Farmers Wife and other quilts

I'm back, and hope to make this a more regular blog. Those that have been with me from the beginning of my blog journey know that I was fitting it in with all the 'other stuff' that a career working mum has to do.

I would always spent the first week of school holidays sewing, and the second week planning for the term ahead. Weekends and evenings were spent marking, planning, making resources, etc. etc. EXCEPT for Saturday! Saturday was my day for me stuff - like sewing. With so much to do, it was the 'me' time that went first, followed by the family time - but that's an episode for one of my other blogs.

Studies have revealed the stress-reducing benefits of sewing, proving a stitch a day could help keep the doctor away. I accidentally came across this quote on FaceBook, it comes from Bookwerme-Sparkpeople page and after reading that article I knew I had to make the time to sew, and do other things I wanted to do. The balance cannot be all work! (Again, another episode for one of my other blogs) Another interesting read by Quiltfool, explains what I mean. 

Sew ... I mean ..... So I wanted to make another quilt for the van, so I revisited Simply Colourful, where I was first inspired to make my caravan sewing machine cover, and came up with these blocks. I added some trees similar to Simply Colourful and some patchwork for the in between blocks and made a lovely quilt top. Just need to finish it now.

 

I have been kept busy each day during 'me time' by making some Christmas presents (can't show them yet) and some caravan place mats to sell.I made a two sided banner to hang on the awning of our van. 

The banner and the lap quilt were appliquéd, and before I made the lap quilt I worked out the layout using PowerPoint.

 

  

It worked out very well, and although I changed the bottom left hand corner to make it easier to put all sections together, it went together very easy.

 

I was happy with the appliqué but thought I would spend some time and work out a piecing template.

I'm very glad I did. It was so much easier to cut and sew.

I made a pink set of two, and a blue set of two.

We had family visiting for a week and I made little wall hangings / place mats for our two nieces in Victoria. It was good to use my embroidery machine again - it's been very neglected.
 

I also enjoyed doing string piecing using the pink and blue strips I have been collecting. One can see in the photo further up, my pink strips container.

 With family coming I also needed to clear off the dining table, which for some time has been collecting my sewing and school resources.
We often desk dine or eat TV dinner style, so clearing the dining table also meant moving my sewing stations around. I now have my ironing centre with my embroidery machine, and so far, so good. 
 I'm now waiting to start the Farmer's Wife quilt along in a few days - watch this space.

Happy sewing

Allison