Decorated supermarket bags, Owl coasters.

Once I've been doing some sewing, I get on a roll and do a few more things while the sewing machine is on the table.  Like most of us, I accumulate all kinds of 'green bags' in various colours, but I like to tart them up a bit and block out any brand names.  Today I had red bags from Bunnings and the Heart Foundation, so to give them a feel of Christmas, I added some motifs that were left over from a fabric panel that I had used for something else.  It was just a matter of cutting them out with pinking shears and machining them on to the bags.   When I give somebody a bag of goodies in the coming months, I'll use one of these bags which they can continue to use if they wish!

Ken is a member of the Avicultural (birds) Society and we usually attend their monthly meeting.  At the last meeting the president put out a call for donations for their annual Christmas hampers, asking for wine, biscuits, and the usual food items.  I asked his wife later if they would like some patchwork items such as coasters or placemats featuring birds, and she was very enthusiastic about that idea!  I have plenty of Aussie themed fabric, but none with Australian birds as I used it all a while ago.  But to make a start, I decided to make some coasters with the owl fabric I had, as most people like owls :-)   Cute?

Another Christmas project finished.

I started to stitch three kitten stitcheries back in August, intending to make a wall hanging for that month's Xmas OPAM, but I only got one kitten finished before I ran out of time.  September came and went, so I put my head down and bum up to get the Santa Paws project finished.

This is an awful reproduction.  I think my camera is stuffed.

Thanks!

...to the people who responded to my query about the number of readers here.  At least I know now that it is still visible to those who want to read it.  Back soon with some more stitching updates.

Is anyone reading this blog?

I usually have a couple of comments on here after most posts, but haven't had any for a few days.  I've tweaked the settings of this blog and Patra's Other Place, so that they are now open to anybody to read, as they were previously so I'd like to know if readers are able to comment, even if they haven't lately.  Please just leave a comment on this post to let me know!

Not my own work, and very different!

I am a member of the Down To Earth forum, and the members have a lot of fun with exchanges and swaps during the year.  The patchwork tree I showed in the previous post went to Pam in South Australia, and this is what she sent to me in return:

I don't make dolls, in fact since I got rid of the dolls I had in my childhood, I've never had once since, up until now!  Pam named her doll "Chrissy" as she is a Christmas doll, and I adore her!  I took the first photo outside in the daylight to capture the colours, and then brought her inside to find the right spot for her to sit during the month of December.  Here she is on the table in our entrance hall, where she will be able to greet everyone who walks in the front door :-)

Another hand made item I received this week from another member of the DTE forum is a tea jumper.  Yes, a jumper, not a cosy.... There was a discussion thread about tea cosies, and 'Glenda' posted a photo of the teapot jumper she had knitted.  I fell in love with it and asked if she would make me one, and she did - aren't people generous?
Here is my Tea Jumper - isn't that the cutest thing!

Christmas stuff.

I started a kitten stitchery for my September "One Xmas Project a Month" but it is taking me ages to finish the stitching.  It isn't difficult - just back stitch, for goodness sake!  But since I've taken on patchwork and quilting, hand embroidery seems to take forever by comparison.  I still enjoy the peaceful slowness of embroidery, but if I'm in a hurry to finish something, it slows down the end result.  So, to catch up with the One A Month blog, I threw a couple of quick patchwork projects together, and one of those served a dual purpose.  I committed myself to a swap on the Down To Earth forum, where we had to make our partner something crafty with a Christmas theme, so I made another Scrappy Patchwork Tree for the exchange.  I made one earlier this year, and used it as a Kris Kringle gift at a Christmas In July party.  The recipient loved it, so I thought it would be worth while to make another one. 

The front is the patchwork squares, and they are embellished with sequins and beads at the corners of each square, although it can't be seen in this photo.  I used a cute fabric for the back so it can be used to display either side.

As I was in the mood to keep going with quick result projects, I made up this placemat based on a project in a Country Threads Christmas special magazine.  There is a matching tea cosy, but I won't be doing that.

