Quilt Class begins

I enrolled in a class to make a quilt - a Christmas quilt - I have told my self - again and again - NO MORE CHRISTMAS QUILTS - 

but I got sucked in with this picture:

(Can't resist houses   -   or trees - and there are a few of them too)

To justify this - I will be learning all sorts of features on my new monster machine...although I had an embroidery machine before I had not had any lessons, just picked things up as I went - or asked those in the know.
We will be doing a lot of applique blocks and "In the Hoop" blocks.

Here is what I achieved in Lesson 1 

This is "applique in the hoop" - the machine stitches an outline of the number 2, then you place a piece of fabric over the shape - another outline stitch is done - then you remove the whole thing from the machine and trim away the excess fabric - that is quite tricky around those curves - then you put it back in the machine and it does the satin stitch...not a process to be rushed...and "apparently" I should have had some tear away underneath it as well...next time!

We also had a 9 patch block to make but I can do them separately.....so, although we didn't achieve a lot of finished blocks - I did learn quite a few things and there was a bit of information that had to be shared before we started..
Here is an idea of what it might look like when I've finished.  We are using a few different fabrics, but mainly the same.



AND I was given homework for next month - some candy canes and leaves & berries and peppermint twists ..etc!!!
But fortunately this has been a long weekend so by Sunday night I have manged all but one of the homework blocks.  That green background is so much darker than the picture.

Next month we do "in the Hoop" flying geese....but I might sneak in a practice house sometime.

Australia Day Swap

Anthea ran another Australia Day Swap.   It's a fun swap - almost a "No Fuss" swap as we don't need to make anything and we don't add extras.

This year I was sending gifts to Kaylee - I included:
Australian fabric
Shopping List
Tilda Pincushion(I did include some scissors)
Lace
Ice Cube tray (Kangaroos, shapes of Australia etc)

I like to wrap the gifts in Australian themed paper - so I used serviettes.

Kaylee let me know she loved her presents and she is about to make some Australian themed presents for some work contacts when she visits Japan...lucky her! so the fabric came in very handy.

I received my presents from Anthea herself and here are my  lovely goodies

Anthea sent me:
Australia Day toothpick flags (or cup cake decorations) I will use them Australia Day night
Scented Candles - Blood Orange...mmm smell divine!
Thread Snips - these are great when chain piecing
Leaf print fabric (in purple!!!)- can always use fabric!
Instant Hand Sanitiser - another very useful gift.

Funnily, I sent to Anthea last year!

Thanks Anthea for running this fun swap again.

FNSI - January 2018

I am slowly winding up the end to my break from work, so I was more than happy to spend Friday Night involved in some sort of sewing activity.  I did have a bit of work to do on my laptop, but then I was into my new cross stitch project:

This is one in a set of 3.  I stitched one of them - way back - before patchwork etc took over - I guess 1985-88.  I've been wanting to finish the set and finally bought some even weave to match the finished one and off I went.  I love cross stitch - it's not as social as a stitchery as you need to concentrate and count so I may not do much of it at sewing groups...but there isn't too much work in each one....a lot of backstitching though.

Thanks again Wendy for giving us the opportunity to set some time aside and sew.

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Sandi's Give Away

Over here - Sandi is having a little giveaway - she has made some beautiful needle cases and pincushions.  If you are an Australian resident - you could win a set.....Pop over for a visit.  Here is a sample of what you could win - almost too nice to stick pins in to.

Faeries In My Garden Sale

Truly I am not posting this for any commercial reason - I was at Faeries today and I could see the huge array of fabrics that will be on sale on Australia Day...$7 a metre or $5 if you take the whole bolt.   A great buy for backings etc.

An old UFO

Way back ...in March 2013...Debbie started  Travelling Treasures.

In November 2013 I received the Travelling Treasure pack from Bev C  and in the parcel were two machined embroidered blocks. 

