FNSI - October

Oops, I am running behind on this post, and for record keeping as most of the activity happens in that other place. It's the dark side.....LOL

Friday was the day for Shop 4 in the Little Winter Shop series, so I made a start...mainly so it was ready for sewing at Sunday Stitchers on the weekend.

But I also needed to work on adding the final doo-dads to this quilt as it is my Challenge project at Sunday Stitchers for this month.

A cross for the top of a church

An umbrella stand outside a Tea Shop

There are 4 buildings in this quilt - what are the other two???
Bonus cyber points if you know what the quilt is...LOL

There were a number of bits to be added...stay tuned for a reveal of the quilt post.

Thanks Wendy for organising us again.

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge - #8 - A Christmas Stitchery

When the group first discussed this Challenge... a few numbers were assigned to specific things - totally optional of course - but #8 was to be a Christmas stitchery and many of us decided to use a design from Anni Downs - the one she released for Christmas 2023. 

I had originally thought to enlarge it a bit and make it into a mini quilt to hang on a little wooden hanger I have - so it would need to be 12 x 14"....BUT I only have one hanger and several minis that fit, so I pondered . . Then Janice had another bright idea - to do this one and a few of the previous ones and make a larger, though still small, quilt.
At the moment - that is my plan...

Here is the 2023 Anni Downs Christmas Stitchery, using Anchor Variegated red (#1206)

I haven't trimmed it yet, pending a final decision on how I will use it.

And the 2024 Challenge is over.  Deana wisely restricted it to 10 projects - figuring that by November we were likely busy with Christmas projects.

So, How did I do?

I am happy to say that I completed 8 projects and for those that I didn't finish - I do have a finished top.  Finishing off will probably go on the 2025 list.

Huge thanks Deana for suggesting this and keeping us on our toes by posting the Linky Party each month.

FNWF - October

The year is flying past....but some regular catch-ups are good.

Friday Night saw me sewing the binding onto a quilt...This is my Sunday Stitchers Challenge for October... it's a very old UFO - originally started around 2011...but will be finished this month.  There are numerous 'doo dads" (embellishments)....to add.

Come back after October 20th to see the front!

Thanks Cheryll & fellow FNWFers!

RSC - August & September

My RSC blocks took a back seat for August.  August colour was Orange - but as Janice pointed out - the September Fishy Business block was to be a little school of goldfish - so it seemed appropriate to use orange for that - that meant I had to wait to hear the September colour before I could do the August blocks.  September RSC challenge colour is "Darks - black & brown".

Confused??

So here is August

And September

I thought it was time to see how they all look together - although there are still 3 more Fishy Business blocks (2 each month) to go.  There are additional squares to be added too.

Just random order. . . no plan yet.

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge - #7 - Placemats for Meals on Wheels

This was a pretty open-ended project...Placemats...I didn't specify how many....so it was easy to reach my goal...LOL

I did need to finish off these 4 that were started in a LQS workshop - giving us 4 ways to add binding.  I picked up a few tips - shared a tip with the instructor (LOL) and finally finished them.
I had done the poped/flanged binding before...but I make the contrast narrower. (Kits were provided with strip cut etc).  The one I had not tried before was the blue one - where you bring the backing over to the front to form a frame.  Good for placemats and wall hangings.  Not sure I would do it for a quilt...but at least I have the technique now.

Then I raided the bag where I had pieces cut, partly made placemats etc.  I dedicated about 2 days to the task and got 10 of the yellow/florally ones done - I still have more of that fabric..cut to size ready to go - but I want to get some backing fabric for those.

In the "Placemats' box, I also found some blocks that came from a lady who had passed away. There was no pattern or additional fabric with these blocks, so I put them aside for placemats.  I lost some of the points, but the colours are good - especially for men.

So Project #7 can be ticked as "DONE".
If we do the Challenge again in 2025, I will make "Placemats for Meals on Wheels" one of my items.  I still have a bit in that box!

Thanks Deana for suggesting this challenge - it has really helped move some things along the line....one project to go...guess we don't need to "wonder" what that will be . . . .LOL😁

FNSI - September

Time for another cyber meeting hosted by Wendy.

