Tuesday 29 March 2016

Happiness quotient high!

Here I am with another post.... it's either a famine or a feast.
Even though I haven't posted many pics recently I have been quietly working on my Tribute to Lucy Kemper blocks and after a little bit of effort today I managed to join the final  corners to the top.
I am so happy with this quilt and it will be my birthday quilt as I started it last year when I celebrated a big '0' birthday. I can talk about it now but it wasn't a number I acknowledged for a while.
so may I introduce my version of Irene Blanck's Tribute to Lucy Kemper...



these are the fabrics for the background...
 this block was re done early on as I wasn't happy with the centre flower as it was too bright and I also had issues with the directional background and had to redo. So as not to waste it I decided to put it into the backing.
 this will sit with the top till i can work out how I want it quilted. Happy dancing for sure.

Then could the day get any better...
You bet ya! This stash of loveliness arrived in the mail from Threadbear in Castlemaine.
I ordered some fat 1/8ths to add to my Caswell quilt stash. I was lacking variety in these shades of colours.
They have different prints and will add lovely texture to my stash too.
Just love squishy parcels.....


cheers for now
Marina

Saturday 26 March 2016

over the first hurdle..

I am so excited ....
Block A1 completed for the Caswell quilt...


Can't believe it came together so happily.
29 to go!!
Nothing else to show as this is all I have been concentrating on lol
Back to Lucy Kemper for me now before I get distracted with something else.

Cheers
Marina


Sunday 20 March 2016

sunday sew in...

As hub was working today I had the day to myself and I vowed that it would not involve any housework or washing....that was yesterday.
So after a walk to the shops with mr Coffee to buy some baking ingredients it was home again to put some yumminess in the oven then a quick call to mum to see if she was up for a lunch together and sewing afternoon. Well of course she was so we had a wonderful afternoon together stitching away.
Mum worked on a quilt for her great niece. It has been a difficult project to work on with lots of tweaking to make it how she wants it to look.
These are the last two blocks.
(they haven't been ironed yet so have the markings still on)
 Just the wings on this fairy to be stitched and the white dots to be appliqued to all the mushrooms.
My efforts were directed at Lucy Kemper..... and also making a start on one of the appliqued hopscotch blocks. There are lots of leaves to cut for this but it's a start.

This week I have spent some time preparing for a start on my Caswell quilt.... Yesterday I thought it would be good to make a stash of bias for stems and to cut the blocks from the fabric I had.
I have managed to cut 25 background blocks and a few metres of bias.
Here is where I am at ..
-applique templates cut for four blocks
-bias cut
-25 blocks cut

 All the bias strips behaved them selves and came together perfectly. This should keep me going for a few blocks. The lighter green will be for the hopscotch quilt blocks.
Seems like applique is where my passion is at the moment. Three lovely projects to work on.
Now remember I mentioned some baking......
Thought it was time to make some Maltese Bread pudding.... I think it's been over a year since I made some. It reminds me of my late mother in law...she always made the best pudding.
The girls at work will be very happy!
Hope you have had a wonderful weekend
cheers
marina
x

Friday 18 March 2016

no fuss easter swap

It's seems ages since I have done a swap so when Teresa (all things vintage) and her tuesday stitching girls decided to run a no fuss swap I thought why not?
It was very specific that it was a no fuss swap, just send what was specified-nothing more nothing less.
Well you can't go wrong with that can you...
I received a sweet as mug rug from Norreen..
such amazing neat little applique stitches.

fits in perfectly with the other easter decorating.




 and this is what I sent to Sandi..
 couldn't resist this stitching... might need to make another one...put it on the list.
hoping to get some serious Lucy kemper stitching hapening this weekend as I have the last corner all prepared ready to stitch away. Once that's done this beautiful project will be over and I will miss working on it but by the same token I will have a gorgeous new top to get quilted.
and then......maybe some work on a block of the Caswell quilt? I have cut out the freezer paper templates for the first four blocks.Let me say lots of little pieces!oh boy.
 I plan to mostly use my stash but need a few more fabrics to boost the variety of colours.
These fabrics are the contenders for the background fabrics for this project.


I want to mix these up and use different fabrics  instead of having to go out and spend up big on new fabrics. We'll see how I go with that one? Wish me luck lol
hope you all have a great weekend filled with stitches
cheers
marina



Sunday 13 March 2016

A day in the country...

Today I got to spend the day with two of the city girls as we headed out to the country to check out the Applique exhibition at Castlemaine.
Well what can I say but the quilts were spectacular and so inspiring! Elyte, Annie and I inspected each quilt, checking out the most amazing applique on a variety of styles of quilts. we oohed and aahed.....
would you like to also?
here are some of my favourites..
this was all needleturned... gorgeous.



Does this one look familiar? Gorgeous version of swan lake.




after looking at all these amazing quilts we had worked up an apetite (not just for fabric and patterns) and headed off to lunch.
Next stop was Threadbare!
This shop is Amazing. I have always wanted to buy one of Corliss' patterns and I think after the appliques I have done I am ready to hit the big time.
Now you will know that I am not usually an impetuous person when it comes to big projects but...
This pattern called my name and I had to answer the call..
some little pieces of fabric might also have been calling too.....


I don't know how long I can resist starting this project.......only one thing holding me back. What fabrics to use?
Might take a day or two to nut this one out.

some happy mail arrived this week... the parcel for the easter mug rug swap.... opening day 18th of March

Just want to share  a pic of these lovely flowers that my no 3 son sent to my work for me to give me a bit of a pick me up.
Don't you love it when they show you they can be thoughtful?
that's it for me. I'm off to enjoy a lovely cup of green tea and read of my new 'I'm in love with' pattern, just to make sure I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. Not that it would be the first time!
Public holiday tomorrow, winner, winner, chicken dinner!
cheers
Marina

Thursday 3 March 2016

a quiet week

It has been a quiet week here as far as sewing has been but I have some secret sewing that has arrived at it's destination that I can show...
A few weeks ago I had great fun finishing these stitcheries into an apron and two tea towels.  Great stitcheries from Urban threads and they download for a super price.

After sending Hub out to get me some more bunnies from Bed bath and table the other week.....and a quick visit to Gisborne on Saturday to see the girls getting together there was a little retail therapy to buy some fabric for the pin cushions.
On Sunday these babies came together..

The fifth little bunny hopped away to stay at Susan's (thimblestitch) and I forgot to take a picture of him...
I just think they are so cute. Some will be gifted I'm sure but not sure which ones I will be able to part with lol
Today I was reunited with Sweet William thanks to mum picking him up from Jemima's where the top was beautifully basted. Can't wait to start quilting
..............especially as these pretties arrived yesterday in the mail.
Seems like I have a few things to crow about.
I had a hard time finding these templates in Australia so had to order from the US.
The Stencil Company is where I sourced them. The prices were great, postage as reasonable as could be expected and the service quicksmart! They arrived here in less than a week. That's great.
.
Once some cooler weather graces us I will be keen as mustard to start quilting.
Hope you are having a great week, not long till the weekend now.
Can't wait!
cheers
Marina

ps a quick message for Tanya Hughes..... would love to reply to your email about the doilies but you are a no reply blogger. If you email me I am happy to send a couple of doilies as I have some extras in my stash.

Time is flying....

 Seems like my blog has become a little neglected again, this doesn't mean a lack of crafting though. Progress has been achieved on most...