Two Quilt Tops Finished!!!

It is always a long time between finishes when I have several projects going at once and many of them are by hand. Well, this month I have finally finished 2 quilt tops!!! Woohoo! :)

The first finish is my hand pieced Lone Star. I started this quilt with several other ladies in my Friday Sewing group at Somerset Patchwork.

Every stitch is by hand, so it took me almost exactly 12 months to finish this top! I plan to machine quilt it (it is huge so would take too long to hand quilt!!), but have no idea how....yet!

As usual. I have had several other projects on the go this month.

I made a little pouch with some Cotton and Steel fabric as a gift.

A little more progress has been made on Mountmellick.

One of the corner blocks...

...and the completed border attached to the centre medallion I made last year!

.
.Sorry its upside down!!

I have started the next border. So far I have made 5 out of a  dozen hexie flowers using half inch hexies.

Next is another machine stitched block for Citrus Sweet Love.

Last night I finished stitching the very last block of the Chester County Criswell Quilt, block 33.
There have been several challenging blocks in this quilt and I think I found this one the most challenging!!

Today I machine stitched all the blocks together!!

I made the first block in August 2012 and there has been one block a month since then. Lots of hand applique!! I am going to miss stitching one of these blocks every month.
This photo was just a quick shot taken outside. I hope to get some better photos over the next few days. It was fun pulling out all the blocks and remembering those I had stitched many months ago.

Already I have chosen 2 more new quilts to start!!! Plus I have plans to keep working on some older WIP and get some more finishes!

Back again!!! With stitching and a review of Tulip Needles.

Well, March has zoomed by and we are into the 2nd half of April already!
March was a bit hectic around here and I ended up getting sick earlier this month. I'm well on the road to recovery now! :)

A little down time has meant I have been able to catch up on some sewing.

Last week I finished sewing together all 8 sections on my Lone Star.

Next will be the setting squares and triangles. I am still deciding whether to applique some smaller stars on the background fabric.

I've managed to keep up with the Chester Criswell blocks.

Block 30

and block 31.

Only 2 more blocks to go!!!


I have completed one more block for Citrus Sweet Love.

The next block is half finished. I hope to get that one done tonight.

For Noah and Matilda I have made a little pile of purple grapes for the border. Lots more to go! I have extra fabric for the vines coming in the post, so when that arrives Noah and Matilda will be full steam ahead again!

Recently I purchased a set of Tulip Needles. They are beautifully packaged!

Sorry the photo is up side down!!

I have tried a few of them now.

The sewing needles are no. 9 and are a bit thicker than I am used to using. The gold eye is easy to thread and think they will be good to use for general sewing.

The milliners needles come in 3 sizes. I choose the finest needle to try out. It is a longer needle with a small eye. I didn't have trouble threading Aurfil 50. The needle has some "flex".

So far my favourite needle is the applique needle. It is shorter than the milliners, but has a much larger eye.
I have used both Aurifil 50 for piecing and YLI silk for applique using the milliners and the applique needle. Both needles have "flex" and are nice and thin. When I first started using the needles I encountered some "resistance" to the needles passing through the fabric. However, I persevered with stitching to give the needles a good try out. I am wondering if there is some kind of coating on the needles because after some use they become much easier to pass through the fabric. I had no trouble finding the only needle I had used after it had been put back with all the others.


I hope everyone is finding lots of stitching time! :)

February Stitching

It is the last day of summer here and, now in the mid afternoon, the sun is just beginning to shine. It has been an overcast, humid day with the promise of some much needed rain tonight.

February has had some days of no stitching at all and other days when I have achieved lots. :)

I made a start on Citrus Sweet Love. The first block, Emma's Puzzle finished using all Cotton & Steel fabrics. I machine pieced this block.

I finished a mini with some fabric from a fat quarter swap our sewing group had just before Christmas.

The fabrics are Yuwa and Cotton & Steel. I was inspired by a table runner I saw posted by @quiltsandwichfabrics on Instagram. The mini is machine pieced and I hand quilted it using DMC 80.
More of the Yuwa fabric was used making the pouch I showed in my February 1st post.

My Lone Star is coming along slowly. I've almost finished the 6th section of the star!

Noah and Matilda has been sitting on the side lines, somewhat. I have made more than 20 little grapes for the border. There is still a long way to go!

This week I managed to complete February's CCCQ, block 29, Maria Criswell. Only 4 more block patterns to come for this quilt.

I have also sewn a little more on the hexagons I showed in the February 1st post.

I'm looking forward to a day of hand stitching with friends tomorrow. :) I hope to get that 6th lone star section finished!

Almost Christmas!

There has been a mixture of hand and machine stitching here in the last few weeks. Some piecing and some applique.

Slowly but steadily my lone star is growing. Half way there now!

Its getting huge!!!


I finally finished November's Noah and Matilda blocks.

Here is my completed Flower Wreath block from my last post. The yellow flower centres are french knots.