I think I made an error of judgement in combining two fabrics for the border.  I had them left over from a previous project and decided to join them up to made the border for this.  It doesn't look as bad in 'real life' and when I put it on the hall table to see how it looked, you would hardly notice the edge.

Update on the PNG Quilt Collective blog.

My husband's cousin Yaso has emailed me with a report on her recent trip to Papua New Guinea, and the distribution of more of the quilts donated by many generous readers of my blog (and others that I know outside of the blogging world).  If you would like to read it, just select the link on the sidebar here for the PNG Quilt Collective.

I've got half a dozen projects on the go at the moment, and hope to finish some of them in the next day or so, and will post some photos then.

A little less blogging.

I see on my dashboard that there are still about 60 people following this blog - I don't know why they bother!  I have cut down my blogging time for a number of reasons, the main reason being lack of time due to other things happening in my life (all good!).   So I have 'retired' some of my blogs for now - they are still out there in cyberspace, but I won't be updating them unless there is something in particular I want to put out there.  

I will keep this blog going because it serves the purpose of keeping a record of my stitching and patchwork projects, which is useful at time to refer to.  However, I have deleted a number of blogs from the sidebar because again, I don't have time to look at them all, and have only kept the blogs that have special meaning because they are personal friends, or I have been reading them for many years.

With all the work going on at our house, my sewing time is much less than I would like, so I've only been keeping up with the One Xmas Project a Month challenge, and a few PNG baby quilts, which doesn't provide much eye candy for my blog!  Anyway, just thought I would let those of you who read this blog know what is happening.  Most people seem to use Facebook and Twitter these days, but I don't.

Two small quilt projects finished.

A few weeks ago I posted a photo of two baby quilt tops I'd made using pretty sheets.  I've now made one of them into a quilt for the PNG Quilt Collective, and used some very thick wadding, so it will keep one tiny bubs very warm in the near future!  For the binding, I used a technique described by Jane on her blog recently when she wrote about a quilt she'd made, bringing the backing around to the front and stitching it down.  I did this one in reverse, taking the edge of the front border around to the back and sewing it.

I have also done the binding and back of the small Xmas quilt I'd been working on, and am very pleased with the way it has turned out.  It is great to use up the bits and pieces in the stash.  The white fabric sashing is actually curtain or upholstery fabric, quite thick cotton or polyester with a design woven into the fabric.  I was given a huge piece of it and discovered it was perfect to use on all kinds of Xmas projects.
The backing doesn't show up very well in the photo below; it is a lovely vibrant pattern with cherries, berries and bright green leaves.  Not a Xmas theme, but the colours are perfect.

An orange block and a Christmas quilt.

Do you look through magazines and books, dreaming about all the quilts you will make some day?  I have a bad habit of borrowing quilting books from the library, poring over them for two weeks, then realising I only have a week left before having to return  them, and I haven't even started to make anything, let alone try to copy a pattern for future reference.  So I have to make a quick decision - look for the book on eBay or Amazon to buy a copy for myself, or work really fast to make up a block that I like!

The library book was due back on Saturday and I had decided there wasn't enough in it to warrant buying a copy, so on Friday night I made up a block which is a mini version of one of the quilt designs I liked.  It is simply cutting strips and sewing them together until you have the length you want.  But this is done twice so you have two rows of strips.  They are sewn together without sashing, and a border added.  I ended up with three rows instead of two for my block, as I used as much as possible of the stash in my box of orange/brown scraps and decided to do it this way.  I'm quite pleased with the way it has turned out, for something done on the run.  And now I have a reference point for a future quilt in that pattern.

Also on Friday night, I added a border to the Xmas quilt/throw I've been doing for my monthly Xmas Item project.  This also used old Xmas fabrics I'd had for years, and that I simply wanted to get rid of from my Xmas fabric stash before I buy new materials.  The border in particular is a very old patchwork fabric that I found at an opshop about 5 years ago, and could never make up my mind what to use it for.  All I have to do now is make it up with batting, backing and binding, and it will be added to my box of Xmas goodies.

More small quilts.