I settled down on the lounge, watching Better Homes & Gardens and started a cross stitch.  I was expecting to vacate my chair so the other half could watch the AFL game.  But he was happy to watch on the other TV, so I stayed put and watched some "Escape to the Country".

This is Shop #3 from Little Winter Shops by Spruce Craft Co (based in Melbourne).  I stitched the Little Summer Shops previously.
It's an easy stitch....not too much counting and one shop a month - so it can easily be slotted in between all the other projects.
Hope all the FNSI'ers had a good night and got some / a lot of crafting done.

SS Mini Quilts - Winter and Spring

My Sunday Stitchers Group decided we would make Seasonal things (mini quilts etc.) in 2024.

I posted my Autumn one in March.

And I finished my Winter one by the Due Date, but neglected to post about it

So, here is Winter.

Now its Spring (though we had a short burst of summer at the end of Autumn).

My plan at the beginning of the year was to do my house in the different seasons . . .but ...(1) I am a bit bored by the idea now and (2) I seem to be short of time!!!

So, I opted for a machine embroidery design called "Signs of Spring Tree" by Urban Threads.
I found a Quiet Play fabric in white with clouds and raindrops, dyed it with some blue paint and food colouring and added some green for the grass.

I was finished enough...but I did run out of time....I plan to add a sun and some more bits to it.

At least I have a good plan in mind for my Summer one.

Salt Dyeing

Firstly, the Disclaimer!
I am no expert on this....just listened to a lady explaining & demo-ing it and had a play at home.  This is really about the use of salt - not to explain anything about dyeing fabric.

I grabbed a bit of white fabric and washed/rinsed it in dishwashing liquid....because it was handy...use normal laundry liquid if you prefer - it's just to remove whatever is on the fabric.  Leave it wet.

Make up some coloured solution - Use dye if you have it - I used acrylic paint and added a drop of blue food colouring.  If you use acrylic paint - you may need to stir it very thoroughly or - as suggested by the lady demo-ing it - strain it - to remove any blobs of paint.

Soak the fabric in the solution.  Leave for as long as you need to to get the colour you want.  Remove - squeeze out the excess liquid and lay out - I put mine on baking (parchment) paper.

Now the fun part.
Sprinkle salt over the fabric....
I used Rock salt on the bottom area - ground rock salt on the top area
You can also use cooking salt, or Epsom salts.  I am sure salt flakes would be interesting too - I was just using what I had in my pantry for my test piece...but might buy some salt flakes for another time.  I also added Bicarb of Soda on the top...I wonder if it made a difference?

Because the salt draws in the colour - you get bigger "bubbles" from the rock salt than from table or cooking salt.  (Hence thinking that flakes would be good.)

Here is the side I put the salt on

Here is the "back".

I mean to turn this into an underwater scene....one day...

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge - #1 - July - Finished

Back here - I posted my almost-finished Block Holder.

I have now added the corflute boards and felt pages.  I made this big enough to be able to transport my 20.5" ruler.  Ideally a pocket for the ruler would have been good....but I decided that I could just tie it in for its rare trips out of the sewing room!

Milo's Quilt - RSC 2023

My grandchildren get an I Spy quilt when they turn 2.
Luka's is here and Peyton's is here

Now it's Milo's turn.

in 2023 - for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I made two blocks of novelty fabrics in each colour with a plan to make these into quilts for Milo and Montana.

Making the blocks was relatively easy - though I had to 'beg" a few fabrics in some colours.  Then I had to add 144 3.5" squares!!!   I have a fairly large collection of novelty fabrics, a friend gave me all of her collection....but I was still struggling to get enough...(remember I was making 2 quilts....)...and I found a lady on Facebook who was selling pre-cut squares, so I purchased a bunch from her.  As I was finishing the quilt, I found a few repeats, so swapped them out....but I stopped looking closely in case I found more!

Although Milo turned 2 in August - he lives in Townsville and I wasn't keen on trusting the quilt to the postal service if I could avoid it.  We are off to Townsville on Tuesday for some Nana & Pa cuddles, so the deadline was set! 

