Bumper Weekend

FMWF

Friday Night was FNWF.
You know the drill - a quick & easy dinner (fish & chips this time)  - easy stuff whilst watching BH&G . . . crochet this time
Then into SSS and I put these pieces together for the start of a baby quilt.

Chookshed Party

Every year Chooky has a Chookshed party.  Originally to celebrate the first year of having her own "sewing space"  - she invites girls to come for a sleepover and a big sewing gig.

Sadly this year there cannot be a real physical party - BUT good news for everyone else - it was a Cyber Party via Zoom.

I had a few things to sort in the morning - and then mid-afternoon I joined in...we chatted...we sewed - I saw faces I haven't seen for quite a while, .  . .I saw faces of people whose blogs I read and then I email with - (Hi again Bethan)
At one stage we had 11 or 12 . . . over a period of time, some left and some returned.
By 10.30 Chooky had given up . . I stayed until 11.30 by which time there were just three of us.
Not to be daunted Chooky started again about 7:00 am on Sunday.

I joined in for a while and again saw people I haven't seen for a while - (Hi Holly, Raewyn).

I worked on a variety of hand sewing things...here are a few bits:

 Love & Hugs Australia - Anni Downs block

Some backstitching on the current cross stitch

 Some sashiko

and some more crochet....always interesting how the variations make a pattern and then stops.

As a lot of people are saying - although this Covod-190 pandemic is a disastrous event for the world - so many good things have come out of it.
In this case, the opportunity for sewers all over the world to connect visually and sew together.  Whilst Chooky missed out on her very special weekend (as well as the Baradine gig), so many of us were able to come together which would not have been possible without the push.

A huge thanks to Chooky for instigating & organising and especially making sure that the OS people had an opportunity to be involved.
It was a lot of fun - we learnt a lot - not all sewing related - and we certainly got an insight into life in other parts of the world. 

Chookshed Party is over for another year

Sad to say...the last glass of champagne has been drunk and the last stitch sewn...for this year's party anyway.

I made 3 design boards to use some binding I had bought for the purpose.

I made some more alphabet animals - Lion, Frog, Giraffe, Whale, Octopus...they will look much better with eyes and noses!!!

and I finished my Postcard for Noosa

Not too bad for a weekends worth of work.....

Thanks Chooky for hosting us cyberally....I do hope the weekend restored your spirits.

Chookshed Party continues

Following from the last post . . .

I am making two alphabet books  (crazy woman that I am...) and have fused most of the items to go in the books - but some needed some assembly.....here is my collection of ice creams, trees, xylophones, rockets, nests, vases, umbrellas and yo-yos.

I think that is it for the night - it's now 23:53.  Hopefully some more party tome tomorrow!

Chookshed Party TIme

My buddy, Chooky is having her yearly party to celebrate her long awaited ChookShed.  She has friends visiting and they are hanging out in the Shed - sewing and drinking champers and enjoying a log fire . . .its almost cold enough here to have a fire - but we don't,  so I'm just wearing an extra layer or two.

Because we can't all visit her, she hosts a cyber party:

The party started Friday Night - so I used that time to reorganise the sewing room and put away some things I had been working on over the last 2 weeks or so - and did a bit of crochet while watching TV.

Saturday - day time - as Chooky's part is always the first weekend of June I am at Loose Threads and today I stitched most of a postcard block:

Then at night I finished off a crochet block:

And did a blog post for the String Quiltalong that I have joined:
(Well I know it's not sewing - but sewing related!)

The night is still young, DH is out at the AFL, so no meal prep was required.....what will I sew now?

Hope Chooky & friends are having a ball!

Saturday at the Chookshed Party

Today at Loose Threads - I took my Best Friends Forever project - one of those long term - pick it up when nothing else is ready - projects.

I didn't get a lot done as for some of the day some of us helped one of the group who makes stoles for Communions - so we sewed some decorations on for her.

Tonight I did a bit more on Jingle - put a few more bits together....

and then decided I better get quilting a baby quilt that will be due to be delivered sometime this month.

Wonder if I will be able to sneak in any more sewing tomorrow??

I am sure the real party goers are having a ball - hopefully they are sewing as much as they are talking and drinking!!!!

Chookshed Party Time

Chookyblue is having a Chookshed Party this weekend - and has invited all to participate via blogland.

Who needs an excuse to sew?? especially on a Friday night ???

I indulged in a bit of cross stitch whilst watching Better Homes & Gardens

Then into SSS I drifted...

I decided to put all the blocks for Jingle All the Way up to work out what extra bits need to go where - naturally I could have stuck to the pattern and the kit - but - me?? nah - I do like to challenge myself!!!!

I started here:

and sewed a few together and cut some of the extra bits and stuck them up on the design "wall".

