FMQ Challenge Day 9 and something Completed

I finished this a while ago, and as it was a gift - I couldnt show.  Now the gift is given and here it is.



and some photos of it being made

Washing out the blue Berol washable ink.

As you can see - I have drawn on this as I wanted it to balance.

It was all drawn freehand , though I did mark the curves with rulers.

Yes - there is a ladybug in there :)

The reverse.

As it was such a long day yesterday - this was all I got sewn for Day 9.  Trying out some Aurofil varigated thread, and some bouncing bananas inspired by Diane Gaudynski.. not too good with these yet.

Back to my cushion now.

FMQ Challenge Day 8

Working along on Day 8 - into the second week now...

I was so lucky - the frame to strengthen my SewEzy table and the new clear top to go with the 820 came today,  so I am back sewing in my lovely corner looking out at the world :) My sewing is level and I am about halfway with the feathers of the border.  I started to mark with my invisible purple pen...but it just kept disappearing before I got to it... - good thing ..cause now I am 'winging' it   Whoopie

Here is a photo of Andrea with her young brother at her fathers place yesterday.  Its a nice happy photo I thought!!

I dont think they were pulling faces for once :)

Wasn't THAT wedding wonderful!!



FMQ Challenge Day 7

Thursday Day 7

Practising different feathers, threads and tension.

I am not really too sure of varigated threads!

Applecores.

A quiet day today - so back to my cushion.

Have a happy day.

FMQ Challenge Day 5 and Day 6

Day 5 ...  Tuesday I managed to get done during the day when all was quiet for a bit.

I have been watching a video of Sharon Schambers video on the Spirit of Mother Earth: Episode 8 for Longarm... but it works just as well for DSM

This was done in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday as I had to go to Perth for an appointment.

I forgot to put these up before I left.

Its Thursday and I have not been back from Perth for long, so need to get my next FMQ done soon.

Anzac Day and Free Motion Quilt Challenge

Anzac day is always special for us!

My husband Mals father fought and was wounded at Galippoli, and our younger son Stuart is a Major in the Army reserves.

He is in front of two flags which I believe commemorate two local soldiers who lost their lives fighting and lived near here. 

Some of the marching with Stuart in the front.

My DH, Stuart, Heather, their children and Andrea.

We had a lovely evening.

Now you know why I couldn't concentrate :)

DAY 4 FMQ Challenge

I have put my cushion to the side - as there was a bit too much chat and a lot of lovely company for me to concentrate, so for the next few day I will be doing some 6" samples.

I will get back to the cushion Thursday or Friday.

I can actually see the points a which I was being asked a question :)

At least I am nibbling in dry bickies now and drinking a bit too ..



Free Motion Quilt Challenge

Day 3 and a bit more done.

More tomrorrow if I  can!

Free Motion Quilt Challenge

A bit more done - showing front and back

Finished the triangle I had forgotten, and did the small border.  That was quite interesting as I have not done one like that before...

Now I need to work out the large border. 

What I forgot to say is that I have starched this fabric much more than I have previously done.  The backing particularly.  It crackles like paper.  Not quite how I meant to do it - but it is working so much better. 

I was tired of using the spray starch, and made up an amount in a bucket and dunked the whole piece of fabric in there...and then rinsed it afterwards, as I found if I didn't rinse it, the starch was in lumps when I ironed it.

It will be quieter this evening   ♥

Free Motion Quilt Challenge

My FMQ for the Challenge that I did yesterday

I missed one triangle which I will get done soon.  Still to do the border.

We have visitors, so sewing will be start/stop!

Freezer Paper Applique

Back of January Block

Should have cut it square - but didnt have time :)

Always seems wrong to do this, but I guess its OK

Showing my stitching.  I used Sulky Monofiliment and Aurifil in the blobbin.

I set Nessie to .95 for the top tension and 1.75 in the bobbin...I actually worked out how to do it - Fabulous!!  I love this machine!

My feather drawing and the sewn together feather on the white fabric.

I need to get it put together and then I can do this for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge too.

In the meantime - we have had some visitors.  My eldest daughter Fiona and her two children Thomas and Emma.  We have all had a great time together...and I sewed and prepared things between times :)

My daughter Fion and me...yes she is tall :)

My DH with Fiona and the children... Andrea is looking sad as they off back home tody.

Thomas Emma and Andrea.

Things I have beeen preparing for the Challenge

Its Friday - and I have started!!

Back to sewing ...

Designs

Its early in the evening for me to be posting...but I would love to show you what I have been doing today .....ALL day

As you can quess - I am very taken with the freezer Paper way of applique!

I drew this up earlier today - this was the second design - the first had a few too many small feather pieces. 

I didnt really take long to draw... was more torouble cutting it out and choosing the colours.

I was intending to put this on a black background...but may just do it on the white...

Here it is on the black

The colours in the white one are more correct.

Let me know what you think?

