holidays...

Well it's that time again and I've been a rather pathetic blogger and blog follower, even though I have been a bit of a stalker...
Time just seems to be at a premium at the moment and I've found myself spread a bit too thin...
Am finding my feet at my new job which I am happy about after a rocky start but it has been 16years since I started a new job so there were going to be some stresses.
I thought I'd pop in and update on a few projects as I like to chronicle my crafting through my blog.
the holidays have started off with a bang as I have been busily concentrating on just one project for the past few weeks and that is Sweet William. I set a goal to have the quilting completed by these school holidays.Well the holidays have started and it's a finish!!! woo hoo you can imagine me doing cartwheels around the place if you're game...

Roll the film please...
Ta DA.........

 some stats if you're interested..
Started Jan 2015 after some one on one consultation from the very clever Elyte
Top completed September 2015
Started hand Quilting April 2016
Hand quilting completed 4 July 2017
Have loved making this quilt and have learnt so much along the way, also igniting my obsession/passion for needleturn applique.


Another finish I have been remiss of celebrating is the completion of my Caswell Quilt top.
I am still undecided as to how to finish, the borders ie. I am not fond of the ones on the pattern but can't decide how to complete it.
This has been an absolute joy to work on, have loved the process and surprised myself that I have accomplished it.
Will be a little while before it is a complete finish but that's ok too....
Good things come to those who wait.
Some more stats..
Started in March 2016
Only completed 25 of the 30 blocks.
Top together May/June 2017

A new project I started once Caswell was done is my farewell quilt....
Gossip in the garden by Anni Downs.
Now that sweet william is done I can work on the second block and get back to some other wisps.

Happy Days....

Marina

back to normal tomorrow

Time has flown and it is already time to get back to work tomorrow...
It's always a little sad but they don't pay me to stay at home so it will be off to work I go.
But firstly I'll fill you in on what I've been working on.
A new crochet project for a friend's birthday in her favourite team colours...
I am using an 8 ply  pure wool (made in Australia from Australian wool!) from Bendigo woollen mills and it is so beautiful to work with and so soft.
Great value price too and they offered free postage on my order.

 Slow and steady on the quilting of Sweet William.... I was about half way there then decided that I needed to go around the blocks on both sides of the seam as well so this will be a longer term project .
 9 basket blocks to go and 6 wreath blocks then all those outline rows and half of the half triangles on the outer edges.

For a last day outing Mum and I went to spotlight. I have been very good adhering to a fabric diet but saw the gorgeous Jo Morton  fabric for the bargain price of $6 per metre and I just could not leave it there... of course I had to come up with a reason that I needed it and so it will be the backing for my Caswell Quilt.. I bought the rest of the bolt and I am set. The green piece is so pretty unfortunately the photo doesn't show its beautiful deep colour- poison green I think it's called. 

Soon I'll get back to Caswell..... I am missing it a lot but need my room back first.

Well that is my catch up for now, not much exciting going on I'm afraid just slow and steady on bigger projects. I am determined to finish some tops off this year. There are some flimsies that are earmarked for hand quilting and some I will send to the lovely Fiona of Bubz rugz to work some magic on
I feel that I have too much unfinished business and it needs to be sorted.
I'll leave you with some cute lego people.. No 2 son is sorting some of his things out before he moves homes and he brought these home, off course we need them here! They are so cute.. I am quite taken with Tarzan and Cheetah. Very cute  I also love the Valkyrie... can hear the ride of the valkyrie playing in my head....

Here is a youtube video... to share my inner orchestra. just don't imagine the helicopter airships from Platoon....

Happy days!
Marina

caswell catch up...

I have been happily working on my Caswell blocks.
the first row is complete and a start made on the second. It's so exciting progressing on these blocks.
blocks A1 to A4 (A4 gave me some grief trying to get those pink flowers on and those bottom leaves..... don't even go there! Got there mostly in the end)

 A5

 B1

I have jumped B2 for now as I couldn't wait to get to this one with it's sweet little birds.
The applique is a little more complicated on this one and I need to think hard about the placement of some pieces.

