Sunday 31 March 2013

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!  Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Suffolk puff preparation

I came across a length of white homespun that was just the length I needed for the top of Grace's suffolk puff quilt.  So yesterday I pressed it and cut out all the strips so I can start sewing on all the puffs.

Quilting

I have also pulled out this long term project to finish quilting the borders.  I have been quilting it now for about 10 years.  I think what has been putting me off was the fact that the flower design down the sides had to be stitched through tissue paper which I find is a real pain to do.  But not any more lol.  I have a fine white marking pen put out by Clover that irons out and it has been working with great success.  So I have made a template  that I can now just trace around.  I have two more flowers to stitch and then I can start on the final side as long as it stays cool that is.

Some kind of wonderful

Well my book arrived and over the last week I have stitched 2 bands for the pin cushion project.  Hoping to make them up later today.  I used 607 geranium and 913 jacaranda.  Might also try and trace out a few of the other sewing things too.

Saturday 23 March 2013

FNSI results and an OPAM

Well I had a finish for FNSI.  This week I hand quilted my table mat and spent last night sewing on the binding.  So that is another project finished for OPAM too.  After that was done I worked on some more suffolk puffs and had another look through my new book.
Despite my wonky photo it is actually square lol




My two furries snuggled up on the bed together while the weather was quite wild on Thursday.  Merlin of course pinched Tess's bed lol. 

Now off to plan my next project from my new book and visit some more blogs.

Friday 22 March 2013

FNSI

Well it is time for FNSI again and it will result in a finish for me too.  Come back tomorrow for show and tell.

Monday 18 March 2013

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Saturday 16 March 2013

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Heat packs

Two more finishes yay!

Now the insert isn't too flash but this is how I do all of mine filled with cheap rice.  I sew up three sides then channel them.  Fill each channel just over half full and sew the top of each channel individually.  Then lay it out and evenly distribute rice and put the machine on the slowest speed with the longest stitch length possible and very slowly stitch through the middle of the piece.  Nice and slow will save the needle but I usually use an older needle for this as I would expect it to dull the point a bit and if it does break it doesn't really matter. If you have an overlocker you could run round the edge to tidy it up.  If it was as a gift I would certainly do it.




I think I am over squares now and am going to have a nice cup of tea and look about on blogger lol.  Only 20 squares left of prints that I don't particularly like so I think I might just turf them lol.

Wow that was quick

another OPAM!  I might just have to slow down a bit lol.

Started straight after my first post on here and have it done already.  I still have squares so off to make some new heat pack covers I think.

OPAM's and progress

I now have the table mat ready for quilting.  I might do it by hand this time but am still thinking about it.

The pics aren't the best at 6.30am lol but you get the idea.  I have finished it off by using more of the Cottage Garden Threads.  Colours used are 401 delphinium, 303 wheat and 905 lamb's ear.  Michelle's project has been really fun to stitch and I have really enjoyed it so far.  

These are the white triangle pillowslips that I made to replace the nasty poly/cotton ones.  Very pleased and I might make another pair later with some battenburg lace trim on the edge that opens.  I will add these to my OPAM March list.

Finally for the moment I have another OPAM finish with the ironing board cover.  I had some thickish wool batting just the right size to used it too and it is wonderful for ironing on.  But it is not so nice to quilt through so didn't end up quilting it as much as I would have preferred.  I still have those slightly wonky squares left so will make a cover to go over my machine today lol.  That should almost see them and a lot more calico scraps used up too.

Well off to get busy again .... be back later

Thursday 14 March 2013

Some kind of wonderful

Well I have done it.  I've ordered a copy of Some kind of wonderful lol.  Will have to wait for it to arrive now before I can jump in and make some of those wonderful projects that everyone is making.  Nothing like blogger to expand our stitching horizons.

Tomorrow is going to be a stitching day for me as I have two triangle pillow slips to finish and I also want to make a matching ironing board cover for the sewing set.  Plus it has been such a hot and very busy week and I really need a down day lol.

