Quick Stop

Hi Everyone

As mentioned before we now have family from South Africa visiting so my sewing and blogging are more or less non-existing from now on! I had to rush to get my November block swap done, before it's December! Also made a few siggys , the sewing bits at least, so I can do the hand sewing even with the visitors here.

I promise I will be more active in blogland next year! Here is just a quick look at the blocks Rosemary and I made for each other this month. She made me the cheery Wonky Star and I made a log cabin in greens and browns.

Happy Sewing !!!!

Sew Little Time

I have only a precious few days left to sew before my family from South Africa starts arriving. This weekend the in-laws and in 2 weeks my sister. All in all 3 months of visitors, so please forgive me if you don't see me blogging. BUT I will still follow all of you everyday, as I will have my laptop in bed with me!

FOLDED STAR:

I finished my Folded Star Cushion in September which I made for the IFQ group. This was a fun project and although not perfect, good enough for me.

CHARMS AND LAYERS

On Saturday I grabbed a charm pack and layer cake, both Moda's Civil War collection and wanted to do something quick, so I sewed a charm on a layer and before you had enough to make a top. It's too small, as is, but I will go find something for borders to make it bigger into a double bed sized quilt. Oops forgot to take a photo of the assembled blocks. Will do so and post later.

                                              CHRISTMAS TABLE  RUNNER


On Sunday I grabbed another charm pack by Moda and simply ( I like quick results!) whipped them together. Added a solid border and now just need to go get something for a backing and hopefullly can quickly quilt it before Sunday????  Not so sure if  THAT's  going to happen! 

Happy Wonky block and more

Sue made me this happy Wonky Star for our October block swap. Doensn't it make you smile !!!

And this is the block I made for Sue... she wanted a blue and white, like china, block.

And my very first Siggy which I sent to Annelies in Holland.

A Little Cheat Quilt

Shouldn't really post this one, but this is just a little quick panel I quilted for a little boy born under very sad circumstances. I wanted to do something quick and also in the same time try out my new Bernina, so just played with all sorts of freemotion quilting.

Sydney Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Show

On Saturday me and a friend took our girls to the Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Show in Sydney. It was a wonderful day! Once you walk through the doors, it's like going into a 'time machine'...exported all the way back to 1940 -ish.

Almost overwhelmed by all the olden day clothing, accessories, lace, sewing items, high heel shoes, pure cotton nighties, corsets, fur, hats, the list goed on and on !

Part of the fun is that many ladies dress up a little vintage themselves for the day, and I can't recall the last time I saw so many women in dresses.

For myself, wearing a dress is a rare event! I felt quite nice, in my skirt and heels and even stockings, as we browsed from stall to stall. My girls both got themselves a dress each and I came home with 2m each of floral .... fabric !

 But the thing that really surprised me was the amount of young girls (around the 20s) who all dressed the part,  even vintage hairstyles.

What a delightful and uplifting day it was !  Think I might start wearing a frock again more often !

Hi Everyone

Sunshine Award

Blogging is pretty amazing!  A month ago I had but ONE follower, and all changed when I joined 2 swapping 'clubs'. Made and received my first block swap, and next thing I am nominated for a Sunshine Award, by Cathy !  I couldn't believe it. Thanks Cathy, you are so kind! This is what she said...

                love your block - very pretty. I would like to nominate your blog for a Sunshine Award, 

your blog makes me smile ;-)

I am pleased to nominate 3 bloggers that make ME smile, always fun to visit your blogs ! You are Aunty Hennys  , My Three Sons and Selvage Blog

 Happy Sewing to all my friends! I am off on holiday for a week (Point Plomer, NSW and Coffs) ...no phone, no TV, no sewing !

Can't Wait Any Longer !

I was going to NOT post my lovely siggys from Helen until I have returned the favour, but I am taking longer than planned to get mine up and running, so here goes!   Aren't they just gorgeous! Not one but 2 and a lovely gift, card and chatty letter as well. Thanks Helen.

For a long time Helen was my ONLY follower, until she told me about the swaps and wha-lah, all of a sudden I had some more friends. Thanks Helen, you are a great quilting friend to me, showing me the ropes in blogland!!!!

Beth's Shabby Chic Star Block

Beth has sent me a note to say she received her Shabby Chic Star block, so I can post it now for you to see. This was my first attempt to do a block like this.  Was also my first block swap, so that's pretty exciting.

Shabby Chic Star

I also received a wonderful package from Helen yesterday .... will post that one soon!!!!!!

Wonky Star Block Swap

  Hi Everyone

How special, this is my first block,  received from lovely Beth in Queensland. Thanks so much , Beth. Even a little card with a picture of the block on the front! So clever and creative. I love the colours, and the center block matches one of the colours in the star perfectly !

Happy Birthday To Me

Yip, one year older, hopefully wiser ! Had coffee and a scone at the beach for breakfast with my hubby and oldest daughter.... THEN, hubby and I had a trip to the Bernina store!   Say no more!!!!!!!   Then lunch with my friends and now almost time for dinner with my family. What can I say! I am truly blessed!  Do miss my family in South Africa though.

