Monday, April 28, 2014

Week 16 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Well, here we are at week 16 - my the time is flying by, isn't it?

Our word for week 16 is ;- "feline".

So we will see you back here next Sunday with pictures, and prior to that, who would like to suggest the word for next week - week 17?

I'm asking nicely so that someone can do it, but if noeone wants to it's ok!! Plese just email me if you would like to, and tell me your word and i will use it and give credit where it is due.

Don't forget friends, that you can join in at any time, all are welcome.




Sunday, April 27, 2014

52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

So the word for this week was "ball".  I hope you all had fun with it, I tried and tried to get a great photo of it, but this was the best I could do:-


Here is Priscilla playing with her favourite toy - a ball.  She plays tennis, cricket, soccer, Aussie Footie and Rugby League!  Priscilla is the only dog I have ever known, who can play for hours and hours with a ball and keep herself totally amused!  She just loves balls, the smaller the better!


and here is Tommy, standing over Priscilla, telling her to stop having so much fun!! We call Tommy the Fun Police.

So I do hope you did better than I did this week, sign on with Mr Linky and let's see:

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Orphan Quilt No 1 is Finished!!!

and here she is:_


So here she is, on the queen size bed, so I will guess she is a double bed size


Priscilla immediately jumped up and wouldn't leave


She looked here and there all over the quilt, and I'm sure she simply loved the colours

I was just so heppy when I finished the binding on this quilt - sorry you can't see it in these pictures.  It is a white, yellow and blue small zig zag and when I cut into it, I realized the pattern was not straight! I just realized that you can see a little bit of the binding on the bottom of the quilt.

So the quilt has wonky zig zags on it! I'm not too worried though - I don't think that it will be noticed anyhow!


So I finished the monster, washed some flanelette  for one of the great grand daughters quilts, and then I quickly pieced this bright and light batik quilt (above).  This won't take long to finish and then I can begin little grandbabies" quilts!

Will be back tomorrow night with the ball pics!  See you then!


Friday, April 25, 2014

ANZAC Day 2014


 They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
                                                                                   We will remember them



Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Progress on Orphan Quilt No 1

Well, today has been an extremely busy day!


Here I am onto the second half of the vertical line quilting - this quilt is such a monster that I can only to half of it at a time, or it just won't fit!


Almost to the end - I have Jan set for the largest stitch she can do, to try and make my life a bit easier!!


And here she is, all the vertical quilting is done, and i have trimmed her and am starting to do a little bit of horizontal quilting around just some of the blocks - I can't face manhandling it through the machine again!

Surprisingly, I have only found a couple of pleats - and they have been on the front, not the backing!  So she went together fairly well!

Tomorrow is the binding and then the full showing!

Wish me luck....


Monday, April 21, 2014

Week 15 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Hi everyone - hope you have had a good week and a lovely Easter!

The word for Week 15 is: - "ball"

Should be another nice easy one, don't you agree?

Don't forget anyone is welcome to join in at any time

I will be back through the week to show you my progress on the Orphan Quilt Mark 1!


Sunday, April 20, 2014

52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Here we are again, pleased to see you here with me!

So, this weeks word was "point", here's my offering ( I hope you know quilting, or I'm doomed!!:):))


So here is my "point"


and this one is chopped off!
They are both on my Orphans Quilt No 1 - so go figure!!!

Looking forward to seeing your "point's", just sign up with Mr Linky below:


Saturday, April 19, 2014

Orphan Quilt No. 1 Progress

Well, as promised yesterday, here is the progress I have made on this quilt.

It's not much I'm afraid. Alan and I laid the quilt out for me to baste it, and it was just such a monster job that I decided just to start at one end and work my way slowly to the other , without basting!  So far it's going okay


Here I am at the beginning, I think I'm on the second or third row of stitching here.
I have started on the right side of the quilt and am heading to the left side, or as far as I can go towards the left side, I tried to start in the middle, but the rolled quilt would not fit under the machine throat!


This is after about 6 rows. It is really quite simple at the moment, so keep everything straight as the old sheet i am using as backing is quite good to pull as I go, to stop it from creasing.  This is the centre of the right side


Here is the bottom edge of the right side - so far so good!  Poor old Jan was running quite hot by this stage - the quilt is quite thick in some spots - so I turned her off to let her rest!
Hopefully I will manage to get a lot more done tomorrow!

So that is where I am at, hope you are all ready for our picture show tomorrow evening!

See you here then! Have a nice Sunday - it's Easter Sunday here tomorrow.


Friday, April 18, 2014

Help for my Orphans

Lately I have been quite out of sorts with my sewing, feeling that I had lost my mojo and simply could not get on top of things.  Lack of "the necessary" to buy batting and things was really getting on top of me!

