FNWF and FIUF

Today I am linking up with Friday Night With Friends and Finish It Up Friday.

 

I was recently given this lovely book as a birthday gift from Fairy Floss Stitches.

 It has so many beautiful projects incorporating patchwork and wool felt applique. I was not really sure where to start, so I decided to experiment a little by replacing my old peg apron. A job that obviously needed to doing for some time but until recently, I couldn't decide on how I wanted to decorate it.

 

As you can see, it is rather old and tatty. Even the applique hearts are starting to come off. The thing is, I live in a house full of males who do a great job bringing in the washing and folding it beautifully. Previous aprons have been decorated with flowers, hearts etc. Time for something a little unisex.

So I chose a few sea creatures from a cot quilt pattern in the book. I was hoping to include a cute little turtle as well, but he just wouldn't fit.

 There is also a change in the design. Previously the apron was tied with a bow behind your back. For some reason, the guys in my house choose to tie it and wear it around their necks. Have never been able to figure out why, maybe it's more masculine to wear it like a necklace rather than an apron (?).

Who knows?

Anyway, Mr Stitch requested this clip be included in the design and I was happy to accommodate.

So, I have a project completed for September OPAM.

 

Wishing you all lovely weekend.

 

 

 

Toes in The Sand Finished!!

Today I am linking up with Finish It Up Friday and Friday Night Sew In.

 

I have completed my BOM called Toes In The Sand.

 

 

First some close ups.

 



 

And now the completed quilt top.

 

I really enjoyed using the Hex n More ruler. It made cutting and piecing triangle, hexagons and jewels so easy.

 

I think I might hand quilt this,  but I have a question for you...

 

I am dreaming of owning one of these.

 

It's a Z44 hand quilting frame made by the Grace Frame Company.

 

Do you own one?

Have you used one?

Would you recommend them?

 

I just love hand quilting and find it's too hot in Summer here in Australia. Definitely a Winter time activity.

I want to hand quilt my Violet quilt once completed and it will be about 93" square once piecing is complete. I just can't imagine trying to quilt that in a hand held frame.
 

Would love some feedback on this to help me with my decision.

Thanks

FNWF & FIUF ... and a question

Today I am linking in with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. I also joined in with Friday Night With Friends. I love how the two coincide. Motivation to make time for myself to sew AND finish something!

The handles are now on my scrappy bag.

This bag is made from scraps or strings just an inch wide.

 

 I think Son No.3 really likes it.

 

Or... is he just being that typical third child with the 'look at me, look at me' attention seeking type behaviour. Just had to stick his face into my photo didn't he?

 

Thanks you to those who answered my question from two posts ago.

 

Just in case there are some people visiting from FNWF or FIUP that haven't been before. I posed a question about programs for blogging from iPads. I currently use Blogger but find it isn't as flexible as Blogger on your PC. There are no options for changing font, font size, size or position of photos etc.

I did email feedback and asked question months ago, unfortunately no response.

 

Does anyone know of a good flexible program to download onto an iPad to make blogging easier from an iPad?

 

 

 

Would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks.

An OPAM finish for July

I just realised that it is the 1st of August and I had forgotten to post my one little finish for July.

 

I bought the pattern, purse frame and fabric at the Darling Harbour Quilt Show.

 

It's quite small. You can see my embroidery scissors just in front.

Tonight I will join in with Friday Night With Friends and hopefully sew my lovely lime green handles to my scrappy bag. If you would like to join in, register here.

 

A New Project and A Question

It's hard to believe that we have been home a couple of weeks. We had the most amazing time. 

Life is returning to normal, back at work and into the regular routine of life. 

I did get to the Darling Harbour Quilt show but I didn't take many photos and have been a bit slack posting, so you can see our adventures if you pop over to Fairy Floss, Country Wishes, Chookyblue or Thimblestitch.

I am getting into some sewing now and I am REALLY keen to actually finish something....problem is, the projects on the go at the moment are a bit big. So, I've started something new!

 

This project is great for using up scraps!

n

 

Wrap it around some clothesline rope and you can turn it into this...

Handles are on order. Should arrive this week and then I will have a new handbag!

Pop over to Country Wishes to see more photos on our progress and the fun night we had with our new personal tutor Fairy Floss.

If the postman is speedy, I might just have an OPAM finish this month. Wont Peg and be surprised!!

 

Now for my question...

I usually post on my computer, but want to do it on my iPad. I downloaded Blogger onto it and have posted from there a few times. However, it's not as flexible as Blogger on the computer. For example, I can't change the size and position of photos, I can't work out how to add links, can't change the font....to name a few. Thimblestitch uses a different program that can't be downloaded anymore.

 

Does anyone else use their iPad to post?

