McCalls Modern Quilt Patterns

I have just downloaded this little ebook, and thought you might like to know what I thought of it.

It has only 10 pages and 3 nice modern quilt patterns. You don't have to read through tons of pages to find what you want and if you are interested in modern quilts, this little e book is just what is needed.

The quilt patterns are really easy to understand, they give all the details of fabrics etc, and they show tips and tricks and cover squares, stripes and triangles, and quilt as you go.

The quilts all have gorgeous little names, like Baubles and Beads ( a lovely square in a square design with crisp white sashings), Rainbow Rhythm, made up of triangles done in the very best way possible, and Lemon Squeezy which is quilt as you go

I love all the patterns included, and think I may give them all a go this year.

January DUQBS

I have received these really nice blocks from my friend Linda.

Sorry the picture is a little bit blurred - it didn't look like that before! And I'm too lazy to go and take another one tonight!

I have enough houses to make a quilt and a pillow to match, so now I am asking for stars, any sort.  These should all go together to make a nice bright quilt!

Thursday Sewing Group

Well, I had quite a productive day yesterday , with my friends.

I actually sewed all my blocks together into rows, and then started on my quilt top.  It will be 5         x 8 blocks and then I will add some borders, so it will be a good size for cuddling under in the Winter.

Here is how it's looking now:

 


The first three rows are almost finished - I didn't go any further because the rows fell onto the floor and got all out of order!!

So now I have to sort them again before I continue sewing.

It should look great when it is finished, don't you agree?

Our Next Big Job

Here's our next big job that must be done soon:

Can you see the weeds and grasses growing in the central garden here?

This is definitely our next garden job- weeding!

After The Storms

The sun must shine! Isn't that what they say?
Well, the sun has shone and the garden has grown.

Just look at how the ginger has grown

and the canna lily also!

 Over the other side of the garden the Blood Lily has finished it's flowering

Even though the flower is gone, the leaves are now coming along well

My poor red frangipani has been pushed away from the fence by the wild winds that we had. It's OK though

Everything is looking so lush

and even in the hut, the hoyas are climbing up to the roof!

the black and the white bat plants are going beautifully - look at their lovely lush leaves!

The hoyas here are very happy!

Thought i would throw a pic of Priscilla in for fun

Some New Batiks

Bought some new batiks on line - I'm not sure yet if they are  quite I wanted, but they are very pretty -

I'm not sure which ones iIlike best yet - do you have a favourite?

I think these may become handbags perhaps. Can you think of anything else they could become? They are all fat quarters.

Sewing Morning Blocks

I have finally got 40 blocks made for my Thursday quilt - they are really easy and quick to make, I just procrastinate too much!

These are the colours I have done so far - 40 blocks don't make a very large quilt so I may do some more yet.  I am very pleased with all the colours - do you like them?

More Rain Pics

I didn't show you these pictures previously, they show how our back garden was covered with water during the recent storms:

 We weren't able to walk on the grass for days, you would sink up to your ankles in the mud!

This one shows the wind blowing the palms askew.

I am still very proud of our garden and how it survived...

Preparing for Tomorrow

Our sewing group is meeting tomorrow morning at Linda's house, so I thought I had best prepare something to work on!

I haven't had an opportunity to actually sit down at the sewing machine and do much, so I hope to get plenty done tomorrow!

 I absolutely hate having my photograph taken, but anyhows, here  am working really hard cutting the new blocks out for tomorrow, and I have to admit that I am using one friends template ruler and another friends rotary cutter, because it is sharper than mine!!  I'm really going to hate having to give them back tomorrow - I'll have to go shopping and buy some new  blades...

and here is a picture of our darling difficult to photo Tommy. Just cos!

A New Garden Addition

Almost forgot to tell you about this beautiful plant that we found at the garden centre over the weekend.

It is called a "Blood Lily" and it is quite spectacular!

I have left it in a pot and placed it in a green container out in the garden with full sun most of the day.  I think we will keep it in the pot, as it just looks perfect:

The tiny individual flowers are gorgeous, I'm looking forward to seeing how long they last here:

I'll keep you posted!

Some Garden Catchup Work

Hi everyone, hope all is well.

Alan and I have been working hard in the garden these past couple of days - just trying to catch up on all those weeding and replanting things that have to be done.

Alan has been trimming back the bougainvillea's that grow along the side fence, and I have been re potting some plants.

No picture of Alan working, but here's the results of my re-potting:

The Hoya Carnosa looks better already - it had fallen off the wall a few months ago, so I had left it in it's broken pot, beside the back of the house.

When I went to get it this afternoon and prepare it for it's new home, it had grown all along the back of the house and sent down roots everywhere! So now it has been chopped back hard and re-potted into a basket, ready to hang in the Hut tomorrow.

here is the Hoya Australis, looking a little worse for wear at the moment, but I've no doubt it will b e a lot happier in it's new spot tomorrow!

Wrapped in the liner is another hoya, though I forget it's name at this time, and it was also potted up ready for tomorrow as well.

So all in all it was a productive day, as I also potted some basil and garlic chives into pots to have near the back door to the kitchen.  Didn't photograph those.

So not much quilting being done at the moment, though I do have to do some special things tomorrow.  Can't tell you about those things, until they are delivered though!

See you all later....