Nature's Journey

Spurred on by Michelle Ridgway showing her Nature's Journey blocks I pulled mine back out (let's be honest, it was a reminder that taken I'd it down from where it was hanging and tucked it away when the electrician was working here).  Started in 2015 when Chooky choose it for that year's stitch-a-long, the applique parts were long finished and a frame added to the centre square but I couldn't come at putting it together...when I pulled it back out I realised I had already cut enough 2 1/2" squares to fill in the space between the centre frame border and the applique borders...then looking for something else entirely came across a little pile of half square triangle squares in fabrics which worked just nicely and would make pinwheels to add interest, I have no idea where they came from, maybe a pile of scraps someone had given me at some time, but it didn't matter they were just right...rather than take the squares to the outer borders I decided to add another internal frame.

I've also decided that I don't want another border and will just bind it in the same fabric that I've used on the two frame borders. It's about 6" smaller than the original but that's OK, it's ended up being more or less based on Anni Down's Nature's Journey rather than a faithful reproduction of the original as I've mucked about with quite a few elements.  No idea how to quilt it yet, that will be a decision for another time.

Happy Stitching...

Nature's Journey - Progress...ish!

Catching up on reading posts yesterdaySaturday on the Stitch-A-Long blog and in one of her posts Chookyblue asked the question "Anyone else working on the SAL at the moment?"...which was impetus to get the camera out to show where mine is at on the Stitch-a-Long blog and I figured I might as well pop a progress post up here as well, so here goes...

On the design wall (and I'm not often in the same house as the design wall at the moment which rather impedes progress)...with a bits from the scrap basket that are auditioning or have been cast but still learning their roles...it will get there...one day!...not abandoned just going at its own [slow] pace...

Happy Stitching... 

SAL Update

The SAL blocks have escaped their box and jumped up on the design wall...

It took a little bit of switching about of individual blocks to get the various designs in a layout I was happy with but the basic configuration of large and small blocks is to Anni's plan.  As I've used fabrics from the scrap basket without any real planning, just going with what I liked for the particular shape on the day as long as it kind of fit in the general tonality of the other blocks, they go together pretty well I think...no one jumps out as a jarring non-fit with the others.

I have had the centre square background pieced for a while and now the blocks are all up together I'm going to have fun sorting out which fabrics to use for the centre applique (once I've finished cutting out the templates)...

Definitely not within time of the SAL but not forgotten...

Happy Stitching...

Nature's Journey Emerging from Hiatus...

Maybe it is the onset of Spring, all the lovely centres being shown on the Stitch-A-Long blog or just that taking a break from the project was enough to want to bring it back into the light, but for whatever reason Nature's Journey has emerged from hiatus this week...with two small and four large make-up blocks to complete before moving on to the centre, this week's result is...

The two small blocks replace the embroidered initial and year...the two large blocks replace the patched circle lower "corners", a second hexie flower and a second star - almost there, I got very bored with the chain stitch circle on the star Thursday night and just couldn't keep at it so it is waiting for me this week...the other two large replacements blocks are prepared, they replace the spikey flower shapes I didn't like...that will bring me up to the centre...I need to bring the box of patches back home when they are all done to pin up for centre applique fabric choices and to machine construct the background, so that will take as long as it takes...

Happy Stitching...

Nature's Journey - the June Final Report...

While bunkering down on the couch this morning hiding from the white crunchy (frost not snow) brrrrr world outside I finally managed to get the last stitch into the final of June's blocks...then the world went all blue and bright (apparently it's called sky & sunshine) so they went outside for photo time...

Two of the big blocks are somehow off centred but I'm choosing to ignore that...still some make-up blocks to do as I discounted some I didn't like along the way, decisions have been made and they'll be done soon-ish-ish...

Happy Stitching...

Nature's Journey - the interim June Report

I'm behind with Nature's Journey...here it is two weeks into July and I haven't managed to get June finished...nearly there but not quite...

Drat, the acorn one is upside down...ah well, you get the idea...

Fingers crossed for June to be finished before the calendar says July is over!

Happy Stitching...

NJ Progress...and A Finish...