For the backing, I chose an alphabet panel showing various fish and sea creatures (Milo's dad is a keen fisherman) and an indigenous-inspired pattern that looks a bit like waves...(well, in my mind)

The fish panel is "Deep Blue Sea by Stephanie Peterson Jones" 

and includes some questionably named fish....

Cowfish, Lumpfish, IcebBlue Zebra fish, Unicornfish, Rabbitfish,
Quillback rockfish.  I googled them and they really do exist!
(Fortunately)

The backing:

I have less than 12 months to make the second one like this for Montana.  Wonder what I will find for backing for her...her dad is also a keen fisherman.

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge - #3 - an EPP project

When the idea of the Chookshed Challenge was first discussed, a few numbers were assigned to specific things....that was optional of course...but #3 was an EPP project....and I like to toe the line...sometimes!

i am not a big EPP person - I will do it as part of a project - but not normally as a wholeproject.  So, initially, I decided that my EPP could be parts of My Small World . . .but the cyber random number generator gods did not align and I had to complete those parts before #3 was selected.

So I made a small pincushion.

This matches all the matchy-matchy stuff I made for one of the groups I belong to.  

I posted about them here.

Sunday Stitchers - July - UFO Challenge #4 - My Kinda Town top

For my birthday in 2022, I was gifted the pattern for My Kinda Town, a pattern by Laura Heine and Peggy Larsen...Happily enough the birthday celebration was early in the month and I had enough time to get the fabrics ready to make two blocks at the retreat that I went to in November 2022.

Then - at another retreat in June 2023, I made two blocks...I made another two in July  2023 when I should've been at a retreat...
By November 2023 (again at a retreat) I had all the blocks made.   

BUT look at those grey pieces....and the words!

I know...we should read each pattern thoroughly before we start....but do we? 
Not always & not in this case

So, working all that out got pushed to the side....I am still very disappointed that a pattern could be written like this.

When we decided to do the Challenge at SS - My Kinda Town had to be included. I have "filled the gaps" and the top is complete.

I really enjoyed making this.

I did NOT enjoy removing the paper...LOL

Quilting??  that may have to wait til 2025!

Crochet Blocks (3)

OMGosh - how woeful - 3 blocks since March.  but 3 is better than 2

FNSI - August

Time to gather with our cyber friends and sew the night away.

The pattern for the second shop in LIttle Winter Shops was released today.  I may sew this on Sunday at Sunday Stitchers so needed to make a start so that the counting is easier when there is chatter and other diversions happening around me.

But then it was time for hubby to watch the AFL, so I escaped to my sewing room and decided to start the August block of the Murder Mystery quilt that I am working on...Some months have had quite detailed and time-consuming blocks.  This month was a breeze...started cutting at about 8.45 and all finished by about 11PM.  I am not complaining!!!

Thanks Wendy for organising - thanks to Dawn at Kitty Rose Cottage for the gift vouchers that have been given as prizes.  Go here to check out all the clever craftiness.

Mount Alford Retreat - Renaming

A number of years back Maureen made badges for each member of the Loose Threads group. This was the group that originally started going to retreats at Mount Alford Lodge and we wore the badges while we were there.

Over time some of those people have stopped coming and the Lodge now requires a minimum of 12 paying guests, so the group has changed.  Each year as a newbie came along Maureen would make them a badge - similar to the original but with minor differences...

The group that went last year included only 3 people from Loose Threads.....so it was time for a change.
Louise coined the name "Mount Alford Retreat Sisters"...MARS - I rethought that to Mount Alford Retreat Sewers and kept the MARS acronym.

Maureen and I had a brainstorming meeting and came up with a plan for new badges.  We then had a workshop meeting and made the badges and painted boxes to present them in.

Here are the badges.  My daughter very kindly cut the MARS on her Cricut using iron-on vinyl and adhesive vinyl for the boxes.

We painted small boxes and labelled them.  I couldn't resist adding a small MARS bar to each one.
I painted a different-shaped box for myself - I will keep it to use for the machine bits & bobs when I go on this retreat.

