By the end of the year...

 I started around October to plan and make patchwork and embroidered gifts for friends, and by the end of November I'd done them all.  I was quite pleased with myself, as usually I'm still madly stitching in early December to have things completed!

I had made this cross stitch star for a specific person but ended up doing something else for her instead because I liked this too much to part with it!

I made two of these mats, one each for two people, who both loved them, being cat lovers.

This is the backing fabric for the above mats and the hot pad below.

Using more of the Xmas kitten fabric I made this padded mat (for putting hot dishes on) for my home carer, who is also a kitty lover, and was delighted with this.

Two of my friends have a 'thing' about giraffes, so I made them a cushion each.  I had two lots of giraffe fabric - one is a dull gold curtain fabric with giraffes and zebras woven into it which was given to me years ago and I knew it would come in handy one day!  The other is patchwork fabric that I saw at the Eltham Quilt Shop and bought 3 metres of it because it was cute, and I knew I would use it!  When I was cutting that for one of the cushions, I ended up with a long strip which I used to make three mug rugs.  Two went to the friends with the cushions and the third went to another friend who declared she loved giraffes too, and wants me to make her a cushion.!

This mug rug is made from a small cross stitched flower that I found in an opshop and thought I would use it for a card one day, but the colours looked perfect with a piece of fabric I had in my stash, so it became a mug rug instead, and was given to the lady I was going to give the Xmas star too.  Just as well she liked this!

I stitched this Aussie Friends cross stitch design early in the year as part of an American fundraiser for the Australian bushfire recovery.  I didn't have anyone to give it to back then, but a long time penpal in the USA has been telling me about the friends and family she has lost to COVID this year. So I decided to finish this by making something she can use as a mat or hang it up if she wishes, to let her know her friends in Australia are thinking of her.

Doggy mini quilt

 One of my friends turns 80 years old this week, and as she loves dogs with a passion, I decided to use up the remains of a metre of doggy fabric that I had in my stash. I'd made a couple of smaller runners for friends in the past, and what was left was just enough for this mini quilt/table topper.  It is very simple; just the fabric with a couple of borders.

I used some floral fabric for the backing, in similar tones to the brown tones in the dog fabric.

"Friends" embroidery.

 One of my dearest friends has become very ill with Parkinsons Disease, and I haven't been able to visit her for the past few months due to the COVID restrictions.  She is in her 80's and we have known each other for more than 40 years.  We met just after Ken and I moved here to Eltham, and in those years we have had so many good times with our shared interests.  She is an artist, and is naturally interested in most creative craft even if she hasn't done it herself, so she loves my stitching and quilting, and I love her sketching and painting.  We went to many exhibitions together, and often walked down to the main street and had a coffee before walking back home.

Years ago I found a charming embroidery pattern in a magazine, that was designed for a cushion front, and I kept it, thinking I would do it for G, as it typified our friendship growing old together.  I always thought I had plenty of time to do it, but last month realised this was not to be the case, so I focussed on stitching it so I could give it to G now instead of waiting until it was too late and she was gone.  I took it around to her on Tuesday and she was delighted with it. I'm really pleased that I got it finished and she can see it every day and be reminded of our ongoing friendship.

And now it is October.

 I'm finally coming out of my craft coma, and have been working on various items.  The boxes of craft magazines coming my way have definitely awakened my creative streak, and I have some firm ideas for quilt tops.  The Christmas spirit came on me early this year, no doubt motivated by the magazines, and I've completed two small projects.   I love making bunting, and this style is a bit different to what I've made previously.  It will be going to Ken's cousin, who saw it last week when I visited, and she fell in love with it.

The wall hanging below appealed to me because it was easy and quick.  Instead of making the border patchwork with individual pieces, I used fabric printed with a Xmas patchwork pattern.

Three months on.

Three months down the track and I still haven't found my quilting mojo.  I have done a bit more on the Peacock cross stitch sampler, and a bit on my late MIL's table cloth.  I've been given boxes of magazines by a lady who was given them by someone else who was decluttering.  Old issues of Patchwork and Quilting, Australian Country Craft and Folk Art painting among others.  I am enjoying going through every one of them, and have put some aside to remove projects that might motivate me in the future,before I ditch them. 

