Quilting Block Swap Australia

I have completed and posted my block to my partner, Brenda, in Ohio USA.  She asked for a Storm at Sea block in blues and brown, so this is what I've sent:

I'll put a picture up, because I don't think she has a blog so hopefully she won't come looking.  Not that it matters, because its in the post!! :):)

I put in the fabrics with it because I thought that was a nice idea.  I've used 3 different blues and 1 brown.  It was a paper pieced block, so that was a great education for me and I hope that I got it right!

Bloggers BOM

The Bloggers BOM is out and this one is the 6th!  The time  is flying by isn't it?

Thios months block is by Amy Smart at Diary of a Quilter.  It's another gorgeous star.

Here's mine -

Its lovely isn't it?  I really enjoyed making this one.

Hexagons

It's that special time of the week again, when we link to Karen at Journey of a Quilter - One Flower Wednesday

So here are my two for the week.

I'm starting to use the same fabrics over and over , maybe I need to get some new and different ones?

Hop on over to Karen's blog and see what others are done.

A New House

Today the postman bought me a lovely squishy envelope, so I opened it and look at what I found:

A lovely house block and spare fabric, from my swap mate for January with Quilting Block Swaps Australia,   Brenda, from the USA.

I thought it was very nice of her to put in the fabric.

I will do the same for her, when I post her block tomorrow.

So I'm a lucky person again! 

Sunday Snippets

Go to visit Cathy at Tinniegirl to see more snippets.

TAST 2012

I haven't been idle I promise!  I've been busy stitching and catching up with the TAST stitches:

This is Week 5 Cretan Stitch (Darned Blogger won't centre this for me!)

This is week 6 Herringbone Stitch

Week 7 Detached Chain stitch

Week 8 Chain Stitch - my red chook in a tree!

So there we are, up to date. Now it's back to some quilting!

Hexagons

Well I only have one flower to show today - it's actually the same as a lot of others I have done, had the hexies all cut and thought I would join them:

So stop by Journey of a Quilter - One Flower Wednesday and see shat other pretty flowers are out there.

TAST Weeks 1,2 and 3

Week 1 Fly Stitch

Week 2 Buttonhole Stitch

Week 3 Feather Stitch

I have reaaly been enjoing these little stitch samples, I'm looking forward to doing more.

Sunday Snippets

Hop on over to visit Cathy at Tinniegirl and see more Sunday Snippets

A day with Friends

I was going to label this post "A Day with Old Friends", but then I thought better of it (they could read this!)

I spent yesterday at the home of my good friend Joan, who is just out of hospital after her second hip replacement:

So here is Joan with the faithful old crutches.  She is going very well and doing her exercises regularly.  She has a friend staying with her to assist, we have known this friend for 20 years I think. I hadn't seen her for at least 10 years!

Tadada!! Meet Del.  Don't the two girls  look nice together?

We sat and ate and talked and ate and talked all day.

There is nothing like a day spent with old friends!! I had to get it in....

Thursday Sewing Group

The one they call "Stitch 'n' Bitch"!  My first day back after 3 weeks away, it was lovely to see all the girls again.

Unfortunately, my clutch swap partner was not there today, so I was unable to give her the long overdue clutch that I made her. (I'm sorry that I can't show pictures of it -  I am very happy with the way it worked out. Perhaps next Thursday she can finally have it, and I can show pictures of it!)

Elizabeth made a clutch for me:

It's a perfectly sized pouch with a zipper along the topside, and this remark on the side.  I love it because it will be the perfect size for me to store hexagons or embroidery bits all in 1 spot.

I'm a pretty spoiled girl aren't I?

I thought you might like a little peek at what I worked on today:

I have been working on these blocks for at least 6 months, I think, and now finally I am putting them together.  Click on the pic and you'll see a larger view.

This is the first two rows. I am really pleased with the sashing fabric as it has all the different block colours and really pretty birds on it!

Our next sewing challenge is a tote, and I think I have to make one for my friend Tanya of Wee Little Birds.  Go over and take a look through her blog, you'll see why I'm worrying already!! What to do! Any suggestions?

Hexagons

Again I have not done any more flowers, but I have straightened up my flower quilt up by adding more flowers!

I've straightened up all the sides - as much as a hexagon quilt can be straightened!

Here's a sideways view for your viewing pleasure.  I'm using the old camera with these pics, and look - I've chopped bits off! Must be getting more used to the new camera!

Hop on over to Karen's place  at Journey of a Quilter and take a look at what talented people are putting together.

TAST - Week I

I have joined in with  Take a StitchTuesday at Sharon B's blog, Pin Tangle.  It has been literally years since I've done any embroidery, though I'm very interested in learning again.  I have found it very interesting to sit and practice the Fly stitch from week 1.  I obviously am out of practice!

I'm using Aida fabric, and here I have tried the stitch with doubled silk thread, perle 8 cotton and perle 5 cotton, and I have tried couching some woollen thread with it.  Still got lots more to do, to catch up with everyone else doing it this year.

Would you like to join up with me?  You don't have to put your name in and you can start whenever you like.  Let me know if you do, won't you?

Around the Garden

Lately we have had much rain and very high humidity, so the garden is absolutely growing wildly.  Everything is tall and approaching overgrown, and the weeds are bad as well.   Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to work out in the garden through this heat and humidity, and the storms just keep on rolling in.

I've taken just a couple of pictures to show you:

This is a green sport from a variegated ginger - it has grown quite tall and lanky and is throwing out flowers - looks like they may be pink.

This plant sits behind the previous ginger - I can see any number of designs in it's colour and curving leaves. Can you?

The good old faithful orange heliconia is flowering along well.

Here it is again with a pretty pink bottle brush flower.

Here is a pretty pink heliconia flower coming on - it has loved the weather.

Don't forget that you can click on the pictures and get a better look at them..

Sunday Snippets

So now hop on over to Cathy at Tinniegirl and see some more snippets.

Doing some Hand Work

I've gone back to this old block and started the edges:

Of course, I had to start in the worst spot, didn't I!  And it is going to take sooo long!

As I finish each part I am doing this.  I can't give the proper credit for it as I downloaded the design from a blog, and I forgot the name.  The design has "HB 2006" on it, so maybe that helps.  It was a free download and I thought it was just so cute...

Playing With the New CAMERA

This evening I went out the back garden with the new camera and played around a bit with the lenses and settings.

I was sitting on a seat in the hut, and I used the distance lens and tried to bring the garden closer with it:

I love the effect of the leaves in the foreground blurring.

This one is even closer, but Buddha is blurred as well.

Again trying to bring the garden closer

I think I have a bit more to learn about that distance lens!

But here's some with the close lens,that I mostly use:

Need to cut back those palm fronds!

My begonia that I have had for years and years.  It flowers madly once a year with white flowers and then just sits there doing nothing.

So what do you think?  Am I getting better with the camera?