I've just finished two more baby quilts, and made two quilt fronts, mostly from old sheets bought at opshops.  I used brushed cotton for the backing, and have never had to buy it from a retail store, as for some reason a lot of brushed cotton ends up in opshops, so I snap it up.
The cover of this green quilt is part of a sheet.  I've quilted in circles around the flowers and bound it in a plain green cotton from my stash.

Here are the three I've just finished.  The two on top are made from two different sheets. One quilt is much thicker than the the other because I've used different batting in each.  Like brushed cotton, batting (wadding) also turns up in opshops frequently, so I grab that too.  But I've just about run out of my opshop stash, and had to buy some last week!

These two flimsies are made from a floral sheet and some purple and white patchwork fabric from my stash.

Invitation to a craft show.

My brother has just emailed me to ask if I would like to submit some of my work for his church art and craft show at the end of this month.  I said I would love to, and suggested that as it is a church activity, I should submit the items I've been making for the One Xmas Item A Month blog.  I've already given one away as an early Xmas gift, but it was such a simple design I can always run up another one by 28th August.

Last week I went to the CWA Craft show over at South Morang.  It was absolutely stunning - just as good as any regional show I've seen, as it included just about every craft you can name, including cake decorating, patchwork and quilting, all kinds of embroidery, crochet, knitting, tatting, and painting.  I took about 60 photos and keep meaning to load them on to my Needlecraft shows blog, but haven't got around to it yet.

I've been making some baby quilts for the Box Hill Hospital premmie babies after a friend told me she was knitting beanies for them, but her group didn't know anyone who could make quilts, so I put my hand up... I'll just add them to my PNG quota!   All good experience.

The Embroiderers Guild have their annual exhibition on at the moment - running from August 9 to 24.  I'll be working there this Sunday, doing stitching demonstrations in the morning, and manning the Gift Shop in the afternoon.  If you are planning to visit the exhibition, please come and say hi!

Baby quilt for PNG quilt collective

I just posted this to the PNG quilt collective blog, but as I'll be working on these for a while now to try and build up my contribution to the Collective, I'll update this blog too.  Sue N. gave me a huge stash of fabric for this purpose quite a while ago, when she could have easily kept it herself to make her quilts for Aussie Heroes, so I think it is about time I got serious and started using it up!

I posted a photo here a while ago showing what I'd done with these fabrics, but I hadn't got around to making up the actual quilts until now.

Another Xmas project finished.

I was running late again with my "One Xmas Item A Month" project for July, but finally got it all finished tonight.
You can see it here One Xmas Project

Some new embroidered items.

I found this lovely set in our opshop last week: traycloth with matching napkin and sandwich tray doiley.

 Today the postman brought me a parcel I'd been expecting from Kathleen in the USA who does the most exquisite embroidery, and sells some of it both online and in her 'bricks and mortar' shop at her home.  I would love to visit her shop but as I can't I'm just glad she sells her linens online as well!  When I saw these matching teatowels on her blog I emailed her immediately, begging her to put them aside for me!  And now they will be gracing my kitchen : - )  Thank you again, dear friend.

Finally, I've been doing a bit of stitching myself, just quick and easy back stitch for a table runner that I'm doing for the One Xmas Project A Month blog.  I've got a large stash of Xmas fabrics, but wouldn't you know it, I need to buy a bit more to match the fabric I've chosen to surround these stitcheries.  Hope to get to Darn Cheap Fabric in Heidelberg tomorrow, and find what I want.

Hand stitched tea towel.

On the Down To Earth Forum we are having another fun swap. This one was for tea towels or hand towels, which could be hand made or purchased if the participant didn't have the time or skill to make one. I chose to embroider a vintage linen tea towel, using a vintage transfer that I had.  It is all worked in back stitch.  The lettering is a bit wonky; do you think it looks more like Classes than Glasses? 

Tatting Torture continued.

This is a sample of Tatting:

This is as far as I got:

Sigh......

Tatting.

