Whole cloth quilt

A little more done!

 

I did a small amount more...the straight lines on the left hand side above the feathers will be frogged soon as I am not happy with them...but they will keep a bit.

 

I tried some different things last night. I used this to see if I could manage...but the wieght was a bit much (the quilt was too heavy and I am not really happy with the fabric I am actually using) It would work well with practise I am sure.

I also tried the BSR on a practise piece, but I really manage better on my own.

Its PPP for me to get my stitches more even.



Hop To It BOM

Hop To It Block # 9 ready to sew!!

This photo took me a while as I put in the text in Photoshop ... took me a while to remember what to do :)

Not too keen on the colours - hope to make the next one brighter.

Andrea helped ...  I drew the small templates - and she cut them out for me! 

What a wonderful help.

 Now I have 5 more blocks prepped.

I have decided to get the blocks all prepred and then sew them when they are alkl completed. That way I may get them done quicker.... hopefully

... and while I have the fabric mess - I may as well go with the flo



Hop To It BOM

First Hop To It Block - Block - # 12 ready to sew..

                    Will keep for a while - as we have some more issues with health here :(

I will get some more together before I sew them

Check out Joanne's and Wendy's  and see what they have done :)

Whole cloth quilt

Whole Cloth Quilt - next step.

Front

and back.

SO - I have done a small amount more.  Gradually getting the center done!

Slowly but surely!



Friday Night Sew in

I made the FNSI at last. 

Spent some time frogging before I got there though - and had to almost relearn my machine.

So here is what I have done so far on my WCQ.

Two and a half more of the center motifs to go and then I hope to do the centeral lines!

I was not happy with the way my 1st Hop To It block (#12) was coming along,  so have changed the backgroound fabric and am re-doing my small pieces.

I hope to get some applique done before and during the next FNSI.... or mabe the WCQ??

Or ..... shock horror ... both!!

Home and Family

The Adventures of 'Arbie'

Arbie was a stuffed toy of Andrea's mother... and much loved.

Andrea couldn't say Rabbit and the name evolved to Arbie once she first started speaking :)

So here is the story of Arbie - Mark 1.

 Andrea's mother died when she was a baby - so we gave Arbie to Andrea when she was about 8 months old.  He was her constant companion and went everywhere with her,  she wouldnt sleep without him! He was so very much loved!

As you can see by his photo - he is well worn. 

He had some special adventures, especially when we went on our annual holidays to Rottnest Island - off the coast of Western Australia.  He was accidently dropped off our push bike and fell between the chain - got covered in grease and of course then was delicately washed! 

He got lost on the road at Rottnest on the way home from a fishing adventure... my eldest DD, who was staying with us, rode off and found him in the middle of the road some way from the settlement (  quite an effort for her as she was 8 months pregnant at the time)  So he was brought home to us again.

Then he was just missing after a shopping adventure!!  and it was evening before we discovered this.  So for one dreadful night we went without him... it was very stressful!!

Next day we went to the police station on the island to tell the nice policeman we had lost our rabbit :) 

No one had handed him in.

We went to all the shops in the settlement... then one of the kind ladies there told us there was a rabbit in the Rottnest Island Authority office...so off we went again - and there, sitting on the top of the counter, was Andrea's precious Arbie.  You can imagine how thankful we were to have him back with us.

As you may be able to see by his photo...he was very squashed especially around his waist - which is where is was held where ever Andrea went!

In time he had many other adventures...and was occasionally sicked on too.

Then he lost an eye!  Time to make a new one.

This is Arbie Mark 2!

I very carefully drafted a pattern from the original - and came up with this one. 

As you can see he too is well worn!  And much loved!

Time for another Arbie - at least this one lasted from aged 3 to 15 :)

The making of Arbie 3.

Sadly I couldnt find the right fur this time - and had almost forgotten how I made him!

Made his nose wrongly and his eyes are a bit crooked!

And I got the ear colours the wrong way round!

Here is Arbie Mark 3 - waiting for Andrea to love him again .

I was not too happy with this one... and will probably do another to make it smaller and softer...

with some fur I found that I had for the second one.

Here are the three together :)

                                                         A bit like the 3 Muskateers

So I guess there is an Arbie Mark 4 around the corner... and maybe even another one for Andrea to give to her child when she is grown with a family of her own.

I am still struggling with getting things sewn!  I am doing lots of frogging...

Hop To It BOM

I have made a start with this BOM - at last.

My First block in the Hop To It BOM - Block #12 -  with the pieces cut out.

Hoping to get some ot these pieces completed ready to set up the block and sew .tomorrow.



Whole Cloth Quilt and a bit more play.

Pleased to say things are becoming good again!

I have come off my happy pills and have come back to life!!

Have been playing for the last week or so.

Here is my practise piece on the left  and the quilting beginning of my Whole Cloth Quilt.

So that is what I will do first...the center, then it will be back to the practise piece, which is 1/4 of the WCQ,  and work out what section for the next bit - huge way to go - and I have already been frogging some.

I have a problem with one corner not being square - not quite sure what to do - maybe I will undo some of the basting and try sorting it a bit ...  still thinking on that one.

