Lone star on the line.

I finished quilting and binding the Lone Star cot quilt (51") and was super happy with the straight lines on the diagonal.  This was super easy to quilt, but it had been pinned within an inch of its life!

I love the fabrics I picked, but this photo does wash them out a bit.  The background is a grunge, which I don't love but the quilt shop owner assured me it was "all the range" for a modern quilt.  Now its all together I am happy!

Lisa gifted me two mini charm packs, as a thank you and they were too cute to resist.  I sewed them up quickly into this handy sized table runner and quilted it simply.  I had some striped fabric in my scrap bin, which was leftover backing fabric and it was just enough to back and bind the runner - perfect for Christmas!

The urge hit me to make more Teddy bear sleeping bags ....this time with pillows!

I try and make them in different sizes to use up batting scraps and to suit different sized soft toys.  But I had to add a little scrap fabric to top and bottom of the one on the left, so I could use the cutest fabric featuring a farm house and farm scene on it!  Having lots of fun playing with outrageous colour combinations like pink and yellow!

Happy quilting Sue.

A new Herb bed, a mini quilt finish and a ladybug quilt flimsy

I finally got around to finishing the quilting and binding on this little mini quilt.  The blocks were from Temecula Quilt Company circa 2016 sampler sew along.  I especially love the churn dash.  Tempted to make a whole quilt of mini churn dashes!  I tried a figure of 8 for the border, but its a long way from being perfect, I am considering it practise for the next one! ; )

We recently had lots of drying wind and some hot days.  So to wake up to half an inch of rain was a blessing for the garden.   Bit late for the crops, but nice for my plants.  The rain ment junior tennis was cancelled and hubby had time to attach the watering system to the new bed, on the newly renovated shade house.  I planted out parsley, chives and rosemary I had grown myself.  Then I put in  sage and thyme neighbours had grown, a curry plant (never had one before) sweet basil, lemon thyme and white oregano.  I rescued my Lemon Verbena which was frost affected and just coming back into leaf and planted that on the corner, where I hope it thrives.   I have potted up the mint and it is living in the shade house behind this bed.  So now all my herbs are in the one spot, between the kitchen and the BBQ, which is perfect!


Hubby gave up on waiting for the contractor and has started the paving preparation.  So with the cooler weather I am madly pruning/hedging and mulching while he is trying to get the paving done. Then next up is edging and lawn...hopefully all growing in time for hosting Christmas and a NYE party!

Another trip to Ballarat for Dads medical appointments, treatment is progressing well.  I purchased these cute fabrics with out doing any calculations in my head - given that last time I purchased too little.  This time I had too much and then made an error...so enough for two cot quilts (42" square each), one of which is made, other the blocks are ready for me to sew together.  Just gardening comes first!

This is fast becoming my favorite pattern as it is quick and easy.   These are 10" blocks, which finish at 9.5", so with a 2.5" cut border the total quilt is 42.5".

The front nesting box is outside my kitchen window and the two young birds (hybrids a mix of Eastern and Crimson rosellas) were ready to leave the nest and one was poking its head outside minutes before these two Crimson Rosellas arrived.  We call it house hunting, the pairs of birds turn up and give the box a through inspection, as if to consider it for next years nesting site and if its better or worse then the one they previously used!  They did not harm the fledglings, who flew out of the nest later that day.
Happy quilting, Sue.

Pulling up pavers

Pulling the paved path up was a whole days work.  Hard to call it work when you make a big mess!  The original path did not run in the right spot now the gazebo is up.  The area of dirt on the left is the east end of our shade house, which hubby has pulled down. The floor of the shade house was lined with more pavers, which I had previously pulled up.  That big root ball is a hydrangea, don't worry I took cuttings!

I scraped all the dirt off the pavers and Dad brushed them clean and stacked them.  Now we are waiting for the landscaper to re lay them....fingers crossed that he comes.  I got the message loud and clear that he is busy and doesnt want my little paving job.  But pulling up the pavers was hard enough on my back, so I am leaving the laying part to the expert....if I can convince him to come!

While I am waiting for the landscaper I cannot do anymore gardening, so I started making a baby quilt.  I had this picture in my head that a Lone Star would be a nice idea.  I brought the fabric in  Ballarat, while I was waiting for Dad to have minor surgery.  I didn't have a pattern, just talked it through with the shop owner.  And I am two squares (24") short :( with only myself to blame!  I am not upset, in fact I am pleased so far!  Mainly because it looks better then I had imagined and because I got all the directional animal print facing the right way!  Because I have to order more background fabric (Grunge) then I might get extra to add a small border, so the star floats a bit.  Its already 48" square, so perhaps just a inch or two wide.  

Happy quilting Sue.