Another Placemat or is is a Table centre.

 Quite a while ago I was given a bag of scraps and in it was this block of Australia. 

I decided to make it into a large placemat or table centre.

I like how it has turned out and this will be donated to Meals on Wheels.

Getting ready for Japan and a bit of Sashiko

 A meeting was held at Janet's today to go over everything for our trip to Japan. It's very exciting and real.

No photos of our meeting but lots of planning happened.

On the sewing front I have been working on my sashiko cloth.

Here is where it is at now. Looking good.

Bordertown - Gum Tree Quilters Exhibition

A week before we were to go to Bordertown, Sth Aust. for a special visit I received a phone call from a lady staying in Mildura with her sister. Jeanette needed a lift to Bordertown to help out at the Gum Tree Quilters exhibition. She was a member and actually lives there. She doesn’t drive and was visiting her sister. As we had room we said we would take her and bring her home as well. 

We headed off and had a stop at Walpeup to view the painted silo.

Then continued on to Bordertown to stay at Judy’s and go to the Gum Creek Quilters Exhibition.

All my photos have disappeared of my phone so I have copied them from http://newsfromjude.blogspot.com/2023/10/gum-tree-quilters-exhibition-report.html and http://jindiscottage.blogspot.com/2023/11/on-roadfrom-mildura.html

We enjoyed the quilt show and catching up with people we had previously met

This group had only been together a few weeks before

I loved this piece and I think it belonged to Pat. I can’t recall the value but it wasn’t cheap. It was beautiful 

Mini quilts were made for a SA Quilters appraisal exercise. They recorder the amount of time it took to make each project and then they were valued accordingly. Amazing work and prices too.

We all went out for tea to the local pub. 

I also met some friends of my brother’s partner. Such a small world

A great photo of Judy and Barry

I loved this quilt kit of Judy’s when I visited in February so I caved and bought the kit. Hopefully it won’t take me long to make. This was made my Judy.

Tony and I also went for a drive and had lunch at Padthaway winery. You can stay at the homestead, and they also have weddings there. Of course, we bought a few bottles home with us.

Sashiko washcloth

 I have been getting into the Japanese mood as my holiday draws closer.

Happily stitching away on a sashiko washcloth.

This is where I last left it. Nearly to the finish of one direction.

I have changed direction and am now sewing along the other edge.

I just love this variegated thread.

You can see the pattern starting to show. I am enjoying the process of slow stitching.

My drawing out, cutting board and ironing mat folder.

 Many years ago when I was a member of the Sunbury Patchwork group we made these cutting and ironing folders. I am talking about over 15 years ago. I used up some appliqué blocks from a friendship group I was in at Pixie Patch Kilmore.

On the inside was an ironing mat and cutting mat. This has been very well used as I take it to all the workshops I attend.

I decided that I needed one for my caravan case as my travelling sewing folder.

I already had the bits and pieces in my sewing room. So with hubbies help to cut the wood I have all the pieces at a nice compact size. I am even putting in a sandpaper board so I can trace the templates easier onto the fabric.

Approx 6” x 8”.

Now I just need to design and sew an outer cover for it.

More placemats

 Another day of sewing with my scraps. At some point I just have to cut into this fabric I have. The placemats are very easy to put together. Especially as they are QAYG. We never get many for the blokes.

I think have turned out pretty well.

Back to my hand piecing days.

 When I first started patchwork I made so many projects and quilts by hand piecing. This meant tracing around a template with pencil and slowing sewing them together to make blocks. Since we have just ordered a new caravan we hope to use frequently I would like to take my Hand sewing along so I always have something to work on that won’t be finished in a day.

About 10-12 years ago I went to the Melbourne quilt show and loved this pattern. 365 Star a Day.

Make 1 a day for a year. Well that didn’t happen. Life changed and I didn’t even get 1 block made. These blocks finish at 3 inches. I would prefer to make these than EPP.

These are the tiny templates used to make the blocks.

I had thrown in scraps of fabrics into this case years ago too. It also had a kit with scissors, needles, thread, sandpaper and pencil. All ready to go.

It needed updating and to be more organised.

I sat and measured out what size scrap I needed to collect to make it easier and hopefully neater for me. 

That will be next.  Sorting these scraps out.

Look at the gorgeous case I have for it.

Now I need to make the preparation folder. Sandpaper board, cutting mat and ironing board folder.

On to planning it.

Outside MOVE to look what else was there.

 This little shopping complex was good to see. Not only was the a motor museum and fashion collection display but there was also an antique shop, garden centre, pottery pot shop, cafe, mini golf, gardens, lake and an apple and chocolate shop. 

We had a walk around the garden centre which was filled with beautiful gifts and a fun display out the front.

Then it was a yummy shop. Chocolate and more chocolate with a twist. Combined with fresh apples. Oops forgot a photo of them. Think of a toffee apple. This wa a fresh apple dipped in chocolate. Not just plain chocolate but all sorts. Ones with rocky road or crunchie and so many more. Of course some came home with us.

They even had different flavoured drinks.

Warheads, chupa chups and so many others. Some of these came home for the grand kids too.

Overall we had a brilliant time .

Placemats for MEALS on WHEELS.

 Once again we are trying to make around 200 placemats for Sun Assist to hand out at Christmas time when the pay deliver MEALS on WHEELS in our area. At the moment we only have about 40 made. So I spent some time using up some strips and making a couple. 

Here are the scraps of purples I started with. These were leftovers from the butterfly blocks I made.

I started with a centre hexagon cut from a piece of chenille. I am making my placemats QAYG style.

Our group is having a tutorial tonight but I am not taking my machine. I pre-made my piece as I already new how to make the improved hexagonal log cabin block. I just kept going around like a log cabin until the wadding and backing was covered.

Time for trimming up. This always makes your piece look so much better.

I make them approx 12” x 18”. I find this is a good size.

2 trimmed up ready for binding.

This is the fabric I have left out of that pile.

They look good with the binding finished.

I like machine sewing my bindings on as they will be washed a lot and it is also quicker than hand sewing.

I have been sewing my bindings by machine for years but I came across this tutorial which was easy to follow. My friends always say they have trouble joining the ends. This video was very clear to understand.

Machine binding tutorial on YouTube

More at MOVE museum

 The MOVE museum also has a special display of fashion a collection by Leol Thomson. It was amazing to see. Enjoy these photos.

A good display of crochet.

The laces were stunning.

This is a beautiful sampler cross stitch.

This was a great complex to look around. There was more to see.