 I put some of them out on the nature strip when the weather was fine and sunny a few weeks ago, in the hope that people walking their dogs and children might stop and pick out some mags to take, but after a week none had gone, so I brought them back inside and put them in our back yard shed.  My husband's cousin is mildly crafty, and has told me to dump them all in her garage after I've finished with them, as she would love to have a look through them too.  I hate throwing craft magazines into the recycle bin, as I am positive there are people out there who would love to go through them for inspiration, even if they are old issues.   I phoned the local Living and Learning Centre, and the lady I spoke to said that after the lockdown has finished, she thinks one of their rural branches might like the magazines, so we'll see.  They will be safe in Cousin's garage until then.

Damn pandemic.  I am aware that I am a lot better off than many people.  We are retired, live comfortably in our own home with no debt.  I'd hate to be unemployed with a mortgage hanging around my neck.  Even more so with a young family to support.  But it is the feeling of despair, wondering when or if it will ever get better, or even end in my lifetime.  Sad old world.  I suppose the best thing about it is that while much industry is at a standstill, less traffic on the roads, and less people out and about, the environment is having a chance to clean up - air is clearer, waterways cleaner, wildlife is making the most of having green spaces to itself.  

Stitching but no quilting (yet).

I really don't know if the COVID thing has anything to do with it, but I stopped doing any patchwork around the time the pandemic started to take effect.  It didn't actually have much impact on our life, as Ken and I have been homebodies for many years now, due partially to his chronic health issues, and just the fact that as we get older we don't feel the urge to travel far.   So the time we spend outside of our home are generally medical appointments, shopping, and occasional meeting friends for coffee and chat in a local cafe.   I go to a gym twice a week to keep my arthritic knees working, and Ken used to accompany me until lockdown, and although I am back there now, he hasn't been. 

So, there is no reason for my patchwork mojo to disappear, but there it is.  However, I've renewed interest in stitching - inspired by the monthly UFO challenge on the Home Makers Forum.
I finally finished a small cross stitch of baby lorikeets, which I was so close to just putting in the rubbish bin because it was so complex with a lot of colours.  I completely lost interest in it not long after I started it, but when I pulled it out of the cupboard when I was decluttering, I thought NO!  This is not going to beat me.  So I persisted, and here it is.

 


 I selected four projects to work on this year, all long term UFOs that have been around for many years, and which have almost ended up in the opshop at times when I lost interest in finishing them.  But I'm glad I've hung on them because I can see the end in sight! Well, not for a while yet, but at least there is some progress on them.  One project is a quilt made up of Crazy Patchwork blocks.  I've made up the blocks and embellished seven of them, with five to go. 

The other projects are my late mother-in-law's supper cloth that she started back in the 1930's or thereabouts, and gave to me about 10 years before she passed away.  I promised her I would finish it, but although I made a start, I didn't get far because it is quite an intricate design of roses and daisies, and it took me longer to stitch than I thought.  But I will persist, although it certainly won't be finished this year!

Then there is the Semco Tea Pots blackwork which has been on a frame unstitched for far too many years, so this is the year I plan to finish it.  I've done a bit, but a lot more to go!  I posted a photo of that on this blog a few months ago.

Finally there is the Peacock cross stitch sampler which I started along with my friend Sharon at the same time.  She finished hers very smartly, but I apparently got involved with something easier or more interesting not long after I'd started it, and it was relegated to the bottom of the UFO pile.  Not any more!  I've started on it again, and am looking forward to finishing it this year!

Fruit and veg. patchwork.

Some of the ladies on the Home Makers Forum decided to have a swap of 'care packages' to cheer ourselves up.  I made this table mat for my swap partner as she is a dedicated 'foodie' who loves to cook! I selected a bright cheerful Batik fish fabric for the back.  The design on the front was originally called 'Rainy Days' because the designer bought fabric with raindrops on it, and made it up during a spell of wet weather.  I found the pattern on the internet several years ago, but this is the first time I've made something with it. 
It's not a great example of how the design should look; other people have made it, but on bigger quilts, with the borders of each square of fabric wider than I've done here, and they look really great.
I have more of this fruity fabric in my stash, and am keen to make one for myself, but will make the black borders wider, and use more squares to make a table runner instead of a mat.

