May is for quilting

 The recent drop in temperatures have inspired me to do some hand quilting. The fact that I can't focus on what project to work on has no impact on my choice at all lol.

I have two quilts  that I got basted a while ago and this is the first one that I pulled out of the tub. When I first started patchworking I hand quilted most of my quilts as it was a matter of finances. I probably had more patience and arm strength to do it too. 

There is something so appealing about scrappy quilts and as I am quilting I am revisiting some of the lovely fabrics used -both mine and some gifted by sewing friends. 

It's quite relaxing and so far I've done 22 out of 112 nine patch blocks. I don't know how I will quilt the borders but thankfully I won't have to worry about it for a while. I know I will probably be over it by then and go for simplicity but you never know......plenty of time. The great thing about hand quilting is the softness it gives the quilt, that lovely snuggle factor.

It will make for some boring blogging but hoping it will be done by the end of May!

Happy days

Marina 

Be Prepared

 Another finish has opened the floodgates for a new project, I am going to start something new totally guilt free!

My red and cream 9 patch top is done and I am very happy with the result. this will join my scrappy 9 patch in a pile to be hand quilted.

speaking of hand quilting.... my Trees quilt has been basted and I have managed to quilt a few. I am using a perle 8 thread and big stitches. I have forgotten how much I enjoy hand quilting. When I first started quilt I hand quilted all my quilts- a matter of economics at the time. Over the years I have hand quilted quite a few larger quilts but now I will save it for smaller lap quilts as my hands don't quite enjoy it as much as I would like.

the finishes have meant that I can pull out some projects to prepare for sewing, thus the post title.

I thought it best not to neglect my Who's who in the zoo.......I just had to mark the pieces around the freezer paper and trim them down. Row four is ready to go.

I prepped the pieces for my new start.

A friend who is not a fan of applique has asked me to do the centre piece for a new project and I am more than happy to oblige.... so I made a start on the plastic templates for this loveliness. 

Some lovely fabrics to play with too!

As you can tell by the productiveness I am currently on school holidays.

Only a few more days to go sadly and then it will be back to the grind.

I'll definitely make the most of the time that remains.

Happy days

Marina

on target

 I am feeling pretty happy that slowly I am ticking things off my list of UFO's.

My scrappy 9 patch is done. I am hoping to hand quilt this one.

the red Scrappy 9 patch top is moving towards a finish too. This is the layout I have decided on for the outer border. I have completed this first one and sewn it on.

There were some extra trees added to my Christmas quilt and I decided to add a border to pad out the size a little more. The border fabric will also be the backing fabric.

This will hopefully be a hand quilting project.

Updated to do list:

Basket Case - 2 sides of final borders to go  Top completed

9 patch- red and cream outer borders to be done (a few more hexie flowers for the final border to be done) - Borders in progress, one completed

9 patch scrappy top - two borders to go/two done Top Completed

Scrappy hearts quilt - borders to be planned and done

Petite Poche - 4 new  embroidery blocks added to the pile

Who's who at the zoo- half way through applique blocks - Row 4 Prepped

Aussie animals - centre top done, borders to go.

May Gibbs hearts - pick up and go project, need to count completed hearts. wisp - Hearts all appliqued waiting to be sewn together.

Another couple of ticks and I'll feel quite happy to start something new.

Tomorrow I have a friend coming over with a project for me to do the applique on. (I did the applique on her blue and white Laundry Basket quilt). Perfect arrangement as I don't mind applique and I won't have to do all the piecing!

Happy days.

Marina

Lazy sunday afternoon.....

 Nothing beats a lazy Sunday when you can retreat to the sewing room and just plod along with some happy projects.

I managed to sew the two new rows onto my Who's who in the zoo quilt and this brings me to the half way mark of the applique blocks.

Week night sewing has consisted of trying to complete the second border for my 9 patch top.

I am very happy with the results and they come together quite quickly.

