The Best of 2021

As we all know 2021 has been a difficult year with many restrictions imposed on our daily lives.   Life as we knew two years ago has changed dramatically and we have had to adapt to new ways on how things happen in order to keep safe yet keep the "wheels turning" so to speak.    

Earlier in the year Hubs and I made a move from the family home of 45 years to an over 55's complex and could not be happier.    

Looking back on my sewing over the last 12 months I note that during the months of  March,  April and May nothing happened due to that move.    

Some of my favourite posts include the cutest containers knows as podlets.   

Two custom made placemats for our kitchen bench.   

And who does not love Sunbonnet Sue no matter what she is doing

One of my goals for the year was to have a go at scrappy applique and I am pleased to say that this achieved.

And last but not least is a tablemat using pink scraps which was the rainbow scrap colour for January.

Only two quilts were completed during the year.

 

It was fun looking back over the year's posts...the good times and the not so good times.  Don't forget to head on over here to see how the year was for other crafters and their achievements. 

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

You can be lucky.....

Some days.    When sewing on the binding after the power was restored I was wondering how the patchwork binding would meet up at the end and I could  not believe my luck when the same piece met equally distant each side.

So this one can now be counted as a finish and my December OMG reached. 

It is a good feeling to have cleared my sewing room of any unfinished items before the year end and ready to start 2022 with a clean slate.    

Thank you Patty for organising and motivating us during the year.    Looking forward to sewing along with you again next year.    

A blueberry slice was made to enjoy with a coffee for morning tea.

I would like to wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and enjoy whatever way you celebrate the season with family and friends.   Hubs and I are going to spend the day with Miss M and her parents and my parents will also be joining with us.   

Linking with Elm Street Quilts OMG 

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

There was no escaping

Mother Nature here on Sunday afternoon.    She really gave us her worst.    Around 3.30 pm the wind started to pick up and the most ferocious storm hit our area.  We consider ourselves amongst the lucky ones as we did not have any property damage only the inconvenience of not having any power for just over 30 hours.  Others were not so lucky.....one person lost their life and the other two with her are critically  injured.  Many lost roofs off their homes and huge trees were uprooted and fell on houses and cars.   

Once our power was restored at 9 pm last night mobile phones were able to be recharged again and we could contact concerned family and friends and let them know that we were ok.   There is a lot to be said for the old fashioned landline that did not run through the NBN.    Once power goes out there is no form of communication.

There are still many homes without power again today and some not expected to have it back on until later on in the week.    Power lines remain down in some streets as well as trees and quite a few traffic lights are out on main roads.  

What does one do with no power?    Fortunately we have a radio that runs on batteries which enabled us to get updates on the situation and a couple of torches.    Cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts and a tin of  salmon and baked beans - served cold - got us through the ordeal.    Fortunately the tin opener is a manual one as not all cans are ring pull.     

A good book is a must

It was a lovely feeling to be able to walk into a room and turn the light on, turn on the washing machine and dishwasher and cook a meal...all the things that we take for granted everyday without thinking about them.  

Back soon and in the meantime

   Happy sewing all

FNSI

Hubs and I were out at a Christmas dinner last night.

So a start was made early yesterday in the sewing room.  During the week cutting of  leftover fabric to make the binding for the toucan quilt took place.  It was decided to make a patchwork binding.  Each piece was cut 4" x 2 1/2".    Here they are all laid out on the cutting board in order ready to sew which took place yesterday.  

Last piece going under the needle.

All ironed and ready to attach.  

Two beanies finished during the week and the next one on the needles.

My quilting student sent me the following photo of her progress on the blue and white quilt.   The flowers are only just placed in the centre to give an idea of the finished item. 

There are plans to have another quilting day together early in the New Year.    The plan is to have all the blocks sewn by then.    It will be a matter of trimming up,  cutting borders and getting them sewn on.  It is then being sent off to a longarmer for quilting.      

Not a great deal has been happening in the sewing room this week as there have been a few Christmas get togethers with friends as well as writing Christmas cards, getting the last minute gifts and wrapping them.

Thank you Wendy for having us over on the 3rd Friday night of each month.    I hope that you will continue with your hospitality next year.    Don't forget to go over to Wendy's blog and visit those who took part in FNSI last night.  

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Some Fast & Furious Sewing

Took place over the weekend.   I was invited  to take part in a craft day stall with 3 days notice.  Fortunately there were a few items in my "giftie box" that  could be pulled out and I managed to whip up 6 more baby bibs as well as a few glasses cases and make up pouches to add in.    There were 8 of us taking part in the craft day and we all had something different to sell.    

I was very pleased with what was sold.....all the bibs, all the pot holders,  Christmas table mats and tablerunners, purse size tissues holders, an assortment of mini Christmas stockings and trees as well as a couple of other items.    The person next to me had very good sales with her pretty fabric bowls and those mini knitted Christmas puddings - each had a chocolate in them - sold very well for that stall as did the cards on the stall opposite me.      

It is the first time that this stall has been held and the organiser is hoping that it will be held every quarter going into next year.    I have a couple of ideas to make for next time.    

While doing some Christmas shopping at the local shopping mall I spotted the fountain covered in yellow plastic ducks.    The surf life saving association are having a fund raising event - donate money, pick a duck and hopefully win a prize.         

The next book on the pile to  read.

And another beanie has been started.

The binding on the toucan quilt has not progressed any further.    This is next on the list as there is no more urgent sewing to be done. 

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

FNwF

Started early today for me as I was under the pump to get those bibs finished because I leave home at 7.30 am tomorrow morning to do the set up  for the  hospital auxiliary stall.  I am pleased to say that the last stud was put in at 5 pm.

