Glenrose Retreat 2018

I have just had a week away with a mad bunch of ladies.  This retreat at Glenrose Patchwork is quite different to the one I do in August...but I still try to be prepped well and I try to make the most of the time away - that means late nights and not too much sleeping in.

I had a list of "To Dos" and was able to achieve almost all of it.

I've had to block out one - it's a secret project  - quite a time consuming one - I didn't finish it - I didn't expect to - but I made a lot of progress on it.

Here are a couple of finishes:

A small wall hanging with a stitchery from Natalie Bird.
(The stitchery was completed ages ago.)

I runner/topper for a set of drawers in our family room:

This one was an unplanned project.  This retreat is held at a Patchwork shop - very dangerous to the wallet!!!!    Quite a few of us made these reading pillows - the front of the pillow has a large pocket and you can add a few books and give it as a gift.
I fell in love with this greeny tree fabric and have a purpose for it early next year, so figured I would join in the fun.  It was very quick to make, just need a pillow now.

Another project I "finished" was to add the borders to my Holly Cottage Christmas Quilt.   I started this quilt as part of a Stitch-a-Long hosted by Fiona over here.
The quilt is designed by Michelle Ridgway and I have made many changes to her pattern.  I am sure she may want to thump me - but this is for my eldest daughter and she had a few requests - so the blocks got changed around a bit and we minimised the detail.  As much as the original design is gorgeous - I wanted this quilt to be for DD1. 

To take the photo I pinned it to a quilt on the wall - so ignore the blue and pink on the outer.  It stops at the bauble border.   I will be getting this quilted by someone so much better at quilting than me - so stay tuned for the finished quilt - before Christmas.

Just for the record, I also made an angel ornament, added ribbon to a towel and made a bag for the a charity project that Sunday Stitchers are doing.

I had a ball, I got so much done.  Thanks to the Tuesday girls who invite me along each year.  And a big thanks to De who did the driving - allowing me to crochet along the way and keep ridiculously late nights!

November - FNWF

Time for another cyber gathering with Cheryll.

Friday night I gathered one of those "go to when nothing else is ready" projects.  I sewed a bit of this - not a lot but any sewing is good progress.

I am sure most of you were more productive - but I have had a week away sewing and needed to organise for a sewing day at my place on Saturday - so I am not unhappy with just a small bit of stitching.

October OPAM

My head is all over the place - work has been busy - then I was away for a week - retreating!!! (YAY)

BUT it's November and I need to tell Peg & Kris about my finishes for October - nothing in the sewing arena - but I did finish 23 crochet blocks for blankets for the cold & needy people in and around Brisbane.

That's it for now!!...but the tally will be better for November!

Organising DMC Threads

This post is all about organising DMC threads   - It might appear that I am a bit OCD from this - I don't think I am all that OCD, but perhaps in some areas I am . .  .you can be the judge!
If you are not into organising...you probably don't need to read on!!
And if you do - take a deep breath.  or grab a cuppa!

Joy from Days filled with Joy - is doing some blog posts about how she organises sewing things - in particular she did one on organising DMC threads.... we have exchanged several emails about this and other organising tips and I told her I would do a blog post about me & my threads.... 
(I must confess to owing some of each of the DMC 6 stranded threads - many years ago my bestie friend and I collaborated and to complete our sets we bought threads and gave half of some of them to the other...blah blah...hopefully you get that idea....)

We then spent a few lunchtimes (we worked together back then) sorting colours into colour groups and naming each group - there were several on line resources we used and took some poetic licence on some colour names...

MIne all got wrapped onto the cardboard bobbins that you can buy...not sure I even knew of the plastic ones then....and the numbers were written on - I elected to put mine in plastic boxes and I lay them horizontally so I can see the colour better.  So I need to write the number on the tab as well as on the larger area.... as shown below:

(I do sometimes do cross stitch or need a specific colour but more often than not I just need a colour and I like to see all the pinks together - and DMC have not done a good job on their numbering...LOL)

Then I created an Excel spreadsheet to list all the numbers by colour group....(mmm getting very OCD now??)
So, what I do is print the spreadsheet and trim it to the size of the lid of the box.  

That sits in the lid.

