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.

Mending, Making, Baking and More Scrap Play

 Mending (Ugh)  -  well, not mending as such but along those lines. Hubby needed new shorts but can never find short legged shorts to buy so ... measure ... cut ... hem!

Making - with those out of the way, or maybe in between shorts (there were 5 pairs), I cut out fabric for 2 more Bondi tops.  I had purchased the blue specifically to make into a top and found the cat fabric in my stash ... fairly quick to make up and very comfy.

Baking - I've gone back to baking my own sourdough bread ... trial and error for the first 2 loaves (I'm a bit rusty) but they've been edible. My starter was in the fridge for a few days, out now and 'fed' so I'll see tomorrow how it goes for the next loaf.

Scrap Play -  it's so satisfying watching my containers of small strips diminish as my stack of 6.5" blocks grows.  First some green log cabins ...

Then out came the blue candy ... just playing around with scrap sizes and layouts and making them up to 6.5" blocks ... might try some half square triangles next, maybe some 9 patch ... I'll see. 

It's just nice to fiddle about with no expectation.

Now I've run out of days for February Chookshed Challenge ... today's the day my cards come out to play.

Hearts and Scrap Play

 Little 'Cuddle Hearts' have been posted. My dear friend has also been through her stash and has several sets ready to post.

I've had scrap play vibes so my time in the van has been spent colour sorting pre-cut candy strips Along with the 4 purples, I now have 3 each of yellow, cream and browns with 6 blues...green next. No plan yet for the blocks but I've managed to make a good dent in the containers.

Scrolling good old Facebook, I spied a colour wash quilt made from 3.5" blocks sooooo....

 It's called "Colour Wash Quilt Challenge" by Terry Rowland on Youtube. They make great leader/enders while sewing other projects. No time frame on these, I'll just keep making and storing until one day.

2025 Temperature Tree has progressed with some February leaves now.

Last Thursday I had a lovely invite to Grandson J's school for Student Investiture. J is a very proud House Captain and his best mate is School Captain ... last year of Primary School, oh my!

We've been fortunate to enjoy some beautiful rains so far this year and it's so lovely to see all the green ggrassin the paddocks and in the cattle yards ... although mowing around the house is never ending but we won't complain too much about that.

Time to squeeze in some bookwork to keep up to date ... doesn't mean I can't have a second screen open and multi-task with a little blog hopping.

FNWF Wrap, Hearts and Red Play

Fellow Bloggers and Facebook are giving me so many ideas to use my Quilt Candy but not how to fit more hours into the day.

My Friday night began with Hearts...some of you may have seen on FB, Mater Mothers put a call out for volunteers to sew 'Cuddle Hearts' for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I found a sweet piece of flannelette, printed the template and just need to tie off some top stitch threads (photo when they're finished).

A little bit of cross stitching to finish off the evening and I have a branch ready for some February leaves.

One of the ideas floating around in my head was 6.5" log cabin blocks using my candy strips ... some sewing yesterday and today ... I have 9 completed red blocks and strips for 4 purple picked out ready to sew.

Sticking to one colour was the tricky party. I have so many strips in various sizes but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to find enough of one colour. I foresee some very 'scrappy' blocks in my future.

Days Roll On

Just popping in before 2024 makes way for 2025 ... The last couple of months have been a little 'rough' so if things got done ... they got done ... and if they didn't ... that was ok too.

My Temperature Quilt keeps calling so I'm pleased that I've kept at it ... very different to last years ... the last row is complete up to the 21st December and I've added the 'keys' down each side.

Hot temps call for the air con on in the Craftervan so I decided it was time for a tidy up. What did I find? ... Pattern and Template for this Twister design so I had a little play when the mood struck ... a little wall hanging ready for quilting. I also found the elusive 'Strips and Curves' which was supposed to be No. 4 Challenge project.

This 'Geese' bag had been waiting for handles ... ta da?

This piece of fabric had been waiting to be hemmed ... now I have a new tablecloth.

Some Christmas fabric I purchased this time last year ... so while the mood was still with me ... I had a new Christmas top to wear.

End of November our Patchwork Group had their Christmas Breakup and we had a little Gift Swap ... the theme was "A Receptacle". I found this pattern for a handy little Carry Bag with pockets both inside and out. Was a bit of a challenge but turned out ok and I made myself one at the same time.

Mum needed her timber fence painted so hubby to the rescue for this job with help from myself, mum and aunty ... of course it had to be a hot day!

Our poinciana trees are always beautiful coming up to Christmas ...

And there's always a critter or two to be found around the place ... the Plovers are busy raising their young ... as are our resident Willy Wagtail parents ...

