All in a bind

I've finished the binding on not one. but two quilts this week. The first to be completed was the kiwi I spy, I used a black on black, with a silver fern design, and I think it looks perfect. I'm very happy with the way this one has finished.

Next I tackled the batik table cover. I went digging in my batik collection and came out with this piece. It's not actually a batik, but it seemed right.

It was the first and only fabric I auditioned for the role

And I believe it works beautifully.

Another very happy finish.

I recently showed the start I had made using some charm squares.

I've made a little more progress, but now it's stalled.

The instructions said to cut the charms down to 2x5 inch pieces. Not happening!!  What am I going to do with all those tiny strips of fabric? I just went with 2.5 x 5 inch pieces, which of course means I'll need more back ground fabric as everything is a little bigger!! Claire and I are off shopping tomorrow. Debbie is visiting with her daughter in Wellington and has done a little fabric shopping of her own.

There has been some exciting goings on out in our garden, but I'll save those for another time.

What do you do, when you just can't sleep?

Quilt! Of course.

Remember the batik chain top that I finished recently?

Well yesterday, it got another chance to shine. But first the inspector had to give it a thorough looking at.

There was something there which caught her eye, and something else there!

 It seemed to take several goes before she was ready to move onto the next bit!

 Bloody menace!

 I was eventually able to spread it out fully and trim the big piece of flannelette to a better size.

Then onto the frame it went. Look, the inspector has worn herself out and gone to sleep!!

 As this piece will be used as a table cover I wanted to keep the quilting to a minimum, so opted for some simple wavy lines with an occasional loop-dy-loop.

 Then I got adventurous and popped in some flutterbys.

 Or maybe they are leaves?

I had about two thirds of this quilted before I stopped to cook dinner last night and didn't go back to it until stupid o'clock this morning! 

This is where the title of this post starts to make sense.

I woke at 2 am and just couldn't get back to sleep, so up I got and finished off the quilting.

Of course, once I was finished and took it off the frame, her ladyship came along, just to have another looksee.

There are a few threads to bury, then I need to find a binding for this beauty.

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NZ is being poured upon, by the still nasty remains of cyclone Gita. And we're told it will get a lot worse overnight and tomorrow with not only more rain but also some very powerful winds. I may just get my grocery chores done in town this afternoon, so I can hide away indoors and sew all day tomorrow.

Don't you just love precuts?

I've had a busy few days again.

I've spent a couple of evenings under he kiwi quilt. There are a lot of threads to tidy away, I'm not even half way done with that yet. I'll keep at it though, it's a nice job in the evenings while the television is on.

 On Wednesday I fished out a couple of charm packs I've had for some time and made another start.

The fabric collection is called Aspen frost, by Moda.

I really can't remember what I was going to do with them, or even if there was ever a plan, but I settled on making another table cloth. I figured the best way to get things just how I want them, is to work on the table, so I did. 

After settling on a layout, I got sewing.

Added some borders and 

Voila!!

One very Christmassy table cover all done and waiting to be quilted.

Phew! I don't know what has gotten into me, but I seem to be on a roll here. I'm loving it.

On Friday after work, the girls and I headed South, to The Quilting Shed. We're getting to be regulars there! It is a beautiful shop. So bright, colourful and inspirational. I was very well behaved and only bought a few items. I think Claire and Debbie blew their pocket money budget for the next few paydays!! Both buying more than one kit.

Anyway, here's my wee haul.

A book, with some lovely giftable projecs and useful little makes.

A kit to make a cute wee bag, in Kaffe fabrics.....(Hopefully he will soon find another company to produce his fabrics and this little wobble will be over.)

I also found some fabric to match yet more charm squares that I purchased since immigrating. So not that long ago really. LOL

I also selected quilting threads for two recent finishes.

Now I just need to sort out backing fabrics.

I enjoyed my afternoon out with the girls, it was fun.

Saturday was a busy day, with house and garden stuff, but today, was fun time again.

After I have prepped some veggies for the freezer, and got some more into brine for pickling tomorrow, I was able to potter in my room. I had a tidy up as it had gotten a little messy, then, before I knew what was happening, I had made up my bag kit!

Tada!

Cute huh?

Then I started to play about with my Pocketful of daisies charms.