Off now to hopefully finish the table mat.  Only have the butterfies to stitch and then it will be ready to quilt.  I might even do that by hand too.

Monday 11 March 2013

Over the last week....

Snow Central

Remember this project I started on well it is all buttonholed with the exception of some parts of the house which I will have to do on the machine.  The old visofix stuff I used has made it way too hard to push a needle through due to the layers so I will complete this on the machine.  I also cheated and did the snowmen by machine too.

This is an old photo I will share a new one when it is completed.  I wish now I needle turned it lol.  If only I knew how easy it actually is back when I started this project.


Deerfield

Now this is one of a set of pillow slips I made a few years ago.  The designs and stitches are typical deerfield style and it was a project from Inspirations magazine.  Not sure of the issue but I can find out if anyone wants to know more.



Teacups and Roses table mat

I have finally started stitching on the table mat that Michelle had published in the latest Country Threads magazine.  I have decided to use my collection of Cottage Garden threads to do it and am loving picking the colours as I stitch along.  I did buy a few weeks back a green and red toned threads to match in with the fabrics I have used.  So far the colours used are
Sweet melon 1104
Ash 201
Tea rose 805
Wattle blossom 309 
Gorgeous names for threads too.  Not bad for a couple of hours sewing over the last two nights either.


Farmers Wife

I have also cut out a couple of Farmers wife blocks and got them sewn too.

Prairie Queen (who is a tiny bit wonky)

Wrench


Lance

Lance has also been cleared to go back to work this morning on very restricted duties.  I have loved having him home.  So as long as things go well over the next three weeks we will be over the risk period of the clot that formed in the aneurysm shifting and life can go back to better than normal for us.  Having the blood pressure lowered to a normal level has made a big difference to Lance's general health already because we have dropped about 3 of the 8 medications.  The others will have to stay but it does make you wonder how they interact with each other.  So hopefully our rotten start to the year has finished and it can only improve.  How about winning Tatts!  Now surely its our turn for the numbers to come up in the next big draw lol.  I'm not greedy I only want about $40,000.  So now that we know things are on the up this will be the last I post about such things but thank you for your support and kind words.  I don't know any of you personally but it did help me immensely to be able to share the stress around and see that there are some very wonderful people out there in blogland.

Sunday 3 March 2013

Another finish!

Here is the wren all finished.  I actually took it outside for a more realistic photo too lol.  Looks more like the real piece now.  I have also taken a pic with 50c to so you can work out the size of it.  I am thinking about framing this one so will have to go through some old frames to see if any suit then I can list it for OPAM.



Now maybe after putting the threads away for this project I should do some more buttonhole on the tree skirt before starting Michelle's table mat.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Give away winner

Congratulations Mistea you are the winner of the pattern give away.  Please email me your details so I can get it in the mail to you next week.

Finish! One birthday item a month

Here's a book cover that I made up this morning using the bird I needle turned last night.  I used the same method as the other ones I have made as it has a nice finish.  The first photo isn't the best due to flash but the second photo is more like the colour of the fabric.



Friday 1 March 2013

Friday Night With Friends

Yay it's FNWF and I have just made an achievement!  There will be no more buttonhole applique lol.  I have in the last hour traced, cut out and needle turned this bird to a 6.5" block!  Couldn't believe how little time it took.  I can see myself doing more of this.  Why did it take me so long lol.

I have decided I would like to turn it into a circle which will then be appliqued with large ric rac onto a book cover.  I'll do that bit tomorrow in better light as the pic isn't that good either.  I will french knot an eye later too.

The other project I have been working on was cutting out some more Farmer's Wife blocks and have them ready for sewing.

I have also finished stitching the wren and will start on the other bits after some blogging.  It has been quite a productive day.


Also Lance had his ultrasound yesterday and it is the first time I have seen the size of the aneurysm.  It measured almost 3.5cm across so it would have caused quite a lot of damage had it burst or broke off.  But so far it is looking very stable and Lance will have another week off work to make sure he is out of the danger period before life gets back to normal.  The haematoma has also nearly resolved too which is excellent.

Happy FNWF stitching everyone.