D Day, Two for One.

 Today was D day. Or dinosaur day!

Yesterday I went to the Pin Tin in Geraldine and purchased some end of bolts in the same fabric collection as the bundle I had scored at the charity sale.

I started out by laying the larger pieces on the floor to give myself an idea of how things would look, then just got stuck in cutting and sewing. Nothing complex I told myself, let the dinos do the work.

A quick consult with Janice and a decision was made, but first food!

While eating lunch I had a rethink and when I returned I went digging through the stash.

That works.

In a very short time I had a completed top.

And a problem.

The top is now too big for the fleece throw I had purchased to back it.

Hmm, nothing for it, I'll have to use up all the extra fabrics to create a pieced back.

LOL  So much for keeping it easy. As they are mostly fabric samples they were all different sizes. And the end of bolt left overs of course.

There was a piece that worked perfectly as the center piece/panel for the back. I started cutting and sewing and piecing and cutting and sewing some more.

I had made great progress by the time Tony got home from work.

We went out to do some garden work together, but only for an hour or so, then I was back to it. 

More progress was made, then Tony wanted feeding. 

When I got back from tea I noticed that the skinny sliver of T-Rex was upside down.

Hmmmm.

He can stay that way!

I quickly put the last two side borders on and Tada! 

The back is complete. 

And here it is. I used up even the skinniest pieces of off cuts, hence the skinny T-Rex.

The holder upper was grumpy because I had disturbed his game.

Here is a better look.

I have to say I am very happy with todays offerings. I hope Torstein is as happy as I am when he opens this one on Christmas day.

Oh and it's been inspected!

She was asleep on our bed, but appeared very soon after I spread things out on the floor of course!

So, now I just have to find the right pantograph for it.

Wish me luck.

Scrubs, scrubs and more scrubs.

I've been making scrubs for work again.  

I purchased this piece of blue fabric back in April, then started making the top early in September, I've worn it to work a few times now but only just got a photo of the finished top.

Some people say they see the old spirograph patterns, others see kaleidoscopes and one person commented that it looks like fireworks. 

I just love it.

Next up is a piece of fabric I found in an op shop a while ago, I sort of knew right away I wanted to make it in to scrubs.

I love how it has turned out.

And finally, we (the staff members) have decorated the unit at work for Halloween, so some of us decided we should have Halloween scrubs too. LOL

Tada!

Though I could wear black cats all year round.

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Aside from some cross stitch that is pretty much all I have found time for over the last few days. I'll get a pic of my cross stitch soon.

Today I took myself back to Geraldine and aside from black cat fabric I also purchased some more dinosaur fabric. Hopefully tomorrow I can make a start on a Dino quilt. 

Wish me luck. 

Two finishes.

 Last time I wrote, I mentioned that I had an advent calendar folded, pinned and ready to sew. 

I finally got to it yesterday, just before Chooky called a zoom meeting for the Chookshed Stitchers. So I was sitting closing the binding when the email inviting us all to join arrived in my inbox. As you can see it is a simple Scandi style calendar.

I didn't get real fancy with the quilting, this one is a donation piece. I layered it with an off cut of batting and a piece of mystery red fabric. It came in one of those bundles I purchased. It's not felt, but not fleece and it's not... I really don't know what it is except perfect for the back of this advent. LOL

I had an off cut of red that was just right for the binding.

Here you can see the wavy line quilting I used between the pockets and over the arch shape of the picture. Then around the outside of the whole thing. Like I said, I kept it simple.

The back has a pair of D rings in the top corners to hang it.

Tada!

Job finally done.

*

Another job that is finally done is my Cross stitch project.

St Nick was completed today, just before Torstein and Charmaine brought Mummy and Daddy to Nanny's house for tea.

I had a look back at my records and I started him in October of 2020. (It was a blast looking back at pictures of the grand children back then too. Torstein was a tiny baby.

The next time St Nick gets a mention was in December last year.

He made quite a bit of progress then stalled again. I've picked away at him through this year, doing a little here and there.

