Catch up time

This past week DH has had an unsolvable Internet problem which only seems to affect me when I wanted to access my blog.  In desperation this morning I had to sneak in via my other blog... don't think I have told you about my other blog, but you can find it here - Quilts from the Heart SA  which is a pictorial record of the quilts our group make for charity.  I haven't spent much time on it lately, but hope to bring it up to date soon, when our IT issues are resolved! ANYWAY I wanted to update you on what I have been doing over the last month, so here we go...

 This Celtic block is half finished... a little bit more hand sewing to go!  I completed this one (underneath) while we were visiting family interstate.  Should have given it a press before taking a photo!  There is only one more block to make and then I will have them all finished.

This is the library bag I made DS1.  He came home (in the first week) with a notice Wednesday that they needed a library bag for Thursday...and of course he didn't want any of the fabric I had in my stash, so we had to fit in a quick trip to the shops.  I didn't know how big to make this bag, so just made it up as I went along.  I added drawstrings to the top, so the books wouldn't fall out.  But silly Mummy, the books are really really big when you are just starting school!

While we were interstate (during the school holidays) I nearly finished my first seven sisters block.  This is part of my hexagons/diamonds, no pattern/making it up as I go along WIP! I have discovered that glue works fairly well when piecing over papers and that has speed up my progress on this project.  That and being separated from my machine! 

 I have also started hand sewing the binding down on one of my UFO's.  While sewing in the ends I have found a few gaps in the machine quilting that I need to go back and fix before I show you the whole quilt.

 And finally I did lots of baking for two special birthdays.  I had largely given up on my aspirations to make fancy birthday cakes.  I don't know what to do with brightly iced cake left overs, because for some reason all the children we know just take one bite and leave the rest...and their parents decline to participate!  So the last few years we have had lamingtons with candles (easy to freeze left overs and more appealing to young and old) as birthday fare.  However when your nearly five you have an opinion on cake...had to be chocolate with vanilla icing.  OK I can do that...but looked a bit boring, so just spiced it up with DS1 favorite theme...roadworks! 
Happy Quilting Sue SA.

Busy busy

I have been busy, but not sewing, rather "unsewing"!  In an attempt to quickly finish this quilt I decided to stipple it and for reasons unknown I decided to use navy thread..duh!   After a lot of dramas involving printers, I finally got labels printed today (thank you Elaine and Dalice) for this quilt, the green/white QAYG log cabin and Bright Stars cot quilts.  They are all going in the mail to Japan, hopefully tommorow.  The deadline is end of July, and apparently it takes a week even by air mail.  I have just realised DH has the camera...and he is in NZ...(#*%$#!!

DS1 starts school on Monday, for the first time...yipee more sewing time for Mummy!  Yes I know I am supose to be sad, but I still have darling DS2 at home to keep me company.  Hmm, perhaps I wont be stitching up a storm after all, oh well!  Happy quilting Sue.

More projects completed

This is Julies FIRST bag!  She is in a world of trouble now, as there are quite a few bag addicts in our group!  Heather showed Julie how to make this bag, a great size and a great use for left over strips.

On Sunday I finally gave in to DS1 and made him new bedding for Peachy and Puppy...because apparently they are NOT good at sharing and poor Peachy was getting cold! 

Then because I lent my spare wheat bag to Mum (just had knee surgery, but opps needs ice not heat!) I then had to make some extras for DS1 and DS2 (with the names appliqued on) because I am not good at sharing!

This beauty is my solution to lower back pain, designed to wear around your waist, it has velcro so it stays on when you get up to make a cuppa/scream at the kids/find your unpicker/answer the phone!

And finally some evidence that this week it has been COLD in Adelaide... And unfortunately the microwave died tonight, so no wheat bag to warm my toes in bed and cold weetbix for breakfast, what a disaster!!  Hmm it was only 20 years old...not bad for a moden electrical appliance!

Yes thats hail, not snow, much to the disappointment of DS1, he keeps asking when its going to snow in Adelaide.  Like NEVER!   Happy quilting, Sue.

A new toy and some reading matter

A few weeks ago DH went to the USA on a work trip. Before he left I made him a list of books or magazines I liked and he didn't disappoint me! He did buy the kids noisy toys, so that made the initial enjoyment of my reading matter difficult, but weeks later I am still drooling over the content and marking pages of future projects...just got a few more UFOs to finish first!

I previously neglected to show you the new "toy" Mum brought me, isn't it the cutes little iron you have ever seen!  Mum also got me a "in the ditch" plate for my walking foot (it was on sale) and some basting glue, that she thought would be good for my hexagons.  You would be forgiven for thinking it was my birthday, but its not!  How lucky am I?  I love the fact that Mum and I share our passion for quilting, now if I could just get a quilting SIL!

Celtic blocks - five by Bea, two by me.

