What to Do Whilst @ Home

The last few days have been as if living in a bubble around here, and I guess we really are. I have been 'holed up' in my craft room, whilst hubby has given his shed the biggest shock it has ever seen. 

 Yes, he has been down in his 'man cave' for quite a few days where he has got really ruthless with what he has had hidden down there. Our rubbish bin got emptied on Friday morning and by this morning (Sunday), it seemed there was not room left for our regular rubbish from the house. There is also a huge pile near the shed door ready for next weeks bin. I was amazed that you can actually see the floor down there, which I don't think has seen the light of day for many a year.

Now for what I have been up to. I decided to just sit with my feet up - do that quite regularly - and do a little bit of 'fun' knitting. I have made another 3 coffee mug jumpers ready for the coming winter.

I also made a start on the comforter top I plan to make from a bundle of fat 1/8's that I purchased at The Quilters Angel at Highfields the other week. I have cut all the pieces ready to begin sewing.

Then I cut up some trims to add to enhance the blocks. The plain pink ribbon that you can see below is actually the ribbon that the fabric bundle was tied up with - very pretty colour, so did not want to waste it.

 

I found amongst my bits 'n pieces some lovely embroidered ribbon and some rick rack which I will use as well. Now to head to the sewing machine and begin to put it altogether.

For now though, I shall finish off and head for my loungechair and maybe some more knitting. In the meantime, look after yourselves and please keep safe.

'Til next time,

June

What Has Happened to The World??

Golly gosh, you have just got to wonder as to what is happening around the world haven't you. Sadly at this point in time, it doesn't seem to be improving either. Guess we shall just have to wait it out for a while longer - how ever long that may be.

However, for us sewers/stitchers or whatever name you like to refer to yourselves as - me ..... a creative needleworker, I am sure that none of us are short of projects to start or complete with this time that we have 'holed up' in our homes. I know I certainly have plenty to keep me going - dare I admit that I could most probably keep myself occupied for a couple of years at least.

After my lovely weekend away (wasn't I lucky to get that in?) and finishing hubby's outfit, I decided to give myself a break for about ten days before getting back into 'it'. So my first Corona project is some fruit & vege bags for myself. As you may recall I made some (this first photo) for part of my Secret Santa gift just before Christmas. 

Well, I found the left over fabric and decided to make some for our own use. I am really, really chuffed to think that I had enough fabric and coloured scraps (for tops) AND I had all the right coloured threads to match AND not once did my bobbin run out!! Now just got to wait for next shopping day.

I have also done some 'dolly washing' as hubby calls it, in preparation for my next project. You may remember I purchased a pack of 14 fat 1/8's whilst up at the 'Girl's Stitch In' at Highfields the other week, well they are all pre-shrunk and ready to go.

This is what they look like on the piece of fleece I am going to add this patchwork top to.

Quite looking forward to making a start on this.

For the moment though I am going to go and put my feet up and relax after a full day's sewing. In the meantime, please look after yourselves and keep safe.

'Til next time

June

Murphy Just Couldn't Stay Away

Finally I am able to reveal the project that I have been working on for the past 5 weeks. I posted a photo a little while ago of some green and black fabric I was going to be working on, well ...... here is what I made from it.

Here is my very own Leprechaun. Hubby had asked me to make him an outfit to wear to his lawn bowls game today. All went well, I believe.

It seemed from the outset that 'Murphy' was going to visit and create havoc. Hubby is not exactly 'normal' size as are patterns - had a few issues with that. Then the jacket needed to be fully lined - the pattern I used didn't allow for that, did it? ad to basically create my own pattern to make the 'spats' to go over his white bowls shoes with a bit of elastic o go underneath the shoe to keep them in place. Oh, and the vest ...... it too is fully lined, and I adjusted the sizing, however when it came to doing the buttonholes (which I really dislike doing - particularly doing them in black), I got hubby to put it on the see where I would place said buttons and buttonholes, and was reasonably pleased with myself when I had done them. BUT .... I then realised that I had done them on the wrong side - OK if the vest was to be worn wrong side out!! In this case I was thankful that it was done in black, they really didn't show too much and I was able to get away with it. 

I am not entirely happy with my effort, but a lot of work went into it. The jacket, vest and 'spats' for his bowls shoes are all fully lined.

Now I can pack it all away and continue with other projects I have 'pending'.

For now though, in these uncertain times, take care and look after yourselves.

June

'Girls Stitch In' @ Highfields

Warning, warning!! L-o-n-g post with lots of photos.

Oh my goodness, did I need my sleep last night, but not before putting some drops in my sore tired eyes. I had spent the day at the 'Girls Stitch In' put on by the girls of The Quilters Angel patchwork shop in the Village Green at Highfields north of Toowoomba in the Darling Downs Region of South East Queensland. 

Although it was run both Saturday and yesterday (Sunday) it was the same thing both days. Hubby and I decided to make a weekend of it and decided to give the newly opened Toowoomba Second Range Crossing a go. The original climb up to Toowoomba which is on top of the Great Deviding Range is very steep and if you got caught behind a truck or whatever, you were likely to have to get down to first gear to crawl your way to the top. Particularly tedious if we were towing the caravan as well. However this time, we decided not to take our van and try the new road. Here are a couple of photos as we made a very easy climb - well worth paying a toll to use it.

