Gisborne Retreat

First day today, we were a bit late getting g started compared to other times, but all is good.

I have quilted this quilt - one off the list! Yay! 

Maxine has bordered her beautiful half square triangle piece and made blocks for the backing, it is now being readied for quilting

I am taking over several tables with my next quilting effort 😁

Carleen is making Swoon blocks  they have taken some organising!! Tired brains do not cope with these let me tell you!!

More tomorrow

Happy stitching. 

Anthology blocks

 I made one wonky Anthology block when we were in NZ

and this one once we were home, I think I have 2 more to make and that is it!! Just a few filler blocks and then getting it together starts. Will be a challenge to decide where each block goes, I will have to make sure the colours are spread around.

Yesterday I sewed a heap of half square triangles, I was given a layer cake years ago and bought one in a sale recently, they are now all sewn up

the heap before I ironed them out. I am trying to use up fabric I have here, I think it will take me a long,long time.

I am off to Gisborne in the morning for a retreat for three days, so have three projects to work on, all blocks I have been given to finish up and put into quilts. 

I had planned to have some photos of Finn here but I cant find the cord to connect the phone to the computer, so maybe I can publish this and then change it on the phone. Maybe blogger will be nice and allow me to do that!!

Adam and Finn when we went for a walk last week.

And with Ganma! 

I made another Anthology block, I nearly forgot 

A repeat photo of the pink and white block and the second block for this week.

I made a date and ginger gf loaf today to take away to the retreat and a big brew of spaghetti  🍝 

Smelt wonderful as it was cooking! 

Finn is 6 months old now and has started some solids, just love his face in this photo!

Happy stitching.

 Today we were supposed to go and visit #2 son in the city but he messaged last night to say his girlfriend was not well so we found ourselves with a free day! So thin morning I dragged hubby out geocaching, we combined his morning walk with me finding caches 😀 not sure he was super happy with the idea but he agreed. Now we are back home, I have just been out to the garden to check on some stag ferns I divided a couple of weeks ago, kind of scary as I was not sure where to cut. A few days ago I gave all the plants some banana, overnight the possums ate it! Not sure how I can get around that problem.

This one seems to be going well

I see signs of possum activity

all fixed now

this is the original plant, I think it is about 10 years old, I think I can divide some more but need some more bases before I try to cut.

two little ones are in the front garden, the ferns (pungas to us Kiwis) are doing well with the cooler summer this year.

I moved some bromeliads from the carport to here, hopefully they wont get so much burn from the afternoon sun here, the give a nice splash of colour too.

On my way back up the steps I noticed the    seems to getting flowers again

I have made next weeks Anthology block, due Wednesday, I wont be able to get it made that day. Only had to get out Jack once with these half square triangles!

This week I also decided I needed to get some quilt tops finished, so I sandwiched, quilted and bound the half square triangle quilt

Then this quilt with the shaded batiks. Two finished and off the to do list!

The next lot of hexies for the Mystery Hexie quilt are ready to be sewn on, I have nearly run out of left over hexies so need to make some new ones next.

I was busy sewing away on the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler block Thursday and when I went to join the pieces together, realised I had made a mistake, mmm not enough purple pieces, so Jack made an appearance

And the problem was fixed. One Hunters Star block.

One other Anthology block made this week.

I am a bit hungry and have realised it is 2pm and I have not had lunch, I am off to fix that situation up.

Happy stitching.

Squirrel day

I know I should be focusing on one thing and getting it finished but my brain keeps on thinking of other things, but this is what has been happening here

I had a wonderful care package from the lovely Julie, hubby has been told NOT to eat the chocs wrapped in gold, they are white chocolate and are MINE!! Thank you Julie for thinking of me and spoiling me!

I also received this postcard from an Aussie Hero letting me know he received and loves his quilt, he was a bit worried as he received the box of goodies two weeks before the quilt arrived, he was getting concerned the quilt was lost, but all was good. Nothing like a Happy Camel to make your day!!

All my little half square triangles are trimmed

a pile of trimmings makes me feel very virtuous!! Sad isn't it!! Might go and put these in one of the bird boxes outside.

This lovely book arrived n the mail, another challenge between Ingrid and myself. I am going to be very busy!!

Second lay out for the half square triangles, I forgot to take a photo of the first, for that one I was two HST's short and decided not to make any more. Enough already!

So with the left overs I laid out this

The with the last few had a play and managed to get some around the wrong way but at least they went together ok.

Little one sewn together, comes out at 5 and a half inches.

Big one sewn together, with a couple of woopsies but it is staying as it is.

Ingrid reminded me it was time for our Caroline Challenge, I got  the days muddled and then sewed the half square triangles together the wrong way...did I look at the picture first...No! So some unsewing happened

getting my act together

and finished..not exact but I am happy, it was nearly 10pm by this time and I was getting vert tired.

We had a weather change yesterday afternoon, thunder, lightning and heavy rain.

Happy mail earlier in the week from Ingrid.

Quilting and binding done, two mini quilts and a pincushion!

I had a wander down the garden yesterday and saw there were more ripe figs, so another kilo is made into fig and ginger jam. 

Every time I go looking for charm squares this packet of Japanese fabrics falls on the floor, so it got sewn into strips and then I added the strips of fortune cookie fabric, I think now I need a strip of black all around to contain all the colour as it is a VERY LOUD and busy quilt centre and the next fabric I have to put on is also very busy. Using what is in the stash with this.

I think it might be time for lunch now and then back for more being a squirrel.

Keep safe

Happy stitching.

Beautiful sunny day

We are having a beautiful day here today, not cold like yesterday, lovely sunshine and a gentle breeze.
I sat out on the back deck to eat my lunch and then read for a while.

This was my view, not bad today.

Yesterday I had a bits and pieces day, could not settle on one thing, kind of squirrel like!!

I have made some VERY small half square triangles, Ingrid challenged me to make something with small pieces, way out of my comfort zone here!!

I had a play with some EPP jewel shapes, I had seen some being made on Instagram and decided to have a go, like I need another project at the moment!! They make a 6 inch heart shape so should go together reasonably quickly.

Here is the pile of half square triangles

So far only one trimmed to size, my job for this afternoon is to trim the rest, then figure out how to get them safely under the machine.

Wish me luck.

Happy stitching.