Keeping on keeping on

Not having entirely decided on what fabrics to use for my pieced blocks I have continued to work my way through the stitcheries. None of them are trimmed down to size yet and I’m sorry but I probably haven’t done them in order but the motivation is high and the threads are flying through the fabric (now that I have markings that haven’t  disappeared while waiting to be stitched).   So many of you are well and truly organised – I wish I was too.

Yours in stitching,

Abaracadabara – it’s gone!

I don’t know if I’m quite the queen of UFO’s but I’m certainly one of the princess’s so when the chance to join the ‘Stitch-a-long’ came up I knew that I would have to complete the stitchery quilt A Gardeners Journal for fear of the shame of yet another UFO.  So armed with my fabric, pattern, light box and blue pen (you know, the wash out kind) I promptly traced off each picture.  Having them all drawn up gave me the freedom to take to stitching anytime.
This afternoon after recovering from looking after our 20 month Grand-daughter for the morning I settled down in front of a movie ready to stitch.  Now you need to understand that we live on a coast that has (most of the time)the awful reputation of being very wet. So when I picked up my pre drawn, pre lined and pre cut fabrics to start stitching imagine my horror to find that the wash away blue pen had just simply vanished off the fabric. Needless to say this afternoon was spent redrawing up just two blocks (in a brown pigma pen) and tonight I am jolly well going to sit up until they are done.
Anybody else ever had this frustrating problem?
Gotta go, stitching to be done

I’m still stitching

With so much time on my hands at the moment – sorry girls to those of you that are spinning in ever decreasing circles, I’m still stitching away, in fact with Christmas a non event this year, next year is going to be huge.  So I’m getting a head start on making sure that happens.  The first project, thanks to Australian Homespun magazine and Rosalie Quinlan  is all finished.   It’s a cute redwork stitchery cushion cover caled Peppermint Stitches, and I have to blame Deb at the Angel and thePukeko for the inspiration. I mean have you been on to her blogspot and seen the header picture?   It’s gorgeous, all those lovely Christmas cushions and that’s the type of thing I’m going to have a go at creating, lots of seasonal stitcheries to fill the house, yes!
I hope you are all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and able to sit back and enjoy your hard work.
bye for now

The Painted Quilt First Friday Freebies

I just remembered, if you have the chance pop over to Kaarens' blog The Painted Quilt.  This lady creates some wonderful stitchery designs that she gives free to us on the first Friday of each month.  Her link is in my side bar.  Above is my version of her latest, it was such a wee sweetie that I just had to do it and because it is full of lots of little items, I struggled to put it down. I hope you enjoy it too.
hugs

Stitchers Wallet

I just can't get stitcheries out of my head at the moment, as much as I call myself a quilter and really enjoy all stitching it's the stitcheries that have been absorbing my time lately.  Today I finally finished a little project that I've called "A Stitchers Wallet".  It's a pattern I'm in the process of putting down on paper, but I am so darned pleased with the finished product I wanted to share it with you all.  Things just fell into place when I started working on it, the fabric, the thread, button, beads, amazing, trust me it doesn't often do that!
When going away on courses or tutoring I often end up taking far too much equipment for my 'out of class' time, when I'm in a motel room at night. Projects that I take for those times are usually stitcheries so rather than carting a much larger project bag around I decided something small and compact was needed - something that could sit in my handbag and take up about the same amount of space as my wallet, hence the name - A Stitchers Wallet.

So there you have it, a weeks worth of night time stitching - ta daa!

Now what can I plan next? Kaaren has a really nice stitchery as her Friday Freebie that I'm keen to start plus  I downloaded a lovely pattern that Kristie got yesterday when she had a weak moment of fabric buying (even though she got a great deal) it was a freebie from Woolmart I think, so maybe I'll play around with some fabrics for that, but really I should finish piecing the baby quilt for my niece before the wee one arrives.

So once dinner is out of the way I'm off to my wee patch of paradise to hunt out fabrics.

