Social sewing weekend

The past weekend was spent partaking in some socialising with crafty friends.

Saturday evening I joined in with Chooky's zoom session and it was lovely to spend some time with the lovely ladies that were on. I hadn't had a chance to join in on a session for awhile so it was lovely to chit chat while I worked away on my crochet blanket which is progressing beautifully.

 

On Sunday the Gisborne girls and the City girls got to have a long awaited catch up. We haven't all been together since all this covid business.  Tracee was our hostess with the mostess and she spoiled us with an amazing lunch. There was some sewing happening and lots of laughter. 

These get togethers are definitely a tonic.

I actually have a photo of the get together, it seems like we don't remember to take pics these days.

Here we are looking very industrious

L-R Anne, Robyn, me, Sue (kiwikid), Tracee, Marg, Gail & Annie.

Most of us met through blogging and it's been at least 10 years of getting together and crafty companionship.

Here are some latest blocks for My Favourite things..... I did finish two yesterday but I just need to do some embellishments before they are photo ready

Hope the sun is shining where you are... 

Marina

lovely labels and something new

 My favourite things blocks have been put aside for now as I need to prep the latest blocks but lots of circles have been getting appliqued to surround my monsters. No photo at the moment but will definitely get there.

I thought I would share some labels that have been done in the past few months for quilts that were gifted. the first was for a friend that is going through some health issues and the second for a close friend who has become a nanna for the first time.

Did I mention that I started another new project while I have been absent? oops....

Last holidays a friend and I took a trip to Gisborne and stopped in to Mary's shop, it is one of my favourite shops to visit. This pattern just seemed to jump into my hand, you know how it is?

Earlier this month I decided to get the second pattern book of Australian native flowers to add variety to my blocks. Liberty and Tilda stash is being used for the orange peels and they look quite pretty. I also thought it would be a great way to incorporate some of my doilies that I had found while op-shopping.  I think they lend themselves well to this project.

My embroidery skills are a little rusty but I am enjoying revisiting those skills and I am hoping they will continue to improve as I learn new stitches too.

My crochet blanket has been a great pick up and go project to do while I am babysitting and my little princess is sleeping. It is growing nicely and is a perfect project for the cooler weather.

There is another princess that thinks crocheting a blanket is a good idea too!

Poppy insisted on being on my lap while I was working on the blanket last night, only her ear was sticking out lol. The girls do like their creature comforts.

Happy Days!

cheers

Marina

catch up

 Wow, can't believe I've not posted for nearly three months. Life gets busy and there doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything. Thankfully that hasn't meant that crafting has been neglected!

I started a new project in the time I've been away, My favourite things by Red Boot Quilts. Each week Toni posts some new blocks, it is a free project but you are welcome to make a donation. Such a generous designer.  I have decided to needleturn mine as I am not fond of blanket stitch anymore and this makes them a great portable project.

I printed and prepped the blocks as they were coming out and I just couldn't resist starting them and seeing as they were already to go they have progressed quite quickly and I am caught up with the blocks. Of course I've omitted a few but that's fine with Toni. Not sure how many blocks there will be but so far there is over 50. 

Toni uses buttons for her eyes on the blocks but I have used wool felt for eyes and noses. A great alternative and kiddy safe.

Prepare for the photo onslaught....

I decided I should do a tally of works in progress... I have 11. How many is too many?

Are you  prepared to confess to how many you have?

Seeing as I have caught up I will shift my attentions to my neglected Monsters quilt. Stay tuned!

Have a wonderful Day 

Marina

happy finishes

 Last weekend I picked up a finished quilt from Jemima's.

I was quite excited to get it back as it has been a flimsy for quite awhile. I had hoped to hand quilt it but I think my hand quilting days are all but over. The binding was on Saturday afternoon and as I had poor miss May Gibbs awaiting binding too that got done also.

The binding for the liberty dresdens has been ready since I cut the borders. Some extra scrappiness to keep with the feel of the quilt. I am going to use my Terrier doily for the label on this one.

This will be the label for the May Gibbs quilt. I need to polish up my stitching skills as it has been such a long time since I did stitchery. I thought this was perfect for the label and seeing as it is for our princess I wanted to go that extra effort.

(if anyone is wondering where the stitchery was from- it is a colouring page from here The have a couple of very sweet pictures that could be used quite easily for stitchery.)

Just love that little bottom poking out.

Happy days 

Marina

something new.....

 Even though I have a few projects on the go unfortunately there is always a justification for starting something new.

I have committed to making another Farm Sweet Farm quilt for one of my Cousin's twins, mum is going to make the other one using a kit she has had in her stash.  As the twins have turned one I thought it best to make some sort of a start.  On the long weekend I decided to make a start on prepping.

Block one nearly ready to go!

 Another 'deadline'project was the Liberty hexies quilt for my friend's pending granddaughter....

 I'm very happy with the finish and dropped it off to the quilters on Saturday and amazingly some fabrics just threw themselves at me and insisted I take them home!! I'd only ever heard of this happening to some friends of mine.

Toni Alexander from Red Boot Quilts has started another free project.  It is always nice to buy Toni a coffee as a thanks for her generosity.  Even though I don't need to start it as I have a couple of other of her projects that I would like to do first, I thought it would be good to keep up with the blocks by prepping the blocks as they are released.  So far so good and if I need a pick up and go project I can take this along.

