Pink And Blue.
Posted on May 11, 2013 | 14 Comments
I have spent a week concentrating on free motion quilting for my Dresden quilt. I am surprised at how long it has taken to do all the stitching. But thankfully the end is near as I only have the binding to do and a few loose threads to trim.
I decided after all that work I needed something super easy so I decided to make this little donation cot quilt. All fabrics are from my stash and I also have backing in my stash to finish it off.
I do enjoy working on these little, easy projects in between the big ones.
We are having the most glorious Autumn weather at the moment. Beautiful sunny days and the nights have not been chilly. The garden is enjoying the sun, too, and the camellias are starting to flower.
We enjoyed a lovely day this week at the Melbourne Museum. We saw the special exhibit – Afghanistan Hidden Treasures. It was an amazing display of artifacts made thousands of years ago. Most were discovered last century but then thought to be lost again during the recent wars and turbulence inside the country. Some incredibly brave people had hidden them away for several decades to save them.
I loved the beautiful gold and turquoise jewellery. Much of it would look wonderful worn today. If this exhibit comes to your area, take the opportunity to see it.
Here’s the link for the display in Melbourne. Afghanistan Hidden Treasures.
And to wind up the week, we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. (Yes, I was a child bride.) :) Wonder if we will fit in another 40?
Happy Mother’s Day.
Stitching And Stamping Away.
Posted on May 4, 2013 | 8 Comments
We have some lovely sunshine for today so it is worth making the most of it with some time in the garden and some photo taking. We have also been having a few hiccups with phone and Internet connections, but, fingers crossed, it all seems to be working properly now.
I am still working on quilting a few UFOs, but no completed quilts just yet.
I have, however, completed this little pillow for Christmas. It is about 12 by 12 inches (30cm). At this stage I will not add the stuffing. Much easier to store that way. I can fill it closer to Christmas.
It is from a book I purchased at the recent Quilt Convention.
The book, Pieces for Christmas, is by Australian designer, Jenelle Kent. This is her website.
I plan to make quite a few items from this book. Glad to have found a new to me Aussie designer.
Stitching is progressing on other items. The MERRY bunting is almost ready to be sewn together.
This is a Rosalie Quinlan design and can be seen here.
I joined some friends to make some cards. The end result is one to use for Mother’s Day.
And a gift tag.
These are both made with Stampin’Up products.
I am heading back out to enjoy the sun. Hope your day is “sunny”, too!
Some Little Bits.
Posted on April 23, 2013 | 13 Comments
I am still getting used to the change back from daylight saving in that it gets dark in the evenings before I am ready. Give me another week and I should be back on track.
I have been very fortunate in that I have spent 3 days in at the Australasian Quilt Convention. As always the quilts were wonderful. And of course there was lots to see on the vendor stands, too. Here’s a link to some of the winning quilts at Punch With Judy.
I have not had a lot of sewing time, but have managed a few smaller items.
I started with a little monster for our youngest grandson. This one is based on a design from a Melly and Me book, Sewn Toy Tales. I didn’t use the actual pattern as it is not full size in the book and has to be enlarged. At the time I was not able to do that. So I improvised.
When we were away I was introduced to the American Girl Dolls. Our grand daughter received one for Christmas. So now I am embarking on a trip down memory lane with sewing doll clothes again. Thankfully all the major pattern companies provide patterns to clothe these dolls. I waited for Spotlight to have half price patterns and when I added some on-line coupons and discounts I bought three for just over $10. ( Much better than the original $45 full cost.)
So here is the start of the sewing for this doll.
I have continued to work on the quilting for the Dresden design. Not far off finished, thankfully.
In amongst the pattern shopping I did find a nice piece that I think will make up well into some new cushion covers.
One of the highlights of our recent trip was a visit to the Museum Of Modern Art (MoMA). We had a great time exploring all the displays and then also ventured out into the sculpture garden, even though it was freezing and snowing. Definitely worth it. I am always in awe when I can be standing so close to these amazing works of art.
Van Gogh.
Andy Warhol
Picasso
Max Ernst
Henry Moore
As much as I love all this wonderful artwork, I will stick to my sewing.
