Lockdown stitching

Thank you all for your sympathy re my plight! Much appreciated. Pre-tumble, as you may recall, I was busy stitching up my “Daisy Days” and with the blocks finished I set about cutting up all the sashings and corner squares

The pile of sashed blocks grew and grew

and on the way I finished off my reel of cotton! Luckily there was a spare in my bag.

With the sashings completed, it was time to lay them out

then re-stack them into their rows

ready to stitch together

That done, it was time for corners and borders and now we’re in tumble-time, but as my Doc said wrists don’t like to be inactive, I’ve been doing little bits of stitching at regular intervals and calling it therapy for my wrist!

So I made four-patch blocks for the corners

and as I didn’t have enough of one fabric for borders, and lockdown is continuing (though it looks like it’s ending at midnight tonight – yippee!) so no chance of getting to a shop, decided on using what I had in my Fabric Library and chose 8 fabrics (mostly from what I’d used in the blocks). Slowly, slowly I sewed them together and added them to the quilt top. And then…..TaDa!

It’s a bit hard to get a full pic, and at this stage it’s in dire need of a jolly good press, but I can’t maneuver the iron and the quilt one handed!

That done, I sat and pondered my “Zarafa” quilt with tape measure, calculator, and pencil and paper to hand. I worked out how many of which, and how long and and wide. No rest for the wicked here!

Calculations made I slowly covered the last two sets of small hexies

then started stitching them into frames. I’ve found it easier to lay them over the top of an existing frame to get the hexies into the correct position to stitch

Still need to attach the frames to the Zarafa print.

From the larger hexies I’d already covered, I stitched some of them up too.

Now to work out how many of which fabrics to trace and cut, well, trace and maybe The Golfer cut?

We’re having decidedly Wintery days at the moment as an icy blast blows in from Antarctica (well that’s what the weatherman said). Very glad to be indoors out of the cold, wet and windy conditions.

Stay warm (or cool as your hemisphere dictates) and safe

Much love

Meredithe x

Silly Billy

I’ve been a bit of a goose, a silly billy, and an idiot and done this to myself out on my walk, tripping over one of those rotten furry acorn things …..

I also twisted both ankles, scraped my knuckles as you can see, and have a grazed knee (which is reminiscent of childhood days!). After several x-rays on various limbs nothing is broken – thank goodness! – just this badly sprained wrist – my right wrist!! Could be 4-6 weeks before it’s back to normal – eeek!

It put paid to sewing for a few days as I didn’t feel the brightest but as I need to keep the wrist moving sewing seems to be helping a little, albeit in small doses. More of that on another day.

Unfortunately I can’t lift heavy items, like groceries, pots, pans and the kettle; the Doc said I can’t vacuum or wash dishes; chopping veggies/meat is out of the question. All so devastating!! The poor Golfer is having to do all that, and a good chef, shopper and chief bottle washer he’s turning out to be. Regrettably it also means rotary cutting is definitely out and using scissors is problematic so I’m really not happy about that.

But enough moaning. Thought you might like to see some pre-tumble pics from tumble-free walks. Caught this sunrise

and even on a cloudy, grey day the park is still pretty

Mum is coping well with Lockdown, but I took her a care package the other day and included these flowers from our garden

Better sign off as it’s taken an age to peck this out (hard for a touch typist to admit!) and wrist is complaining.

Take care, stay safe

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Hello my lovelies! How are you all? Particularly, how are my fellow Victorians? We’ve just had news that Lockdown 4 is continuing for at least another week…….. Hang in there! We’ve done it 3 times before, we can do it again!

Our last class last week at Sewn and Quilted was a masked affair, but that didn’t stop the creativity!

Morning

Jo’s “Hedgerow” * for her newest granddaughter is looking great.

We chose the corners for the final border (she’s making it smaller than the original), cut the final borders and she’ll finish it at home.

So we then moved onto a quilt that she started in the last class before the lockdowns last year! Thankfully I’d written notes (that I could actually understand a year + later!) so Jo started making the components

for this block, which is one of four

I helped Leanne to machine the binding on her “Floristic” quilt, ready to be hand stitched down at home

and she was also appliqueing a hexie border around her doily

Carole stitched up more “Fossick” blocks

Linda worked on her “Vermont Summer Medallion” and had brought in her Stitch App to show us

and Fernanda stitched more of her “Strafford Manor” border

Afternoon

Linda and Fernanda stayed all day and in the afternoon Linda worked on her “Tea and Cake” * hexie flowers and did a little retail therapy – just to see her through the Lockdown!!

and Fern showed us the first of her finished “Daisy Days” blocks

and she and I chose some more Daisies ready to be stitched up

Jane brought in another finished baby quilt top

and we quickly got to work to get it basted so she can hand quilt it at home

Basting done, she blanket stitched more of her elephants

Frances chose a fabric for her squares in the next round of “June Dyson”

I helped Tineke make up her “Sweet Liberty Applique Purse” (which she’s changed a little from the original)

and Cheryl was cutting out hearts ready to applique onto backgrounds

It will be a few weeks until we have another class show and tell post, but I’ll drop in now and then to show you what I’m stitching.