There's been precious little progress to speak of stitchy wise in May...the interludes of Sewjourn and the Geelong Quilt-In aside which were long standing arrangements or they wouldn't have happened...the month taken up with starting a new job and the resultant head spinning having not done the work type for a few years...the rusty brain cells needed going over with a Jex big time!...the job not close enough to commute so splitting time between home and a flat...too tired and brain dead to do much with a needle and thread amongst the remembering and the cleaning and the setting up...but I have managed this week to get the May SAL blocks ticked off...

I didn't feel a whole lot of love for these blocks...but they are done and spread in amongst the others I'm sure they'll be fine...and they are done!!!!...on to preparing the June blocks...

At Sewjourn I started a zippered pouch...today I remembered it was in the sewing bag just waiting for the final bit of machine sewing to finish it off...


Thimblestitch do you recognise the fabric? The green bundle you kindly gave-away on your blog last year...

three of the fabrics for the outside of the body and binding...

and another for the lining...Thanks again, I really like the fabrics in this little pouch...Made using Quiltsalott's tutorial, which K pointed us in the direction of.

After it's something on the board for OPAM for June...finally something to report!!...

Happy Stitching...

April SAL Blocks....

It's been a bit of a frantic few weeks due to a change in the day-to-day stuff which includes for some of the time a shift in geography, and I completely forgot I'd put my April Stitch-a-Long blocks on the SAL blog but not here...

So while I'm home with a proper sized IT system and ADSL...here they are... 

The colours are seriously not quite right as I took the photo on a morning while the sun was still asleep before I took off to work away for the week, but it was a photo shoot in dodgy light or not at all...

May has been started...not progressing along very quickly but definitely started, all the prep is done and a few blocks appliqued, it's a start...the only project that travelled with me this week and I didn't manage to get much done but every stitch is a stitch towards the finish line!

Happy Stitching...

NJ Marched On...

A couple of blips along the way (halt to any hand sewing for a week or so) but I'm declaring March SAL blocks done...except the two spiky flower shape blocks which have been discontinued...I was having so much trouble even getting started on stitching those blocks...at sewing group on Monday, when they were all that remained, I forced myself to start by stitching the centre circles to the base shape...didn't mind that at all...quite happy about stitching the circles...OK, unit completed put on background...not so happy....a few stitches, put it down....a few more, put it down...not going well at all...back home...pick up, put down...slow and not steady...then yesterday it came to me...I don't like the spiky flower shape....not the stitching of pointy bits, the actual shape...the spikey harshness look and feel to the shape...it has to go...so I'm declaring March done and those two blocks are in the "to be changed to something else" pile with the small embroidered blocks from February...when all the blocks are done and laid out I'll decide which of the other shapes to repeat instead of the spikes...the blocks are quick so it won't be a stretch to make up those blocks later...

So as it stands...here is March...now on to April...so far I'm not disliking any of the shapes in the April blocks so that is a good start!

Happy Stitching...

Nature's Journey - Part 1 - Tick!

Amazingly for me, the blocks set for February in the Nature's Journey Stitch-A-Long are done...ticked off with days to spare! wahoo!!...

Not sure about the basket handle but I'll revisit if I can't live with it when the time comes...my applique is kinda wonky anyway so maybe it will get lost in the end with the rest of the wonkiness...

Happy Stitching...

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

NJ - It's A Start...

The 2015 Stitch-A-Long project, Nature's Journey, is underway...background fabrics collected while jaunting around the place Summer Schooling washed and ironed (yes I'm a pre-washer)...sorted and resorted, until...six cream fabrics in the box...

A session preparing templates, except the centre panel, then moving on to applique pieces fabric selection...

from the scrap bin! looking for civil war/1800's reproduction fabrics/colours...the reproduction stash box made it quite clear of involvement in the project when it comes to the border squares and triangles...I just love playing in the scrap bin, there are all sorts of "donated" treasures in there...floss colours to be determined by the applique block winning fabric...definitely going with scrappy!

Progress so far...one finished, one almost there, and preparation underway...

Yes, I've changed the construction and embroidery stitch...you get that...

Happy Stitching...