HOW TO SEW ON A HOT DAY

FIRSTLY, THIS MUST BE ON FULL BLAST -  ignore the dirty blades!

SECONDLY, YOU MUST HAVE GOOD MUSIC PLAYING...  yes, I do have quite a selection in my iTunes!    As I am typing this, Dean Martin is singing La Vie En Rose and oh no, now I'm listening to the theme from Dances with Wolves (I still get goose-bumps when I hear this song!)

YOU REALLY MUST HAVE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AGES AGO, THAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED...  yes, embarrassed to admit it but this is our little Maisy's Teddy quilt that was supposed to be her Christmas present....  it's coming Maisy!!

Stitching in the ditch.  Using Gutermann Sulky  Cotton 30 in the bobbin (a lovely variegated thread col # 4031) and Gutermann Cotton 50 in needle.

When I sew children's quilts I always backstitch at the beginning

and end of the quilting row.  I feel this adds strength to the row of

quilting (will stand up to endless washing).

 

YOU SHOULD BE IN A HAPPY MOOD ... now this really made me happy - I received a complimentary copy of Barbara Brackman's new book "Civil War Sampler" - this was the weekly quilt- along I participated in back in 2011 ---- and before you ask, NO the quilt top is still not together.  I have a block in the book - Page 26  Blockade (it's the one on the bottom of the page).  How exciting is that!

but wait! there's more......

       

I had my first year of my Blog printed as a Blog2Print book!   Love it!  I'm now working on my second year. (sorry about the flash - if I didn't use it you couldn't see the book).

YOU SHOULD HAVE NOTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS SEWING (THAT WILL ONLY DISTRACT YOU!)...  I finished off this little quilt - I went through all of the scraps and leftover chunks of fabric I used making the Keep Movin' quilt and I put together this little quilt for a friend's new grandson.  It's only a small quilt - perfect for taking out to the shopping mall or the park - something clean and bright to use as a change mat or picnic rug.

I had the binding already made in my stash (it was going to be used on one of the toy twist quilts but I changed colours).  Although not a great colour match, I think it looks quite good and suits the quilt.

YOU SHOULD NOT BE INTERRUPTED BY FAMILY MEMBERS LOOKING FOR FOOD ..

Too easy... it's so darned HOT that nobody feels like eating anyway. Unless you count Frosty Fruits ice blocks:-)

So there you have it... how to sew on a hot day and believe me, we are experiencing terrible heat all over Australia.

I had better get back to the sewing, here's a bit of Dean to make you swoon (all those who do not like Dean Martin, switch off now)........

Happy Sewing!!
Cheers from Helen

... warning.. the above video may just make you cry-   better have a box of tissues handy:-)this of course only applies to those of you who love Dean Martin as much as I do.

Update on Fred:-  back to chemo again tomorrow and has had a rough two weeks following the last lot.  This will be # 5, so only one more session to go!   Thanks for all the lovely well wishes you send via my blog and email.