Getting Ready For Christmas.
Posted on January 27, 2023 | 11 Comments
Christmas never really feels like it is far away and maybe I will get a few projects done early. These are projects that have been on the go since last year, so maybe they will be in time for Christmas 2023.
Last year I started the Sue Spargo BOM, Tinsel. Because of delays with mail delivery around the world, I didn’t receive my first block until March. Loved them right from the start. This is what I have managed to do, so far.
That is five of the nine blocks finished except for removing some of the markings from the stitch guides. And two little bits of stitching.
The last four blocks have been prepped and the applique is on, waiting for all the stitching to be done.
I have enjoyed watching the FB group share all their blocks along the way. And of course lots of people have their quilts completed. I will get there in my own time.
The other addition for next Christmas is a little Marg Low stitchery to add to my hoop collection. I like sneaking these little projects in between the big ones because it means a quick finish.
The original design is set in a rectangular frame, but I realised it would fit into the hoop (just!).
We are now up to the finals in the Australian Open, so plenty of tennis to watch over the weekend.
Hope you enjoy your weekend, too.
Cheers, Karen
Welcome, 2023.
Posted on January 16, 2023 | 9 Comments
Summer is in full swing here in the New Year, 2023. We have started having our hot days at last, but the garden is surviving and so are we.
There has not been a lot of quiet time, but I have managed to get some quilting done.
This was a simple quilt with Aussie animals in each block.
It has ended up a little bigger than 50 by 50 inches. Colours are a bit tricky on sunny days, and the wind kept blowing. But that is all part of it.
I did a lot of straight line stitching around the blocks, then did some echo quilting around each animal.
I had to add in a couple of plain blocks to make up the numbers so chose this pineapple print. I then quilted the outline of a kangaroo in each. Unfortunately I can’t pick those up in my photo. But the grand kids had fun finding them hidden away.
I have lots of fun fabrics I know I am never going to get around to using in quilt blocks, so I am planning to use them in backings. This was a good start.
This is a far better indication of the true colours on the back.
I have at least two more quilts sandwiched and ready to go. And believe it or not, I am working on some Christmas projects. Not sure if I am too early or too late. Regardless, I will enjoy them.
Happy New Year, Cheers, Karen
Merry Christmas Wishes.
Posted on December 23, 2022 | 6 Comments
Merry Christmas. Looks like we are going to have a proper Aussie Christmas as the warmer weather has finally decided to arrive. No complaints as it is time that Summer showed its face.
Most decorating has been done and thankfully all the shopping is out of the way. Just a few presents left to wrap.
I decided my sewing room needed to have a little Christmas cheer this time, so lots of decorating in there, and a few good get togethers were also enjoyed in there.
The garden needed a few decorations.
And a few from other parts of our home.
That is my very brief Christmas round-up. Have fun. Enjoy the big day.
Cheers, Karen
Gum Leaves.
Posted on November 27, 2022 | 10 Comments
A quilt finish! This is part of my effort to keep using stash. I had accumulated a lot of Lesa Chandler’s fabric – Under The Australian Sun. I really like it so was determined not to waste it. I saw the many variations of the hidden wells pattern and decided to try it out . My maths told me that I was going to be slightly short with one of the fabrics, so as you can see, I added in a little bit of brown to a few blocks. I was planning to use the brown in the inner border already, so hope the idea has worked okay.
You can see in the fabrics that there are gum leaves, gum nuts and flowering gum blossoms.
I did a lot of straight line quilting to secure the sandwiched pieces and then played some leaf shapes in the lighter blocks.
In the borders I did a simple meander.
And the binding was the same light gum leaf print from the blocks.
I still had plenty of fabric from the same range left over from other quilts, so I pieced it together for the backing.
I can honestly say that there is not a lot of fabric left in my stash now in this particular colour way.
Now with all this talk of gum leaves and gum nuts , there is an obvious link in several of the photos. The branch hanging over the top of the quilt is a flowering gum. In a few months it will be covered in beautiful red blossoms and the birds will flock to it to feed on the nectar.
Here is a close up.
Our garden is still very wet with all the rain but we are getting into it and planting lots of veggies. In the meantime I have been growing lots of flowers in pots. They are loving the conditions and growing well.
Because it hasn’t been very hot, I have been also using hanging baskets. In the past they have dried out too quickly, but this year is so different.
Great way to have a lot of colour.
We have a new week ahead of us. Hope you have a good one.
Cheers, Karen
Pink Elephants.
Posted on November 18, 2022 | 5 Comments
I am steadily working through a backlog of projects. The litlle elephants quilt was the first to make it to the finishing line. I had a few small pieces of the elephant fabric to use in the quilt.
Each block was framed with either pink or grey before going into the quilt.
Unfortunately the photo of the whole quilt does not show the true contrast in the colours and blocks. Thankfully there are close ups.
I used the pink in the centre, inner frame and binding. It was a lovely print.
The quilt size was 41 ins. square so I was happy to quilt it myself in a teardrop pattern.
So there we are. Another little quilt to be gifted when the time comes.
