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Friday, October 19, 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challenge 2012

Movie is done..Andrea put the music to it thankfully.


It may be a bit long and the quilting bit is not terribly clear, but here it is!

Thanks to Andrea for her help getting the final bit done.

Hope you enjoy it.

FMQ Callenge 2012 October

FMQ Challenge 2012 October

Well  I have been sewing some more between other things - does my heart good!

THE MOVIE WAS MEANT TO GO HERE -
Had a problem or two so I will try again tomorrow.

I had Laura ask me how I did my nauticle shell sewing - so I thought the best thing I could do was to
actually draw them and sew them.
Unfortunately I cant remember how I got music in to my other recordings - too long between them...
So ... its a silent movie :(
and as yet I have been unable to work out how to get it here :(

 Its not a very good picture - if you had seen how I did the movie with my camera... you would have giggled,  but hopefully its not too bad. 

Used a variety of thread ...mostly silk with fine line in the bobbin

All these pictures are of the same piece - the light was not too good in the folloinwg ones.
The first picture is more the colour of the satin.




This nautical Shell (became a snail) is the one I did the video of.


Thats it - I am off to bed!!

As you can see - I have a way to go with this piece.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

FMQ Challenge October - Piece #2

I have been having fun!  
Trying out lots of threads on this piece which I started last night and have just finished today.


Its been raining here today so there wasn't a lot of light for the photo!
My play piece is about 8" x 4"

The first thread I used was Rainbow thread by Superior 
threads which I did my name with and a Nautilus shell.  I really don't like multi coloured threads - but I tried them out anyway. 
The light brown larger feathers are sewn with Aurifil 40...I changed needles up and down as required...and played with tensions.
The yellow centre of the feathers is a yellow Sulky 40 plus circles too.
Bouncing Bananas - pink Mettler Polythene 40
Blue is embroidery polyester ? weight
Bright green is embroidery polyester ? weight
Red feather is YLI silk 100
Pink Shells are Gutterman 100% polyester ? weight
Mauve at the bottom is Sylko fast dye by Dewhurst - an old reel of thread on an original wooden reel.

OK - Thats it I think.  Broke one needle as I pulled the thread as it was going down - a nasty habit I have.  You would think I would remember by now.

Well I think thats it for a bit .
I really enjoyed this and it was nice to be sewing for a bit.

Would you believe - the sun just came out!!!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challeng October 2012


Well I have done this one on a small scale so I didnt take too long .

Thank you to Teri Lucas  who is our tutor for this month.
I have really enjoyed geting to this one, and indeed just sewing!
Its  great tutorial!

The top of the J looks likes its nodding :(  better next time I hope.
Also - a great big thank you too to SewCalGal for holding this challege.- and keeping me on track.
I am learning so much!

What I nearly forgot to say is, that I used several different cotton on top of the peice, and Bottm line on the bobbin for all the work.
I used some rainbow thread from Superior ( I found some Rhonda ) Threads, some King Tut, some silk - which I just love, and some other cotton which I cant remember at present. :(
I also changed the titanium needles - lower for the silk and highter for the 40 weight.  I didnt use the
Aurifil - for a change.

I hope to get some more done on this Months Challenge...
When I do I will post it.

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Free Motion Quilting

Small Practice piece.


Keeping in touch!
I thought today I would so some bouncing bananas with a small FMQ feathered heart I did yesterday.
This as sewn with pale blue aurifil top thread and bottom (50) and an 80 titanium needle and white satin top and backing with a double batting - top wool and bottom cotton.
No time at present to do more.

Saturday, September 29, 2012


Free motion Quilt Challenge September 2012
I have only jut made this one!  

First piece of sewing I have done since my last entry.  



Yes I have been busy at home doing heaps of other things.

Here. just in time, is my September Challenge piece for the Free motion Challenge 2012 with SewCalGal
Many thanks to Paula Reid for the September Tutorial.  Her blog can be found here
and of course to SewCalGal for hosting the challenge.

I hope I am not away for so long this next time, though I still have a lot of things to do here at home :)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challenge August 2012


I have been otherwise occupied here for a while now, and not able to get to my quilting,
However I have done this months quilt Challenge inspired by Wendy Sheppard of Ivory Springs, who is our tutor for this Months August Challenge. 
A very Special thanks to Wendy, whose wonderful quilting I have also long admired!

I did this small piece the other day in a quiet space of time.

I have staying here with us a lovely young lady from Canada BC staying with us.  The is Andrea's exchange student...and will be with us for another 3 weeks.  So as you can imagine time has been busy, and really great...plus Andrea has been ill and at home for a week and a half too. So more school to catch up on!

This weekend we celebrated Andrea's 16th Birthday and we had some of her friends over for the night.  It was great fun for all of us.
These are some of her school friends, and Caitlin too... I couldnt fit the others all in the photo.. but this gives you the idea.

We will be busy the next two weekends, so I dont expect to be getting any where fast with my quilting for a bit longer yet.

Till next time.....soon I hope :)


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Holiday to Walpole July 2012

Andrea, Caroline , Caroline's exchange student and myself spent a week away - stayed at a chalet in Walpole on the South West Coast of Western Australia.
We had a great time and as mentioned in previous post, drove around 900km+.
Here are some of our memories.
 
