Chookshed Challenge #5 - July - Libbie's Embroidery Blocks - More Progress

Ssshhh . . ..Don't tell the Quilt Police.

My #5 was to finish a quilt - i.e. quilt & bind it . . .mmmm....I decided it was too big for me to do so i am going to get it quilted....so, it will have to be a Challenge Project later in the year.

I decided to swap it with "more progress on Libbie's Embroidery Blocks", which was also last month's project - here.

The draft layout needed to change . .sigh....but as the block borders had been cut, I decided to make my goal for July to attach them.   DONE.  👍

And to re-draft the layout.  DONE.  👍

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The kit had 10 small heart blocks - but the words on them didn't really align with the bible verse.  So Libbie wanted only 9 - as well as the larger heart block...she had done a plan . . .but trying to make it look "OK" in my head wasn't really working.  The kit also had 2 smaller rectangular pieces which Libbie had stitched....so I cut bits of graph paper and played (whilst grumbling)  . . .

I came up with this  - this has been approved and I am not letting her change her mind. . .LOL

That will have to be enough for "Libbie's Embroidery Blocks - Progress" for now.

Thanks, Deana - any motivation is good for me at the moment.

What will August be???   There aren't too many left.

And again, I apologise if I don't reply to your comments...
I really have not had the time to investigate and correct it.

Chookshed Challenge #7 - June - Libbie's Embroidery blocks - Progress

My eldest (Libbie) found a stitchery panel in a recycling shop here in Brisbane when she visited...some time back.

She did the stitcheries, but of course needed me to make it into a wall hanging....to fit a particular spot...so the pattern needed to be "adapted"...Yes, patterns are just a guide, I say frequently. . . mmmmm

The original was in landscape orientation - she wanted portrait.  She is a busy homeschooling mum, so getting answers on sizing and placement required patience...or some nagging....

My Chookshed Challenge includes this project as "Progress".   Is taking it out of the bag and looking at the original pattern - progress?   LOL...maybe yes, but not enough.

I am in another Challenge Group and this month's project for that one took a lot of time, so this one missed out a bit.

But for my "Progress" - I have re-drafted the pattern and it's been "approved".   The colour draft is not quite right as ...annoyingly...the heart blocks are slightly rectangular - 6.5" across and 6.0" height when finished.

                                                        

The drawing is a bit hard to see... consider it a mud map....it's just for me after all. 

This is one of the stitched blocks....ignore the lines....

I decided to drench them in water and hang them...gently...to dry to help remove the creases from folding and the hoop marks.  Ironing them just flattened the stitching - even on a towel.

These are the fabrics she chose. 
I have cut the strips for the sashing - I won't cut them into the right size until I have cut the blocks - I just don't trust my maths brain at the moment - especially as they are not square blocks.

So, that is enough progress for this month.  I have it listed again so hopefully I can get further ahead next time.

Just as well I try my best to achieve what I list as my Challenge Goals . . .else this one would still be sitting in a drawer...LOL.
Very happy to have the deadline to get something done - thanks Deana!!!

For those interested.....the quilt design is based on the Bible Verse:

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Chookshed Challenge #1 - May - Christmas Shops

It was suggested that Project #1 could be a Christmas Stitchery.   I am trying not to start new things "just because"... that isn't working entirely well - but I decided I would finish a Christmas themed project instead.

The patterns for these shops were released over the period July to December by Spruce Craft Co...The same people who released the Summer & Winter Shops which I stitched last year.

This was a very easy finish as the shops were stitched but it didn't get to the finish line ready for last Christmas.

Chookshed Challenge #10 - April - Chapel Street Top

The wonderful Chooky "enabled" me down this rabbit hole . . .

It started in 2023 and I haven't blogged about it very much - apart from here (May 2025) when Chookshed Challenge #8 was to make progress on Chapel Street.

At the time it looked like this:

My design wall is just too small!!!!.  

The bottom picture is the bottom of the quilt, and the plan was to finish the colour wash with heading to blacks in the right-hand corner.

So, here is the top...Chookshed Challenge #10 completed.
I am thinking I will add a black border of 2 or 3", depending on the quantity of black I have left, then a wider border of fabrics used in the quilt.  A project for another day.

It's not a great picture - the holder upperer was not up to much.

Thanks Deana, for pushing us along.....I got to a point where - without the Challenge deadline I would have put it aside....I think most of you know that problem.

What will May challenge me with????  (7 or 9 would be OK...LOL)


PS:   I am trying to reply to each comment, but if I missed yours - many apologies!

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).

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.)

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!