August Finishes

YAY - I finally have some FOs instead of UFOs.

Two zippy pouches:

Shorts & bib for my oh so cute grandson...LOL

Cloth Christmas Story book for the oh so cute grandson....LOL

5 crochet blocks

Not a lot this month sadly.

March Finishes - OPAM (13)

I'm running late for an end of March post - but better late then never??

I'm back on track crocheting squares for K4BN - 11 this month

In my SIMS group - we decided - last year that for birthdays we would make each other a postcard - using the initials of the person.  Sounded like a great idea at the time . . .

First off the rank was Inca - IMT (not such an easy set of  initials really - we have told her to change her name...lol)

Here is mine - see if you can guess the I M & T . . . .

 No??? Icecream Meringue (chocolate) and Topping

The baby quilt is all done (though - it still needs a label)
My DD chose a classic Winnie the Pooh fabric and we teamed it with greens (gender neutral)

and a close up

I have a few more done or almost done but they need to wait til after Scub Stitchin' at Baradine - by now - in one week - I will be there chatting, hugging, setting up and getting ready to power on to a new project ...why finish an old one when there are so many new projects on the horizon??

Thanks Kris for continuing on with OPAM - it's the motivation we need to post our finishes.

January Finish

My one and only finish for January 2019.   

I do hope to improve the monthly tally...but for now it will have to do.

I originally saw this small wall hanging in my LQS - and found the machine embroidery pattern on line.  With a surname of Wild - I just had to make it.   I actually stitched it out in January 2018 - back here...and didn't realise (being a newbie to machine embroidery) that I should have put fabric in the letters and done it as an applique....oh well - I don't mind how it is - and I learnt from my mistake!

This is my #10 for January Sunday Stitchers UFO Challenge
AND
January OPAM (One {Project a Month)

If you'd like to join in with us to finish off One Project a Month (you can do more of course), then pop over here to see what it is all about - you can join  anytime.

October OPAM

My head is all over the place - work has been busy - then I was away for a week - retreating!!! (YAY)

BUT it's November and I need to tell Peg & Kris about my finishes for October - nothing in the sewing arena - but I did finish 23 crochet blocks for blankets for the cold & needy people in and around Brisbane.

That's it for now!!...but the tally will be better for November!

A May Finish

A while back I promised a "Pay It Forward" Quilt top.

This was a way of saying thank you to someone.  I was given a jelly roll to use and decided on a simple Post & Rail top.

I worked on this at Baradine in April and finished it off early May and handed it back to the lady I had promised it to.  She has a group of ladies who do a lot of quilting charity work, so they will quilt & bind it.

I did enjoy working with these colours.

Tooly Tool Holder

I have seen a few of these and thought I wouldn't really use one...but then I was packing for a sewing day and gathering all the bits and pieces and realised that if I had a Tooly full of most of the bits I need to take with me - it would be quicker to just pick up and go.

I was able to borrow one to refer to as I made it which helped a great deal.  Of course I changed a few bits - - the pockets and ramped up the elastic that holds it together when not in use.
I added a covered notebook...just to coordinate it all.

So this can now stay packed with spares and extras and hopefully I will have everything I need when I'm away from home sewing.

The pattern came from Sew Together - they have updated the pattern to a larger size with room for a small cutting mat and added a handle.  You can find that one here:

(I'm on the look out now for a small purple rotary cutter and even a purple ruler . . .that could be tricky!)


This is using the same range of fabrics that I used for the mini quilt here.....it's from Leanne Beasley - called "Potting Shed".  I'm kinda liking it at the moment....you will probably see more projects using it in the (near) future.

And a hint:  I used foam core as recommended in the pattern, the one I borrowed had something about 1/4 " thick and I think over time that is probably better as I can see my cover is bending already.

Yes Chooky  I know you will "tell me" - I will bring it!......LOL

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.

February Finish (OPAM)

Whilst it's been a busy month for me - it was only a short one!!! LOL

I was going to be visiting my God Daughter (in Sydney) and handing over the baby quilt I had made for her second child - Harvey (here).
Almost at the last minute I saw something and thought it would make a good present for the older one - a girl.  Luckily she has a short name.

