Deja Vu

 It's been a never ending series of lockdowns and the months just seem to roll into one long 'space'.  I hope everyone is managing well in these trying times.  It's difficult to be missing family and friends but hopefully we will start moving forward once again.

School holidays are here and one thing about lockdown is it's great for getting things done.

I have been busy hand quilting an old flimsy. It was about time my novelty hexies had their time in the sun. It has been very enjoyable finishing this off, as it isn't very big it was quite manageable. I remember how much fun it was fussy cutting the fabrics for the flowers.

The next hand quilting project has been basted today and I'm looking forward to ticking this flimsy off the list too. These clamshells have been hanging around for a few years too.

A recent quilt that was professionally quilted came back to me too. The binding has been waiting to be sewn down, another tick off the list.. My Okehampton quilt is complete. I am so happy with this quilt, just love the scrappy feel of it.

My slow works in progress have been progressing too.

The first border of 'basket case' by Irene Blanck is done...

The first monster quilt top is finished and has been taken to the quilter..... This version is a little different to the original pattern as I have made it for a work colleague. The second one I am working on is as the pattern.

We had a little addition to our household during Lockdown... a new Fox terrier girl has joined us and her name is Gypsy.

She has settled in very well and has an affectionate temperament. I feel this is due to being raised in a home environment with children who have handled her a lot. 

Introducing Gypsy- she has taken to helping with quilting chores very well.

Learning to walk three dogs is a challenge at times, almost like trying to dance with an octopus, but with time Gypsy will find her place and learn to stay on one side ! lol

Hope you have a great day and I hope to post some more over the holidays and catch up with friends blogs.

Happy sewing

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

Okehampton

Over the past months after a lot of stalling I got back to my Okehampton quilt. Attaching the clamshell borders was very challenging for me but I stuck at it and it seems to have worked out ok. 

This has been a challenging quilt in lots of ways and I am so happy it didn't get the better of me.

I loved the quilt the first time I saw the original at a quilt show a few years ago and I still love it now.

It just needs to have the clamshell basting threads removed and be quilted but there is no hurry.

After finishing this lovely and Mary Brown I had hoped to make a dent in my reproduction stash, you can laugh out loud at anytime! Needless to say I could make another couple of quilts before I would run out. Luckily I am using them for the Spring Bouquet quilt and also a project I have in mind to start very soon...... just have to finish some secret sewing!

Today I got this cute woolly jumper in the mail from a work colleague. She makes these to order and has a large selection of pictures to personalise them. With the profits she makes generous donations to various dog charities.

If anyone is interested she has a facebook page 'woolies for woofers'.

Snug as a foxy in a fox jumper!

Happy sewing

Marina

something new, something to get back to..

Well where has the last week gone. 

My days have been spent happily going for walks with Billy and Poppy and getting some sewing time too.

Mary Brown and I still have been spending time together and the first framing border is on and I have started one side of the outer border. Planning and measuring are not really my strengths, I sort of have an idea in my head and thankfully it usually transfers to my project. I am going to have to mitre the outer border to match up the sawtooth border. A logistical nightmare for my non mathematical brain. Thankfully mum came over and jiggled some figures and clarified how I need to proceed with the borders. Today I cut and measured a paper 'dummy'of the border to make sure I don't make mistakes. I'm sure I will but it won't be anything that can't be fixed.

Here's a little snapshot of how it will look..

I'm pretty happy with it so far.

I received my new project pattern in the mail last week and I am chomping at the bit to start it. As a little reward to myself for all that measuring and planning I decided it would be good to start tracing and cutting the freezer paper templates. I have some lovely fabric that I will use for the backgrounds. These blocks are big-measuring 16 1/2 inches square. The pieces are nice and big too. 

I'll use my reproductions stash and by the time I've finished this and Okehampton it will hopefully have reduced considerably....famous last words!

Well here it is..

