Random Round up of Creating and Cats

The start of last week saw me basting Olive's baby quilt......she's now over 4 months old but there's been a serious lack of sew-jo around here for the last little while and I've only just gotten back to her quilt in the last week or so.

And some quilting has even happened!!

SO, watch this space😊

I've also put together a cloth book for Olive, using one of those easy-to-sew panels....cut the pages apart, layer with scraps of batting, sew around the outside, turn it through and sew the pages together —

A little bit of kiwiana for our Hawaiian baby ♥

I realise that I haven't yet shared the pouch I made as a gift for our Make It, Fake It, Bake It swap for our Scrub Stitching retreat. It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with.

I came across a pattern for a wee bag which looked a little different - and Christine ended up with it —

Luckily Christine is a better recorder than I am and I have stolen the photos of it off her blog!

The top folds up to open the pouch (Christine's Luna Lapin is modelling the bag) —

(I used leftover fabric from my kiwiana dress for it. Dress shown in *this post*.)
And I included a cute scissor keep that Mum had made.

I found the pattern for the *Malmo Pouch here*.

While Sue and I were travelling for retreat, I completed the last few rounds of the crochet cat blanket I'd started whilst spending time at the hospital with Mum last year.

I've made three of these simple Afghans now - I just love having something mindless to crochet and the cats really do appreciate them!!!

Last year, in preparation for the arrive of McGeorgeous I made a little cat cubby. It was such a fun make but sadly once I'd finished it, the cats barely waved a whisker at it. Recently I realised it needed better structure so it would look more like a cat house than a cat bag. I found and inserted some foam coated wires. (These are intended for gardening and I bought them for making a Barbie tent. That didn't eventuate and recently the kids have been using them to dangle toys off when playing with the cats.)

Look at Miss Tammy! Success!

I very nearly had a very sad tale about McGeorgeous to tell this time. One evening last week he suddenly disappeared. We looked for him for DAYS and had given up all hope of ever seeing him again.

Thank goodness our son looked up at just the right time and spotted him at the window of our little garden shed one morning!! (We hardly ever go in there and seldom leave it opened.) He's a shy boy and the men had to empty the shed to get him out - and then he shot under the house.

After a lot of food and water he returned to life as normal and is wondering what all the fuss is about!

I had been in town and had 11 missed calls from the MOML trying to let me know he'd been found.

I think Tammy may have missed him a little as I've caught her letting him sleep near her a couple of times now! —

This winter, to celebrate 10 years in existence, the NZ Premmie Knitting Club has had a publicity drive, encouraging people from all walks of life to pull out their knitting needles and make some peggy squares. They're then sewn together to make blankets for premature babies across the country. It's been quite fun to see politicians, sports people and TV personalities promoting the cause by knitting squares themselves.

I've made a few squares which I will send off this week, along with some tiny booties and a beanie which I knitted a couple of years ago. I would have liked to make a few more but I started a bit late (they want them all by the end of this month, I think) but have also been struggling with a minor wrist strain/inflammation which seems aggravated by the knitting motion. So I've been limiting myself to a few rows a night.

I'll finish with this lovely sunset we had last night —

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Raewyn

A goal and a finish for April

This time last year I was making Xavier's Tractors and Trucks Buggy Barn quilt which I gifted to him in July —

Because I used a different layout to that given in the book, and because of the method of making the blocks, I had 3 blocks left over.

I had thought that I may use them to make a quilt for my (great) nephew, but in the meantime they were stored away. He recently spent a few nights in Starship (NZ's children's hospital) and the quilt idea came to mind again.

So I've pulled the blocks out and have decided that creating a quilt from them will be my One Monthly Goal for the month. I've started having a play, using a few leftovers for a start —

I was so excited last week when I finished my March goal and wrote about it in my last post, but forgot to link up to Patty's linky list!!! When I realised, it was too late - haha oh well, maybe this month I'll do everything right!
Thank you Patty of Elm Street Quilts for this gentle encouragement to help us achieve our quilty dreams.

Back in February I made a pair of Wayfarer shoes for young Odie. At the time YD and I dreamed up an idea for the next pair. I doublechecked with her recently and yes, she does still want the next pair.

This pair started with an old oilskin —

And some scraps of polar fleece I used to make myself a jacket years ago.

A cute little finish!

Turning the shoes through at the end —

The technique used is similar to that used when making burrito style pillowcases. Which reminded me of one I'd made earlier in the year and not yet shared - an early make for next Christmas! This one will go to the same family as these two, made a couple of years ago.

If I'm going to link up to One Monthly Goal, I'd better sign off now!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Evening projects

As I was doing some prepping this afternoon, I realised I hadn't shared about my latest project.

Yes!! I have started something new!

Hmmm; somehow I found myself putting my hand up for sewing the shop sample of a new block of the month we are doing at The Country Yard.

How could I resist it? Here was me making a start —

You can see why I couldn't resist!

A few nights later I had two pets snuggled and helping me stitch...obviously they can read!

The quilt is The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me by Anni Downs. Stitching onto linen and whip stitching the woven wool down (after sticking it down with fusible web). It's the first time I've used linen like this and I am quite enjoying it!

