My Pieceful Space

Even though it's not strictly "Christmas in July" month anymore, I am still kind of working on something! Hahaha! I wonder when I can make another block of time dedicated to Christmas.... or if I will "reward" myself for reaching my personal quilting goals...

My brain is just overflowing with great ideas. I keep waking up in the night with (of course!) sensational ideas... hehahehehahehehe... but first, they need to be made.. before that they are my intellectual secret!

What's been going on in My Pieceful Space? (That's my new name for the sewing part of the kitchen).

I finished two stitcheries for the Bronwyn Hayes "Wish Quilt". The angel is now part of this new block, that just needs a bit of applique stitched down.



The cat was a dog to stitch. I FORCED myself to finish it, by taking ONLY that stitchery to social sewing group. After I had oohed and aahed over all the show and tell, and taken mine too, there was nothing else for it. I gritted my teeth and it's over. Phew!



What didn't I like about stitching the cat picture? It was the satin stitch leaves in the border. I loathed stitching it, and therefore did not do a spectacular job. There was no patience left for a necessary job. I could have left out the satin stitch, but I know that from a distance it will add balance to the quilt. A necessary addition, in the end!

And so, there are ALMOST 4 of the 6 blocks finished, and the very last stitchery has been started. Hurrah! I think the project will end here soon, as it's less than 4 weeks until the bellydance concert, and I may need to decorate a new bra. *wink wink* I just don't think one I already have will do!

And here is a set of bags "Alpaca My Bags!" I made for a gf on her way to Malaysia next week.



An ipad bag, and a passport and tickets bag. The other side has her name free motion quilted. I love these bags... I think there may be some more on the way....

Just a little bit....

The second block of 6 for "The Wish Quilt" by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolley is complete.




And a mini block for the third large combined block has been made.



Next it will be time to trace off more stitcheries ready to carry around (you never know when you can sneak in a few stitches!) Although, I expect when the school holidays are over, the blog will look much more productive.

We've been investigating everywhere! Visiting gardens...




And we even happened across a sugar cane fire just at the right time....



just on sunset...



we saw the fire start with a can and gun, and we watched it burn, felt the heat, smelt the ash, heard the loud crackle.. we stopped to watch it all.. fascinating stuff...

Sew busy and happy

It's the school holidays, and we are busy busy busy!


There wasn't even time for Social Sewing Group today... family is amazing though. What a journey we get to travel watching children grow.

This is my show and tell from yesterday...



A little bit more to do and this block (one of 6 blocks in  Bronwyn Hayes' design "The Wish Quilt") is finished.

I've had so many ideas, and am quite excited to go shopping for Christmas fabric at $5 per metre... I just can't help myself when it comes to Christmas! Trying to stay away...

Mum leaves tomorrow, which was a surprise to me. I thought she was staying for longer, so I have been forsaking my sewing for family time. Stay tuned for more "Christmas in July" progress.

Stitchy fingers

I've been gagging to start something with these challenge fabrics. And finally, it's July!


My self imposed (or is that self allowing) month where I get to put aside the long term projects I've been working on all year, and finish off/work on/start some projects with a Christmas theme, or for Christmas gifts.

First up, I started another small redwork stitchery for the Bronwyn Hayes Christmas wallhanging. This little birdy block is stitched. It will become the centre of a tiny sawtooth star. There is another little one traced and ready to stitch.



Last night after little man went to sleep with his Daddy, I was in the right frame of mind to cut and measure fabric pieces for one of the redwork blocks, but the fabric was nowhere to be found! Dangnabbit. I'll have to work on something else. It turned out to be in a box under our bed where he was sleeping with Dad.... No way that I  would have been able to rummage around without waking up Bub, and that is why I couldn't find it last night.

Well, with itchy fingers (or should that be "stitchy fingers"? hee hee) I went searching for something else to cut and stitch.

Ta-da! Ooh, these fabrics are lovely. The challenge is to make an item no bigger than 50cm x 50cm using only these fabrics.

I liked the look of these flying geese blocks at Temecula Quilt Co. This link shows a photo tutorial for making the blocks starting with 5 squares to make 4 geese units.

I made these last night. It took no time to make 18 blocks.


All pinned together, and little confetti triangles cut off...



And here is the tiny quilt top ready to quilt. This is going to be a table centre. This will fulfill the challenge requirements and then it will be given as a gift to one of the children's class teachers for Christmas.



Then I really liked these green fabrics with the oranges.



I couldn't use them together for the challenge, so I decided to make something else with the leftover orange prints from the challenge.



 This will become a quilt about a metre square.



 Hmm.. I'm going to need some more orange and green fabrics. What can I find?



More geese!!



Uh-oh. I cut these squares too big! Back to the board to cut them down...





I've made 44 geese blocks... I think that will be about half the size I'd like.  I'm going to have to look for another 6 or so fat quarters.... that's all I could get up to today... school holidays! Busy Mummy!!

Earlier this week I took little man and my Mum (Grandma) off to the Townsville Show to look at the exhibits.



The craft and baking sections were so small.... I feel bad for not entering this year. I want to keep the exhibits going. Now, I know how to present everything, I am excited to enter a few sections next year.

It's an amazing thing to see everything new in the eyes of a child.



I feel totally blessed to be a parent...
Ooh! The Ferris Wheel.



Who is looking at Who?

Little Man couldn't take his eyes off the Dodgem Cars. I know he's going to love them when he's older... or maybe he will have a go-kart and won't need them. He's definitely a car buff like his Dad.