Speaking of Okehampton, some progress is very overdue. 

first a reminder what this quilt looks like...

I'm up to the clamshell borders and  I seem to have stalled a little. Seeing some other clamshell projects happening in blogland I am feeling very guilty but a very inspired to get back to it.

I have a box full of clamshells, mostly basted and two rows basted ready to stitch for the first border.

So I need to fire up string bean!

The winter weather is being quite kind and I hope it continues to be.

Sewing catch up this week with some lovely ladies to look forward to and some extra holidays too to make me happy.

Hope there is lots of happiness heading your way too

cheers

Marina

Back from Oblivion

Hello out There!
seems such a long time since I was here. I have been visiting blogs and occasionally commenting but thought I would bite the bullet and make a post. This was largely reliant on being able to upload my photos to the computer which worked a treat tonight.
I have missed spending time with you all in Blogland and I can't promise anything but I will try to visit more often.
I think it's almost a year since I blogged and life has continued on with it's little roller coaster ride of events....but overall life has been good, but busy.
Crafting has been limited to a few larger projects and progress is slow and steady.
Okehampton has had a few borders added and one replaced (the one between the broken dishes and flowering vine) The previous one just didn't sit well and I am much happier with this blue one.
Hundreds of clamshells have been prepared and are awaiting their turn to come together into the next border.

Celebrating Mary Brown was started a year ago and I have been plodding along with those blocks and enjoying them a lot even thought there a quite a few challenging ones.
While at home with the flu last week I made a rough design wall so that I could see how the blocks were looking as they are coming together.
I will try to get some close up pics when I take them down.

 here are some close ups I could manage....some bees will be popping up in this quilt
 tricky star, had to think outside the square with this one.

Well if there's anyone there to visit, thanks for popping by and hopefully I can keep up some momentum with posting

Happy Days!

Marina

a Productive week

Week One is done and I have had some lovely time in the sewing room.
I have Okehampton to the stage I wanted it to by these holidays and it looks like Mary Brown and I will be spending some quality time together next week.

Here's the up date on Okehampton..

 It's been a learning curve with these mitred corners.....
the cream border is ready to have vines, leaves and hexie flowers applique....which reminds me I need to make some more hexie flowers!

I got to cut into my greens for the vines.....

and while I was at it I made a few extras for Mary Brown!

Here's hoping next week will be as productive as this week was.
Happy days

Marina

first stage done...

Lovely easter break is leading into the school holidays.

I am hoping to get a start happening on mary Brown but first I want to get some progress on Okehampton.

there was some 1/2 square triangle action happening to make up the shortfall, and I now have the correct number of triangles.

I put the first  border on and it was my first attempt at mitreing corners.
some broken dishes have been pieced, just enough to see how it will look.

I'm very happy with the progress...hopefully I can complete the broken dishes border as that is my goal before starting on Mary Brown!

hope you have survived the Easter Holidays

Happy days ahead.

cheers

Marina

the devil made me do it...

Well you know how I was saying that I was itching to start something new...... Well....
A new pattern was calling my name, like the mythological sirens singing as I was tied to the mast of the ship... as it headed towards the rocks
Dramatic isn't it lol.
ta da!!

I remember seeing this quilt when I bought the pattern for the Caswell quilt and I kept thinking 'no way I could ever do that'
that is the same thing I said about Caswell the first time I saw it and I conquered that and enjoyed making it so much so I am hoping this one will be just as enjoyable. It is a loo loo measuring 90 inches square but I will conquer it one block at a time!
I have to finish quilting Gossip in the garden before I start but I can still play with the patterns and audition fabrics in the meantime.
Great service from Threadbear! the pattern arrived in two days and as with Caswell, the instructions are great, lots of pictures and actual sized charts for the applique. Excellent!

Those little hexies from my previous post got made up and have joined the stash of okehampton flowers.

these four flowers were from a strip of the border fabric that was extra. Love how different cutting has different effects.

