The start of February

Gossip in the Garden is a finish

(designed by Anni Downs)

All I had to do was the binding which I machined down and then took to sewing with friends and hand sewed the back.

I mostly used Tilda scraps - and I love the result

Had fun with the quilting especially in the white spaces

outlining the applique so it shows up nicely....

At Group on Tuesday I sewed down the self binding hexagons for some of my Field Journal blocks

Some of the Tuesday girls and I are challenging ourselves to work on our UFO's - at least one a month

I sewed this blackwork with some of the Brisbane bloggers a few years ago and it has been sitting around....

Two canvases were purchased and I covered the larger one in some plain teal fabric and laced the blackwork (my first attempt at lacing) on a thin canvas and then glued the two together

Happy with the result and it is now hanging in the hallway.  The teal matches the little bit of teal blue metallic in the blocks....

Most of my day time hours this week has been spent on this wedge sampler....

Each of the light grey blocks is a different design, all the dark grey are the same....

Just a few of my favourites

I prefer doing the more organic designs

some ruler work

I was a bit stiff at times and wobbly but the overall result is fine ..... a lovely way to get back into hand-guided quilting (course by Rachelle Denneny) great instructions and videos.

Righto, Gotto Go,  I have had my arm twisted to join in February stitching hosted by Meg Hawkey at  Crabapple Hill - sweet little hearts to sew each day.  Tracing is done, thread needs choosing and stabiliser ironed on....

Have a lovely rest of the week xx

FNWF

Thanks Cheryll, always fun to sew with you and the others.....  we all met up HERE this week...

I finished off the quilting of this quilt on Friday.... 

The pinwheels are a bit of a sampler and I did different little things in them... trying to improve small motor movements... rulers help a lot for in the ditch.... I used to be quite good doing them free hand....

Then long trails of feathery leaves all along the shocking pink areas....

In the evening I finished off my bed of strawberries....

.. and then worked on the edge of my lollies sampler....  I forgot the beads in the middle which is a nuisance and I will have to go back and do them!

Finally when my eyes were too tired to concentrate I did another row or two on the shawl......  this is my go to in the car and chatting on video where I don't need to watch the whole time...   I'm about half way I think

On Saturday morning I added the binding to the quilt..... it's all done now...

The back is from a doona cover - I think it's quite fun....

You can see the quilting a bit clearer... and the thread catches, and the wobbles etc...

I'm not a computer so I will never get it perfect....

Righto, Gotto Go.... Sunday morning.. the fire is going, the coffee is on  .... have a lovely day...x

Four finishes....

These tops were already quilted and I added the binding front and back by machine so they really didn't take long at all to finish.....

I made this scrappy I Spy Disappearing 9 patch after seeing Susan's lovely one last year.....  A great way to use up same size squares.  I just used more of the plain blue as I wanted every 9 patch centre square (which became cornerstones) to be the same....

I had enough of that same blue to become the binding....

Quilt Size 60 x 54"

I quilted it in large watery type design... it's kept it soft and snuggly...

I made these feathers some years ago from my scraps and on a background fabric which had been given to me (which I didn't realise is polyester... not really a problem but not as easy to work with as cotton)

A pattern by Anna Marie Horner... I just love it....

For the quilting I ditched around the edges of the stem and feather and then did quite a heavy twirl in the background....  Size is 51" square....

This next quilt is a small lap 45" square and was made from a fabric bundle I got somewhere many moons ago.... it is a variety of fabrics with shine and metallics I think... again not cotton

For this one I just did big swirls and loops....  I think it would make a useful table topper which doesn't matter if it gets tea stains on....

A few months ago I picked up a bag of fabrics at an op shop for $3.  Amongst the fabrics were 12 ready made blocks so I found some sashing and a border that would match and made up this lap quilt...

Quilt size ... 47" x 37"

I practiced with rulers for this one and did large orange peels in the blocks, in the ditch near the sashings and lots of straight lines in the border...

Hand sewing has resulted in another Field Journal block.  I had to learn Weave Stitch for this one and rather like the texture it has created....

.. and finally another block for Civil War Bride... those strawberries nearly got the better of me....

