Glenrose Retreat

I am very fortunate to be able to get off work for a week and go and "hide" at Glenrose Retreat.

Of all the retreats I go to - it is by far the prettiest venue and the best suited to sewing.

I was able to put together the blocks I completed in the Gail Pan "Send My Love" BOM for 2018.
In all there were 36 blocks, but I chose to do only 32 and I liked the layout of Ruth's Quilt so much I copied it for this one.   As there are a number of design walls at Glenrose - it was an idea opportunity to lay out where all the fabric and stitcheries were going and to try to balance it.  (with some input from the others...)

I had prepped a lot of blocks for My Small World.  The hot air balloon is not part of the pattern, however I'd seen one on the Instagram group I am following and had to buy the pattern  . .  .

The "Plan" for the IG group is a set number of blcoks per month - so this finishes almost all of the blocks for Month 2 (mid October - mid November) and is a good start on Month 3 (mid November - mid December).
My next step is to start laying them out so I can see how the colours are going...and I may start working in sections from this point on - which is what a lot of the others are now doing...

And I made one baby quilt top.  (I did have a second one but didn't make a lot of progress on that one.)

There was some shopping time . . .some eating out time . . . .and of course some eating in time.

I made a Brie Twist - well with a few changes...LOL...I used a Camembert and instead of tomato chutney I used Baxters Date Fig & balsamic chutney - gorgeous stuff even by itself.

Thanks to the Tuesday Girls for inviting me along.

October FNWF

Another Friday Night Cyber Party!!!   yay!!

Tonight I stitched some of the sun rays for the middle block of Welcome Home in Spring - as I am so close to finishing the top I thought I'd best do this before I join it all together.

Then - as Saturday was a Loose Threads sewing day I needed to prepare some hand stitching - these are two of the September blocks from the Gail Pan Stitch Club.
The October ones will be here this week - so I am not up to date - but not too far behind either.  

The sewing was done on Saturday...I was a bit late taking the photo!

Hope everyone had a fun night...wishing you all a happy month!

FNSI - June

Here we are again - gathered at Wendy's place - sewing, crafting, having a drink or two perhaps?
Thanks Wendy - sending more hugs.

But First - a new(?) use for Binding Clips

DD2 and her partner are now on the property ladder and tomorrow is moving day.  I thought I could help by providing some sustenance for the helpers...and I can just do the easy things like filling kitchen drawers or something.
So, I had to delay my venture into the sewing space to make two almond and orange brownies (from Lorena Uriate's blog <>) and my renowned Nutty Nibble Mix.

I lined the tin for the brownies - but the paper didn't want to stick - ah ha I thought - I know the solution to that!!!

(Best to remember to remove them before placing tray in oven!)

Brownies & Nuts made - sewing time . . .

I traced the rest of the May and the June blocks from Gail Pan's I Stitch club.  3 easy stitcheries each month - bonus projects each month too.
These are in preparation for my sewing day on Sunday at Sunday Stitchers.
The tracing is very hard to see in the photo but hopefully I can see it enough to stitch!

I also did a bit of the binding on this quilt - it needs to be handed over to the new mum & baby soon.  Finishing it might happen Saturday night...fingers crossed.

Thanks Wendy - I love the "excuse" for sewing.  I'll do my best to visit others over the weekend...or next week!
Hope you all had fun.

Gail Pan I Stich Club

I have been working on the April stitcheries on and off during the month - completed just in time for the next lot!
Here are March & April:

Gail Pan Stitchery

This is my project #10 for Sunday Stitchers Challenge.

I have had the stitchery finished for quite a while - and I have forgotten its correct name. 
A little while back I saw some lovely fabrics - yes in purple - well I prefer to call these mauve . . and resisted....for a while - but then I remembered this stitchery and another one in similar colours (which I expect to finish off for Project 9 next month) and decided they needed to come home with me.   I have only used two of them in this one.

I have made this to fit my mini quilt hanger, so it's about 12 x 14".  And I decided I would try out the "hand look" quilting stitch ..... I have used it before on my older machine but Monster Machine has an automatic setting for it...so off I went.

FNWF - February

Friday Night sewing With FriendsBut mostly Saturday....

I really only did a bit on Friday Night - I joined you in spirit - but I needed to sort, clean and organise ready for my turn at hosting Loose Threads on Saturday.

Let's just say a combination of Friday Night and Satur - day saw this Gail Pan block finished.....I wish I could sew as fast as my friend (you know who you are....)  but I suppose being hostess today meant I was up and down a fair bit - patterns to find, a few pages of "something" to copy, a pair of scissors to lend, morning & afternoon tea to set out. 
But it was a great day - and lovely to catch up with one of our gang who spends months at a time travelling in a caravan - she finally received her Birthday present from last November!

So here is that block:

and tonight I pressed and cut the other blocks, so I am up to date...for a week and a bit - and I have included the fabrics that I will be using.

The actual pattern is to applique these onto blocks, but I will be using them as whole blocks...a bit like the Ruth's Quilt pattern I am also making.

Thanks to Cheryll for hosting the cyber party - I'm off to the World of Craft Expo in Brisbane tomorrow - maybe I will catch up with your progress during the week.