FNSI - August

It's FNSI time again - although we post our work on a Facebook page, I also like to do a blog post.

Today I sorted, cut & sewed the August blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge - I have already done a RSC blog post, but here they are again.

    

and whilst in a Zoom meeting with the Chook Shed Stitchers, I finished off the first part of a cross stitch SAL - it is from The Spruce Crafts called Little Summer Shops - it is a six-part series - one a month.

This month is the Smoothie Bar

Certainly very summery...Wonder what else will be in the collection??

Thanks for organising us Wendy - and great to have cyber company - on the Zoom meeting as well as online.

RSC - August

Lagging a bit behind for RSC - August - but now done.  Two Yellow I Spy blocks.

 

Only two months to go ...what colours still await us??

So far I have:
Red, Blue, Purple, Orange, Pink, Green & Yellow.

Mount Alford Retreat - Challenge Projects

2015 - Scrap Bucket

2016 - Magnetic Pin Holder

2017 - Foot Pedal Mat

2018 - Phone Pillow

2019 - Triangular Thread Holder

2020 - Snappy Pouch

2021 - No retreat - 😞😷 - COVID - no challenge

2022 - Scissor Case

2023 - Coaster

Retreat Day 5

Always a bit sad to get to the last day . . . . but all good things must come to an end.

😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞

Late last night I finished a baby quilt top.

Alison has made great progress on a DV Charity quilt - a wonderful I Spy.

 

Wendy - our hostess - suggested that we could put all our offcuts into a pillow case, that can then be made into a bed for an animal refuge.   

We got to about 2/3 rds full....its a 25kg tub - hopefully the next group will fill it.

Finally - the To Do board.....Plenty of Done projects, quite a few still to be done, , , , 

Bye Mount Alford Lodge - it has been wonderful as always.

Retreat Day 4

By lunchtime only a few of us were left.

Alison completed her Chandelier quilt - in Christmas fabrics.

I completed Block 6 of My Kinda Town - there was an issue with the architect or suppliers as the flag pole couldn't be erected...

Here is one of our regular guests - Syd the Sloth.  Typical Sloth - he just lies around all day...not doing much!

And, of course - Belle and Pearl.   These young ladies come with Erica every year....in fact - it is the only outing they have. 
This year Belle developed an ulcer on her leg - so some prompt bandaging was organsied by Aunty Maureen and Belle was advised to keep her leg elevated to reduce the risk of an infection developing. 

We also had a surprise visit from two King Parrots - sadly I missed the male one.

Hopefully they will come back before I leave.

Retreat Day 3

Erica's dress for a granddaughter 

Bowl cosies made by Chris and modelled by her and Alison

Our challenge project

Cheryl's Jelly roll quilt

Chris's baby shoes

Louise - baby rompers

Another dress for a granddaughter by Erica

Cheryl's Frequency quilt - hand quilted 

Chris's circular needle holder

Erica's serviette holders

Deb's quilt

The To Do Board

Retreat Day 2

We enjoy a beautiful setting here.

Down in the sewing room . . .I started on Block 5 of My Kinda Town.

In between the socialising, morning and afternoon tea, lunch and the Challenge Project, I managed to build Block 5 

Other achievements today include:

Erica's dress

Deb's scissor case

Deb's flannel quilt top

Hilda's Exploding Heart (started last year)

Chris's Teddy Bear

And our Challenge Project   -  pics tomorrow

The To Do board at the close of business Saturday Night

FNWF and Retreat Day 1

FNWF

Happily joining Cheryll and cyber friends, as well as physical friends for a Friday Night Sewing.  As you can see - I am on a retreat!!!
Four days of sewing, fun, friendship, good food, maybe a drop or two of wine . . .

For FNWF, which started about 3:00PM I worked on some red black & white string blocks.   I made 11 - which, with the ones I made previously - should be enough for a 6 x 7 block quilt for charity.

Retreat

This retreat started as part of my Loose Threads group - so we still call it the Loose Threads retreat.  "Back in the day", the numbers could be flexible, so we had Loose Threads people and a couple of extras....Over the years, things have changed and we now must pay for 12 people - so we have a number of extras....We did call ourselves MARS - Mount Alford Retreat Sisters in 2021 when we couldn't go (due to COVID), but it didn't stick!

Mostly, we arrived at about 10.30, unpacked and organised ourselves.
Then off to the infamous Mount Alford Hotel for lunch.

Back to the sewing room:

My plans for the retreat are:
1. 2 blocks of My Kinda Town

2. As many black, red and white string blocks as I can make..I think 11 is enough!
3. Meg's Baby Quilt 

4. Any number of crumb blocks (depending on available fabrics)

5. 2023 Challenge Project

As you can see from above, I started on the string blocks.
These are very quick and I got through 11.

And ONE crumb block - they take forever . . .especially if you make one at a time.

We have a To Do Board.
Each year I hand out a small Post It type of pad to everyone.  They write the name of each project they plan to work on on a separate piece of paper and we put them on the left-hand side of the board.  As each person finishes one project - they do a Show & tell and move the piece of paper to the right.
(The board is now magnetic, so I bought little magnets to use - so much easier than sticky tape!)

By late night Friday, we had this:

My Claytons Retreat (aka Sunday Stitchers At Boonah Retreat) Day 5

Last day of retreat...😞

That means a bit of sewing, packing up & travel home.....so I figured that would take me til 5PM...so I just sewed the day away again.....LOL

I decided to work on the current ABC book, so nothing to show for it - just slowly working my way through, finishing off the blanket stitching.
And when I got tired of that - I organised the fabrics for the next two house & tree blocks, ready for the next retreat.

What a life!!!!!!!!!!

My Claytons Retreat (aka Sunday Stitchers At Boonah Retreat) Day 4

Each year at this retreat we have had a Mystery Challenge.  This year we were asked to bring scraps - any shape & size.

The challenge this year was to make crumb blocks.  I have never tried these before, I started, but realised they were looking more like crazy patch blocks - so I did a bit of Googling to get me on the right track.  The secret is to have at least one straight edge on each piece and then sew two pieces together.  Repeat - so make sure the new piece has a straight edge and join to another piece.

It was going well - using the offcuts from my houses and trees - but there was not enough variety - and I had sent all my scraps to the girls at Boonah....I certainly wasn't going to deliberately create new scraps!!!

So, I got to this point.

These crumb blocks will be put together by De as  DV Charity Quilt.

The other thing on my To Do list for the retreat was to make more black red and white blocks to go with the ones I made at the last retreat.

I made 11 - but I have just about run out of black red & white - I have 30 blocks - though I wanted 42. . .so will ponder the next stage in this quilt top.

This will also be a DV Charity Quilt.

Day 5 still to go - might get back to some of my stuff - maybe the ABC Book that is overdue, or the baby quilt for the new grandie - also overdue!!!