Take care, stay safe!

Meredithe x

*Available in Judy’s new book “Quilts for Life 2”

By the by

~ found these fabulous between-seasons boots, at a pharmacy of all places!

~ one Friday recently, The Golfer and I decided on a drive and headed up to central Victoria. When we left home it was a cool 14 degrees but by the time we’d reached our lunch destination of Daylesford it was a very cold 7 degrees and raining that nuisance, spitty rain. Sorry, no pics of lunch but we did plough on to Trentham, where it was still 7 degrees, freezing cold, raining more, so a quick run into the Red Beard Bakery for some bread, and somehow rolls and cakes! Rapid retreat into the nice warm car for the run home. Purchases were much enjoyed.

~ last weekend, in the beautiful sunshine, I did some gardening. Taking note of the “note-to-self” re the hydrangeas, they were just tip pruned this year in the hopes of a bumper crop come December. Must remember to feed them in Spring (another note to self!). I also planted out the sweet pea plantlets grown from seeds provided by my friend Maree. I do hope they will be happy in their new home. I replaced some of the strings holding (or not quite holding) up the mesh so they have a strong frame to climb.

repotted the hydrangea that Helen gave me – don’t want to prune it yet as the flowers are still so pretty

and quite a bit of tidying up, pruning of other plants, and weeding – that never ending weeding task. Definitely NOT my favourite part of gardening!

One of the supermarket chains had a “seeds” promotion some time ago and after nursing them inside for a bit, seeing little heads of plants popping up out of the provided eco-containers, decided I’d plant them out too. We shall see what happens with these sage, cabbage and cherry tomato plantlets! They look, as Dad would say, too little to take from their mothers, but we shall see. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I put the frame near the tomato as I think if might need support – if it deigns to grow.

~ last Monday The Golfer and I took ourselves down to Sorrento for our favourite meal of fish and chips. We hadn’t been for such a long time – more than a year, I guess – and the fish and chips tasted sooooooo good!

the day was slowly turning from sunshine to cloud as we watched the ferry ply its path to Queenscliff and back, bigger boats head out to sea and little boats out for, we guessed, some fishing

but the clouds and wind didn’t deter the seagulls who hung around the cars, as is their wont, hoping for food scraps (not from us!)

one of whom was cheeky enough to sit on the bonnet of the car!

Lovely relaxing days.

Meredithe x

Park walk

I haven’t been down to the Park for a walk for a long time – who knows why? – but ventured down last Sunday.

It dawned a clear but chilly morning – not that I was up with the dawn, but it was still very chilly when I set out. The bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine promised a mild, sunny day. And so it was.

My first sight at the park was the steam coming off the creek which looked so pretty with the sun shining through it

Since my last walk here the council workers have been busy putting up lots more benches around the track

and more picnic tables too have been dotted around the track

so now there’s lots of places to stop and enjoy the views – not that I did, of course!

There was even some fog in the shadier spots

and while it was warmer in the sun, the dells and heavily tree-lined areas were very cool. Glad I was moving quickly!

As I rounded the creek, I saw these – not sure what they are….. something to do with bulrushes?

I’d forgotten how steep the climb home was and as I puffed and pushed my way up and up the hills to home a certain someone, who had left after me, galloped ahead waving cheekily! Just because The Golfer is fitter than me doesn’t mean he has to show off like that!!

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Just small classes at Sewn and Quilted, with a few people away so……

Carole stitched up more blocks

and I prepped lots for her!

Fernanda had the next round on her “Strafford Manor“

and I chose another couple of borders for her

while she stitched a new project – Fern has been bitten by the “Daisy Days” bug and had made these blocks

so she cut some background pieces and then I helped her with some border choices

I also helped Cheryl choose the next rounds for her Diamond TAW

and borders for her I Spy quilt which she cut ready to stitch

Jane blanket stitched a green elephant

and Louise stitched her borders on – just that little bit of applique to do.

