Small Goals

 A couple of goals I can tick off for September. They may be small but it feels good to be completing tasks.  The first is my postcard  ~ Topiary ... posting off to the recipient tomorrow.

Second are the blocks for Marigold Mystery

Third and I don't think I've mentioned this one ... it's for a Queen Bee swap over twelve months. We have a group of 12 ladies and each month we take turns to be the Queen Bee ... choosing our block and colours for the other bees to make and send.  This is the block I've made and posted away. 

Chookshed Challenge #4 ~ Embroidery Wall Hanging. Another UFO project from "the draw" ... so this month I will need to sandwich, quilt and bind.

We had some squatters set up residence on our verandah and now we're waiting for the babies to take flight.  The local mud swallows got busy and built not 1 but 2 nests side by side. We were about to remove them and wash the verandah down but they had already laid eggs so ... today all 4 left home but I'm sure they'll be back for a few nights yet. They needed the 2 nests as these little chubby bubs grew ... looks like they even started a 3rd pad. Neither do they keep a clean house! 

From all the medical appointments, Hubby is now on a CPAP machine, a few medications and a Stent implanted in an artery in his heart ... just a couple more check ups now and knee surgery will be next year. It's been a bit of a whirlwind and trips to town ... not helping that the fuel keeps going up! Grandsons will be coming to holiday at the end of the week so it's off to town again tomorrow to stock the pantry among other jobs ... hoping I can squeeze in some sewing while they're here.

Take care xx

June Wrap

 More of the mundane than sewing but it's slowly happening.  I finished of the sewing of Row 3 for my Temp Quilt and have since cut what I could of all the triangles for the year. Now I'm just waiting on a few more fabrics to arrive for the missing temps and I can get on with Row 4.

Chookshed Challenge June ~ Crochet rug is coming along nicely and this is my June progress pic ... did I mention I'm not speedy and I need to pick it up more often.

Monday I sandwiched the 12 scrappy blocks and began quilting ... quilt as you go and I'll join with a cream sashing I think. I went with a fancy zig zag type stitch in the ditch and a spiral for the snowballs.

About a week and a half ago, our son had a fall from his horse while mustering ... luckily he only has a broken collarbone which is worry enough. We have our 12yr old grandson J here for school holidays and trying to get our mustering and weaning done. (calves old enough to be weaned from mum)  Of course some days the weather has been horrible ... throw in a couple of unscheduled town trips and plans can change pretty quick. The sun is currently trying hard to come out so that will be nice if it does.

Even baking a loaf of sourdough is tricky to fit in as I need an afternoon to prepare the loaf which then rests in the fridge overnight for baking next morning. I'm really happy with how they're turning out though and fingers crossed I've got a method that works for me and gives a good result.

I'm just waiting on a call to head up to the cattle yards shortly so I'll wrap this up, maybe squeeze in a blog visit or two and await the release of the July Chookshed Challenge number.

This and That

 Just the mundane ... housework, cattle work, town days and winter blahs ... with some sewing thrown into the mix.  I have 3 more months worth of triangles cut out for my historical temp quilt and plan to get to the machine today.

Chookshed Challenge May #1 was completed in the first week of June. I was determined to finish it before the crochet hook came out. EPP Wall Hanging designed by Fiona Ransley ~ 12" mini

Chookshed Challenge June #7 ~ Out came the crochet hook and wool eventually. Now I have 2 patterns I was planning on crocheting but then last week while scrolling FB a new design presented itself and hey presto ............

I worked on it yesterday at our Patchwork Day ... knowing we would have nearly a full house, machine space is tight so it's nice to be able to just grab a hand project, sit back and relax/chat.

Time for a couple more mundane chores and then you'll find me in the craftavan.

May Challenge

My Challenge #1 project for May is an EPP Wall Hanging - design by Fiona Ransley 

I'm also going to be making a start on a crochet rug but there'll still be plenty of crochet to go when that number comes up ... I'm no speed crocheter. The heart crochet is a wash cloth to try a C2C design.

Update on Sashiko wall hanging:  I've since trimmed the border back and will use what I trimmed off plus some leftover for the sashing ... much happier now ... thanks for your thoughts.

I haven't even had time for visiting around blogland so hopefully I'll get a chance to hop about and see what lovely projects everyone has been working on.

