A Stitching Sleepover

What could be better at the end of a busy week than heading off to a stitching sleepover? Last Saturday I loaded up the car with a months worth of sewing and drove to Muswellbrook for a sleepover with the Casillis quilters. It was so good to sew all day and late into the night with Lea, Raelee, Kylie, Alison and Julie. Unfortunately Bev was sick so couldn't make it.

These girls are so clever, there was lots of inspirational sewing happening. I adore Lea's Liberty foxes quilt.

Raelee's quilting progress was fantastic after only one lesson.

And Kylie finished hand quilting her beautiful Gardeners Journal.

Quilting in front of the open fire until my eyes wouldn't stay open was magic!

Thanks for a great weekend girls, it was good for the soul. 

Susan x

DJ and mini hexie medallion

My fingers needed a little break from hand quilting so I returned to my little 1/4" hexie medallion mini. I was going to leave it with the hexagon edge but decided a straight edge would be easier to work with. So I'm appliqueing the hexagon to the striped strip, then will mitre the corners and add a little binding. I absolutely love this mini, I love the feeling of the tiny hexagons and the fussy cutting. I'm still undecided if I could make a whole quilt this way.........it might take the rest of my life!

Some more DJ blocks finished.  I have a few more prepped but have definitely decided I won't be going the whole way with Jane. Appliqué and epp are the techniques I'm really enjoying at the moment. 

I finally finished unpicking that bit of cross stitch, it took ages. Now to decide on a shade of DMC red so I can get started again. School holidays started today. I think there was lots of time spent on the Xbox, but I did come home to a washed floor, so that's a bonus!

Susan x

Irish Circles and celebrations

Another busy week, the year is just flying by. I took heed of everyone's advice and have been very dedicated with my quilting this week. I have finished quilting the centre blocks of Irish Circles. 

I decided that the corner blocks were a bit plain and needed some cross hatching. I haven't done it before but I'm happy with how it filled the white space. So now I have to go back and finish the other three corners.

Tomorrow is my eldest sons last day at high school before the exams start in October. Amidst the celebrations we received the very exciting news that he has been offered a place in his preferred course at Macquarie University for next year. We are so proud of him. It's a crazy time, I'm laughing and crying, and feeling rather emotional (not easy in a house full of males!). Gee I'm going to need a really BIG project when he leaves home next February.

I'm off to race through a bit of housework so I can get some stitching therapy happening.

Susan x

Squishy mail

I have had two lovely parcels arrive on my doorstep this week. The first from my friend Elyte.....some beautiful blue fabrics and a cute wooden bunny. Could this be the beginning of a new colour direction? Perhaps a clamshell quilt in blues? I especially like the rabbit fabric.

The other package came all the way from the Netherlands, although I think it may have stopped off for a mini break on the way. I won a giveaway from Carin and now I am the happy owner of this beautiful pin cushion, and some much needed purple for my stash. 

Little packages of fabric from near and far really are the happiest mail.......thank you both so much.

It's a big day today, as I'm taking Mr 16 to have his braces taken off. He's had them for over 2.5 years so he's more than a little bit excited. Then tomorrow we're heading to Sydney for a university and college open day for Mr 18. I doubt there will be any patchwork shop stops, but I might try some more knitting in the car (maybe i'll get my cowl finished in time to wear it before the weather warms up).

Happy stitching.

Susan x

FNWF

I have been naughty with the FNWF rules. I signed up on Thursday then completely forgot to do a post about it, and didn't even sew on Friday night! I hope Cheryll will let me off on this occasion.

I have been sewing of course, just finding it hard to settle on one thing. I love my hand work, but sometimes when I'm busy, I get frustrated by a seeming lack of progress. It makes me start other small projects instead of getting on with my quilting. This week it's another pin cushion inspired by Anna at Noodlehead who is in the Crazy Mom Quilts pincushion party. I have been channelling my inner modern stitcher. I love the charcoal linen which came from The Home Patch. The blue mark in the centre is not washable pen, it's in the star fabric.......should have thought about that a bit harder. 

Spent some time in the garden with hubby yesterday doing some long overdue pruning so that was good......except for the blister on my thimble finger. I have also been working on little 1/4" hexie flowers for a project that caught my eye at the Sydney craft show.

And feeling it's time to do something with these 1/2" hexies from last year.

Would someone please tell me to just get on with my hand quilting!

Happy Father's Day, I hope everyone has some happy family time today.

Susan x