What program do you use?

Are you happy with it?

 

Looking forward to your responses.

Greetings from Singapore

Our adventure continues but coming close to the end. Thought  I'd share just a couple of events with you.

First of all, we stumbled across a patchwork shop on a late night walk in a beautiful town called Bruges in Belgium. You will never guess whose BOM was advertised on the front door of the shop!

Looks like Anne Downs has a following in Belgium. Went back over the next two days ( Sunday and Monday) to take a look inside only to find out that if I could read this note in Flemish....

I would have known that they are closed Sundays and Mondays. Too bad we were leaving Monday afternoon and could not return. Oh well...

I did find a few shops that had cross stitch, tapestry and lace making supplies. I bought this kit which should keep me busy for a while. It is a sampler from 1790, completed by a girl of thirteen years and will be 94cm x 61cm when complete.

Bruges has a lace making school and museum and the streets are filled with shops were you can buy loads of beautifully hand crafted lace tablecloths, table runners, handkerchiefs etc.

There have been train strikes in both France and Belgium over the last few weeks. They finally effected us last Monday when our trains from Bruges to Brussles and Brussles  to Paris were cancelled. I won't bore you with the details of the inconvenience it caused, however, we chose to look at it as a bonus night in Brussles rather than missing out on a night in Paris. Even though the we decided to splurge on a motel for the last two nights with a view of the Eiffel Tower. What else can you do but go with it? So bonus night in Brussles....it was beautiful too.

We both had window seats. Mr stitch played cards on my iPad while I did get a little stitching done on the train as the scenery flashed by at about 300km/h. It's very cool how quickly you can travel on these comfortable and VERY quiet trains.

I made time to appliqué glue my flowers onto the final border of my Violet Quilt before leaving home and have been stitching them down on the plane and train rides. Can you see the little dental floss container Fairy Floss Stitches gave me to cut my threads so I didn't need to take scissors onto the plane?

We were so pleased to make it back to Paris for a final night. Here is the view from the balcony of our motel...

And by night...

Now that I've shown you the nice view, I will show you the REALLY flash, big balcony we had to sit on to watch the sunset....you will be amazed at the size of it. (Have you sensed the sarcasm yet?) 

Here is Mr Stitch setting up with the drinks and nibbles...

Yes that is a pillow he is sitting on to make the concrete a little more comfortable. He was able to make use of the guttering in lieu of a table to place his beer and chips on...

And now a another attempt at mastering the selfie...

Ooops...not that one...

Now that's very cosy. It was JUST long enough for us to stretch our legs out. 

Mental note to self....when I ask the travel agent for a room with a view, I should clarify and say with a balcony big enough to at least sit side by side, maybe even big enough for a chair would be nice. Now that would be REALLY lashing out. It was a fun night watching the sunset over Paris one last time.

So we are now semi-adjusting our body clocks in Singapore for a few days. Only three hours difference to home.

Bye for now.

Guess where I am?

You may have noticed I have not posted for a while. Well....there is a good reason. And by good and mean REALLY good. Mr Stitch and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. He has whisked me away to a special place and if I show you a photo, I wonder if you can guess where we are.

Still mastering the selfie. 

Can you see the structure in the background? Let me make it bigger for you.

So now you know.

We left for Paris via Singapore a couple of weeks ago. We have been on a tour of some very beautiful areas around France and are now back in Paris. On the tour we saw the Bayeux tapestry. It is 1000 years old and shows the story of the battle of Hastings in 1066. It is an unbelievable 70m long and half a metre high. It was AMAZING!!

I found a broderie (embroidery) store and bought a couple of kits as a momento. 

Mr Stitch thought it would be a great idea to collect kits with all of the images and stitch them....

ALL 70 m of them!!

Yeah sure!!

Have not found a patchwork store yet, but I know they exist in France.

We are having a fabulous time. Tomorrow we catch the train to Bruges in Belgium. They have over 35 different beers and 22 Chocolatiers in Bruges.....something for everyone I say.

My only concern is that three days in Bruges will not be enough. That's an average of 7 Chocolatiers per day.... I can only try my best. 

My French is improving. I have learnt lots of greetings and phrases to manage the basics as well as some really important ones like ......you know 'au vere vin blanc s'il yous plait' (a glass of white wine please), 'mouse au chocolate' (chocolate mousse) and 'soldes' ( you guessed it, clothing stores have sales in France as well). 

I have also found the restaurant that makes the BEST PROFITEROLES EVER!!!!!!!

The only problem we have experienced is that the clothes driers in France must dry clothes at a much higher temperature because my jeans seem to have shrunk. They were not that tight when I left......hmmmmm.

Will be back on line in a du (2) weeks.

Au revoir