Slow stitching Sunday is going just Dearly

I have had a great day working on some hand stitching blocks. Dear Jane blocks....
I prepared a few by machine and have them ready to hand stitch. I have drawn the lines on with a white Karisma pencil. It rubs or washes off when done. It had actually rubbed off by the time I had finished stitching. I usually use friXion pens but they don't show up on the darker coloured fabrics very well. I'll be using this pencil again.. Very happy.

Hand stitching ready

I have decided to use up some of my tone on tone scraps. I had a long strip that had already been joined together with lots of scraps. It was left over from another project. Now I am cutting them into background squares for Dear Jane. I think it looks ok.. I have completed my applique on these 3 blocks. Some are a little wonky but I can cope with that. It's a bit like my life.

J 1

E 1

J 13

I got 3 finished and my fourth is started. I'll get them done in time for the next months meeting.

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday...
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com.au

What a show.

Carolyn did a great talk and handled the night so well.
We stopped for drinks and finger food.
More photos...

Lovely colours and textures

Reflections

More Aboriginal inspired.

Beautiful BOAB TREES

Dorothy's Shoes. 

Lots of decorative stitching

COLOURFUL WILDFLOWERS

Look at those beautiful toes... HAHA...
and TREES

The rich colours of the rock.

Stunning colour blocking backgrounds

182 Summer/winter solstice challenge

I worried on block 8 & 9 of the challenge. Wow. I didn't know they were such big blocks.
Block 8 is 18"
Made to size . Applique is stitched and I am up to date...

Block 8

Block 9 is 32".
All my half square triangles are made, trimmed and ready to sew into the big block...

Ready to be stitched.

A 32" centre star block

My background fabric is running out quickly. I will keep going until I run out of fabric then I will put the blocks together some how.
These fabrics are looking so good together...

FNSI results...

**** here is the link to go and see what everyone was working on. http://www.sugarlane-designs.com/2017/02/february-fnsi-love-is-in-air.html ****

Over the past 2 weeks I have been working on this quilt. It was started by a friend and it was to be a gift for Xmas. Well, it got a bit too much for her so it was passed on to me to finish. This is what I have done so far.

Strip piecing cut into squares...

My strip piecing layered, stitched and cut.
Making lots of half square triangles.

A pile of squares sewn and cut.
Ready to iron open.

Opened up ..... Looking good

All trimmed ready for sewing.

Layout no 1.. random.

Layout no 2..

Layout no 2 it is...

 

The top so far. 

I still need to add borders. That will happen over the next week. It will end up about 66" x 93"


So I am linking up with Wendy for FNSI.
http://www.sugarlane-designs.com/p/friday-night-sew-in-fnsi_23.html

My winnings have arrived

I was lucky enough to win a prize for joining in FNSI with Wendy and many others.
It arrived in the post last week. I love it and will happily stitch it throughout the year for our granddaughters Xmas present.
This is what Wendy sent me.

FNSI prize

http://www.sugarlane-designs.com/p/friday-night-sew-in-fnsi_23.html

It's on again tonight so why don't you link up or even just have a look.

http://www.sugarlane-designs.com/p/friday-night-sew-in-fnsi_23.html

I have been working on Fiddle cloths and this is one I have sent my SIL. I hope she likes it. She isn't able to see any more so time will tell if she enjoys touching it.

Palms fiddle cloth

My new group here in Mildura have been sewing along with me. I hope they get some lovely ones to share.

Donations to the nursing home in Gisborne

My friend from my Monday Gisborne group came for a visit. Barb was raised here in Mildura and her parents still live here. Since I have spent some time basting a few quilts and have always joined in with our groups donations what was I to do. Her visit was quick and unexpected so I gave Barb 2 quilts to take home and quilt. They were basted so half the job was done.... here are the ones I sent back.
Good night Irene

Good night Irene

And the story of where it began.

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/fnsimy-test-pattern-quilt.html

Then there was my Hunters Star quilt.

https://jobutterfield.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/what-have-i-been-up-to-hunters-star.html

Hunters Star

I'm sure the nursing home will appreciate the kindness of our little group.

I think they have between 15 - 20 quilts so far.

Not bad for a group of 4...