First Siggy Block - How Exciting!

Arrived in the mail this morning, my first international siggy block ! Thanks Annelies, it's gorgeous. All the way from the Netherlands, how cool is that !

First Block for First Block Swap

This was good fun, a bit scary too! I have just completed my first block swap !  Will put it in the mail tomorrow... will show you later after my swap buddy received it.   I had my monthly quilting morning on Monday, so that's what i did ALL morning! haha ! SlowJo  , that's me!

QAYG

Quilt-along:  Quilt As You Go

I've always wanted to try to QAYG and seeing that I can't use my patchwork tutors's  longarm quilting machine any longer, I guess now is a good time to learn, so this  Quiltalong came just at the right time ! So I'll be joining in and hopefully learn heaps of new stuff along the way!
Pop over to Heather at Al A Mode Fabric for more info.

Happy Birthday To Me

Yip, one year older, hopefully wiser ! Had coffee and a scone at the beach for breakfast with my hubby and oldest daughter.... THEN, hubby and I had a trip to the Bernina store!   Say no more!!!!!!!   Then lunch with my friends and now almost time for dinner with my family. What can I say! I am truly blessed!  Do miss my family in South Africa though.

Busy Weekend!

Due to the renovations at home and having no place to sew, I went to Jenelle's on Friday and got 4 hours of sewing done, completing my youngest's quilt top...  the where and how to quilt it still remains a problem.

On that note, I have to make a plan to get stuff quilted in future and might adapt my way of doing things. This is an option.....  I have just received a parcel from the UK with my new book...  'Beautiful Quilts as You Go' by Keryn Emmerson .

Latest on the reno's:

Before:



On the weekend we finshed our room's floorboards and what a change! Was wonderful to sleep in my own room again after a week in my guest room! Three more rooms to go!

                                                   After:

Nothing's Happening !

My postings are non-existant, but for a good reason! I can't even find my sewing table! Why? We are pulling up all the carpets in our house and replacing them with floating floorboards. Ourselves!  So for the time being not much is happening for me in the quilting department, and it's NOT GOOD. The floors will look amazing when done though, so I need patience!

This is my dining room where my sewing happens...before and after.  But at present our main bedroom furniture is in there and we are sleeping in the guest room!

What To Do?

Due to circumstances my Quilting Lady is not able to rent out her quilting machine any longer. What a disappointment! So, how to quilt my quilts now? Don't have room for a longarm and not the $$$$$$ either! So I am looking for a smaller version for a home quilter. After a week of searching on the internet I found an Australian made frame... the Happy Jack.  This might work????  Will investigate some more. There is another one from the States, the HandiQuilter that looks awesome, but the $$$$$ are way more. Hmmm....

In the meantime, Ruth's charity quilt was auctioned on Saturday night for a fortune! People are so generous. I am blown away. 

I am currently working on a double bed quilt for my youngest teenager, a pinweel from the Sizzling Sixties book (made with a Jelly Roll) and a finished top that needs quilting. 

Oh, and Saturday morning there was a mini quilt show at the Presbytarian Church in Wamberal, and needless to say some fabric, two charm packs, a pincushion and a pattern found its way home....

Ruth's Quilt - First Charity Quilt

Ruth is a wonderful girl! She is my daughter's Youth Leader at church and such a role model for the younger girls! Ruth is envolved in more charity projects than I can recall, seven I think? Well Ruth is forever busy with fundraisers so I offered to make her a quilt for a project for orphan kids overseas.  It is finished at last,  hope you like it Ruth and that you will raise a few dollars with it. 

The pattern is from the Jelly Roll Quilts book by Pam and Nicky Lintott, called Sparkling Gemstones. I just used fat quarters  and cut my own jelly roll strips.  Quilted by myself on the long arm quilting machine.

Almost Done

Phew, this 9 patch has been HARD WORK. Never ending, and all the little seam pressings in between ! I was determined to finish the top yesterday! It was over 30 Degrees outside and I was struggling. Nine o'clock last night I had it! But, the piecing is done and I just need to go around to my local quilt shop and get  more of the plain fabric for the borders. But I am happy so far.... a bit worried about some 'waves' around the outer edge, must have stretched it somehow. Hope the borders will rectify it somehow!

Long Arm Quilting Day

I have a scraps box with ....scraps collected over the past 12 or more years. I just used to move the box this way or that way, too scared to open it! Who knows what might live there! Last year my friends and I decided to do a disappearing 9 patch quilt at our monthly quilt class. K had the most beautiful Moda fabric she used to make a quilt for her 10 year old. Looked like candy!

Me?   Out came the scrap box. I decided it can stay in the box for another 12 years or I can make an ungly scrappy quilt, hence my Ugly Scrappy Picnic Quilt. I only had to by 3 Fat Q's and the border fabric in order to get it done. There is a small bit of scraps left.

I took my Ugly Scrappy Picnic Quilt to Jenelle's last week and had my second go on her quilting machine. This time I just did a freehand stipple. Now just need to do the binding and it's done!