A happy parcel from Liz

I received this lovely parcel of humidity crib covers for the hospital.

Another panel with soft flannelette backing

A sweet panel with butterfield on. They mean so much to Liz

Left over blocks from a block swap

What a gorgeous backing

A cute pattern. Should have ironed it

The cute bear backing

With some of the left over flannelette Liz made some COMFORT HEARTS...

HERE IS THE LINK TO SEE THE PATTERNS AND WHAT OTHER ITEMS CAN BE MADE.
https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/p/prem-baby-makes.html

Go say hi to Liz and see what else she does.
http://thevillagequilters.blogspot.com.au

QAYG, SLOW STITCHING SUNDAY

I have had a busy week working on this quilt. It must have been started in a class and thrown in the cupboard, and I mean THROWN IN THE CUPBOARD. It definitely isn't a good way of doing QAYG. the sashings were sewn on then a length of wadding was put in between the fabric. No quilting to keep it in place. What a horrible way of doing it. My patience was tried but I have stuck with it as I want it gone.
After I did some measurements and worked out what fabrics I had and what would fit where. I got into cutting. The sashings and borders are cut.

Borders and sashings all cut

I have sewn all the sashings in, started on the borders. Only the 2 side borders to go.

It's getting there. Only 2 sides to go.

I am sick of getting pricked by all the pins. That is my Slow Stitching Sunday project today.
Sewing down all the sashings. See all those pins. They are the sashings I still have to sew.

A bad, frosty photo.
But this is where I am hand stitching the sashings

After it's all together and no more pins I will have to go back and machine quilt all the sashings and outside border. Those wadding pieces need to be held in there.
This is all the fabric that is left over. That is why I have a sashing strip on the back.
 I think it looks ok.

Only small pieces of fabric left

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com.au

Some simple sewing from stash...

I was looking through my kids fabric tubs and came across this panel. It makes a kids cloth book. HOW CUTE

A book panel to sew.

So after it sitting on my table for a few weeks I decided to get in and sew it...

A cloth book reading for reading, eating & washing

I have bundled it up with a knitted jumper and beanie

A gorgeous knitted jumper and matching beanie for winter.

Rolled hem beanie

Crochet turban hat... I followed this tutorial. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=

Turban hat

And this gorgeous bunny rabbit terrarium... made by the ever so clever O' Faigh.
http://oldburycottage.blogspot.com.au

O' Faigh made this cute bunny terrarium 

It is now in the post for our granddaughters first birthday. Hope she likes it.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELEINE

Bonnie Hunters mystery top is DONE.....

The final link up is here if you want to see many of the beautiful colour ways. I am very happy to have this top finished.. great way to start a year. Thanks Bonnie.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/mystery-monday-link-up-finale.html

I had a few days sewing Clue 7. There were a lot of steps to get the top done...

Quarter Square Triangles sewn, pressed and trimmed.

Sashing pieces ready to join together

Blocks and sashings ready for stitching

Blocks and sashings sewn together.

 Here is the reveal. I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS TOP. I'm glad I managed to keep up...

All done with borders 

The pattern won't be up for long so if you want it go over and get it printed.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/p/en-provence-mystery.html
If you miss out it will be up for sale....

More hand quilting with PERLE thread

The weather is been very hot this week and today is 38 and tomorrow will be 43. I have still tried to do a little bit of hand quilting. So I didn't have my quilt draped over me I thought I would start quilting the border. When it is quilted I will put the binding on. Then no wadding will spread and the edges won't get damaged.
I have also stay stitched the edge so that all those seams wouldn't pull apart.
Anyway, here is my little progress.

Quilting the borders

KATHY's SLOW STITCHING SUNDAY

FNSI QAYG UFO

That's right... Friday night had me sewing along with many others for FNSI.
I got another UFO out of the cupboard and tried to make some progress.
I had a pile of blocks already sewn, rows joined and lots of scraps. So trying to work out what the plan was... Anyway, I have decided it needed another 5 blocks making. This is what I made on Friday night. I will then have 5 blocks across and 6 rows down. I will join them with the brighter blue sashing and the backing fabric as corner stones and a 4" border... Now to get the measurements right.

A box of scraps

What I started with

Now to keep working on it over the next few weeks to get it finished.

Why don't you grab a cuppa and go check out what others got up to.
http://www.sugarlane-designs.com/2017/01/first-fnsi-for-2017.html

I just can't help myself... I have to join in and sew, sew sew,.....
Sew I am sewing along with Pat Sloan and her 182 day Summer to Winter solstice...
http://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/182-day-solstice-challenge-blocks.html

I decided on using the beautiful pack of fabrics that Mari sent me...

I also added some of my Xmas bargain shopping from spotlight. The lighter fabric has snowflakes on it. This will be used as my background...
Here is the story of how I got the fabric
https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/lovely-blogging-friends-to-say-thankyou.html

And go over to see what Mari gets up to. She does amazing work and is so kind....
http://academicquilter.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/the-gratitude-sale.html
http://academicquilter.blogspot.com.au

Pat is putting up a 12" block every week Sew we can join in and sew along... I will sew as many blocks as I can with this fabric until it runs out. Wether I get 1 or 2 quilts out of it we will have to wait and see. There are 25 blocks in the sew along....

