End of month tidy-up

After my last post, my feet are now firmly on the ground; now its just a case of playing the waiting game :-). For now, its time to have an end-of-month tidy-up and show what's been happening in my cave lately.
This is for Marco —

oops

That's better!

Needs a good iron, I see!

I found a panel in my cupboard and decided it would make a perfect pillowcase for my 6 year old nephew. Of course it wasn't the right size so a bit of creative patchwork was needed!! They are a beach-y fishing family so I'm hoping it will go down well.

One question though - I sewed French (enclosed) seams on the main edges so it wouldn't fray etc...however, of course where I did patchworking stuff there were a whole lot of exposed seams - I topstitched to try and pin them down and prevent too much fraying - but I was wondering what other people do in this situation?? I would love it to be used and used without falling apart!!

I need to post the pillowcase off today as Marco's birthday was last week (you're a bit slow this year, Aunty Raewyn!) Also going into the post today will be these blocks to Cat for The Quilts for Christchurch Kids - a couple of stars and some pinwheels. Fun to make and going to a good cause.

And last but not least here are the latest Catalicious blocks (months 7 and 8), which I've finished this month. I understand there's just one month to go of these. They've also been great fun to do and I'm looking forward to getting them all together.

  Realised I hadn't shown month 6 so here it is with the other 2.

So that's my sidebar for September finishes updated. Happy sewing everyone!!

Distracted!!

I was a bit distracted tonight and the top of the Lemon Meringue Pie got a bit brown!! 

Oh no you say, what was going on????

Look what appeared........

....can you work it out - I couldn't.....

The MOML has bought me a new sewing machine!!!!!!!!

There is a special on so there's no actual ones available just now - I have to wait till October -  I was given a beautifully packaged voucher to tide me over!!!

What a sweet man :-)
This sort of thing doesn't usually happen to me!!

Oh Me Oh My!!!!

— can you see why the Lemon Meringue Pie got over-browned??!!!

Roll on October!!!

A Finish!!!

Well finally here is  my first completed hexie project!!! I was just so excited last night when I put the cords through and it all came together!!

The basic design with the hexies and checkerboard started off as a Rosalie Quinlan project in a magazine. However I adapted it as I wanted a dilly bag rather than the bag shape she had done.

Look what happens when your yellow lining fabric isn't quite wide enough — 

— you invent a pocket!! A good place for a leftover hexie too!! 

Now if you keep reducing the template, you end up with tiny little flowers!!!

Big one for my retro-hexies
middle sized one for the pretties (bag)
smallest one..see below

Here is today's flower next to yesterday 'normal' sized flower. 1/4 inch sides!! And not as fiddly to make as I thought but I think removing the papers might be a challenge.
FUN FUN FUN!!
Have a great week everyone!!!

A plea and some pics

I received a request from Maria yesterday to help spread the word for the following —


One of my blogging friends from New Zealand is organising Quilts to be made for the  "Kids of Christchurch" 
Pop over and read all about it.                    

http://catalinanz.blogspot.com/

The Christchurch earthquake was so close to home for us kiwis so it looks like I'll be hunting through my stash for some brights - there's nothing more comforting than a nice snuggly bed, and one with a quilt on it is even better.

Following are some farm shots, not sewing related at all but I know some of you enjoy seeing our part of the world so I thought I would show them.
Yesterday we weaned the oldest 28 calves. To wean them we reduce the milk for a few days and then take them "out the back".  Here we are (below) starting the trek.

The track is fairly hilly. Bush all around so no need for fences. A runaway can only penetrate about 1 metre into the bush before it gives up and joins the main mob again. 

There's 2 there that look a bit big for calves. We're also taking 2 bulls out to work their magic with another mob.

Zac stopped for a rest in a puddle. 3kms of hills is a long way.

An hour later... here we are...

Little guy hops off the bike to help finish the job!

Plenty of grass (excuse the weeds)...these little beasties will wean well.

As for me, yaay, 28 less mouths to feed!!

Sunday sew-in

SUNDAY  report- All animals fed and happy (I have 111 calves now), a line full of washing (I have a new washing machine so anything looking at me sideways is getting washed these days!!), (basic) housework done, coffee made, and into my 'cave' by 10am...

well nearly; I was happy with 10.07am — But WHY the rush?...I decided to stage my very own SEW-IN!!
First up was a block for Sue, a friend of Lizzie's. I was really touched by the story Lizzie wrote and her plea for blocks.

I hope she likes reds!!

