Into the last week of August

This week almost got away from me!

I got my Wensleydale quilt top put together.....  a few hours of taking out the papers whilst listening to an audio book.....

I've done some more of the Christmas stitcheries......

... and this week got back to do a bit more hardanger....

... which included filling in the heart with 'dove's eye'

We were invited by friends who had been given tickets to a Footy Game (Dolphins vs Eels) which included great seats and a special pass....

... so we went down on to the field for 15 minutes whilst the home team (Dolphin) warmed up....

Really was a bit of fun ...... and we had a good win .....

The next day we visited a Botanical Gardens.....  This vine in the 'hot house' was flowering....  just huge and such a vibrant blue colour...

the gardens are beautiful and full of lovely areas ....

... and interesting plants....

The Baobab tree was full of pods.  We remembered as children sucking on the pips which are Cream of Tartar....

So many different shapes and sizes of cacti....

We spotted a couple of curlew in this area... they stand completely still and are well camouflaged.... can you spot them????

We also walked up to the Japanese Garden and Bonsai area... there were lots of lovely bonsai but I did like this Azalea in flower.....

and amongst the bushes this lizard basking on a lizard amused me....

After a picnic lunch in the shade we headed off home.....  A lovely time in the city...

Righto, Gotto Go, I want to sort out what I am going to sew - I still have loads of half done things ....

Have a good week ....x

Third Week of August

This week I played a bit with threads....

Meredith Woolnough is a very clever textile artist who I have followed for some time on socials.  This last week she offered a free thread bowl course, as a way of introduction into a more detailed course that she runs.

It involves thread scraps and solveable paper .... machine or hand sewing

I did one with thread only, and another with thread and fabric scraps....

you can see a bit sandwiched here between the papers....

dissolve and mould.....

and I have two little dust catchers .....

It was fun to play and I would love to do her full course but that's not going to happen just yet.

If anyone is interested Meredith is present on social media and has a newsletter.  She holds the mini course a couple of times a year I think ... and even if you don't want to do it it's worth looking at the lovely art she does.

Some hand stitching done in the evenings has resulted in 3 more Christmas stitcheries

I've also played in the sewing room, done some quilting, some piecing and some cutting..... really just squirreling between different things......

Another hospital visit for our daughter, which included a break out to watch Widgets last home junior game yesterday.  Was so lovely of a committee member standing guard with witches hats so that a prime parking place was kept for us so Missy could sit in the car in her pyjamas and out of the cold...  those small kind things that make a big difference.

Righto, Gotto Go....... the floor really needs mopping!

Have a wonderful week....x

2nd week of August

Last weekend we had a game to watch.... it was cold and we were lucky to find a parking spot with a great view (though I thought the Hubz could have got out and cleaned the windscreen for me!) (Widget is Number 4)  They won the game ....

Trail Mix is a finish!!! I do love it ....

I did a flange binding... which means it is all done by machine so quicker than hand sewing it down...

The backing is very bright..... but there are some bright blue blocks in the quilt so I'm  happy with it.  Here you can see my hook swirly quilting....

Company at appointment meant I made a start on my shawl/scarf.  I do need a bit of concentration at the moment whilst I get the hang of the pattern...

World Embroidery Day was enjoyed and Embroider Guild made up little packages for us members...

They were so nicely presented....

and inside a little kit to make up a needlecase....  the base is already sewn and the picture drawn - all the rest provided.  I thought it was such a nice touch ...

My evenings are focussing on the Christmas stitcheries..... loving doing them ...

The owls are on the quilting frame.  Each owl will be different ....

... and the background wiggly texture.  I just love the background fabric and wish I had more in different shades....   I bought it ages ago....

.. and since I had a finish I decided to start a new project..... these are Tilda fabrics...

... and this is the quilt I am making.  (Tilda provide loads of free patterns on their web page and this one came with their recent range "Something Blue"....

May take a while!!!  

Righto, Gotto Go... the owls are hooting.....

Have a great weekend....x

.... and August begins

It's been a busy week with one thing and another...... and now we enter August....

The last 2 Tuesleydale / Wensleydale blocks have been done.... 1 have 60 and soon I'll plan how they go together... when my design wall is free.....

At the moment it has a Parliament of Owls all over it.... I made the 10 small owls earlier this week... I have included a large one so you can see the size difference....

Earlier this year I was given a roll of braid quilt Foundation Paper Piecing, so I have started that.  I cut up a partial Jelly Roll into the required size and will just continue until such time as I run out of pieces then decide on the sizes.  It is cumbersome and not the easiest way to do braids but of course it ends up straight and accurate and a good one for my social sewing days....

I wonder if you have seen Marina's snow globes.....  well I fell immediately in love with them and I happened to have the same preprinted panel as she is using so I asked if I could copy her idea.....  and so I have started stitching them (replacing the evening table runner stitching)  I am using a variegated Cottage Garden thread (which I had already) which makes it easy for me not to have to decide what colours go where....

Trail Mix is a big quilt and the largest I can fit on my frame .... I am slowly doing an all over design on it..... just love the scrappiness of this one....

This weekend I want to spend a couple of days quietly at home.....

Righto Gotto Go... that quilting is not going to do itself!!!

4th week of July

It has been a busy week with one thing and another but of course I still find time to play in my sewing room ....

The last two of the 'panels' have been done.... there is two identical pooh bear quilts.  These look like they are patched but it is the fabric.  I used a doona cover for the backings - nice and bright and can be reversible now.

Oh what fun with my Parliament of Owls..... once the curve sewing, pressing and trimming is done it is easy and fun making up owls.

I now have 10 small owls to make.....   I looooove them!

... and I have a gorgeous finish

 

Wings and Pretty Things was designed by bestie Michelle (see hers HERE) and we sewed it sortof together with Lin(see hers HERE)

I did do custom quilting....

I love the detail Michelle included (even if I am not a giant fan of EPP)

I loooooove it.....

I did purchase a pretty skein of yarn at the Jazz and Jumpers festival.  I have to say this is the most expensive ball of wool I have bought but it is hand dyed Marino wool and I will make a Simple Variations Shawl as made by Janice.... (thanks for the link)  I looooove it ... (see one Janice recently made HERE)

and woohoo I completed this final corner of my Table runner..... I am now going around the edge in a chain stitch as seen in the bottom of this.....  I loooove it....

Just one more picture ..... it's worth it....

So a lot to love this week......

Righto, Gotto Go.... cooler weather has arrived and the fire needs stoking and the soup needs heating....

Have a lovely rest of the weekend.....x