It is Jacaranda Time

The streets are awash with that gorgeous purple haze of the flowering jacaranda trees that appear in many suburbs of Sydney.

In keeping with the purple theme it was decided to pull out all the yarn in the cupboard and make November a purple beanie month.

A small quilt was finished off with a purple border.

The 12th potato chip block was finished (not purple) and will now allow 3 small quilts to be made in due course.

And 4 more beanies were finished off 

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Black and white potato chip block

Digging into the black and white scrap pile produced this potato chip block

This month is the last month of nominated RSC colours so now it is time to put the blocks together.  My plan when starting the RSC challenge this year was to make  potato chip blocks 16 1/2" square in order for 4 of them to be joined together to make a small donation quilt the requested size.   So far 11 blocks have been made which leaves 1 more block to go so that 3 small quilts can be made.   Watch this space for the last block - not sure what colour it will be -  and subsequent results.

Linking with So Scrappy 

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Happy sewing all

Beanies and RSC block

This week in the sewing room has been all about finishing off a few beanies that were in various stages of completion.  A couple needed to come off the needles, some needed to be sewn up and one needed a pom pom added.   Mission accomplished.

Next on the agenda was a potato chip block in one of this month's RSC colours - I went with various shades of  brown and will do a black and white one hopefully this coming week.

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Happy sewing all 

DJ's Spring Flower Show and FNwF

A must every Spring is to visit the annual Spring flower show in  David Jones City store which is always held during the first week of September but for some reason it was pushed back to this week so I was pleased to know that I had not missed it.   The colour theme this year is black and white (which are DJ's signature colours) with splashes of various shades of yellows  and greens.  A completey different colour pallete from last year which can be seen here.    None the less it was  impressive to see.

While the ferry was pulling into Circular Quay the sun caught something shiny in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art and of course I had to go see what it was.  The detail in the braiding was amazing.  

When joining in with FNwF last night I finished off sewing  my doily challenge coasters.   Here is the result.  I feel that they are far more functional as a coaster now with a backing under them.

You can see more FNwF achievements here.

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Happy sewing all

Sticky Beak

On opening up the bedroom blinds this morning this was looking back at me through the window.

I was on the inside and it was on the outside just staring in.    Not sure what had caught its attention but our staring match went on for a few minutes before it turned around jumped off the roof down into the garden below.  

During the week the small Mickey Mouse quilt was bound and is now in the finished pile waiting to be delivered.

This is our book club book for October.   I found it on Borrow Book so decided to listen to it while sewing.

A start has been made on pulling black and brown fabrics - which is the RSC colour for this month.  These will end up as two separate potato chips blocks.   

It is such a lovely day that it is time to organise some lunch and enjoy it while sitting outside.

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Happy sewing all

Goodbye Dad

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.   My 97 year old father passed away in the early hours of 8th September 2025  following a fall in his backgarden on Friday which resulted in a massive bleeding on the brain from which Dad did not recover.   

Over the past week I have been looking back over many hundreds of photos of Dad taken with various family members and remembering all the wonderful family picnics and holidays that we had together over many years.  

Goodbye and thank you for being my Dad.

FNwF

Was on again last night and during that time 2 bindings were cut, sewn and ironed ready to go.

During the week progress was made on the doily challenge.  So far the bases for the doilies to be attached to have been made, the doilies have been glued on and the stitching down process has started.  Those  who have been following my blog will know that hand sewing is not my thing and I keep finding excuses as to why other things need to be done first. 

This month's RSC colour is light and bright blues and greens but have decided that I do not want a repeat of those colours for my potato chip blocks so it is time to dig into the black and white scraps and make a block from those colours.  

You can check out more happening from last night over at Cheryll's blog.  

I had to do a u-turn with my shopping trolley when in the supermarket yesterday.....was that Christmas puddings and mince pies that were on display......yes it was.

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Happy sewing all

The Strawberry, Bee and Mushroom fabrics.......

That were cut out a couple of weeks ago for pot holders now look like this.

They are all packed up ready to take to the hospital stall next Saturday.  

This audio book was playing alongside me.   I have just started listening to it and looking at the reviews it does not rate highly.    I will be interested to see what my thoughts are on it as there is only one other book that I have read of hers that was a disappointment to me.  

A challenge has been issued by my quilt group which entails using a doily in a sewn article.  I do not have any doilies as such - either embroidered or crocheted - but do have two coasters that were made by a friend of my who does tatting.   She has done a lovely pattern and I would like to use them for the purpose they are intended but feel that they need to have a backing on them to be functional.   So my thoughts are to sew them onto a backgound fabric and take it from there.  This is what I have chosen to work with.    Watch this space.

The washing machine has just finished doing what a washing machine does so best away to peg out the load.  

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Happy sewing all

While the rain tumbles down outside

 

The only thing to do is to stay inside and sew which is what I did today.   There have been a lot of WIP's sitting on my sewing table in various stages of completion that have been annoying me over the past couple of weeks so making an early start at 8 am I disappeared into the sewing room only to emerge for a quick coffee break around 10 am and then again at lunchtime.   During that time the snaps were put onto 5 bibs.  The first item to be ticked off the list.

Next onto sewing up the squares which had been cut out for sometime for 2 small quilt tops.  Second item ticked off the list.  The next step is to cut out the borders for them.   

