Spinning tops mystery

I didn’t realise this had posted yet. So this is a mystery I did a couple of years ago. It’s about time I got it’s borders on, basted and quilted. I have to spend some more time on finishing my quilts instead of leaving them as tops.

More postcards from USA..

 My post cards are slowly coming through to me. These are what I have received lately.

From MONA

from LAURA

from PAM

Unfortunately I have to wait for my parcel with my Autumn mug rug and my panel quilt top. USA says Australia isn’t allowing parcels to be sent and others are told USA is refusing to send to Australia.

Whatever the reason the mail has been slow everywhere. Hopefully I might get mine for Xmas. It will be a nice surprise when they do turn up. The ladies in th USA are phoning their post office regularly to check. As soon as they can send they will..

A fiddling sort of day.

 I gave my friend a gift of scissors with beading to attach the cap and the handle. I had made a few at once and were always handy as a gift. Anyway, with being pulled in and out of the bag my friend broke hers. So a repair was needed.

Got them all undone and laid out again.

Re threaded and finished. Lovely job.

Next was to work on a little bit more of my Fairy Godmother for our challenge. Now to be handed in at our Xmas dinner. If that will go ahead. As we are always in and out of snap lockdowns.

My work gave everyone a gift for saying Thankyou and working together during all this covid pandemic. It has been hard for everyone and they wanted to cheer us up a bit.

So here is a lovely chocolate package.

Sweet Blue Wren coffee cup. (We had a few designs to choose from) Thos was my favourite. There were chocolates, popcorn, hot chocolate melts and marshmallows too.

Impromptu zoom with Chooky

 Friday night after work Chooky sent out an invite to a zoom meeting. I was so tired, sitting in my pj’s and watching tv. I quickly jumped up, started tea, grabbed my Xmas fabric tub and joined in.

While we were chatting away I cooked and ate tea. Then moved on to some class preparation.

Our quilt group make a Xmas decoration every year and even though we are in lockdown we are doing one again this year. We were to meet in the park today to be shown how to finish it but that is now postponed.

We needed to prepare 2 strips of Xmas fabric with fliesofix  in the centre to make it a reversible fabric.

I cutout the bell shape in template plastic and traced the pattern 8 times on to the fabric. Cut them out. Now I am ready for the class.

I have found the beads and ribbon. Now it’s time to pack my bag so I’m ready for when we can meet in the park to finish it off. I won’t forget to pack the needle and thread too.

Thanks Chooky for the catch up.It made me get this ready

Meeting up in the park…..My panel swap is on its way to the USA

 My friend and I set up a lovely meeting in the park. We shared show’n’tell, a coffee from the local van.. Bobbie’n’me. Caught up on some much needed chatting. Even though it was a bit fresh we soldiered on and it was great. The following weekend we were back in lockdown. We are trying to organise a catch up for our sewing group. Hopefully if lockdown lifts we will meet in groups of 10. If too many turn up we will make 2 groups. An easy fix.

I joined this panel swap on QATW site. My partner really liked the idea of getting something from Australia. 

So I bought this panel.

Chose fabrics.

Started sewing

I had so much trouble getting this to work. I drew it out. Measured it up and cut the strips but failed to realise I had done it wrong until I was sewing it together. The strips don’t get cut the width of the squares. So I unpicked, cut, resewed, repeated. Joined pieces together as fabric was running short. Frustration set in but I persevered.

Now the borders are on. This now measures 60” square. A great size quilt. The colours are showing a bit darker than what they actually are. I love this top

I got this in the mail on 5th Sept. It waited in Australia for weeks. 7th October it finally arrived in the USA. Now to wait until my partner gets it.

What have I been up to since the last Zoom.

 Way back when Chooky had a Zoom. I didn’t get up as early as the previous time but it was still early for me. Hello ladies

I was doing some hand quilting on a very old UFO. This started 7 years ago. Anyway a few stitches is good. And enjoyed a coffee.

The next day it was oven cleaning time.

I used this new to me product and I’ll definitely be using it again. Sorry for the people that don’t like using chemicals but I loved this one.

My oven was disgusting and well overdue for cleaning. I would say it is my most hated housework job.

Here are the filthy before shots. The racks and glass you can’t see through

Put them in the bag, pour a little on the glass.

I ran out of the good stuff on the racks and only had a little bit left for the glass. Then had to use some of the usual spray for in the oven.

Flip the bag over every so often and 4 hours later 

Give them a rinse, bring them inside and was with soapy water and a miracle has happened …. 

NO SCRUBBING AT ALL.

It was worth the $10 and I will be buying some more for in the cupboard for next time.

Now back to knitting.

My friend did a knitted vest for a teddy bear? She added a little flower too.

I got all mine completed and they are now on the way to Jan Mac. She should get them very soon.

Isn’t this little pig cute

Today Mildura starts a 7 day lockdown and our cases have risen to 37 in 3 days. I’m not sure where this will lead as we already have 4 schools closed due to exposure. Just have to cross our fingers that we are safe.

JanMac has received my parcel and will distribute them accordingly.

https://sewmanyquiltstoolittletime.blogspot.com/2021/10/many-thanks-sue-jo-and-eileen.html

Sewing machine needle case folder

 I have always wanted a better way to store my sewing machine needles rather than just throwing them in to the bottom of a plastic zip lock bag.

I came across this great idea on Pinterest.

Go to the web page and there is a great tutorial of how to make it. There are also printable pages that go with it. Amazing. Just what I wanted. And I had the folder already left over from my scrapbooking days.

http://sew-whats-new.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-make-yourself-a-sewing-machine-needle-organizer?xg_source=activity

So one day I printed all the pages 

then a week or so later I sat & cut out the plastic

Prepared my machine foot for sewing. I stick on a reusable tape on the bottom of my foot. This one doesn’t leave any gum once removed.

and sewed

Plastic pieces are all sewn

The felt pieces are stitched on. The patterned paper is cut to size and the folder is ready.

All I need to do now is to glue the paper backs on, cut the folder holes, decorate the folder and I have one special needle case.