Catching up..

Midnight Stars Progress.

  I am making slow progress with Lori's Quiltalong:  Midnight Stars. Two blocks are finished and 2 need the outer sections added. All the small units have been prepared, they just need to be sewn together. I have had second thoughts over the background fabric I had chosen, so its back to the drawing board for that one!                                                       The completed blocks measure only 5 1/2 inches (unfinished). I challenged myself to make these blocks by machine, so there has been a bit of frog stitching to get them to line up properly!  I am much more used to hand sewing tiny pieces of fabric.  Some of the fabric I used in these blocks was left over from the Morrell Quilt......hmm...... still need to prepare all those triangles for the border on that one!

 One day last week I was surprised by a pink package at the door. My dear friend Ranette sent me a beautifully stitched wool pin cushion, note paper and card and seam ripper. The handle of the seam ripper was hand turned by the husband of a quilter Ranette knows! The card Ranette sent also has a great quilt design on it. Thank you Ranette!

While I was in Canberra I worked on the stitchery for this Tail Feathers block. I finished the borders yesterday. The next block is well on its way.

 I have finished 3 more blocks from Barbara Brackman's Civil War  Quilt blocks. (the wobbly stars might get stitched again!!!) I still have one more to make to catch up.

 I have also been busy preparing all the papers and fabric ready to make the little quilt pattern I won from Jeanneke. It will be all hand made using English Paper Piecing. (see previous post for a photo).
I have worked on the Folk Art Fantasy wall hanging too, and I only have the vase to do now.
Lots of projects, but only a little progress on each.

Close ups of flowers from my garden. The flower below is an agapanthus. I don't know what the other 2 are.
Does anyone know?? The top one is a bulb. The plant has thin, strappy leaves and is about 25 cm (10 inches) tall. It has bloomed amongst my spring flowering bulbs.
The last flower is from a bush that is about 150 cm (5 ft) tall.

Thinking of all my fellow Australians who have recently endured hardship due to weather extremes. In both Queensland and Victoria there have been floods, cyclones in Queensland and on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia there have been bush fires.
Stay safe everyone.

I am using a new version of Blogger for the first time.....there are a few changes to get used to.