Here is block one, all completed —

A closer shot —

Below is how far I am with Block Two. The gingerbread on the oven tray need whip stitching down and I have some script next to the heart to stitch next as well.
I find it best to prepare just a few elements at a time.

My other project for the evenings is Michelle's Wings and Pretty Things. I had intended to be working fulltime on this but now that I'm doing the above project as well, I'm alternating them which is working quite well. I've already completed the centre block and just the other night, completed Block One of Border Three (I think) —

Such a cute well fed bird!

And I've made a start on the second block —

In other news, I put stirrups on the bottom of Odie's over-trou —

And while I had the pattern out I made him a pair of pants. I lengthened the body and legs and made it slightly narrower and it should fit him for a while —

This is just a scrap of fabric someone gave me about 20 years ago that I never got around to using. It's all gone now!!

Playing around and making a fancy little waist tie reminded me why I used to enjoy making clothes for the kids.

In our house we call these pants 'Truffs' - trousers with cuffs.... a name that has stuck over the years!

I think that's me caught up for now :-)

'til next time, 

happy stitches,

Catching up in September

I really didn't know where to start when I finally got the chance for some me time and quilty sewing recently.

The Palace had become a bit of a cluttered mess, with bits and pieces everywhere - boxes and piles of projects waiting to be started, continued on with and finished. (I'm sure I'm not the only one with a workspace like this?)

I cleared a corner by doing some clothes ironing (!!) and then mended 3 pairs of the MOML's farm overalls (!!)

Staring at me (or was it Glaring at me) from the design wall was my temperature quilt. There were also bits of it in little containers and partial blocks scattered between my machine and the ironing board.

It seemed to make sense to do some work on it.

You may remember I am using the design by Joanne of Canuck Quilter Designs and I am loving it a lot. Sadly I'd got behind. 

However some concentrated sewing has seen the following happen.

April —

Temperatures ranging between pinky-red (24-25º) and dark-green (8-9º)

May —

Temperatures ranging between bright orange (20-21º) and dark-green (8-9º)

(Oh and one pink at 23º)

June —

Temperatures ranging between bright orange (20-21º) and light blue (6-7º)

July —

Temperatures ranging between light orange (18-19º) and light blue (6-7º)

Here are the first seven months of the year joined together. I'm enjoying seeing the colours progress throughout the quilt. 

You can see some of the shorter months haven't got their coping strips on the end, and also, below, you can see an oopsie I found while pressing - two units are upside down, marked by the pins below.

I've since fixed both things things but not re-photographed it.

Getting to this stage was enough temperature sewing just now. As it's joined I can take it off the design wall and free up the space for something else.

In the meantime I've whipped up some waterproof trousers for the youngest fellow. This is what he gets up to at Playcentre —

I used a 'softshell' fabric which apparently is water resistant. Hopefully it will save his clothes! (But judging by the above photo, I probably need to make a full body suit!)

And I've only guessed the elastic waist/cuffs so I may still need to do some unpicking to change them.

Now to decide what to work on next....!

'til next time,

happy stitches,

End of June rolls around

Gosh, the end of another month! I'm pleased to say that I finished the latest block of Foxley Village—

Here's a close up of the leaves; instead of satin stitch, I did something a little different, not sure what stitch it's called but it created a sort of vein on the leaves. 

There's just one more applique part to this instalment of the quilt and then I'll be onto the piecing.

Recently I tested another block for Juliet of Tartankiwi. This is another part of the Flashcat Medallion quilt she is currently designing. I really loved making this block and can imagine it in a lots of different fabrics.

You may remember that this cat is the centre of the quilt. I have since swapped out those cornerstone blocks.

Juliet is running a QAL for this quilt soon - her instagram page is the place to watch if you want to find out more (and to see her finished quilt).
Both of these projects are on my WOOFA list for this year (Working On Or Finishing), hosted by Cheryll of Stitching Cubbyhole. These two projects seem to be the only ones I'm making much progress on this year, everything else on my to-do lists is currently on hold 😕.

Last month the older twins came over and did some sewing. They told me the other day that the snugglies they had made needed mending so came over again to fix them up and adorn them further. They were very confident this time and told me I didn't even need to watch them sew. Hmmmm, after recently reading Lori Kennedy's blogpost about an accident with a needle, I told them I would watch them sewing like a hawk!!

Their snugglies still go to bed with them every night :-)

The only other sewing I've done recently has been to make some beanbag snakes. Wee Odie has a lot of windows in his room, with no pelmets, and too much light is getting in. YD and I are experimenting with 'snakes' to cover the gaps at the top.
The first ones were what we call singles. No good. So we progressed to doubles with a flap.

The doubles with a flap are too wide so the next version will be singles with a flap! Sigh. I know that my patience with these snakes will run out soon so I hope the singles with a flap work. In the meantime rolled up towels work just fine. Watch this space!!!!

An ineffective single.

(Oh, the snake making is a Great Way to use up scraps, so that's a positive.)

'til next time,

safe and happy stitches,