Just Keep Going.
Posted on August 20, 2021 | 11 Comments
We are in lock down still. Apparently we hit 200 days of cumulative lock down since the start of the pandemic last year. So it really is a case of just keep going. So I did.
I finished putting together a quilt top that I had started last year. I had done two of the four panels, so completed to second set.
The fabrics are by Me and My Sister. I had several charm packs from different ranges, but because they always use similar colours, they all worked together. I think I only had to hunt for three pieces to complete the top.
I will sort out a backing and hopefully get it sandwiched soon.
I then started to cut out the pieces for my next quilt top. It is called The Avenue. I think there are 14 pieces in each block so i needed to do a bit of planning and preparation.
I thought it a good idea to do a test block to make sure I was on track.
The block is larger than you think – about 9 by 14 inches. I have completed the cutting for the tree top and now have to get all the background done. This is the pattern. I thin I have to make 25 blocks.
Well, that is what is going to keep me going for a while. The numbers in several states are rising so I can’t see an easy or early end to our lock down. All I can say is take care to everyone.
Cheers, Karen
Moving Along To August.
Posted on August 2, 2021 | 9 Comments
It has been cold, wet and miserable here – but it is Winter! But out of the blue we have had two lovely, sunny days. Not warm, but appreciated. And I think it turns back to Winter normal tomorrow. So obviously lots of inside time. Sewing has been done but with the Olympics in the background. We are in a very similar time zone to Tokyo which means we get to see a lot of the events live. Much better that having to get up in the middle of the night.
I have been going back to some of my Marg Low patterns to make some decorations. This one is Home For Christmas. I had made one of the three in the pattern previously, but for a gift. It is made flat at the start.
Then the side is stitched up and slipped over a foam cone.
In the original pattern the cones sit on a base, but I don’t have anything appropriate so I simply traced out a circle of felt to stitch to the base. It sits quite well like that. My plan is to make a few more as there are different sizes and designs.
Over The Hill by Wendy Williams has been stitched together and is now waiting for me to finish the third row.
I am very happy with how this is looking.
I also found a small pattern to try.
This is on a 10 inch block. I may turn it into a small pillow. The design is by Rusty Crow from 2015.
I have been putting blocks together for a quilt. At the moment I am playing with the layout.
This is range by Leanne Beasley called Spring Mischief. Very pretty and delicate.
Plenty to keep me going over the next few days when rain returns. I think I am ready for Spring.
We finally had our second vaccination last week. Good to be up to date with that one.
Hope the week goes well for everyone.
Cheers, Karen
A Finish For Round The Garden Path.
Posted on July 18, 2021 | 11 Comments
Finally after many months, maybe years, I have finished the embroideries and quilting for Round The Garden Path, a design by Fig,N,Berry.
Once the embroideries were complete and the blocks put together, I had a good play with the quilting.
Each of the eight outer blocks were quilted in a similar way.
I was able to pebble quilt inside the embroidery circle and inside the hexagon border.
This held the block securely and didn’t interfere with the embroidery.
I also didn’t want to take away from the embroidery outside the circle.
The centre block was a different matter.
Pebbles in the pathway. Clouds in the sky. Squiggles in the garden. I did a little bit of outlining in the houses hold the larger pieces firm and some cross hatching to let the roof sit flat.
In each of the house corners I overlapped loops to cover three of the four quarters.
Once that was done I added a mini hexagon where the blocks met.
I also repeated the loops around the border between each block. And finished each corner with squiggles.
I used a Liberty fabric for the binding. It was the same as one that was used in the hexagons.
The backing fabric was a bit of fun, too.
So there we go. Another quilt completed.
We are back into another (hopefully short) lock down here. No complaints from me as it looks like this delta variant spreads like wildfire. I get my second vaccine jab in two weeks so am not ready to be out in the middle of crowds just yet. It is cold and wet outside so I am happy to stay in.
It gives me plenty of time to decide what to do next.
Have a good week.
Cheers, Karen
Keeping Warm.