Finally he is finished. It took a while to add all the little details created using back stitch, French knots and couched threads. (Hopefully you can click on the image and see things a little closer). 

It was worth all of the effort. I am delighted with how he looks.

I'm not sure if I will frame him or make a soft wall hanging with him.

I sort of plan that one day he will go to live with either Jonny or Kay back in Britain, so glass is probably not a good idea. I could frame him without the glass of course.

For now he can rest somewhere, while I think about how to finish him for display. 

For those who like to know he is a Dimensions chart, designed by Peggy Abrams. One of a pair,

I have his brother to stitch, but I think I'll get on with a smaller project before starting another incredibly detailed St Nick.

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As I mentioned, the grand children were here for their regular visit. Charmaine helped me to make dessert while Torstein and Grandad played with fire engines.

They both ate a big tea and then played some more.

Time I think to put my feet up and recover with a cup of tea.

*

Back to work tomorrow.

Quilted and bound.

While zooming with Chooky and the ladies at the weekend I worked some more on my EPP on Sunday morning.

I took a break at lunchtime to do a few jobs and get something to eat, when I joined the group again I was loading the challenge quilt on to the frame, so mostly just listened to the talk for a while. The zoom session ended while I was still loading the quilt. Next I got busy with the quilting. It really did not take long to complete. I was using a very simple edge to edge called Peaks by Kerryn Emmerson which I have used before. In no time it seemed I was taking it off the frame again and out came the phone for pictures.

You can't really see the quilting on the back, but I'm showing it anyway as it is such a lovely fabric.

I used the trimmings from the back to make the binding and sewed it on before taking another break to prepare and eat tea. Then spent the evening closing the binding by hand and adding my Loulee label.

Then it was bedtime.

Yesterday morning I was outside bright and early for a photo shoot.  The sun wasn't even properly up yet and the trunk of old man tree was still in the shadow of the house.

So I went around back to see if the cherry trees had better light and got this beautiful picture on the small cherry tree.

You can see the butterfly net over my brocolli plants too. LOL

Sadly neither on my trees produces edible cherries. They are small and bitter, even the birds don't seem to bother with them. They do have the most beautiful flowers though. My neighbour sends me a picture every year as she gets a better view of them than we do. LOL

Back to the quilt.

It's not a show stopping award winner but will swell the numbers to be judged. Last year there were only 4 items entered.

*

So what is next?

I still have some work to do on St Nick, I have an advent calendar panel that has been folded layered and pinned for weeks and thew dinosaurs are still calling to me. 

Right now I'm off to find some lunch then take myself out the door for my life saver training.

I hope your day has more sewing and less resus Annie. 

Presidents Challenge.

For this years Presidents challenge at the local P&Q club we had to draw a letter from the hat and then make a quilt featuring three elements beginning with that letter. 

I selected the letter L

Very appropriate wouldn't you say?

I dithered and dallied about what I wanted to do, then was very lucky in August while op shopping with Debbie when I scored this bundle of fabrics.

Lots of lovely left over fabrics in lavenders and lilacs!

There are even ladies. 

Those squares were precut at 4.75 inches.

They have been spread out on my sewing room floor ever since, while I thought about how to use them. I have shuffled them here and shuffled them there but nothing really leaped out at me. Then on Thursday I had a talk to myself and said I had to stop over thinking and just get on and make something. Then because I agreed with myself  I made a start. Right away I shuffled the squares into nine patches and started sewing.

I had to cut a couple of extra plain pieces and had just enough of that dusty lilac to make the sashing pieces.

I really do mean just enough, half of them have joins!

Next a quick border cut from another plain and Tadaaa!

It's a finished top.

In hind sight I should have had one more shuffle to break up the darker pieces.

Too late now I told myself, move on. So I did.

Today Tony and I went to The Pin Tin in Geraldine. They are having a month long sale. I had a look on the sale tables, there were four of them! Lots of lovely purples, but sadly none that were just right. However in the extra wide bay I did find one. Not in the sale but ..... sigh.... it's perfect.

And look, it has writing, or letters. Another L

And also matching thread.

