The heat strikes

It's full on Summer here in the far north of Queensland, and I have been handling lots of batting and holding quilted bits.

My sewing space is outside under a verandah, and it was so hot, I kept hosing the concrete floor, and hosing me down too, then i would sit at the sewing machine and keep sewing with the fan supposedly cooling me off.

Well, my body doesn't like it, and I have broken out in hives all over my body, but especially on parts of my hands that are swollen and sore.

So I have moved onto a foldup table inside in the air con, which is inconvenient for everyone, but bless them all for supporting me and my stitching, and are working around me. I've even given up doing the dishes for a couple of days, because even wearing dish gloves my hands were getting too hot.

I started to cut up the panel pieces adding frames in different prints, including this cherry scrap I had in my stash.

These look so cute!

They should be relatively easy to quilt in a star and cross before trimming to size. This time I will try a different method of joining, as I didn't like the bulk in the seams last time.

First big finish for the year!

 Ta-da! The yoga frog quilt is not only finished, but it looks magical! Watch it hover in the air! Hahahah...

35 blocks in a 7 x 5 configuration make quite a good sized quilt!

This quilt is joined in the suggested way on the Oz Comfort Quilts page, by putting back sides of the blocks together and making the seam on the front, then covering the bulky seam.

I don't like the bulky seam so much. But they are strong service quilts that will be used and loved.

The back is made from a cotton doona cover I picked up at H & M for only $5. Great value. And of course a label.

Next fabrics include these Dick and Jane panels I bought for a rockbottom bargain - only $1 each (originally would've been at least $20 each), and I found these prints at another shop on sale for $10 a metre so I thought, let's do it!

35 blocks at 10.5 inches

This is my stack of blocks, completed and trimmed! Excited to create the first entire quilt. I have used every scrap of poly/wool batting.

9 and a half inches of quilted goodness

It's left my sewing space in a state of disarray!!

I recently found out from the sewing machine servicer that one shouldn't leave the thread wound onto bobbins for too long, so i used up everything in the bobbin box, and an entire small reel of thread (in pink) while making the yoga frogs blocks.

Time to join them!

Today I wanted to share a post with 22 different heart designs for quilts. What better way to show your love than to make something in a heart! https://www.quiltfabrication.com/2020/01/free-heart-quilt-patterns.html

And in another share... I just found this life changing tool!!! The Vivilux Laser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAB7Qu6KuTk

I wonder if I would ever use it!

12 more

Only one more block to make, and one to sell to help fund my purchase of metreage for sashings and backings and batting.

Hmm... blue or green sashings....

I've made 34 of 35 blocks for the quilt, one more to go!

8 more blocks

8 more blocks brings me to a current total of 22 out of 35 for the first quilt.

I love this meditating frog, and so does my 4yo son. He was pretty keen "Make the meditating one Mummy". I hope there is some leftover fabric for me to make something for him too. 

This is just the kind of quilt I would love gifted if I was beginning again...

Only 13 more to make....

These won't be distributed en masse until March, so we have plenty of time to stitch with love.

I would love to finish it this weekend.

I wonder how many times I can get the children on the bouncy water park!

It certainly makes them go to sleep as soon as they go to bed!

I have ordered more batting to come in the mail direct from the suppliers, shopping takes too much time from my machine! Hahahaha. This lease of life is just what I needed I think.

Making time

It's not even 8am and the children are on the bouncy water park. What a great Christmas present that was from all who contributed!

You would not believe how much time we suddenly have!

And I plan on sewing some QAYG blocks.

My daughter is 8

It's been a big time of self expression, and as I talked about making these comfort quilts for the Australians who will need to rebuild  their homes and lives, my daughter was expressing herself in her diary/journal.

I absolutely love her drawing.

And her heartfelt words.

She says we are going to change the world in 2020, and I have to agree!