Anyway now for my blocks....
Here is week 1

Week 2

Week 3

A bit of this and a bit of that.

It's been a bit hot and we have had a few visitors over the past weeks. I just wanted a few little things to work on.

A cute little crochet turban beanie.....
Click on the link to see the pattern.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oMhP5RDkb08

Bibs lined with flannelette

Knitted cotton dishcloths for the gift box

4 ply premie Knitted beanie

4 PLY PREM BABY BEANIE……

I used a soft 4 ply baby yarn.

No. 10 needles… 3.25 mm
(or size to make good tension)


CAST ON 59 sts….

K1, P1 to end.
P1, K1 to end.
REPEAT UNTIL WORK MEASURES 2” (5 cm)

 PATTERN
K2, P2 to last st. P1
K2, P2 to last st. K1
REPEAT UNTIL WORK MEASURES 5” (12.5 cm)

YOU CAN DO THIS RIB PATTERN OR ANY OTHER PATTERN YOU LIKE.

K2 tog,  to last st, K1….  30 sts…

Break yarn.                  
Thread through sts
Sew up side seam
Turn band up…..

A Premie Knitted beanie

Have a look to see what else I make for the NICU at the local hospital.
https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/p/prem-baby-makes.html
This is my Prem Baby Makes page. If you want to join in and makes any of the items here please feel free. If you want to send some tomdonate please email me....

Exciting Slow Stitching Sunday

What I project I'm working on today....
A few years back my good friend made me a scrappy quilt top for my birthday. I wasn't into using scraps or repetitive designs so I just love what Sue has done.... it sat in the cupboard for 3 years not knowing how to quilt it. Sue thought I didn't like it....

Isn't it lovely

The sashings were done in the shade of green that was my mums favourite colour. I have always wanted to quilt with perle thread.

When we cleaned up mums house I collected a whole tub of bits on rolls, new rolls and lots more. So decision made... This quilt will have a bit of mum in there too.

I cleaned off my table and got to thread basting it. I prefer to thread baste rather than using pins when I am going to hand quilt. I'm not sure how long it will take me to quilt and I have seen other projects damaged by the pins. I also don't like my thread getting caught around the pins when I sew...

I am basting through every square.
So that means about every 2 inches.

I have added a label already and it will be quilted in. This quilt is mine and I don't want it going missing.

My special label of thanks

All the basting is done and the quilt is trimmed down. It looks so much better when you trim it. It feels a lot better too.

All trimmed ready for quilting

Now for the quilting design. I have chosen the BAPTIST FAN design. I followed this great tutorial to  help me out
http://quiltyfolk.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/part-1-learning-how-to-make-baptist-fan.html
I have drawn the design on and now for the threads....
I am using frixion pens to mark this design with. I will draw a few fans, stitch them, lightly iron the pen mark off then draw on some more... I have a lot of colours to choose from and so far it's the blacks that seems to show up the best

My circle maker and frixion pen

Here is the tub of threads to go through.

Look at what I get to choose from

Here are some to start me off. I'm continuing the scrappy feel and just going to finish off some of these rolls...

The threads I am starting with

The end of the day and this is where I am at. I haven't stopped.

Baptist Fan hand quilting is started

Sue, this is for you. Thank you for my lovely gift and now you can see my progress.

I am linking up with Kathy for SLOW STITCHING SUNDAY . This link is for Kathys home page but very Sunday she has a link up...  Go and have a look through to see what others get up to for a relaxing day of stitching.

Using up some block swap blocks and a quilting project block

I was looking through some odd boxes I have and came across these blocks I received in the 12" & 6"  block swaps. I asked for autumn colours and maple leaves.
These groups blogs are no longer operating as they are on Facebook. I am not so I don't see what is happening but I wanted to do something with the blocks.
http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au
http://6inchblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com.au
  This is the centre block that I used. It was a quilt as you go, raw edged applique and machine quilting techniques taught by Helen Godden.... what was I to do with it.. I don't do wall hangings...

Machine quilting class with Helen Godden held at Heathcote Quilters 

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/workshop-with-heathcote-quilters.html

So this is what I have come up with so far....

A play with ideas

This is what I have decided on

Bonnie Hunters Clue 7 & Reveal...

It was New Year's Day and there were many thousands of Quilters tuning in to Bonnie Hunters QUILTVILLE. We were all waiting for the reveal and boy did we get it....
Not only do we have a lot of stitching to do but the quilt looks fantastic...
Hubby and I have been away travelling through South Australia so no sewing for me until now.... Luckily the link up was delayed a week.
I haven't done any of the clue 7 yet but went into sewing the blocks together and preparing some of the  borders. I still need to make 80 quarter square triangles for the sashing and place the magenta blocks in the borders.

I will be linking up with other Bonnieacs....
http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6-7.html

Some  of the border reading for sewing

Blocks laid out ready for sewing

16 blocks being webbed