They are now all packed up, priced and in the car.  We are hoping for a good sales day tomorow as it is local Council election Day and we are in a good position to get a lot of foot traffic past the tables.

I will be heading back into the sewing room tonight as there is another stall on Tuesday.   More about that later on.   There are a few items that need to be made so it will be a case of pulling fabrics tonight and making a start on cutting and sewing them up over the weekend.  Nothing like a bit of pressure to get us moving.  

Thank you Cheryll for hosting us on the first Friday night of each month - and an additional Friday night during those loooooooong months of lockdown.   I hope that you will continue to run FNwF again next year.    

Don't forget to head on over here to see what the other crafters achieved.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all 

December OMG

No prizes for guessing that my OMG for this month will be to get the binding on the toucan quilt which should have happened last month.   Since my last post the quilt has now been trimmed and the remaining fabric pulled from the cupboard ready to be cut for the binding.    There is not  enough of one fabric to go all around the quilt so I will join together several of the fabrics used in the blocks to make a patchwork binding.   

The baby bibs are moving along nicely  - they need to be as the stall is on Saturday.    Progress so far.  Pinned and going under the needle.

Last one going through the machine

The all important but boring job of clipping around the curves. 

Never wear black when clipping flannelette.  The clothes brush was put into action after this photo was taken.   

They now need to be turned inside out, pressed, top stitched and have the studs added.   The plan is to work on them tomorrow and finish them off on Friday night when joining FNwF.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

The Finish Line is......

In sight but sadly not reached.   My OMG for November was to sandwich, pin, quilt and bind the toucan quilt which has been sitting around the sewing room for sometime as a WIP due to many factors all of which were overcome last month.

I did however get it sandwiched, pinned and  quilted.  When moving the quilt through the machine at one point I was wondering why there seemed to be resistence.   Wonder no more....the backing had been sewn back on itself.    Some not so nice words were muttered under my breath.    

This now leaves the trimming up to be done,  the binding to be sorted and sewn on.   I know there are still a couple of more days left in the month but commitments stop me from getting this one finished.  

Time was spent this last week  going through my stash of novelty fabrics to be used for baby bibs.

This pile of cut out bibs now needs to be sewn up.

We have been having very wet and quite cool November weather so I decided to chop up the veggies in the crisper to make a cottage pie for dinner.     I like the idea of "cook once - eat twice" which often happens in my kitchen.    Enough pie was made for tonight's dinner and the remainder is in the freezer for another night.  

Thank you Patty for pushing us along with our monthly goals.    I hope to see the finish line next month.  

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Quilting Class is in

I have a friend of 40 + years who is a crafter of all sorts and had made a quilt many many years ago but has not made one since.     She was gifted a quilt by her sister for a special "0" birthday some years back and felt that she would like to make a "copy" of it in a different colourway and asked if I would help her.     This is what she now has

After a trip to a couple of different fabric shops this is her choice of fabrics.    She also decided that some tatting will be added to the centre of each of the white blocks.   

So the appointed day for lesson one arrived.   My kitchen was set up with two cutting stations an ironing station and of course the all important tea/coffee and cake station.    

We managed to cut all 31 large white squares and the 124 white rectangles required. 

As well as the 30 +  2 1/2" wide strips needed for each of the blue fabrics.    We even managed to sub-cut some of those into 2 1/2" squares.

I sent her home with a cutting mat, rotary cutter and spare blade, two rulers and a fair bit of homework - sub cutting the many strips of fabric that were left to cut into 2 1/2" squares.  

I was very pleased with day one progress as this was the first time that she had used a rotary cutter and rulers.   

Next step is for her to start sewing up the blocks.  I went through the all important 1/4" seams, how to iron and nest the seams with the instruction if she gets stuck I am only a phone call away and there is always you-tube to help out.   

I will keep you posted as to progress and our next session.   

Two more beanies have been added to the finished pile.

And a new book started.   

Slow but sure quilting still continues on the toucan quilt.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

This Week and FNSI

Another week has flown by and progress has been made on quilting the toucan quilt.  After looking at it for a few days and trying to decide on how to quilt it I went with the favourite of the walking foot and doing grids across and down the blocks as can be seen below.     I am pulling the ends through, tying them off and burying them at the end of each block even though it is slowing down the quilting process it does not leave such a huge job at the end.   

When joining Wendy and many others for our once a month FNSI together 3 teatowels were jazzed up for my giftie box.    Take some plain teatowels and pretty fabric - I thought the teapots/coffee pots was a  suitable choice for kitchen towels.

Do a bit of trimming of the teatowel, cutting and pinning of the feature fabric

And you have pretty teatowels in no time - well maybe an hour for the 3 of them.   

A batch of lemon and coconut muffins were made during the week.

We have a  blueberry ash bush very close to our bedroom window which has a beautiful display of flowers at present.

A belated birthday gift from my quilting group which I received when we met up last weekend.

There was an early start in my house yesterday as I was rostered on to do the set up duty at the hospital auxiliary stall.   This is the first one that we have had for several months and many volunteers have been very busy during lockdown sewing, knitting and cooking.  Some of the items that we had on sale  included gorgeous handknits, jams, marmalades, relishes and chutneys, little girls dresses, aprons,  cute Christmas decorations and tablerunners.

The stall is on again today with other volunteers working there.    I am going to make a start on making more baby bibs over the next week as our supply is almost sold out and there is another stall on December 4.   

Thank you Wendy for organising us again.

There are a few things that need to be attended to this morning and my plan is to then join in the Zoom Party that is being held by Chookyblue again today.    She is always in the chookshed early in order to catch up with our overseas zoomers due to the time difference.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all