We have had several dry and sunny days which have been very much appreciated, but we are now in for another week of rain. I can’t believe the floods are still continuing in Victoria and NSW.. The news reported on a town that was experiencing its 8th flood this year. That is just mind bending!
Take care. Cheers, Karen
Little Things Grow.
Posted on November 5, 2022 | 7 Comments
I am still working on lots of little things and achieving some finishes.
My Party Penguin is complete and now in its hoop ready to hang. This is a design from Bustle And Sew.
Next in line were a few felt decorations from The Wooly Thread Co. I think I purchased one of the patterns a few years back. Good to finally get them done.
And finally a little peacock pin cushion. I know I bought this as a kit many years ago, but unfortunately I don’t have the designer details.
I have also been working on bigger projects. I was able to sandwich 4 quilts and now two have been quilted. They are waiting for binding. And I am getting back to my crochet blanket. That has been waiting for far too long.
We are finally getting some clear sunny days. At one stage with the rain our veggie patch looked more like a swimming pool. I am sure the garden will appreciate a little sunshine too.
My thoughts go out to all those in flood areas in both Victoria and NSW. We have been having rain and floods since August, so it has has a huge impact of so many communities..
Wishing all the best.
Cheers, Karen
Hello, October.
Posted on October 8, 2022 | 6 Comments
Like everyone, I am a little shocked at how quickly the months are disappearing. Here it is October and I still feel like I am playing catch up. However, I do feel like I am getting back on track with some of my stitching.
I have completed the embroidery from a design by Kasia Jocquot and have turned it into a zipper pouch.
It has been a lovely project and I am tempted to do more of them.
There are no other finishes but I have been distracted by a few other projects.
These are blocks using the hidden wells design, but I am playing with the layout.
I am using up the last of my Leesa chandler fabric in green.
And here are a few of the other distractions I have found along the way.
And this one.
Of course the garden has kept us busy, too, but sometimes the wind can create a pleasant surprise.
The ornamental pears are full of blossom.
And the result of the wind blowing is a carpet that looks like confetti.
Unfortunately the wind and rain have damaged the azaleas. They were looking so pretty a week ago, but there is nothing I can do. Enjoy the blossom instead.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Cheers, Karen
Catching Up On Spring.
Posted on September 10, 2022 | 6 Comments
With house guests for nearly two months I have not had a lot of opportunity to sew or blog. I looked back and realised posts were at least a month apart. Just shows how busy it gets. No complaints, just an observation.
Little has been done as far as quilts go, but hopefully I can get back to that now. I have, however, been able to keep the knitting going. Two projects completed for one grandie.
I had made this pattern once before as a three colour combination. Then Raewyn reminded me of how good it looked as one colour, too. So this is the result.
I also managed to finish this hoodie type jacket in a multi-coloured yarn.
It was in use straight away.
I had been given a kit for a small pouch with embroidery on the side. It is a design by Kasia Jacquot..
Most of the stitching is done with 6 strands of thread. Sometimes all one colour, other times a mix of colours. It gives an interesting result. But it definitely moves quickly.
We are finally starting to get a few warmer days. As a result the garden is taking off and it is always lovely to see the first blossoms on the fruit trees.
Time to get back to some stitching. Have a wonderful weekend.
Cheers, Karen
A Bit More Red.
Posted on August 6, 2022 | 12 Comments
Over a month between posts!! It has been a very busy time with family finally able to travel here safely. We kept busy and on the go for the whole time. We had a few days off and then readied ourselves for another overseas visitor for three weeks. Thankfully this time is a little less hectic and is allowing for some time at home and some sewing.
As a result I have been able to complete a small quilt.
This started a while back after I had seen Linda playing with her Crossroads Quilt. I liked the shape of the blocks and had a play, then went in a totally different direction, using only red, black and white.
I also decided to find as many fun fabrics as possible hiding in my stash that fit those colours. I did get a surprise at how many there were. Hmmmmm.
I kept it to a small or lap sized quilt. And added red binding, of course.
As you can see, I also had fun with the fabric for the backing.
Some fabrics do just hide in a stash until the right quilt comes along.
You can see with a sneaky peek that all the citrus trees are producing a lot of fruit this year. We are busy picking oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and lemons. Plenty being eaten and lots turned into fresh juice as well.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Cheers, Karen
Zebras And Pandas.
Posted on July 2, 2022 | 12 Comments
My run of finishes is coming to an end with this quilt. I had started working on the blocks back in April, then had to wait to get a few plain fabric matches. Once done, it was off to the quilter.
The sunlight was shining on the back of the quilt so the colour looks patchy.
Each of the panda blocks has a matching colour in the top triangle, just for fun.
I found a blue to match the colours in some of the zebras that worked well in the sashing.
I used lots of batiks for a good colour mix.
I asked to have some quilting that resembled the black line swishes in the zebra blocks. I think this came close.
And of course the binding had to be black and white stripes.
Once I reached the end I also realised that I may as well keep the theme going and used another Tula Pink fabric for the backing. After all, there are more pandas and zebras in that one, too.
I am very happy to have another finish. Good timing as our o/s family has arrived and sewing will take a back seat for a little while.
I hope you have some great plans for the month of July.
Cheers, Karen
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