SO MUCH FOR THE SPARE QUILT

We delivered the Farm Quilt today.  It was a short lived "spare" quilt!  Holly (next door neighbour's cat) seemed to be very attracted to this quilt when I was trying to hand sew the binding....  she would not get off so the hand sewing took a little longer than usual!

Holly (neighbour's cat) really loved
the farm quilt

Just as well I always wash a quilt prior to gifting!  Cold machine wash, warm tumble dry... that's it! I like to give quilts that can be used, washed, used, washed... over and over again.  I also offer repair services if needed!!

I found a great board book to go with it!

So now I don't have a "spare" quilt or a machine sewing project "on the go" but don't panic.......... don't panic...  I'll invent something :-)  I do have plenty of hand sewing to carry on with :-)

Happy Sewing!!  Cheers from Helen

Visited Mum last weekend, she was in fine
form... so happy... not bad for 95!

PLAYING PAIRS

My Mum & my Featherweight 222K
Mum looks amazing for someone who will be 95 in July
My Featherweight looks good too, she is 58!

Our pretty rows

Last week I took my Featherweight 222K over to visit with my Mum in the Nursing Home.  We set up out in the little dining room.  I had taken over some packs of charm squares and placed them on the table for Mum to put two together and hand to me and I did the sewing.  Mum did very well with this considering she has Dementia and really cannot see too well at all.  Now and then she would "drift" but for most of the hour and a half she seemed to enjoy the process.  We laid out our rows and surprisingly Mum worked out that I had more rows to sew and then we would have a tablecloth!  At one point she said to me "oh, this is patchwork" and she also figured out that we were doing rows of six by six.   Interestingly Mum was able to work out if she had two different squares as every now and then she would say "oh no, those don't go together".  Although she cannot see too well, I took her hands and ran them over the sewing machine.  She was amazed at how small it was.  I told her all about the Featherweight sewing machine and how old mine is (1957).

We spent a very enjoyable morning and next week we will do it again, this time putting the rows together.

Siggy from Frederika, Norway

I am still participating in the International Siggy Swap and last week I received this lovely block from Frederika in Norway.  It is still exciting to receive a little envelope in the post and read all about different places around the world.  Thank you Frederika, I love your little shoes!

I think I have missed posting about a few Siggy Blocks from last year so will update with those soon.

The machine appliqué is going well.......

Choo choo....... I am up to the By Rail row

Pattern:- By Air, By Rail, By Sea
Heather's Designs

I am enjoying doing the machine appliqué
Sewing on my Brother Quilters Edition 

Another version of Sylvie Sunshine
this one for a little friend.
Sewn on my Featherweight

Happy Sewing!

Cheers from Helen

IT'S A BIT LIKE DRIVING........

you should always take a break if you feel tired!

Yes, I sewed last night even though I was feeling whacked after a day out to celebrate my Mum's 93rd birthday.  My sister put on a family lunch which Mum really enjoyed.  Our little Bridget was there and insisted that my sister (her grandmother) do party bags for everyone!  so we all came home with a treat bag of lollies (candies).  Too cute!

So... what did I sew?  I started Block # 2 of the AFA quilt-along.  I got the rows pieced but left joining them until today, as I just knew I was not really concentrating enough to be sewing accurately - especially as I'm sewing on the Singer knee-shift!

I took the photo outside on my verandah, hence the dappled sunlight!  

Now I'm off to make my Batik version of this block....

Happy Sewing!!

Helen

A favourite photo - Mum washing the car!
I'm not sure how old Mum was in this photo but
I sure wish I had that figure!!

FABRICS USED IN THIS BLOCK:-

BROWN CONTRAST FABRIC -  "MONOCHROMATIX" BY PATRICK LOSE FOR ROBERT KAUFMAN

BLUE SQUARES -  RAINBOO ZOO BY AMY BLAY FOR RED ROOSTER FABRICS

YELLOW -   PEBBLES YELLOW, BROOK BY CP DESIGNS FOR STUDIOFABRICS.COM

BLUE/BROWN/MUSTARD SWIRL - NANCY MIMS FOR MODGREENPOD   ROBERT KAUFMAN