Clayton's Scrub Stitchin' - Day 4 - Friday and FNSI

A bit of a "Bits and Bobs" day - not like being on retreat - but trying to use my time wisely & productively.

I finished the quilting and the binding on the baby quilt - ready for hand sewing the binding now.  I hope to finish that by Sunday, ready for Show & Tell.

Then I figured I may as well get onto the "framing" of my March Birthday Flowers....That is the step I always put off...but again, if I take it for Show & Tell on Sunday - it will look better finished properly.

I am using stretchy hoops from that place in China that I prefer not to deal with . . .but  . . .they are cheap and surprisingly easy to use.
Just a glimpse for now - I will do a post on them another time.

What to work on now???????????????
I consulted my very long "Project" list . . . . . . . .

Ah ha - I need to prepare two more blocks for Trains Trucks Tractors" quilt.  So I converted an outline drawing of a recycling truck to an applique pattern in the right size and traced the shapes....I want this one to look like a Townsville truck - so need to sort out what colours I need to use....put that one away for now!!!

Then it was time to settle on the lounge to watch the news and then Better Homes & Gardens - until the AFL started....(erk!).  So, I retreated back to my sewing room and finished the binding on My Kinda Town.

It's still early . . . what now???
Consult the Project list again....There isn't much to do on this Cross Stitch and it is on my SS Mojo list . . . .

So, I will work on that for a bit . . .

I am looking forward to seeing the storybook characters from the Scrub Stitchin' night....not to mention the Show & Tell!

Clayton's Scrub Stitchin' - Day 3 - Thursday

Today was more quilting on My Kinda Town....I could keep adding bits here and there . . .but . . .then the borders - that was quick and no ends to thread in....YAY!!!

I trimmed and added the binding - and sewed two sides on Thursday night in front of the TV.
I only did two sides as my hand starts to hurt a bit when gripping the needle so tightly...LOL

So, back to the machine to start the quilting on a baby quilt.

You might see a red laser line.....A few years back, at a retreat, one of the girls had a Brother machine with a laser light ....very clever I thought ...machine envy . . .

I investigated adding one to my Janome - nothing was easily available.  Sometime later, I saw a Sew Q Laser light offered by an Australian retailer - at a reduced price for pre-orders, and my arm was twisted.  It sat on my desk for quite some time.   When I make these baby quilts, I stitch diagonally across a 2" x 6" rectangle.  If I eye-ball it, it isnt always good.  If I draw a line it is good.   BUT - what to draw the lines in ???    I am not a fan of Frixion pens on fabrics.   I like my Air Erasing pen....BUT...they disappear so I can only do a smallish amount at a time . . . .
It was time to install the laser light.   I am very happy with it for the quilting.
I think it will really come into its own when I do HST...another time.

I am sure all the Scrub Stitchin' girls are hard at it now - I've seen a few facebook posts, but no one is blogging!

Clayton's Scrub Stitchin' - Day 2 - Wednesday

I had one of those "faffing around" mornings...then did a bit of shopping.

I have almost finished the quilting on My Kinda Town...a couple of stars and the border to go.

Night time - more on the Birthday Flower for April - Daisies.  I have reached a roadblock, as I am missing one DMC (a light blue to fill in the petals) and I do not want to unhoop it at this stage....

I imagine everyone is now settled in at Baradine - hopefully there is a bit of sewing happening in the midst of the catch-ups!

Clayton's Scrub Stitchin' - Day 1 - Tuesday

Well, here is another year that I haven't gone to Scrub Stitchin'.
And I know it doesn't start til Wednesday - but if I had gone, I would be travelling today - so I will just call this Day 1.

I am not as well organised for my Stay at Home Claytons Scrub Stitchin' - but I have plenty of sewing to do...

I have my Sunday Stitchers Mojo Project deadline on Sunday, so I am quilting My Kinda Town.  I had the top finished in July 2024...not sure what happened to it in 2025, but this is the month to finish it.

I spent most of the day working on this...

followed by some cross stitching.

For those travelling on Tuesday - I hope the day went well and you are not having any fuel problems.

Project Bag with a difference

A recent trip to Craft Alive at Toowoomba resulted in 3 of us purchasing a "Mad for Plaid Project Bag".  It is made of nylon mesh.   Tempting as the bag is already made.
I chose the Lilac version - there were a couple of other colours available at the time....but when I searched online - there are 6 colours different colours - I found them at Rural Stitch Co - look here.
Of course, there was a lovely cross-stitch pattern that perfectly suited the bag.  'Stitch' cross-stitch pattern by Shepherds Bush.  I recently made 'Sew Mini Bag by Shepherd's Bush".  Here.  Though at the time I didn't realise I could buy the plaid bag.