As I said previously, I've had the charms for 2 - 3 years, and four fat quarters of coordinating fabrics.

On Friday I topped it up with another metre of coordinating fabric. The grey piece at the top of the image..

 And guess what happened when I pulled them out for a photo shoot. I found myself sorting lights and dark, and topped up the numbers by cutting some extras from the fat quarters

And in almost no time, I had some quick four patch blocks made. 

The other pieces will become coin stacks.

Fun to be had tomorrow, after I finish the preserves!

*

Claire went to a house clearance on Thursday and bought a huge amount of fabrics and some other crafty supplies. She knows I'm collecting some lovely rose fabrics and gifted this bundle to me.

I have half a plan for them.

*

I think it might be wine o'clock.

I'll treat myself to a glass, while I bury some thread in the kiwi quilt.

I do hope your week was as good as mine. 

No veggies were harmed....

During the quilting of this quilt!

LOL

So I played with the kiwi eye spy quilt after blogging on Monday, after a wee bit more shuffling around and I was happy to join all the pieces and in no time at all I had a finished top.

Which I loaded onto the frame and started quilting.

It was all fun and games, until the thread ran out!

And the shop was closed!

So on my way home from work yesterday, I bought more, and now I have a quilted quilt and lots of threads to tidy.

I used my blue water erasable pen to draw lotus flowers in each grey triangle, and left the coloured triangle un quilted.

Can you guess where I'll be today?

Its a good day for it too, very dark and overcast, with rain forecast.

Maybe I'll have another finished quilt by the end of the day.

Or maybe not, as we three girls are getting together later for a st1tch and b1tch after Debbie finishes work. That's getting to be a nice habit, sitting together watching quilty videos on YouTube while we sew and put the world right.

A finish and a start.

Thats how it works isn't it? If you finish something, you get to start something.

So the other day I finished the 30s cot quilt. Here it is all bound and ready to go off to its new home. When I pulled out the camera to take this shot, I spotted the rogue block!

One block has turned around.

 When I looked back through wip images of this quilt, it was always like that.

Even when it was in pieces doing the swapsy shuffle on the floor.

Sigh....

Too late to do anything about it now, so on with the next project.

I loaded it's friend on to the frame yesterday and got busy. See those lights in the background?

That is the cooker hood, I had pans on the stove. And was running from the frame to the stove.

Here's some of what was cooking.

Pear and walnut chutney.

Yum.

Before I gifted this jar, I even found just the right lid for it.

Also on the stove was a huge pan of tomato soup, for the freezer and some pickled veggies.

 So, with frequent stops to stir the pot and seal jars, eventually I was finished quilting.

Once I was finished in the kitchen I headed to my other room at the front of the house, and put on the binding. I was going to close the binding last night, but Debbie and Bruce called round, so we sat and chatted instead. But before dinner and before they arrived, this happened.

I made another start.

 When I was out with Claire and Debbie the other day I bought a wee bundle of Kiwiana fabrics.

I spy a new quilt in the making. There are no preserves to be made today, so once the domestics are done, it will be time to put all of these blocks together.

After I fix the naughty blue one at the bottom!!

One of the things Debbie and I chatted about last night was the moon glow quilt, that big kit I got in the mail last week. We had a quick look through the book, Debbie was blown away and amazed at what I'm taking on. So am I. One block at a time.....

But before I get to that, I have at least one more quilt to make.

Time to go and do, then I get to play.

Three in a row!

Three quilty posts in a row, with only minimal vegetable interruptions!!

I'm on a roll.

Maybe I shouldn't say that. LOL

Lets get todays veggie interruption out of the way first. It is still crafty.

I gifted some of my home made pickles and preserves to a colleague of Tonys, and made a cute wee bag for him to deliver it in. 

 It's not quilted, just a simple reversible baggie, just big enough to hold two jars.

Mr H tells me she loved it and thinks the sun shines outta my bum!!

Its nice to be appreciated. LOL
*
On to something with real quilty content.
I loaded one of my very recent finishes onto my frame the other day and quilted it.

My first ever try at an edge to edge panto. It won't win any prizes, but I'm happy with it! I copied the pattern off one I saw on pinterest.

I'm very pleased with it.

I got the binding onto the quilt last night and plan to close it tonight.

