More Masks & WOOFA Challenge

I had a request from my parents over the weekend for some masks.    They had seen on my blog those that were previously made and asked if  they could also have two each.

I have these down to a fine art now and they can be sewn up in very little time.   Whilst making these I did cut a couple of extras for hubs and I.    They are yet to be sewn up.

My WOOFA challenge for this month was to finish off, pack up and hand over the skirts and bibs that I have been working  on and off during the year for Sri Lanka.     It is unsure how the packaging up of  all the items and getting the containers overseas will happen this year due to COVID-19.    Time will tell.   Now head on over to Cheryll's blog to see what other challenges were met for the month.

Beanie no 8 was sewn up and "pom pommed" in front of tv last night.

That will be the last one to be made for this year.   They are also packed up together with the 20 aprons made earlier on and ready to hand over as well. 

The knitting needles and basket can go back on top of the cupboard in the sewing room until next year.

Since the beginning of June a notice appeared on my blog telling me that the interface will change at the end of the month or I could click a button to try it .   June came and went and nothing happened so I chose to ignore the notice and hoped that it would go away.   It showed up in July and for the last 3 1/2 weeks again I chose to ignore it again and hoped that it would go away but today it was changed for me.     I do have the option to change back to the original interface within 4 weeks but I will give it a go and see what happens.  I will let you know in due course if this is the right decision.  

Back soon and in the meantime

 Happy sewing all

Christmas in July

When I first saw this blog hop I thought it was a good opportunity to start some of my Christmas sewing.   I always like to give a few of my friends a small handmade Christmas gift.     Some of the items  made for them over the years have included coin purses, shoe bags, tabletoppers, placemats, pot holders, small zippered pouches, glasses cases, tissue holders and this year I went with Christmas coasters.   Each set will have 4 coasters.

I also like to make a small decoration for each place setting at the Christmas table and a  mini Christmas stocking will be this year's idea.     Only three have been made so far and the remainder needed will be put on the "to do list".

Thanks Carol for organising another fun blog hop.    To see more Christmas creativeness just click on the links below. 

July 27

Creatin' in the Sticks
Just Because Quilts

Words & Stitches

Quilt In A Not-Shell

Ms P Designs USA

 Scrapdash

Selina Quilts

Days Filled With Joy

  

July 28

Life in the Scrapatch

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Karrin’s Crazy World

Vroomans Quilts

Quilted Delights

Songbird Designs

Websterquilt

 Karen's Korner

  

July 29

MooseStashQuilting

Beaquilter

Day Brook Designs

Seams To Be Sew

Little Penguin Quilts

Bumbleberry Stitches

Samelia's Mum

Canyon Rim Quilting

  

July 30

Quiltscapes

Mary Mack Made Mine

DesertSky Quilting

For The Love Of Geese

Quilt Schmilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel

Quilting Gail

  

July 31

Just Let Me Quilt

Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Den Syende Himmel

Quilt Fabrication

Sew Many Yarns

Just Sew Quilter

Shirley C.

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Back soon and in the meantime 

Happy sewing all

Knock, Knock

On the front door yesterday and upon opening it  there was my walking companions - both non-sewists - with fabric in hand asking if I could  make them a couple of masks each.

 
I was glad that I had made two masks during the week for hubs and myself and knowing that they fitted well and felt comfortable I did not hesitate to say yes to their request.   After about 1 1/2 hours their  masks were  ready.

Off to the sewing room now to have a play with some fabric and ideas.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Handover Day

All that fabric that has been arriving at my front door over the past few months has now been turned into 38 skirts which are packed up in their respective sizes along with 20 bibs and were  handed over to the co-ordinator today.

The overlocker has been cleaned and oiled and can have a well earned rest for  a while.

While it is not mandatory in NSW at present to wear a mask when out in public me thinks that it may soon be as there are clusters of COVID-19 breaking out in some suburbs of Sydney as well as several regional areas of NSW so not to be caught short without a mask I made one for hubs and myself today.

I saw the pattern here and liked the shape as well as the ease of making it.     The red one is a very thick drill fabric so only 2 layers of fabric were used but I did put a lining in between the layers of the black and white one.     The hat elastic fits nicely around the ears without pulling.      More will be made for us both should they become a requirement.

Beanie No 8 is in progress.

Linking with Put Your Foot Down
                      Friday Finished or Not

Back soon and in the meantime stay safe and

Happy sewing all

Holiday Fun

Miss M joined hubs and I for the last three days of the school holidays. We took her  down to the beach to see the flip side of the calm ocean that she usually sees when coming to stay with us.   The few days that she was here were on the tail end of an east coast low and the ocean was really whipped up by large and powerful swells.