It will be such an enjoyable drive up the range from now on towing the van, and from what we have heard the 'truckies' just love it as well.

Arrived at our motel for the night (got into our room OK), before heading to the small shopping centre nearby to get some extra milk (again got into our room OK). However, when we went down the road to have dinner, when we returned - the room key would not work in the door. Hubby got the lady from the office, and they tried a second key for the room. No luck either! She then went and got the master key .... hmm didn't want to work at first. She then went through the adjacent room (apparently it was a connecting room) and came in through our room, unlocked it from the inside to let us in, and from then on we had the master key for the night.

Yesterday morning (Sunday) hubby dropped me at the venue for my day of fun and stitching, and what a lovely time I had. To begin with I met up with Kris Meares from Tag-Along Teddies, and then Fiona from BubzRugz - it was wonderful to put faces to names that you chat with on your blog. Kris was one of the guest designers for the weekend. The other guest designer was Natalie Bird of the Birdhouse. These two photos show both Kris' display stand (top photo) and Natalie's display stand (second photo)

Morning tea was the first item of the day.

Then it was into the main room for where we were to have our fun. 

There was a lovely bag of 'goodies' for each of us that included a pattern from each of the designers, along with a traced off stitchery from one or the other ladies to begin, along with the fabric to complete the project.

We had lucky door prizes - I was lucky enough to win one, along with the major prize at the end of the day.

There were also a few 'pop up' stores there as well, so ...... of course you have to buy a few things don't you - can't go home empty handed.

Yep, another quilt pattern and some fabric to make a start on it - but they will be put away for now for when I have a nothing to do situation - ha, ha!

The two projects available to us to begin (alternate drop) are:

From Kris - a lovely bag with extendable sides, along with a tablet pouch.

From Natalie - a very cute draw-string bag, with a pin cushion and thread carrier.

Both ladies held demonstrations of various techniques etc. and I for one, had a wonderful day and although hubby thought I would, I did not snooze on the way home.

Thank you to all who put in such a wonderful effort to make it a great day for us all.

Trust you enjoyed seeing what I got up to yesterday - more soon.

June

A Great Day Out with the Girls

Yesterday was a lovely day out with girls from various quilting/craft groups around our area.

 It was however still raining when we left our pick up point, but as we got closer to Brisbane it eased right off, though not before we got to our first stop off.

Everyone seemed to enjoy this spot and bought up quite a lot, although I felt, this was only our first stop ..... could be just as good a range at our other two stops. So I purchased a fat quarter of a cute little teddy bear fabric and some iron-on interfacing.

Because it was still a bit like rain outside, it was decided to go to 'Plan B' for morning tea. Instead of a picnic morning tea in the park, we had it at the back of East Coast Fabrics - bless their hearts for allowing the change of plans.

After filling up on lovely home made cakes and slices as well tea and coffee, we all climbed back aboard the bus and continued our journey down to Boondall and Make It Sew - quite a squishy shop, particularly when you have a bus load of customers, but still managed to find what we were all looking for.

Lots and lots of themed and bright fabrics, and I have never seen so much habby stuff anywhere - not even Spotlight (OK that's not so hard!). 

They also had a few quilts hanging up as well. Here I purchased a panel of little caravans that will be ideal for making mug rugs, and a skein of DMC Ecru thread - sorely needed.

After a reasonable time here, it was off to Sandgate for lunch and Russell's Fabrics. It was suggested half of us go over to Russell's prior to getting our lunch and the other half, have your lunch first - good suggestion.

After making my purchases,which included a piece of fabric with Australian wildflowers printed on it - just what I need for another of my mini quilts, it was off to the Coffee Club for a really nice lunch in their outdoor area (which is just on the left of the following photo).

After the bus picked us back up around 1.45pm, we headed for home, only to have to take a detour as there apparently was an accident further up the highway - traffic was beginning to back up and the highway stated to look like a parking lot!

I almost forgot to mention that, as usual on bus trips like this, there were some raffles, and I managed to score myself a prize - think there was about 8 all up. Mine was a lovely hand made bag - be nice as a knitting bag I think, however it was what was inside that drew many a laugh on the bus!

Yes, a couple of rolls of toilet paper - just what we might need in these days of coronavirus eh!

After showing hubby what I had bought I thought I had better take a photo to show you, my blogger friends - so here is my humble purchases for the day, and although I did not buy very much, I was happy with what I did buy and had a lovely day out as well.

Well, today it is back to my stitching in an endeavour to complete a project ready for next week. So for now,

Take care .....

June

It's Finally Autumn!

W-e-l-l ..... it's supposed to be the beginning of Autumn today and I know that things don't happen overnight, that they will happen, but please, can we have some cooler weather - another hot one today, so it is a good chance to finish off the hand-stitching on my green and black challenge that I set myself.

However to begin with I shall give you a reminder of one of my 'Seasons' mini quilts that I completed last year - the Autumn one. All the leaves are hand stitched applique.

Now though it is back to my cutting table where I am beginning to measure up 72 little squares that will be in my piece I will be making for the challenge put on by Patchwork Therapy in Sunbury, Vic.

This is the main piece of my challenge and I will be cutting out the main squares as well as the little squares from the diamond strip in between each main square.

For now though, trust everyone has a lovely day, and a great week ahead.

June