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

\

My Mountains

Here is how I make my Majestic Mountain blocks -   If you only use one set of squares and you are using stripes or plaids, you will end up with your stripes and plaids going in different directions in the one Mountain block.   I didn't like that so I cut two sets of squares so I can have my stripes and plaids going the same way and I end up with two Mountain blocks.  I spray starch my fabrics prior to cutting out my squares.  These fabrics come from Op Shop / Thrift Store second hand mens shirts, all cotton.  I try to buy XL shirts with long sleeves.

In this set my dark pink stripe is vertical 

Place a check square RST with pink square - my squares are cut 8-1/2" square

 

Cut on the diagonal- I use the 45 deg angle on my ruler. 

 

This set has the dark pink stripes running horizontally - my 
black plaid was not directional  - cut this set on the same diagonal without
moving the set, it must be cut on the same diagonal as the first set without moving or rotating
this set. 

Chain piece the triangle sets

Square up your HST to 8" and cut into 2" strips.  I don't have a photo but
I press the seam on my HST's open.  It makes it much easier when
you come to join the strips later.

Lay out the 2" strips to form your first half mountain

Joint the strips in sets of two then four and then joint the two halves together.

This is the back of one block.  I like to press the centre joining seam open and then
press the seams on each side away from the centre.

This is the block that used the horizontal stripes

and this one has the vertical stripes

I am enjoying making these blocks.  Hubby is away at present, so I've set up a sewing station out in the lounge room right in front of the tv.  Bliss!

Happy Sewing,

Cheers from Helen