With all this Caswell enthusiasm I was feeling a little guilty about some flimsies.
It's all good well to make tops but eventually you have to quilt them!
Thought it would be good to mix my applique in with some hand quilting.
unfortunately i need to get a new marking pen as mine struggled a bit on the wreath but I have at least made a start......

Hope you have enjoyed my little catch up!
cheers for now
Marina
Happy stitching

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.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.....

Well with that gushy title there can only follow a post about one thing.....Sweet William.
Click away now if you feel you cannot handle the barage of photos of my dearest.

 this is the last block that was finished on Wednesday afternoon.
Below the blocks are all trimmed and ready to sew together. Maisie is just doing a last minute scan to make sure it's ok to proceed..

And huge drum roll please...My version of Sweet William by Susan Smith....
I made 18 appliques from the pattern and improvised the other 7 by using designs found on the net and other patterns I had at home.
I picked out the fabric for the alternate blocks Wednesday with some help from Liz (the village quilters) who was up for a visit. I probably wouldn't have bought the fabrics so soon had she not wanted to visit Jemima's. I thought may as well take the blocks with me to get some help with selecting possible colours.
The beautiful apricot colour used for the outer triangles was the first to jump out at me and the yellow was the last. We auditioned about 6 fabrics with Veronica and when these were together it was love at first sight. Absolutely meant to be. Quite by accident as things often are as I couldn't decide between the two fabrics and had to have them both.
Finished size is approxiamately 150 cm square. A little smaller than the  pattern but will be more than big enough for my purposes. I hope to hand quilt this lovely in the future.

 Here is the whole top.

 I couldn't resist this photo of the back in the sunshine.. I love the stained glass effect.

Well that is that. A project that almost wasn't to be, has become a completed top. It was commenced in September 2014 but was restarted in January 2015.
Of course thanks to Elyte for turning on the light bulb, the pattern will be happily going to live at her place whenever she is ready. That's the least I could do.
I'd best leave this post at this stage of the photo overload I am over the moon to have finished this top.
There is some progress on some other projects but they can wait till next post.
you bet I'm happy dancing
Marina

a month of crafting..

Well it's been a month since I blogged some craftiness and I have heaps to share.
Firstly no news at all regarding No3 son's car sadly.  Thankyou for all your kind words ( and even some of the not so kind words that were sent regarding the thieves).
Cath  has posted a linky for a Design Board Monday to showcase what you are working on for the week.
I have been appliqueing my little heart out this past month and it is time to spend some time on my neglected stitcheries...
This will be the one I am working on this week. It's been neglected for far too long. It was last shown here.

Now roll on the photos of what I have been working on..
Two more Lucy Kemper blocks done. Loving these so much. One more centre block then it's onto the bordering blocks.

 August Baltimore done and dusted in time for the next class on Wednesday.

 My clamshells from my class with Irene Blanck..... this is going to be a small doll/baby quilt. It still has a few rows to sew down. Irene's method is fantastic and no fiddling with papers either. Bonus!
The fabric for my clamshells was a pretty charm pack that was gifted to me by Elyte. Lends itself perfectly.

A little crochet thrown in the mix... A new throw for a work friend.

And if you have lasted this long.... Guess what My final project was?
Well I had the blocks prepared from awhile ago so some 'me' time on the weekend saw me going into full productivity on some Sweet William blocks. I have decided to finish the top at 25 blocks. It will be more practical and economical all round.
Would you like to see the new blocks?

These flowers aren't in the original pattern. I sourced them from other patterns and free blocks from the net.
The final block is from the pattern and I am working on that now. It involves about 20 berries so will build my courage for that. Then the search will be on for the fabric for the alternate blocks.
Well that's what I've been up to this past month thanks for sticking to the end of this marathon pic fest.
Hope the sun was shining in your part of the world today. We have had some gorgeous spring weather these past few days. Lifts the spirit no end!
Happy days..
Marina