I would say to Chooky & friends - Have a great time!!! - but I know they will be - drinks, nibbles, good food & good company and hopefully plenty of sewing.
Tomorrow is Group #1 (Loose Threads) sewing day so more sewing on the horizon.

Tweeny Weeny pin cushion

At Chooky's Chookshed party the girls made a tiny pincushion - you can check out some of  them here....Chooky was kind enough to send me the link to the pattern...I just had to make one...it finishes at about 21/4".  Perhaps an exercise in fiddliness.

I think it took longer to decide on the fabrics and cut them than to make it - although a VERY useful tip from Chooky was to cut the strips 3/4" wide instead of 1/2" - and the ones that should be 3/4" - at least 1".  I filled it with walnut shells to give it some weight.

Next time though I think I will draw it onto a very fine vilene and leave it in - removing the paper was a tedious part of the exercise.

One quick project finished....I have a collection of 'almost finished'   .... I need to get myself organised....

FNWF & the Chookshed Party

Friday Night

I joined 29 other ladies for Cheryll's FNWF.  and sewed and crocheted and cut & prepped.
You can go here to the Linky to catch up on everyone else.

Crochet:

To while away time when I am a passenger in the car (mainly to and from work 4 days a week) I have been knitting 10" squares to give to a friend Maria who makes the squares into blankets for the needy.
Whilst I enjoy knitting - I thought that crocheting would probably be a quicker method so I've started a block.  It's certainly quicker - though not as easy to do in the dark in the car.

Cutting and Prepping

After I found the last purplish fabric that I needed during my Victorian Road Trip - I now have the sections ready for my Little Patchwork Village quilt.
I hope to be able to cut the stitcheries on Sunday and start making the blocks.

Saturday / Saturday Night

Group #1 Sewing Day - so I sewed some more.   So I will clock that up to the Chookshed Party. (Click on the link to see the list of virtual attendees and what they worked on.)

This is a Gail Pan pattern called Seasons - I bought a kit for it - most unusual for me - when it was on sale at a local shop that was closing down - it must be 3 or 4 years old by now.
I have changed the fabric for the background so that I can do all the stitcheries and then put the blocks together.
This is so outside my normal colour way....I am already thinking its a bit dull.   It might just end up as one block.  I might just re do the whole block...who knows???

Sunday?

Hopefully some more cutting & sewing.

I hope all the Chookshed party people are having a ball - and all the cyber attendees are happily sewing along too.

Big Weekend

I had a BIG F.A.R.T.ing weekend last weekend...
(look here to see what I mean about F.A.R.T.)

and I haven't had a chance to blog about it yet.

Here is another big weekend - no F.A.R.T.s this time - a lot of sewing...well that is the plan!!

Tonight is FNWF and fortunately DH will be watching AFL leaving me free to have a quick meal and then I can sew.
Saturday is sewing day with Group 1
AND The whole weekend is Chooky's Chookshed party

I'm sure Chooky would love to have you join in the cyber fun - just click on the link above.

No idea at the moment which WIP or UFO I will work on...there might be a couple I could choose from...

Enjoy your weekend - Happy Sewing

Cyber Party Wrap Up

Sunday Night wrap up:

I have finished those dots - don't look too closely!!  And the tiny silver bits that were missing - so that is a Finish...still need to make something with it . . .???

I organised the bird house block

and I've finished my flowers for a row quilt that I am working on . . .

Thanks Chooky for a wonderful excuse to get things organised and done...its been very motivating.

Pop over here if you'd like to see what everyone else got up to.

Cyber Party Progress

Friday Night
A little treat to go with the party theme:

Firstly, I did some "design" work - the next block in Bluebird Lane has some bunnies...I don't have a thing for bunnies at all...so I've decided to create a birdhouse...I think I will still make changes to this but at least I have a "plan".

Then I organized my supplies for Saturday and did a bit of stitching on this...

Saturday - Day
After a wet drive down the highway. for sewing with my group - Loose Threads, I finished this one ....

and did some of the dots on this one...tedious but they are getting better as I go.

Happy with what I got done - I hope everyone else is having a fun cyber party.

The party continues...

Cyber Party TIme

It's time to celebrate with Chooky again...

Chooky has invited us all to join her cyber party - its lucky that it always coincides with Group #1 Sewing day (Saturday) and I hope to sew Friday Night
(even though FNWF is next week) and why not some more on Sunday??

Tomorrow the weather is expected to be "torrential downpour"

...we do need rain...

but not 200ml in one go   (that would be about 8" in the old speak...)

So, if you haven't done so already...

pop over here and link up.......

I'd love to be there in person....

but a cyber party is fun too.

Better go find something to sew . . . .

Chooky's Chookshed Party

It's Party Time !!!!

Chooky hosts a virtual party every year to celebrate the birthday of her ChookShed. We all link up and try to commit the weekend to sewing...
Of course there is a real party happening too, but we can't all arrive in the middle of *^#!^(^#%&   wherever it is - and sew - but a virtual party is almost as good.

