FNSI - October

Gosh, a month goes so quickly!

And I do NOT need to be reminded that Christmas is hovering around the corner!

I got an early start to sewing on Friday - I traced the shapes and cut the applique pieces for Letters to My Daughter as the October patterns are released . . no magazine yet . . so I took an educated guess and cut the backgrounds 2" bigger in case ... and traced the lettering - ready for a sewing day on Sunday.

I dropped in for a short Zoom Chat with Chookyblue - and did a bot of work on the pages for the latest ABC book - they are now sewn together and ironed - just 28 buttonholes to go and it's done.    (Aren't I grateful for a machine that does them easily and nicely???)

I hope everyone else had a fun & productive night - or if you took it easy - a fun night.

Thanks Wendy.

FNWF - October

Friday Night is always a good night - say goodbye to work for a bit and - this weekend - an extra day to enjoy!

Friday Night saw a group of us gathered with Cheryll sewing and having a good old time!

I finished off the quilting and made the binding for this Christmas project - I don't want to show it yet, but here is the back & the binding ready to sew on.

I imagine there will be more posts where we are not showing too much over the next 3 months!

Thanks Cheryll - it's always fun to visit!

Pencil Roll Up Cases

Back here, I mentioned that I was making some pencil roll-up cases for Knitting 4 Brisbane's Needy.- the Charity project for  September - run by Echidna Sewing.

Here they are finished 

Thanks to some of my buddies - Maureen, Helen & Sandi - 

I was able to deliver 21 cases to Echidna Sewing on 30th September.

Good Things come in 3s too!

We all say "bad things (or bad luck) come in 3s"- but sometimes good things come in 3s too - and at times like this, we need to focus on the positive - right?

1. Early finish to work

Friday 24th - my employer gave the staff a second Wellness Weekend - we could all finish at 2PM.  

I did - and worked on the backing for a quilt.

2. Bobbin Fairy was looking after me

I finished a long seam and  . . . 

3. Just enough width in the fabric

It's probably hard to see here - but I was just able to get the length of fabric I needed for a border from the fabric I was using - I am just edging into the bit with all the holes.

So, that was my good run of luck.
Hopefully not followed by 3 bad luck things . . .LOL

Crochet Blocks - September

Not a very significant collection this month....but it all helps.

Handed this collection (6)  to Maria last Sunday

FNSI

Friday Night saw the usual gang of cyber sewers gathered at Wendy's place.

There was no AFL to watch, so I planned some hand sewing in front of the TV...then moved into my sewing space.

A shop I know of and get emails from, runs a charity project each month,. Not often can I do the "thing", but this month it is for the group where my crochet blocks go (Knitting for Brisbane's Needy - K4BN) - and a friend at Sunday Stitchers is a member of that group, and it's a fairly quick project . . .so I decided to join in.

The project is roll-up pencil holders.  The pattern is provided - there is a sewing machine version and an embroidery version - I stuck with the sewing machine version.
I dug out some fabrics, (I may have bought a bit more...shhh) and have been making them over the last couple of weeks.
For FNWF, I finished hand sewing the binding on a couple and added the binding to the rest.   I'm making 7 in total to donate.   I have another two cut - one for DD1 and one for my grandson.

The two finished ones (with pencils inside) are in front - the original pattern was a loop and a tie - but after some detailed conversations back & forth, a friend suggested a loop of elastic instead.  We thought that was easy for a child - and easier for the sewers.

Now to finish the bindings ready for Show & tell on Sunday.

Hope everyone was happy - and maybe even productive.  Pop over & visit Wendy to see who else joined in.,

Highfields Retreat

The Qld Covid gods were smiling the last weekend of August and we were able to have our Sunday Stitchers Highfields Retreat.

We had 14 people gathered and started sewing sometime Friday afternoon and went until Sunday night.

I had a few things planned and was able to achieve all of it.

First up was to make a collection of left over bits into a quilt top.  
This is the result of 2 main quilts I made many years ago (in  2011) - plus one more that is "just sitting".  I made that one in 2020.
It's not very big (30" x 42")
If I find something I can add to it I might do that - else I may keep it to finish off as a doll quilt for Miss Adorable Grand Daughter.

I had reserved Saturday for a "Volunteer Leave" day.  My employer gives us 2 days a year that we can do volunteer work - what better way for me to use a day of it than sewing??
This year I made placemats to give to Meals on Wheels - yes more than 7 hours of work and I'm very grateful to Norreen for finishing the bindings for me.

They carried over into Sunday as we made our Secret Project on Saturday afternoon.

Directions and instructions were kindly passed on by Marilyn.

This is mine (it looks a bit wishy-washy here - better in the next picture)

and this is the group of them - what a colourful bunch!

I had taken a bundle of blocks and fabric along as Helen had volunteered to turn it into a child's quilt - the SS group are donating quilts to a Domestic Violence Shelter and we thought this would be a good one for a child.   So I helped a bit with that - three rows had been joined - but this is mainly Helen's work.

I also did some hand stitching and some crochet to fill in a bit of time.

A really lovely fun weekend and we are all grateful that we were able to go.

Friday Afternoon/Night Sewing

It's not FNWF or FNSI - but I sewed !!!

My employer has given us all a short day today - and again on 24th September - for our "Wellness program"  -  the idea being we take time off to chill/relax...or do what we want I guess.

So - of course, I sewed!!!

The "shut down" time was 2pom - I finished about 3.15....packed up the laptop - as it occupies some of my sewing desk - and got started on the August / September blocks for LTMD.
They were fairly well along the track - and I had to remake one block in the elephant block...it was quicker than "reverse sewing" it . . .but both are done now.

I can now patiently wait for the October issue ...wonder how I will fill in my time??

Happy Sewing all

Big Bang Theory Cross Stitch

I've been working on this on and off for a while.  DH is a big fan of Big Bag Theory and when I saw this cross stitch pattern, I knew I'd have to make it.

Fathers Day seemed a suitable time to gift it 

Crochet blocks - Catch Up

For various reasons I haven't been able to hand over my crochet blocks to Maria for a few months - the last time was June.

So, I had quite a collection this time - 34 in all.