Thanks to zoom I finished my butterfly top

 Well Chooky held a zoom today. I managed to get the 2nd butterfly quilt done.

I started here

Last week on zoom I did this.

I continued on 

And got this amount done.

Today there was another zoom so more was done.

Then the borders went on.

It now measures 60” * 78”.

The backing is prepared and will be off to another member for quilting.

Catchup post. Japan in November posts. Blog book day

 I was really slack a lot of 2023. I didn't sew much or even blog much. I did read other blogs but couldn't be bothered doing my own. I had a very busy year with other things going on so the other day I decided to get stuck into and add in a lot of posts that should have been done. The blog2print was a push offering 50% off until tomorrow helped. I have done my blog books. Yes, BOOKS. I had so many photos that I needed to do 2 books. Thankfully they were 50% off. I also decided to change the format, so my printing stayed in the correct spot in reference to the photos. This made so many more pages. Ill compare the 2 formats when I get them in the post.

My Japan trip took a lot of days up but are now all done. That was a challenge as there were over 1000 photos that I added. These all start back on 13.11.2023 if you want to go see a lot of photos of what I saw and where I went. I know it's not the same as being there but be warned. 

VERY PHOTO HEAVY POSTS.

If you want to see a media video of the Yokohama Quilt show go to this post.

I have spent hours and days trying to catch up.

Sorry I missed zoom yesterday Chooky but I needed to focus and didn't check emails or my phone while doing this. I spent from when I got up to midnight on the computer. I got there. I have just only finished now. So off and do the following while watching some Quilt Show episodes on YouTube.

After I finished doing the blog2print I hope to trace out more of my Scrub Stitchin' bag 

to look like this

then work on the next butterfly quilt.  This is sort of the layout I will go with. Now to start trimming, adding in filler blocks to make the rows the same width and working out the finished size.

Butterfly quilt no.1 has gone to be quilted by another member

That will be my Sunday gone and back to work on Monday after a few weeks off.

Butterfly quilts.

 How did I spend the first day of January 2024. Sewing, of course.

I was working on the butterfly quilt I am making for the local hospitals birthing room. Members from our group and a few of the zoom ladies made some blocks to help me out. After deciding what to do I have enough to make 2 quilts 1.5 * 1.8 metres.

Blocks are trimmed to the same size. As with any group activity the blocks don’t seem to arrive all the same so some thinking is required. Trimmed to 12” and will end up being 11.5” finished.

All the sashings, border and binding was cut.

After a good days sewing and the top is all together. This will be passed on to another member for quilting and hopefully another person for the binding.

Here are the leftover blocks for the 2nd quilt. As you can see there are so many different sizes. I have laid them out in a way that won’t need sashings but will need some scrappy pieces to fill the gaps and make the rows the same width. I will make some string blocks then cut 1/4 sq and 1/2 square triangles for setting in those on point blocks. It will be very different to the first one I did but will be about the same size.

I’m not missing in action. I am still here sort of.

I haven’t done any sewing but have planned a few things. So, let’s see where that will take me. I have a nice lot of butterfly blocks. They will be laid out to make 2 beautiful quilts.

Janice sent me a block too. Thanks, you have done a great job.

I have done some baking today. 

Apple and walnut cake. Some for hubby and some for work. 

and some ginger biscuits.

And this

I’ll be offline for a little bit. I will fill you all in soon.

I’ve actually done some sewing and a request.

 Our group has decided to make a pin cushion for our Kris Kringle this year. We have found that if there is a pattern supplied we get more people take part. We got permission from Sue to share the pattern which is always the right thing to do.

The piecing has begun. I decided to make 2 at the same time because I really like the pattern.

And the buttons are on.

Here are the 2 of them finished.

They have pockets, a felt needle spot, somewhere to put your threads. Very clever.

Now at our group we have been asked to make a quilt for the hospital.

This was the request *******

I am a midwife at Mildura Base Hospital, and one of my responsibilities is caring for mothers and their partners who have suffered a stillbirth.

In attempting to create a less clinical and more caring space for these families, I was wondering if your group would be interested in making and donating a quilt for the birthing bed.

We would be looking at a king single size with a butterfly motif, which is the symbol of pregnancy loss.

Purple is the colour for midwifery.  Muted hues would be most suitable. ******

So I have asked for help with blocks to measure 12.5” with purple butterflies with a cream tone on tone background. Any design/technique is suitable. If anyone wants to help me please join in. Just let me know. Here are some ideas.

It’s the end of January. Where has the month gone.

 This month has been hot. The car temperature got to 50 deg Celsius. Did I say it’s been hot. I really haven’t been in the mood for sewing, crafting, blogging or anything really. I’m not sure what is going on with blogger but I now find I cannot comment on half the blogs I follow. I go from one to the next comment then the next one won’t allow me to. So please know I am reading them but cannot leave a comment. Work has been extremely busy. So thank you Chooky for the chance to have a few short zooms.

While on Zoom I also started knitting another teabag scarf. Photos on another post to come. But for sewing I made another zippered placemat. It went together very quickly. I have started another one for a demonstration/tutorial I am doing at quilt group. 

I am using all the scraps from left over from a mystery quilt I made.

Having fun sewing them altogether.

Zip step 1

Zip step 2

The zip is in

The top is all together

I’m ready for quilting

My red table scraps don’t meet the criteria with the snowmen but they are red.

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2022/01/january-2022-table-scraps-challenge.html

Sewing along with Angela and my red scraps 

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2022/01/scraphappy-saturday-week-5-wrapping-up.html

And yes, you were right Deana. This new placemat will be a gift for a friends birthday soon as she really loved mine when I showed her. She also goes on a lot of picnics so it will be used a lot.

I have had the grandsons for overnight where we had pancakes and icecream for breakfast. Their dad thought I was crazy. They boys loved it. We have also celebrated the youngest grandsons 11th birthday. It was fun. Sorry . No photos of that..

I idi a little sewing job for a friend and sewed some patches on his leather jacket. I said a bottle of wine would be a nice Thank you gesture. Well, he got the message and gave me 3 dozen bottles. I think I owe him a huge thank you.

Also had a great all day sew at our quilt group. I worked some more on Bonnie Hunters RT mystery. I have not got very far. I also made an accordion purse but it is not completely finished. The girls on zoom got to see where I was up to.

My daughter has been a bit sad after hearing news of a friends decline in health. Friends have started a go fund me page as they need help to make what’s left of her life a little easier. A lovely 40 year old with a loving husband and very young son has to deal with the terrible disease, Alzheimers. I had one completed charity quilt left to donate and my daughter wanted to pass it on for comfort and later on as a memory of her. My beautiful scrappy BUTTERFLIES. So tonight I sewed on the label and it’s ready to be delivered.

Please help out if you can.                  https://gofund.me/426383ff

Look at the perfect matched label.

Well I haven’t been able to find a finished photo so must get one before it gets sent of to its new home.

If you have reached the bottom of this post… Thankyou.

I have not felt like doing a post for a while so it is all in one. If you see my side bar the last 2 years I have not been up to where I normally was. Is this due to covid.

Looking forward to February