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

3rd week of July

I do hope you have all had a good week......

I don't have any progress on the Hardanger, I did spend a few hours on it at Guild but had to undo it all as that part was all completely wrong..... I hope to spend a bit of time this weekend playing catch up!

Lots of quilting and binding was done though.... to be honest a loose overall design on a smallish piece does not take long and the binding is all being done by machine so that is quick too...

I added to the sides of the next two to increase the width

these would all be a comfortable cot size....

This one makes me smile... they all look so goofy....

This is the selection of backings I used.  some are left over from larger quilts and the green was a length of fabric I had in the box....

Tuesleydale got 5 blocks done..... I have only 2 more to do and then need to put the blocks together....

The friend I am sewing with is doing a lot more blocks to make a bigger quilt but I have braid foundation paper and a jelly roll to play with.....

Some progress has been made on the pieces for my owls, and also the stitching on the table runner.

Daughter has been back in hospital to get stents between kidneys and bladder and the rest of the week has been uncomfortable for her.   One step forward, two steps back it feels like.

New down lights put throughout the house - it needed doing and in my sewing room I got them set to the brightest.... just lovely having good light in there.  Next we need to get new smoke alarms to meet regulations.  

Righto, Gotto Go..... the weekend is here... 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....

End of October.....

It really is the end of October.  eeeeeeekkkkk

We have spent a bit of time helping Grandson #2 settle in.... He has stayed in town most of this week with his cousin Widget.   He has an Ausi bank account and a job lined up for next week --- so that is a good start to his working time here.

Hubz had a itsy bitsy thing that could be a potential problem cut out his leg,  his car to be serviced, take the grandiboys out for pub supper, blah blah blah so plenty of trips to town.

I did go to sewing with Tuesday girls this week and hand stitched down the binding for this little cot quilt.  It's a panel so there was no piecing to be done,  a wide meander quilting and that's it.  I have another similar panel ready to be loaded up.  (using up what I have though no more babies are expected in my family for time being (till the next generation starts!))

I finished the first outline for my hardanger lessons.  I wasn't able to go this week but I know I need to do 2 more outlines - just waiting on some threads I ordered online to arrive....  (it will be a sampler of different stitches)

A few more squares knitted.  I will keep going with these but start a baby blanket as KOGO are calling out for baby things.  

That's my week really..... a wild storm early in the week and it feels like it is brewing another, hot and humid and summer hasn't started yet!

This next weeks goal is to get some of my 'odd blocks' and make up zippy bags, or at least have them prepared.  I will endeavour to make them correctly and not have my blocks ending up as the lining, which I have done previously. 

Righto, Gotto Go... Step one is to sort through those odd blocks....

Have a lovely weekend....xx

Second Week of March

We were housebound over a few days with threats of the cyclone.  We had a windy night and a few branches down and no power for most of a day.... and some very welcome rain.

So it was a good time to get out one of those tops from the Quilting Queue and play with it.....

I took this scrappy one (which I really love and it used so many of those little pieces) and also found a bunch of strips to make into binding......  off to the Binding Queue!!!

Girlfriends came round for machine sewing day and I am up to date with Be My Neighbour blocks, I am sewing this one with Susan and our neighbourhoods are looking very different, but I can assure you they are both respectable and good value to live there!!!

this is the first street done (the colours are a bit fresher than the picture shows)

I went to Quilt Group on Tuesday and there were some lovely quilt tops made using strippy scraps

This picture shows how Betty made hers... she backed with some lightweight fabric and after sewing the squares cut smaller strips

then placed them in opposite directions to get this ziggy zaggy effect....

Shirley made a shadow box quilt using her strip blocks....

... and another making diamond shapes with the strips....

Some great ideas ......

I did the binding on this little Charm Pack quilt

soft curly hooks for quilting ... makes a modernish cot quilt, or even a lap quilt....

and of course no scraps left from the charm pack!!!

This weekend I will prep up a few projects though not much will happen for the next 5 weeks, we are going away for a short island break and then children from far away are coming to help celebrate Hubby's 70th birthday at the end of the month.....

Excited is an under-exaggeration!  During this time I will be taking a break from blogging ....... xx

Righto, Gotta Go - I think I will take some yarn and pattern for baby clothes, nice and easy to travel with.....

First Week of February

I did show this panel before which I had been gifted.... most of the work having been done (I just blanket sttiched down felt on some leaves and gave some eyes.

I hadn't noticed some of the detailed handwork the original maker had done.... there are sweet little leaves sewn into the big leaves ...... such a lot of them and it looks gorgeous up close.

The birds have felt wings with embroidery detail on them ...

and the rabbits have a bit of extra on their one ear...

I didn't add anything more than finish the green felt and then trimmed it and have made up a binding.  I will leave it as a smallish wallhanging, which shows off the handwork,  I think.

Off to the Quilting Queue.

This week whilst sorting through some scraps I found these bits - I had made a quilt for a grandiegirl some years ago - maybe 10 years ago... such a sweet collection.

I chopped up the blocks and found some other coordinating fabrics and have made up this little cot quilt top....

Had enough of the yellow fabric to make up some binding.... 

Off to the Quilting Queue .....

Another Caswell block is done...... the purples look a bit dull but they aren't really....

... and a couple of Sashiko blocks stitched during TV time....

The quilt on the frame was this one I made in 2023 from a prize pack I had won from Glenrose Patchwork (now closed).  The prize included some completed circles and loads of templates and fabrics.  I think I only added some backgrounds and the borders.  EPP is not my favourite technique but I was determined to make this up.  

I did straight lines ruler work in the border and curved rulers in the circles - a small meander in between

The binding was made up so that's been added but I still need to hand sew it down

Off to the Binding Queue .....

Embroidery Guild this morning found me working on my blackwork.  This is the latest flower and I managed about 3 more leaves!

I am using 16 Aida cloth... those flowers are about 3/4" in size so quite little.  I use a magnifying glass light for sewing this.

My usual mix of different projects - there is a huge mess in one spare room whilst I continue sorting (and discovering forgotten projects and getting new ideas!)

Righto, Gotto Go - I have neglected my crochet this week so will work on that tonight....

Take Care and have a lovely weekend....xx