As they say - never work with children and animals.  Miss Zoe didn't want to smile after I got my camera ready - so this is the best I could get of the two of them on the new quilt.

I produced the stars on the "Monster Machine".  
I had thought to give it a cutesy name but I think "Monster Machine" is working well for me.

Nundle 2016 Project

My yearly trek to Nundle is approaching - so I thought I better get last year's project finished.

We were given supplies and patterns for several projects.  This is one of them - a sewing folder...correctly titled "Needlebook" - but it holds so much more.

I will make the scissor holder as well - maybe a February finish?

I was lucky enough to win one of the table toppers from last year and made it into a zippy pouch last August.  I also decided a little coaster would make a useful addition for when I use this folder and pouch.
(OK - I'm just a matchy match-aholic)

A Little Project

In 2011 Jenny Elefantz gave a free pattern for "Give Thanks" wall hanging and minis to hang on it.  I made the wall hanging and several of the minis and gifted it to DD1.
She asked me for one for Easter - and gave me a drawing and words.  Arty friend Maureen made a few changes and I sewed.

The original wall hanging is here.

September Finish

I've finished my project from FNSI last week.

As usual I don't really remember when I started this though I am sure it was more than 7 years ago.  Its about 60" square, a nice size to have over you - if it cools down a bit (32 in Brisbane today).
This is my finish for Sew Its Finished, OPAM and Aunt Marti.

Now I need to get moving on the Anni Downs Needle case for the SAL.

August Finish

For Sew It's Finished, OPAM and Aunt Marti - This is my August finished project.
It is not a long standing UFO - for a change.

I had been wanting to do one of Leanne Beasley's quilt patterns for a while but I was able to get my hands on the pattern for this one - Journey of a Quilter.

In August 2011 I was able to do a big shop hop in Sydney when I went down for a visit and found a lovely collection of 30cm pieces of William Morris fabrics.  Then in another shop I saw some Threadworx threads in the perfect colours   and in yet another shop I picked up quite a few creams and beiges.

As soon as I got back I started tracing and stitching.

Now its done.  I had it quilted.  I love it. It will go on the only wall left in my Sewing room  (when I can get "someone" to put the necessary bits up on the wall).

and how true is this ....

July Finish

I aim to finish at least one UFO a month.

And if you don't know the drill:    I joined Sew Its Finished a couple of years ago to encourage me to do this - and this year I also joined up with Peg & Kris for OPAM  and to top it off Aunt Marti issued a challenge to finish 13 projects in 2013.  Marti picks a number and we are meant to have numbered the 13 projects and do that number in that month.  Well, this month I have had to cheat a bit.  The project this month should have been #8 and that was making a cushion out  of a piece of machine quilting I did way back - I mean really way back.... I will leave the details for now....so - off I went and bought some homespun for the backing and the cushion insert....Come time to make it....Where the heck is the piece of machine quilting???? I have searched and searched...it must be here...tucked away.... so I had to find another project.

This was started in....well maybe before 2005 (shame shame.....but wait til I find the machine quilted piece....).  The top was all done  - it was sitting in its little labelled box with the backing and binding already made.  

So, now I have a spare box...wonder what I will find to go in it???   Maybe my piece of machine quilting?

June Finish

A few years back - at one of my patchwork groups, we made and swapped Happy Blocks ( a 4" square with 2" borders [finished]).  I nominated a sea theme and collected these.  I had made the top quite a while ago and have now quilted and bound it.  

It's a cool wet dull day here so photo opportunities are limited.

This one of the blocks I love the most - the colours are gorgeous - though they don't show up very well here...

Finished off with Susie's magic binding again...

