The "Chicken Dinner" Challenge

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a relaxing long weekend. This month for our stitching challenge I chose a pattern from Sindy's Website. The above table runner is what I made. I added some chicken print material between the three panels and gave the chickens some straw to sit on. I didn't need to go and buy anything to complete this project although I was scratching around for enough black homespun. It did need a little join in the material in the lower piece but this isn't noticeable.

This is Anita's finished "Chicken Dinner" wall hanging. Anita has also found some chicken wire material but in a different colourway to mine. Anita told me she had great fun looking through her stash to find the appropriate colours for her chickens. Great work Anita. Heather didn't join in this month she is swamped with other projects. I hope you get to do this little project Heather. I would like to thank Sindy Rodenmayer who gave me permission to use her pattern. Sindy has a great array of applique patterns on her website. Please go and check them out. Now I will have to have a search through things to choose a pattern for next months challenge.

Happy sewing

Bev C

Lucy's sea shell cushion

Hello,

Today I wanted to share with you what Lucy did in Textiles last Term. Lucy hasn't done machine sewing before. She had gone to classes for hand embroidery which she picked up quite quickly and enjoys. Lucy made this lovely cushion with sea shells attached to it. Some of my marbled fabric was used in the centre panel. Lucy did all the measuring and cutting by herself. Small holes were drilled in each shell and attached by cotton.

We gathered the shells from different beaches while in New Zealand earlier on in the year. Each row of shells comes from a different beach. The middle row of shells has a purple tinge to them. Lucy's project this Term is a Raggy Quilt. She is also making one at home, so she is right into sewing at the moment. Well done Lucy. I look forward to seeing how your quilt turns out.

Happy sewing

Bev C

"Queen of the May"

Hello,

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine after a stormy couple of days. On Friday I had sewing and as my main machine is still in the sick bay until next week I decided to do some English Paper Piecing. Janelle gave me some lovely material a short time ago so I decided to put it to some good use. This pattern is called "Queen of the May" This pattern can either be done by machine or hand. I got the pattern from Australian Country Threads Magazine Volume 7 No. 7. In the magazine it was done by machine. I still have plenty of material left to do some more projects.

Happy sewing

Bev C

Rose quilt completed.

Hello,

Well another quilt is finished. Why of why do I make them and not finish them? I did simple straight line quilting on the homespun part of this quilt. It formed a cross-hatch pattern. I bound it with some pink toned homespun which I found in my stash. The back of the quilt has a large floral pattern and with the quilting pattern showing up on this side it really can be reversible. Another finished product, too many to go.

Yesterday morning I spent some time cutting up a jam melon to make some jam. Last night I grated some fresh ginger to add to it and cooked some lovely Melon and Ginger Jam. It was nice to have on my toast this morning.

Happy days.

Bev C

Bag arrives all the way from USA

Hello,



Last month I was involved in the Snickerdoodle Dreams I Love Bags Swap. Thank you to Paula who was my swap partner who sent to me. The parcel arrived all the way from USA. Isn't it beautifully wrapped in this beautiful tissue paper?

Paula made me a lovely bag with a matching purse in lovely green linen. Paula also gave me some material a funky apple print and a purple one. I also got a lovely pink magnet.The magnet is now on my sewing tin in my sewing room.

Paula was unwell in the last week of the swap so she did a wonderful job to get it to me. Thank you Paula. Thanks must go to Darlene who organised this swap.

Happy sewing.

Bev C

Quilts help to sell homes.

Hello,

Ainsley and Julian recently put there home on the market and it went under offer immediately. Lots has been done to the house since they bought a few years ago. A new kitchen was put in December last year they also had the bathroom renovated completely new carpets in each bedroom and lounge room a beautiful big patio was put out the back replacing a much smaller one and the pool had only been relined recently. But as a mother I think the home made quilts added that homely touch!!! The photo above is the quilt I made for their wedding quilt. It was a pattern from The Australian Patchwork and Quilting Magazine. I adjusted the pattern by adding more borders to it. It was originally only a lap quilt.

This quilt I made for Ainsley's 21st Birthday. It was my own design which I made up as I went along. I appliqued 21 hearts along the top and bottom of the quilt.

Tulips were appliqued in some of the blocks. Other blocks had floral designs on them and the bigger blue block is a beautiful butterfly material.

When Ainsley and Julian got engaged I was doing this cross stitch of the zebra so this was an engagement present. I loved doing this cross stitch seeing the zebra coming to life.

Happy days.

Bev C

Block 4 and now it is a cushion...

Hello,

I have just finished sewing up my latest project. I decided to make a cushion cover and not a wall hanging. I decided this would be more useful. I did a fair bit of chain stitch on this project,around the edges of the stitchery and again on the main writing on the cushion.To keep with the theme "Wonky Houses" I placed them on an angle. Block 4 which was a tree house. The marbled colours looked good on this panel.

Thanks to Jenny from www.elefantz.blogspot.com for this little project.

Happy stitching.

Bev C

Heading for the Hills.

Hello,

Last Friday I took my Mum to one of the best rose gardens for lunch and a wander around the gardens. If we had gone on Sunday we would have had to walk for quite a while to get in. It is always busy here. The restaurant is on top of a hill overlooking the gardens and roses which are for sale.

The zinnia's were in full bloom. Ladybirds and bees were everywhere getting pollen for lunch.We asked where they got the plants from and were told they came from punnets which are available everywhere. I will be trying zinnias next season.

Roses are under planted with lots of plants like saliva's cosmos and perennials.

