Small Wins...

A couple more project pouches have made their way into the collection...

 

I had this very very dodgy small quilt top in the box of random orphans...the piecing is super dodgy but for the back of a project pouch that is just for me, who cares and it gets it made into a something...

A bit of outline quilting and a couple of stars to decorate the front vinyl...

A while back, while zooming, Janice mentioned that mini charm packs (2 1/2" squares) are perfect for 1" hexies...mmm I had another mini charm pack on the shelf and I couldn't resist...all the hexies were made and sewn together into a fabric then what? Oh well, let's have another project pouch...

No quilting on this one because I couldn't decide just how and really it doesn't matter...

A long time half done project was cleaned up...Fig 'n Berry Creations Blitzens Tree was a project for a stitching day held by Stawell Craft Shop a few years ago...I never wanted to make the exact design of the wall hanging and had cherry picked elements, making one element twice in two different colours...and one reindeer...

I have absolutely no idea what my original plan was so let's just get it done and dusted into something...a small quilt/table mat...finished, washed and in the cupboard for Christmas...

At quilting group it was V's turn for Friendship Quilt blocks...she provided the background fabric and as her heritage is Dutch asked for anything with tulips...any technique or colours...she did say what she thought she'd use for sashing etc so I took that into account...but I became obsessed with "it has to have a windmill"...

This is design number goodness knows...I searched the interweb for tulip and windmill shapes/designs but the idea in my head was over complicated, and after I saw the blocks that were being handed to her by other members I knew I had to simplify to fit in with those...many attempts at drawing a simplified design went into the bin!  Finally I settled on this one...all that mattered was she was happy...I quite like it myself as well...small blanket stitched tulips with back-stitched detail to make petals...

 

Happy Stitching...

Murtoa - Stick Shed and Silo...

Australia Day being a Friday this year meant we had a long weekend...Saturday it was nice weather so I went for a short excursion to Murtoa to the Stick Shed.  I've been meaning to go for so long, it's not far away, but it used to only be open about once a month on a weekend for a few hours so it wasn't easy to manage but now it is open every day.  It is an amazing structure...the last of its kind...the only remaining emergency grain store built during WWII.

 

Even from the outside the sheer size of the structure is amazing...too long to get the whole building in one shot with the camera...

Inside, even knowing that it is big, doesn't prepare for the impact of just how BIG...

That is all natural light filtering in, it isn't lit by artificial lighting...

 

About 260 metres long, 60 metres wide and 19 metres high along the ridge, the shed was built from 560 unmilled poles or "sticks" in 56 rows of 10 to support the corrugated iron roof.  The floor area of 1.6 hectares is concrete with three metre wide wooden bulkheads running along either side.  And constructed in just four months from 25 September 1941 and being ready to receive wheat in January 1942!

 

Hoppers and conveyor belts remain and there are information boards around the shed...

There is also a video presentation that runs on a loop which is quite interesting and worth the time to sit and watch/listen to...I think it was only about 10 minutes...I just loved the wooden screen stand and seats that had been constructed for the video viewing area...

Closed in 1989 it is now heritage listed and protected having being added to what is now called the Victorian Heritage Register (it was the Historic Buildings Register) and is no 101 on the highest heritage listing for the country, the Australian Heritage List. A very important piece of history which has been the subject of an extensive conservative program using historical repair methods and as much as possible retaining the integrity of the original structure.

 

Separate to the Stick Shed, but nearby, there is a painted silo...

Lots of lovely birds on this one...

 

Happy Stitching...

Moda Love Quilt - The Sewing Pouch Edition...

(*yes I'm rather behind in the diary keeping here, oh well you get that sometimes).

Last Year's (2023) Scrub Stitching "if you want to play along" project was the Moda Charm Love Quilt...a free pattern from Moda that has instructions for the various sized pre-cuts - layer cake, charm pack, mini charm pack.  I had a mini charm pack bundled with a fat quarter that I had bought at the Cobar Quilt Shop the year before, just because I liked it, and perfect project for it and being a mini charm pack of 2 1/2" squares achievable by hand (I very rarely take a sewing machine on retreats, just hand work).

