Blues and Greens should always be seen!

 Some shots of sewing - DD1 chose and made cushions for her bed

DD2 knitted her Very First Scarf - she threw her self into the project with gusto!

Some vintage bazaar hunting and buying! I've been a bit of a personal shopper recently and it is fun!

A local Patchwork shop had these beautiful things - Wendy would be proud of my green choices - could not leave them there!  

The multi print I could base a whole quilt around!

The ubiquitous family shots at the beach - coming here always brings us closer together and helps us 'breathe'

My most favourite buy this year - a Harris Tweed 'jerkin' - what a treasured find!!!

Blues and Greens should Always be seen :)

Some quickies

I love doing little quickie sewing projects because they are usually hanging around forever in little piles somewhere around my sewing space - I see them and see them, but leave it til 'whenever'!  There is always something more pressing or interesting - well,

I have completed a lovely little neck scarf (is there any other kind???) made from a random scrap piece of Liberty Silk Jersey I picked up from Shaukrat in London - it feels just devine - I tell, you, I could wear this fabric all day all over, under and over clothes - it is sooo soft and silky and pretty to boot!

A vintage piece of cotton was given to me from someone (my mum I think given to her by an elderly friend)

Very narrow - how funny - and crisp almost stiff

Didn't have a clue what to do with it

but it is has been hemmed either end, and with a very nice and neat selvedge it will be an outdoor table runner for summer!  Oh Yes - planning summer already hehe!  I love an outdoor tablecloth and I've got a little collection of good vintage fabrics (read sheets!) in fun colours for some warm and colourful dining.

Little squares

Well, my reveal is My Liberty Squares Quilt top is SEWN - a looong time coming - first blogged about them August 2011 - so Yes, nearly 2 years for them to be actually sewn up!!!  Is this usual for you?  It actually has never bothered me that I have plodded along with this one. They have just been quietly sitting there waiting for me to spy them amongst the rabble and pick them, sew a couple of 9 patches and put them away again...bless their little cotton socks!

Had to show you a photo of some of them committing harikari off my design wall - 

Enough they said - sew us up!!!

 From a couple of humble packets of 2.5" squares of all different Liberty fabrics, bought off ebay I think, sewn with Pure Elements in Ivory - a sweet, gentle white, with a fine thread weave not unlike the Liberty.  

A match made in heaven.  

It is a little small - so a bit of a border in white I think - I do have some Liberty 1/2ms for the backing - what fun to have a hunt for those pieces!

What Whippys are up to this week.

Ahhh....school holidays...do you love them? do you dislike them?

We do love them in our house - our girls go flat out each long term, so school hols are times of sleeping, lazying, telly watching and cooking! Lots of cooking lately, so the kitchen is in permanent state of mess.  The dishwasher never works so hard than in school hols lol!

DD1's stuffed capsicum - she said it was so full of good stuff, but I can't remember what - she gobbled it right up!

A spontaneous request for knitting lessons by DD2!

some nice big and chunky bamboo needles, some nice big chunky wool in a gorgeous teal colour (that is my go to colour, my 2013 colour ha!)

AND some sewing for me to do!  AusMod Bee gal Julie of Narioka wanted stars and using her very pretty selection of lots of Art Gallery fabrics (Love!) I chose these:


Ribbon Star: link 12"

Constellation (from Block Tool app) 6"  This was a nightmare block, just quietly - Julie may want to throw this one away....

Eccentric Star: link 6"

April Star: link 6"

Forgot to mention a big (for me) cos it is so long time coming (breath) reveal...

tomorrow

A smattering...

Okay - I have a moment of spare time to show you some random things....

My DD2's framed artwork on the wall - abstract to say the least, but we love it!

Some more artwork - a very lovely piece (The Silver Tree) purchased recently - artist proudly standing by!

Now hanging in a spot we see a hundred times a day and hubbie often remarks on it.  I knew he would love it too :)

A sweet and delicate set to go with my treasures Mid Century (Scandi) collection - 

Dutch I believe, so close enough ;)

Found at Salamanca Market, Hobart.

A hardback edition of The most amazing book - written entirely by a man who, at 42, suffered a stroke which left him entirely paralized, bar his left eyelid. He dictated his story with one eyelid, which is not only an incredible thing to do, but his writing draws you in; funny, witty, incredibly sad.  I read this book about 15 years ago, and loved it then and love it now.  So pleased I found a copy at a secondhand bookshop for $9. This was my best treasure found in Hobart.

A bit of scoring at Le Op Shoppe - 2.5m of a heavy wool (I think) fabric for $20 - I am thinking a Clover Cape (Style Arc) could look good in this.....am I bonkers to think that will happen???

and some vintage flannelette single sheets - I LOVE these - pjs here methinks

Cannot say goodbye to this post without mentioning my 3 day weekend away with The Girls - Kylie, Anna, Wendy, Karen, Kirsty, Narelle, Kylie and Sam - lots of sewing, singing, eating eating eating, antique auctioning, coffee slurping, pj wearing good ol retreat....Great Times Girls!!

