Class show and tell

Morning

Jo is doing well with her stitchingCarylin is making (yet more!) hexagonsEllie came for the morning and I gave her a lesson in Big Stitch hand quilting and succeeded in converting her to it from stab stitch – Yay!!  She’s loving it!  (pattern is “Brocante” by Everyday Quilts)Carole appliqued one corner of her Queen Bee blockSue E is progressing her next bordersand Denise has all her bits cut out and she’s now stitching her EPP blocks

Afternoon

Linda and Fernanda stayed all day; Linda has all her woolly bits in place and she’s started the embellishing Fernanda finished off two more of her machine blocks and another hand pieced block (apologies – I thought I’d photographed the machine blocks)Cheryl has put the borders on her charm square quiltand we chose a backing for it – it’s just that little bit big so will need to be pieced, but it’s all cut out and ready to sew upand we also chose a sashing for Cheryl’s animals quilt, and she cut out the cornerstones for itFrances had made up her next set of blocksand we chose fabrics for the last 7 and Jane finished one of her blocks and started the nextMeredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted

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Stitch Sisters

Helen hosted Stitch Sisters over the weekend, with a very nice afternoon teaHer very special show and tell came from her very talented 13 year old granddaughter who drew Helen’s favourite actress and framed it for her – such a clever young lady!Kay had some show and tell, with her “Civil War Bride” quilt back from quiltingwhich has a stunning William Morris furnishing fabric for the backingand Kaye’s “Dear Jane” is now, finally(!), finished too Kaye it a great one for using up whatever fabrics are left over from a project, so she’s made up this backing (and came to visit me the next day for a couple of pieces to add to it to make it the right size – yay! some fabric of mine gone!)and with the tiny bits that are left over, Kaye is now making little quilts – these last two have “done her in”!  Small is good!Helen’s friend Julie came for a visit too with this gorgeous tinand a cross stitch that’s oh-so-close to being finishedand this wool embroidery blanket for her grandson which she worked on during the afternoonMaree was hand quilting (in the ditch – that’s why I couldn’t see any stitches!)Miss V has started some crochetHelen’s embroidering a long skinny piece for her quiltKaren worked on a cot quiltand I pieced another blade Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Morning

Sue W got her quilt back from quilting and is delighted with it!and Sue had cut out all her pieces for her new quiltand made a few blocks in classand there’s a new baby coming for a friend of Sue’s so she chose some fabrics for a cot quiltJo is having fun with her second “Carousel” (pattern by Everyday Quilts)Sue E is working on the borders for “Hedgerow“Marilyn started a new project from Issue 12 of Simply ModernCarylin had her quilt back from quilting too and she started sewing the binding down in classand she had a new bag to show us, using some of her son’s old jeans along with her fabrics Denise prepped and started stitching another of her EPP blocksand we were very spoilt with morning tea (we don’t usually have morning tea in class!) with Jo bringing in a box of chocs and Fernanda baking The Most Diabolical chocolate brownies

Afternoon

Fernanda stayed all day and I’d drafted up a block which Fernanda could machine piece but size wise would fit with her hand pieced blocks.  She learnt quite a few new tricks and successfully made three blocks!Frances had a the brilliant idea of framing a favourite block and giving it to her niece for a birthday present – so gorgeousand Frances worked on her next set of blocks, square-in-a-squareI showed Tineke how to add a hanging sleeve to her quilt and she started sewing her binding downCheryl worked on more “Sweet Sunday” blocksand Jane and I nutted out the next blocks of her BOMMeredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted

Sew, stitch, snap, share

I’ve been sewing like a woman possessed!  Billy and I have been working in total harmony and sewing up a storm, which I was going to tease you with on Julie’s sew, stitch, snap, share – but I’ve missed the link up!!