Today I spent one day with our group at our annual camp.  I got the three remaining Celtic background blocks cut out (so much easier with a 20" square, thanks Heather), marked the designs on them (the dress makers carbon and I agreed to get along today) and then pinned and glued the bias on two blocks.  I ran out of bias then and as my already sore back was starting to ache I called it a day.  I have really enjoyed having some hand sewing at night, but the preparation before you can start sewing these blocks is really time consuming, so I was really pleased with my efforts today.    

My new iron is going to be great for making the next batch of bias for the Celtic quilt without any burnt fingers.

And the new glue works really well as an alternative to pin basting the bias.  It stays tacky for quite sometime, allowing you to position all the "unders and overs" correctly.  There are pins in these blocks, but I will be able to remove them tonight as the glue will be dry (it washes out) and it will make stitching so much easier!

Oops this one is the wrong way up, but you get the idea!  Happy quilting Sue.

Bright Stars

I got the borders on my cot quilt, which I have decided to name Bright Stars.  This pattern came from Bonnie Hunters website Quiltsville and is called Star Struck.  Bonnie has lots of great free patterns listed, go check them out for some great inspiration! 

I was on a bit of a roll after that so I stayed up late and cut out some fabric for a new project!  Then today I made this bunting for DS2's up and coming birthday.  DS2 is sick so had a big nap this afternoon, hence I extra sewing time.  DS1 helped me, which involved a lot of sitting on my lap while I sewed. 

After we finished the bunting I offered to make DS1 a new pencil case.  The zip on his cheap purchased (oops bad sewing mummy!) has been broken for about a month.  DS1 picked out this fabric and I "whipped" up this...after I ejected him from my lap...too hard to stipple when he nearly had his nose on the bed of the machine. 

Straight after I finished this project and he said thank you (my nagging about manners is starting to pay off), he then requested that I make Peachy (soft toy) a new "blanket"!  Boy is he hard task master!  So yes I started another new project, but dinner, grumpy/sick DS2 and life got in the way.  So I just wanted to confess my new project "sins", I will start my Hail Mary's before I get into bed!
Happy quilting Sue.

Goodies galore

On Saturday our group had our "All Day Quilting" and our Biggest Morning Tea.  Debbie did a great job of organising activities/competitions during the day and there were lots of great prizes.

This is the quilt top that Bronwyn finished - gorgeous isn't it.  Mainly Asian/Japanese fabrics from a jelly roll I think.

Heather finished this great top.  I just love the colours in this, very modern and fresh.  Amazingly she is giving it away... once its finished.  Heather got most of these fabrics (all but the sashing/border fabric I think) for FREE, yes FREE, from Hot Possum.  Hot Possum kindly donated fabric, you just had to pay the postage, to people willing to make and send a quilt to those affected by floods in Queensland. Fairly sure this generous deal has finished, but pop over to their website and check it out!

I spent most of the day unpicking, so I could sew this quilt top back together again, making it a bit bigger by using every last scrap of fabric.  So you can imagine how annoying it was to find out that this fabric was available at our local store.  However when I got down there this morning she only had the hot pink and a different shade of the purple. 

 So Plan B has been set into action and I hope to have the borders on this quilt this week.

I had hoped to pin another cot quilt AND make some birthday bunting for my boys who are having their respective birthdays in the next month or so.  However too much talking, good food and good company got in the way.  I also had to go home before tea;

a) to relieve my lovely parents who were babysitting the kids

b) because I have a cold from hell

c) and therefore I was very very tired and my poor brain had stopped functioning so I didn't want to risk cutting it exploding!

These are the lovely goodies I won, two fat quarters, a cute little wall hanger and a REALLY really long tape measure - which I had been meaning to buy myself, so was very happy to take these treasures home! 

I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine, happy quilting Sue.

Two new projects

I received 10 bright fat quarters with my Homespun subscription and I needed another cot quilt. I couldn't help myself so started a new project on the weekend. I don't own the special tool/ruler for the design I wanted to do (Twister) so I found this pattern - name unknown.  I apologise to the owner of the pattern/design because I didn't make a note of where I got it from.

I have pieced the top together now (sorry no updated photo), but its not big enough and I have nearly run out of fabric.  My parents are visiting, so I will hopefully work out a solution with Mum's advice. 

Also started a second new project, a Wagga.  This is for a competition (if I get it finished in time) so I was just going to give you a sneak peak. But I cannot get the photo to download.  I had written this post  two days ago and I lost it when I tried to add the pictures (including the one of the Wagga), so not sure what the problem is.   I don't want to loose this post again so I will try again another day.

I have finished my second Celtic block and been doing some stars to go with my hexagons.  On Saturday I will be attending another All Day Quilting with my group, so I will be able to confer with my "advisory panel" re quilting on my Eastwood wedding stars quilt.  So I haven't been ignoring my UFO's! 

Happy quilting Sue.