Time for a lunch break.     While munching on my toasted sandwich and in between mouthfuls of pear I managed to make a pasta sauce for tonight's dinner which comprised of chopped onion and zucchini simmered in a can of tinned tomatoes.    I diced up some cooked chicken while the vegetables were simmering away.  Once the vegetables were cooked through the diced chicken and some cashews were added.   All that is left to do tonight is to cook the pasta, heat and stir the sauce through.  

After lunch it was back into the sewing room and onto threading the elastic through the casings on the skirts.  All 15 are now finished.....just a quick iron needs to be done and they are ready to deliver.  Third thing ticked off the list.

And lastly the pieces that had been cut out  for the RSC aqua potato chip block were sewn together.

This audio book was playing along side me while all this was happening

My sewing table is now looking so much more tidier and the only WIPs left sitting on it are the cut out pot holders.  It is now 3 pm and my concentration has disappeared which tells me that is time for another coffee.    It is amazing how much can be achieved if left uninterrupted in the sewing room for a day.  

Linking with So Scrappy

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all 

FNSI

When unpacking the goods for the last hospital auxiliary stall at the beginning of the month I noticed that there was a shortage of - I should say - no pot holders  for sale.    So when joining in last night with FNSI it was all about cutting out pot holders so there will be some for the September stall in a couple of weeks time.  4 pot holders were cut from each of the three fabrics.  

Next step is to cut out the wadding which will happen over the next couple of days once the skirts are finished off  - which really should have been happening instead of cutting out.  Oh well variety is the spice of life they say.  

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 Happy sewing all

The Production Line is.........

Back in business.   This time making skirts for 10 year old girls.    When handing over the 101 library bags last week I offered to sew up some skirts and was handed this bag which contained 15 skirts already cut out and ready to go which makes it a much quicker job. 

During the week the overlocker has been busy.

The next step in the production line is to sew the hems and casings for the waists.  I hope to get them all finished and delivered by the end of next week as time is getting closer for the marathon packing effort that is involved in getting the items shipped to Sri Lanka in order for them to arrive before Christmas. 

Time to head off for some morning tea and then back to the sewing room to make a start.

Back soon and in the meantime 

Happy sewing all

A Rainbow of Library Bags and FNwF

During the week the casings were sewn around the last of the library bags that were the subject of my last post and when joining in with FNwF last night they were turned right side out and now ready to deliver.

Below is a photo of the 101 library bags that were made throughout the year using the RSC challenge.  They are stacked up in order of the colour that was nominated each month starting with pink on the bottom with it being the January colour and working up to July's colour purple.   The 13 bags on top are the odds and sods colours that do not fit into any of the colour categories nominated.  

I also managed last night to sew up another beanie and do a few rows of knitting on the next beanie.

This week I have to go "scrap bin diving" in order to pull out this month's RSC colour of AQUA

Thanks Cheryll for organising us again last night. 

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Happy sewing all

The Library bag........

Production line is back in business again.  The mammoth task of packing will begin in early September again for Network Heaven and the small part that I play is to make some library bags.   Over the last 7 months I have been using the RSC colour each month to make library bags and seeing that time is getting closer to handing over the bags any fabrics remaining in one of the cupboards to be cut and sewn up were collected and the production line started.

So far they have been put through the overlocker.

Next step is to the sew the casings for the drawstrings, turn them inside out and hand them over.

When out shopping the other day I grabbed a net of passionfruits - some of them are the size of cricket balls and just as heavy.  Hubs and I have been enjoying them on our breakfast cereal each morning this week.   

The "fabric fairy" dropped by my front door the other day and left these behind.    The first lot are all disney prints and they will be perfect for making the small donation quilts.

The next lot is an assortment of prints and sizes which will be used in various projects over a period of time. 

Looking out the window it is a lovely sunny day so time to head out and get my daily dose of Vitamin D while making a start on reading the latest book club book.   I have read another of this author's books previously and it was not my type of book but I will give this one my "usual 2 chapter" trial.    If I am not "grabbed" in by the first two chapters then  it is time to give it away.     Being a book club book I will have to "skim read" it to be able to join in the discussion.    

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Happy sewing all

FNSI

Hubs and I went out to lunch yesterday for Christmas in July

Needless to say the kitchen was closed except for a toasted sandwich so extra time was spent in the sewing room finishing off the purple potato chip block 

As well as tying off and burying the ends on another small quilt.

A patch of pretty purple flowers spotted while on a walk

You can see more FNSI achievements here.  

Linking with So Scrappy.

                      The Joyful Quilter

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Happy sewing all

All caught up....

With the posts from my interim blog.   Now that I am back on track what other things have been  happening.   Miss M stayed with us for a couple of days last week and seeing that the weather played nicely we decided to make it a "nature" holiday.    First up some whale watching from Long Reef headland....but no whales this day.  She enjoyed scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars.

Off to the Ku-ring-gah Wildflower Garden  to see what we could see.  

Tall tree canopies.

A posing butterfly

And of course wildflowers

We decided to return in the September holidays when there should be more wildflowers on show.

I did finish off the humidicrib quilt during the week but decided to stick with the smaller ones (32"x 32") in future.  

Time to sign up for FNSI tomorrow night and my goal is to finish off my purple potato chip block.

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all