Have an awesome weekend, hugs to all

Miche'le

Show and tell

   As I said I would here are the other two little stitcheries that I got finished, both were done in stem stitch, which is my preferred stitch I find that I get into an easy rhythm and the work just flows. Then it was just a case of adding a little bit of lace and fabric and job done.

The following two photos a friend suggested that I include on my blogspot.  they are of two project bags that have six pockets on the outside and a drawstring closure.  The inside also has pockets of the same size so it becomes quite a useful bag.  The stitcheries I think are taken from the Red Brolly books and lend themselves quite nicely to this sort of project and because they are rather small in no time at all they are all done.  Fabrics I chose were ticking and homespun, both I think are under used fabrics but they have a charm all of their own.

Now I have the job again of sorting out that sewing room, having made the decision to really clean out all those little things that have been stashed for years, not fabric of course. Goodness knows what treasures I will find! Have a great day everyone.
Hugs
Miche'le

Stitcheries and little people

Oh my goodness, we have just had the thrill of looking after little Faith again, hence little to no action on my blogspot! She is an absolute delight and as you can see in the photo even makes cuddle time with mum exhausting - but aint she cute?  I try not to steal myself away to my little spot of paradise (the sewing room) when they come home for a visit, but what does one do with ones hands when there is no stitching in them?

During the odd nap time I did sneak in to my stash and create a little stitchery that was inspired by a very small poster I saw, fortunately my stash is well and truly full so I didn't have to sneak into the shop for any extra's. It's amazing just how much you can get done during nap time!   Well now they have all gone back home and the house is very quiet so the other little stitcheries I had underway are now finished, I'll take a photo of them later to show you.

During the weekend I sewed like a women possessed.  My niece is due to have a baby soon and as her baby shower is next week and I want to make sure she has a cot quilt from BHQ.  I still haven't worked out whether the 'great aunt' title will refer to size or the fact that my family is starting to show my age - the cheek of them!

My beginners class has just finished it's last block in their sampler quilt.  Over the last nine weeks they have grown so much.  Skills with a rotary cutter have improved and the magic quarter inch is now habit - yeah! Sashing strips next week then sandwiching and quilting, they are almost there. It is such a thrill to see the passion developing and hear chatter about what projects they want to do next.

Well, it's been a long day and I can hear my bed calling.

night night

Miche'le

Stitcheries finally finished

After Kaaren from 'The Painted Quilt' got me all motivated into cleaning and sorting out my little studio, there before my eyes was all the fabric I needed to start my new 'Morris' project plus, I finally found the fabrics, laces and buttons needed to finish off the three stitcheries I had been working on over the last two weeks.

Although the sun was shining and there are quite a few weeds that need pulling outside, I gave myself the goal of having them quilted and bound by this evening.  Yeah, they are done and now I can share with you the finished products.

 I am no photographer so my apologies for some of the images looking slightly yuk, but I hope you get the idea.

'An Embroiderers Blessing' in real life, is really subtle even though the photo makes the background fabric look rather dark

This little blue one was out of a Nancy Halvorson book I think. maybe with the amount of 'to do's' I have piling up it should become my mantra, that way I could just happily sit and sew all day.

The following one is another Nancy Halvorson one and all of us can probably relate to it, yum, chocolate and calorie free!

The 'Morris' wall hanging is well underway, one block completed and another half done so hopefully in a few days I'll be able to show you that too. Tomorrow is a guild day and that gives me a great excuse to just stitch all day, using the fine tapestry needles has made things a lot easier now, no more catching bits on my fingers.

Well, now the sewing room needs some attention (again), however I don't think it will ever look as beautiful as Kaarens, pop onto her blog and have a look.
hugs to all
Miche'le at By Hoki Quilts
p.s.
After checking out the preview you will very quickly be able to identify my lack of computer savvy, trying to get the images and text all flowing nicely isn't yet a skill I have - sorry.
Miche'le