The Turtle Not The Hare...

Definitely not at hare pace but I've been turtling along (it takes me forever to cut out the squares for the nine patches) and the Disappearing Nine Patch project destined for Chookyblue's Caring with Quilts has grown to...

Currently it measures 39" x 52" - about cot sized but the fabrics aren't really suitable for a cot quilt and the need is for something a little larger, so the next step is going to be to add borders, nothing fancy but hopefully enough to get it approximately lap quilt sized...as soon as I wrap my brain cells around the math of how wide I can cut border strips to fit around the centre out of the pieces of fabric I have on hand.

OK, come here tape measure and calculator we have work to do!

Happy Stitching...

A Nine Patch Start...

I've been wanting to have a go at a Disappearing Nine Patch for a while (yes I'm slow to catch on to bandwagons) but just hadn't got around to it...Chooky's project for the fire affected in her area was the impetus I needed to go find the instructions, some fabric - a charm pack of 30's type fabric to start - and just do it... 

Of course it is waaayyyy too small at just 24ish inches square so the 30's stash box has come out to play...here is the rest of the quilt...

well sort of...it will be...it's been like this for a week...just have to wrap my head around which way I want to go with the design/sizing thing - there are a couple of options in my head...I need time when I am making things up in my head, can't be rushed and I haven't had time or energy during the week to revisit it...it's a work in progress but it is the priority...

But in the spirit of just do it, I have to go to work now, stitching will have to wait a little while longer...

Happy Stitching...

Once Upon A Time...

in a land...well...um...not so far away really...a stitcher took a kit that had been languishing for so long she can't remember when it actually came to live in the castle and with a bit of floss, and a bit of thread, and a little bit of time, created...

A Gnome and a Toadstool...

 The Gnome at the front door to the Toadstool House...

And at the side window checking out the button flowers...

From a kit by Jodie of Ric Rac "Mushy and Gnome" that I bought so long ago that I can't remember actually when, but I think it was at an early Daylesford Makers' Market (do they still have them?).  Of course being a Jodie kit it went together awesomely well with no issues.  I couldn't be bothered changing floss colours and mucking about stitching three little daisies or whatever so I used little buttons instead, just because I could.

There really is no point to either the Gnome or the Toadstool except that they were cute and I liked them so I bought the kit...now I can finally have them decorate my sewing room shelf.

So that makes...drum roll please.....6, yes folks count 'em, 6 finishes for me since Sunday! and a good start to OPAM this year...

Happy Stitching...

To Catch a Thread...

...all you need is a thread catcher basket from the lovely Fiona!

Fiona had held a giveaway after her thread catcher production line went into overdrive and, Yay me, I won one! The fabrics are so pretty.  Thank you Fiona, I can assure you I will be putting this little basket to good use.

Happy Stitching...

From Little Things...

Well...um...more little more things really...Sunday I woke up with a sinusy headache and after spending the morning on the couch aimlessly wandering around the world wide interweb while begging the paracetamol to work eventually wandered into the sewing room with the aim of some hemming and ironing...boring but necessary evils that didn't require too much brain cell energy expenditure...the aim misfired and instead...I made a towelling car seat belt cover (you know the little wrap around jobs that stop it from sticking/digging in when it is hot) that had been needed for ages as the first attempt was well worn out, that took all of 1/2 hour going at the speed of a snail so why had I waited so long?...mmm what next...still avoiding the boring stuff...recently I finished up a little orphan stitchery (I think it is a Red Brolly/Bronwyn Hayes design) that had been going on for ever so I turned it into the front of a needlebook...

That took all of an hour...what next? (still avoiding)...the scrap of broderie perse applique sampling that I did at Summer School was flung on the cutting table...I said I'd use it for a pincushion or something and so...a pincushion it now is...not good enough for anyone but me but hey it's always handy to have an extra one lying around...

Next!...I was starting to flag again but still needed to actually do something rather than just aimlessly watch tele/DVD/iView and found a couple of why did I do this? traced stitcheries...so I started the one with the simpler and quicker design using a pretty multi-coloured variegated floss to stitch while watching catch up tele on the PC...finished  yesterday and became...another pincushion...

A fairly substantial sized pincushion from a Leanne Beasley design. With butterflies on the front it had to have butterflies on the back too!...

These little projects have cleaned up a few odd bits lying around the sewing room and hopefully kick started the creative mojo again...it has kept wandering off the last few months without leaving a forwarding address...and as for the boring stuff? well I've unpicked the old elastic on the mother's skirt and pinned on the new piece so that is a start...oh and K, I also stitched on all but about I think 4 of the front patches for the "joint project", progress!...

Happy Stitching...

Summer School - The Days 4 & 5 Report...

I gave up fighting the crappy internet connection while I was away so a couple of days behind but anyway...the final two days of Summer School 2013, Saturday & Sunday, I spent in an appliqué workshop with Rhonda absorbing her tips and tricks.  Rhonda is an amazing tutor and it was two days well spent (oh I just read that back, the first three days with Karen were definitely well spent too!).  For the class Rhonda designed an urn of flowers that can be used as the basis for all sorts of projects such as the centre of a medallion quilt, a cushion cover or, as Rhonda had done, quilted and framed in a nice wooden frame. Being a stitcher of amazing slowness in class  (I get distracted so easily by socialising, shopping, cuppas, any excuse really) so knowing from the get go that there was no way I'd achieve great and wonderous progress I asked Rhonda what to concentrate on...

Ironing the background for a photo would mess up the tracing...
that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!...

...the result being a slightly more than half appliqued urn and some petals...I stitched the petals on Sunday when I was using most of my energy resisting the urge to crawl under the table, curl up and go to sleep - relaxing had taken a turn for the ridiculous! - and they should have been in remedial class.  Seriously hoping by the fifth incarnation of this flower in the design there has been improvement.

So that was Summer School 2013...wahhhhhh! sob sob it's over...reality is rushing back in but in the meantime...

Happy Stitching...

Summer School - The Days 2 & 3 Report...

Still at Summer School...still having fun...Day 2 (Thursday) was the second day of Karen's quilt workshop and I worked on "Anna", surprising myself by actually stitching in "class"...imagine!  I've now assembled two x three rows of coffin shapes for the side borders of the centre medallion...Day 3 was the hand quilting class with Karen - the class that involved Wretched. I was consoled by learning that everyone, including the tutor!, had trouble with this little quilt top that looked ever so easy and was completely the opposite.  I loved seeing the different fabric combinations and colours as well.  I managed to pin baste the quilt and then marked and stitched one motif...didn't want to over do it...

When Karen asked for help with Show & Tell after lunch I was happy to play hold up quilts (really, any excuse to stop work!).  She has had the most gorgeous little bird pincushions made, one for each day, as the daily door prize.  As I was on stage I did the draw...I scrunched up my eyes, turned my head away from the box of names and rummaged around as Karen remarked "wouldn't it be funny if she pulled out her own name"...and...I did!!! It was hilarious, I was laughing so much I couldn't even pick which little birdie I wanted for a couple of minutes.  The one I really really coveted was chosen by the day before's winner so I went with this sweet little blue bird...

Isn't it just divine, hand stitched and gorgeous....lucky me, he is way too beautiful to have pins stuck in him and will join my little china thimble collection and have the job of adorning my sewing room.

Today starts an applique workshop with Rhonda, only ever so slightly terrified - her work is amazing! 

Happy Stitching...

It must have been my lucky day yesterday...I've just discovered I also won one of Fiona's gorgeous thread catchers! Thank you Fiona, you know how much I loved your versions and Mr Random must have too!