More stitching

This is the red fabric for the one block wonder and...

... here are some of the blocks. They don't "pop" as much as I would like but I think it will work. After a little discussion with friends I think I will add black triangles and make it up similar to the one in the previous post. It has some black in there and I think that will suit.

I worked hard on Thursday and quilted this for DH's nephew who is going to be a dad in May. I had another quilt made but wasn't sure about it and when I saw this I breathed again and knew this was right. I practiced my FMQ and thanks for the advice (Kris) I managed to quilt the border like.....

....this. Kris mentioned just sewing 6's joined together. These are upside down as I went from top right all the way around so the ones on the down side do look more like 6's. I do love doing panels as all the lines are there for you and you decide how much or little you want to quilt. Realised when I thought it was finished that I had forgotten the tail and body of the lion.( I had done the end of the tail thinking it was part of the monkey. That's what happens when you work upside down!!) I did do it. Once I have shown this to Kris I will be posting it off.

Having bared my soul to a grief counsellor on Wednesday I decided as I was so close to Spotlight I would just have a little look. Was actually looking for something else but this fabric whispered very subtly in my ear"Buy me, buy me" so I did. My excuse was maybe I could make a one block wonder for DS2 GF who turns 21 in November. It may become a OBW but think it might just have to live with me! I can do another one for E.

Friday saw me meeting up (at my place) with Marina, her mum Claire, Karin and Rosalie for a few hours of retail therapy and sewing. I think we mostly chatted but that's what sewing days are for aren't they? We visited the LQS in Eltham which was new to M,C and K and I think I spent the most but I got what I had been looking for in Spotlight so...., then back home , lunch and some sewing while chatting over tea and coffee. Really lovely day girls and can't wait for the next holidays when we can do it again.

One block wonder done.

So after a few days of sewing a row at a time together, so saving the arm and back from "soreness", I put the finishing touches to this quilt on Saturday.I am really pleased with the way it has turned out.... the cream and rust fabric were left overs from other quilts but matched the main fabric perfectly so it has been totally made with fabrics from the stash. I had bought 3 lots of fabric for the class with Karin and Annika so that was just waiting to be made. I also used every hexie that I made.

I cut out the red fabric for another one yesterday so stayed tuned... they are all ready orientated and ready to sew but I really really have to set my mind to quilting a cot panel. I changed my mind about making a baby quilt for DH's relative and as Spotlight had cot panels on special I decided on that instead. Much happier with the decision as being in the sunny state maybe a quilt wouldn't be too appreciated.

Keep cool all those in Victoria, this heatwave has to come to an end.

Control freak? Me...

.... well I didn't think I was but in recent years I have come to accept that I am. Friday was my sister-in-law's 60th birthday. After many attempts at getting one of my other 6 sisters-in-law to say what was happening for said birthday and getting no response, I took it upon myself to get the above quilt to my wonderfully patient quilter. Leanne had it quilted by last monday and so I was able to give it to SIL on Friday. Mind you I had to take off the label and resew it in a different corner( the gum leaf pattern would have gone sideways otherwise and that was beyond my powers of "it will be okay") This is one I made in 2014 called "Vice Versa" all patterns off the internet.

I spent the week after New Year quilting this little quilt and when "Ziggy" is born to DH's niece it can find another home.

Having made one quilt for a 60th birthday I figure that I probably need to make the rest of the sisters-in-law one so I dug in the stash and found this to make some "One Block Wonder" blocks. They don't pop as much as I would have liked but I am stealing an idea for putting them together and have one row done....

.. here is the first lot put together. Again the stash came in handy. This needs to be ready for June 2017 so plenty of time. You may think I have another 6 quilts to make but no, two of my SIL have already got ones , unfortunately to remember someone special that they lost. I have plans for the other ones and I have 8 years before the last one turns 60 so I am getting organised. This is the control freak in me rearing it's head.

As this is my first post for the year..