I printed a page for each box to show what colours are in each box.

Inside the box - I have a square of cardboard with the colour group name, then each bobbin for that group, then the next colour group name etc - to match the list in the lid.

So - how do I find a colour by number?? usually I can scroll down the list if I know what sort of colour - or if I am desperate - I open the spreadsheet file and search for the number - it will then tell me the colour group and I can find it easily enough.

Now - to make it even more OCD - when I remove threads for a project - I have cardboard squares cut to size and I write the colour number and what project the thread is for....then  if I really need it for something else I can (usually) find it.

This is my pink/purple box - there are a lot of threads missing.....you can also see bits of sponge that I have cut to help fill in the gaps so that the threads stay upright - that is not a fool proof system...but the best I could think of . . .

If you would like the Excel spreadsheet - I am more than happy to share it - include your email address in your comment (unless you are a regular commenter and I know your email address already). 

I can't guarantee its totally accurate and it doesn't include the latest lot of new colours (numbered up to 55), but if you wanted to do something similar to me it will save you some time.  I don't still have the document I used to print the colour group names.

Yep - OK - over the top - but it works for me.

October FNWF

Another Friday Night Cyber Party!!!   yay!!

Tonight I stitched some of the sun rays for the middle block of Welcome Home in Spring - as I am so close to finishing the top I thought I'd best do this before I join it all together.

Then - as Saturday was a Loose Threads sewing day I needed to prepare some hand stitching - these are two of the September blocks from the Gail Pan Stitch Club.
The October ones will be here this week - so I am not up to date - but not too far behind either.  

The sewing was done on Saturday...I was a bit late taking the photo!

Hope everyone had a fun night...wishing you all a happy month!

September Finishes

This month I finished 12 crocheted squares for K4BN

I also finished a Virgo cross stitch for my bestie:

No finished project for my Sunday Stitchers UFO list - but the plan was to prepare some blocks for a quilt - I have almost finished the top - so I have exceeded expectations for that...a picture soon.

September FNSI

My usual schedule for Friday night - watching Better Homes & Gardens and some crocheting:

I found this variegated yarn at the local discount shop - after checking with Maria - we decided it was suitable for the indigenous blankets she makes.  I will make some plain red ones to go with this lot.

Then into Susan's Sewing Space and to make some progress on my Welcome Home In Spring blocks. This is my SS UFO Project #8 - my goal was to "prepare" the blocks - which I did and then I did a lot of the appliqueing when at retreat in August - but I still had all the windows to do - and they are a tad fiddly.

First you need to put the ric rac on the windows - I glued along the lines - placed the ric rac...waited for it to dry and then folded the edges over - that does make it all a bit bulky - and then had to iron the windows onto the houses....In hindsight - I think I would have preferred to stitch the lines with a triple stitch - but I'm too far down the track now!  and after ironing them into place I did the blanket stitch....- this is just one of the houses - but there are a LOT of windows to go.

Oops - sideways - I'm sure you get the idea!

I was happy to keep Wendy company on Friday - along with a lot of other happy sewers - I think she enjoyed having us all bubbling around!

FNWF - September

A quick post today - a couple pf small things for Friday night:

I've made another taggie for a friend of my DD1 - all her friends seem to be having girls...

and then I did some plain & simple crocheting:

I hope everyone had a fun cyber party night and achieved more than me . . . .
Thanks Cheryll

August Finishes

This month's tally of crocheted blocks:  12

My #3 UFO for Sunday Stitchers:  Finally framed "Pretty Little Sydney".  It has been languishing in the "To Do" pile for a while ....It was almost finished September 2016.

And a dolly quilt for a friend - a very quick project.

FNSI - August

Well, I am on leave from work - I should have had a very productive day....but you know how it is when you have plenty of time - you get nothing done!!!
I did make a quick trip to a patchwork shop...one fat quarter purchased...and I did finish my book....but not much else...during the day.

Tonight - with FNSI to motivate me - I did some tracing ready to sew on Sunday - I printed off the August Gail Pan stitcheries - only to discover I hadn't even traced the July ones...so now I'm up to date and plenty to sew on Sunday and at night.

I hope everyone else was a bit more productive.  Thanks Wendy for the kick in he butt motivation!