popping in

It's a beautiful sunny day in Melbourne this morning and I have had a rotten cold this past week which has seriously curbed my enthusiasm for most activities, including sewing.
It's been a lovely two weeks at home, besides the cold, and back to work tomorrow.
Yesterday was a day I was hanging out for, a great day spent at a sew-in with Sunbury quilt group.
Anne, Robyn, Elyte, Tania, Marg and Sue were there and we had a back up Marina as well (another Marina from Gisborne) another new friend too, Gabbi. Funnily Marina and I seem to sit together when we have been at sewing things. Can make for interesting conversations when someone calls our name or when we talk about each other as it sounds like we are talking about ourselves in the third person.
Sue was taking some incriminating pics , I was busy stitching (for some of the time) but I am a little worried about some of the photos that may turn up lol. There may have been some silliness.
It was lovely to have a laughing day with the girls thanks for the great day out!
I have some lovely pics of some gorgeous gifts that have made their way to my place and to the sew in yesterday. I wouldn't even mention the occasion but I do want to acknowledge the lovely gifts so I have to put it out there.  

 this parcel of lovelies arrived from Els in the Netherlands. Those fabrics are going to make some gorgeous Sweet William baskets... and the little dolly is an 'upside down doll' so cute.

 this loveliness arrived from Fiona (bubz rugz) Such beautiful stitches! I have always wanted to stitch this design. No need now I have a beautiful one of my own!

 A gorgeus pincushion from Robyn very regal don't you think (and so appropriate) and a very pretty charm pack from Elyte, my mind is already swirling with options for using this!

 Straight to the pincushion shelf for this treasure!

 thought I would share these as they have a sewing theme, from my wonderful SIL.

And the reason for all these gifties, you might have guessed...

 This morning our no 3 son insisted we come out and look at his car, this is his baby and he is slowly doing things to it to improve it (and sap money). It is a lovely old Panel van from the '70's. It can only be driven in fine weather as he doesn't want it to get wet and it has to be garaged so it isn't in the weather. What a princess!
Well we had to come out immediately to look at the tyre rims. Well aren't they amazing (yeah whatever)!
I told him I must take a photo and blog about it it's so amazing as I am sure my crafty friends would be dying to see it........(please insert sarcasm here)
Just had to share the excitement and joy with you girls.

It's so amazing it deserves a close up...

There you are motherly caring and sharing done for me now..
Now will share just one more pic... Had to have a play with Sweet William blocks just to get an idea of how it was looking. It will need to be a bit bigger but I just need to work out how much bigger. I might even make the blocks all facing the one way? Another option.  It's so exciting to see them together. Won't be long and I will get to making the extra baskets. In the meantime there is still some quilting to do...and a quilt to bind and wips that need attention, ufo's to work on etc etc etc... I know you all understand...

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday
cheers
Marina

sweet obsession and quilting

I have been obsessed with working on my sweet william blocks and loving it..
Here are my latest blocks. I only have one left to applique and then I will need to decide how much longer to continue this love affair. Whether to stop it at 20 or keep going.
I don't really want a huge quilt just a lap size quilt would do, so I have some thinking to do.

 This block wasn't included in the patterns but was one of the blocks that was on the original 1800's quilt.
I managed to draw it freehand and make it up. I was happy to try to incorporate some of the original blocks that weren't used in the modern pattern.

 the original quilt had a block with pomegranates on it so with some help from the internet I found a design that had pomegranates that transferred well to my basket

 I really enjoyed this block, a chance to use my favourite purples and some special green fabrics too.

 This has to be one of my favourites....
It looks a little wonky in the photo but it is a little more even in real life. Loving it!

Now that these are done I thought I should get back to my Park Avenue hexies quilt.
I thought I was only half way through the quilting but to my surprise I had actually quilted three quarters of the quilt. Woo hoo bonus!! I am feeling quite enthused and keen to get this done.
the quilting is a little over the shop and I foolishly backed it in a red fabric that is very unforgiving with my uneven stitches but at least it looks acceptable on the front, I just won't show anyone the back.

It's been wonderful to snuggle under this especially seeing as the weather has turned quite cold at night.
Here's to a great weekend!
hope you all have a good one too.
I'm off to snuggle some more and quilt my little fingers off.
happy days
Marina