A Messy House is a Sign of a Happy Quilter

Saturday, 11 December 2021

Messy House: this week......

Yes, I finished the Destination quilt top - this photo reminds me I must start sewing the green themed Moda Blockheads blocks together. This will sit on my design board now until the New Year.

I completed part 2 of Bonnie Hunter's 2021 mystery quilt.

I still needed the constant turquoise for the mystery so into Spotlight I went (before school holidays, and before the borders were opened) and not only did I find the turquoise, but a fat quarter I never expected to find. I'm making a baby quilt, and I have been since about March 2020. I ran out of the bike fabric, so needed to substitute eight sections with another fabric. It was all cut out ready to sew, and what do I find in Spotlight - the bike fabric I needed. What a wonderful surprise - and only $1!! Bikes are better than elephants, don't you think?

I also got stuck into catching up on the the 52 tags challenge. I learnt from doing Bonnie's quilts that one should do the most recent and catch up on what needed finishing later. I try to do that where I can, so here are the next lot of tags.

21 - using bullion stitch. A new stitch for me, well a lot of the embroidery stitches are new to me.

22 layers of lace - using only what I had on hand.

23 Vase of flowers. I used a scrap of Tula Pink fabric as the vase. I think it looks good.

24 is tatting. Well...... I've tried it a few times and it just doesn't work for me - so this tag is STILL not done. I will keep trying though.

25 was weaving with threads. A fun tag but in hindsight I probably should not pull so tight.

26 was halfway, and the prompt was medal. All of the bits used in this tag were given to me by an Instagram friend while we were travelling in WA. So very needed for this challenge.

27 using beads. Who travels with beads???? I did pack a few sequins and seed beads but not enough to do a whole tag, so we visited some op shops. I did get a couple of bracelets in one shop, then a few days later found this necklace in another op shop in another town. Perfect.

28 was spider stitch. Another stitch I really liked. I also used felt as the background.

29 I didn't like at all, and I didn't have any 'ort' threads so had to use new embroidery floss. Ort = scrap of leftover. Who keeps leftover threads.....they go in the bin LOL.

30 was a brooch and I made two, one for me and one for my friend. Being November I thought it would be good to have a poppy brooch.

I have a few more, but will leave that for another post.

The plan next week is to continue to play catch up on the 52 tags challenge and focus-cutting sew-along. Also Part 3 of the mystery.

Link up Parties:

A Pageant of Finishes

Put Your Foot Down

Small Quilts and Dolls

Saturday, 4 December 2021

Messy House: Happy December

So much rain this past week, and now the sun is out it is hot and muggy. Lucky my sewing room is the coolest place in the house - getting no sun, so it is lovely to sit in there and sew and binge watch TV shows. I love Christmas and want to get started on some Christmas projects, just need some ideas - thinking maybe decorations.

I have been trying to catch up on focus cutting epp's. Above is how I have sewn the hexie blocks together. I think it will make a nice I Spy baby quilt. Sept Theme was Perfect Day - a perfect day would be cruising the Queensland coast.

For sections I decided on the kaleidoscope and still need to put in the black triangles.

I'm not sure where 39 is: pattern matching. 😏will look into it. Maybe that's why I had this fabric out.

October theme was cosy, really a hard theme, especially with the weather here starting to be really hot. 40 was motif - teddy bears are really cosy (I know I'm stretching it!!).

41 was sections or obscure. Sitting in the garden is really cosy - ok stretching it again.

42 was matching. Cosy is watching the animals in the zoo!!

Freestyle was the prompt for week 43. Reading in a comfortable chair is cosy!!

I also continued to sew the destination blocks together. I'm hoping to finish the top today.

Last Saturday I started Bonnie Hunters new mystery, Rhododendron Trail - I so look forward to this mystery each year. Fabrics chosen, but I might change them.

Part 1 is complete, waiting for part two.

Plan next week is to catch up on the 52 tags challenge.

Link up Parties:

A Pageant of Finishes

Stitch Sew and Show

Put Your Foot Down

Small Quilts and Dolls

Saturday, 27 November 2021

Messy House - Destination Blocks complete

I had a good week in the sewing room this week. I put all the cut out pieces of Block 5, Riding the Ferry - I mean cruise ship - together and I think it turned out really well. Designed by Kathleen McMusing of Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats I changed one block and replaced it with and anchor sign that reminds me of Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Block 6 is Cross at a Walk - we don't have covered bridges in Australia, so I adapted the block to be one of the many covered overpasses on the highway in northern New South Wales. Haven't been that way since December 2019 - and you know why 😞. The overpasses were built to allow the koalas and other native animals cross the highway safely.

I made my tunnels on my block too tall and I still need to add more scrubs to the top of the tunnels. Designed by Jennifer Fulton - The Inquiring Quilter this is another applique block. I think I will add some koalas crawling across the top.

The next and last block for me to complete was block 7, Cityscape also by Kathleen McMusing of Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. I enjoyed doing this block, maybe because we were free to choose what ever feature we wanted for the block. I tossed up many ideas of iconic man made 'features' around Australia and came up with the Sydney Opera House. I love Sydney. Couldn't live there anymore, but love visiting, especially during Vivid.

We were lucky to be visiting one year when Vivid was on, we caught the ferry into the Quay and simply walked around enjoying the lights, the interactive activities and the atmosphere. So here is my version of CityScape - Sydney, during Vivid.

We were to be on a train adventure today, but due to all the rain in Queensland we had to postpone it, and as a result this week will be planting seeds and sewing the new Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. Yay!

Linking with these talented creators:

Offthe Wall Friday

Friday, 29 October 2021

Friday Catchup - Destination Quilt

Back home and settling back into home routines, it was good to see the family and also good to see my lovely phalaenopsis orchids. I was so tempted to buy some while travelling, but didn't - I have bought one since coming home. The first one this year!!! Maybe I should get one or two more 😉.

Back home and with my machine, I continued with catch up of Partners in Design Destination Quilt. Block 2 was Quilt Retreat Camper designed by April Adams from Janda Bend Quilts. April designed her block to resemble her caravan, and I adapted the block to resemble our caravan. I really liked the background fabric April used, wish I could find a similar print in Australia. Like April, we travel in our van (see PetalliTravellers blog and YouTube Channel) and I sew, usually by hand when on the road.

The next block, 3, was Fair in the Square designed by Abbie Danahy from Sparkle On. This was a hard one to think about a fair we have been to in our travels. I finally decided on Tamworth Country Music Festival, which we have attended for the 6 of the past 8 years. We missed 2019 as were were travelling Tasmania, and we missed this year, well because of ........! Fingers crossed for next year. Interesting, we were in Tamworth in January 2020, when the first case arrived in Australia from the US. Anyway, I made this block and added the Golden Guitar found at Tamworth. I also made the bunting a little different to Abbie's pattern. I used 2.5inch squares folded. I will add Tamworth Ice Cream to the Ice Cream Truck and a platform for the Golden Guitar.

Every year I say I'm going to finish some Halloween projects....... maybe next year ..... I did work on an Elf for the grand daughters. One is complete and sent off to England. More next post.

Now that we are back home, here are my link up parties.

Whoop whoop Friday

A Pageant of Finishes