Let There be Shawls!

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been posting much - just too busy to drop everything and do what I should be doing, I guess!!

So the tumbler quilt is now quilted, it's now in the line for binding (no picture, sorry)

The prayer shawl has been completed and gifted. No picture of that also - mainly because I heard that my friend had been admitted to hospital, and so I hurriedly wrapped the shawl and dropped it in to the hospital to her the next day. It just happened that I had a dr's appointment over there, and i thought it might cheer her up while she was in hospital!








The finished shawl was not so different to this photograph that I took before - I did add one more row to the bottom fringe section in the dark blue, and also one more row along the top in dark blue.  I was very pleased with how it turned out, and I must ask if I can take a photo, just to prove it!!

I'm not going too well here, am I?

Some pictures of things I'm doing, and have done also:

I have started and finished this cotton shawl for myself to keep.  It is the South Bay Shawlette pattern from Ravelry. The pattern is actually from Lion brand yarn, and you need to sign in to get it. It is a great fast pattern to do, I recommend it - you can make it any size you want..

I was very pleased with myself, because I actually made my own edging for this one. Here it is - unblocked, but you get the idea!

A little wonky, but I'm still proud of it!

So now I have started this shawl. It is called "A  Little Bit of This, a Little bit of that" and it's HERE, and I am using the three colours of Rowan Glace cotton in the picture. They should look pretty together. It is a beautiful yarn to work with!  I'm not sure yet if it is destined for someone or not!

So tomorrow  is our first "Old Photo Challenge". I am really looking forward to seeing everyone's old pictures, I hope you are also!!

So I 'll be back tomorrow with my old pictures, same place!  See you then!

Take care

Let 'er Rip!!!

Wow, are we having some rain here today!!

Flash flooding and heavy rainstorms with thunder and lightening all around.

Here's some info .    It has been pretty wet!!

So I think I might just stay indoors and keep on quilting!!!

So Far , So Good Monday

Welcome, my friends!

It is overcast today and we are expecting some rain - again! I must say the garden is loving it, but it is just so very humid outside, I can't breath out there! So we are inside with the aircon going, to suck out the moisture from the air.

Just got home from the fabric stores, where I bought some zippers for some purses I want to make, and fabric to quilt on with!

Here is how I am going with my finishes :-

Last Thursday, I finally got my tumbler quilt pin basted, with assistance from Tanya where I went to her home for our sewing morning.  So today I will start the quilting on it - don't know what I will do yet, but I am leaning towards some large triangle type lines  or something. Hopefully this will be finished soon!

Alan's Quilt top is now completed, and I am still alive!  I truly wanted to kill myself when I was piecing this top, it was far too fiddly and precise - though mine is not quite as precise as it should be, and I DON'T CARE!!! I bought some extra maroon fabric to put a wide border around it, to give eyes a spot to rest and not cause cross eyed blindness in everyone!  I am so very glad that this is almost finished!

The half square triangle shawl for my friend is almost complete!  I wasn't sure about the really dark blue in the border, so I put the light blue row before I started the V stitch lace pattern, and I now think it works well. Do you have thoughts on that?

Well I am about to trot off now and go do the quilting on my tumbler quilt.

Have a good week and take care, won't you!

My Goals for The Finish Along

Today is the opening day for the Finish Along with Adrianne from The Windy Side.

So here are photographs of the items that I want to finish up:-

This colourful crocheted prayer shawl is the most important at the moment.  I am making it for a friend, who has been told that she has  cancer AGAIN, and I could not think of anything better to give her. This "granny " pattern is fast, and i need fast!

"A Prayer shawl for you to wrap yourself in love and healing, and wildly colourful to give you some joy during your fight".

One half finished knitted summer scarf

One large quilt top only a quarter done, to be completed, quilted and bound.  Of all the quilts I have ever made, this one is the only one that has bored me to tears as I worked on it!!

There are two crochet purses and two crocheted handbags here, they need to be finished!

Top fully pieced, backing of an old sheet, and batting in the bag - this one won't take long! Needs to be basted, quilted and bound.

Another top to be basted, quilted and bound!

A beautiful top pieced, which needs a backing. This will become a kantha quilt, so there is lots of hand embroidery here for me! I like to think that I will finish this one.

My collection of 12 large house blocks, started to be pieced along with a scrappy edging and other bits. Needs to finish the pieceing, quilt and bind this one!

Well thats it for me. I don't think that these will all be finished quickly, but they will be finished in 2015, I hope!!

Of course, I haven't mentioned all the hand piecing quilts I have on the go, or any of the 5 crocheted blankets in various stages of finishing  - I think they will all wait now until some of these are finished !

So now I'll go and sign up with Adrianne!

I Finished It!

Had to show you the baby quilt that I made for Ella.  THe one that never made it for Christmas, but she will get it for January instead !!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, I do hope she likes it.

Here 'tis:-

So here is the front, after washing and going through the drier late at night!  I'm very happy with how it turned out, I think that the white border around it serves to contain all the colour and movement in the quilt.

And here is the back!  I chopped up a previous top I had assembled because I thought the bright colours would suit this quilt back. I've just labelled it using a yellow block and permanent pen.

I'm also , at this time, still sewing Alan's quilt top - he may get it for his birthday in June, if he's lucky!  It's driving me mad, every corner has three points joining, so nothing goes together very well and it's irritating.

Also knitting my summer scarf, using All those yarns I showed you on this post. Believe it or not, it's working out fairly well. I don't have to look at it anyhow!!

So that's where I am at, this new year will be a busy one me thinks. All the girls in my weekly sewing group are in agreement over the fact that we all need to finish our WIP's before we do anything new this year! Should be an interesting year, lets see how it goes!

Are you up to anything interesting yet?

The Old Picture Challenge

Welcome back for 2015 my friends!

I do hope that your new year went well, and that you are excited for our challenge this year!

This post will explain our challenge for 2015, please do not hesitate to ask questions if I am not concise enough with my explanations.

Here we go:-

• The Old Picture Challenge will run on the first Sunday of each MONTH through 2015, and longer if we all want.
• This is an opportunity for those who never quite made it to join in last year, to try it this year, even though this years challenge is a little different to last years challenge! Remember, the more the merrier!
• On the first Sunday of each month ( starting today) I will post the word for the month. It could be anything - colours, feelings, the month's name, seasons etc etc
• Your job each month (should you choose to accept it!), is to go back over all those OLD photoes that you have on your computer, and on discs beside your computer, and find old pictures that explain the given word to you.
• On the first Sunday of the following month, I will post a Mr Linky for everyone to join in and show their pictures. The link will be open for a week, and please make your link to the post with your pictures on, which should be names "The Old Picture Challenge", just in case you forget!!
• You can put up 1,2, 3, 4 or 5 pictures if  you like. 
• Each picture you use must have your reasoning and explanation of why the picture means that given word to you!
• In January 2016, a winner will be drawn, and a runner up, for the best picture of the year. 
• The winner will be chosen from a secret vote in my house ( I can't win, I will be supplying the 1st and runner up prize!)
• I don't know what the prizes will be yet, but I thought that sounded good, and it gives incentive for everyone to stick with it! (I'm actually shaking inside, What am I doing!!??) 

Now, is that all clear as mud??

I hope it is, like I said, please do not hesitate to ask if you are not sure of anything.

So now that I have told you about it, I will now give  you the word for January 2015:

The word for January is: Summer.

Of course, that's because it is Summer here, but I'm sure everyone has loads of summer pictures.

Well, that's it for our challenge this month, I am really looking forward to seeing your photographs and explanations in February!

Have fun and take care!