So yesterday I was sorting through my linen cupboard, and came across this old bought bed quilt which was threadbare and torn. All the stuffing inside it was lumpy and, really, it was good for nothing. I was about to throw it out when

I had this brilliant light flash in my head!!

What if I grabbed all my orphan blocks, orphan quilt tops, bits and pieces, and made a new quilt out of it all, using this old thing as batting, along with an old sheet for backing!!??

So, with great purpose, I set about pulling all my orphan blocks, all the orphan tops, all the bit 'n' pieces out of my sewing room in the house, and out to my sewing room on the side patio.

I used my bed as a flat surface, to place the bits on top of the old bed quilt, and set about sewing them all together.

Well, I have enough orphan bits to make at least four quilts from, so this is a real challenge!

Here's some pics from today:-


Here is the orphans quilt, waiting on it's final border to bring it up to 79" x 85".


Sewing all the pieces together for the final border


Attaching the final border to the quilt.

This quilt will be too heavy for me to handle to bast, so I will have to get Alan to help me tomorrow, so that I can start the quilting on it - somehow I think it will be just straight line quilting because it is just to big and I don't know how easy it will go under the machine foot! I'll find out tomorrow!!

I have included in this top some blocks from an old swap in 2009! That's why I have so many orphans!!

I'm really excited about finishing this quilt, it will be so colourful and fun to look at.

Hopefully, my mojo will return now, and i can finish the puff quilt for Alan's seat, start some blocks for my friends wedding quilt, and sew some baby quilts for Alans great grand daughter, due to be born at the end of May!! 

I'll show you how I'm going with this tomorrow.
Have a nice day.


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Doll Quilts Monthly Swap

Today I received my doll quilt from my partner for March, Julianne from California.

She has made it so gorgeous, and from scrap fabrics! How did she know??


Isn't it simply adorable?

I have also finished my dolls quilt for my April partner, Vickie from Salina in USA.   Our theme for this month is "diamonds are forever".  Here's just a sneak peek, but only of the back. Hope she likes scrappy!:



So there are my claims to fame today - apart from madly piecing for my next scrappy quilt - more to come on that one though!

Hope you all had a nice day!


Monday, April 14, 2014

Week 14 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

I am seeing some cute dogs with last weeks word - they are all beautiful, because they are canines!

The word for this week is:- "point".

I'm sure this will be just as easy for everyone! I think it's time we had some easy ones, don't you?

Don't forget, anyone can join in at any time. All are welcome!


Sunday, April 13, 2014

52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Well, how is everyone this evening? We are great, because it is drizzling rain here and we needed  it just so badly! It more that likely is from Cyclone Ita, which sort of fizzled out a bit when she hit land over the weekend. But that's ok, as long as we get some rain!

So anyhows, our word for this week was "canine" and here are mine:-


Our beautiful little Priscilla Poodle (Please ignore the weeds!!):):) She is 7 years old now, and weighs in at a massive 4.2kg.  In this photo, her and Tommy have just come home from the groomers, so they are pretty naked...



But dear old Tommy Poodle wanted to get into the picture as well - so here is his back view! He is now 10 years old and 12.3kg.

They are both terribly spoiled, of course, and rule the house with paws of iron! ( do I hear you say "and that's how it should be"?) Well of course i did if you are a canine lover!!

So join in below with your canine photo,and I will see you tomorrow evening for our next weeks word.


Monday, April 7, 2014

Week 13 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Hi everyone! This weeks word is just so much simpler than last weeks, i'm sure you will relax and enjoy this one.

Any guesses??

Here it is:-

The word for Week 12 is:- "canine".

Have a good time with this one, and I'll be back through the week.  Don't forget that you can join in at any time , no problems.

And welcome back Janet, hope you  had a lovely trip down under!!




Sunday, April 6, 2014

52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge

Hallo everyone, good to see you here!

I found this weeks word to be really difficult - it's not a word to tamper with, this one, is it?

So, I looked up the dictionary and this is what I found:
Free- unrestrained, casual, informal.

So that gave me an idea:=


Above is a piece of fabric that I made, and to me, this fits the definition of "free" perfectly!  It is unrestrained in it's colour palette, is is casually pieced and also informal in it's piecing.  So to me it is "free" pieced!!!

I hope you agree with me, or have something even better than I!! I truly don't mind being outdone, and if you disagree with my interpretation, just say so, won't you?

So feel free to join in below with your photo, I'm really interested to see these ones!
{Let's hope that this weeks word is a little less intimidating than that one!!!)