It was awkward to sew on as it is quite firm, and of course, the back is exposed....I tried to keep it neat, but Perle thread (size 5) can be obstropulous!   (Defined as 'Unruly, defiant, noisy, or difficult to manage'...definitely that - apart from noisy!)

A quick project - I bought it Friday 6th March - Finished about the 23rd March!!!!!

Chookshed Challenge #2 - March - Denim Bag

Last November, whilst on retreat at Glenrose, we were able to do a class at Sew Pretty Patchwork to make a bag.  We had seen a bag on Facebook, and after making a few enquiries, Gemma organised a class for us with Libby.  We had such a fun day with Libby - she brought in huge bags of denim and bits and pieces, and we were able to raid her stash.  She was so generous with her artistic advice and tips.

I didn't finish mine in class....and it sat for a bit - too many other projects to do....

Then somehow some of the Chookshed people thought #2 could be a bag...AND . . .we are going back to Glenrose this month and I had hoped to take my bag back to show Gemma & Libby..  An excellent number choice for this month Deana - thank you!!!

Here is the bag.  I tried to use bits of jeans and other denim pieces from Libby.   The tree is from the lining material that I spied in the shop months before we did the class.  It is quite a heavy cotton...combined with several layers of denim in parts, I was grateful for my walking foot.

The front

The back

The lining fabric

It's great to have my Chookshed Challenge finished so early (It was finished on17/3/2026).

Cute Little Purple Cup

When we were in Warwick on retreat (19-23 March), we had a bit of time to fill in before we could settle in at Glenrose.   I wandered into Bed Bath & Table.  All their Easter stuff was 40% off.   I don't really decorate for Easter....though having seen the goodies on display, I was tempted.

I spied a very pretty little cup... A silly purchase really...I have multiple pretty cups...too small for a decent cup of tea...And I have multiple pretty mugs . . .but I "had to have it". (and it WAS on special.)
I used it a couple of times at Glenrose for tea . . .but thought it needed a special coaster.

I found this machine embroidery design online - from Kreative Kiwi - and it was free - so whipped one up.....

and if I am going to take this cup anywhere - it needs a drawstring bag...doesnt it??

A very quick result...unlike some of my projects that linger for years....which I will now get back to.

Needle Girls March Retreat - Glenrose House

My first retreat for the year!!!

I keep a "Retreat Book" - I head each page with the venue and dates and list what I plan to work on (tick it off when done), and include other notes, such as who went and for one retreat - who was in which cabin.
The book was nearly full - not enough pages for the planned retreats for 2027 - so I selected this Journal that Deb had made and gifted to us at Sunday Stitchers last Christmas.

It is very pretty and will keep me going for a few years....

My plan included:

• DV Baby Quilt
• Baby Quilt for Alana
• 28 Square in a Square blocks for Flower Pop
• Squares for the centre panel for Village Green
• Placemats - if I got to them

I am happy to say I got it all done except the placemats, so I spent some of my free time making large scrappy blocks for a DV quilt - it takes me a while to get my head around the "randomness" and the "just hack it" as De suggests.
Anyway - I got 4 done and brought home a fair stash of fabric pieces to make some more...

My projects:

28 Square in a Square blocks

Baby Quilt for Alana

DV Baby Quilt

Village Green centre

These all need to be trimmed and joined.   There are two I might replace before that happens.

As always, a fun time was had, much chatting, some snacking and a glass or two!!!

Not too long til the next retreat!

Sunday Stitchers - Challenge #1 - Red & black vase of flowers (ex Inca)

An easy finish for this month's challenge.

This block had been well and truly started by my friend Inca, who is sadly no longer with us.  When helping to clear out her things, I found this block, probably 75% complete and thought it would make a good block to pass to Helen for her "random blocks quilt" that she might get to one day...LOL

Fortunately, I had a collection of felt flowers made in a Wendy William class many moons ago, so I was able to use them to finish off the barren stems.

I have left the orange flower at the top unfinished, so that it can be placed as high as possible and go over the seam line.