I am now up to 10 of the 20 blocks... and I am loving it though it is slow and I am itching to get on with some other needleturn projects....

After a couple of beautiful warm days we are back to evil wind and cold.... Hubz and I both had our second vaccinations yesterday so are a bit achey armed.  I have to admit I do feel relieved that if this virus comes near I am protected as best as I can be.

Righto, Gotto Go..... I have sewing and quilting to play with..... Keep safe...

New Beginnings.....

I wonder what the year has in store for us... I feel I need to be braced for it!

I have started a new project....

The Schoolgirl Sampler is a book by Kathleen Tracy (A Sentimental Quilter) and she is hosting a Sewalong on a F/B page.  I am sewing along with Sue (Kiwikid)  and a couple of other people and we are sharing our pictures and encouraging one another on Instagram.  

There are so many forums these days to join in with things and get encouragement....

I have large pieces of Tilda fabrics left from a couple of other quilts so I am going to use them in a scrappy style for mine... with a fair bit of white added too.  Aiming for 6 blocks a week... maybe more... maybe less...

I got my book as an e-book and printed it out as there were none in stock when I wanted to start.... (of course they came in stock the day after I got mine!!! haha)  Again, we are lucky to have options...

Naive Melody is the Modern Quilt Sewalong (via Instagram) hosted by Lucy Engels, the designer.

These are the last 20 blocks.... I have done the applique in needleturn and had a lot of fun with this one.... so enjoyed the large bold shapes.....

My quilting machine was cleaned and oiled, new needle etc and we had some play time together.....

The red and cream pineapple quilt was already pinned and I did a fairly close all over design with swirls and sort of flower shapes....

Its hard to show what was done.... I didn't want it to stand out but just give texture...so that worked but it doesn't help trying to show the quilting on it......

This Friday night was the first FNWF, hosted by Cheryll (Gone Stitching) where we get together cyberly once a month .......

... and I sewed the binding down in the afternoon .....

so now it is a finish for OPAM, hosted by Kris (Tag Along Teddies)

It is also a UFO finish - WOOFA is hosted by Cheryll.  This year we are including P for projects we have wanted to do... and I will slowly update my sidebar lists as I sort things.

This quilt measures 50" square and was made using my red and cream scraps (and some extra scraps from friend Maureen as I ran out for the last couple of blocks)

This year I am also joining Narelle in working on a Christmas Item each month.....  I have done this for a few years now with different success rates.....

I bought this kit some years ago and had started it... so it is both a UFO and a Christmas Item....

Blanket stitching around the applique.....

Hubz has still been on holidays this week so we have enjoyed chilling and getting a few things done at the house and garden..... we have had some lovely rain (I can still hear gentle showers on the roof as I type)  The last of the Christmas decorations have been packed away and some clearing and sorting done of stuff that gathers....  We went to see "The Dry" (it is years since we went off on a movie date) .... a movie set in Australia with Eric Bana.  I had not read the book so didn't know what to expect.... it was well done and a great story.....

Righto, Gotto Go..... another cup of tea and some fiddling in the sewing room...

Keep safe

A quilt finish.....

I had a happy weekend quilting and sewing....

I did this all over wood grain type design on the Tim Holst Fat Quarter Quilt I made....  I love the texture and feel when it's all quilted....

It doesn't show too much on the front which I wanted as the fabrics don't need any more added to them....

... then a couple of evenings hand sewing down the binding and the quilt is done....

... sitting waiting patiently on the chair to be posted to it's new home....

(actually it looks quite good there .... maybe it should stay!!!)

then I added some pieces to my pineapple blocks.... I have another row of reds to do and then the corners and these will be done.....

A stitching day with friends this week got some hand embroidery done....

This one was almost done and just needed a few more french knots to finish it off.... 

... and this one was completed too...

I hope you are having a lovely week.... we have Stitchers Dream Day Out hosted by The Quilters Angel this weekend.  Luckily still able to go ahead and lots of Covid 19 plans put in place to have a lovely and safe event.... I'm so looking forward to it... 

Righto, Gotto Go.... job job to do... lucky I love quilting!!