BUSY, BUSY, BUSY...............

Hello there!

     I have been very quiet here and I can't say I've been sewing up a storm either.  Life has been busy and I just haven't been sewing like I usually do.

     My "Land Down Under" quilts are progressing... one by machine applique and the other by hand applique.  I'm considering purchasing a new sewing machine soon.....  I want a machine that has a presser bar knee lift option for my machine applique.  As I'm getting older my arthritis in my fingers (especially my left hand) is making it increasingly difficult to do my hand stitching so I see much more machine applique in my future.   My friend Joy (Joy of Quilting) recently posted about her machine applique using her machine with a knee lifter - click here to view the article.  Since viewing this I have decided that is what I need! 

     Here are a few of my "Land Down Under" blocks I've been working on...........

Peter Possum

My Spike the Kookaburra

Simpson the Dingo

A little girl Koala 

Rex the Echidna

Skippy the Kangaroo

Building the rows

I did an extra Dingo block and made a gift for the

staff at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - their

resident dingo Simpson recently passed away and I just happened

 to be sewing my

Dingo block.

     My time has been taken up of late running a School Past Students Facebook Page.  We held our first Get-Together in March (at Lone Pine) which was lots of fun.  Sadly it poured rain the day before so our numbers were down but it was a good start.  

I've been doing a few tee shirts (some by machine, some by hand)......

Cheeky monkey

Wobbly jelly fish

Machine applique tee shirts

      I hadn't made a Chalkboard Roll for ages so when a good friend asked me what I could make for his little grandson I knew immediately what it would be..........

   







I'm in the middle of making two pillowcases.... one done and one to go!  I love the "Burrito" method for making these... so fast!

Sewing on my Featherweight 222K

Hubby took himself away on a holiday in April so I enjoyed some lounge room sewing !  I was in the middle of cleaning up my sewing room (a task still awaiting completion!!) when I found my bag of scraps from making the Op Shop shirts quilts so I immediately tipped it all out and started cutting and piecing - the pattern is a modified Arkansas Crossroads made wonky - no matching up of anything! really fast piecing which was fun as I watched all of my favourite television shows.

Close up of block

Adding borders

Pieced a backing out of leftover squares and blocks

      Something new to sew!  Jar grippers!  These are so quick to make and they are so useful!  I found the idea here at The Happiest Camper Homestead page.   I did not add a magnet but may do for future versions I make.

     I recently started using these needles and I really like them.   I'm using them at the moment in my Brother Quilters Edition doing machine applique and they just stitch so beautifully. 
They are chrome plated and I have found they are fantastic for my machine applique through fusible webbing.  No sticking, no skipped stitches! and they last a long time!  

Machine applique on my
Brother Quilters Edition
(Greg Peck looking on!)

A Winter sky in Brisbane

Yes.... that's me!  Grade 1 in 1961

I was asked what my home looked like......
so I went down on the tennis court and
took this photo

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QUILT GIFTING

Hello!

My sewing has been hit and miss lately...... I really need to tidy the sewing room and then sort out a few new projects!

I made a quilt for my friend's little grandson..... the pattern I have is called Hey Diddle Diddle but it is now called Playtime and is available here from Kariepatch.  I've made a few versions of this quilt but this one has to be my favourite.  As usual I put in some books and I tagged a Peter Rabbit soft toy on to one of the twist blocks.  

I used Matilda's Own cotton wadding for the first time on this quilt and WOW I love it!  It was a dream to quilt (on my Sweet Sixteen) and I love how it came out once washed and dried, so soft and crinkly.

Always include a book! 

Forest Friends for Archie

Peter Rabbit tagged along!

The princess quilt was a gift for a good friend (we did Tuckshop together at my son's high school).  The quilt is for her little granddaughter.  I did traditional cross hatch quilting on this one (on my Brother PQ1500)

Quilt for my friend

I purchased a new Go Cutter die..... the Train .....  this is just the engine on a little tee shirt.

New Accuquilt Go Cutter die!  

Reading pillow

Quilted List Taker

My tee shirt stash had some sizes I needed to use up so I worked up a few for my friend's grandies....

Tee shirts! 

A little friend had his birthday last Sunday so I whipped up a quick gift.  This drawstring backpack is so quick to make.  Finished size is 12" square.  Perfect for a little boy. 

A quick gift - drawstring backpack 

Plus a book!

Yesterday was my 63rd birthday.......  seems like only yesterday I was 21 !    I'm not certain but I think this would be my 7th or 8th birthday.  That's me bottom row 3rd from left.   My mum put on such wonderful parties for my birthdays ......... 

Cheers!

Happy Sewing!!

On the high seas ....,,

Although the weather is still hot and sticky I felt like some sewing today... So the ceiling fan is on full blast and I'm back working on the machine appliqué!

I purchased a wide open toe foot and it is so much better than the other foot I've been using.  I can now see very clearly where I'm stitching.

February is a busy birthday month in our family - I have just finished making the gifts for our little Maisy and Amos ....

Posting this from my iPhone so photos out of order :-(.   Chalkboard Roll for Maisy and appliqué tee-shirt for Amos.  

I used a different method for the mitred corners of the chalkboard roll - if you check out my Facebook I have linked to it but from my phone it's a bit tricky!

I will add to this post later and put up a proper link.

Back to the machine ......

Cheers from Helen