I thought I should let you know how I'm going with learning to do tatting.  I'm not.  Tatting, that is.  Our tutor provided us with an instruction book containing a tutorial DVD.  It was a tutorial all right, but on painting, not tatting!  The publishers in England had put the wrong DVD in their book, and of course nobody realised until I (and probably anyone who got that book) put the DVD in their computer and tried to play it.  Our tutor had the original DVD and very quickly made copies of it and posted them to us.  But before mine arrived, I had an unfortunate accident.  We've been having our kitchen painted, and last Tuesday I came into the kitchen without looking at the floor, and tripped over a toolbox that the painter had his gear in.  The poor man nearly had a fit - he was from Iran and couldn't speak English very well, and he kept on saying Sorry!  so sorry!  I kept trying to tell him it was my own fault, but I think he had visions of being shipped back to Iran in the near future!

I went down like the proverbial ton of bricks, hitting cabinets and tables all the way, ending up with badly bruised shoulder, elbow and knee.  Lucky I didn't break any bones, but I've been very sore since then, and today I just didn't feel up to the long drive to the Guild and back for a two hour tatting torture session.
So I put the DVD on the t.v. instead and curled up on the couch with a cuppa to watch it.  Well, the more I watched, the more I realised that I will never be able to do tatting.  As I wrote earlier, I can't knit or crochet, as my fingers just seem to turn into thumbs, even before the arthritis set in, and that hasn't helped either, as your fingers get stiff after a while and refuse to co-operate with your brain.  So I rang our tutor, and explained, and she expressed sympathy for my injuries, but pleaded with me to come back for the last lesson next week. She said if she can at least get me doing the first stitches, I should be able to continue from there with practice.  Hmmmmm....

Weekend stitching.

It's been a busy weekend sewing-wise.  I've had some half finished bits that I was determined to finish, as well as starting some others.  The two that I finished are mug rugs for special friends, both of whom read this blog, and I won't be surprised if they guess who is going to receive these mug rugs!  This is for someone who said she would like something with kangaroos.  Well, there is a few on both sides of this!

This is for someone who loves cats and London.

I am working on two stitcheries now - one is the Xmas Project for July, and the other is a tea towel for a swap on a forum that I belong to.  I won't post photos here until I've finished them, which won't be long as they both have deadlines this month.
Finally, I cut up some sheets from an opshop into strips and strip-pieced them to create the beginnings of a couple of baby quilt tops for the PNG Quilt Collective.  This is what they look like now before I cut the piece into two sections and add borders to them.

Learning to tatt.

I foolishly enrolled myself into a three day (one day a week) class at the Embroiderers Guild, to learn tatting.  It needs to be said that I cannot knit, and have very limited experience in crochet, so why would I want to learn tatting?  Apart from how much I love the way it looks on the edges of linens and other decorative ideas, my late mother-in-law was the unknowing catalyst.  She was an excellent knitter and embroiderer, but didn't like to crochet, and couldn't do tatting.  She used to tell me how her grandmother tried to teach her tatting, but she (MIL) simply couldn't get the hang of it.

So with her in mind, I decided to have a go at learning, and if I succeed, I will send a little thought up to MIL on her heavenly cloud, and hope she will be proud of me.  Well, if she was up there watching me today, she would have been chuckling, I'm sure.  I was all thumbs - my fingers got hopelessly tangled with the cotton over and over again, and I am sure that our lovely tutor Sylvia had just about had enough of me by the end of the class!  The other five ladies seemed to have conquered it and had lovely long rows of neat knots while I was still struggling to hold the thread in place..

To make matters worse, Ken phoned me in the middle of the class.  Not on my mobile - I had it switched off.  So he phoned the Guild office and the hostess on duty came looking for me.  I was so embarrassed, and furious at Ken for calling about something that he could have dealt with himself!  The girls were laughing at me when I came back in cursing him, and I was so mad I completely lost concentration, which didn't help the tatting.

My usual reaction to this kind of situation is to not go back to the remaining classes, but Sylvia could see I was not in a good frame of mind, and she said "Don't go home and cry - just keep having a go.  It will come, trust me.  It took me months!"  So I got my shuttle and thread out after tea and showed Ken what he had interrrupted  (he was exceedingly apologetic, I might add), and lo and behold, I did one perfect little knot!
So I'll keep practising and see how we go next Friday.  No photos to show now, and don't hold your breath for next week - ha  ha!