New bikes, bulbs and some sewing progress.

We brought our boys new bikes for Christmas.  I took them on a  ride New Years eve day...it was a long ride and they sailed along, while I struggled behind to catch up!  So more exercise required in 2020, if I am going to keep up and stay healthy!  

Sadly I didn't get a photo of both blooms on my gifted hellebore, but I am delighted it flowered at all.  My maternal grandmother had potted Hellebores on her porch and I always admired them.  In the last few years I have been adding the plants I admired from both grandmothers gardens into my garden.  This was a gift from the garden of a lady who lived in the retirement village I used to manage.  A very generous gift, as the bulbs are expensive.

I have been slowly stitching along with Frolic, Bonnie Hunters mystery.  I put off sewing one clue because it required cutting quarter square triangles - but when I did using Bonnies speciality ruler I was delighted how easy it was and that I got perfect flying geese.  I have never used a method for flying geese that gave me great results, so I am very pleased.  I will be saving that clue to live with the ruler, as the detailed instructions (including ironing directions) were very helpful.  I am really glad that I decided to only make half the quantity, I have struggled to find enough matching fabric and last week thought I had run out of blue...which has never occured in this house!  Luckily I found a meter each of two different navy prints in the backings box.
I thought I had no aqua scraps but it turns out I have heaps....but I had already given  into temptation and purchased some aqua, raspberry, white and bright green (in flying geese) ....so far only needed to use the green! I am definitely low on neutrals.  Over the last week I have kitted up about five charity quilts, but dont have neutrals for them all, so will have to go shopping...oh such hardships!
Happy quilting, Sue.

Bits and pieces

I am stitching hanging sleeves onto quilts and writing descriptions ready for our local quilt show.  Its all boring, so I have been entertaining myself with some fun stuff in between.

I finished a few more mini spools to use up the last few strips cut from Miss Kate charm pack.  Plus I am keen to make this block part of my Rainbow Scrappy challenge project.  So that means making some more from my other scraps!

Opp's I started a new project!  Although technically its now a UFO, because I cut this out to do at quilt camp in March but didnt get it started.  I made the body of the mini quilt in a day, but the border is fiddly.  This is a mini replica of a antique quilt, pattern by Ann Hermes, from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, February 2011.  

 

Finally made some more flying geese, this is just a sample. I have mixed them up a bit, having some reverse colours and using some darker backgrounds as well.  Not sure where this project is heading, but its good mindless sewing and happy to sew along when I have time.

Happy Quilting Sue.

Piecing in Portland 5

Another UFO that has been sitting in a box waiting for attention.  Really all I did was sew four seams and this was a finished top!  But I had been deliberating about offsetting the rows.  In the end we decided the straight setting was perfect. 

This is a big quilt.  Too big (and white) to take out into the winter wind on the rocks.  And so big it drapes nicely over the bed, but not so great for photos. 

 I might have finished this quilt top and found yet another perfectly matching backing for my quilt!  

(I tell you Widebacks has a great range!)

BUT this one is going to sit awhile before I come to a decision about how to ask the long armer to quilt it...and find the money!

This neglected wall hanging got dragged to Portland.  I loved the pattern but didn't read it before hand and just assumed it was a little wallhanging.  But it is not.  So the temptation to make it bigger, eg lap size was great.

Vicki helped me with the maths to get the Raspberry flying geese to work.  I had cut them all out with the Go cutter, so I was sure they were correct.  But let me assure you I spent a lot of time unpicking and re sewing seams to get them to fit.  Obviously my original quarter inch seam in the first place was not true.  So after a fair bit of mucking around it all worked out just fine.

I am in love with this Raspberry shade of red.  

But this project is going back in its box for me to contemplate its future eg. does it get another border and if so is it flying geese?

Happy quilting Sue.

Work in Progress, Churn dash wall hanging

So this wall hanging, was waiting on a border.  

Then when I found a piece of fabric that suited it...that was large enough, we (Lisa and I) decided that another border of flying geese was a good idea.

But then I ran out of raspberry toned prints. 

Why of why do I only buy small pieces of reproduction fabrics??!  

So we went on a road trip to buy more fabric!

Disclaimer: The brown leaf print is just because and the brown stripe is the background I need to finish the Dresden's. ; )

Happy quilting Sue