Needle Girls Birthday 2026 - Flower Power - De

We decided our Birthday gifts for 2026 would be based on the theme "Flower Power".  To be interpreted any way we like.

My present for Lynda in February was a cute crocheted pot with bunny ears and a flower.  I didn't take photos of that as it wasn't my creation.

March is De's Birthday.

Sometime last year, I purchased some fabric that had "De's Texture Basics" on the selvedge.  It was a great fabric for the placemats I was doing - but the selvedge was also very appealing.  So, I stashed the selvedge away.

Then Maureen bought some fabric that had the word "Daisy" on the selvedge...I had to get some of that!

When I was going through some selvedges for my door stopper boot (future post), I found another perfect selvedge - "Petal Power": and "I think of you every daisy"

I had a blue/yellow daisy fabric and teamed it with the orange daisies and the selvedges and made a bag for De.
The outside

The Inside

That sorted the "Flower" bit and a little bit of "Power" - but then I thought of some Powerade.   As I was about to cover the "ade" part of the bottle, I realised that if I just covered the A - I had "DE" left.  I added a 4 so now the bottle reads "Power for De".

I guess she will get the joke...

Some Placemats

One of my groups is a collection of ladies with very varied craft skills. and we meet in a Co-op shop that is run by a group of very talented crafty people.  Their skills cover not just textile art, but glass fusion, paper, leather, silver....

We meet monthly and usually have a bit of a project where those who know share with those who don't know.  In 2025, at our first meeting, we made some name tags from random pieces of textiles.  

At one session, I showed how I make a couple of my angels, we have had a session on diagonal crochet blocks, one session of scrunching up paper with hand lotion etc...I missed that one sadly.

I also ran a session about making EPP hexie flowers.    A lot of the ladies had done this before.   I took along some fabrics left over after another group that some of us were in stopped, and I took the hexies "papers" and needles and thread.

Once the hexies had been made, I used them to create placemats - the plan being that we would donate them to the Meals on Wheels group in that area.   (Different groupd to my local one.)

I appliqued the flowers to fabric - added wadding , quitled and bound them.   Some of the ladies helped with the hand sewing of the binding of the first lot and then I put on the big girl pants and machine bound some of them - still not my preferred method, but it is a bit quicker...LOL

We have 17 to donate so far......

Here are a few:   

Not great pictures, I just like to record a few to jog my memory later on.

Chookshed Challenge - #8 - February - Trains Trucks & Tractors - Progress

My eldest daughter has two boys (just 7 and 3.5).  They are typical boys - love trucks, construction vehicles, garbage trucks and any sort of vehicle really.

She saw this quilt pattern and thought I could make it for the boys....I am not getting into the "one quilt for two boys" scenario...I've discussed it with her - it will be her issue...LOL).  They don't use quilts on their beds as they live in Townsville.

And in case you want to be enabled....its available here.
Or in your Local Quilt Shop - an Australian Designer (Chris Hill).

Last October, when she was here, she did a quick raid on my fabrics and selected some that she thought would be good.  A starting point at least.

I put this one on my Chookshed Challenge so that I would make a start - probably good it came up early in the year...there is a lot of tracing and cutting before the applique starts..

Like her mother, "Patterns are just a guide" - she wants it narrower - and she doesn't want blocks - she wants rows!  I will make the train the full width of the finished top and put two vehicles on each row for the rest of the top.  We already have a panel to put on the back, so that is my guide for width.

This is my small amount of progress - creating the excavator and train.   I may make all the vehicles before I start putting them on strips for the backgrounds.  Mostly it will be sky and road or grass (for the tractor), or train tracks (thinking black & white stripes).

I plan to add "Townsville branded" garbage and recycling trucks. When I get some photos.

As a side note, I have long thought that it would be handy to have a light box that I could iron on....Sometimes when I move my carefully placed pieces to the ironing board/mat, they move, even if I use one of those silicone mats.
I recently purchased a cheap A4 sized light box as the A3 one is sometimes too big for the space I am working in (and I can take it to retreats without too much hassle)....and recently Aldi had a pack of 2 glass cutting boards.
I have been able to construct these pieces using the cutting board over the light box and feel happy to leave the iron there long enough to fix the bits in place....I wouldn't leave it too long, but it's enough so that the pieces don't move.   The packaging does say not to use it on a direct heat source...so I best be a bit careful!

Thanks Deana for continuing the Chookshed Challenge for 2026.  It really helps me make sure I do what ever it is that I should be doing, and it binds the whole Chooky tribe together.

