Our Sewjourn weekend – part 2

Now for all that we achieved in the stitching stakes!

Karen had a tin filled with leavesand was soon placing and stitching themshe also appliqued some of her tiny DresdensEllen was knitting a scarf which she finishedand she started a cowlKaye brought along her “Peacocks” quilt, a class both she and I started many years ago with Robyn Falloon (it’s made me quite keen to get mine out and see how far I am along with this project!!)

Kay is also doing a Kim McLean and prepped stems for thatand we witnessed the final stitch in her 10-year Dear Jane journey!  A momentous moment and such an achievementwith the left overs stitched into blocks for the backingJenny was stitching and slicing and making starscreating quite a pile of themwhich we had to put up on the design wall on Sunday eveningMaree started hand quilting then made some decisions about where her “Dogwood” quilt was headinglooking at some of the new fabrics purchased– plan re-jigged Maree was happy to start sewing blocks againHelen worked on her appliqueAndrea was cutting and stitching some horse fabric she’s sourced, horses being a favourite of hersthen put her pieces on the design wall for a better assessment of how it was lookingand I had a ball with slow stitching blocks, playing with pieces pinning and stitchingand getting it ready for some embellishmentand the same with a second one – just loving this process and looking forward to some embroideryI’d brought along an oldie that I started with Sue Ambrose many years ago, having found the quilt, the background, the pattern and the next border pieces which were all cut and ready to go!  Only problem was, it’s so old the pins had rusted into the fabrics!plan B was quickly decided on and I raided some fabrics I’d brought up to give to Andreaand I’ve chosen the one on the left hand side to be a border and that will then be finished.

I also played with an embroidery kit from Treehouse Textiles, thoroughly enjoying  gentle stitching.I think we did quite well, some achieving lots, others sorting and planning next stages – all to the good and very exciting to see progress and to be able to help/get help with choosing options!

Meredithe x

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Our Sewjourn weekend – part 1

I do love our annual Sewjourn weekend; we were trying to work out how many years it is that we’ve been going and I think it’s probably about 12 or 13, and we still love it!

Friday morning we set off and met up at Millrose for a wee shop, a catch up with Sue and Lizzie, and lunch at the cafe next door, then a drive further up the highway to Kyneton and Alice in Fabricland for another wee shop, a chat with the lovely Fiona and the delightful surprise of seeing Irene and her friend Jen with a sneak peek at Irene’s new BOM (out soon-ish) which is, as you would expect, GorGeous!

We finally made it to Sewjourn and settled in for a cuppa before heading off to the pub for dinner.

It was freezing the next morning with frost on the groundbut clear blue skies, belying  a bitterly cold windthis would have been the perfect spot to sit, except for that pesky breezewe had a little look at some of our purchases, oohing and aahing over fabrics not seen but bought by others – as you do!you know we will have enjoyed lots of yummy food, and here’s a sample of our nibbleswith frequent trips back to the house (I was on lunch duty on Saturday) I took the opportunity to take some pics of the gardenSunday morning was not so cold and bright skies again with an even stronger wind blowing away some early morning fogMonday was overcast and so cold, we were glad to get to Gisborne and say hello and warm up with a laugh with Mary and yet another wee shop at Patch ‘n Quilt.  A quick cuppa at the cafe next door and then home – all too soon it was over!  Roll on next year!

I’ll be back with all the sewing stuff tomorrow!

Meredithe x

Here and now | July 2018

I’ve been away for the weekend, but before we get onto that I wanted to participate in Sarah’s Here and Now linkup so that’s what you’re getting today!

Loving // Several things, actually;  picked these camellias and so enjoy having their prettiness to look at in the family room; my new boxes from Millrose (nope, no idea what they’ll contain, just like ’em!); wearing my finished looooong socks under my long boots – thank you Sarah for the yarn, Kim for the pattern (and Mr Rivers for making boots for those of us with ahem, wider calves).