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

Class show and tell

Well, here we are again Melbourne/Victoria – Day 1 of V4 Lockdown. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will only be for the 7 days mandated. It was very quiet on the streets and roads when I went for my masked walk this morning. Of course I was halfway down the street when I realised I didn’t have a mask on! Quick turn around to home and I was back on track. One good thing about masks is they keep your face warm on chilly mornings!

Anyway, onto nice things. We’re nearly caught up! Back to Nuno Nuno and……

Sue M had all her applique blocks together and the first border on

and in class she started on blocks for the next border that we’re designing together

Faye had also been busy making these hexie blocks

and as she’s decided to applique them to a background, Trudy helped her choose these fabrics

and I showed her how to set the blocks up and start the applique

Georgia too had been stitching lots, making all of these curved Dresden’s from the border pieces and left overs from her other quilt

and she was working on more in class

and Ronis joined us for the first time, working on these diamond box blocks – they look 3D don’t they?!

Let’s try to support local businesses during this time, and keep your sanity with your stitching. I’ve discovered “Ally McBeal” (on 7+) which I’ve not seen before, so that’s me sorted, with “Daisy Days”, for the duration!

Stay safe and well. Much love

Meredithe x

This class is held at Nuno Nuno, Mont Albert

A little bit of stitching

How’s my sewing going? Thank you so much for asking! I’ve had a couple of days stitching with friends over the last few weeks and my mojo seems to be back on track.

“Daisy Days” is coming along nicely. I’d made lots of blocks

and worked out I needed 19 more so cut all of them out, plus the backgrounds, then once the daises were made matched up backgrounds with daisies

and last Sunday at 4.44pm I finished the last block. Then I needed to set them into 4’s and cut all the sashings and cornerstones……….

I have also made a bag for a friend; using pre-cut scraps from my boxes I made the front

chose a Kaffe (‘cos this friend loves the odd Kaffe!) for the backing

and chose a light lining. And she loves it!

I also stitched up a little sampler for my hand quilting classes showing different threads, different weights, different types

But what’s really captured my attention (and has had to go on the back burner after a flying start – sad face) is the Zarafa fabric from Christopher Wilson Tate. On the way home after buying it a quilt design just popped into my head and I was very keen to start. It had to wait until some of the things above were made, but I have stitched a bit of it.

I’ve made a hexie ring to go around the main print

and made some hexie flowers too.

Sometimes one gets the urge to do something, but a no-think something is a great time to make hexies…….

so there’s a little tin-full waiting until “Daisy Days” is finished

Now that’s incentive!

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Morning

Sue E stitched up the last two circles

Tineke hand quilted stars into her sky to secure her wall hanging

Carole worked on more “Fossick” blocks

we welcomed Michelle to class and I showed her a quick way to make machine Flying Geese

Leanne has started the new Quiltmania BOM

Linda was busy prepping and stitching hexie flowers

Sue S prepped and stitched her centre for “Tea and Cake“

Denise stitched more of her hexies

and she and Leanne picked up parcels

What could they be? They’re the first month for the “Ronda Dechardo” BOM – my quilt! And so nice they’re looking too!! All that luscious Liberty and linen. So exciting!

Afternoon

Tineke, Linda and Sue S stayed all day; Tineke finished the applique/quilting on both the front and back of her “Sweet Liberty Applique Purse”

Linda nearly finished another hexie flower (hope she turned that last hexie before it went in!)

and Sue S started on a new quilt “French Market Medallion” (available, I think, in Judy Newman’s first book)

Fernanda, The Queen of Bags, brought along this great bag she made at home

and in class she started sewing her blocks into a border

Cheryl was quite taken by some new fabrics in the shop so had to get them for her quilt

Louise got her quilt top together…….now for the borders

Jane had a refresher on blanket stitch for her elephants

and Frances stitched more “June Dyson“

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

Class show and tell

Phew! How are you going? Keeping up?? At this rate there will be a post a day until the end of the month!

At the quilt shop for the second class……

Paula has been a busy girl, starting to put setting triangles between log cabin blocks

and making up her squares sections for her bold pink version of “Erica’s Quilt”

Sue M has finished her applique on “In Full Bloom“, and we had a discussion on how to make the quilt bigger to fit her Queen Size bed.

Sue T started sewing her squares together after we chose a setting triangle fabric

Peggy chose border, binding and backing fabrics for her quilt

Ann-Marie wasn’t enjoying machine quilting so she’s chosen to hand quilt (yay!)

and Pearl was swiftly machining lots of different things, but I caught this quilt before it was bundled up and put away. Just the last seam to do!

Meredithe x

This class is held at the quilt shop, Eltham