This Camellia hedge was in full bloom and was attracting lots of bees as well. I bought two new roses for our garden. They were both pink of course and very fragrant. Chartreuse de Parme has a strong blueberry flavour which is delicious and a dark pink. The other one is called Violina which is a bit lighter pink with a strong fragrance. Not much sewing being done here my machine has been playing up and I was doing some machine embroidery for my Liberty project when it seized up. After making some visits phone calls and emails yesterday I have found somewhere I can drop the machine off to and it will be serviced at that shop. Lots of places take them elsewhere and as I paid a lot of money for my machine I want to know where my baby is at all times. Also it will be serviced on that day as I have planned ahead. So I will have to bring out one of my other machines. I will have to remember which button is where.

Happy days.

Bev C

Quilts,Liberty,Wonky Houses,Olives and Pauline's Blog.

Hello,

Another beautiful Autumn day here although I am sure the farmers would be crying out for some rain. There is no rain in sight just yet. I have been going through projects that need finishing off. Last year I made this lap quilt for myself. It has roses on it-my favourite. I had several fat quarters that I bought locally many many years ago and added some homespun in several colours to make the quilt. It was a case off using up all the material and hoping that I didn't need any more. Although when I took it to sewing class another lady had some in her stash. My threads that I will do the quilting with. I am still debating about which way I will quilt it.

My other project that I have had in the planning stages is using this Liberty material that is actually some curtain samples which I have had for several years. I washed and ironed the material and I am thinking of using the two on the right hand end in some cushions or table runner. These two have some birds amongst the flowers and I have a machine embroidery pattern that is very similar. I have this book about Liberty given to me by Chris my sister. I always thought that Liberty material came from a female. I was astonished to read that it is from Arthur Lasenby Liberty. If you have the chance to read about Mr Liberty do so because it makes for some interesting reading.

On Wednesday evening I stitched block three in "The Wonky Houses" block of the month designed by Jenny from www.elefantz.blogspot.com Block 4 was posted yesterday and the instructions to put it together. Once again I used some marbled homespun which Lucy and I made.

This photo is especially for Ryan and Edy. On Thursday I was up the back of the yard watering and I noticed the Olive tree that Ryan and Edy had given me in November 2007 as a Thank you gift ,had its first olive on it. I only planted the tree at the end of Autumn last year so it was a great surprise to see the olive. A few weeks back Ian and I had checked out our other three olive trees and found only several fruit on them and never even bothered to check this tree. So in a few years I will be able to pickle the olives.

Earlier on in the year while I was in New Zealand when I was staying at Chris's I was reading this book on her coffee table. It contained some great stories and poems written by her friend Pauline. Pauline's family had got this book published for her Birthday a few years ago. Pauline has this ability to write about anything and make it feel like you are there. She has a talent that I envy. Not long ago Pauline got her sewing machine out of hibernation and borrowed a camera bag that I had made Chris. Pauline didn't have a pattern to follow. Please check out Pauline's sewing at www.paulinespaddock.blogspot.com You can read her wonderful stories etc as well.

Happy days.

Bev C

Snickerdoodle Dreams,I love bags swap.

Hello,

I recently participated in a bag swap. We had a month to make and send the bag. After looking through my magazines I decided to make the bag from Australian Homespun No. 17 (Vol 4.3) which is a couple of years old. I made this bag for myself in the style which was in the magazine which was a "Sashiko" Shoulder Bag. I made no actual changes to the style of the bag but this one is reversible. Heather who is my swap partner requested a bag in pinkand purple so I raided my stash and came up with lots. I also included a little "Tilda" style make up bag that I had made previously.

This is one side of the bag with a Spring scene which is machine embroidered from Brother Card No. 55

The other side with more machine embroidery from the same card.

This is the inside/outside depending which way Heather wants to use it. This I appliqued and button hole stitched lots of flowers,hexagons and some machine embroidered bee's and ladybirds. These designs are from Cactus Punch "Garden Grannie"

And this is the other side. The handles are tied in a knot. This is a great bag pattern and very easy to make up. I thoroughly enjoyed making this bag for Heather. In the end I was really tempted to keep it for myself. Enjoy Heather. A special thank-you to Darlene who organised this swap. Have you checked out the latest edition of Australian Homespun? There is a gorgeous cushion designed by Darlene and Heather. The cushion even made the front cover of the magazine. How special is that!!!

Happy days.

Bev C

April's Stitching Challenge.

Hello,

Last month a challenge was set with Anita Heather and myself to do a small project each month. We each got the same stitchery design and we were allowed to do what we wanted with it as long as it was finished in the month. Anita did the red stitchery and made it into a rotary cutter holder. Now there are no excuses for not finding your cutter Anita!! Heather appliqued her design into a wall hanging. Adding a little ribbon bow to the hat and some flowers to the pattern which looks great. Congratulations ladies.

I also made mine into a wall hanging. First off I was going to make holder for my 6 and a half inch ruler but the design was too long so a hanging it was. It is interesting to see that although two of us made a wall hanging they were completely different. With the same design three different items were achieved all with materials we had on hand at home.I have sent the design for next months stitchery and it is a pattern for a chook table runner.

Happy stitching

Bev C

Sneak Peek of Bag Swap

Hello,

Today I wanted to show a sneak peek of the bag I made in the "Snickerdoodle Dreams I love bag swap." My swap partner is Heather and she lives in the Land of the Long White Cloud otherwise known as New Zealand. I hope Customs allow the bees and ladybirds into the country. I love the end result of this bag and wanted to keep it for myself. I hope you enjoy it Heather.

Happy stitching.

Bev C