Posted on July 11, 2021 | 10 Comments
Lots of chilly mornings here but we are getting lovely sunshine during the day. All the heating systems are working overtime at night keeping us snug and warm.
Perfect weather for these little frosties which are stitched from designs made by Michelle from Michelle Ridgway Designs.
These are stitched from Cottage Garden Threads.
I plan to add these to two others made previously to make a long wall hanging.
I have kept the knitting theme going through my last few posts. I made a pink jumper for our granddaughter. (Shown in a previous post.) She loves the pink but also asked for jumper with rainbow on the front. We agreed to use what was already there rather than knit a new jumper. So now the pink jumper has a rainbow.
I had also completed another jumper.
This was a gorgeous pattern with a lovely diamond design.
Then of course it needed a hat as well.
This used a different design. It was knitted from corner to corner and created a raised spiral effect.
Both jumpers and the hat have been made using yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It is so soft and a delight to use.
Time to head outside to make the most of the sunshine, even if it is just to rake the leaves.
Cheers, Karen
The Halfway Mark For 2021.
Posted on July 3, 2021 | 11 Comments
Surprising to think that we are already half way through 2021. Maybe I have been busier than I thought. Although not sure my stitching shows that. We are having some lovely sunny Winter days. Still very cold but great to see the sun shining. After having little opportunity to sew for a month or more, I am getting back to some stitching. I am choosing to get small projects done as these are easy to work on when I am the taxi service or am sitting in waiting rooms for doctor and hospital appointments.
These little Llama ornaments will turn into Christmas decorations with a little bit of tweaking.
They are made using wool felt from a design by HeartFelt Crafting Co.
I have also worked on some Christmas stockings which are about 10 inches tall.
These are designed by Michelle L Palmer. She has been doing these for the past few years as a free pattern for Christmas.
These are again made with wool felt. I decided to add ribbon and a tag to the top of each stocking.
When I was scrolling through FB one day I spotted a sweet little pentagon bag and decided on a whim to buy the pattern.
This is a design by Andrea Taylor from Bittern By The Bug. Another hand stitching project that was easy to prepare and carry around.
It also gave me a chance to play with some sashiko stitching.
And last, but not least, I have completed the last section in the second row of Over The Hill by Fig n Berry.
I hope to sew them together soon and getting the prep work done for the third and final row.
The weekend is looking good so time to make the most of it.
Cheers, Karen
Welcome To Winter.
Posted on June 15, 2021 | 11 Comments
Brrrr…. . Winter has arrived here. Cold, wet and windy. Good time to stay inside where it is warm and dry.
I have been working on my blocks for the Wendy Williams quilt, Over the Hill. Two more blocks have been added.
These two blocks are part of the centre row.
There are lots of details in each part to keep me busy.
Lots of sheep as well as chickens. And a very colourful garden. I am well on to the third block for this row so will be able to stitch two rows together very soon.
One big bonus of the cold weather is that the citrus fruits are ripening and are ready to pick. The mandarin tree has been very productive this year.
I have also kept my hands busy with some knitting for our youngest granddaughter. She still enjoys wearing woollen garments so I will happily keep making them. These have all been made with Bendigo Woollen Mill yarns.
A friend gave me a ball of decorative yarn and I used it in the band and cuffs, as well as in the beanie.
Of course I had to sneak in a pink one. I ran very tight with this one. I only had a few metres of yarn left at the end. Very lucky.
Okay, time to get back to stitching. Enjoy your week.
Cheers, Karen
Happy Squares.
Posted on May 28, 2021 | 11 Comments
Very happy to see another finish. This is not a very big quilt but it is enough to have on your lap for a bit of extra warmth. The size was dictated by the amount of fabric I had – the Japanese indigo prints. I kept going until I had very few scraps left over.
I had lots of red and orange fabric, so no limits there.
The design was very simple – six oblong pieces around each square.
I also enjoyed the lovely designs in the indigo fabrics.
I pieced the backing from a selection of reds in my stash.