I did make this!!!

Vintage robe pattern made from AMH's rayon challis

Slinky, silky, oh so cool and smooth on the skin

oooh lalaa

(I skimped on how much fabric I would need - the tie is super long made from offcuts of both fabrics - I enjoyed that bit of patchwork hehehe)

and last but not least

The Time Lord

Block 2

Doctor.Who.Along

Phew!!! Told you it was random smandom!!

A Bit of Something for Everyone

Now off to the multiple loads of washing to get on the line of this Most Beautiful Sunny Winter's Day

Buzzy Bee Blocks

AusMod Bee - Kirsten from Gemini Stitches chose May as her month - sending us all the fabulous collecton of Chicopee - 'acidic' comes to mind to describe these fabric colours - not in a negative sense - not at all - but the yellows, greens even oranges and pinks have some kind of quality that makes me think of the sweet tartness of lemons - is that weird???

 We got to make AMH's Feather block again - wow - making them a second time was a breeze! Though bias edges causing warping is a Devil!!

MY month for the Bee was April and I have received The Most Fabulous Blocks!!

I realised that I have a HUGE collection of red and aqua, with quite a bit of teal thrown in as well - it is obviously what I gravitate towards when fabric surfing online and in shops and really, it was getting ridiculous, so this is what I chose for my colour theme (with a little bit of soft orange in for good luck)

I chose the block theme as anything the Bee members liked from the Summer Sampler Series, by Fresh Lemon Quilts  - and some other fave blocks I posted about.  I think that it can be difficult to be given carte blanche on the block that you have to produce - but it also may challenge people to try a block they have been thinking of for awhile, or can give them a needed break by choosing something simple - simple or not, I was happy with what ever was chosen.  Even multiple blocks of the same pattern was not an issue - everyone got a fairly unique package of fabric to choose from.

I have 20 blocks so far - just waiting on 8 more - they are truly Fantastic!!!

It is going to make a huge quilt - but I LOVE huge quilts-  hmmm sashing or no sashing?; mini corner blocks or not?

Once I have them all in, I will give you a proper expo of all the individual blocks and their makers

Geese in the Forest

geese in the forest, a photo by Tina ~ Seaside Stitches on Flickr.

I am on a roll!
This looovely quilt by Tina Seaside Stitches is my inspiration to tackle my next Paper Piecing Project PPP!

I have fallen in love with the greens and blues and aquas and limes of these batiks and well, frankly I am going to copy it - well, you know make it my own ;)

The pattern is on sale atm here! :

and I have my lovely pile of ice blues and deep forest greens and tropical aquas and chartreusy limes batiks - all had a throughly good wash and dry and ready for action.

Now I know a few friends had wanted to have a go too - Jeannette and Janine? Want to start one too?

This pattern really is a good one for Paper piecing beginners - just lots of good ol straight lines though you have to make sure you use plenty of fabric to cover the triangles.

Can I also recommend some Foundation Paper for the piecing - I am using Carol Doak's Foundation Paper (100 sheets) - she is the Dame when it comes to PP! I got mine here:

Check out the Flickr group for more Geese in the Forest!

Via Flickr:
blogged about here: seaside-stitches.blogspot.com/2009/10/ready-for-quilt-sho...

Little blue box

Time And Relative Dimension In Space

Just in case you weren't sure what a TARDIS was...

Wow - a paper pieced block that looks pretty complicated, but no, not really.  After being thrown in the deep end with a PP block for a bee member, I swallowed a bit of water, but started to swim and made it.

 I am getting the hang of PP now - it is not perfect, but just a little bit squew-whiffy - not smelly whiffy but warping in or out of space squewy.

Kinda wibbly-wobbly ;)

DD2 tentatively asked me what it is for....of course I said 'For You!'

DD2 gave me the Biggest Grin!

It makes me grin too.

some sneaky peaks

Just a little teaser of how my first Dr Who Along piece is going.....

and how my quilting machine is Finally going....

After perservering with a machine that is temperamental and tantrum-inducing, I may just have it behaving nicely....just very cautious to not jinx it ...I think I do a little meditation before I even look its way....like deep breathing, thinking good thoughts, and trying to be all zen about it.

Hasn't bloody worked in the long past, but...I am surprising myself  by not throwing out the top storey window :)

A little bit of tension tweaking is still needed..sigh...

A Wedding

A beautifully sunny but cold English day

A 12th century church

A bride who's late

Lots of smiles

Lots of hugs

Lots of laughs

Tipis by the lake

Peacock feathers and vintage pianolas

Paella and chocolate brownies

Glowing fire

Sunset

Married