A little bit of this and that . !!!

Ivé managed to get a bit of sewing done this last week.  I have done several blocks and lots of pieces for the Classic Burgoyne , It sure is a lot of work but will be worth it  at the end.

These are the row sets, then all cut up and put back together into these blocks.

I have to make 16 of these  for a large quilt.....

I was feeling guilty because I had started another quilt......so I pulled out my Kaffe Fasset Twisted Turning Twenty blocks... Lay them on the new King size bed and decided to make 5 more , I have added them to the rows and they are all sewn together . It looks great, just a border now and I'll put it on the frame..

Here 's a few of the extra blocks' I think you need big blocks to show case the wonderful colours.

I have also been enjoying work on My Sue Spargo leaves and this book came from The Book Depsitory last week.

The instructions are very clear and the spiral binding means it sits nice and flat beside me while working.

I hope mine look as good as these !

Mmmmmmm Marmalade  Lime Orange and Lemon with a little Chyrstalised Ginger. Nice  abnd tangy.yum

I also made some Lemon Butter . I could eat this off the spoon  who needs toast !

The week that Was .....

What a busy week, Last Monday I was able to do a 2 day class through The Gold Coast Quilters Guild with Sue Spargo,

We were given our kits only 9 days before the class and told  we had to do homework.! We had to applique 56 yes,  56 leaf shapes onto a piece of hand dyed wool fabric The leaves were cut from various fabrics wool, cotton, silk velvet,  etc I spent the weekend before class getting them onto the fabric

We then learnt how to layer other fabrics onto the leaves and then were shown how to do various embroidery stitches and beading to embellish. It was a fun 2 days and I have kept doing more at home, eventually it will be quilted and become a wall hanging.

These are Sue's Leaves on her completed  quilt. Melissa, also showed us some felting techniques and showed us how to make a cute covered button. After the last class some of us went out to dinner with Sue and Melissa.  I can't wait to get the new book by Sue .

Yesterday I went to the Brisbane Squilters Monthly Get to Together at The Quilters and Embroiders Store in Salisbury, After a little retail therapy, I just had to buy some perle threads and some Aurifil Lana wool threads for the leaves.  We had a tutorial By Julie D on how to back baste applique.  A very nifty way to applique. Will have to practise that.

I bought this fabric as a group I go to are doing a Classic Burgoyne Quilt and of course nothing I had was suitable, I am about 3 weeks behind most that have already started.  I bought this fabric, On sale too 40% off.  I wasn't sure but I have just completed the 1st block and I think it  it looks  pretty good .

Its a nice rich red colour.

With this I am using a vanilla Emma Louise  quilters muslin.

All these little bits to put back together, I have several options of how many blocks to make as to what size this quilt will end up..... I'll put a pic up of the block tomorrow.

What I have been Up Too. !

Well time has got away from me again.! Its a couple of weeks since I bloged but I have done quite a bit in that time !

I have never made either of my daughters a quilt. ! All three grandchildren have one ..... Thought it was time so Made a top at a retreat a few weeks ago and this is the result all finished !

This is the top before quilting

The top after quilting and finished .!

It's Called Cherish nature by Moda Lovely colours.

A close up of the quilting I did this one on my Frame .

Quilting from the back.

I have also done several Dear Jane blocks  after not doing any for a while It was good to get back to it.

This is a few of them .

Ive also done a few more Hexagons from My candied hexagon quilt , I am loving doing these.

Last weeks work

It dosn't matter where I take them  everyone wants to look and now quite a few of my groups members have started doing them too. 

Oh one more flaunt but I didn't make this one ...... This is my 38th year Wedding Anniversary Present....... 

My new RED Pajero. ! I love it . !

I'm Back.......

Well I have actually been home for a while but just never seem to have time to update this blog, I went to another retreat and did lots of stitching, again it was for a week, I made 2 quilt tops, 2 bags Covered a grocery bag, made 3 dog quilts.! and a few 

FWS blocks.   

This is a large Tote made from Moda Santorini Charm Squares.

This one in a gorgeous Blue and White.

This is a lovely quilt top I'ts Julie Wallace's Decorator Quilt Pattern Made up in Yuwa fabrics very Shabby Chic.

 

Sun Rise over Coolum.... yes some of us were up Early.!

The candied hexagon's are coming along I am really enjoying doing them....

 

This is another quilt top Cherish nature by Moda, I used a jelly Roll and a pack of Charm Squares.  Its been claimed by my eldest daughter I will start quilting it tomorrow.

Theres lots more I could add to this but I'll do another update in a couple of days........

I Love Retreats !!

I am so lucky to belong to a group Of fabulous friends that sew together each week. We decided this year to have our own retreat, so here we are at Hastings Point, Which is on the NSW coast about 20 mins from Tweed Heads. We have rented a house On the Beach The view is fantastic.

Its a big house, There are ten of us here and there is heaps of room and It's only cost us $200 each for 7 nights and that includes $50.00 for the kitty, We all brought one meal and our own breakfa

The House, The top floor Is where the owner lives . We have the bottom two levels. Big verandah's 2 living area's 5 bedrooms Its really nice .

 

I have walked up to The end of this beachevry morning, ..I think its Cabarita .

We have been sewing too, Do you like our Aprons  from the left

Ann, Tess Trish, Leanne,Jeanette, Sharron, and Pam .....