Stitching in these stressful times.

Life is back to normal!

Did I really say that on my last post?  Little did I know when I wrote that on 18th February, what would be confronting the world within weeks, or even days - of that statement.

I haven't visited any blogs since then, let alone post anything on my own, because I've been flat out adminning the Home Makers Forum, where 99% of the chat is about COVID19.  Naturally people want to vent their anger and frustration, and express their anxiety, but tonight I suddenly felt tired of it all, and have returned briefly to my little blog.

For my long term blogging friends, I can assure you that Ken and I are fine.  Not a lot has changed for us, as being old older and non travelling retirees, most of our time is spent at home anyway.  Ken's GP has instructed him not to leave the house, so all his medical appointments are cancelled, we don't go to the gym (but I still do my knee exercises at home), and we don't have friends and family popping in to visit us.  But we stay in touch with everyone by phone and email, and I have been writing letters to many of my friends, just for something different.  I've had a good response to that!

For  the month of March I was completely uninspired, like many crafty friends, but this month I made a conscious decision not to wallow in worry and sadness any more.  I got out some of my long term UFOs and have been working on them.  I've put my quilting aside for the moment, as I've been quilting steadily for a few years now and decided to make time for the abandoned embroidery and cross stitch.

Here I am on one of our last warm sunny days in March, stitching my late mother-in-law's supper cloth that she started around the 1930's and gave to me in the 1990's to finish!  It's taking a long time...I  had a photo of what I had stitched on this day but can't find it now.

This Semco blackwork sampler has been sitting on a large embroidery frame for goodness knows how many years.  It has been covered by a cloth, so hasn't been affected by light or dust, but it was in a corner of my sewing room and whenever I had to get something from that corner, I had to move the embroidery frame.  So last week I moved it right out of the corner and into the middle of the room where it gets good light from the window, and can't be ignored by me any longer!
Last week I did the cross stitch on the handle of the teapot/jug and a bit of back stitching.

Life is back to normal!

Maddy, Kathleen and Pam - thank  you for your kind messages of support after my previous post here.  The bushfires have largely gone now thanks to recent rains, and although it is still summer, I feel the possibility of further fires this season has diminished, and we came through unscathed for another year.
Ken came through his gall bladder operation and has recovered well.  I have finished the six week bladder cancer treatment and am feeling fine.  I've got my sewing mojo back, and have finally finished two more of my long standing UFO quilts - the Tie Quilt and the Abandoned At An Opshop quilt.  Here is the Tie Quilt:

I haven't been able to photograph the other one as it has been raining non stop and I can't hang it out on the line!  I'll do it in the next day or so if the rain stops long enough.

I'm now working on quilts to donate to bushfire recovery centres for people who have lost their homes.  A quilt is a nice thing to be given when life is so bleak.  Something to wrap around yourself or your loved ones and hide away for a while.  The tutor at the class I attend at the Quilt Shop here brought a heap of unfinished quilts and tops to our class last week and offered them to the students to take home and finish, to be brought back to the next class ready to be donated to bushfire recovery centres.  I took home this lovely appliqued top which just needs borders, backing, quilting and binding.   There was enough fabric to do all of that, so I have cut out strips ready to be sewn up and added to this to complete the top.  Hope to do that in the next few days.
Once that's done, I'd like to use some of my huge stash to whip up some more quilts to donate.  Maybe some quilts for boys and blokes, in plaid and other masculine fabrics.

Australian bush fires

I have had an email from a fellow blogger in the USA who is concerned for my well being, after watching the news featuring the bushfires here, so I decided to write a quick post to assure the readers of this blog that Ken and I are safe where we are, although nothing is guaranteed.  We are in an outer suburb of Melbourne, which has a lot of trees and bush on most properties, so there is  a remote chance that if a bushfire started in a nearby park or large block of land, it is possible for it to move on to residential areas, depending on the strength and direction of the wind. 

The reason for my lack of posts on this blog since October is because I found out that my bladder cancer had returned, and I needed treatment, and right after that, Ken got sick and had to have his gall bladder removed.  So I haven't had much time for stitching or quilting!

Thanks for caring, and I will be back here with an update at a later stage.