Family

Some photos of the past weekend

Andrea and her brother Patrick busy in the kitchen

Andrea cooking Monday nights dinner...she did a great job!

The wine was mine - not hers :)

Good news and bad.
The good news is Mal at last has an answer to his pain problem...the bad news is - it is a benign tumor in his spine. The Doctor doesnt think its malignant as he would have been paralized by now...

but he needs an operation ASAP to prevent that happening,  so that is in the very near future.

As the tumour is growing - the pain is worse each day.

So ... sewing time is still a mystery to me as I still have my Nurses hat on ..but I am intending to try to get to the FNSI at least.

On a lighter note....

When Andrew was here over the weekend, we were telling him about our frog that spent any sunshine during the day sitting on the rocks...

So he named it Vodka - on the rocks :) :)

Vodka is very timid and jumps in the pond if he sees us coming.

Also doing an online QW couse , which is again time.

My apologies if I have not answered some comments...

Catch up again if I actually get something done :)



Family and Friends

Having fun together.

Part of of what we did today..



No sewing as yet!!

Andrew, Andrea's father ( and my eldest DS ) Andrea , Patrick ( Andrea's brother) and Mal watching the performance of Andrew's radio controlled plane, which he brought up with him for the weekend.  The video is also one of its flightsover and around our house.  It was such a beautiful day!

I have also been doing some of my homework for the Quiltwhispering classes - and playing with Photoshop.

Designs

                                                 Working on the Border

                    Still not quite sure which way to go - here is what I have doen so far.

In the middle is the first  one I drew ...and I was happy with that till I put it up next to the cloth...looked like too many feathers, and the curve was going the wrong way....

So I did the second one  - the far right one.  Wasnt sure about that one either..

So did the third one.  the one now next to the main design. 

I thought one side of feathers only and maybe some 1/2 inch piano keys along the edge...and Dianeshiko or apple cores in the corner, but not sure about the corner bits.

So now I am just looking at them all and wondering if I should draw some more. 

OR just stick to the original drawing! OR the one with lots of feathers and make the center stems a bit smaller..

Decisions decisions.

Designing in progress

Second time round with this!

I have completed the main part of the design.

Fortunately my back allows me to stand easier than sit...so I have been able to do this at times.

Now I have ironed a 6" border of freezer paper- under the fabric to try to work out how and what to add in that 6"s

I need to work out which part of the design to use as a repeat.

Will take a while to think out and to put it on the fabric - IF I can work it out.

DH still has his pain problem, but does small things as he can.

Andrea has been off sick for a week...so we are a household of people looking out for each other :) and doing what we can.

My DH and I slowly got some wood, canvas and cotton wadding together ..plus invested in a staple    gun... and I have made a nice firm ironing surface - with many thanks to Sharon Schamber's very informative video on how to make one. 

The next one :) :)  the wood will be thicker.

But really this one works a treat.

Now I am off to think about more of a design for my whole cloth, while I rest some more.

Please forgive me for not appearing to visit many blogs - but Blogger still is mostly being awkward.  

I am visiting when I can and love to see and read what everyone is doing.  

Designing in progress

My printing has been done for me today, and I have stuck the pieces together...the whole design is now larger. Which is good ...........   I think!

Trouble is that I cant seem to get the design quite square, so have done the best I can for the moment.  I do need to do something with the centre but think I can do that as I draw.

The outside far corners also need something different as the circles dont quite match.

Anyhow - thats it for me just now - back to the couch go I :)

Designing in progress

Starting again!!

Going!

Going!

Gone!!

Even the water went clear!

I am having the design Printed for me and will then glue the 4 pieces together...trouble is thay were not able to print it onto Freezer paper...so I may need to transfer it to that by physically drawing it... or another thought - I wonder if I iron the Freezer paper to the fabric blank and THEN draw the design with my light box. 

Even while resting the mind still works!

The drawings took a day to go, but go they did.Its all a time thing isnt it, and I am a bit frustrated that I have done no sewing in a while.

On the good side - my DH is a little better .. we are still waiting for a diagnosis...2 weeks to wait!

Now I am the one resting :(

We take it in turns :)

Today

 Blogger wont let me add the selected photo

Today was my Birthday - and I spent it resting ....

