Learning to rock, and lots more.

Well, its been a couple of weeks since my last post, so there has been some stitching happening here! :)

Each summer Somerset holds a Summer School with various classes held over about 2 weeks. This year I attended the hand quilting class. I have, unsuccessfully, tried to hand quilt by rocking before. This time, just one little change to my technique and it works!!! I know I need to keep practicing, but I am happy with how my stitches are progressing.

I tried both the Thimblelady thimble and the Roxanne thimble. At the moment I am most comfortable using the Thimblelady thimble.

Here in Melbourne the week before last we had a 4 day heatwave that saw temperatures well over 40 C.  I hid inside and distracted myself with some sewing.

The week before I had been in the city and visited my favourite shop and purchased this pattern.

L'ucello collaborated with French General to produce this sewing accessory pattern using a French General line of fabric that will be released later this year.

I made 2 needlebooks for friends having birthdays.

I used French General fabrics I had on hand. The flowers on the covers are appliqued with hand broderie perse.

The inside is finished with mother of pearl buttons. I did a machine buttonhole stitch around each leaf of the book.

Last week was the annual Fabric Frolic here in Melbourne. I was lucky enough to win a voucher from Ringwood Sewing Centre! :)
This is what I came home with.

The Clover pen was one recommended during the hand quilting class. The Swatch Buddies will mean I won't have a purse full of little scraps of fabric! Lol. Now I will be able to use those clips instead of pins when I am stitching down bindings.  The Japanese fabrics just had to come home also...can't resist half price!

A little bit of hand applique has also been happening.

Block 2 of Noah and Matilda is complete.

Block 4 is underway.

I'm still not sure whether to continue with the print fabric for the 8 outer flowers. I am wondering if a plain red might look better. What do you think??

I have started to prepare block 3. All the templates have been cut, fabrics chosen and cut and an overlay made. Its a doozey!!!!

We are experiencing another heatwave here in Melbourne! Luckily we get a reprieve tomorrow, then its a few more hot days with an even hotter weekend!

I rescued these roses from my garden this morning.

Countdown to Christmas top finished and more

I had a late night sewing session last night and managed to get my Countdown to Christmas top all sewn together! I love how it looks and I just had to keep stitching till it was done.  Hopefully there are no bloppers there because I was stitching way past my bedtime! Lol

The quilt will finish at roughly 32 by 40 inches, depending if I add a narrow border before the binding.

In my last post I mentioned L'ucello was having a shopping event. Well, I went and I was lucky enough to win one of their prizes. I chose this book...

The book is aimed primarily at a beginner, but it has a variety of projects. I have been crocheting since I was a slip of a girl and there is plenty in there to inspire me.

I also purchased the fabrics under the book. They are from Mas d'ouvan and had just arrived in the shop. I also found this one, also from Mas d'ouvan.

All these fabrics have a polished finish, similar to the Dutch Chintz fabrics, but are they are finer. I haven't tried hand stitching with any of them yet, but I will let you know how I go.

Late last week I had another trip to support the local economy and headed down to Amitie.  There I met Cathy (Cabbage Quilts) and Andi (Patch Andi). Cathy and I had a lovely stroll around the shop and I came home with a selection of red fabrics.

 In my last post I had a little sneak peek of a small project I was making. This little purse was a birthday gift for a friend.

I found the pattern in an old issue of Quiltmania. Several of these fabrics were recent purchases from here.

Our Friday sewing group has been issued with a challenge. We were each gven a little stack of fabrics and a pattern (all the way from Houston, USA!) to make a rug mug.

Mine is a flamingo, hence the colours! Wish me luck because it is foundation pieced and I am waaay out of my depth with that technique! I am looking forward to learning something new!

It is supposed to be summer here in Melbourne. Three days ago it was close to 38 C (100 F), today it is closer to 11 C (52 F) with heavy rain, thunder and hail! The perfect weather to stay at home and stitch!

Stitching lots of little pieces of fabric together...

Take some of these..

 Two inch stars.

Add a few of these...

lots of 4 patches.

Make some of these,

some of these,

add one of these,

and keep stitching until you make this.

I have joined in with Temecula Quilt Company's Countdown to Christmas stitch along. I still have   some stitching (and a little more cutting out) to do to get my top done.

Here's a little peek at something else I have been working on. Almost finished!

Its the first time I have made this style of log cabin.

Last week I visited my favourite shop in the city.

I came home with a little fabric.

From tomorrow they are have a Christmas shopping event

 (no affiliations, just a happy customer)

Today I also bought these from Vicki.  Great to catch up with a fellow blogger!

I can't wait to use those French General fabrics!

I have also made a little start on a crochet project.

A long way to go on this one.


I am still plugging away at quilting Swooning Southern Belles. Almost there!!

So plenty of projects to keep me busy.

Hope you are finding lots of stitching time! :)

Flying Geese and more....

I have flying geese: flying geese that worked! :)

I used the Mini Fit To Be Geese ruler to make these. The instructions with the ruler are very clear and there is very little wasted fabric.

I just used charm squares to make these flying geese and cut a single small square from each charm square.  After I made them I discovered that Carrie from La Vie En Rosie blog has a tutorial for using the ruler and charm squares where you can get 4 flying geese blocks from 2 charm squares. No more charm squares with little corners cut out. :)

I recently made a sleeve for a tablet.

Inside:

I bound the seams with bias tape. The outside fabric is a heavier cotton from American Folk and Fabric's Antique Collection. The lining is from Lecien's Antique  Flower Collection.
The button was a lucky find at Spotlight!
I am very happy with how it turned out. :)

Last week I had a day in the city and went to AQC and a little visit to L'uccello on the way home.

I found this wonderful fabric at L'uccello. :)

I didn't come home empty handed from AQC.

Plenty of fabric:

The fabric at top left is a linen from Lecien, and some bargains.
I also found a little bit of Collections for a Cause; Friendship..

Looove those turkey reds!

It was a lovely day with meeting old friends and new.

Here in Melbourne we are enjoying a relatively late burst of warm weather. I found some autumn roses in bloom.

An afternoon at the sewing machine

and some shopping.

It has been quite hot here the last few days, so I spent the afternoon at my sewing machine.

These are the next blocks for Blogger's Block of the Month. This month's block is by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter.

Now I have 6 blocks in each colourway.

I also finished my last 2 blocks for the Civil War Quilt.

I have been playing with arranging the blocks in several different ways, but I still haven't decided which way to go.


Recently I had a morning in the city and after seeing this shop referred to a couple of times I decided to take a look. What a treasure trove of goodies L'uccello is!!! I could have spent hours in there!

Here is what I came home with.

A lovely collection of wool felt, ribbon, thread and some Barbara Brackman fabric, all of which will be used for a needlebook....or three. :)


Does anyone remember this book???

This is my very well loved copy. I've had it since I was five years old. I can remember my Mother reading it to us at bed time. A year or so later a teacher read it to us at school. Later still I read it on my own...several times. :)

Weeeelll, look what I found at Spotlight yesterday.....:)

Aren't they cute!!!!  They are going in to stash until there are Grand babies! :)