Sunday This and That

In between helping out with cattle work, I've been tucked away in the craftervan ... out of the cold wind. Friday I made up the September blocks for MMQ.

This year's Murder Mystery Quilt (MMQ) is set in Peru. Each month we receive a new block or choice of blocks and the next chapter in a Murder Mystery novel. Clues to "who done it?" can be found in the chapters and blocks as well as bonus clues, but I'm no Miss Marple.

Saturday I finally managed to jump on Zoom with Chooky and friends. I've been missing out on connecting with this lovely group of ladies and it was the best start to my day. While listening and chatting I joined 3 rows on my Strips n Curves.

Later after more cattle work, I finished joining all rows. Now for a peeper and a border  ... I'm auditioning a blue peeper bottom left or pink/red on the right.

Last night I put the last treble crochet in my C2C rug. It's only small at about 35" square but I love how the varigated wool worked out.

This morning another sourdough loaf baked and some sourdough crumpets for smoko.

I may have also started another monthly Mystery Quilt from Meadow Mist Designs ... 1st month is this hourglass blocks so this is my project for tomorrow at our Patchwork Day.

I couldn't help myself and was able to pull fabrics from my stash ... 2 down and 54 to go.

Happy Sunday 😊 

FNwF

 Thank you Cheryll and friends for a lovely Friday night.  I managed to get a head start earlier in the day with a block for my Murder Mystery Quilt.  Back in March I made the FPP Lama block but now that I've been playing with layout, it's the only animal block I've chosen to make so ....

I went back and made the alternative block for March.

In the evening I sewed a couple of blocks for 'Strips n Curves'.  

A few more were made yesterday and I've only got a couple left to sew today, then I can play with layout.

After dinner I spent some time with wool and hook and added a few more rows to my C2C rug. It won't be as big as my other rugs but it will still keep the knees warm.

Enjoy you weekend 🌞

August Wrap ~ September Challenge

 One leaf and one row was all it took to wrap up for August. First is my Temperature Tree up to date ... time to get that September branch finished and ready for some leaves.

Second finish was my "Granny Ripple" Crochet Rug. I mentioned last post that I ran out of white for the last row ... my friends white was stark against mine so I ended up finishing with my off white ... Shhh! No one will notice.  This rug was also #5 for the Chookshed Challenge so I can tick that one off. I was using leftover wool from a previous rug and only purchased the pinky colour.

Now onto September's Challenge #3 ... I have a confession to make on my "Happy Houses" blocks ... I still haven't found them. This might have to be the month I turn my sewing stashes upside down and inside out and if the blocks don't turn up, I'll have to write them off!

For now I'll keep working on #9 "Strips and Curves" and hopefully get it into a completed top ... I made some progress yesterday on piecing the blocks ... using lots of pins and sewing slowly on those curved seams.

One more crochet rug to finish and then that will be that for working with wool ... I just can't manage it once the weather warms up so I'll be back to stitching Sashiko blocks in the evenings.

Pop over to Deana's and you can follow what fellow Chookshed Stitchers have been working on.

August Almost Wrapped Up

Chookshed Challenge this month was #7 - Iron Bag/Mat. However I had forgotten it was on my list when I finished making it back in June ... so I've kept working on July's Callenge #9 - Strips n Curves.

Starting with 7 blocks ... I've been cutting sections to have 18 more blocks cut out ready to sew. Also had to sew one more strata (set of strips) to cut more sections.

Thank you Deana and Chooky ... I pretty sure I wouldn't have been working on this one without the challenge.

My crochet Granny Ripple Rug is so so close to a finish ... I ran out of wool with one row to go. Lucky my best friend has some white 8ply so I can finish it at Patchwork Day on Monday. The C2C rug is halfway ... I needed to purchase two more balls for it.

August block for the MMQ was simple and quick.

I've also been playing with a possible layout but I could be way off ... that's part of the mystery.

I hope everyone else has had some success with their challenge this month ... time for me to play with some wool.

3 Finishes and 1 Start

 All 3 finished Quilts have been in the "Waiting for Quilting" pile for a while ... just needed that last PUSH!

#1 2x4" rectangles of scraps from my stash and a friend ... no coloured fabric repeated. I purchased the white and binding.

#2 Several years ago I joined a Calendar Quilt Challenge. 1 fabric strip for each day of the year with each month's name embroidered. I completed the 4 strips and then it hit the UFO pile. I eventually decided on the 4 patch on point strips for sashings and last year it was ready to quilt. I also asked if Quilting friends would like to contribute scraps ... so 4 of the month's are ,"Friend-ly" reminders.

