4th week of June

Oh my goodness, half the year has passed by!!!!

Lost Blogs

I had a message from Julie (thank you so much) noting my blog had not shown up on her list/feed .... and I went to check my feed and so many blogs I had missed (including Julie's).... I don't know what has happened but I am having a lot less feeds to read and having a lot less readers....

I am slowly re-building up a list for on my blog side bar - perhaps this will help.  Anyway if you haven't heard from me, or can't see yourself on the left sidebar,  please give a yell so I can get back to reading your blog!  Thanks

I finished the binding on this quilt at Tuesday girls sewing....  I had a bunch of William Morris scraps and found a suitable WM for the background

I made the top in 2024 and quilted it earlier this year in a fairly loose all over florally design

I do love this William Morris inspired backing....

This pattern is Chandelier quilt - there are a few free and for purchase patterns on-line.  This is the second I have done as it's great for using up coordinating scraps.

After I had sewn the binding down I did a couple of my neglected Sashiko blocks....

I will be more vigilant with them once I have completed the embroidery table runner

Hubz and I went to the local Museum this week, a snack at the cafe and then a stroll around - we haven't been for a number of years and there was a 'secrets' section.

I enjoyed perusing this embroidery. 

The information provided:

STITCHED-IN SECRETS

This piece was embroidered by Jessie Porter in April 1900.  Conservators removed the frame to reveal the original vibrant thread colours at the embroidery's edges.

Jessie lived with her husband Henry (Ernie) and their children Eric, Alan and Dorothy in their home Glenroy in Toowoomba.  When she was creating this embroidery, she hid their names and the name of their property in the design.

here is a close up... what a lot of stitching in there.... slow stitching on steroids!

I can see Jessie in this section but I struggle to find the other names....

The museum also has an extensive collection of Coaches which were fun to see and read about.

Righto, Gotto Go.... it's G&T time here....xx

Hoping you are all well (and that blog reading and commenting can get back on track)

3rd week of May

Another big(ish) week.... DD was back in hospital for a few days with a bowel obstruction (not nice but managed to sort out without more surgery which is a big plus)  Her son (Widget) had a birthday and 2 days later passed his drivers licence so is now independently on P plates.  

Anyway ...... in between some crafting has happened...

I did the machine part of the binding for Wings and Pretty Things, it still needs to be hand sewn down...

Finished the quilting for my Quilting Mice,  stitched and put together some years ago.  It's quite small, would work for a wall hanging.  

The pictures are quite sweet and show mice in various stages of making a quilt..... personally I have no fondness for mice .....

I am focussing on my crochet in the evenings, this blanket is 2/3 of the way through - as you can see quite a few ends to stitch in aswell....

I made up enough blocks to put together this Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt top.....  Last year I had gathered a bunch of strips from Quilt Club and I've been wanting to get this out the way.

I used this tutorial by Bonnie Hunter - it's a great scrap buster for 2 1/2" strips

Another quilt has been put on the frame, this one will be an all over design.  

First fire of the season has been lit, not really that cold but the fire is comforting.

Righto, Gotto Go..... I'll go and get a bit of that quilting done ...

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

Last week of February....

It's a longer last week of February than the last few years since it's a leap year!

I delved into my UFO pile and put together this quilt top.... all the blocks were already made so it was only a matter of setting them out on the design wall and then sewing them together.....

I used up my coloured left overs of William Morris fabrics (I made a tuffet years ago from these) and I had luckily found metrage of the background WM fabric on a sale a couple of years ago.

Chandelier quilt is a free pattern from Jenny Doan of Missouri Star.

Wednesday was a Machine sewing day with friends and I finished off 16 log cabin blocks that had been all cut and partly sewn.  The blocks work out at 14" each and haven't been sewn together yet.  I have enough of the blue/grey to add a 2 1/2" border and do the binding.

Cabin time is also a free pattern found on-line by Mary Go Round Quilts.  It uses 2 1/2" strips and I used a jelly roll I have had for years (can't remember the name of the range)

Night time knitting has been this cardigan for a 1 year old.... this is a KOGO item

... and some progress on my hearts.. .though I am again behind 2 days.... 

