Off to the quilters...

Yesterday I got the borders sewn on a poor ufo that was sitting in the drawer.

Borders On...

This is it for this stash of fabric. I think I made four quilts from this stash and that's enough. The left overs have gone to a loving home

Seeing I didn't go to the quilt show I decided I was entitled to a little retail therapy so while I was at Jemima's dropping off the top and needing only another metre of the french general cream fabric...... I decided to supplement my red and pink stash as there are quite a few flowers in Celebrating Mary Brown and I needed to have some new fabrics..... some medium blues will be next on my list.
Aren't they delicious!

Making the most of this last week.....

cheers
marina

another week under my belt

wow what a week! we were so busy at work It was busier than a fish and chip shop on a friday night.
Luckily I haven't caught you up on all the things I have been working on in my blogging absence.
I managed to put together all the blocks for my floral hopscotch top. I did alter the blocks as I didn't think I could make all the originals. Sometimes you have to simplify to get a project over the line.
Just need to work out exactly how I want the borders then it will be ready to quilt.

I made a start on some clamshells for Okehampton when the country girls caught up with the city girls at Sue's house..

After a visit last year to Unwind Cafe with a friend I purchased some beautiful cotton to crochet with.
I decided I would make a throw for my sister in law. This shop stocks Bendigo Wools and it is gorgeous with a vintage feel and the most amazing scones and lemon butter!!!!
I made a start but it has been slow going. So relaxing and soft to work with.

I'm hoping I will get some crafting time this week....otherwise I'll have to wait till things settle down a bit.
Still haven't basted my Gossip in the garden. It's such a big job but once it's done I can go full steam ahead with the quilting.
Till then I will hold back as I am so tempted to start something new!
It's harder than being on a diet!
Have a great week
cheers
marina

sunday pleasures...

what a luxury Sunday is. A lovely start to the day with a big walk and socialise for Billy at the dog park, then washing two rather smelly dogs and some idle time at the computer.... heavenly. All I need is to do some crafting and it will be perfect.
I haven't been slacking off during the week though..... I completed the latest Caswell block and I have traced the last two! Wow I can't believe it! One of them I tweaked a little as it didn't seem logical to my eye the way it was. Now to decide which to start first... it will be fun selecting the fabrics for these last two knowing I am on the home stretch. Then I will just have to decide what type of borders to put on it.....
Here is the finished one at least.

 this is a block previously completed but as I am loving these fussy cut bees I just had to add another one on at least one other block. This one had a space that needed filling that fits a bee perfectly!

Made my first tulip block... very happy indeed.

nowto finish as there hasn't been a furry pic for awhile... here is an up to date pic of the new squeaky clean Coffee and Billy. Billy is 10 months old now and is as strong as an ox with a will to match, but also a sweetheart. Would be nice if he was the size of a jack russell?

hope you are all having a great weekend
Here's to the week ahead!

cheers
Marina

Hello, It's me

Well just channeling my inner Adele there for a minute.
Can't believe it's been so long.... I'm still alive and crafting. All the good intentions haven't made for much blogging. So today I thought it was time to catch up and record my crafting for the past two months.
There have been some starts and some finishes and lots of stuff in between. Some catch ups with crafty friends have helped reignite some sparks, and it's lovely to have such wonderful friends.
Now beware there are a lot of pics.....
No falling asleep now?

two new Caswell blocks...... a third is nearly done which will leave two to do, getting exciting

 made a start on my large clamshells, finding it hard to get enthused but there's no hurry to finish.

I have four completed wreaths for my floral hopscotch quilt and just seem to have lost some of the passion for it, I think it's the fabrics..... so I have decided to rethink the remaining applique blocks and have been looking for something a little simpler to make it an achievable finish. I thought the checkerboard blocks were going to delay this but they were done quick smart at the start, luckily.

I am going to replace the other applique blocks with this North Carolina Tulips block that I found on the net ages ago. Rediscovered it when sorting my room out.

 So need a new camera so that the colours will show properly!

These two have just had the pieces popped on the backgrounds as a trial, I am going with it. I love that it will be simple and still keep that fresh feel and more importantly be a stress free project.

