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.

Miscellaneous Blocks

I made two more blocks for the Night Group of Queensland Quilters.  These will go into a white purple and green quilt to celebrate International Womens Day in 2025.

and I finished two more flower blocks for De at Sunday Stitchers to include in a DV Quilt

FNWF - August and Murder Mystery Progress

I think we are all saying it - "Where has the year gone???"

Our lovely hostess Cheryl has gathered us together for a night (afternoon/day??)   of craftiness.  Even though she is busy holidaying in Canada - she was with us in spirit!

What did I do?

At night I started on the July blocks for a Murder Mystery Quilt I am working on....It is a real mystery - so far we have done 7 sets of blocks and have absolutely no idea how they will all go together and we have a number of fabrics that haven't been used at all. . . .

I suppose that is why it is a mystery!!!!

Friday Night I got here:

but by Saturday Night - all done.  These blocks represent the seas around the Greek Isles...apparently.  The project provides blocks for 12 months as well as a chapter in a Murder Novel....I haven't read any of the chapters yet....perhaps towards the end of the year I will.

and just for curiosity's sake - here is what we have made so far.. . . no idea how it will all come together??????????

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge - #1 - July

My #1 project was a large block holder.  I had prepped the tree for the front quite a while ago, but didn’t go any further….how does that happen?….don't bother answering…..

So after finishing some other things that had also been left behind…..I needed to get stuck into it.

It’s not quite finished….i still need to add the “pages” and the corflute boards.

So, technically a fail….but at least progress was made and hopefully it won’t be long before I can use it.