A week

 has gone by already since I was last here. Time certainly is going by quickly. The weeks seem to be busier now that some groups have started again and I am also going swimming twice a week. Trying to get some fitness back again!

So,

We had very heavy rain on Friday but Saturday afternoon was windy but fine enough to get outside.

last weekend I sandwiched and quilted the Garfield quilt, fabric sent to me by Fiona. Not the best photo, I laid it out in the door way but you can get the idea. The quilt now needs trimming and binding,

Another block for the Schoolgirl Sampler

And row two complete.

Ingrid gave me the jar in the centre to make a terrarium, hubby was going to the hardware shop so I asked if he could get me a very small fern to go in the jar, you can see what he brought home. 😀

Luckily I had a huge jar in the pantry so one fern is in there, the other is now in the bathroom.

another block for the Schoolgirl Sampler

and a partial row done, I am trying to add the sashings as I make the blocks, I have hit a dead stop as I can't get the next block to work so I am going to choose something different from the end of the book to make next.

I have been hand stitching each evening this week and slowly getting the rows of the Old Time Kaleidoscope together, one more row to go and then the side blocks.

Yesterday I made some blocks for the Anthology quilt, holidays are over so Ingrid and I are back into this challenge

I also made the Sail Away block for Anthology, the ship is going in the wrong direction but it did at least fit together and is the right size!!

The last block I made for Anthology yesterday, Butterfly. Today I am off for a swim  (pool not sea) then back home to make a Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Block.

 I am hoping to join in with Friday Night with Friends, you can sign up over at Cherylls and join an evening of virtual sewing.

We are away this weekend staying at Lake Burrumbeet and going to Tarnagulla on Saturday for the farewell to David's step father. The Lake also has geocaches along it so you can enjoy the views, I just hope the weather is good for us/me to go searching.

I had better be off, things to do before heading off for a swim.

Happy stitching.

Home again

 I am happily home again, even though I had a very happy time away.

I had two lots of happy mail awaiting my return, well three, but one was the DVD of the NZ movie Baby Done, which I watched yesterday and enjoyed.

This box of beautiful goodies was sent to me by Julie from the beautiful blog My Threadbear Life. It smells absolutely wonderful from the lavender soap and holder. Julie always wraps her gifts beautifully, but I have already opened all these up!

How cute is this mouse pincushion Julie made

I am not sure I can stick pins in it to be honest.

There was also this beautiful fabric

special pins

and quilting themed cards. Thank you so very much Julie, you made my day!

This lovely wrapped bundle was next. I saw these on Instagram and had to treat myself to two, actually they went really quickly once offered for sale.

Two beautiful old spoons with words stamped on them!  Mel of Coastal Market place stamps spoons, knives and forks, they look amazing. Bringing life back to old things that might no longer be used.

I am off to sort out this mess, too many things have been dumped in here to be tidied later...now it is later!!

Happy stitching.

Retreat day 3

My last Schoolgirl Sampler block for the retreat, the Sawtooth Star.

 

I managed to make the half Le Moyne Stars for the next section of Betty's Medallion and join them in.

The resident deciding whether to talk to the interloper or not, she later let me brush her, I was very honoured!

Another few heart blocks joined the group. I don't know how these are going to go together but will keep making blocks for the time being.

Home tomorrow.

Happy stitching.

 

Retreat Day 2

Lots of sewing and unsewing happened yesterday,  most blocks turned out ok but one had been particularly stubborn, I can not see where I am going  wrong.

I started sewing outdoors in the morning,  such a beautiful,place to sit and stitch for a while.

Blogger has rearranged the photos so they are muddled and I can't be bothered doing them again!!

I created a new block called Dogs Breakfast!!😂😂😂 it has been unpicked twice and still isn't right!!

I have made 6 blocks for the Schoolgirl Sampler, they vary in size from the required 4 and a half inches to 5 inches!! Mmmmmmmm.......

Here is the stubborn block, third time lucky I thought , but no one piece is a quarter of and inch out and we cannot work out why. I think when I go home I will cut another one and try again.

Here is the quilt top Ingrid made yesterday, it will have borders in a few days.

And bringing up the rear, even though it should have been in second place, a strip of Old Time Kaleidoscope I joined yesterday morning.

I am off to do some fpp, hopefully it will be less stressful that the Schoolgirl Sampler blocks from yesterday.

Happy stitching.

Retreat day 1

It js beautiful here and the view from my sewing spot is very distracting

We did enjoy a swim late in the afternoon  it was cool to get into but wonderful once in.

Ingrid has everything set up, cutting table on the left, iron in the far side of the room and sewing at the dining table.

I completed, after some unsewing ,this quilt top, the borders went on after dinner, so I need to take a photo this morning.

This is the view from my bedroom window, so nice to wake up to in the morning.

Quilt top finished.

Off for a dip and then some hand sewing I think.

Happy stitching.

Progress

Some more Schoolgirl Sampler blocks have been made

Diamond in the Rough

Ribbon Star

Spool and Bobbin

Today I have cut several blocks and made half square triangles for a quilt top. I am off to Ingrid's house for the weekend for our little retreat, so I have many projects ready to go.

Last night I finished the last Old Time Kaleidoscope block

Two lengths of blocks have been sewn together, now for the long joining the rows.

Tonight I have labels to sew onto 5 quilts made by Guild ladies for the oncology ward.

The waterlily has its first flower, I forgot they close up once the sun goes off them, another two are on the way.

It is now that time of the day!

Happy stitching.

 

I didn't think

I had done much sewing since my last post, it is surprising what you see when you look at your photos

Another Schoolgirl Sampler block called Cake Stand

Not sewing but happy mail from Ingrid so I can have lots of choice for the Schoolgirl Sampler and the lovely table topper she made here early in January.

Also happy mail from Raewyn, posted 11th December, I think it went on a tiki tour getting here! Love the Tomte and the hand made card.

Another block for the Schoolgirl Sampler, this one Crosses and Losses.

Here is the first row joined together, this took a lot of stitching and unstitching and persuading to go where I wanted it to! I need to be more careful of my background fabric as I see I have several the same together.

After more sewing and unsewing the centre panel is finished for the Schoolgirl Sampler, my centre was a quarter of an inch too small on one side so I had to do some new sashings.

I have cut the pieces for the half stars for Betty's Medallion, I have not been brave enough to sew them together yet!! 😉

Monday I went to the meeting of the Bellarine Quilters and saw one of the members cutting out her pieces for the Old Time Kaleidoscope block, that motivated me to get on with this last block of mine. Yesterday I sewed the white sections together, now they need to be sewn to the main block. Then I can start the joining the blocks together.

Today I have made two boiled fruit cakes, they look a bit over done but seem to be ok inside, they smell wonderful, especially as I poured brandy over the top when they came out of the oven.

I gathered the last of the plums of the tree this morning, the birds have eaten the rest!

More happy mail this morning, I had this book on order from the library but I was 175 in the queue so decided to lash out and buy it instead.

The flowering gum out the front is blooming beautifully and is full of bees.

The view down the road is wonderful today, the far gum tree dropped a branch two days ago and landed with a thump and a crunch taking out part of the neighbours fence with it. It was a quite non windy morning about 5.30 when it dropped.

No sewing the last couple of days I because of this, I started another one!

I recently received these two cute ducks from Ingrid

This orchid has been sitting in the lounge room for a while, I repotted it and this year it has a flower spike, pretty special.

Are you still awake?? I hope I didn't put you to sleep.

I am off now for a cuppa and might go visit the sewing machine.

Happy stitching.