 

By hand it "should" have been easier to get it exact than with a machine but for some reason, even using fine Auriful thread and the stitching line being exactly where it should be the squares I sewed by hand were not to size! What the?  By then I was down with he Covids so I didn't really care about much at all.

 

When I got back home I re-stitched the few blocks I'd done - on the same line! - by machine and hey presto perfectly in size! Don't ask...it had me baffled and still does!!! Consequently, the rest of blocks were sewn by machine.

The finished top...

A mini version...now what to do with it?  I really didn't feel much like making a mini quilt then the idea came that it be more useful as a sewing pouch...I conducted a snap poll at my quilting group as to whether to use it for the back or the inside and the consensus was a resounding as the back so it wouldn't get lost when the pouch was filled with bits and bobs...

I had just enough left of the fat quarter that I used for the background fabric (I love that fabric) for the lining/backing whatever that would show through the plastic front of the pouch.  The flowers were just for decoration...

I was still under the influence of the Covids residual effects so, in hindsight, I should have quilted it differently and the binding should have have been hand stitched to the back as for a quilt but hey, it's just for me and it is no less useful for being a bit dodgy in the making.

Happy Stitching...

Snail...

Finally, after many months of it patiently sitting on the sewing table waiting, the gorgeous snail pincushion gifted from the lovely Sylvia at Baradine this year has a log to sit on...

A piece of dead apple tree branch, which has been hanging about indoors for a while so it was nice and dry...a bit of a sand to tidy up the scraps of bark etc...a couple of coats of clear varnish...and...ready for the hot glue gun...sits up nicely and fits perfectly into the little nook that is part of what was the fireplace in the sewing room...

I just love it and it reminds me of Sylvia which makes me smile...

Happy Stitching...

Bordertown Quilt Show...

Saturday 21 October saw a trip to Bordertown for the Gum Tree Quilters show...I had intended to go for the weekend but life got in the way and that wasn't going to happen so some Stawell Quilters friends offered me a spot in the car I was glad to accept.  A treat to spend the day with friends and not have to drive for once!  A first stop at Dimboola Ag Show so the driver could fulfill her judging commitment and we arrived at the Bordertown venue ready for lunch - the first person I saw when I walked in was Jo! They were finishing lunch before heading out for a while...they came back as we were having afternoon tea prior to leaving...good timing both ways!  It was lovely to see Jo, Tony, Jude (and B) & Pat...

This embroidered clock grabbed my attention straight off at the entrance into the show area...

Jude's churn dash quilt (Chooky's challenge) and Moda Love quilt (which I didn't get to see at Baradine)...good to see them in real life and not just on zoom...

Wide variety in the quilts on show...

Best in Show - congratulations Jude!...

Hexies...

Arty...

Mini quilts created for a SA Quilters Appraisal Panel members professional development exercise...

There was a second display of past winning quilts...was this one stitchery/embroidery/applique?

Up close it was the most amazing surface embroidery... 

Great show Gum Tree Quilters, congratulations.

 

Happy Stitching...

On the Road...from Mildura...

My few days in Mildura sadly came to an end all to quickly and it was time to head south again...I pretty much did a straight drive back with only quick stops...the first being some field bin art in Woomelang...too good not to stop for a squiz...On the way into town...

On the way out of town...

I did see there was another one further down the road but by the time I realised I was past the turn...Woomelang is noted for a longer stop another time...

Heading on towards Donald as the next stop and get a late lunch but a pit stop called so I swung into town at Birchip to find the facilities and what did I spy on a corner wall as I came up the main street...

You know it was a no brainer that I was going to stop regardless after seeing a kelpie on a wall! Then on the other side of the main street on the building next but one from the facilities building...

Got to love a bit of unexpected very Aussie street art...

 

After a quick stop in Donald at the Kooka's factory to stock up on some fresh bikkies (my favs) and grab a pie at the bakery for a late lunch and then it was straight back...a short break but worth the effort...

 

Happy sewing...