Never mind, I’ll still share it with you.  I must have been getting a bit frazzled yesterday as I kept “losing” pieces; one on the bed in the room where the design wall is, blending in quite well with the quilt on the bed; another left on the ironing board – duh! and one half-square triangle that remained so elusive I had to re-cut and re-make it – grrrr.  I had been folding fabric and keeping it neat as I went, but as I was making fill-ins today, my table looks a little like this.                                After nearly a week of planning, drafting, cutting, calculating and stitching, last seam sewn and pressed and a showing of the finished article to The Golfer, who was very impressed, all the verve that had kept me going just drained away.  I halfheartedly started sorting these fabrics and that pesky half-square triangle showed up!  The nerve of it!

And what am I making?  Well I can’t actually show you just yet, but there are eyes in it!Check out what others are making here.

(a creatively exhausted)Meredithe x

Friday stitching

Had a very enticing invitation from Karen to spend the afternoon sewing in front of her fire, and as the day was cold, wet and windy it sounded like the ideal way to spend the day…….we did and it was!with a little bit of afternoon tea to keep us going,I finished the first blade of my Bethlehem StarHelen has decided her candlewick quilt could benefit from some hand quilting, and it does look so much better, giving texture and definitionKaren is in the midst of knitting for an upcoming new addition to the familyMaree was hand quilting, snug and warm under her quiltand Andrea added more blocks of Tilda to her quiltSuch a delightful way to spend a very Wintry day!

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Morning

Denise is having such fun with the connector pieces for her EPP, finding fabulous secondary patterns when the pieces are put together Sue E is up to here with her “Hedgerow“and started the cutting and prepping for the next bordersAnne-Maree prepped more applique pieces for her projectand Jo is going well with her piecing.

At lunchtime, Bev, a regular S&Q customer came in with this gorgeous quilt that we all drooled over, made with Liberty’s and plainsand with a Liberty backing (a present from her son when he was living/working in London – so yes, it’s from The Liberty Shop!!)

Afternoon

I had four students stay all day;  Carylin bought up for another projectand is making wonderful inroads on her “Albertine” Fernanda spent the morning hand quilting, learning how to achieve curved linesand in the afternoon worked on her blocksLinda had this yummy box (which originally held mugs, but so useful as a sewing box! – I’m sure Liz would approve)containing the bitsfor her “Birdsville” which we laid out and started arrangingand Linda brought along her friend Sue who was appliqueing and needed some help with pointsand Sue also wants to branch out from reproduction fabrics, so we gently chose some one-step-on fabrics for “Sugar Plum“

And the other afternoon girls?  Well, Cheryl worked on more “Sweet Sunday” blocks and we chose some fabrics for borders/backings for a couple of other projects that are nearly finishedFrances got two rows of her project togetherJane made two and a bit blocksand Tineke had her hand quilting finished and started on the bindingMeredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted

Here and Now | May 2018

I think the last of our temperate Autumn days are at an end.  It was freezing on Friday and we were deluged with much needed rain.  Since then there’s been cold winds and its been quite cool, despite some sunshine.  Lots of leaves have fallen leaving just a few stragglers and lots of bare branches.I knew there was a good reason (apart from sheer laziness) in leaving the dead stalks of these plants in the pot – yep self sewn!and one has fallen into the neighbouring pot and even has the beginnings of a flower or two(it’d be nice if I could remember what they’re called!)

There are four spikes on the orchids too at present; can you see them all?I do like that our gardens in the southern hemisphere are constantly changing despite the season.

Totally addicted to crochet at the moment, but trying to do a bit of sewing too.  So pleased with how my cosy stripe is coming along – please note I’m being a good girl and sewing the ends in after each section (halo!!)Loving // this cooler weather and very grateful for the recent rain
Eating // trying to stick to a diet devoid of sugar and limiting carbs (for tummy health)
Drinking // herbal tea
Feeling // frustrated by my sewing room – a cleanup is on the cards soon (again!!)
Making // too many things at the moment, with bits of everything on the go; hand piecing, hand quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting
Thinking // about which pattern to use for my next sock challenge after receiving a parcel of Sarah’s latest yarn
Dreaming // of cold and rainy afternoons, snug inside with hand quilting to do

Joining in with Sarah for Here and Now.  What are you up to?  Click on the link to see what other are up to too.

Meredithe x