Roll on Easter and the joys of school holidays!!
I have so earnt them...... and if I work hard I may get to spend time with Mary Brown too.


Happy easter everyone
Marina

hexies here and there...

this afternoon I thought it would be lovely to spend a little time in the sewing room.
But......what to do?
I am procrastinating on a few things while trying hard not to start anything new.
So, I thought i'd have a play around with a the selvage strip that I cut from the border fabric for Okehampton.  The piece was about 2 1/2 inches wide so there was room to try out some fussy cutting.
Some other fabrics made their way to the production line too....
Playing with the designs in the fabric is such fun.
The bottom four are all from the same strip of fabric. I love the different ways to highlight the pattern.

On Saturday I visited Tranquility patchwork in Moonee Ponds, an amazing shop full to the brim, I'd even say overflowing, with beautiful fabrics and patchwork accessories.
It's not for the faint hearted or for those with little time to spend as there are so many fabrics to tempt you and a little work is required to uncover a treasure.
I went for a specific fabric but couldn't find it so settled on these three beautiful greens which will be perfect for leaves and binding stems for a future project.
The middle and one on the right featured in my Caswell quilt quite frequently and I have only scraps left. Just love them!

only nine more working days to go till term holidays!!
cant wait...
have a great week
Marina

quilting progress and goodies

I feel I have reached a milestone step on my quilting with the centre block completely quilted.

I was a little worried it was 'over quilted' but I am quite happy with it, either that or I can unpick and start again? Not happening!!

I have made a start on the larger border around the main block and the quilting won't be as intense so it should move along a little quicker and each block will hopefully inspire some quilting designs as I go.

 the book looks quite pretty too.... at least the bigger stitches are not too higgledy piggledy.
Crochet cotten and bigger stitches are very forgiving!

Last week when I was looking for inspiration...... unsuccessfully mind you, I did go online looking and found some lovely fabrics that will suit for backgrounds. How satisfying is a little retail therapy? lol

 The colours are truer in this pic below....I am gathering quite a lovely stash of possible background fabrics.... I have also narrowed down a few possible things to make..... more of that once I make a start.  I'm itching to do some needleturn....even contemplated picking up the Caswell pattern again! Crazy!! but I did enjoy it so much.

Today after taking Billy for a swim and getting some househole drudgery out of the way I retreated to the sewing room and decided it was time to settle on a background for Okehampton. I had wanted to use a beautiful spotty fabric but I always had doubts so I went with safe instead.

I sewed the centre star shape down and got the hexie flowers ready to sew down.  it feels good to be progressing on this quilt

 I also cut the borders that will go around the block. I will have to mitre the corners which will be a challenge and I want it flow around the block so wish me luck with that!

Public holiday tomorrow and I'm hoping to pop into the sewing room for a short time at the very least.

We have visitors for lunch so hoping to get in there later in the afternoon.

Hope your weekend is going well.

Cheers

Marina

triangles are go....

A relaxing sunday to myself was the perfect opportunity to make some me time in the sewing room.

Over last weekend I had cut out 55 light and 55 dark squares for the 1/2 square triangles for one of the borders of my okehampton, as directed.....but after turning these 

.........into these.......

 it seems that I am at least 100 blocks short?

Can't see that I have followed the instructions incorrectly, so I have to decide whether to just do two rows of these blocks on all sides which does look more even to my eye or bite the bullet and make the extra blocks.  I tell you it's not the most enjoyable job in the world making these blocks.....

Oh well, for now they'll sit and wait, I mean I can't even decide on the centre background!

Quilting on gossip in the garden is progressing slowly. I wish I could find a time bank...... I would love just a few extra free hours in the week, I'm sure I'm not Robinson Crusoe on that one.

I am itching to do some applique...... and have to fight the urge to find a new project. You know that feeling don't you?  I think I will have a little sticky beak in my patterns to see if anything jumps out at me...

Wish me luck! lol

Happy days

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