Have a lovely and creative weekend 🌹                                              

Chookshed Challenges

 More and more I just want to go and hide away in my craftavan and sew.

March Chookshed Challenge #2 - ABC Wall Hanging

Pattern name is "Little Letters"  This UFO goes back to 2014 when I found it a little sew along and made it through to the letter "K" ... after some online searching I found the instructions on "Temecula Quilt Co" sight and headed for the craftavan.  Finished on the weekend.

April Chookshed Challenge #10  -  Sashiko Wall Hanging

I'm excited to get started on this one ... I've been holding off until its number came up.

Happy Easter 

Hello March!

 "Marj ... the rains are here!"  Who remembers seeing this advertisement on the TV? 

Well the rains are here!  I've had to cancel the car going to the mechanic on Monday and won't be able to attend our patchwork day either ... there's no way I'll be taking on our dirt roads and creeks. So I'll just sit and sew at home. I was out in the craftervan tonight sewing on my Meadow Mist Mystery blocks but even with the screens, little flying insects managed to invade so I've given up on that and will get back to sewing in the morning.

Almost completed now

These blocks were also what I was working on for FNWF. Yesterday I finished the Butterfly quilt top and am just waiting for some backing fabric and it will be off to the quilter.

While I was sewing today I played a game of bobbin roulette ... gotta love a win sometimes.

Chookshed Challenge for Feb was #8 A Merry Christmas Garden. With the Butterfly quilt being a priority, I decided to put it on hold and will squeeze it in sometime soon. 

Now March is upon us and my challenge project for #2 is "ABC Wall Hanging".  I'll take this one out to the craftervan where I can leave it out to work on when I need something different.

Time to go for a visit around blogland and catch up with what everyone's been creating lately ... see you soon xx

FNWF, Challenge and Mystery

Days are flying by already and January magically turned into February before I knew it.  Not to mention this extreme heat has taken my every ounce of energy ... bring on Autumn ... my favourite season.

Chookshed Challenge ~ January #2 ~ Basket Bag

I did open the kit, read through the instructions and even started cutting out but that's as far as I got. Now if January had 39 days I would have scraped in. With yesterday being FNWF, I finished the cutting out and started sewing. Determination got me through and this afternoon I finished hand stitching the binding for a FINISH! I had the bamboo handles and opted to use them instead of the fabric handles as per pattern ... to be honest I was struggling with the heavy bag wadding in narrow handles.

February #8 ~ A Merry Christmas Garden

February project is a Quilt top I finished in 2020 and my hope is to have it quilted and bound ready to gift for Christmas 2026.  Chookshed Challenge 2026 List

Murder Mystery 2025 ~ Peru

Last patchwork day I took my almost finished rows, joined together and added the green and black borders. Since then I've cut the piano keys, joined into strips and added to finish off the top. Another to add to my pile of 'to be quilted'. All fabrics except for the blue background are from my stash.

Patchwork again this Monday and I'll be taking my other mystery quilt from Meadow Mist Designs ... time to start joining all the pieces.

Happy Saturday

Chookshed Challenge 2026

 Happy New Year to all ... Cheers to the 2026 Chookshed Challenge ...#3

I will admit I had my list ready a while back when I was having a good sort out and most of the projects are all in one draw for easy retrieval.

1.  EPP WALL HANGING (Fiona Ransley)  - a FefeandMe kit 

2.  ABC WALL HANGING - an online project commenced ??? years back.

3.  THE BASKET BAG --a Quilter's Angel kit

4.  EMBROIDERY WALL HANGING - Seasons Of top completed 2025

5.  PROJEC BAG - a Michelle's Patchwork kit

6.  HEATHER'S BAG - a Kadina Sewing Centre kit

7.  CROCHET RUG - this will require the purchasing of wool and may need to be swapped if #7 comes up and the weather is still warm.

8.  A MERRY CHRISTMAS GARDEN (Gail Pan) - 2014 - completed top in 2020

9.  A HOLLY COTTAGE GARDEN (Michelle Ridgway) - 2017 Stitch-a-long - completed top in 2018

10.  SASHIKO WALL HANGING - these are the panels stitched in 2025 and I have a plan!

Thank you ladies xx