Some trivia to end on – Some time this evening Australia’s population will tick over to 23 million!! How about that!
Feeling Colourful.
Posted on April 12, 2013 | 14 Comments
I am making somewhat of an effort to work on a few UFOs. Just the bright and colourful ones.
This first one is the 3D bow tie quilt. I had the blocks made a while back and have only now put them together.
I have also started to quilt the Dresden that has been sitting and waiting for a year or two.
On the embroidery side I am stitching away at these festive banners from Rosalie Quinlan.
I think my need for colour comes from looking through holidays snaps …………..
Like these macaws in Honduras.
And the colour of the water in the Caribbean off Mexico.
Or the plumage of these incredible flamingos at good old Sea World.
The weather looks like being very pleasant over the weekend so some gardening is being planned. Lots of cutting and pruning and maybe a little planting.
Have a lovely weekend.
A Little Birdie Or Two.
Posted on April 2, 2013 | 13 Comments
On our recent trip I made a point of taking some stitching with me. I made sure it was something easy that could be picked up and worked on without too much fuss.
These are two of the pieces from Teddlywinks. They are pre-printed stitcheries. I used a variegated Cottage Garden thread for both.
Very portable and good to work on.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in NYC.
After a little study we managed to master the subway system.
I really enjoyed the way many of the stations had decorative designs relating to the stop.
This one is the stop near the zoo in Central Park.
And these were near the Museum of Natural History – marine murals and fossil plaque.
I think these were great ways to identify stops. Good entertainment, too.
Animal Stack.
Posted on March 26, 2013 | 19 Comments
I am back at home after 4 weeks in the US and enjoying the last blast of Summer sunshine. I know it won’t last for long but it’s a change from the snow we have been experiencing while away.
We were home just in time for our grandson’s first birthday. How did that time go by so quickly?
I made him a wall hanging from an Amy Bradley pattern.
The original pattern had appliqued bees but I chose some great buttons instead.
And I snuck a few ladybirds in too.
Lots of character in these little creatures.
I am looking forward to catching up on my blog reading and returning to leaving comments on your posts.
And I think Easter is sneaking up too and is just around the corner.
Critters And Art…….And NYC.
Posted on February 28, 2013 | 10 Comments
I am so pleased to see our supermarkets moving away from the drab shopping bags. This is the great design on one of the grocery bags I found recently.
I hope we see a lot more branching out with their designs.
The weather has been hot but I have had some knitting to do. The end result is a pair of rhinos.
They will be heading to a new home in a couple of days.
These are from a pattern called Savannah Chaps and are designed by Barbara Prime (Fuzzy Mitten).
I haven’t had a chance to post until now because I have been visiting and playing tourist. It’s not hard to work out where I am.
And I have now been introduced to the American Girl doll store!
I will try to keep reading your posts but I know that I will not have the opportunity to post again for a for weeks. Catch up later.
A Little Mystery.
Posted on February 19, 2013 | 10 Comments
This little quilt top was completed recently in a mystery quilt workshop.
It is a lap quilt or throw size.
We received instructions to select 3 fabrics – light, dark and medium. We then had to do all the cutting before class.
This made sure the top was easily completed in a day.
Definitely a great way to spend a day.
Extra Easter.
Posted on February 14, 2013 | 15 Comments
Playing with the ribbons and the eggs led to more little Easter goodies. Just can’t help myself.
It started with an Easter Chick.
Then along came an Easter Bunny.
And another egg!
It’s so easy to play with felt. Maybe a few more to make?
Ribbon Eggs.
Posted on February 7, 2013 | 14 Comments
Thankfully, Easter is still a little way off. But I wanted to make a few of these now so there was no rush later.
I keep seeing lovely ribbons in the stores and can’t resist using them in these projects.
They are made using a felt base in the shape of an egg. I then arrange ribbons over the top and top-stitch these in place. I add a felt back and a ribbon for hanging, then top-stitch around the edge. I did stabilize the felt with Whisper Weft.
Watch out! That fluffy white bunny will arrive sooner than we think!
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