A Productive Couple of Days.

Back to work tomorrow, but my two days off have been busy! Yesterday I posted a list of projects I wanted to make some progress on this month, so let’s have a look and see how I’m doing so far…

(((But First A little Blogger grumble…

Before we get into the projects, I have a small Blogger-related rant. Because apparently my perfectly good photographs are not good enough for Blogger.

It has decided to squish, blur and generally make a mess of some of my images. 🙄 So, if a photograph looks a bit odd, it’s not the original image — Blogger has had a little fiddle with it.

The images are clickable, so if you want to see what I actually photographed, give them a click and you should get the proper version.

Honestly, Blogger. They were perfectly good pictures before you got involved…)))

Normal blogging content shall now resume..

1) Lest We Forget

No more of that big stitch hand quilting for now, but I did take it through to The Fun Machine, where I made a start on working some details into those big appliqué flowers.

It was all fun and games until the bobbin ran out. Never mind, it was almost time to stop anyway!

2) Down in the Garden

That almost-finished block is now complete. 

And I’ve made a start on the final block. This one has no pretty fabrics at all — it is entirely stitchery.

I’ve only made a start, but this one might keep me busy for a while longer! 

It feels good to finally be working on this last piece. I can almost see the finish line now.

3) The Memory Quilt

I started with a huge pile of fabric pieces that I had cut from clothing last week.

And over the two days I’ve made great progress. I’ve been cutting medium-weight interfacing, fusing it into place and then cutting the blocks.

I still have a few more fabrics to work with, and I also have some large offcuts tucked away in case I decide I need a few more pieces.

4) Christmas ornaments

Yep, I even made a start on those too!

No pictures though. They are always secret, remember? 😉

5) Load a quilt onto the frame

Well… I only had two days off! I had chores and grocery shopping to fit in as well as all the fun stuff. 😂

So, loading a quilt onto the frame didn’t happen this time.

Back to work for three days tomorrow, followed by a busy weekend off. Hopefully, though, I’ll manage to pick up some hand stitching in a quiet moment.

All in all, I’m pretty happy with my progress. Not everything on the list got done, but quite a few things moved forward — and that’s what counts. 

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It's Never Too Late....

I haven't set any goals since I completed two quilts to take with me to the Isle of Man. So, I think it's time to get back into the game.

The first week of August is already over, but hey... a girl can be late. 😂

During this month, I would love to make some progress on the following projects.

1. Lest We Forget — The Poppy Quilt

This one is getting there. It needs a little more hand quilting, some more machine work, and then binding. I would really like to see this one moving closer to the finish line.

2. Down In The Garden

There are less than two blocks left to hand stitch, and then I can put the whole thing together. I'm looking forward to getting to that stage, because assembling a quilt always makes it feel like a real quilt rather than a collection of bits living in a project box.

I have been struggling to picture it quilted but now I'm thinking I might like to try some hand quilting on this one too. 

Oh dear.

It really has got me.

I've been bitten by the hand quilting bug!

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3. The Memory Quilt

A colleague gave me a pile of her mother-in-law's clothing, and I need to turn those clothes into a memory quilt. This one is obviously going to be a longer-term project, but I'd like to at least make a start on it.

And, interestingly, this is the only one of my August projects that mainly requires The Fun Machine. The other three projects involve mostly hand stitching or hand quilting, so perhaps this will be my excuse to get the machine out and give it some attention. It does seem rather unfair to leave the poor thing sitting there looking pretty and unused. 😂

4. Christmas Ornaments

I need four more Christmas ornaments this year. I already made three and took them with me to the Isle of Man, so four more need to be made.

5. Get a quilt onto the frame

I have a whole pile of finished quilt tops waiting patiently, so for this one, any top will do. I would simply like to get one loaded onto the frame and quilted.

There is something slightly ridiculous about having a pile of finished tops waiting to be quilted while another lovely machine sits underneath a pretty dust cover doing absolutely nothing. I think it's time to put it to work!

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And note that I didn't say I wanted to complete anything.

Progress would be good.

I'm trying not to fall into the trap of deciding that every project needs to be finished before I can enjoy the next one. Sometimes a little bit of stitching, cutting, quilting or planning is enough to move things forward.

So that's the plan for August.

Make progress.

No promises about finishing anything. 😉 

One Big Stitch Led to Another....

 A few days ago I showed you my very first attempts at big stitch quilting. My success with Tommy gave me the confidence to think, "Perhaps this is how I should finish the rest of the quilt."

After a rummage through my stash, I found some Pearl Cotton #8 threads in just the right colours. That felt like a good sign!

To continue the remembrance theme, I made a simple cardboard template based on the familiar paper poppies we wear on ANZAC Day and Armistice Day. Using the template, I marked poppy shapes around the quilt before stitching around each one in big stitch quilting.

Happy with how they looked, I turned my attention to the appliquéd poppies. Echo quilting around the flowers is subtle and I think it worked well.

Then I reached the leaves...