The beginning of my Hop To It BOM  that Joanne of Thread Head and Wendy of Inky Threads are doing - I am a long way behind.

I started off being very organised

And then ... this is my studio cutting table tonight.

Wouldnt you think that picking fabrics would be easy :)

If you look closely in the foreground is what I have been making today .... more on that later

A few things I have managed

I have made the February block for Granny's Hankie.

I am really very slow.

I have had my computer down for a bit as my Modem collapsed and I had to get another, so I have been without internet for a while.

Just as well, as I am not comfortable sitting here for long.

Mal is doing remarkably well and apart from being a bit tired and unable to do the things he used to do without effort -he is back to his normal self :)

His operation was completely successful and the tumor is not expected to return!!

However it has all worn me out!

Mal relaxing at home after his time in Perth with our eldest daughter Fiona.

Andrea is more or less well - home with another nasty cold. at present.

I have also put together my whole cloth quilt - hand basted it!

Rolling up the front and backing prior to basting

Progressing accross the front lower section of the quilt.

This curved needle was REALLY helpful as I couldnt manage it with a straight needle.

Miracle it that I was able to find it :)

All hand basting completed. 

I began to sew with a cream silk on top and a beige aurofil in the bobbin.

I hadnt sewn for a while...and need to do a hepa more practise.

I frogged all that I had sewn...didnt like it at all and thought it was best to do that before much more was done.  THAT took a while as the stitches were tiny!

Then I looked at it for another day...nearly ready to throw it all in the too hard basket.

However....

I have now got some of the design drawn - trying out some markers that I have

and this will be my practise piece.

Just have to put that together now ... and will spend some time getting back to to hopefully where I was.

I have been watching everyones blogs...sometimes trying to make comments - and having problems with Blogger...

So I have been a silent lurker.

Hope to be back to normal soon.

Lots of resting between times.  I seem to be sleeping a lot!

To complete my blogging after soooo long

here is a photo of our Wisteria in bloom.

A give away from Melody.

I have just visited Melody's blog ....

 http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com/  and she is

having a wonderful giveaway. 

She has been blogging for just over a year...

and this is to thank all her wonderful blogging friends :) 

Practice piece and Zentangling

I did a small piece for practise on my Granny's Hankie BOM

and have managed to get most of the February block  done.

Cant finish it at present as my back is still not good and I guess I realy shouldnt have been sitting and sewing.

So now I am back to reading -

and not doing much

and here are some more Doodlings

My DH is improving daily :)

Andrea had only one migraine last week-

Now I need to improve or something,

Have a great week.

FNSI, Designs and family

I managed to get a small (tiny ) bit of FMQ done for FNSI

Was not able to sit for long...but its a start.

                                                             As I said - just a tiny bit :)

 some drawings I did while sitting with Mal in hospital

My younger DD claimed this one to frame...

I call this one my sea monster

Elder DD wants this one

and maybe this one.

I actually did this on Wednesday ...and this is the carpet that was in the hospital...

It makes a great filler design for quilting.

And Andrea, in her new dress.... and shoes

Amazingly she is now 15!!

Thats it from me.

Pleased to say Mal is improving somewhat slowly .. has good and bad days

but we struggle on :) and keep positive.

Designs

This is some of what I have been doing while keeping my DH company.

Playing at quilting.

Zentangling

Some more play.

I have also finished another scarf which has already gone to one DD.. and have started another.

The good news is that my DH has recovered from surgery..results are all benign and gone!!  He should be back to normal and just needs to gothrough his recovery and be good when he gets home!

What a relief!!!!

Home and Family

Last post for a while...

Forgot I had made this a week or so ago...

Before Andrea had her current illness she made up some recipes and we had some lovely meals.

            We loved what she cooked ...hopefully she will do some more when she is better.
                                       It was so nice to have someone else do that cooking :)
                                                  Hoping she is well again soon.



Playing with FMQ

Yesterday I got some more of this done.

Its my own designed feather Piece.

I havent been able to sit for long to do this... so it was great to actually get some done.

A lot of it is more micro-quilting, which I love. 

I did get a bit muddled in a couple of places, but I think thats OK.  I still have a long way to go, and it takes quite a while to do.

I am using a batting I have never used before and I think its a bit soft

Time will tell I guess.

It is pouring with rain outside and the wind is about gale force...

We have had one front after another roll by us here

and the wind has been dreadful.  It always seems to happen at night. and that seems worse.

Well I am off to get some things done now. 

Maybe I will get some more of this done later - if I am lucky :)

FMQ

I have actually managed to get some sewing done today - a small amount.  I completed the samples I had started for the Free Motion Challenge.

First was the drawing I did

Then the sewing

Sample fillers which I had done previously

The completed sample piece

Including my practise sashing

Its all sewn on 'Nessie',     my Bernina 820,  with the top thread silk and the back one Aurifil. 

The tension was 1.75 for the bobbin, the needle was a 75 Microtec

I used a wool wadding and a cotton one to see what the double batting would be like.

The border one I used a lights greenish beige...as I was thinking of doing that colour on my Whole Cloth Quilt - if I ever get it together

Thats my days quilting - not much,  but a start.

Now I will be off to bed soon.