Just in time ...

July seems to have whizzed by and I had a lot to do in it!  The last couple of days have been spent catching up with all my quilting bees.

For Sarah in the ANZAC Bee.  This was the first bee I signed up for and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Sarah was the last person in the bee so I would like to say a huge thanks to Amy over at Seven Stitches for organising it and introducing me to virtual quilting bees (VQBs).

Nova, in the Australsian Bee, wanted some wonky star in July so I happily obliged!

The newest bee I'm part off is the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder and Bec sent out the fabric with the wish for something traditional with a twist.

A job well done and all off in the post winging their way to Australia.

I am the queen bee for August in the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder so I've also had to get organised with my fabric choices and patterns.  After discarding a couple of options I've decided on a traditional log cabin block made from fabric from vintage sheets and pillowcases.

I've been collecting vintage sheets since we returned to NZ and am very happy to seem them being put to some good use at last.  I think these blocks will be alternated with a simple square within a square block and maybe it's time for me to try some free motion quilting!  I already have a place earmarked for this quilt so hopefully it won't be too long in the making. x

My creative space ....

Having seen some of the crochet loveliness that has been around the creative spaces the last couple of weeks (to see more this week head on over to Kirsty's, our lovely host) I was very tempted to get hooking again.  So last Thursday evening I  dusted off my hooks, found some yarn and made these:

Unfortunately in my haste and with both girls tucked up in bed I winged it on the size.  The result?  Too big for Cassia and too small for Maia.  Very quick and easy to do so will make them both some more this coming week once I have finished what has really been taking up my week!

My creative space this week is all about hearts.  I joined the ANZAC Bee earlier this year and for my month I asked for hearts, hearts and more hearts.  This is what I received:

1. ANZAC Bee March block 2, 2. ANZAC Bee March block 1, 3. hearts for Abi, 4. heart block, 5. Abigail's blox 001, 6. Abigail's blox 002, 7. Abigails heart block, 8. Abigails heart block, 9. Abigails heart block, 10. IMG_3382, 11. Abi's block, 12. Hearts 006, 13. Hearts 003, 14. Hearts 005, 15. Hearts 002, 16. Hearts for Abi <3, 17. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Blue Heart, 18. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Brown Heart, 19. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - stripy detail, 20. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Stripy Heart

Aren't they all just gorgeous?!!!  (And thanks to Nova for telling me how to do a mosaic - I think they could become quite addictive!).

They were all returned to me by April and have been languishing on the shelf.  So this week has been all about making the most of the blocks.

This is where I'm at as of today:

Phew!!!  What a job it has been but one that I'm really enjoying.  I've still a few blocks to make and then I need to join the rows and then I need to .........  OK so you won't see it finished in this space next week but it shouldn't be toooo far away!

Hope you've all had a great week creating. x

Op shop finds and a couple more blocks ...

One of the weekend's garage sale was more like an English jumble sale - in a church halls and mostly clothes piled high on trestles.  Unlike an English jumble sale there was no queue to get in, no entry fee and you could fill a bag up for $2 - how can you not like that.  Most of the things I found are to be used for the material - silk, linen, wool and a couple of stripy jersey tops to make some trousers for the girls.

a small selection of my finds!

and a couple of items were put in the bag solely for the buttons!

Some vintage embroidered doilies from the local op shop

Embroidery detail

Now you might be asking isn't the second photo just another close up shot?  Well you would be right!  But it's the BACK of the doily.  Can you believe it?  The neatness of the work is amazing - and I got the whole set for 50c!

I'm still working away on my quilt top from the ANZAC Bee - it's maybe about 2/3 done now!  A couple of extra blocks I've made:

appliqueed tumbling hearts block

paper pieced heart awaiting border

I can't seem to be able to get into anything but the heart quilt so I had better get it finished soon to allow some other creating into my life!  (And also get the kitchen table and spare bed back!!!!) xx

What a wonderful weekend ...

including lots of my favourite things.  

Saturday was filled with:

garage sales

op shoppping

coffee

clear blue sunny skies

washing drying outside in winter - including some of my garage sales finds

outside playing

being able to have the windows and doors open all day

our beautiful rosemary which will be full of the beautiful flowers from now until December

playing about with my ANZAC Bee blocks

sewing

Sunday dawned grey and wet so a day inside was called for, including:

cleaning

friends for morning tea and playing

sorting through my op shop finds

reading the Sunday papers

more coffee

a little bit more sewing on my quilt top

cooking something new for tea.

chicken and mushroom pie followed by ice cream - delicious!

All in all a lovely time had by all.  How was yours? x

The birds and the bees ......

The birds are courtesy of Maia and Cassia, made this week at the library pre-schoolers song, dance and craft morning, or as my girls call it "the dancing library"!

The bees are courtesy of me and are this month's block for the Australasian Bee.  Monika, aka Miss Monny Quilts, wanted boxy stars and sent us the fabric and the instructions.  I thought it looked a little complicated but I followed the instructions carefully and it turned out alright!

I've really enjoyed being part of the Anzac Bee and Australasian Bee this year.  In fact I've enjoyed them so much that I have just signed up for another .... The Bee Seam Piecing Downunder!  I was somewhat hesitant to join my first bee seeing as I only started quilting last October but I took the plunge and have loved every minute.  I have been challenged in the blocks I've made, both in the subject matter and in the colours.  But nothing beats the little parcels of fabric that arrive in my postbox each month - it's wonderful!!!  So if you've been thinking about and haven't signed up just yet ..... GO AND DO IT!!!!!  If you're looking for a bee to join try over here.  If they all seem full at the moment keep popping back because people are starting up new ones all the time.  Happy sewing! x

It's all about quilts ...

I took a night class in patchwork and quilting at the end of last year and I am now officially addicted!  How do I know?  Well last week we had a get together of the class at the tutor's house to see what we had done and to continue sewing.  I jokingly said asked the tutor how many quilts she had on the go (Answer: she couldn't quite remember!) but then realised the joke was on me when I counted up patchwork/quilting projects I have on the go (not even mentioning those I have in my head!).  Answer: 7 (and I only started in October!).

So this week I have been doing a lot on the quilting front.

 

I was lucky enough to sneak a place on the ANZAC Bee, run by the lovely Amy over at Seven Stitches, after someone had to drop out and so these are the blocks for Margaret.  They are going to be made into a Paintbox Quilt inspired by this one over at Oh, Fransson!  So now I have another one to add to that list in my head!

Having enjoyed my first two months of the ANZAC Bee so much  I felt I needed to join another one.  I was  happy to spot another Aussie/Kiwi alliance run by Jo at Sparkly Green Knickers (don't you just love that name?!) and so the Australasian Bee was formed.  Last month Viv set us this challenge and having made my blocks for her I was keen to make some for myself.  So a variation on a theme resulted in:

One is destined to become a wall hanging and the other cushion cover.  Pretty cute eh?  

So lots done but obviously none of the aforementioned quilt projects!  Well I have now got one of them crossed of my list.

 

I was browsing the web one day (as we are all prone to do) and saw this tutorial for a crazy nine-patch on Oh, Fransson!  I had to give it a go and I had to give it a go there and then.  The top was cut and pieced in a couple of hours and then sat on the shelf until this week.  The end result:

This is only the second piece I've quilted so I was pretty pleased with it.  You can see it's got a border on it because I didn't quite measure the initial square quite right and I've just done outline quilting along the seams and then echoes the triangular shape of the pieced blocks on the plain blocks.  I love the way the original is quilted all over but I thought if I was going to get it finished at any stage this year then it would have to be straight lines!

1 down 6 more to go - watch this space!! x