3rd week of May

Another week gone by.....

Almost no progress on my Embroidered Table Runner so I haven't even bothered with a picture - I am planning to focus my hand-work on it this next week.

I mentioned daughter and grandson moved out (without taking the cat) and whilst here she enjoyed using my bowl cosies for those soups and porridge etc.

So I made her some for her new place.... These are reversable and I made 2 girly ones and 2 boyish ones and a cat one (to remind them of Apollo at my house)

As you can see the cat really is perfectly comfortable using our bed....

This embroidery took me most of the week.  I have a retreat at the end of the month and they have a swap - this year it is a placemat....

Although it is fairly simple doing the 4 rows of running stitch over 4 threads took me a while keeping them within the lines - and weaving three lots up and down and over......

However, I like the effect and I think it will be usable as well as attractive....

On Tuesday at Quilt Club we had a charity day raising funds for the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation.  The theme was red (it is the clubs 40th anniversary this year) and we were encouraged to wear red and decorate our tables.  

I personally had nothing to contribute to the decor (except heaps of admiration) but the ladies did a fantastic job of it...

the setting was different on both sides....

Our table won 1st prize for the table and we earned a box of chocolates to share!!  All a bit of fun though it was amusing to see the competitive side of people come out.  

I did take some red wool to crochet!

For show and tell we were asked to bring in an early item of craft.  I took in this quite large tablecloth

I must have made this in my early teens and I remember it was a gift for my mom. (she was very surprised as I wasn't very crafty at all)

When I had to clean up her house I was touched to find it there and remembered I had made it.... One of the few things that came with me when we immigrated as it can roll into a small space.

Sentimental I guess because it is not well made and I think might fall apart!!! hahha

I did have to give it a wash before I took it as somehow it had dirty little cat prints on it!!!

Righto, Gotto Go.... coffee to drink

Second Week of May

We are having just fantastic Autumnal weather at the moment... I do love it.... Moderate to cool days and cooler evenings.

Friends last weekend meant roaming around - a Gin Distillery and a lovely bush walk in a National Park.  After they left we went and watched the extra large Widget play Touch Football at which his team won the finals....  so that was exciting....

This month the UFO I am working on is my Table runner Embroidery.... this is the start of this month.  There is so much in this that I will be happy with any progress.

I did finish the next block for Caswell this week... so that is 3 done - 27 to go!

This weeks progress on the Table Runner....

Some crochet has been done for KOGO - I find it the best craft for me later in the evening when my eyes are too tired to focus...

Righto, Gotto Go ..... my daughter moved out last week and took her plants back (but left the cat) !  So off we went pot plant hunting and Hubz is doing some potting today and I am supervising!

Have a lovely weekend xx

Beginning of May

We have been away down Southwards visiting a son and his two boys.  So no blog post last week - I have been reading them but little commenting.....

Whilst in Victoria I was lucky that Marina picked up Liz for an adventure and came to the little town we were staying at for a wonderful chat and lunch...

It was just lovely - thanks Marina for braving the long trip....

I took crochet to do on the plane and whilst we were there.... nice and easy to pick up in the evening.  These are KOGO charity blocks....

Quilt group was on Tuesday and I did some more joining of hexagons....

I am almost half way through these... so still a way to go....

Earlier in the month I was sorting out my fabrics and found a bunch of heavier weight cottons (unsuitable for quilts) and also quite a bit of calico so I decided to make some shopping bags

These are lined and boxed with a fairly long handle so they can fit over the shoulder.  Good size, would comfortably carry 6 wine bottles!

I now have 7 of them and one cleared box in the stash.....  Personally I find the home made bags great - and they are a bit prettier than some found in the grocery store...

Righto, Gotto Go.  I'm trying a couple of new recipes and that Minestrone soup needs attention...

Have a lovely weekend....

3rd week of April

Second block of Caswell quilt is done.....

Thanks to Michelle and Marina for the enabling .... and support....

My local group UFO for this month was to finish off my Sashiko panels into something.... I found some suitable fabric in my stash and made them up into these table toppers.... they are quilted too but in a matching colour so you can't really see it...

Binding was done at my Tuesday sewing day and then I went on a made up a couple of hexagon flowers....

In the evenings I have been knitting and crocheting.... this little jumper was finished....

It has little poppers on the back for fastening.... I think it will fit a 1 - 2 year old

I did find I needed to concentrate a bit for the pattern especially whilst increasing for the sleeve but happy with the result....

That's my crafting week.... 

Righto, Gotto Go..... I started some bags a couple of weeks ago and would like to get them done and out of the way....

Have a lovely weekend....xx

Second Week of April

Another busy week and I end up feeling pleased that I actually fitted in a grocery shop!  But happy kind of busy I need to say, a lot of sewing with friends...

I had a trip to Warwick last week to a Patchwork shop having a closing down sale (the owners are retiring) and a few background fabrics were purchased but basically it was a fun day out with friends and included a yummy lunch.

This week has been quilt group, machine sewing at my place, embroidery group .... 

I have all my Blessings blocks prepared (except for the last one which can only be done when the others are together) and I started the machine blanket stitch around the edge at my machine sewing day.  Slow going.

Quilt group saw 2 more of these hexagon flowers put together....

I finally finished off another group of Sashiko blocks .....

I quilted this quilt.... I used fabrics from Quilt club Community Quilts but did the piecing, quilting and binding.

The pattern is Star Pop by Quilty Love which I have used for myself a couple of times before.

The quilting was ribbon and stars.  Soft and non fussy.  It's a very bright quilt!

... and one more hexagon flower done at Embroidery group....

Some blocks have been crocheted and some knitting done for KOGO, and a bit of needleturn for Caswell...

.... and that was my week......

Days and nights are cooler, thank goodness.  Am enjoying reading the blogs and seeing what others are up to.... always new ideas....

Take care, have a lovely weekend and I hope you get some time doing something you love... xx

First week of April ....

This week nearly sneaked away without a blogpost!

Another hexagon flower has been put together.....

... and I hand-quilted then bound this little mini.  The hearts are designed by Meg at CrabAppleHill and were a free stitchalong for February - embroidery month.  I sewed along with a few of the Brisbane stitchers and its been fun seeing the different versions...

This  will fit in my mini stand.... or on the wall....

A couple more blocks for the Blessings quilt have been prepped up....

Whilst cleaning up I found these little wool penguin jumpers I knitted up a few years ago.  I had started them to be used for the Fairy Penguins on Philip Island when they need a bit of help but then the organisation said they didn't need any more.  Anyway I see on the website they are taking some in to add on to plushy toys so I will send them off.  Rather a sweet idea and they are very very cute little penguins (even if they didn't bother to appear when we went and sat in the hail and rain and cold to see them)

Hubz had a birthday on Easter Sunday so I baked a cake and friends and family came over...  

We also went to Eclipse light show which was great fun ....

I quilted and bound the blue flannel rail-fence quilt....

An overall fairly open quilting...

The backing was pieced with left over flannel ......

the quilting shows better on the plain areas...

It's gone into the cupboard to go off to Melbourne in due course..... where it gets cold in Winter and this will be nice and snug....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I have another block for Caswell on the go and would like to get a few leaves on tonight...  have a lovely weekend...x