 Town of Walpole seen from The Knoll accross the estuary.
 Mother and baby - who ate carrots from our hands

 Mother and baby
 Andrea and Roni -
 One of two Bandicoots we had also living by our challet. I have only seen these once before.
This one ate some apple.
I think this one thought the camera was something good to eat.

Ronnie Andrea and Caroline...
On the Treetop walk at The Vally of the giants.  Giant Tingle tree forrest.

 Inside one of the giant Tingle trees

 Roni and Andrea at the 'Dinasor Park' - with birds
 Me with a little bird who couldnt fly - and he tried to eat my ear :)

Caroline at Conspicuous Bay.  Thats a fresh water creek flowing into the ocean.  
I fell ove twice here.  Thank goodness no-one saw me. Once getting OVER the log to get over the creek to the other side ... and then gtting BACK on the log to cross back over the creek - Long story -This is where I think I hurt my back.
 Peaceful Bay

 Roni, Andrea and Caroline getting their feet wet.

Looking up at the Diamond Tree Lookout

 Me at the top of the Diamond Tree Lookout - can you tell I was exhausted?
 Me climbing down again - couldnt wak properly when I got down from the last rung and suffered for 3 days after.  Last time I do that!
 Roni in the centre on a giant Karri Tree near the Diamont tree Lookout.
 Two of three Kookaburra's who ate meat from us - even tried to eat it from my hand... gave me a fright!
 We ran out of mince at this time, and the third one waited patiently to see if there was more!
 Walpole Estuary from The Knoll Walpole
From the Knoll again.
 A Blue Wren- Male
 An Emu - there wer a mob of them here, but Andrea didnt think they would show upand only took this photo.
 A male Robin Red Breast
 A small mob of Kangaroos between Bailingup and Nannup by the Blackwood River
at Lewana Cottages
The Dam  - at Lewana Cottages, Bailingup on the Nannup Road

A lot of photos, but I hope you enjoy them.

Need to tidy up my studio again.
We have our very special guest that we are all so happy about,  arriving on Monday for a few weeks.
Her name is Caitlin and she is Andrea's exchange student all the way from Victoria B

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Free Motion Quilt Challenge July 2012

July's Free Motion Quilt Challenge  2012 with SewCalGal
with many thanks to Angela Walters for providing us with this great tutorial



I have done this very quickly as I once more have a sore back and didn't want to sit for too long.
I did not like my choice of thread and hope to try variegated King Tut when it arrives.

Its been the school holidays here for the last two weeks, and Andrea myself, Andrea's friend Caroline, and Caroline's Canadian exchange student Roni, have been away for a week in the far South West of Western Australia.
They were good, and did all the cooking ...I did the dishes  :)  and the driving.  We drove just over 900kms.

I will put up some photos in a day or so of our trip away.



Thursday, July 05, 2012

Home and family


First night of the school holidays ... and Andrea cooked this yummy meal.


Andrea tends to make up as she goes with her cooking, and she has had a 100% success rate so far.
Mixed vegetable soup with chicken pieces and cream!

We are really excited too as we have a lovely young lady from Canada who will be staying with us for 6 weeks student exchange very soon.

We are really looking forward to her staying here.

That's it for now - no sewing today - and it will be slow going on that front for a bit I think.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

FMQ, Home. and design board.

Just about completed this piece of Free Motion Quilting - for a special friend...
 
Now I just need to add the binding and I am finished!

There is the back - the sun was on its way down, so the light was not the best.
The fabric is really a whie!
 

 I sighted some of the birds around here, but the storm blew over so many of our trees, and I didn't get a very good shot...  as I coudn't sneak up on them well.
These are Pink and Grey Cockatoo's
 
 
This is a 'Top Knot' Pidgeon with a couple of Pink and Grey's on the public open space where we have lot of horses.and their owners ( from an adgistment paddock behind us near the Estuary ) riding past us


The last shot is a picture of my design wall today....
Yes!  I KNOW I have way to much on the go...but its fun.  I am presently working on the black and white Lone Star....  for a  large qult for Andrea... which will have lots of lovely spaces to quilt in. :)  The star will be just the center.

Now ... I need to go get tea on... Or I will be in strife with the troops !!


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Free-Motion Quilt Challenge 2012 June

At last I have finished my last  piece for this months Free Motion Quilt Challenge with SewCalGal
and with our June tutor Cindy Needham

The sun came out between showers so I took a few photos.

 The center
 Lower left


 Lower Right


 Upper left


Back - where I played a bit with a different colours at first and tried to get my tension right - but didnt really!


The front again.

Now I need to get onto something else..
I have had such fun this month, but still hesitating about using my silk fabric.
It was lovely too last night as I was able to sit and chat on Skype to my friend Joanne ( Threadhead)
in Canada  for quite some time.  It was great to have the company while doing the binding

Thank you to SewCalGal and to Cindy for all your inspiration and help.

The great thing is - I get my Nessie back later today ( my 820 Bernina)
I have really really missed her!