Then hugging a huge bolt of extra wide I perused the rest of the store spending more time looking at the sale items and finding some bargains.

Remember the dinosaur bundle I got at the Altrusa sale? That yellowish piece on the right below is from the same collection, I got just over a meter as an end of bolt. There were some of the other fabrics too, I may make a return visit. 

The busy bees were also an end of bolt, just under a meter. and the precut kiwi fabrics were a must, I've been after one of those for a while. I have a plan for that one. 

With the credit card well and truly bashed it was time to head back to Timaru and visit the big store with garden stuff before coming home.

We ate a quick lunch then it was time for some garden work.

More about that on another day.

When we came indoors I found a summons from Chooky and joined her and some other ladies for a zoom session. Out came the EPP. Perfect, exactly what I needed after a busy day.

Thank you Chooky. 

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In other news, St Nick has made a lot of progress since I got my new Cross stitch stand. It holds my roller frame beautifully. No new scratches on the new suite and no aching back at the end of the stitching sessions.

I have completed all of the cross stitching and about half of the back stitch and special stitches that add all of the important little details. 

I don't think I have ever added so many French knots to a project and I have certainly never made so many in one day!

If there are not too many distractions I should have him completed this week.

*

Well that is my news.

Chooky is planning another zoom session tomorrow, that will be nice.

Of course I had planned to load the L quilt on to the frame, but maybe it could wait for Monday.

St Nick is calling and so are the Dinosaurs and there is a panel in my room that my muse has an idea for that I really need to investigate and possibly make a few notes about before I forget what she has in mind.......

I've been a bit 'off' for a while, but I think I'm back.

Maybe.

LOL

Oh and I have a ton of blog reading to catch up on. 

Cross stitch update.

It's been a while since I posted about my cross stitch. This cute dinosaur was started back in July and should have been completed in just a few days but, well you know how it is.

I finally finished him at the weekend and will leave him in this hoop, adding a felt backing.

Tada!

Job done.

Of course a finish means a new start. So I pulled this kit out of the box.

Just look at that eye, I'm sure he is plotting mischief.

And I made a start before work on Sunday. And that is as far as that one got.

Monday morning bright and early the postie made a delivery.

I've had a lowery stand for almost twenty years and have loved using it but recently I've been struggling and since we got a new leather suite a couple of years ago, really struggling! I've scratched the arm of my chair with my roller frame more than once. Luckily I was able to polish the scratches out but decided it was time to look for a new system for my larger cross stitch projects. Someone suggested I look at Gus's custom creations, his deluxe is very versatile I was told.

So I looked.

https://www.facebook.com/GusCustomCreations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B6vm03HOzU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq4C-IEtcuk

(He is only on facebook, I can't find any other website with Gus's Custom Creations, except his tutorials and some reviews on youtube). 

They look amazing, I want one. So I enquired.

Gulp!

That's expensive!

But with Tony's encouragement and plenty of extra shifts at work I had the money saved up long before my name reached the top of the waiting list. 

On Monday it was delivered.

I had to grab the camera when the box inspector arrived.

Yes, she squeezed her nosey nose right inside!

With the help of the video on youtube I had the new stand built in no time and sat nearly all day sewing! LOL
It's quite difficult to get a good photo of the stand but I did my best.

Poor old St Nick is still a work in progress

So he was pulled out of his hidey hole for a show and tell.

Below you can see where I left him goodness knows when earlier this year.

And after a day and a half of attention.

He finally has two legs and the rest of his walking stick. 

I'd like to think that now I have a floor stand that works with our furniture I can complete his stitching by Christmas, even if he isn't a fully finished object. 

Do I like my new stitching stand?

Oh yes, I love it.

It is incredibly versatile, made from beautiful solid timber.

His wife is a cross stitcher, so you just know he has paid attention to all of her huffs and sighs and listened to each and every one of her niggles, complaints and suggestions as he has developed this beautiful stand. 

Is it worth the $500NZ that I paid, only time will tell but I'm sure I'll get my moneys worth now that I am not afraid of damaging the furniture.