Deja vu

Sometimes we just need a change of scene. It's been all about Diamond Hill and Secret Garden applique BOMs for the last 5 months.

I started joining in the Goblin King quiltalong at fandom in stitches. About 2 months ago I lost the bag with the stitcheries in progress. Perhaps it was stashed somewhere very special by Master 18 months!! I stopped stitching, hoping the blocks would turn up.

Um. No. I even had to buy a new embroidery hoop.

Now that some people have finished piecing the entire Labyrinth quilt top, and I am feeling inspired to stitch a block or two again.

Look! Here is the new Hoggle block all stitched out. Next I need to print out some more patterns. I only have the worm to work on.

Ooh deja vu. Have I already stitched this? I can't remember.

And so, I turned to the other stitchery project I started this year (also a big project) - The Wish Quilt by Red Brolley (Bronwyn Hayes). It's a free pattern too.

This little block has been stitched onto a piece of waffled red tea towel. I'm loving the contrast in thread colours.

Cheers to all our slow stitching projects... that are hopefully coming together by the end of the year!

In the background

All it takes is a little bit of attention each day, and your projects keep moving forward.

It's so much easier when others are also working on the same project. Online stitch alongs are like my quilt community at the moment, and I am so grateful. I am thankful for the opportunity to see everyone's fabric choices, and colour pallettes.

I am very surprised at the number of quilts being made with Fairy Frost. Yes, I am using it too, making a quilt for an older woman. Maybe it's more appealing to the older market with eyes that need the extra twinkle in the fabric for definition and contrast... or maybe it's because now that more shops have them in stock we can source them easily!

This is my first time using the Fairy Frost. I had no idea it was so popular. I bought a few little pieces of 20cm or 30cm to start a pallette for the two BOMs with Esther, with plans to use one of the shimmery vanilla ones in the border of Diamond Hill. I can see it twinkling already!

All of the tendrils and light coloured leaves are stitched on the second block of Diamond Hill now. Time to add some flowers I think. Although I find the more pieces I baste on, the stiffer the block is from the glue and the spray starch - it's the first time I've ever used this method of applique.

And in the background, mostly stitching in the car when I am occasionally chauffeured around by my sweetheart... is the ever growing Red Brolley redwork for the Christmas quilt.

Slowly, slowly, the redwork grows.

I really must get around to looking for the missing bolt of fabric to catch up on the Labyrinth quilt stitchalong. Eek!

Friendly flowers

I've been working solidly on preparing the flowers for the first Secret Garden block.



I am so in love with the quilt! My head is dancing with ideas!

This picture from the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland has inspired me to look at where I could stitch faces onto my flowers.

Holding an iron solidly for a few hours I had a bit of a twinge in the wrist, which made me think it's time to do something else. There will be no flower preparation today.

None of the flowers are stitched on yet. The evening has been dedicated to the Red Brolley stitcheries.

This stitchery is complete. The block has two more stitcheries on it, and I am half way through the second one.

Today is the next reveal day for Project Quilting, so I will pop over there and get some inspiration.

Have a wonderful week everyone! Happy Monday!

Uh oh. New challenge! New BOM!

OMG. I just found another gorrrgeous free mystery BOM. In wool applique. Sigh. Buttermilk Basin. It's only free until the 15th of the month, then the next block is out. You need to go to the website each month to collect the next pattern.

I just hope I've found all of these fabulous new free BOMs now, because if any start in say, mid year, I might be tempted to collect those too... goodness!

Here is my update for the Red Brolley Christmas blocks. The first completed block. Only 5 blocks (or 8, I haven't quite decided) to go.

The next Project Quilting challenge has been issued. "Tune Into Texture". So I collected some ideas yesterday.

I knew that with the time constraints I would only have one day to Tune in, and collect ideas.

At the end of the day I had to decide what to make...

and start making it, in order to complete the quilt by the deadline.

I also wanted it to be something that I already wanted to make - not something extra, but with some fabric I have put aside, and maybe it will suit one of my Christmas gift recipients.

I had to keep it simple, even if I Tuned into textures for future projects.. I really love getting right into a challenge theme, but rather than spend a week making something obscure, I also wanted to make something that would be used and loved.

And so, I decided to do something with this gorgeous set of Christmas fabric I bought 2 years ago on  holiday in Mogo.

stack of fabrics with textures for quilting

The texture will be all about the quilting. It kind of feels like a copout, but this is a one week challenge, and I would like to finish it.

the panel is gorgeous

I knew when I bought the fabric that I would be making gifts, but I wasn't sure who for. Now I know these colours suit my brother and sister in law's Christmas tree.

I would like to make a Christmas tree skirt, but first, and for this challenge, I will do something fast with the panel, so that I can texturise with quilting.

Slow weekends.... *happy sigh*

It's been a weekend of needed relaxation, Sunday brunch at a beach cafe, time with my sweetheart and young bub, and slowly working on the Christmas redwork.

This block is not quite finished. It needs the stitched houses appliqued along the bottom.

And this one needs a little applique and a lot of piecing.

A little more dreaming was had as I was exploring this find:

 the wonderfully artistic fabric from Frond Designs.

They seem to be artists who paint.

The paintings are printed onto fabric of a quilting quality, and are amazing.

These are some of my favourite fabrics.

There are also lots of basic textures.

And patterns on the website too.

If you are looking for something different, this could be it.

Kind of makes me want to buy a whole bolt and frame blocks, arrange them assymetrically, and stitch them into a huge bed quilt.

They would be so fun to quilt.

Or make into clothes.

Happy dreaming, and happy weekend to you.