The skirt-to-be

Yes, still on holiday, and I have another project in mind...

Isn't it a cute little bird? Yes, birds AND Christmas!! Yippee!! My favourites! Okay, I confess to shopping in NZ.

This is the first shop - "Stitch" - the playroom for knitters and stitchers. I chose this interesting fabric (a sort of linen-feel) and the red floral as an accent.

I would like to make a passport and ticket holder. Something with a bit of stiffener that can be closed quickly and securely while going through airports and waiting rooms.

Then I found this shop.... I have my sister's car and satellite navigation... gee, I love the sat nav!! Easy to use, even for a beginner! This gave me plenty of time to shop.

These Empress Woo fabrics were on sale - only NZ$10 per metre. The one above is the skirt-to-be. I imagine yet another A-line wrap skirt.And a few other pieces for kurtas (blouses). What do you think? I suppose they could also be used to make quilts with. Too bad!!

I can't wait to start the cross-stitch! I think it will be a daytime project when the light is best. The stitcheries are going down well for the evenings while SKY is on the telly or a DVD is screening in the big screened lounge.

Do I admit it now? Okay. I will. Now that I have stitched out a few of the Tis The Season stitcheries, I am getting low on DMC thread. I pounced on the little birdy cross-stitch in case I ran out of DMC thread.... then I remembered, I can buy DMC threads here! Derr... (Last overseas trips were in India, Dubai and Morocco. I had trouble even buying a needle there!!) Silly meeeee!

Tis The Season

Tis The Season for stitching... tee hee...

Yes, I do like stitchery for a holiday project.

These red and blue stitcheries will be used in another little wallhanging from the same pattern booklet. The original stitcheries were worked in only one colour. I am enjoying selecting different parts of the little pics to highlight.

A little hasty?

I may have been a little hasty with my hand over to 2011. I am on holiday in New Zealand.

Of course I brought stitchery (takes up hardly any space in the bags). I've already stitched these three little motifs in red and green thread. They will go into a little wallhanging "Tis The Season" designed by Natalie Bird. I chose the thread colours to match the fabrics I left at home.

Hand over

Here it is, ready to hand over to Mum....

It's the initial swap quilt top. The back is pieced, the label is attached.

One just doesn't know which blog post is going to be the last for the year... when I look at my other "last of the year" posts, I really didn't know they would be the last one for the year at the time of writing. How could I not know? I guess, I thought there would be time for another show and tell. Sometimes there is no time to blog, and sometimes there is no time to sew.

Well, I am ready to hand over to next year. I am going on holiday and probably won't add to my blog till next year. Happy New Year.

Another UFO ready to go down!

These blocks were made during the year 2004. They were part of an "initial" swap. I made the first block with my initial (L) on it. Each month another swapee made a block for me - inspired by the letter L.

You can see Lepidoptera (butterflies), ladybugs, log cabin, lyrebird (made by me), leaping frog and lazy lizard with leaves, letterbox, lily, lavender and lace, leaves, lamp, lavender and lilac and lemon and lime log cabin loveheart, liberty fan.

I would love to have this quilt top finished and off to Mum this year.

These blocks sat around for so long, wouldn't it be nice to have a quick finish?

The 10 year project

The Log Apartments quilt top is now finished. So is the back!! It took me a while to sew on the last two sides (they were already pieced), but then I wanted to arrange a few more log cabin squares into the outer border.

There they are. I am so pleased with it so far. I have even pieced the back and attached a label already.

Mum can take her time quilting it for me (while I am away on holidays... poor Mum!!). It has turned into quite a large quilt.

I am so pleased to have finished such a long-standing UFO!

Uh-oh!

So much more to do!! I've got a secret to tell ...
I organised a challenge with the Sunbury group that we have been working on all year.

We all chose our own fabrics and placed them into a bag. Then, 12 people each made a block for that person using their fabrics.

The block was really simple. This helps to reduce errors and allowed beginners to participate.

Some people chose exactly what fabrics would be used where.

Other people put the fabrics in the bag and said, just use "medium" here, "dark" here and "light" here.

We haven't looked in our own bags all year!

What an exciting surprise!

Of course, this now means I have another project to finish.

I entered the swap twice to end up with 24 blocks (my quilt will use 25 blocks).

Then, I won some of the raffle blocks!

I even won one of the blocks I entered - my favourite - it says Peace.

