Friday, March 27, 2015

Stitching along....

This years Stitch-A-Long hosted by Chookyblue is Nature's Journey by Anni Downs....

these are my blocks for March.. the larger blocks are 6 1/2" and the smaller one's 3 1/2".


Even though the needleturn is a slow and fiddly process for me - as is doing blanket stitch inside out - I am enjoying it all and having it broken into workable amounts each month is a bonus...

Thanks Chookyblue for hosting this and so much support and encouragement on the Stitch-A-Long blog... I love seeing all the different colour choices

Our local council gives us an annual voucher for 2 free plants with our rates... I have always forgotten to go and collect mine but I did this week....


the plants in the front with the orange flowers are an Eremophila (or Emu bush) groundcovers and there were some lavenders going extra as they weren't labelled so I got 3 of those - both are hardy plants, the Emu bush being a native Australian plant ....

My Hubz is reaching the big 60 next week and how amazing that some friends that he worked are going to be here this weekend.  A couple from Sydney and another couple from Sunshine Coast are travelling up as well as friends and family who live locally.



The Sydney couple moved to Switzerland and then Aus, and the other couple New Zealand and now Aus.

We all lived in the same town in Zimbabwe 20 years ago... so it's a lovely reunion and a special time for him to spend with 'gold' friends.

Righto, Gotto Go, beds to make, beer to fridge, shopping to do, party to make....


Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Christmas Item....

This snowman wallhanging ......



..... it is also my Christmas gift for this month so I will be linking it to Anthea's Christmas Through The Year...



The pattern is called Snow Buddies by Natalie Bird at the Birdhouse and I think they are lovely little fat snoweys so I might need to make another for myself!!!

Thanks Anthea and Narelle for the motivation to get things made.... you are wonderful to host these ...

Righto, Gotto Go... I wouldn't mind a bit of snow... another hot humid day  - I need to go and have a look about next months Christmas makes....

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Threadcatcher Tutorial ......

One of my little things is my portable sewing kit is a little threadcatcher that folds up.....

It's easy to make.... 

(not my idea... I got given one ready made and just copied it...)


Cut your hexagons... my larger one is 5" along the sides ... and the smaller one  is 3 1/2" .... 
(this makes the end triangle base sides 5")

(... of course you can make it bigger... or smaller - whatever flies your kite!)

cut one larger hexagon and one smaller in a contrast fabric... I also cut a small one in iron on light vilene just to add a bit of firmness....


iron on the vilene to the back of the smaller block


put the small hexagon onto the larger one wrong sides together.....

I used little drops of soluble glue to hold in place - pins will do

(there is no reason you can't use double sided iron on if you like....... whatever lights your candle)


then double fold the sides of the large hexagon to make a hem over the smaller hexagon.... 

... pin in place....

(or use those clever clips ... whatever cuts your cake!)


... then sew around all edges.....

(I did mine by machine... you can hand sew of course... whatever blows your hair back....)




then take up one side of the hexagon and fold in half and sew that edge up....

do this around 3 of the edges....


... so it makes a triangular little bowl....


 ... just fold in on one side to flatten and pop in your sewing bag

(or case, or box... whatever sails your boat)


...easy peasy.... 

Righto, I'm off to look in the scrap box to cut more out....


Sunday, March 22, 2015

FNSI

Thanks Wendy for hosting us cyberly for March's monthly FNSI ... and thanks Quilters Angel for hosting me at their fortnightly sewing...

It was Kris' birthday so we had the most amazing chocolate cake.... I won't show you a picture 'cos that would be really mean (and besides I forgot to take one!!!)

Here is the Nature's Journey block I sewed......
(please note there are no chocolate cake stains on it!)


.... today I am working on some scrappy 9 patch blocks.....


Righto, Gotto Go.... those pretty little blocks aren't going to sew themselves..... and I want to pop over HERE and see what others did on Friday....

Friday, March 20, 2015

FMQ challenge for March....

March's challenge at QuiltShopGal was by Patsy Thompson .... she does lovely work and has a variety of books and dvd's and lessons available...  best of all she loves feathers!!!!  I have been reading her blog for some time....

I chose to refer back to a tutorial she gave in 2012 for my cushion this month (Option 1)...

I have used some soft cotton lawn (to be honest this was a nightie that had been given to me but was far too small! - the fabric was so lovely even with a few stains...)

I made folds in it to base where I would be marking... that white patch underneath is wadding for the trapunto part in the middle....


I found a sweet little doily with bluebirds on which was just the right size....
(also preloved and with some rust stains)

(there are a lot of pictures but I wanted to show the process)


... the first part was attaching the doily ... I used a dissolvable thread (note to self... do not suck the thread to help with threading the needle... it dissolves quickly!!!)


.. once sewn I cut back the wadding behind the doily... this means only the doily area will have the double wadding.....


... then I started marking my borders (as you see I have very fancy equipment)


... the folds were helpful in keeping the square good....


... using the blue pen to mark the borders.....


.. once marked I layered my quilt sandwich....


... first part of quilting was going over all the borders and around my blue birds... this stabilised it all and I could remove the pins....


... the back.....


... I then marked my cross hatching for the doily ....
(this would have been better done earlier but I forgot!!!)


... a good spray with cold water and the marks and dissolvable thread were gone...

quilting... the cross hatching orange peel is done and I have started on the feathers around the doily....  as you can see these are not marked .... I find I run smoother going free form even if I lose on the consistency of shape....


.. feathers completed and the first border of circles on the go....


... more borders until completed all the quilting I wanted to do....

(I find smaller designs easier in a way but they take much longer)


...my cushion top and bases are joined (I used an overlocker which is stronger and easier for this part)

.. and found a fat quarter of a matching blue fabric



... to make a bias edging...

.. which borders it all nicely I think....


... I forgot to do progress pictures of the back but they are also quilted... the lines are the little pleats that were in the nightie ... I then just filled in heavily ... just an envelope type back to slip the cushion filler in....


... not stuffed quite enough but this was for a picture....


 ... so far 3 cushions made... all different and helping me to use my imagination a bit more.....



Thanks Darlene for another challenge..... these are definitely helping me to be a bit more creative in my quilting....

.. and thanks to Patsy for wonderful guidance and ideas...

.... adding to my skills... and adding to the giftie box!

Righto, Gotto Go.... there's still some March sewing to be done!!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

A visit.... a storm... an apron... and FNSI plans....

Yesterday Hubz had some work out of town... it just happened he was going to be going past Michelle's house... so I hitchhiked and Michelle kindly hosted me for a day.....

... there was a bit of chatting and forgetting to take pictures... but Michelle did snap evidence of my visit..... we both love pretty mugs.....



... on the way there a sudden storm came through ... it was chasing us.... haha.. it missed us but we were happy to have found we had a nice little shower at home....


Michelle did take me shopping... so my purse is a bit lighter than planned....

... and we did some stitching.... I sewed some of Little Miss Strawberry and finished off the last few stitches last night.....
(alphabet bears... one of Michelles sets)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane has started video lessons through her website and offered a first time freebie of making up an apron out of an old shirt..... my old apron was really messed so it was a great reason to make a new one.....

Jane's lessons were so lovely and clear, and the project very easy .. and I loved listening to her calm voice... I added a little bit of lace on the collar for decoration....

I have been reading Jane's blog for some time... and I love what she makes especially recycled clothing.. thanks Jane



Today I am prepping up my Nature's Journey blocks....


... all ready for FNSI hosted by Wendy tommorrow night.... hope you can come too... sign ups are here....


Righto, Gotto Go..... I want to sew a few 9 patch blocks to match my alphabet bears...

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