This next block looked a bit daunting at first!  I began by making the centre section.

Then appliqued it over the rest of the block.

Rose Beauty complete:

All three November blocks complete:

There are 4 blocks again for December. I've prepared the freezer paper templates and chosen the fabrics, so its almost stitching time.

A couple of nights ago I finished the latest Chester Criswell block.

CCCQ Block 27 Susanna Criswell.

On the machine I have been making purses and bags.

I used Cotton and Steel fabrics for this little purse. On the outside I stitched cross stitch with pearl thread over the little crosses printed on the fabric.

Inside....

Dumpling Pouch pattern and tutorial at Michelle Patterns blog.

I have plans for a couple more different pouches using metallic zips.

Next a completed and now gifted Christmas gift.

I hand pieced the flowering snowball block for the outside pockets (one on each side).

More pockets on the inside. And more Cotton and Steel fabrics.

Love the button!

Pattern from Annie's Quilting Fat Quarter Shuffle. (photo of book at the end of this post)

Today I started cutting out another of these bags.

Only 2 more sleeps till Christmas Day.
Remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!!

My lone star is growing with the third point being attached this week. I am finally happy with all the fabrics I am using.

Last month Moda ran a "Moda Love" blog tour.  I saw several of their designer's blogs with great quilts. Moda supplied a free pattern with instructions in 3 sizes.  I decided to use some of my Cotton and Steel fabrics to make the smallest size.

This is 12 1/2 inches unfinished.  I loved the version I saw with those little 4 patches on  Vanessa's blog. 

Look what I found!!!

The selvedge says "Tree of Life" by Di Ford with Petra Prins and Nel Kooiman for Dutch Heritage"  I found it at Somerset Patchwork and Quilting.

If you look  here you will see my photo of a Tree of Life Quilt from Quilts in the Barn last year. (fourth and fifth photos)  The centre panel of the quilt is all appliqued and is the same as the printed panel above.

Here are a couple of photos from my garden.

Banksia Rose

and Pink  Rock Orchid.

I am looking forward to this year's Quilts In The Barn, which is on this Friday Saturday and Sunday. Each year Linda very generously donates all proceeds to Breast Cancer Research. If you live close enough it is a great day out for a great cause.

Happy sewing

I think he likes it!!!!

I finished an alphabet wall hanging for my Grandson this week. He is enchanted with all the bright colours. I bought the panel a few months ago and simply used a cotton batting, machine quilted it around each square and bound it with a red and white spot.

This morning I started quilting his boat quilt.

 I have been playing around with choosing patterns and fabrics for my next project/s!!!

I have had these patterns for a little while now, waiting for the right fabrics to come along. I won't be starting them for a while, but its is always fun to play with putting fabrics and colours together.

I haven't been ignoring my reproduction fabrics.

This week I also finished the next CCCQ block.

Block 24 Alice Richmond.

The oak leaf and reel pattern is one of the very first patterns I appliqued and it is still a favourite of mine.


After looking at some photos I took of my lone star progress I decided I wasn't happy with the colour layout. Over the last couple of weeks I have asked for opinions and played with fabric arrangements until I was happy.
This is what my lone star looks like now....

I have taken out both dark green fabrics and replaced the pink points with red.

This month's Noah and Matilda blocks are coming along. No stitching yet, but I have made all the templates and chosen the fabrics.

I am attempting to find more sewing time by spending less time on the computer.  However, I am missing the interaction with other bloggers.  Does anyone else use Instagram? (I am mjnorindr if you would like to look for me) I have found several bloggers on Instagram and I found it much quicker to post and comment than on blogs.

Spring is here in Melbourne. The weather is warmer and the days are getting longer.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Quilt top finished, Noah and Matilda and more.....

I recently finished this quilt top for my Grandson. It will be for his cot, but big enough so that it can be tucked in at the sides and end. I have chosen a backing fabric and will be basting this weekend.

I am up to date with my Noah and Matilda blocks!!!! Yay!

This is the grape block from last month with some embroidery.

And this month's 4 blocks completed.

I made a couple of modifications to the top right block. Instead of appliqueing tiny yellow circles I embroidered some french knots. The stems for 4 of the hearts are chain stitch rather than a narrow fabric stem.

Some wonderful fabrics have come in the post. You may remember I won a giveaway on Lynne's blog earlier this year. The first bundle of Cotton + Steel fat quarters arrived from Pink Castle fabrics' Cotton + Steel Club.

Earlier I  prepurchased a fat quarter bundle of all the Cotton + Steel basics. The wait was worth it!!

I have lots of ideas to use these!!!  Anyone know where I can find a few extra sewing hours??? Lol

On the hand piecing front I have completed the second section of my lone star quilt.

This is going to be a big quilt!!!!

Spring is in the air here in Melbourne. Its another delightful, sunny day. Hope it is a great day where ever in the world you are. :)