QAYG is finished

I have finished all but the hand stitching of the binding down. I am sending it to a friend who originally worked on the quilt until I took it over years back. She enjoys hand stitching. When it's done she will pass it on to a charity.

When I was running my hands over this quilt and checking for threads I felt a bump. A hidden bump. Can you see where that pin is. That is marking the spot where I had to unpick some stitching. Yes, silly me had sewn a pin into it. I was holding the wadding in place when I was stitching it down and I missed taking it out. Lucky I found it.

A mysterious bump in the sashing.

Removing a pin that was hidden in the finished sashing.
OOPS IT WAS SEWN IN...

Here is a bit of the back showing with the sashing strip in there.
I needed to add  this because I didn't have enough of the backing fabric

This is all the sashing and backing fabric left 

Teal blue/green scraps.

I have been joining in with Angela over at soscrappy for a few years. Angela nominates a colour every month. This gives you something to work with. It aims to get rid of your scraps in the nominated colour. This month it was teal green / blue - Aqua .
Once I started to look for this colour I realised I didn't have any. I searched all my boxes for this colour. I didn't have any BUT I did find a piece of 7" * 10" in this lovely print. What can be done with that... not much.... UNTIL I saw this weeks Splendid Sampler block no. 98. PERFECT.
I really enjoyed a little bit of hand applique...
So I joined in 3 SAL's.....

Splendid Sampler bloc 98 teal blue-green

I am having a quiet day sitting and finishing stitching this block tomorrow for Sunday's Slow Stitching. 

Have a look at the following links to see what it's all about.

SO SCRAPPY TEAL BLUE/GREEN
http://superscrappy.blogspot.com.au

SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com.au

SPLENDID SAMPLER BLOCK 98
http://www.thesplendidsampler.com/2017/02/05/block-98-fleur-de-lei/

Dear Janes....

Kilmore Dear Jane blocks for over the Xmas break. We only had to do 4 which was good. I was so busy and it was extremely hot here. I have mine finished on time with days to spare before we get the next lot to do. I am loving using up my brown scraps on this quilt.

I foundation pieced this block. The only thing I don't like about this technique is removing the paper.

Block G4

A fun little basket

Block J12

Back to some small piecing

Block E8

Now for some hand appliqué.

Block D8

A good friend

A good friend of mine has been working on a quilt for quite a while. She has come to the realisation that she is not interested in machine sewing any more. So, I received a parcel in the mail. Included was a pile of fabric, some strips sewn together, large blocks cut and other blocks sewn again. What was I to do but get them all out and sort them out. Work out what she had in mind and go forward and finish it off for her. She is so special..

Here is what I got..... such lovely bright fabrics....

Oh my. What's in the box.... what a challenge.

Time to sor the box full of goodies out. Then work out what can I do with them. The aim is for something to make a king single quilt.

A box full of goodies. Fabric, strips, blocks, scraps and 1/2 square triangles.

Strips ready to be sewn

Fun colourful strips crosscut and sewn into half square triangle blocks.

The strips need cross cutting

The strips have been cross cut into 13.5" blocks.
Place the 2 blocks together after they have been placed in opposite directions. You will end up with fun half square triangles.

13" blocks to be sewn 1/4" around all sides and then cut diagonally.

Once the blocks have been cut diagonally this is what we have got.
These are the blocks that will be sewn together. SOMEHOW....

A 9.5" block

Fiddle cloths on the go

I have made a few fiddle cloths and given them to friends. One even went over to the UK. You can make it using all kind of scraps. I wanted one for my SIL and my group wanted to make something for charity. The 5th Tuesday night of the month is allocated for charity makes. Everyone who wanted to join in brought along a bag of scraps, bits and pieces to share. It was all put on the table for everyone to dig in. Hopefully I will get a photo of a few of the finished ones in a week or two when we get together again.

What will all this be.

I have put a few textured items on to a towelling hand cloth. It makes a good base for these fiddle cloths. This one will be sent to my SIL. When it is finished. I am also sending it in a lingerie washing bag so that the items on it don't get damaged in the wash.... It has lots of things on there to fiddle with. Beads, a zip, cloth flower, lace, buttons, a doily and different textures of fabric. I just made it like a crazy patch.. Time will tell if she uses it.

It's getting there.

Another one to donate to a nursing home near me.