Look at this cute snowman. The nose looks like a coloured icy-pole! What a shame this block wasn't named. After I make these blocks into something (that's another project!!) I will try to find out who made the blocks. I would like them named.

Okay, let's finish something else before I sink my teeth into these 2011 projects.

New project and a new challenge

I'm a little behind with my blog posts.

At our Christmas function we received a new challenge from the Christmas Elves of the Sunbury group. The Elves have been secretly planning this challenge for the last 6 months. They made samples to show us, now we have until the Christmas in July function to undertake the challenge!

What is the challenge? To use the bias tape and the fabric supplied to make a quilted item in the "stained glass" style. Hmmm... lots of ideas are bouncing around at the moment!! I might need to shop for extra supplies!!

Here are some blocks I am making for the Garden Song sample quilt for my LQS.

This one is finished. I couldn't resist making the bird one first... I just love birds in quilts!

And this one has been started. Still some machine-applique to go (I am stitching on a few blocks at a time to reduce thread changes). And carrying the hand-stitching around with me. Each block has some words embroidered, and some have other details such as whiskers etc.

The other kris-kringle

I neglected to work on the other Kris Kringle present (different quilt group) - I was waiting to find out who the recipient would be. Then, we decided it would be a lucky dip of sorts!! So, I made a "generic" present.

Here 'tis.

This is a rubbish bin. Simply insert the bottom of a 2L softdrink botthe and it will hold its shape!

This is a pin cushion made from selvedges - a little bit of fun. I also popped in kit to make a little zippy bag. And wouldn't you know it? Rosie got my gift!!

This is what I received from my kris kringle. A stocking and some shortbread.

A pleasent evening out with friends - and we didn't have to cook!!

All these Christmas parties should be explaining why there is not much sewing show and tell on my quilting blog! LOL!!

Christmas night out!

I gave away the Kris Kringle folder tonight. I was a little concerned at one point, as some of the gifts were over and above the effort required!! (Was my gift good enough?)

But I squashed any doubts when I thought that I had made the folder with the recipient in mind, and I did what I could.

The Kris Kringles were to be home-made, sewing related gifts.

I received this full of truffles and some chocolates. How do you get the truffles in? Voila!

That's another night out with no sewing for showing.

Stitch and Cut

I stitched another raffle block - that makes three. We have all purchased little squares of the same fabric from the swap co-ordinator (20 cents each) so that it really is all the same fabric. (You know how solid black can vary? So can solid cream). Everyone is using the same variegated thread "Christmas Time" by Threadworx. I like stitching with variegated threads.And, I have been cutting. I will make a sample of the quilt "Garden Song" by Nancy Halvorsen of Art To Heart for my LQS. Her patterns are just luvverly.
This is a close-up of some blocks in the book.

It's okay, I am not yet sidetracked from Log Apartments. I machine-stitched a bit more of the border last night... and would have done more, but I ran out of fabric!

I am only cutting out these appliques so far. Well... cutting and fusing, but definitely not machine stitching!!

Why? Because...

No, really. I don't feel sidetracked. It's not quite veering away from the Log Apartments quilt. Why? Because that's machine work and this is handwork.

These little stitchery blocks are the first (I plan to stitch five blocks) in a series for this year's quilt group raffle blocks. Do you remember raffle blocks from previous years? Each participant makes as many blocks as they want to. For each entry they receive a raffle ticket. All the raffle tickets go into the draw, and winners receive a bundle of blocks. (Okay, so I am stitching five blocks, I could have used them all myself.... but where is the challenge in that?). Besides, it's nice to have friendship blocks.And, I finished hand-stitching the binding on the final bibs.

Pop! It just works!

It is such a pleasure to be working on this quilt.

I am just letting "the next thing happen". At night before I go to bed I will draw a quick sketch of the next bit, and it just works! Pop!

The zig zag border is now attached. I need to make the next border before I can calculate the size of the light minty green strip between to make them fit just so.

After this (final) border is attached I will audition a few more "loose" (or is it castaway and leftover) log cabin squares. I might need to add more flow from the centre to the outside.

I am using "log shapes" in the outer border, but it is giving a slight curved edge to the outside. I am particularly happy with the alternating pinkish-red, then greenish-blue repeating theme as the borders are applied.

I look forward to seeing the next bit! Let's just see how it flows.