It's very encouraging when you can sew them onto the top. 

This week I will focus on getting at least one of the Basket case borders done.  I can see this getting finished soon.  Hopefully if it gets done I will start one of my new projects on the upcoming school holidays.  Nothing like dangling the carrot in front of the donkey.

Time for a stocktake of works in progress.....

Basket Case - 2 sides of final borders to go

9 patch- red and cream outer borders to be done (a few more hexie flowers for the final border to be done)

9 patch scrappy top - two borders to go/two done

Scrappy hearts quilt - borders to be planned and done

Petite Poche - 4 new  embroidery blocks added to the pile

Who's who at the zoo- half way through applique blocks, need to prep some more

Aussie animals - centre top done, borders to go.

May Gibbs hearts - pick up and go project, need to count completed hearts. wisp

Happy days

Marina

Machine time

 Today I got to have some machine sewing time with my 9 patch blocks.

The top with the scrappy squares is together and I am thinking it is big enough so need to play catch up with the red and cream blocks. The cream larger blocks are from a French General metre I had but I panicked a little as I don't think there will be enough for the larger 9 patch blocks so a stash search turned up two solid pieces of French General in a cream and taupe so disaster averted.

So love the reds and cream.

I managed about 10 blocks today and they are all trimmed ready to sew into bigger blocks.

Here's a little elf preview  

Some footwear that arrived in the mail.......

Happy days.... better get my skates on and get ready for dinner

Marina

Sewing satisfaction

I have quite a few projects that are very slow works in progress, Am I the only one? You know the kind of project that you just add to in between other works on the go?

I have my scrappy hearts and my 9 patch blocks that can be picked up in between other projects.

With being home I definitely have enjoyed my 9 patch sewing. After tallying my progress and working out how many blocks to go it has spurred me on too. I am going to use the scrappy for one side and the reds and cream for the other so I'll get two quilts for the price of one. 

Five rows of scrappy blocks are together and now to catch up with the red and cream ones.

The clamshell quilting project is underway.  After this I will only have one more hand quilting project to do, well that is at this stage.

I pieced some fabrics for the backing but after basting it was puckering badly on the back and there's no way I could live with it so I removed all the basting made a new backing with some fabric that I had stashed for backings and it basted much more neatly. I always have a hard time with basting and getting it sandwiched neatly. 

My Tilda Dresdens are all completed and the top is together. I found a pattern that had applique in between the plates and I'll get around to that soon. It's a really pretty pattern that was an internet freebie too. I love that 

The binding is on my Farm Sweet Farm quilt after a bit stall on finishing, but as long as we get there in the end...

The sewing machine awaits and I am off to make some nine patches!!

I'll leave you with a picture of a 'lap full of fox terriers'. 

The only thing missing is a giant sized black curly dog! lol

Have a fantastic day!

Marina

lockdown

 Well we are in lockdown again... what was supposed to be just one week has become two and who knows how much more.

It's hard not to be disheartened. I work in an area that had Tier 1 notifications and also live in an area that had Tier 1 notifications. I had my fifth covid test at the start of the week for piece of mind and thankfully it was negative. First Vaccination done too so fingers crossed we won't have to be so stressed. When we look at all the numbers for people being tested there are very few cases and those that are, are linked so we should probably calm down a little.

So what sewing have I been up to.....

There has been some time with the sewing machine making up some more nine patch blocks. These can be quite a relaxing project.  Won't be long and I think I will start to sew them together.

Some applique has been done too, of course. I think I'd be lost without some applique to do.

Okehampton is at the quilters and I am looking forward to having that complete!

Block 4 of flower garden is done.

One monster quilt has the monsters all sewn onto the background going to start the circles this weekend.

Little 9 patch blocks to add to the pile.

always encouraging when you can put your blocks together to see how they are growing.

A pretty pile of hexie flowers.....

Won't be long till I can start the stepping stones.

I have some hand quilting on my winter wish list.. might go and see which top is the lucky first?