Friday Night
Never very productive as its the end of a week of work, but I did get some very fiddly cutting done.

The bits are all for my "Welcome to the North Pole" quilt ...maybe finished for this Christmas?  

Saturday
In between some "domestics" I added some snow and selected some roofing material for some blocks.  Here are a couple...though I did quite a few more....

(no idea why this won't go the right way..)

I'll be sewing the roofs on while watching TV on Sunday night.

During the day I was showing DD2 the blocks - most of the buildings have fabric that matches what the building is for - when I showed her the Coffee Shop,,,she said it was a shame it wasn't in the shape of a coffee cup/mug...
This is/was  the Coffee Shop:

so I put my architect's hat on...and built a new Coffee Shop...just needs a decoration for the lid...and snow...maybe some decorations on the handle.

Sunday
Sunday was a Sunday Stitchers Day - so I worked on this:

A few of us in the room working on this one.

Thanks to Chookyblue for hosting a fun cyber Sewing Party - Happy Birthday to her shed...I think a real visit is on my bucket list.  You can pop over there and go exploring what all the party goers got up to via the links.

Cheers!!!

Sunday Wrap up of the Chookshed Cyber party

First up was job # 2 - sewing all the doo dads onto Quilt Diva.  I found I had a few duplicates and decided not to include some buttons but moved a few things around as well - so almost 2 hours later I can cross that one off the list too.  I made Quilt Diva back in 2008 - she now hangs in my sewing room and as I buy - or am given - new things to add - I collect them all in a bag and pin them to the bottom of the quilt  - whoo hoo!!  no bag pinned there now..

Next, onto Job # 8 - finish off Block 10 of my cross stitch...

(I know its only Block 8 for me ...still debating about the 3x3, 3x4, 4x4 issue)

Then, I was going to trace that last block for my French Collection quilt (Job #11) ...mmm...got the pattern...where is the fabric??? oh well not going to waste time today looking...onto the next job....

#10 - Snow for North Pole - couldn't quite decide between two fabrics so I just traced the vliesofix instead...

Then finished off the binding on this quilt - #7 - it deserves a separate post...another time.

and it's only 10pm!!

Very happy with what I got done...as I was adding the photos I realised it is now June - gosh where does the time go?? - and I have also realised that next weekend - it's the first Saturday of the month - so that is Sewing Group #1 and also the second Sunday of the month which is Sewing group #2 - oh oh... just as well it's a  long weekend.

So here's the Sunday Wrap up list:

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books and re hem one leg of a pair of trousers
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

9 out of 11 - 82%...happy with that.

Thanks Chookyblue for inviting me and so many others to share in the big party.  I cannot imagine how much fun all the "real" party goers had..maybe the virtual visitors got more done - less distractions???

I'm off to visit some of the other party goers.

Saturday Night's Progress

I have made a fair dent in my "Hope To Do' list.

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books and re hem one leg of a pair of trousers
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

And I didn't really start til lunchtime - had to do the taxi service & groceries first (and the thread shopping) - but they are all the easy peasy things...tomorrow may be a different story.

So here is my Mystery heart row

These are the "bits" to sew onto the wall hanging - 34 of them...

The baby quilt   (bad lighting at night time)...made from bits left over from this quilt.

NO photo of tie/pants.....boring stuff

Threads before

and after

Can't show you the list - but you are welcome to a copy if you like to keep your DMCs in colour groups...just let me know.

and Mrs Beasley Sampler Block #2...still a bit to go on this but all the applique is done now...

I have had a fun time joining in with Chookyblue and her friends..I am sure I can hear the giggling even here...Sleep well girls - tomorrow is another BIG day.

Party Time!!!

It's party time over at Chookyblue's Chookshed.  It's to celebrate the second birthday of her Chookshed.

There's going to be a lot of merriment - eating, drinking, sewing, chatting, blogging, emailing etc

Some people get to go "for real" - the rest of us are cyber participants - at least we don't have to pack & drive - more drinking time - or more sewing time!!



I think most of the cyber participants have organised easy meals, limited interruptions and probably have "a list".  
Here's mine:

1. Finish the mystery heart row
2. Sew all the various bits onto my Quilt Diva...been putting that off for a looong time
3. A baby quilt for a premmie baby
4. Mend my husbands tie - that is to help keep me out of the bad books
5. Buy and put onto bobbins the newest DMC colours
6. Update my list of DMCs to include the new colours
7. Sew the binding on Best Friends
8. Finish Block 10 of my Quilty Cross Stitch
9. Finish the machine applique on Mrs Beasley's #2 block
10. Add the snow to the North Pole blocks that I have already done
11. Prepare the final stitchery block of French Collection

Just as well I have 2 days!!!  (Although, I have to also fit in a bit of "taxi service" and shopping...)

Oh well - a list is very motivating...better get on with it...