Hand Quilting with a difference

Finally I got my act together and started hand quilting my Kaffe Fasset Quilt.  This quilt will be referred to as KFC (Kaffe Fassett collection)  so I don't have to keep saying the whole title.
The weather has cooled down a bit and it is now quite comfortable to quilt for an hour or so each night.

The quilt stand was made by my friend's husband.  It is absolutely fabulous.  You can adjust it up and down to get a comfortable position to quilt, and it also rotates 360 deg, so you simply turn it when you want to head in another direction.  Sometimes though I end up in a big twist, especially with this quilt being so huge.  No problem really, as it is quickly untwisted.  It makes me get up off my butt and do a few stretches.  Too much hand quilting in one sitting is not good for my headaches, so I have to discipline myself to take regular breaks.  I have a small kitchen timer to help me do this about every 20 minutes.

The thread I started quilting with was a sashiko thread and it was a little too thick and tended to shred a bit, so I changed over to a DMC Perle No 8 in a very similar colour.  It is going like a dream now, very fast, as I am using a No 7 crewel needle to quilt with.  It's a bit different look, but I am loving it.

A Trip to the Country

On Sunday I took off for a trip to the country to catch up with an old (I mean long time) crafty friend, Shirley.  We have known each other for some 18 years now and we love to get together and bounce ideas off each other.  She looked after me well.  
This is how Shirley's studio looked when I arrived

 and this is how it was after about half an hour. 

We did have some fun.  Shirley was showing me how to do some silk ribbon embroidery.  I love it - and look forward to doing a lot more of it on my crazy blocks.  This is the on-going project of the CQ which I have been working on for about 5 years.  I am determined to get it finished this year.  Check out some of the blocks here.  I will post some more finished ones, and explanations soon - I promise.

Here is a little sampler of silk ribbon stitches Shirley gave me to look at while I experimented.  Love doing the roses.





 Go over and check out Shirleys new blog.  She does the most exquisite embroidery.  Her underwater scenes have to be seen to be believed.

Australia Day - What to do

 

Hope everyone has an enjoyable and relaxing Australia Day. We sure live in one of the best countries in the world

What to do?  Well we have already had an Aussie style breakfast with our neighbours and the rest of the day is going to be spent with our family.  

Sticking to my decluttering plan, I will look through some old magazines and throw out, or give away some I think I don't need.  

The plan is to throw out, give away to charity or re- purpose one item a day for the whole year.  So far it is working beautifully.  Hard to stop at one item really.

   

Kaffe Fassett quilt - Another one

 

 This one I cannot take  credit for!  Isn't it stunning?  My friend Pam has put this one together. I will get a decent picture of the whole quilt next time!  As far as I know, it is still a WIP.  

 

Posting this picture is a cop out on what I have been doing in the sewing room lately.  Every day is all about that four letter word, "work" around here.  I am using some of this weekend to sew and work on projects, so hopefully I will have something of mine to show next week. 

Family Photos

My sister and I had fun on Wednesday going through old family photos and dividing them up.  That was the hard bit.  Some of the photos we had double of, some will have to be photo-copied.  Just as well there aren't six of us!  
The photos have been stored at our Dad's house in his old suitcase (above).  He was given this suitcase for his 21st birthday, so it is some 60 years old and in very good condition.  The handle looks like it has been replaced at some stage, but the whole thing is leather.  Very heavy and very sturdy.  I have inherited the suitcase and think it would make nice storage for my fabrics.
Guess who the baby is with the "sausage curl" in her hair?  Cute eh? 

Hopefully, I will get my quilting mojo back this weekend and start quilting this Kaffe Fassett quilt.  It is very hot here today, so probably won't start it til later this evening with the AC on.  In the meantime, there is plenty of sorting out of the sewing room to do after the painting, and lots and lots of ironing to catch up on.

Cherry Tomatoes

We have enjoyed our cherry tomatoes from our little vegie patch.  There are heaps more on the bushes to look forward to.

 My husband has put these mosquito net covers over the tomatoes to stop the fruit fly from attacking.  It has worked, so far. The uncovered ones have so far escaped too, but the larger tomato variety which are just ripening may have been hit.  They are more susceptible to fruit fly than cherry tomatoes.

There has been no crafting or sewing done here in the past weeks as I continue my quest to de-clutter and have the windows cleaned by next week for the new blinds.

Back to it

Back from the gorgeous beach holiday and straight back into the renovation/painting.
Since coming back we have moved all the furniture in 'part B' of the house ready for painting and I have been busy cleaning the windows inside and out in the finished 'part A' ready for the blinds to be re-hung.
Holiday? what holiday?
Next Christmas we will be enjoying the fruits of our labour.

This is the glorious place where we spent Christmas.  It is called Golden Beach and is part of the Sunshine Coast area.  We only had to walk across the very quiet dead end street onto this little beach which is part of the Pumicestone Passage, and therefore is still water.  Perfect for our little grandy who took to the water like a duck.  

 The reason the road is a dead end is because it ends at a beautiful tree filled park on the foreshore of the passage.  The park was abuzz on Christmas Day with families using the large trees for shade and enjoying the great outdoors for the day.  The park had a walking track and swings and playgym for the kiddies.  A perfect holiday destination, and we are considering doing it all again next year.