Bits and Bobs .....

Has been very chilly here... and I just happen to be housebound... so what could I do but sew a few blocks...

These are all 9" squares .......

Kurume kasuri tsunagi masumon
(Linked square pattern)
31 pieces

 I'm adding up the number of pieces I use as I go

Kurume kasuri masu tsunagi
(Linked squares)
53 pieces

 .... it's not hard... I just add up from the instructions in the book....

Kurume kasuri gakubuchi
(Frame)
21 pieces

 ... but you can count on the actual blocks if you feel like it...

Kurume kasuri masumon
(Kurume square pattern)
21 pieces

... I would appreciate you letting me know if I got any wrong...

Kurume kasuri sanju masu
(Triple squares)
33 pieces

These are going into my Scrappy Japanese block collection HERE.... trying to do a few a month but I have only done 19 since Feb 2012!!

I really like this block here in two colours...

There are only 53 pieces in the 9" square....

 I thought we could do a Kurume kasuri masu tsunagi exchange and each make 12 blocks (thats only 636 pieces) and send them to each other and swap colours and then send blocks to other people and then make things with them and then see what we come up with ..... anybody want to join in?

Perhaps it is not challenging enough?  I will try and find another block then.... there are still another 113 to choose from 

(PS... I'm sorry I won't be able to organise the exchange - I really can't understand what I have written so if there is anyone who does do let me know)

But the blocks are fun aren't they?  

This is what they look like all together

This is the second block of Scandanavian Rose (Rosalie Quinlan) that I have been stitching at night.... done lots... there has been so much sport on TV!!

.... and I never showed this finished giant pincushion I made for a shop sample ....
(can you believe someone stole their original sample from the shop!)

... lovely and big so no chance of the pins going through and stabbing you ...

... and so pretty to have sitting on the desk ....

it has 8 little pockets around the edge for bits and bobs, scissors, buttons and threads etc.

... so pretty with the lace and trims

(Quilters Angel has this pattern and some kits made up)

It was originally one of the projects from "Stitchers Dream Day Out" about five or six years ago and was designed by Debbie Magee from "Always Stitchin'"
Thanks Kris for letting me know

Righto, Gotto Go .... time for tea.....

Oooopppsss..... new project..........

I am loving using these fabrics

(Judie Rothermell - Judie's 25th Anniversary fabrics)

to make my 9 patches each month....

they are really quite nice and easy to do and makes for a fun afternoons stitching....

Thanks Trish, for facilitating this fun swap

.... I was a bit overenthusiastic when I ordered the fabrics ... and there are other which I won't be using for my 9 patch... and also some left over from cutting the strips...

I have never actually done a quilting course for making sure my points and seams are correct...

... and Michele over at Quilting Gallery is doing a Quilt-A-Long with lessons for free ....

so I am going to use up these fabrics and learn new skills at the same time

and make this .......

All you need to know about this Quilt-Along can be found HERE

... and we can show ff on facebook too ....

I was persuaded by Wendy and Maria..... 

It's entirely their fault I am starting a new project ..... some peoples!!

anybody else doing this too? ... come on.... it'll be fun....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I need to work on some much neglected Japanese scrappy blocks....

Psssstt....halfway there....

This months's North Pole stitchalong blocks (hosted by Val)
are ......

Welcome to the North Pole

and the Marble Shop

(which I changed to Balls- as you know I am a great lover of ball sports and I find it very hard to bend down to play marbles for some reason these days .... )

I will sew on the buttons balls at the end

Michelle asked me if I would like to try out some of her stitcheries as she goes along with some new designs.... of course asking me to do a stitchery or two is something I can't resist....

this is where I have got to so far with them..... they are very sweet ...

(sorry, a bit of a blurry picture)

My One Christmas item this month (hosted by Narelle) is also a design by Michelle... the pattern is for a cushion but I chose to make it into a mini quilt to go on my hanger...

I hand quilted in the ditch of the border and just around the snowman - gives him a bit of a cuddly tummy

It also happens to be a previous UFO so it will go into Sew It's Finished for this month

I was gifted a Christmas panel a while ago so I pulled it out and gave it an iron....

I love how they have made this so effective with the light colours around the baby Jesus....

..... all pinned and ready for a day of quilting... I will quilt around the picture lines in a mustard/gold thread

Righto, Gotto Go.... just a reminder that we are halfway to Christmas!

Scrappy Trips.....

The weekend started off a bit like this....

... but once the hard stuff was done .....

(note to self - do not move furniture and do not wear glasses when cleaning... it slows you down)

... and Hubz went off to battle with a tree stump... 

(note to self - it is so fun watching a man doing hard labour)

..... I went to play....

... and play ....

 ...thanks to Sharon and Susan's contributions I was able to make two tops ....

.. which is perfect for the two single beds in the spare room...

.... sometime soon I will need to schedule a quilting marathon....

Important Information:

Scrappy Trip Around the World by Bonnie K Hunter

tutorial found HERE

Size of each quilt 61" x 72" - I made 30 blocks for each

1080 2" squares in each quilt

I was so happy to have done that I had to celebrate

I just love this lime and coconut cake... it is so easy and so yummy - recipe thanks to Tracy ... found HERE

.... tonight we have rugby on the screen...  if I can tear my eyes away from those beefy muscular sweating piles of testosteronified muscle....

..... I'll do a bit of this.....

... Righto, Gotto Go... ha.. I love them..... 

Sampler Blocks.....

The last of the sampler blocks are finished....

Garden Trail

Card Trick (but I think it looks like hearts!)

Maple Star

spot the mistake... I have it out for some reverse stitching....

Arrowhead....

Streak of Lightening

And here they are all together.....

I have put these blocks away to work on later... sashing and a couple of borders to go... I have a December deadline so the pressure is off .............

Righto, Gotto Go.... I seem to have several piles of 'blocks' to be sewn together... 

(much shaking of head....)

editors note....... 

.... see..... I did fix it..... isn't it annoying that I only noticed it when I put the pictures up on a blog post?

Pattern is from Jelly Roll Sampler quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott

Fabric is Paris Flea Market

detail of other blocks can be seen HERE and HERE

Prepare yourself ....

.. to be amazed at these totally hand sewn quilts....

I was treated to a display of  these ones made by Christine....

very sweet applique with the neatest blanket stitching and little borders...

... for those of you who love to crochet.... loads of stitching in these granny squares...

... I do love hst's and pinwheels... aren't these so pretty...

... for those who love to do crazy patchwork.... gold thread and black velvet...

... for the hexagon lovers.... look at this fussy cutting....

Now for some perspective on the size of these quilts....

(quilt size 10cm (4"))

The Australian 5c piece is 2 cm in diameter - or 6/8".... 

so that green border is 1/2cm 

and can you notice the biased joins on the binding?

and this one... such minute crochet

... now you need to go back and look at the detail and just get an idea of how little those pieces are...

... look at the quilting in this one of the pinwheels! .....

.... can you imagine all those embroidery stitches in miniature for the crazy patch blocks ....

I just adore this granny flower garden hexagons with the fussy cut flowers

the whole hexie flower is 2cm across.... I think the stitched sides were 1/8" 

 Christine even made the bed for the quilt... it is just too delightful - pop around and have a look at her cottage in the making 

... she has some knitting.... in machine sewing thread ... beautiful ...

Thank you so much for bringing these in for me to see Christine... made my day week month!

I am speechless