Belle & Pearl are our two honourary guests each year.  They are dolls that Erica originally made when we went to retreats at Boystown (2004 - 2006).
Maureen had made them Loose Threads badges, so this year they also got new MARS badges.

In case you have been thinking "What a bunch of crazy women" - you would be right!

Mount Alford Retreat 2024

It was finally time for the Mount Alford retreat.

Warning:  a long post…

We normally start our retreat on Friday, go through to Sunday and then most stay an extra day or two.
But this year we had to have our extra days at the beginning, so there were only 4 of us to kick it off.  And then to make matters worse, Energex decided to do some major maintenance work in the area on our first day - Wednesday - so no power until 3 in the afternoon.  No power means no lights or machines of course - but it also means no water as it is all tank water - no toilets, no coffee!!!
So we had to plan our arrival for 3PM. (normally we would be there about 10...)

NOT HAPPY JAN!!! 

The four of us met earlier for lunch, a wander around the town of Boonah, and some shopping including a small old-style haberdashery store - everything from pyjamas, boots and hats to patchwork supplies!!!

We were all settled in by about 5 and got cracking on the projects that we had brought along.  This is a BYO thing...there are no classes or workshops.....although there is always a "Secret Project' to make...more about that later . . 

I had a "To Do" list, originally conceived & all prepared before I knew we would lose a lot of Wednesday...and then...another project had to be added to the list....one might think I was there for 2 weeks...

I was far less disciplined doing blog posts too….normally there is a blog post every day with a picture of the To Do board….oh well….

I have some photos of things worked on by the others:

Chris….cute little dogs she makes for a shop at the hospital 

She also made some bunnies for the  shop

Helen made a cover for her machine from a gorgeous Tula Pink fabric

and a mug bag...though I have no photo.

Alison made 5 flower blocks for the project that De is working on for the charity quilt for Sunday Stitchers.

Cheryl made this top which will be a quilt for the Spinal Unit at a Brisbane hospital 

Cheryl also made up some hankies

and a flower for the same project as Alison

Erica made a skirt for herself

And a red skirt for one of her granddaughters….there was also a blue one for the other granddaughter...but no picture

Sue put this top together

and made up a bag

Maureen made serviette holders for a Quilt Show and fete that is coming up

And two sets of placemats

And 14 cute little Tooth Fairy hangers

Louise made this lovely pink bunny door stopper

Bev worked on a few projects - but mostly on these.  She recently attended a three-day workshop with Rachel Daisy.

Leanne put this top together 

And finished the binding on this quilt

What did I do?

I made two foundation paper pieced blocks to go with the blocks I made last retreat <here>

I made a drawstring bag, coaster and scrap bucket for my Sunday Stitchers meetings

I worked on two shop blocks

I put my I Spy quilt top together….this was my Rainbow Scrap Challenge project from 2023….this is Milo’s quilt for his second birthday which is soon.

I made this Pansy quilt top….this will be a charity quilt for DV….the plan is to add a 1” coloured border….maybe green, purple, pink…???…then a 4” blue border….need to check the charity stash…

So, my list now looks like this - I realised I only needed two more FPP blocks, so crossed one out and the two shops were partly done....not too bad really - If we had arrived at 10 on Wednesday I think I would have finished the lot..

This is the To Do board at the end….mostly we didn’t get everything done….but as usual we provide for the possible situation where we may get flooded in and need to stay for another few weeks….lol

 Challenge Project

Each year since 2014, Maureen and I have organised a project for the girls. From 2015, we have used the same fabric….with some coordinating fabrics so that we keep it going for as long as possible.

This year's project was a small drawstring bag….it would hold a few reels of thread, binding clips etc.

Here are all the projects from 2015.

And the class shot!

A big thanks to everyone for making this a fun-filled time.
And a BIG thanks to Wendy who runs the place - 

the location is gorgeous, the venue is very pleasant 

and Wendy herself is very accommodating and a lot of fun.

How many sleeps time next time?
approx 386.