Saturday stitching

This time last week, we’d hit the road to venture up to Mary’s lovely shop and have a day stitching with friends – SUCH a great thing to do!!

Patch n Quilt was looking – and proved – very tempting, and we all participated in some retail therapy (so good for the soul!)

We had lunch at Canteena just up the road from the shop, but I’m so out of practice I’d forgotten my camera and totally forget that I could use my phone for photos – duh!

Did remember after lunch to take pics of what we were working on (and the shop pics)……

I was binding a new quilt

Helen worked on her pinwheels

Karen had been to my Double Wedding Class last year and had cut heaps ready to stitch on the day

and she’d finished the quilt top for her youngest grand daughter

Irene has a new pattern for these delightful needlecases “Nova Needlecases” (contact the shop on the link above if you’d like one)

and she was working on a new applique project – which will become a pattern

and Veronique was also working on a new applique

It was a fabulous day and we’re hoping to get together again in a couple of months.

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Last week at Sewn and Quilted……..

Morning

I was up early to bake a sponge to welcome Linda and Sue S back after a six month absence (due to a variety of not really nice reasons). It was SO lovely to have them both back at class – they’ve been sorely missed.

Here’s just snippet of Sue S’s quilt – more to be seen once it’s back from quilting

and in class Sue S was prepping more “Fossick” blocks (from my range of templates)

and Linda was sewing rows together

Jo and Sue E cut triangles to go between their stars; here are Jo’s

and Sue E’s

and Carole was in attendance too but she claimed her borders were getting camera shy!

Afternoon

Lesley brought in some more beautiful doyley’s, this time crocheted ones from grand- and great- grandmothers so getting on for 100 years old she thinks (I’ve added close ups too for those who are interested)

Cheryl found her “Chook” quilt and we cut borders for it

and the strips for the final round of her Diamond TAW

Louise stayed all day and completed the first of her 4 cot quilt tops (for her hope chest)

and started on the second

Frances made more “Crossroads” blocks

Tineke started appliqueing her pieces into place

and Jane worked on her stars

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

Class show and tell

At the second week at the quilt shop…….

Sue S is going well with the placemats she’s giving away

and in class she added more borders and we did a layout of the next round of blocks (there’s another border to go on too)

Lois brought in her BOM to show us

and in class she was working on her stars

Do you remember all the cutting that Anne-Maree did last month? Well the quilt top was finished in the intervening 4 weeks!

in class she prepped for another applique block

and we chose some sashing fabrics for her blocks

Sue M was working on her applique blocks

Peggy stitched up a red and white star storm

Deirdre turned some fabric samples into two cushion fronts

and after adding a couple of fabrics to some she’s been gifted, she started working on some pieced blocks

and Paula started laying out her next block

Meredithe x

This class is held at the quilt shop, Eltham

Class show and tell

Last week at Sewn and Quilted……

Morning

Jennifer had finished the binding on her quilt (the colours are much stronger than the photo – the backing is a deep mustard)

and in class she learnt a little more about hand piecing, using the block book she made in class a couple of weeks ago

Jo had her borders pieced together, so we pinned two of them in place ready for her to sew at home and add the other sides

and for the rest of class she was making stars

Sue E has made lots of stars too, and we started a layout so she can sew them together

Carole has just one more border to complete

and Cathie pieced and stitched one of her side borders in place

Afternoon

Cheryl brought in some really delicious mini macaroons to celebrate my birthday – so lovely, thanks Cheryl! And with that sweet start to the afternoon……

Lesley had finished sewing her hexie blocks together and has machine appliqued them to a border

Lesley has been fortunate to inherit LOTS of d’oyleys from mothers, grandmothers and aunts and we had a discussion on what sort of quilt(s!) she could make using them

This small selection is housed in this gorgeous d’oyley container

and in class Lesley was sewing down a binding for a triangle quilt

Cheryl and I started her cutting adventure with this kit

and Frances sewed together quite a few of her blocks while I played with sets for her

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

February round up

Thought I’d better get this done before February becomes a distant memory!

It’s been a very rude awakening to the alarm clock for the majority of mornings this month as classes get back into full swing. I must admit to sleeping through a couple and having to abandon or shorten my walk. But it’s been such fun being back teaching my lovely students.

Mum and I have had coffee out quite a few times, either at our favourite cafe or down at the golf club sitting out under the covered area and observing the happenings (no photos but I’ll try and remember next time). The Golfer and I have had a few meals out during the month

I’ve been walking, weather permitting, and have noticed lots and LOTS of branches on the footpaths and nature strips. Looking up it was easy to see the culprits

Although you can only see 3 in the photo, there were about a dozen Corellas in this one tree. A very destructive bird!