Still not getting my comments to emails, so I can't reply to everyone, though I am trying!!!   (Yes, my husband will say very trying.)

Birthday Flowers - January

During December, I worked on a Cross Stitch SAL - the design was a mystery, and there were 80 stitches to do each day....Easy Peasy ...kind of...in December?? When life is already busy enough??

I didn't get around to finishing it off for Christmas 2025 -
The last pattern arrived on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve,..LOL

BUT to continue the saga

A few of us (De & Helen) were doing the same project...you know...."enablers" both of them!
AND the designer (Anna) offers a yearly membership which includes free patterns and also three of her "for sale" patterns for free.  So, I signed up for a year.

In 2026, the monthly project is Birthday Flowers.  I have finished January - a bit late....of course....

Helen purchased some stretchy frames from that place overseas ...and kindly gave De & me one each - and then kindly framed mine - just to show how easy it was...LOL   (not really).


Anna's designs can be found here.

or her facebook group is  Artmishka Cross Stitch. Designer Anna Gutova.
Just in case you are tempted....(don't blame me though)

Sunday Stitchers - Challenge #5 - Temperature Tree

Early January 2025, I decided to make a Temperature Tree in Cross Stitch after seeing this pattern.

Designed by Sarah Huges for Stitchin' Mommy.
Available on Etsy.

Friend De also wanted to do it  . . . and after my blog post, a number of people hopped on board the Temperature Tree bus.
I created a Facebook Messenger group so we could all share our progress, ask questions etc...and complain about temperatures....LOL
We had members in Far North Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, New Zealand and also Denice in Michigan, USA.  (Of course, hers was so different !)

De found a blank calendar that I used to record the temperatures and generally I tried to work on it for FNwF and FNSI....(well, I tried...)

I planned around our maximums going from 15 to 34.

AI tells me:

Brisbane experiences a warm subtropical climate with average 

annual daily maximum temperatures generally 

ranging between 21C in July to 30C in January & February.

Just goes to show you cannot always believe AI!!!

2025 gave us a COLD (for Brisbane) maximum of 17 in June and a VERY HIGH maximum of 39 in October.....I had to find more colours for 35, 36 and I had to group 37 and above.

Most people added a legend to show what colour represented what temperature, so  I did that too.

I decided to add fabric borders 

Strictly speaking, this was meant to be the January project for Sunday Stitchers....but.... "extenuating circumstances" prevented that happening. . . . .

NOTE: Comments are not coming to my email at the moment, so my replies may be delayed or they may look a bit weird compared to normal....

Sunday Stitchers - Project Challenge - #7 - Blue & Silver Tree Skirt

The February Challenge Number for Sunday Stitchers was #7 - to finish one of the tree skirts I made here. (March 2025...not too long ago!)

This is for a small white tree, so I made it about 22" in diameter.

I have a red & green one to finish too....that is in my Chookshed Challenge List...LOL

Chookshed Challenge - # 3 -January

Running very late.   Without going into detail, life here has been a bit chaotic - since late December - and I am claiming "extenuating circumstances" for the delay.

Last December at our SHLIMS Christmas meeting - Sue gave us each a mug with our initial on it.  Someone suggested we bring the mugs each month and that it would be good to have a mug bag to put it in.

The mug:

So, of course, mine needed to be matchy-matchy and the mug bag was created.
I had a friend digitise an "S" to match the logo on the mug.   And of course, a coaster was needed.

 

I keep a separate bag for each of the groups I go to - it's a handy place to put things I need to remember to take....and I didn't have a SHLIMS bag.
Now I do:

A while back, I thought it would be fun to add a tag to each bag. The bags are all different, and I don't really need an identifier on each one, but I made these for the other bags.

Too many groups??? Yes, you are right - in fact, there is one more, so I will make a tag for that the next time I am in machine embroidery mode.

Now I'd best get on with my February challenge project...trying to catch up!

A Little January Finish

January has been a bit chaotic here...But I do have a little finish before the end of the month.

Our Needle Girls group decided we needed to choose a word for the year....We did this before in 2024.   That year I chose "Focus" - to try to keep me on track....Too many new projects that my enabling friends find for me....

So, after consulting my spreadsheet of 2025 projects, a lot of which I didn't get finished, I decided the word for this year should be . . .

 

It's hung on the wall near my machine and laptop....I can't miss it!