 

I think I really like the white.  Maybe make a feature of it on a larger piece of white and go mad with the quilting :)

There I was really getting ready for the FMQ challenge...and this is the path I have taken

I hope to do a bit of quilting on this too - soon  HA!

Just for fun - I took a photo of my sutdio...

from this mess!!!!  not to mention utter chaos!!!  I played - all day.

I had great trouble finding things (wonder why)

Now I really need to straighten things out and put fabric away...

And tonight - there was this beautiful sunset!

So you see - I did have time to notice a little around our house today.

It actually tried to rain today ..amazing, but not enough to even wet the ground.

I am going to try to sew the Granny's Hankies together tomorrow if I can.

School holidays have taken over

Now - just for a change - I am off to watch some TV - and just hope I don't get side-tracked- again!

Granny's Hankies BOM

Well - the first block of Granny's Hankies is done, but I may re-do it. 

Its black -  which is what I like...but I don't have much of the fabric - so I shall see how it works out.

I should have remembered that the FP was enough to stick all the pieces. 

I got halfway through placing the pieces and remembered that this was on FP - silly me!

I glued the edges with Elmers Glue...and now have no idea how all the paper will come out - so you can see how it has turned out to be a bit of an experiment!

I really had fun with this - now I need to try to remember how I am to sew with the Sulky Monofiliment thread.

I need to work on the settings of the machine again.

I am working on another black block that I have tried to work out...will see what happens to that tomorrow.

I would like to have them ready for the FMQ Challenge

Midnight seems to come round so quickly!!

Freezer Paper Applique

Not something I have done before - and I am enjoyig this.

Thanks to the great tutorial from Joanne at Threadhead, this has kept me busy...

You can find the link here

I still have a way to go.

Not sure if I will put it together yet, as I am undecided on the background fabric.

I have had another finish today - but cant show you that yet...its a gift for later in the month.  I now have two projects completed that I am unable to show just yet.

Last night - FNSI - I really was sewing - labels and sleeves on two quilts I am entering in a quilt show.  Nearly finished that too.

So many ufos' ..... which way to go .... sigh

Free Motion Quilt Challenge

Some of the 'sandwiches' I am preparing for the FMQ Challenge 

from Joanne   ... Threadhead and Wendy from Inky threads.

The black design I have drawn on myself (couldnt help myself)

and the other is from a video I watched of Sharon Schamber's some time ago.

I thought this one may be good for FMQ. I am trying to get another similar one done of my own.... but this takes me time of course.

There are smaller pieces to do, and I will get some more ready to start on also, and to have handy to get my brain in focus before I start on the actual projects.. 

School holidays are here at the end of the week - and I need to have myself a bit organised. 

The Challenge starts on Good Friday and goes daily for 2 weeks...

Threadhead Quilt Along

Frogging !!

Well, only I could do this!!

I had 2 of the alternating blocks on my THQA  quilt turned the wrong way.

Thankfully they were close to the same edge - not in the centre

I was NOT a happy chappie!!

All sorted now, and one the matching alternating block border is done - I need to thnk about the others...maybe a 1" then some scrap squares and then the binding.... will take a while.

Designs

Took a quick break between sewing and Lessons

Inspired by reading Carla Barrett's blog, Feathered Fibers about her new Doodling lessons

which are coming up soon. 

Wish I could be there !!

Back to some sewing - and some more lessons. 



Older projects

A beautiful change in weather today - Its been raining!!!  AND blowing a gale...

so much cooler!

So - in between my lessons and having a small break -

I was looking for something - as you do - not sure now what it was now ...   LOL..

But I found this tucked away in a box with all my skeins of embroidery wool

Another UFO



Some wool embroidery for a pin cushion, using some of my felting of my very own' home grown' sheeps wool -  I even remember his name .

Raymondo and he was a Moorit Corriadale sheep and a lovely light faun colour. 

 The wool is felted onto some gauze.

I guess I should put it together and finish the other one too

Makes me want to felt some more - I still have bags of my sheeps wool in the container at the back of our block.

The lovey pottery sheep I brought back from Scotland...my favorite place in all the world..

Back to my lessons

Older quilts

As I am busy sewing the Borders of my Threadhead Quilt Along with Joanne. and doing some of my online lessons with Photoshop, I thought I would show a quilt I did some years ago.

 Its called Our Home in the Bush.

As we lived in the bush on 25 acres in the Darling Ranges above Perth at the time and its all 1" and 2" squares...I thought it seemed appropriate  to represent the bush on our block.....In the centre of the quilt - is our house :)

There was no land cleared when we got there...so the name seemed appropriate!

Then of course we put up fences, cleared the paddocks, planted some oats, and introduced our sheep cows and horse...so it did look very different by the time we left for our Sea Change a few years later.

At that time I was not able to quilt much - so this one is all quilted in the ditch.

The quilt is all sewn on my DSM,  King sized and my Husband loved it ( still does )...

so of course - it is his.

:)

Have a great week !