Happy 2016. May it be a happy and healthy one for us all.

some mail and sewing

A couple of weeks ago, on a visit to my LQS I bought this pattern for a pop up tidy.The pattern contains the elastic, the tag and the spring so all I had to do was follow the instructions. I read through them and decided it was a job for another day.Well Sat last week was that day. I followed the instructions to the letter and...... slowly taking out all the safety pins keeping the spring in place,

.... it came out looking like this. Very happy with it and I managed to use some fabric that I got this time last year(Thank you Karin)

Unfortunately my camera likes to change the orientation of some of my photos.. not sure why but here are all the stitcheries for my little creatures quilt. Decided that grandbaby can have it as a wall hanging rather than a floor quilt.Just need to get the surrounding fabrics.

These little"friendship" bags are going to a very special mother and sister on Thursday along with a rather beautiful glass hummingbird that of course I forgot to photograph. It came all the way from the US so hope it gets to it's next destination intact. The place I got it from was www.glassroses.us.

Yesterday I got a lovely surprise from the ever generous and gorgeous Michelle from Rag Tag Stitchin. Love it all thanks Michelle.

Thank You Day

Today is the inaugural Thank You day for all those that gave the gift of life through organ donation.20 months ago our DD2 was the recipient of one of those gifts so from the bottom of my heart I'd like to say THANK YOU for thinking of others in your time of pain and grief. Your gift will never be forgotten

Our lives are going to change again in a few months when DD1 makes us grandparents. This is the quilt I have made for our grandbaby. Thanks to Leanne who so beautifully and kindly drew quilting lines on all the blocks so I could quilt it myself.

This is the back. Each block has one of 3 backgrounds... don't you love the giraffes?

This is a blanket of love that was the scrappy ends from a tube quilt that I made . I also got another one out of the leftover blocks so 3 quilts out of  24 strips of fabric (plus borders) isn't bad. Missouri Star quilt company has the tube quilt youtube clip.

Once again I have been busy..

I have finally got DD1 and SIL's wedding quilt quilted and bound and they now have it and can read all the messages that people wrote for them on their wedding day. Luckily they have been away on a long honeymoon so that gave me plenty of time. I am super happy with the way it has turned out and hope they like it.

This is one that the Groomsmaid drew for them. (I backed it with red so I think that is why it has a slight pink tinge)

One butterfly for DS1

DD1 is expecting and two weeks after that announcement came the announcement of a cousin having a baby so.... this is the quilt I have made for that baby( got some of the fabric in Brissy with Michelle). I just love this and am actually looking forward to quilting it. Know what I want to do so just need the get up and go to baste it and then get cracking!

Babies galore... my osteopath is also expecting so I got this cot panel and practiced FMQ. Love doing this as all the lines are already there.I have another baby quilt( apart from the one for my grandbaby) to do, as another of DD1's cousins is going to be a dad in May.

Yesterday I sat and made 8 bibs out of a towel I got very cheaply. Need to put the ribbing on the rectangular ones and velcro on a couple of the others but they are okay. Not doing this again though! Preferred the one like the ducky one.

This is a gift that was sent to me by someone who gave our family the ultimate gift in April last year.We share a special bond not only for that gift but in our shared loss. Thank you is inadequate.

Kilmore Quilt show

This last weekend was Kilmore's quilt show. Here is my AHHH quilt finished and hanging. Was so happy with it but after quilting it I discovered I had left 3 papers in the EPP hexies!!!! AHHHHHH I had removed about 7 as I found them but those other pesky ones slipped through the net.

I also entered my "Thankful" quilt which I just love.

Rosalie's crazy quilt which shh, she doesn't want to say anything ... but she got second in the viewer's choice. Congratulations Rosalie. It is a stunning quilt. The red quilt is a half size version of Just takes two.

This was a tribute to a very special Nanna. Love the whole thing and I'm sure the Nanna in question would have been very happy with this.Can't remember whose quilt it was.

This is the label on the back and it is one of "Nanna's" Doilies. How special.

Saw Dianne making this at retreat and don't those flying geese borders add so much to it.

Bali wedding ring ... think this won a viewer's choice but not sure. The colours are so subtle and beautiful. The work that went into this... mind blowing.

Just because...

and just because.

The show was a great success and I enjoyed seeing (4 of) my quilts hanging up and seeing the wide variety of quilts. I'm sure the Kilmore Quilter's website will have lots more pics.