My poor old wheelbarrow is on its last legs; the wooden struts have rotted through and it’s now on a tilt but I don’t want to do anything with it until these flowers are finished. Can’t remember what they’re called but their colours are fabulous.

and a little closer

On the sewing front I’ve been obsessed with these curved 9-patch blocks (one of my template sets)

and with the blocks made I’m now cutting into the background to join them together

Some of you may remember The Great Coffee Disaster (last year? the one before?? – just looked it up and it was 2020 eek!) where I knocked my coffee all over my next border pieces for Judy Newman’s BOM Vermont Summer Medallion. The background strips were ruined beyond repair, several of the star jump blocks were damaged and it was all put aside until I’d calmed down. Inadvertently I put the centre and instructions “somewhere” and the box of fabrics looked at me accusingly every time I sat in my sewing chair. As is always the way, looking for something else I came across the missing items – yahoo!

I’ve decided to do the next border a bit differently (sorry Judy), and after repairing the coffee stained blocks

cut and attached new borders and have started appliqueing the star jumps

and my favourite pears could be making another appearance in yet another project….

So, how was your February?

Meredithe x

Saturday stitching

Stitching last week was at Maree’s home; we love this blanket that she made from old jumpers with added embroidery

and her beautiful cushions

It was a very hot, humid, muggy day, so we sat and chatted and ate delicious strawberry cakes (some of which were eaten before I remembered a photo…aHem!)

and not a stitch was undertaken. Little Miss-Nearly-Two woke up from her nap and we played with her instead.

So entertaining!!

Apart from showing us how clever she is with these blocks, she loved playing with the blue fabric scraps I’d brought over for Maree – it’s never too early to start indoctrination!

Just as we were leaving a gentle rain heralded a cool change and once home we could open up our houses to cool off.

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

At Sewn and Quilted this week…….

Morning

Jo had the next border on her “Hedgerow” quilt

and in class she cut the inner border and carefully fussy cut her outer border

Cathie had her applique rows and circle rows together and we worked out a plan for more borders

Carole had some new fabrics for her next borders

and Sue E laid out the applique pieces on two of her borders and started stitching

Afternoon

Frances had started on the “Annie” cushion; we made some changes to the fabrics, she cut out more for left over spaces and started stitching

Lesley had one last row to complete with her hexies and we chose border, backing and binding fabric

I helped Tineke with a trial layout of her “Lovely Liberty” cushion

and Cheryl needed help with borders for a fabric “scene” and we cut strips for her next round of DTW

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn

A day out

Last weekend The Golfer and I headed down to Red Hill for a drive and we dropped into the Red Hill Brewery for some lunch.

It was a beautiful day so we chose to sit outside

We placed our order and enjoyed the view while we waited for our lunch to arrive. It wasn’t crowded, great music was playing, little children ventured into the green space in the above pic and played, a gentle breeze occasionally wafted the leaves on the trees; all so very relaxing. We were seated next to a flowering gum; this was above my head

and this was above The Golfer’s head!

Not only did we sample their food, we also sampled their beer (for The Golfer) and cider (for me) and everything was delicious and much appreciated.

As we went to leave we noticed a lone cloud drifting in the blue sky (sounds like the start of a poem!!)

Such a lovely, soul refreshing day. How was your weekend?

Meredithe x

Friday stitching

We’ve been a bit slow to start our regular Friday stitching this year, but we finally made it last Friday. On a stinkin’ hot day we made our way to Karen’s and she, thankfully, had her air conditioning running full bore!

Delicious, refreshing afternoon tea

Helen has been experimenting with Kaffe scraps and hopes to made a bag with the rainbow zip!

Karen is making a new quilt for a grand daughter

and I was cutting out blocks

There was lots of catching up to do and some of us didn’t pick up a needle! Then by the time we left, late afternoon, a cool breeze was starting to blow making the trip home much more bearable.

Meredithe x

Class show and tell

Morning

Two students made my small block book in morning class. This is Louise’s

and this is Jennifer’s

both will be put to good use, I’m sure!

We started to add borders to Cathie’s applique blocks

and Carole worked on more of her borders

Afternoon

Louise stayed all day and in the afternoon we started adding squares to her centre block

Cheryl has finished her Tumbler Quilt top!

and she found this for backing – a fabric she bought at a sale some time ago which proved perfect for the quilt, so she’s put it in to be quilted

and in class Cheryl added some more diamonds to her TAW quilt top

Frances started to learn foundation piecing

Lesley is very close to finishing her hexie quilt and we discussed borders. She’s very impressed with her new large Magic Clips

Tineke prepped some more pieces for her cushion

and Jane worked on more straight edges in preparation for her centre

Meredithe x

This class is held at Sewn and Quilted, Blackburn