This little family were quite brave coming up close to the house ... 2 have young in their pouches.

Nature has it's happy and sad.

Sadly we had to say goodbye to our beautiful little girl Millie in October ... our home and hearts are not the same.

14.02.14 ~ 10.10.24

Today I've been playing with some fabric in readiness for a 2025 project or 2 as I keep looking forward ... and planning for a fabric acquisition expedition ... sounds more exciting than just 'going shopping' ...

Whatever the Weather

Plugging away each month to keep my Temperature Quilt up to date. January to June 2023

Now I have July, August, September completed.

This next quilt top was a "spur of the moment" so to speak. I lovely gentleman gifted a few boxes of his wife's quilting "stuff" to our little group, as she was no longer able to be sewing. After sorting all the fabrics, my best friend and I decided to make 'Scrappy' Quilts using the smaller scraps. Now there are 5 of us making 'Scrappy'. I just need to put a white 2" border and my top is complete.

Maybe I'll go and make a start on the month of October for the Temperature Quilt.

 

Today I Sew

The saying goes that whatever you do on New Years Day ... you do all year.  

So I sewed.  

This is my Churn Dash with Chookyblue ... half joined and the strips all completed on the other half ready for assembly.  All fabrics from my stash and scraps.

Hubby and I had some cattle work to do first thing this morning.  Already the day was warming up and what better way to cool down when you're a working dog?  Jump in the trough.

Ended the last year with some cattle work too.  These 2 boys came to check out what we were up to.

Planning on getting my Churn Dash top completed tomorrow ... fingers crossed.

I have no idea why blogger isn't centering my pictures!

FNWF Results, OPAM and More

Thread and hoop in hand, I started stitching this fellow Friday night. Slow and steady ... I need better lighting.  Thank you to Cheryll for hosting and friends for keeping company.

FNWF

I've spent some time lately in my sewing room (should read - spare bedroom), going through piles of stuff and trying to sort out some things. I decided it was time to use some fabrics that I'd purchased ??? with certain projects in mind. First up were some pillow cases for the grandsons and niece. Next some sock savers for DDIL with more cut out ready to sew.

OPAM

A UFO runner is next on the list followed by a bag that's been in the waiting for ??? a few years.

I also have 2 .... yes 2! ... finished quilt tops to share.  The first is the Murder Mystery Quilt 2021.

My 2nd top is a very belated quilt for my DD ... pattern and fabrics chosen by her. Now for the quilting.

Mum is coming to visit for a few days and we're off to my local patchwork group tomorrow. Looking forward to catching up with the ladies as I haven't made it in this year.

I'm off for a quick visit myself around some blogs to see what others were doing Friday night.

Zoom, Zoom February

While February rolls over and March is knocking on the door .... Mother Nature is being a b***h!

Where to start? I've been making some more masks as even Grandson J needs some for school.

My 2021 Blog Book arrived in the mail ... I've been having these printed since 2007/2008 but this one was the thinnest.

Murder in the Caribbean is getting close ... here is the layout and I've managed to join a couple of rows. I'm liking this one.

The crochet hook has been in action as I've run out of dish cloths.  This pattern is Waffle and a involves a new stitch for me ... 'Front Post Treble Stitch' ... simple to do after a you tube lesson.

Belvedere the Rustic Reindeer went to live with his new owner just in time for Christmas 2021 and his brother has finally come together and will live here. Grandson M was checking him over and may have had sticky fingers by the spot on it's cheek.

Chookyblue held a Zoom day yesterday to celebrate her 15th year of blogging. I had great plans of joining in for the day ... Thursday/Thursday night in town at Mum's ... come home Friday ... plans for Sunday ... so Saturday WAS going to be MY day ... until Mother Nature threw a tantrum! Hubby phoned Friday morning to say he'd had 10 inches of rain (250mm) overnight and had never seen the creeks run so high. Of course nothing compared to what is still unfolding further south but it stopped me getting home due to the bridge going under water.  I did manage to get home Saturday afternoon ... it took some very careful driving around back roads and finally through our paddocks to get to the house as the road into our place has washed away.

Finally after unpacking I closed my eyes to the rest of the house, set myself up with a headless reindeer, wool and crochet hook, and enjoyed a few hours with lovely ladies from all over.  The quilt I showed was from a local workshop in June 2012 and the pattern was the instructors called 'Ribbon Stars'. Bit of a record for me as the quilt was finished by the end of 2012! Thank you Chooky for hosting and I'm so glad I made it eventually.

Hubby is out checking fences this morning and later I'll head out and help with repairs. Time to grab a snack and a cuppa and hang out the next load of washing.