Finally, I have made one of them into a small wall hanging.

I finished it off to match my Wild Wacky Woman cross stitch - that I finished in 2012.
Both now hang on the door to Susan's Sewing Space.

It's not my oldest UFO - but now it's a FO.....now what to do with the other one ? ? ?  

Tilda Pin Cushion

I've been sorting through some things and tidying up bits & pieces...and I found a Tilda Tea Party pincushion that I hadn't made.  It was fairly simple - good for when your right index finger is not up to much, so I "whipped it up".  It has a little pocket for a pair of scissors.

FNWF - January

The last official day of my Annual Leave - the last day I can sew for about 2 weeks.

I made the most of my last night of "freedom" - I prepared the fabric and selected the threads for a small cross stitch I hope to start (& finish) soon. - A sagittarius sign from Satusuma Street - look them up on Etsy, (aka Craftnik on Instagram) - the same designer as a project I did a while back - Pretty Little Sydney.  I hope to finally get this one "framed" this year...it is going in an embroidery hoop - as will this one.

The model was originally done on black - but I'm taking the less stressful option and doing it on white.

I also had a play on the embroidery unit of the "Monster Machine" - I saw this design in my LQS and of course had to have it - finally stitched it out over the last 2 days in between other projects.
This was another part of the learning curve - but I won't tell you what's wrong - it looks OK from here.   I think I will make it into a wall hanging.

Then I had some mending - DH pants - reeeeally??? doesn't he realise I am a Patchworker - not an alterations person...not worth a photo!

Finally I had some sewing paperwork to sort out.

Huge thanks to Cheryll for continuing to host & coordinate us for another year.  Hopefully I will get to visiting some of you over the weekend....comments might be short though!

Starting on a Positive Note

We always start the year with good intentions - finish off all those UFOs - Don't start anything new until you finish all the ones you have already started - well maybe don't start a new one until you finish one of the old ones...something along those lines.

My Christmas break from work is usually fairly productive - this break though I was away from home visiting DD1 & husband, so that did have an impact on what I could achieve.

I wrote a list - always very motivating - and as at the end of my Annual Leave, this is how it looks:

The first item is a baby quilt for my Goddaughter...the baby is now 4 months old so it got top billing in the "To Do" list.

Another item was to make a block for the Quilts of Hope project - I picked up fabrics at the last Craft Alive show - you can just make one block using the fabrics supplied.  The theme for this year is "Future Stars".

Most of the list is "make progress on" so no photos of the other projects.  But I did put all the blocks that I have made so far for a project together, updated my diary(ies), finished tracing the blocks for the No Fuss Stitch-a-Long as well a  few "domestic" chores that had been waiting.
Only 2 items left - and they were both a bit ambitious considering the other things happening.

As well as this list, I have another list of 12 things that I am aiming to achieve by the end of the year.  De - in my Sunday Stitchers group suggested this idea.   We each have listed 12 "things" - they could be projects to finish - projects to make a start on - blocks for a quilt - anything you like - the aim is encouragement - not harassment..

I kept my list pretty simple - no point in putting in things that need too much work.
This is my list:

The plan is that at our next meeting - January 21st - we will bring along what we did on the project we listed as #2.

#2 is this - a quilt from a class I attended to help me learn how to use the quilt patterns that are built into that new monster machine I bought...I learnt a lot - still need practising in starting in the right place - and there is one block with the pattern going the wrong way - all part of the learning curve!

This is a close up of the design that we used.

From 8th January to the 22nd January, I am on Personal (Sick) Leave.  I have to have a small operation  on my right index finger....so although I won't be at work.(yay)....I can't use my hand much....so no sewing...only left hand typing....this could be a bit boring - but I do have a pile of magazines, patterns and paperwork to go through and DVDs and Foxtel and Netflix....Can't wait for those 2 weeks to be over though....

I'll be making the most of my last few hours of sewing time and joining in with FNWF.