Happy Days!

Stay safe and well.

Marina

Holiday happiness...

 I'm into the second week of the holidays and it is just flying by. The days have been filled with taking my mum to appointments, some play time with our little princess and a little time with sewing friends too. I wish there were a few more weeks to do everything I want to do!

Crafting has featured heavily and I am enjoying all my projects. Started some new ones and planning some future ones too. Bliss!

Completed and sewed on the first border for my Basket case quilt. The corner blocks for the next border are ready to go and the first one is prepped for stitching.

My farm sweet farm was quilted by Jemima's and is just waiting for the binding.

I may not have chosen wisely with the quilting but I still love it. It doesn't look as busy in real life.

Block 3 of my Flower garden quilt is done. No 4 needing prepping.

Needing a carry around project while waiting for mum at her appointments I took the plunge with these hexies.  I purchased them on line from a lady that sells them already basted. Winner, winner.

They have been hidden in a tin for months but now is their turn to make an appearance too.

Some 9 patch blocks have been put together and they are looking very pretty

Holidays wouldn't be holidays without some retail therapy..... This lovely fat 1/4 bundle was on special at Jemima's and they jumped in my bag... Am developing quite a love for Tilda fabrics.

Okehampton needs to be taken to Leanne's for quilting but I realised I hadn't taken out the basting threads on the clamshells, I am slowly pulling them out.

A work colleague has requested a monster quilt so I have made a start. The pattern will be made slightly differently to the version I am doing for myself. No chore making these monsters they are so much fun.

Happy days!!

Marina

February already!!

 I'm not sure where the time has gone but incredibly it's February. I survived the Christmas joys and New Year.  Crafting has been getting done here and there and there are a few things to catch up on.

Some deadline projects had to be completed and this meant other things were put on the back burner.

Spring bouquet by Laundry Basket Quilts was completed and taken to be quilted for a early March deadline as it will be a gift for my SIL's zero birthday.

I am very happy with the top and it was a very enjoyable project.

A baby Milestone quilt, pattern by Melly and Me was completed and delivered last week in time for bub's arrival. I hand quilted this one and I always ask myself why? lol

I also made one for our little princess, great pattern.

Some progress on my Basket case too, the baskets are all together and the first border is ready for appliqueing.......

Now that we are back in lockdown for five days I got some time with my Janome....

Ten new 9 patch blocks have been added to the stash and some red blocks got sewn together. Very happy with how they look together.

One last photo if you are still with me.... Poppy trying out what a cat's life is all about....

Now I'm off to catch up with what everyone else has been doing while I was in limbo land!

Happy days.

Marina

monday musings

 seems like concentrating is a challenge at the moment. I know what needs to be done and I know what I want to do and can't focus on either. 

Today was my day off so I had a little rummage through my odd bits and pieces box. This includes orphaned stitcheries and blocks, ideas that didn't quite make the cut and general hide away projects.

I found some little blocks in 1930's repro fabric leftover from 'sweet nostalgia'. They had been sewn together and just looked blah so I got to unpicking, pressing and trimming. 

This gave me two little minis. I also managed to find some of the original 'white' and off white to add to these.

enough white to add a few more blocks.....

while looking for the white fabrics I thought I would have a look for some bigger metre pieces of shirting that I could use for the scrappy and red 9 patch blocks.

This treasure that I have been hanging on to popped up and it just so happened that the blocks are 3 1/2" so I auditioned the red 9 patch on the piece and I think it could be a big winner and finally give it a purpose. 

Night time stitching is reserved for must do applique as I have a deadline for that and I want to get it done.

More freedoms for Victoria and it's a great feeling. Took my mum to see her first great grandchild and she got to have a big hug. Little princess was smiling and cooing for great grandma and when I got to have a hold the chin started to quiver and she started to cry, tears and all.

Hope this isn't going to define our relationship? 

have a great week

Marina