Eating // a carb free diet to try to help with hot flushes – seems to be working

Drinking // lots of soy milk hot drinks to ward off the cold weather

Feeling // weary but happy after a weekend away with my sewing friends

Making // a little zip bag from a “Molly Makes” magazine for my crochet hooks

Thinking // about going back to my “Peacocks” quilt after seeing Kaye’s progress on hers over the weekend……..

Dreaming // of an overseas trip – not likely to happen but I know of so many people jetting off to or currently in Europe at the moment

Linking up with Sarah and click here to see other “here and now” posts.

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

It was a bit of a different class this last week.  Carol was hosting her annual Winter Workshops and as part of that I taught my “Woodlands” quilt for the first timeOne of the students had previously done a template class with me and Pinky brought in her finished block – not the easiest of templates to have chosen first up, but Pinky has done a brilliant job.  We decided it would become the centre of a quilt!All the students were treated to a lucky dip and then we got down to business.  As this is a techniques class (with pattern supplied as part of the class) my six lovely students were very diligent as they dutifully followed my instructions and started to make components for their own versions of “Woodlands” with Flying Geese60 degree treesChristmas trees“odd” degree treeshourglass blocksand pinwheelsPhew!  We covered all the techniques, plus some pointers on construction and I can’t wait to see how each one turns out!

Meredithe x

How was your weekend?

Did you have a lovely weekend?  I had a lovely weekend.

I’ve been very taken with Fernanda’s “Take an Element” bag, so much so that I ordered a pattern and it arrived on Friday I finished off my Vintage Thread Caddy and have found it so useful for my hand quilting – the thread is just there and reels off nicely, plus all I need can be stored in the Caddy (including the gorgeous pin cushion from l’uccello from a few years back and these fabulous needles that are PERfect for big stitch hand quilting – luv ’em!)and on Saturday I became a student learning how to make a fabric covered box with Carol at Sewn and Quilted.  I was on time and all set up before class started (the baby wipes are for getting the glue off!)only to find that the kit I’d chosen was not suitable for the class (my mistake) and with 2 minutes to spare had to choose a new kit and new fabric – pressure!!  (I know the principles now so can go ahead and make the other kit at some stage)

There were 8 of us in the class and we all did soooo well with everyone finishing and everybody so pleased with our day’s work.  It’s such a pretty array of boxes, isn’t it and so professionally finished – even if I do so say myself!  Such a fun class, thank you Carol.I’m very happy with how mine turned outand I’ve been able to open packets and round up strays and it now houses embroidery/quilting threads, neatly stored all in one place, very easy to find and with enough room for needles too!Ah, very satisfying.

So, what did you get up to?

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Just a morning class at Sewn and Quilted this week.

Carole unpicked all her leaves and circles and started afresh on a new background square (thank you for your sympathy!) and she was stitching leaves back into placeLinda has the first of her house blocks ready to applique downCheryl embroidered some more flowers on her bagTineke and I prepped her quilt top for basting and that done, Tineke started hand quilting in Big StitchFernanda had finished one of the vases on her “Take an Element” bagand started on the secondCarylin is hexagoningDenise worked on her next “Mrs Peach” blockand Lyn basted and started machine quilting a little quiltMeredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

Class show and tell

It’s the beginning of the month so we have double show and tell!

Firstly from the quilt shop

Val has stitched the vine down for her first border and had a layout of the “flowers”Decisions made, she started basting them ready for appliqueingand Val has been busy making the flowers for the other borders tooDenise has finished her first “Mrs Peach” block and started on the secondJennifer stitched pairs of another Dresden Plate togetherand a very astute and loving son bought her a gift certificate from the shop for her birthday, so we went shopping!  (Always love helping other people spend their money/gift certificates!)Fernanda worked on her “Take an Element” bagand Rosalie and I started working on a layout for her wall hangingMeredithe x

This class is held at the quilt shop, Eltham