The leaves were cut with lovely wavy edges, which look beautifully realistic, but they aren't nearly as much fun to quilt around. Trying to keep my stitches neat while following all those little curves is proving to be quite a challenge. They had me wondering if I need to rethink my plan for quilting them. My stitches aren't as even as I'd like them to be, but I keep reminding myself that this is my first ever attempt at big stitch quilting. 

Perhaps this quilt isn't quite ready to wave the white flag just yet! Even so, every new section teaches me something, and I'm still convinced that big stitch quilting is the right direction for Lest We Forget. I may just need to be a little flexible as I work out the best way to tackle those troublesome leaves.

One stitch at a time...

Meet Tommy.

 So today was the day.

I wasn't supposed to be working on Lest We Forget today, but it happened anyway. And I'm so very happy that it did.

I spent some time this morning cruising the web, looking for ideas to fill some of the black and white spaces. I wanted something that would add interest without taking away from the poppies.

Then I came across Tommy.

You know the classic black silhouette of a soldier, standing in the "Rest on your arms reverse" pose? That was the one.

I had quite a large space to work with in the black section, so a printed template wasn't really going to work. There was nothing for it — I would have to draw him by hand.

I'm rather pleased with my efforts.

Next, I set about quilting him using my walking foot and black thread. I couldn't really see him from the front of the quilt. He looked great from the back though. I wanted something subtle... but perhaps that was just a little too subtle.

I decided I would think about it while I worked on filling the other spaces.

Poppies of course.

The first one was great.

Then they went downhill faster than a runaway train. 😂

Some unquilting took place, followed by a rethink.

And then I went off on a slight tangent. My brain came up with the idea of big stitch quilting... and that's when Tommy showed his true colours and my first ever efforts at big stitch hand quilting.

I loved what I was doing.

I see a lot more big stitch quilting in my future.

I really didn't need another handwork project, but it seems I have one anyway. Tommy may be keeping me company and keeping me busy for some time yet.

And you know what? I'm perfectly happy about that.

As I have been working on this quilt, I have found myself calling the soldier in the black panel Tommy.

Not because I have randomly given him a name, or because I have become attached to a name for the sake of it. I call him Tommy because that is what he is.

In British military history, "Tommy" (from "Tommy Atkins") became a familiar name for a British soldier. Add in the tin helmet, the rifle, and that unmistakable First World War silhouette, and the name just comes naturally. When I look at him, my brain simply says, "That's Tommy."

But I think the quilt itself should still be called Lest We Forget.

Why?

Because Tommy is the figure within the quilt. He is one of the characters in the story. The poppies, the soldier, the quilting, and all the details come together to tell that story.

Lest We Forget is the message the whole quilt conveys.

There will still be poppies dotted about in those blank spaces. Hopefully, they will be created with big stitch quilting too. I still like the idea of some echo quilting around the flowers and leaves, but now I think that may become another opportunity for some hand stitching.

I really didn't need another handwork project. Honestly, I have quite enough already! 😂 But it seems that Lest We Forget had other ideas.

Tommy may be keeping me company, and keeping me busy, for some time yet.

As for the barbed wire in the borders...

I make no comments and absolutely no promises. 😂

A New Chapter for an Old WIP.

Back in June 2021, I started a new project, Papaver Pazazz. (Link here back to the original blog post.)

Those bias edges gave me a few problems, even though I was working on freezer paper. 

At the time I added some stems, then all work stopped. I'm really not sure why.

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It rested quietly in its project box until 2024, when out it came again and the flowers were appliquéd on.

 And once again it stalled when I realised that the designer had quilted the black and white background before adding the flowers, so I really wasn't sure how to overcome my hurried mistake. Back into the box it went.

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Papaver Pazazz — or simply the poppies, as I have been calling it — saw daylight again when I came up with a plan last year (2025). It was loaded onto the quilting frame and I began to quilt. I don't seem to have saved any photos. 

Not surprising really as I wasn't happy with my efforts, and once again progress came to a halt. It sat on the frame for months, causing all manner of blockages... quilting, mental and creative. Eventually I admitted defeat and took it off the frame early this year. So that Anchor Me (Jiffy's Quilt) could take its place and be finished in time to travel with us to the Isle of Man for the wedding.

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Since getting home, I've spent a couple of afternoons with Jack, carefully unpicking those first quilting attempts. During one sleepless night, a much simpler idea came to mind. 

It wasn't what I had intended to work on today, but it kept calling to me, so I made another start.

I did load it back onto the frame, but only so I could keep everything nice and straight while I used about a billion pins to hold all the layers together. Then it was back to the domestic machine...

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Domestic?

No, no, no.

It's not domestic. I have far too much fun with my sewing machine for it to be domestic.

The fun machine.

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I popped on the walking foot onto my fun machine and set about working into those bias seams. Not quilting in the ditch but stitching a serpentine pattern over the ditch instead.

It reminds me a little of coils of wire laid over trenches, and I quite like the effect. I've already started planning where to go next.

I want to quilt into the flowers and leaves, using the stitching to add extra detail. 

I'm thinking perhaps echo quilting around the flowers and leaves, maybe more serpentine stitching using red thread for the flowers and green for the leaves and stems.