#3 This quilt was made in a weekend workshop and set aside for a special birthday. My SIL turned 50 so ago quilt and binding and it's wrapped ready.

As for my Start? ... I've been itching to crochet another corner to corner rug, this time in a varigate. I needed a project to take with me on an overnight stay so ...

It's perfect weather for crochet.

The Month That Was (or Wasn't)

How fast a month can rush by ... especially when the Winter Blues hit. Living on the land, I will never wish the rain to go away ... but I am so hanging out for a lovely sunny day with no howling winds.

#9 Chookshed Challenge - was my Strips n Curves. I did lay it all out to check where it was up to, but that was all ... FAIL

#7 - Iron Bag/Mat ... Ooops ... I forgot this project was on my list when I made it up a month or so ago.

So for August I'll keep working on a couple of previous Challenge projects.

Below is my July block for the Murder Mystery Quilt.

My Temperature Tree has sprouted leaves for July and this morning I stitched the August branch.

Over the last couple of weeks I have finished bindings on 3 Quilts ... 2 are now hanging in our quilt exhibition and 1 is wrapped ready for a 50th Birthday Girl.

I'll share pics of those in another post. Time to get the Crochet hook into action while watching "The Voice".

Still Here

 Always extra busy at school holiday time. Usually mustering cattle and grandsons are great helping hands, especially our eldest at 11 yrs old going on 31 😊 

My daughter called it 'Cousin Camp' ... keeps me on the hop and loving it ❤️ 

Chookshed Challenge Updates:

#9 - July

Strips n Curves ... another UFO waiting for some love and attention.

#5 - June

Crochet Rug ... I managed some reasonable progress on my Granny Ripple rug before packing away.

#8 - May

Work on my King Bed Quilt was a big fat FAIL ... however I did get it out and make small progress early in June.

I also squeezed in some cross stitch and added most of June leaves to my Temperature Tree 

Lastly, only yesterday, I whipped up the June blocks for Murder Mystery Quilt. PHEW!

Now I'm off to town tomorrow to replenish the pantry after 4 growing boys 💞

"Scraps of Time" Exhibition

 If you would like to take a stroll through our little quilt exhibition ... scroll on down. The theme was to make use of our scrap baskets ... see if you find the repurposed men's ties.

MPQuilters are a small group of ladies (currently 10), most of us travelling at least 50km to 100km once a fortnight to sew and chat. Some members have moved too far away and new ladies have joined ... we think we're coming up on 30 years of friendship and fabric ... our 1st workshop was May 1995 and the rest they say, is history.

So without further ado ... labels and final touches were made after I'd taken these pics.

All About Leaves

Playing catchup with some colourful leaves.

My Temperature Tree now has it's leaves for May and a June branch ready to sprout. Loving the blues and a purple as the temperature drops ... thankful for a nice warm fire to stitch by.

This Autumn Leaf fabric had been tucked away with the pattern ... lost and found ... and hey presto ... a portable ironing mat and bag to take to patchwork days.

Maybe now I will make some progress with June Chookshed Challenge.

Lost and Found

 My mojo tends to be on a permanent lost and found mode but this post is about sewing projects. You know when you have a project in mind ... and you know where you stored it ... but it's not there? Maybe it's those pesky little craft gremlins playing hide and seek!

Well, after my marathon effort of finishing projects for our Exhibition, it was time to get back to my king size bed quilt. I knew exactly where that was ... but I FOUND a few other things tucked away neatly inside the container.

My scrappy version of a Flower Pot wall hanger I had made and forgotten about. The pattern was "LotsaPotsa Flowers" by Betsy DeFazio I browsed in an old magazine.  So a rushed quilting and binding job and just made it in time.

Another FIND was my original piece of Sashiko for the Chookshed Challenge ... maybe I can add this one to a new list for next year?

But wait, there's another FIND.  A carry bag complete with insulbright for taking my iron to patchwork day ... it was all cut out and ready to sew.

Always a great feeling to have a finish, especially when they've been around for a while. I still have 1 or 2 projects that the gremlins have hidden ... yes, I'm blaming them.

I hope to post some exhibition photos this week. The opening on Saturday was a huge success but unfortunately I couldn't attend ... we had a family reunion to attend and much catching up to do. Mum was 1 of 8 children and some of her cousins were also able to attend ... luckily the weather played nicely too.