(quick interruption to grab line full of washing- heavy rain looming..)

Next, more work on my pretties hexie project... a full show in a few days when it's properly done....

No longer looking like a quilt...?

(Skies were blue again so another load went on the line)(so windy they dried in no time..)

Then a few finishing touches to the latest "My Garden" block (recognise the cute wee button from my last post?)

Then, I just had time to settle down to some more 9-patch sewing... I thought I had started to get through them but... still a few to go!!!

the to-do pile is higher than the done pile

Check out Leeanne's 9-patch quilt - she's finished hers!!
[Oh dear - what's happening here —

Don't say she's making crumb blocks again... I thought she'd got that out of her system..!!]

And then there was a quick photo shoot so I could show off the gorgeous purse and pad I received in a giveaway from Di, from Quilting is Blissful!! Cute isn't it? I love the fabric she has used - THANK YOU sweet Di!!

And so ended my day in my cave - it all went downhill after this, with calves calling, hungry family members calling , and more washing to sort.

Have a great week everyone!!

Poetry in the Garden

Sunday's flower was meek and mild

Monday's flower was really wild

Tuesday's flower was pretty and sweet

AND Wednesday's flower, a juicy treat

With apologies to all the real poets out there!

This brings my tally to 36

I picked up these from my favourite quilt shop yesterday - look at the gorgeous quickunpic from Lynette Anderson designs - almost too nice to use (!!) and the next button in Lynette's BOM ("My Garden") - so cute.

Happy stitching everyone!!

PS - do any of today's visitors live in Copenhagen? My mother is there just now on an Embroiderer's tour - yesterday they visited the Greve Museum, and today they are making their way to Frorup, stopping at Neastved and 'Bjergholm' (a farm?) and crossing  the Store Belt Bridge.

What to do with 144 9-patches?

This year my Round Robin group has been swapping 9-patches. 

There are 12 in our group so we all make 12 identical 9-patches, meet and swap them. However, that is the simplified version of the process!! It's been a little different to that - some months we make 2 sets, other months just the one set. Some months some of us forget the 2 sets, so the next month there is 3 sets to supply.... (get the picture) and so on. Now you would think that 12 grown up ladies could all sit in an orderly circle and pass their 9-patches around in an orderly fashion so we all end up with orderly and identical little piles of 9-patches - I THINK NOT!!! It has been a hilarious process and at times we have just shaken our heads in bewilderment as we sit there counting our piles and trying to work out which one we are missing!!!
We had the final 9-patch swap recently so now its time to get sewing them together (and I tell you I am pleased to not have to sew another 9-patch for a while!!).
Here is what I have decided to do with mine.

I got this idea from Mary's blog; she has a useful tutorial; I just had to alter the sizes to suit my blocks. Very simple; cut rectangles diagonally, then sew them on. You could almost do it in your sleep if you wanted.

The idea is that this is my current leader and ender project but sometimes I get carried away...!

(the first seam is a partial one)

The 9-patch swap has been in addition to our main project this year. A round-robin-row-by-row. We still have a few more months of this to go so I cant show any little peaks of some of the things I've been doing - just in case any of my friends happen to read my blog and get ideas about what I have done for them... but after our December meeting I will be able to reveal all!! All our rows have been so different and it has been a fun and interesting challenge.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and manages to squeeze some sewing into it.

The first day of Spring

Here is today's flower - the Rosemary Bush was the perfect place for a blue flower!!

- I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to complete one today as this is the sight that greeted me at 5am this morning.....
Yes, I started prepping last night but then got tired and went to bed without completing the process and /or tidying up!!
But I'm back on track!!

Today's flower makes 30!! 

It's fun to lay them all out - but shows me I need to make a FEW more to make a decent sized quilt!! It's good to see, too, which colours work and which ones I won't use again!!

As it's the first official day of spring here in New Zealand, and it's a beautiful day, I thought I'd take my camera with me while I did some of my farm jobs this morning.....
There aren't many blossom trees flowering just yet but the Magnolia is looking nice...imagine it in 10 years time when its twice as big and covered in flowers.

Wish there was a blogging gadget for sharing the scent!!

...these two were happy to be shifted, here they are off to a new paddock —

Then I 'took time to smell the roses' ..... wondering what would happen if I laid down on the grass for a little while....

I am grateful  that I had time to 'smell the roses' today.
It's so good for the soul and something we should all try to do regularly.

Happy stitching everyone... do have some time out and visit a few more hexie gardens!