The machine has been lifted off the frame and after I give it a good clean I'll get on with the next one.

*

And finally......

The postman called yesterday.

He had a parcel, all the way from America.

Inside the huge box was a quilt kit I have coveted for a long time.

Well in January I got an email saying that Craftsy were having a sale on quilt kits.

In the kit is everything I need to make an 86x86 quilt top and binding.

It's called Moonglow and was designed by Jinney Beyer.

And because it was originally a BOM programme designed as a confidence builder, there is also a huge instruction manual explaining several different piecing techniques for those beautiful stars and compasses.

This photo really doesn't do the fabrics any justice. They are sew beautiful. Black, greens, blues, violets teals, aqua. Drool!

Just my colours.

All for NZ$250

OOOOH!!

I'm excited.

I'll need to purchase some extra fabric to add a final border, to make it king size.

I want to use this beauty on our bed.

But, you know me. Before I let myself start this, there are other things that must be done first. I have two more smaller quilts to make, which will be four to be quilted and a wee angel cross stitch to complete, then I can start!!

That doesn't stop me from having a read through the book though.

Or dreaming.

Or stroking the fabrics.

Hmm, the less time I spend on the laptop.........

And another one.

After Saturdays efforts, which you can see in the previous post, I was able to sew again on Sunday.

Another new start, to use up that charm pack.

At last

 Don't precuts make life so simple?

In no time at all I had cut the white fabric and had all the blocks made.

 I played a little game of shuffle the blocks on the bedroom floor, then I was off again!

 And had this wee cot sized quilt finished in just a few hours.

 Now all three of my recent finishes are folded and waiting their turn on the frame.

 I had thought I might get a start on that yesterday, but the garden had other ideas.

Another dozen jars of preserves were produced instead.

I hope to get back into my room today, where hopefully I'll find just the right fabric pieces to back those lovely quilts and maybe tomorrow, I'll get time to make a start with the frame.

Though tomorrow afternoon we three musketeers are off on a short road trip to Geraldine, where we will be visiting The Pin Tin. A lovely friendly quilt shop. There is something special that I need, Claire and Debbie are just coming along for the ride. they say they don't have shopping lists. HA! I bet you they end up spending money too! LOL

See you soon.

I sewed!!

Yesterday was a good day. I returned to my sewing room, not just for a quick visit to collect yarn or swap knitting needles, I actually stayed in there for almost the whole day.

And I sewed. I'd gone to bed the night before with my mews whispering away about a new kit I have ordered from Craftsy.  I decided that I needed to get something finished.

So out came the box of blocks for the batik chain quilt I've had going for a few years.

It gets it's first mention here on my blog, way back in August 2013.

I made all the blocks, before having to pack it away for the long trip to NZ. I remember messing about with it shortly after it arrived here in 2014 then putting it away again.

It gets it's next mention back in September last year. It has hung where you see it in that post ever since!

Yesterday it would seem was THE day. I finally have a finished top.

I can't say when it will get quilted though. LOL

It really didn't take too long to get that done, so I moved onto the next one.

I've had a 30s charm pack and jelly roll stashed away with a pattern for quite some time.

They have both had a mention previously too!

 I bought jelly roll in an effort to use up the charm pack, yesterday was the turn of the jelly roll and it got the chop. The charm pack is still whole and unused! LOL

 I cut and sewed. and played the block swap game.

 Then sewed some more. I go it finished just in time to go out to Debbies to watch rugby.

Needless to say I was very happy with myself.

Though this morning I can see a mistake which I will have to fix today.

Can you see it?

While we are on the subject of finishes, I finished another wee sweater for my expected Grandson.

In my basket now is another crochet project, just using up some leftovers and scraps of yarn I found in op shops.

In my sewing room I had a quick look through my project boxes before I went out last night, I didn't make any decisions though. Time for another look methinks. I still have to do something with that charm pack!

*

In garden news, a quick visit to the green house yesterday yielded loads of fruit and a look in the courgette patch on the way back to the house tells me I need to get my preserving pan out again some time very soon.

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Thank you to everyone who has commented recently. It's nice to know I still have readers after so much time away from blogging.

I apologise for not replying to your comments, I've had a few issues with my outlook and Mr IT didn't get a chance to look into it for me.