New Year's Day

We had lots of fun hosting a small NY Eve party with a few friends and neighbours last night.

I was pleasantly surprised when Mr Stitch offered to help me assemble my hand quilting frame I have been painting recently. 

This offer was made despite the fact he was a little worse for wear. No I didn't ask him, totally his suggestion. What a great guy!

There were lots of pieces to assemble...

including over 20 pieces of timber, lots of poles and hardware.

We assumed fairly traditional roles where I read the instructions and lined up the nuts, bolts etc, and Mr Stitch assembled the pieces.

He did need a snack and a little nap half way through while I started to assemble the poles. After all, it was after 4am when we were tucked up in bed. Something to do with a darts challenge laid down by Mr 16 and friends to the over 40 year old males. You know how fathers cannot resist a challenge laid down by their teenage sons.

It's now finished and ready to have a quilt attached for hand quilting. Unfortunately I have a slight problem with the leader cloths I purchased. So, it will stand empty for a few days until that is sorted.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2015.

Happy New Year!

Remember me?

So, it was early October the last time I posted. I will try and catch you up with photos rather than lots and lots of words. 

So here goes...

Back in October I went on a retreat and made this backpack...

 First time I've used grommets to make those holes for the straps. Very nerve racking cutting the holes, but it they went together just fine.

...and also started a couple of Christmas table runners.

I have completed five in total. These will be gifts for family and work mates. So I did have a couple of finishes for November and will add them to my tally. Three finished in December too, so I can tick a some finishes off for December now; including this cross-stitch.

My hand quilting frame finally arrived and last weekend it went from raw timber...

 to a coat of stain and sealer. Just a light sand and one more coat of sealer and I will be ready to build it. I just can't see that happening before Christmas.

Last Friday the Cassilis Quilters got together and I was so lucky to receive these beautiful gifts. A lovely cross stitch pin cushion from Susan...

 and a measuring tape in this super cute felt cover from Lea. 

they're just gorgeous!!

Thanks so much.

There will be a few changes for me in 2015. Starting a new job when school resumes next year. Sadly saying goodbye to colleagues in my present job this week. I've also started a course, so my sewing time is being eaten into a little bit with study and assignments. Looking forward to the holidays when I can do more of both in the New Year.

I'm also looking forward to spending Christmas Day with my brother and his family for the first time in thirteen years! So it's a pretty special one for us.

Wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday and a very merry Christmas with your family and friends.

Friday Night Sew In

Last night I joined in on FNSI and added a few more stars to my collection.

Not sure about the one on the right. I am realising that not all of my stars will make the final cut. I have made over 20 stars now and probably should start thinking about putting a few together. Can't decide whether to use random placement...

Or rows of colour...

Or rows of colour on the diagonal...

Or am I just making it WAY too hard?

What do you think?

Friday Night With Friends

Last night was Friday Night With Friends and I decided to work on turning some stitcheries I completed about three or four years ago into the little wall hangings they were meant to eventually become.

I had stitched four of these, they were supposed to be gifts for work colleagues. 

But you know how it goes in the lead up to Christmas. I just got too busy, bought gifts and stowed the embroideries away to be completed another day. Well that day arrived yesterday, they are almost compete, just quilting a little row of stitches to hold the layers together. Will be finished tonight.

I can also reveal some of my secret sewing. I finished this table runner for my friend Caron's birthday.

She loves French General fabric.

So my OPAM tally for October is at a very healthy five finishes. A record for me for 2014. 

Enjoy what is left of the long weekend.

One more OPAM finish for September

Some years ago I made a quilt that comprised of eight pointed stars. Before cutting the excess fabric from the corners, I stitched an extra seam a half inch from the original and this produced about 130 HST. 

Why? Well I just really liked the fabric and couldn't beer to waste it. The little blocks measured about 2 inches square.

Then they lived in a little snap lock bag for years with other left over fabric until this week when I decided to finish off a few half started UFO's that have been stowed in the bottom of a basket. Now it looks like this. I have just managed one more finish for OPAM for September. Total for September....4!

Now I have a small Christmassy table runner. One thing I learnt from this project and my Toes in The Sand quilt is that pressing seams open when sewing triangles really helps matching points. I have always pressed seams to the side, but now I'm definitely a seams open quilter when the pattern contains these tricky points.

So now the basket has one less UFO and I see there are a few stitcheries. That's right, a few years ago they were going to be gifts until I got far too busy leading up to Christmas to complete them and then bought something from a shop instead....two completed cross stitches that need to be turned into something, a wall hanging perhaps? Another cross stitch not complete..... an old Girls Day In The Country needle turn appliqué project! How long ago did I start that one? Delving further I see a few more half started or not even started kits.

How many do you have?

Monday Mornng Star Count, OPAM and A Catch Up

I recently replaced out old dinosaur of a computer with a laptop. There seems to be so much to do and relearn before you can get back into the regular business you do everyday on these clever devices.

So now to catch you up on what I have been doing, apart from experience a bit of  'techno rage'. I really do not posses any  patience when dealing with technology.

The technical difficulties meant I couldn't catch up with Monday Morning Star Count last week, so here is my progress for the last two weeks. I have now completed 15 stars and think I will need about 150, so a tenth of the way there. Haven't started joining them yet, still thinking about layout. I am really enjoying using bright fabrics from my stash during this beautiful Spring weather.

I also rescued a special quilt. My sons music teacher has a, well....it's more like a 'blankie' than a quilt. It was in need of repair and he asked if I could mend it for him.

His Grandma had quilted a blanket inside some nursery fabric. You can see how the edges had just worn away with use.The pictures in the designs were quite cute. 

 I had to reinforce the corners where the fabric had worn down to the blanket inside. I then simply bound it with extra wide binding. 

 Rescuing this special memento of his Grandmother made me think.... I hope my boys (and maybe one day grandchildren), get so much use out of their quilts as they get older. Loved so much until they are threadbare as well.  

Finally...sorry this post is very long. I made two of these yesterday. Can you guess what it is?

Here it is folded up and upside down.

Now right way up.

Now unfolded.

A view from the top.

It's a thread catcher that folds up to take up no space at all in your sewing kit. I made it in fabrics to match a bag I carry my EPP Star Quilt in.

 That makes my OPAM tally for September three finished items. Cant show you the other thread catcher just yet...more secret birthday sewing.

Hope you are enjoying your day.

FNSI

What is it with me and Christmas cross stitches? I have so many to hang on my walls each year already.

I purchased three more projects at the Darling Harbour Quilt show in 2013. I have completed one, its even framed. See....

 

 

So when it was time to start something new, I didn't go with a pattern in stock, rather one on loan from a friend. I worked on this during Friday Night Sew In last night.

 

Progress has been a bit slow due to the fact that I have stitched two rows of words in green instead of blue.....twice. I love sewing, but reverse sewing is the pits. I felt like such an idiot the second time.

 

Hope you are enjoying the weather, wherever you are.

It's Spring here, and the days are just beautiful!