Next day we headed off around the lake for a bike ride - well Miss M rode the bike and I trailed along behind her. 

Time for a bit of rock climbing on the way back to the car.

And of course we always do a bit of baking

Time was also spent in the sewing room but it was more about looking and feeling the fabrics rather than a lot of  actual sewing.

Once Miss M was safely returned back to her mummy and daddy I was able to finish off the last batch of skirts that were being worked on on and off during the week.     There were various sizes in this batch of 11 and they are all folded in their groups.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

The Last Stages

Of making those 11 bibs had finally been reached when I joined Wendy and the other creative crafters for FNwF which happened to start just after lunch today for me.    They are all turned, pinned and ready to be top sewn

Now comes out the handy tool for putting on the snaps.    

And 11 bibs all finished

Don't forget to pop on over here to see what the others achieved last night.

Finishing off these bibs was my nominated OMG for July.   You can see more finishes here.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Farewell Flight

Whilst on my walk today I witnessed the last Boeing 747 taking a final spin around Sydney.   Qantas is retiring its entire 747 fleet.   It has two more flyovers - one in Brisbane and Canberra before heading off to the aircraft graveyard in the US.

Hubs and I together with our family were lucky enough to have been passengers on VH-OEJ - Longreach -  many times in years gone by.     While we enjoyed our holidays it was always a delight to fly over Sydney harbour in our national airline. 

The last batch of skirts were delivered to me during the week.   This lot have been pre-cut so it is just a matter of putting them through the overlocker and finishing off with the machine.

They are mixed sizes so I will need to keep my wits about me when cutting the elastic for the waist and setting the hemline.

Time to have a play with some Christmas fabrics for the Christmas in July blog hop.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Snipping, Snipping, Snipping

Is what has been happening in the sewing room over the past couple of days.   These were the 11 bibs uncovered a while ago.

It is a very boring, tedious and hard on the hands job so only about 3 bibs are tackled each day.   I would never undertake doing a rag quilt for that very reason.

To give myself a break from the boredom I decided to make another  double oven mitt  this time for the "giftie box".

Beanie No 7 was also finished off  during the week as I sat outside in the lovely winter sunshine.

A few months ago I promised a friend who was admiring my snap top glasses case that I would make her one for her phone.    After holding the phone against the glasses case it was decided to make her one 1/2" bigger all round.     Seeing that she is known as the "cat lady'' I hope that she will like the  fabric that was chosen on her behalf.    Looking at the new case me thinks that I now need a new one as mine is looking a bit shabby next to it. 

I will be meeting her on Friday for lunch when it will be handed over.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Bush Bashing

Yesterday my walking companions and I tackled the bush walk around Manly Dam.

6.8 kms and 3 1/2 hours later we returned to the car.  Some parts were quite rugged, slippery  and steep which made for very slow going but on other stretches we could pick up a bit of speed.   Along the way we saw pretty wildflowers

A rock that looked like a head or a submerged crocodile  as it was approached.

Trickling streams

Which gathered speed and turned into waterfalls

Time to consult the pedometer which told us that a total of 17,404 steps were taken.  

An exit sign never looked so good.

We enjoyed our day in the bush but all agreed that it was one of the hardest walks that we have undertaken.   

Today I decided to have a much less strenuous day and head to the sewing room early as my mission was to make  a new crossbody bag.  I did make one a while ago but unfortunately the zip broke and it was such a handy bag to take when walking as it was the right size to hold keys, a water bottle, phone, a small money purse, bandaids and tissues - all necessary items when out.

The fabric chosen was leftover from a messenger bag that was made previously however being a directional print  there was not a lot of scope to play around with the fabric so the choice was an upside down butterfly or upside and back to front writing.   I went with the upside down butterfly as I felt it was easier to live with than the backward writing.  Anyway here is my effort today.

Thanks Cheryll for hosting us all again for FNwF.  

Linking with Friday Finished or Not

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Cut, Pinned and Ready to Sew

When doing the mammoth tidy of my sewing room and relocating all those languishing projects from the couch to various other areas of the room a pile of 11 unfinished bibs was found.   They were cut, pinned and ready to sew but somehow got buried under piles of other projects and vaguely forgotten about.   Getting these finished will be my OMG for July.

I am pleased to say that my sewing room couch has remained clutter free for well over a month now. It is amazing what can be achieved and maintained when you put your mind to it.

Off to do some research for future projects  on my clutter free couch but I will be back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all