It's been a social week  ......

Righto, Gotto Go.... those blocks won't sew themselves together....

Naive Melody

A few years ago I joined in with a Modern Quilt sewalong.  It was hosted by Lucy Engels and we did her Naive Melody quilt.

This is the quilt that started me using my Terra Australis fat quarter pack.

I chose Needleturn applique...

The backgrounds were larger pieces I had in my stash and I also had a bit of metreage of the orange in the range (which I used for the orange backgrounds and binding)

For Quilting I outlined the shapes and did a fairly small meander in between to bring out the shapes...

I was so pleased to have spotted this backing at the shop.... just perfect...

A quick show of the other quilts I did using this range for the colours and then adding different backgrounds...

National Quilt Museum Block of the Month 2021 (free on line)  Different techniques used..

Dotty (made up myself) purchased black and whites for the 4 patch backgrounds... Machine appliqued the coloured circles...

Puzzle Box, free pattern by Christa Quilts.  I purchased some cream grunge for the light backgrounds...

Chandelier Quilt, free pattern online.  I purchased dark grey for the background...

With the last little pieces left I made a bunch of these little card wallets.  Most of them have already been gifted.

I think there may be a couple of small pieces dropped in the scrap baskets.....  So pleased to have so well used the fabric pack and I think I will make it my mission to do so again with other packs I break into.   

It's been fun seeing how different they are with using different background colours....

I have a quilt on the frame which I had finished the top in 2019 - so now it's going to have it's turn for quilting!  

Righto, Gotto Go... Tuesday girls sewing and I have made a trifle to take.... all it needs now is a load of cream on top!

All the best as we ready ourselves for Christmas... I am so not ready and beginning to panic!  I'll just go and sew!

Lots of love xx

Chandelier quilt

I love how this Chandelier quilt has turned out...

I am still using up my Terra Australis fabrics .... 

I did quite heavy quilting in the dark grey areas and left the colours completely unquilted

... and I found a fun backing which I love too....

The Chandalier quilt is a free pattern from Lella Boutique found HERE.  I have already started another one - its very versatile for ranges or scraps.  I am using scraps from ranges!

Keeping on going with Field Journal embroideries....

... and I finished off this Civil War Bride block this week....

This last week has been busy and social and I've hardly been home, so today I hope to get some quilting (friends quilt) done, and prep work for hand sewing this next week.  I've taken out some Christmas quilts to try and make the home a little bit festive and I will dig out the box of gorgeous hand made ornies I have.

Hope you have a lovely weekend...

Righto, Gotto Go.... off to search for my box of handmade ornaments....

Terra Australis....

Stayed at home this week (cough cough sniffle sniffle) and have been getting on with some sewing.....

I have used up nearly all my pieces from a Terra Australis fat quarter pack and this is the top I sewed together this week.

Black and white 4 patches then appliqued a circle by machine blanket stitch to the centre of each 4 patch... then joined to make a checkerboard effect.

These are the other quilts I have made using the same range - and I've shown before but thought I would include them here for a comparison

Chandalier Quilt is a free pattern by Vanessa Goertzen (TA plus charcoal grey)

Puzzle Box is a free pattern by Christa Quilts (TA and Grunge)

Mystery BOM 2012  hosted by National Quilt Museum - I have done the blocks but not yet put it all together....  Individual blocks are QAYG and just need sashing and binding.  I am going to go with the charcoal grey again... it needs bold framing I think.

TA and light grey

It all started with Naive Melody (pattern by Lucy Engels) and done using needleturn technique....

TA and various low volume greys/beiges

5 very different looks and I met my challenge of using almost all of the fabric - and I still have smaller pieces left over which I will chop and make some card wallets....

All of these are yet to be completed!

Still going with the Field Journal embroideries...

Hope all is well with you ..... xx

Righto, Gotto Go..... that new Tilda range is calling to be played with!