 On the school holidays I managed to finish the last few blue baskets and start and finish all the 9 patch blocks so that I could put this together. I am so happy with it as it uses up some of my Lucy Kemper blues stash. there doesn't seem to be much of a dent made though.... will think about that after I have worked out a backing for it maybe from the same stash. Dare I say it I am getting a little over blues lol

My woollen scraps that were made up into squares for quite awhile got made up into a small crocheted blanket. Lovely and bright!

I suppose a big reason for all this crafting is that I got my sewing room back. A little bittersweet as it meant my Favourite No. 1 son moved out again. It was lovely having him home with us for about 6 months but it is also lovely to have my sewing room back.
A little reshuffling and some new and altered furniture did the trick and I love it. All my treasures where I can see them and more importantly access them. Still a small space but better managed.

I have at last managed to hang a full size quilt on the wall much to hubbie's dismay. But as it's in my room I can get away with it....though it does set a precedent....
I get to show off my baltimore to great effect. It was made to go on that wall.

Well if you're still with me, thanks for hanging around and catching up with my goings on.
I will try to be a better blogger and not just stalk you all and actually comment too.
cheers for now
Marina

Is it too soon.....

.......for me to share some more blocks from the Caswell quilt.....?
this is block 2

 block 3

 here are some more applique papers prepared and ready....

 here's the first applique block for my Hopscotch quilt. lovely and fresh..

Lots of happy sewing days have been on the agenda..... Last sunday was spent with the city girls catching up with Shez and some of the other usual suspects like Barb, Cheryl and new friend Karen and of course a contingent of the Gisborne girls. What a wonderful day!

Today I had a lovely day sewing with Liz, Rosalie, Karin and Mum. We had a lovely day chatting and laughing but there was also some stitching. I worked on the second hopscotch block and fixing up some reverse sewing required on the no 2 Caswell block. Couldn't work out why the two red flowers didn't look quite right then  realised I had sewn the centres back to front!  so off they came and they look much better now, as in the pic.
Another sewing day tomorrow with the city girls and a special visitor....
More of that next post. Looking forward to a last catch up before it's back to routine next week....
But I'm sure all this  happiness will keep me going for a while!
Hope some happy sewing is happening your way....
Cheers
Marina

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

by hand and by machine.....

the title reminds me of a scene from the Blues Bros where they ask about the music performed at Bob's country bunker.... 'oh we have both kinds.... country and western......' the woman replies.
Because I have been doing both kinds of sewing ...........machine and hand sewing.
I managed to complete all the  checker board blocks for my next project from Irene Blancks book...
I knew if I didn't do the machine sewing blocks first they would be a bummer to be enthused about after the fun of the applique blocks.
When the mood strikes I can start this one.

But first I need to work on Lucy Kemper. The third corner is prepped and ready to go. It's difficult to get a good picture that shows all the different blues. I so love this quilt and am really enjoying the applique.

You know sometimes when you just get an idea and you want to have a little fun with it...
well this is the product of that idea... Not sure what these easter eggs will become. I tried to make a hanging decoration out of one but it was a slight failure so these pretties may become something else?
Hmmmmmm thinking.....

Got the email yesterday that Sweet William is ready to be picked up, basted all ready for handquilting.
He'll have to wait a little bit as I have ordered some plastic quilting stencils from America after having had little luck finding them locally or even interstate. In the meantime I am getting my quilting stitches tuned up by working on my little houses.
I have nearly completed two rows of houses. I really love these houses. seeing them in the photo makes me want to drag out the stamp and make more... Some control Marina!!

So many things to work on and so little time...

Tomorrow I will hopefully get to see the country and city girls and the other wonderful girls that used to meet at the Mill rose cottage. I will only get to pop in as I have to be elsewhere but a little bit is better than none.
A big thankyou for those that showed interest in my tops for sale, looks like they both have a new home, the blue top will go after I complete it for a friend who is a non quilter, and I am very excited that the homespun bom one will finally be loved and finished.
and the doilies were gone in a flash.
Would also like to mention that February is my blogaversary month. I am so happy I started my blog in 2009 as it has brought me in touch with some wonderful crafty women some of whom I actually get to spend fun times in person with. Thankyou to all of you who stop by and say Hi and offer encouragement, friendship and support. x
Have a wonderful Weekend!
Marina