McKenna Ryan Fuchsias

I started this a while back - I am guessing at around 2008 - and I did the tracing and the vliesofixing.  Then I think I did the raw edge machine appliqueing at a retreat.  Then it sat...and got boxed up as a UFO.  Then it became a Project for 2013 - and then it got a turn this month. (Thanks to Aunt Marti's Challenge of 13 Projects in 2013)

The pattern is by McKenna Ryan from her In Full Bloom pattern.  I had thought I would do all the blocks - maybe I will - maybe one day...but I always intended to have the fuchsias as a wall hanging.

I decided to experiment with some machine embroidery for the quilting - the butterflies - and then decided to do a few lace butterflies as well.  And a few beads...

I used Susie's Magic Binding method for attaching the binding - its really very easy and I think it gives a nice finish.

My adventures with this quilt:

I have no confidence at all when it comes to free motion quilting - I am quite surprised when I look at the raw edge sewing on this and wonder if it was really me who did that part... but I have recently acquired a "Free Motion Quilting" foot for my Janome 6600.  I did have a plastic pogo foot - no idea what its proper name is - it came with the machine I think...I once saw a demo of someone trying this other foot and I thought "Oh yeah - they can FMQ anyway and are just trying to sell more gadgets" and promptly forgot about it...then someone else - who had no sales target to meet - encouraged me to give it a try - I did - it  made FMQ so much easier - the old foot jumps (duh-it IS a pogo foot!!!) but this foot stays at the same level and 'glides' over the quilt.
I am still no expert - but on this quilt I was brave enough to even try straight lines - I never would have with the old foot.  I will be trying more FMQ....

My other adventure on this quilt has been some machine embroidery...Because I don't like FMQ, I tried some quilting using redwork embroidery designs.  I found a few butterflies and flowers and even a free little "doodle" (that is shown in the picture of the binding - I think it was from Jenny Haskins).  Hooping it was a bit of a challenge as the applique layers make the quilt a bit thicker in some places, but I had fun doing it....And I will be doing more of it.

One of the butterflies:

 a free standing butterfly

 some beads:

  the crocheted basket hanger:

I've had a lot of fun - and more learning experiences - with this quilt.....

What project for June??????

Hall Stand Runner

I started these stitcheries in mid 2011 - and have taken a loooong time to find a fabric to go with them - it's not what I originally had in mind but I like it anyway.

This runner is for the hall stand in our entrance - a favourite sleeping place for the cat - both on the top and on the pile of quilts below.

Some closeup:

March Finishes

I only managed 2 Projects for OPAM and one of them is for Thirteen in '13.
Firstly, my pincushion for SAL  - I had previously posted about that..

Secondly, my Sew Laugh Love - a design by Leanne Beasley...just love her designs.. . is now finished.

The original pattern calls for small pieces of fabric to be appliquéd in the areas that are not stitched.  My bestie bought me a jar of buttons when I missed catching up with her at the Stitches & Craft show - some of them were perfect colours for this project - and there were some square buttons - the perfect size fir this wall hanging - and the only colour missing was yellow - I really wanted a yellow one so I painted one yellow, then re painted some of the pink ones to tone them down a bit.
(See, that's why I hang onto all my old craft stuff - it does come in handy at times.)

I've had to spend a bit of time lately getting hand stitching ready - I have almost run out for now!  Still got plenty of machine work to do.

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter break.

February Finishes

For the Stitch-A-Long project - I finished my Red Home Tote Bag.  - Love this bag for its size and I will make another one - without the embroidery - sometime.

I also finished my February Project for Aunt Marti's Challenge - 13 project in 2013 and this is also for Sew Its Finished.  This is  "Little Red House" by Marg Low - the pattern and most of the fabrics came from purchases made by my bestie on my behalf at the Sydney Craft show.  I love houses and things like that - and although this is not my normal colour palette - it's good to do things a bit different - sometimes.

 (nice of my daughter to be wearing a coordinating top when she held up the quilt for me!) 

January 2013 Finish

Just scraping in to have a finish for Sew Its Finished, Aunt Marti's 13 Projects in 2013 and OPAM.

I started this turtle quite a few months ago and finished him today.  He was fiddly to make... I think he will stay an only child . . .