I have hurt my back putting a piece of heavy wood on the fire yesterday.

Andrea 's Migraines returned - one last week and another on Monday

Between us all - we are not travelling very well.

To add to that - I messed up the drawing of my whole cloth quilt - I should NOT have touched it!!

and it is destined to be washed .

I will need to start again - when I feel better.

We did manage to go and do some shopping... 

 Some frozen meals so I dont have to cook for a day or so :)

I will be missing again for a while..

Friday Night Sew in

Long time between posts , as I have been busy looking after my DH, I have managed to do some sewing for the FNSI.

My heart is not really in sewing at present, but its nice to get even a small bit done.

I have also managed to get almost half the central design of my whole cloth drawn out.

I have no idea how I am going to do the rest - probably draw as I go..or rather do the plan and draw from there.

Sorry I have not been writing comments much on other blogs, but blogger is being a bit silly and I cant enter comments on a lot of sites.

I am also trying hard to get my Photoshop Elements classes done and am behind on that too.

I catch up on sleep when I can and the sewing and other things just have to wait :)

FMQ completed on this one

Another small time limit and I have completed the quilting on this

Most of this I had done for the FMQ Challenge...just needed to finish the fillings on the border feather, so - another few moments and its completed.

Here is the back...some threads showing :(

Some detail of the border - and the lady-bug :)

Now to soak it, then get the piping on , the zip in the back and put it together...maybe next time you see this it will be complete.

It may take a while...but I have some other things to sew if I cant get to this...

 Big belated thankyou to Paul, Desley's ( of Addicted to Quilts ) husband , who very kindly worked out this logo on my photo's for me!!



More Small Moments of time

A small window of time and I did 5 minutes of the fillers in the small quilt ....

still some spaces to do more fillers... Nessie waits patiently :)

... and also managed a few Pin Cushions.

No time for anything bigger just now.



A little of this and a little of that

Small things started

 I now have two feathers sewn and tried the Inktense paints with a drawn feather first. 

I need more brushes...I am not sure I like what I have done...

Luckily I had some Josonja's Textile Medium...

I will wait to do one of the feathers that are quilted  when I have a better selection of brushes! 

I lost my finger thimble - made another - and found the one I lost  :) 

Lucky me!  I now have two!

Oh - and half of a Zentangle on fabric!



Playing with FMQ

Between my DH sleeping I played a bit :)

Feather is a bit different.. I was trying out a new pink ceramic pencil that my friend Liz got for me at Quiltwest. 

 Luckily I have several pieces of fabric ready to sew on when I get some minutes free.

I am wanting to try to use my Inktense water-colour pencils to paint on my fabric, so may have a go on this piece to see what happens.

This is with a single layer of wool wadding.

FMQ - Last one of this quilt!!

Julia of Julia's Place went back to the show and took this photo...thank you Julia...

I so appreciate this, as I was unable to go the show myself!

Its great to see it as it was !

Now it can go back to Jean :)

Machine quilting

I am so delighted -
 I won a Special Best Domestic Machine  Quilting at the WAQA QUILTWEST Show that  is currently on in Perth at the Perth Convention Center in Western Australia.

How very wonderful is that!!!!
This could not have come at a better time :)

This is my winning quilt - Jean's Birthday Celebration.  You may see more photos and details of this quilt here .

Isn't that wonderful - I would like to thank Carla Barret of Feathered Fibers for encouraging me to enter.
This was something I had never considered. 
Also Jean kindly let me have the quilt back to enter, so no doublt she will be pleased to know her quilt has had a fantastic win for me - and to have it back :)
I had done one of Carla's classes with Quilt Whispering late last year, and this really encouraged me
to keep practising with my Machine quilting and the designing!!

FMQ

I have finished this quilt a while ago, but didn't show it before as Wendy of  Ivory Springs was so kind and let me use her quilt design which can be seen here 

They are fairly similar, but different :) 

So - here is my quilt Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dogs tails - Thats what Little Boys Are Made Of

Its all FMQ and I quilted around the design in the border

Frogs

and Snails

And Puppy Dogs Tails

Made for William Henry John O'Hara -

Now doesn't he have a wonderful name?

Thank you to Wendy :)

And yes!! There is a ladybug in there somewhere :)

Home

Just a brief note.