And found another length of fabric for the binding. It is actually the square showing in the picture below.
It has turned very cold here and we have also gone into another lock down. Possibly for only seven days. Fingers crossed as hubby is in hospital and no visitors are allowed during the lock down.
To finish on a bright note, here are the beautiful colours in the leaves of our ornamental pears.
Cheers, Karen
Colourful Pinwheels.
Posted on May 11, 2021 | 10 Comments
Another top has turned into a a completed quilt. The last stitch has gone into the binding and it is ready.
The quilt is made of pinwheel blocks, each block using two fabrics.
The fabrics came as a charm pack with the addition of a single piece to use in the border.
There was even enough to make the corner stones.
I did have to add another fabric for the sashing so kept that neutral.
And I had to hunt up another stray piece for the binding.
I was able to stick to using my stash as I had a big colourful piece to use as the backing.
I kept the quilting basic – flowers and loops. That made sense as nearly all the fabrics had floral designs.
One bonus from the lockdowns we had last year was that I have been making the most of the fabrics I already have. I am trying to keep going with that approach. I know that there will be pieces to buy, but I am happy to try.
And not having a local quilt store any more does stop the temptation.
Time to move on to the next quilt!
Cheers, Karen
A Colourful Finish.
Posted on May 2, 2021 | 12 Comments
My finishes have been few and far between lately. Same with posts. And now they will all probably arrive in a rush. That’s the way it often works.
I have completed my colourful, woolly flower quilt. Blocks together and binding done.
It has been a pleasure to work with the wool for this quilt. It is so soft and stitches easily.
The backing is a black and white print.
And the binding is a black and white text print.
Not lot of quilting was needed so I kept to simple meandering.
Cornerstones in wool.
After all that work I think it needs to be on display for a while so I need to find a wall.
I also managed to finish the final block for another quilt.
This will be the centre block. Hopefully these will be stitched together this week. And another one to be quilted.
We are getting into our colder days here now. We both managed to get our flu shots a couple of weeks ago, and after the recommended time period we are lining up our first Covid jab this week. Glad to have that one lined up. Plenty of other things to keep me busy this week including some sewing days and catching up with friends.
Hope your week is a good one.
Cheers, Karen
April Catch Up.
Posted on April 9, 2021 | 10 Comments
Time seems to be flying by with lots to do. Is it because we are all still catching up on things since our long lock downs? I know I am still putting in time with my sewing but progress is slow. I do have a few quilts sandwiched ready for quilting but they are a couple of weeks away from being ready. I do have some little finishes.
The rabbit block from Round The Garden Path is complete.
I am now working on the final block which sits in the centre. Nearly done.
I have been busy making doll clothes for an 18 inch doll. I wanted to have them ready for these school holidays when we will be having the grandies staying over.
The other big task has been setting up all the backgrounds for the blocks for Over The Hill. I have completed all the work on the top row but then decided I needed to get all the backgrounds done before continuing on with the applique and embroidery.
This is the missing block just about to get set up for applique.
In the middle of all this we took advantage of the lovely Autumn weather and spent quite a few days in Beechworth.
We did the jail tour.
Of course they featured the Kelly Gang stories.
We visited the historic buildings. The streetscape is gorgeous. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn and the colours are beautiful.
We had to check inside the old courthouse.
I was impressed that as well as all the rooms for jurors and legal people, there was a bedroom for the judge. No, not to have a nap during breaks in the trial. Because judges had to travel far and wide, there was provision made for the judges to have accommodation in the courthouse. But apparently most judges didn’t stay there – too cold in Winter. They preferred the hotels instead. Probably not just for warmth!
We had to check out a couple of the local breweries. Great pizzas, too.
And we even found a running creek where we did some gold panning. Yes, a few flecks were found, but a long way off the cost of a fat quarter.
So that’s where the last four weeks have gone for me. Just had the central heating serviced today so we are ready for Winter, but not in a rush for it to arrive.
Cheers, Karen.
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