt top was made in 2021 and quilted earlier this year.  The fabrics are soft floral William Morris from a layer cake matched with the plain yellow. Maddy loves yellow so I'm expecting she might nab it!  

Custom quilted the shapes

Cute As a Button was made in 2023/24 and quilted last year.

Wavy line quilting

The back is as fun as the front.

Next was this Scrap buster made in 2022 and quilted earlier this year.  I loved making this one and will start cutting for another with my scraps I think

All over meander quilting

Then a video call with DDIL happened to show other possibilities to go.

These ones were all completed so easily rolled into the bag. 

Birch Forest was completed in January2025

Chandelier was completed December 2022

Crazy Dots February 2024

Naive Melody -  Dec 2022

and
Circles - November 2022

Some of the zippy bags got filled with treats and treasures for the grandie girls and a new recipe book for DDIL.  A new bag was purchased!  Fortunately he had a generous luggage allowance.

Righto. Gotta go. I wanted to document where the quilts have gone and show my finishes. My keyboard has given up (after 11 years) and although I have a touch screen my typing is much quicker with a keyboard ... I have lots of emails to reply to. 

Have a lovely weekend xx

First week of March

Happy to say our son arrived safely.  He had booked on a flight which did not go via the Middle East fortunately.

Before he came I finished up the binding on this baby quilt, a panel I quilted up a while ago....

First kiss - rather cute

I had been working on my stitch sampler over evenings..... this project had been ignored for some time

It's a real mix of different colours and stitches over the back of ticking.....  some lines are braids I have attached.  I'm really not very imaginative, I would have preferred a list of colours and stitches to work to!!

next I will make it up into a little project bag

I did get some machine sewing done and put together the top for this quilt made using Quick Curve Ruler and a pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful

Lucky Quilt - 57" square.  

Binding is made in that green used in the centre. 

Off to the Quilting Queue

A few years ago I made this one using the same book and ruler, Persimmon Quilt is 74" squared

Both are made from Bali batik bought when we holidayed there in 2015.

Quilting details is shown HERE 

The ruler is fun and I do like the effect and improved accuracy (as one trims after sewing blocks) - there is another cut and started waiting for attention.

Righto, Gotto Go.  Snuck in a bit of quiet coffee time whilst Hubz is at golf and Son gone for a run.  This weekend we have one grandson playing cricket (today)  and another playing Rugby League (tomorrow) to watch.

Have a lovely weekend....

February is closing in

This week I finished the crochet blanket I was doing for KOGO

This picture gives a better idea of the colour

The rows are based on this Attic 24 pattern..... ( I do love her patterns)  Most of them are on line or as blog posts though I got a few printed ones when I have bought her kits.

Some time ago I posted that I was working with the Quick Curve Ruler and a pattern by one of the inventors of the ruler (Sew Kind of Wonderful)

This week I put these blocks together, there are other 9 patch blocks to make and they are set on point, but I quite like the circles this way makes

Gardeners Journal has been bound......

I do love the mix of piecing, stitcheries, applique Anni Downs does.  I custom quilted going around the stitcheries and different curvy shapes and lines in the various blocks......

This week a quilt top I made in 2021 is being quilted.  William Morris fabrics and some plain ....

some leafy feathers and twirls....

Tuesleydale got another 6 blocks this week.... 10 down 50 to go!

The friend I am doing the Foundation piecing with gifted me a braid roll of papers.... so today I went stash shopping and found a jelly roll of an old Moda range called Portobello Market.  I will do the braids in PM and add the cream sashing and some meterage of PM for the binding....  I do love an inexpensive quilt kit.  I would have bought the jelly roll when they were $45 I expect (double that now)

I won't be starting it for a while though but I do love a plan.

Righto, Gotto Go.  Eldest son from UK is going to visit so I'll be offline for a couple of weeks.  Will be so good to see him.

Have a great rest of the week....

Third Week of February

That week passed by in a hurry!

The Edinburgh Tattoo was great fun - it rained most of the time and we made use of silly thin poncho's (but they work!) - but not at all cold.  The performers didn't miss a beat due to the rain and were so professional and fun.  I'm so glad we went.  I failed to take pictures, too entranced!

Then time with cousin and wife just went far too quickly, so much to catch up and we spend a day at a lovely forest area, long walk and tasty lunch.

I joined up with friends for sewing on Tuesday after they left and did the binding on this quilt (top made in 2021 and quilted last year).  It was made from a Jelly Roll I got many years ago with some extra metreage for borders.....

I've called it Rock around the Block!

I used this fun feather fabric for the backing

All over quilting, with leaves, twirls and butterflies.....

I have finished the quilting for Gardeners Journal and it has gone into the Binding Queue.  I still mostly like to hand sew the final binding so they tend to sit there a while.  It's a good activity to take to sewing with friends.

Righto, Gotto Go, I'm off to Embroidery Guild today for another Hardanger lesson.  After my coffee that is!

Have a lovely rest of the week and weekend..... xx

Second Week of February

The bulk of the work on these bags had already been done and I was finishing off (I tend to work in a production line fashion)

These dresden plates were extra's from making others some time ago.... made in different Tilda fabrics.  I just had to applique them down.

These were made from stitcheries I had done years ago

They were for a different project really and from a stitching day where we learnt the colouring/painting then stitched afterwards

These were made from left over blocks from a larger quilt I had made.  Just added the borders

and these were made from various left over blocks and stitcheries, again just adding borders

I am well stocked up on zippy bags now, gift box, donation box etc.  

Most of all I have used up a goodly amount of odd blocks I had around (there are still more!!!)

I spent a day catching up on Hardanger.

Pink Greek Crosses

Heart shaped Kloster blocks

Cutting in these two and pulling threads ready for the next lesson....

And finally starting Wensleydale.  A friend and I are making this together and will get together on every second Tuesday so we are calling it our Tuesleydale quilt!

I am using mostly French General blues from different ranges.

Wednesday sewing with friends yielded work on the curve blocks.  I was struggling cutting the curves with the ruler and a friend showed me I was holding my cutter wrong.... it's like magic now and so easy!!

I think I love sewing (both hand and machine) so much because there is always something new to learn!

So the week has been another busy one......

We are looking forward to this evening and our Christmas/Birthday treat to ourselves in tickets to the special Edinburgh Military Tattoo that is in Brisbane for 4 days.

Then this weekend my cousin and his wife are coming to stay.  They live in Canada and I haven't seen him in 35 years when they emigrated from Zimbabwe.  We were great friends as youngsters.

Another busy week ahead - 

Righto, Gotto Go, want to make some sandwiches for our train trip to the city.

Have a lovely weekend everyone...xxx