As my Dh is quite unwell - and has been so for a while....

I am not actually getting a great deal done sewing wise as he needs my TLC :)

However here is what came in the post for me today

Now I just need time to get this done - never mind all the rest of the UPO's...

Will catch up again soon.

FMQ

Having a problem working out my pages  cant get them to link properly...check out the Family and Friends pages to see the visitors I had here on Saturday.

This is what I got to do in the (way too early) hours of this morning ..

Just the outline.
I also want to make a page for FMQ... but that will have to wait!!

Playing

Did a small piece today - started to do a Zentangle - but the feathers got me...again!!

So I quilted the drawing!

Cream silk thread on the top and ...

Varigated Aurifil in the bobbin

No more now till Friday - if I am lucky!!

Free Motion Quilting

Black piece completed apart from the binding.

My camera is playing up, so the photos are not crash hot...and its night which doesnt help!

The piece measures 20" x 20"

I changed to a dark brown Aurafil thread for the fillers on the back.

Silk thread for all the fillers on the top

Silver gold burgundy and deep purple.

These colours are more the ones...but the exposures were not at all good.

Hope that gives some idea of what I have done.

I am VERY thankful that this is finished - the binding can keep!

May have a day of nothing tomorrow... ha!!

Free Motion Quilting

I have added to my sampler piece

I took this photo in the sun so its a bit bright.

You can see my leaf samples - the circle and the rectangle.

I took this wonderful book I have from Kim Stotsenberg

of sewnsewquilting and I took the book, a book to draw in and a few pencils and drew most of the designs in the leaf it book, while I watied for my DH to have his appointment, and thought I would have a go with what I had learnt. 

Its a great book and I know I will use it lots.  Thank you Kim :)

So I am still experimenting with coloured silk thread

and will do some more of my feather later today/tonight

FMC Challenge Day 14 Thursday

Day 14...the last dayof the FMQ

Photos didn't work out last night, so here is what I actually completed yesterday.

\

There is still a lot to do and I am experimenting with different colours

I am using a brown Aurafil thread in the back now

Some of the samples of colour - silk thread -  I need to do some more of these later today.

Its really cold here and I am off to light the fire, so the house can get warm!

I apologise for not visiting all my favorite blogs - I have lots of issues going on here, and will visit when I can



FMC Challenge Day 13 Wednesday

Day 13!

Nearly there - one more day to go.

I think there are now 4 lots of echoing round the feather, The circles in the spine are done, the sun was shining as you can see .... and after much trial and error

I am using a deep purple silk thread...and have changed to a dark brown on the back.  Not too thrilled with it, but there you are.

I may do some more tonight as its way too bright in the Studio for now.

I am working out the filling as I go!

Thread Basting

This is what I was up to last night.

I watched Sharon Schambers video on Thread basting and decided to go back to it...

I have used a polyester wadding in this, that I have not tried before.

Another blogger sideways photo :)

Showing the basting completed .... it didnt take long.

Difference  between thread and pins.



Showing the back.

I am going to unpin the lefthand quilt and do the thread basting there too.

I think when I did this before I used the opentoe hopping foot to quilt - which is the one I prefer...but the hook bits kept getting caught up in the thread, so I will try this time with the closed hopping foot .

Then I can get some more quilting done... today I have some choices.

FMQ Challenge Day 12 Tuesday

Day 12

I started this piece tonight ... May continue with it tomorrow - or start another one.

I started to echo round the edge...and wondered what to do the fill with...

Not sure!

maybe I will stick with the same varigated thread to see what it looks like - I can always make another cushion .... I guess. 

 I did draw the feathers roughly to give me a guide where to quilt, and changed them as I was sewing.  Curved the centres into the stem more than I had drawn.  It seems to be easier to sew than draw at times.

This is black homespun  cotton on a Kona beige cotton backing , it has a cotton wadding, and I am using Aurifil thread top and bobbin.  The tension is set on 2.0

FMC Challenge Day 11

Almost done now, just the echoing to do.

Front.

For some reason or other the photo has turned sideways .

Taken in the evening and not good light.

Showing the back - sideways again - no idea why this happens.

I may try to finish this sometime tomorrow, and/or start something else.

You can check out the other FMQ's in the Challenge ... here

I am off for an early night - for me.