This is the Tandem Tote by Copy Cat Designs,  Two Zip's and a bit fiddly, and I can't read patterns , but Jen had made it before so showed us how to do it. Mine is the Pink and red linen one on the left .!

More Bags. !

My New Sewing Table

I had been complaining about the finish on my Sewing table for a while, and my D H said he would make me a new one, so after some measuring and telling him what I wanted I waited and waited, then he said It was finished and what sort of legs did I want. I decided to visit Ikea and bought adjustable legs for a table I already had, then I could just add another unit to  the one from  that for the new table top to sit on.

 

To the right is the table I have made high enough to cut on, with the adjustable legs.

This is my beautiful new sewing, quilting  table, lots of room on the left for a quilt and room on the right for pins, scissors etc

This is the underneath part that holds the machine up so it is flat in the table.   I can't believe how great it is , I have used it too, I'm almost scared to in case I scratch it !   if you click on these pictures you will get a closer look. !

I also received On Friday my May Secret Pal D j Pressie The cutest little Mary Engelbreit Pin Cushion, a lovely fat 1/4  and a nifty little snap and store a bit like a glasses case but you can put your scissors etc in to it when doing classes, so thanks Secret Pal. !

So cute, I am getting quite a collection of Pin Cushions now.  Maybe another blog entry there . !

More Candied Hexagons

I took these with me To New Zealand and am really pleased with how they are turning out, these are just placedtogether, I have stitched each hexagon,  I started using Bottom Line thread, It is very fine and strong It has made a big difference In my stitching, I am loving the colours and found a few more fabrics on a shopping trip to Sew Co  the other day. I gave my sewing room a clean today as I am getting a nice new sewing table ,  made by my Husband It should be nice and slippery for quilting . It has 3 coats of high gloss varnish, He has made it so the machine will be set down as a flat bed and it is longer on the left hand side so plenty of room to take the weight of a quilt. I do most of my quilts on a frame but still like to do arty stuff and smaller quilts sitting at the machine, I can't wait for it to be finished , so pictures next time .!

I have  done about 5 of these since i got home, I mostly only do them at night, They are quite addictive.....

Friday Again...

I haven't posted for a few weeks, We have been on Holiday to new Zealand to see my Mum, She lives in Paeroa, so after a quick trip from the airport to Devonport, On the North Shore to pick up His Golf Clubs , It was down to Paeroa.

The Auckland Tower

This Is Grandmothers Garden Patchwork Shop at Gordonton, about 45 mins drive from my Mother's, I managed to leave a few dollars there.

A really lovely shop and plenty to choose from, with the dollar so high  the prices were good for me too.!

 

This is a view over Lake Karapiro, When we were first married , We used to race Power Boats there, It is also used for rowing. I also found a lovely patchwork Shop in Cambridge .

My Mother spoilt Chris and this was one of his breakfasts.!

And this was dessert.! 

Hexagons Again......

This post is coming to you from New Zealand, DH is off at the V8's Super Cars in Hamilton, I had a few days with my sister who was down visiting my Mum, and she was very interested in The Candied Hexagons so has already started her own. Iv'e been making more my self and collecting more fabric for them, Went to a Lovely shop In Cambridge, called the Quilters Patch got some really nice spots and stripes. Here are some ready to be stitched together.

 

These  ones are stitched ..Can you see the tumbling blocks.!

I'm having fun with all the lovely colours.

I picked up some more Kaffe Fassets from Patches and Cream here in Paeroa, and all half price In there sale, They also had 6 fat 1/4s for $25.00 a bargain for me with the exchange rate too.!

Mmmmm Roast Lamb for Tea tonight, Mum won the meat raffle the other night at the RSA same as our RSL at home . She also won  a $1.00 raffle and got $25.00 !    Then I won one to.! $25.00 for fabric !!!

Hexagon Madness !!

After starting some 1"Hexagons in all shades of anything pink, I saw some talk on One of my Yahoo groups Squilters  about Candied Hexagons Yes they sound good enough to eat . The Quilt  Is one By Kerry Dear and was featured in  Australian Quilters Companion In  Issue 18 The 2006 year Book , I remember looking at it at the time and thinking It was lovely . Then I looked at all the "bits"you had to put together and thought Nah too hard ! Well after hunting out the book and lots of help from Ros  in printing out the papers I have started  the blocks I'm doing them on papers , and using Kaffe Fasset and anything else that looks good with the Kaffe's .

Ive only stitched  a couple together but have layed them out and love what is happening.!

These are the pink ones which I will keep doing as well........

These are my first blocks ! Yummy !! Candied Hexagons.

My friend Sharron and I had a lovely time  auditioning fabrics  for the quilt from My stash, I still can't quite get my head around the fact that I enjoy hand stitching , I used to hate it with a passion. !

This is my April Gift from My Secret Pal from the

Dear Jane group The cutest little handbag with yummy chocolates inside, 2 fat quarters that are perfect for My farmers wife sampler quilt and a package of Steam a Seam 2 , Will have to try that soon.!

I love it ! and am hiding the Chocolates Just for me

This is a jelly Roll quilt I quilted on The frame last week, I will put the binding on today which will be the darker colour you can see, And I think It will fit My Mothers Double bed and will make up for the half  a quilt my D H said i gave her a couple of years ago.! ( it was a lap Quilt ) No wonder it didn't cover the bed .!