For tv watching over the past couple of weeks I have been adding hexie rows to my 1930's flower garden.  I was going to unpick what had been started and just sew them similarly to the liberty ones but I decided to keep going with it as is and there is almost a second row been added.

Now it's back to sorting some circles for my monsters quilt as I need to add some extras of a particular size.

Hope the week is going well for you all so far.

Happy days

Marina

this and that

Thanks to SAS Australia and Survivor there has been some extra sewing happening in the sewing room. Even though I have been a fan of these shows I am a little over them but Hub still likes watching them so I retreat to the sewing room while they are on.

I managed to finish sewing all my scrappy hearts into one piece.... Now to decide on the borders.

Yesterday I joined in with Chooky's blogaversary zoom and it was lovely to see and sew with all the lovely ladies.

I worked on my Liberty hexie flowers and realised I only had seven to go, so made quick work of them last night.

They are all ready to sew in rows and then I will work out the borders- this isn't their final arrangement as I can see from the photo some need to be moved around to balance the colours.

While at the sewing day last week I was bidding on an ebay item which I happily won. It arrived quick sticks , I love it.

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I'll leave you with a photo of the two princesses who seem to think the hammock was bought just for them.

So love my girls and of course my big black dog too, but there's no way he's getting in the hammock!!!

Happy days!

a day with friends.

 Another week has flown by. Yesterday I got to have a sit and sew with some wonderful crafty people at Mary's shop in Gisborne.

It seems like forever since I have gone to one of these get togethers thanks to covid and it was a fantastic day with my city girl friends. Lots of laughs and chatting and a super lunch made it a great day. Thankyou so much girls you replenish my happy reserves.

I brought home some small purchases and more importantly some inspiration-so stay turned.

I picked up the Heart quilt on wednesday and got it bound straight away. I took it to work on friday but the recipient didn't collect it so I am hoping they come in to work on Monday.

I am very happy with the final result. Here are some pics

I even managed to stitch a label.

After reading Chooky's blog post today celebrating her years of blogging it prompted me to check when my blogaversary might be.

  My first blog post was on the 18th of February 2009, I had few skills but learnt as I went along and was so excited to be joining Blogland.

 Blogging has allowed me to have made some amazing friends some long lasting and some fleeting but I wouldn't have missed it for quids. There have been lapses in blogging and even some times when I questioned whether I would even bother to continue. I must say that the blogging stalwarts like Chooky, Fiona Bubz rugz, Michelle from rag tag stitching, Sue kiwikids have inspired me to keep going and chronicle my crafting so thankyou girls...x

thankyou to all the lovely people who have crossed my path through blogging.

Valentines day.....

Wow where did the past month go?  Once it's back to work the days seem to just run away from me.

Some sewing has been getting done and some quilts that have made their way to the front of the queue.

Firstly I picked up my lovely May Gibbs quilt and the binding is all prepped ready to go. Seeing that we are having temps in the thirties I don't think it will be sewn on just yet.

I was inspired to make a comfort quilt for a parent that is going through some serious health issues. 

A fitting design to be sharing on Valentine's day.

I dipped into my tilda stash and my small stash of low volume fabrics. As I am trying to reduce my fabric stash this made sense to use what I had as they suited the project perfectly.

A good friend is going to become a grandmother and I have been debating what design quilt to make for the baby. The mum has some unusual taste leaning towards vintage so I thought Liberty Hexies would suit. As Hub and I were driving past The quilt shop in Eltham I decided to pop in and buy some background fabric as I didn't have anything in a generous quantity that would suit.

It was a very successful trip....

I got planning and cutting as soon as I got home and I definitely am happy with the result so far.

A few weeks ago mum asked me to drive her to Spotlight and while sticky beaking around in the $3 per metre shelves I found this beauty........

I have another farm quilt to make and this will be perfect for the backing. I just love it and the price certainly made it even more appealing.

Hoping to get the heart quilt back this week from the quilters so I can bind and gift it asap.

Happy sewing!!

Marina

Free to good home....

 Spent the morning destashing and trying to downsize my 'stuff''

I have some patterns, fabric and bits and bobs to clear out if anyone is interested.

If you are happy to contribute postage that would be wonderful (especially if anyone overseas would like an item)

assorted size yo yos

Iron on pattern used once.

Used patterns, will include completed stitchery.

Peter Cottontail- Taken

Snow Day- Taken

March Winds

Mr Boo

Make Merry  taken

Hopefully next post I will have some fabric bags to rehome...

cheers

Marina

something new....

 I was contemplating a backing for my liberty dresdens top by using my remaining Liberty stash.

I thought hexie flowers would be good but after much debate I decided to just piece some fabrics together so that I could take it to be quilted. It was a top that I had hoped to hand quilt but I don't think that is a realistic option at the moment as some pains in my fingers and arm won't be too happy about it so I took it to be machine quilted today.  As I had been very enthusiastic about the hexie flowers originally of course I had gone and cut heaps of them so that they would be ready to go but now they will get to become a project of their own replacing the hearts as my ready to go project. So much for cutting down on projects!

So all I have to share this week is some crochet progress (stalled as I had incorrectly ordered a colour) and the start of some liberty hexie flowers.

Happy Days

Marina