Then there are all those blank spaces in the background. I want to try something creative—not too heavy or loud, because the poppies are the stars of the quilt—but enough to secure the layers and add some interest. I think I have a plan for those too.

And finally... perhaps some barbed wire quilted into the red border.

This quilt will no longer be called Papaver Pazazz or even the poppies.

From now on, it will be called Lest We Forget.

I didn't forget about it and after fretting and worrying over it for the longest time, I'm finally falling in love with it again. 

Ooops, I Acquired Again.

 Do you remember recently I was so very lucky to score a box of fabrics and some ready-made blocks? (Link to previous post) Well... the same lady has been in touch again! As she has sorted through more of her mother's sewing and crafting stash, she reached out and offered me some more. Her grandchildren are doing very well from the sale of Great-Grandma's stash and other treasures. LOL.

I've made two more trips to the house around the corner and come away loaded. No more plastic totes this time, but four huge paper grocery sacks, and they were bursting with goodies. As with the tote, some things I'll be keeping, and some will be passed on to others.

Let's have a look...

Sack #1

The first sack was absolutely bursting with fabrics. Inside were two collections of blocks, along with coordinating fabrics and a big pile of fabric strips. There was also a good selection of offcuts and all those little bits and pieces that we love to use for scrap quilts or I spy. 

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Sack #2

Another lovely collection of bits and pieces and a small selection of strips. There were some quite generous pieces in here too, including several larger pieces that might make good quilt backs if I join them, along with a lovely collection of odds and ends, I Spy fabrics, and scrappy pieces. 

There was not one, but two bundles of ready-made blocks, complete with coordinating fabrics.

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Sack #3

Sack #3 was filled with some panels, more larger pieces of fabric, and yet more strips. There was also a paper bag tucked into the top, which was full of threads and assorted needle types.

I don't usually keep needles or pins from previously loved stash, as you never know where they have been or how old they might be. I've come across some pretty rusty pins hiding in purchased bundles over the years!

That said, these ones look to have been well cared for. None of the bundles I have purchased from Sue have that old, musty smell, which tells me this stash was well loved, well stored, and still a working stash until quite recently.

So, I'll hang on to these pieces and give them a gentle try when their turn comes.

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Sack #4

Sack #4 was filled with yet more treasure. A collection of blender fabrics, all in my colours! They are beautiful and very reminiscent of a quilt kit that has been sitting in my stash for many years, quietly whispering to me.

These pieces are end of bolt and range in size from over a metre in size, down to a few small offcuts. 

There was also this lovely collection of pansy fabrics. Who doesn't love a pansy?

Again, the pieces range from over a metre down to fat eighths. Such a lovely variety of sizes, and so many possibilities.

And three more larger pieces that would make good backs.

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And then... there was this mystery, tucked into sack #4

I don't know what this is. 

It looks knitted, but it doesn't seem to ladder or come unravelled.

 It's huge — look, it fits our queen bed! It is lightweight and has a lovely drape

I'm tempted to find some way to bind it and call it done. Whatever it is, it's beautiful.

Here is a corner, showing the top and side edges, from the back of the fabric. 

What do you think it might be? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

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That wasn't quite everything. There were also some very large pieces of polyester, a big piece of linen, and several other rather large pieces of fabric that I'm not even sure what they are. We are talking metres of fabric per piece!

I have refilled one of those big sacks with fabrics that I know I won't use, so they will be passed on to someone who will love and use them.

And now I think it might be time for me to stay away from Facebook Marketplace for a while. LOL.

I have plenty of my own works in progress waiting patiently for attention without adding Great-Grandma's projects and half of her cotton fabric collection to the mix!

Wish me luck finding somewhere to put all this new fabric. 

And a long sewing life. 

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I spy, with my sewing eye.....

 Yesterday was a good sewing day. I spent part of the morning putting all of the I Spy blocks together. Before I started, I decided I was going to play along too. I don't know why I picked the letter S, but that's what I settled on before I set off sewing.

As I stitched, I kept spotting things beginning with S. I sewed and sewed... and found more and more of them. Wow! I had no idea there were so many!

(ugh! Blogger is distorting my images today. If you click on them you will get a clearer image). 

Here's what I managed to find:

🔹 Sports car
🔹 Scotty dog
🔹 Stegosaurus
🔹 Spiderman
🔹 School bus
🔹 Skeleton
🔹 Sophie
🔹 Semi truck
🔹 Sorcerer
🔹 Stripes
🔹 Smurf
🔹 Shark (Though Jennifer thinks it should be under M for Man eater)!
🔹 Sailboats
🔹 Starfish
🔹 Seahorse
🔹 Sea sponges
🔹 Snow White
🔹 Sailor bears
🔹 Spaceships
🔹 Sleeping dog
🔹 Street map
🔹 Sporty bears
🔹 "Straya"... according to Tony! 😂

Did I miss any? 

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With the I Spy top complete, I turned my attention to the scrappy hexagon top I'd been working on before we went away. I trimmed the edges straight...

...it's a donor quilt, so I'm quite happy to do that. I then had a rummage through my stash looking for a piece of fleece to use as the backing. I have a couple of pieces here, but none of them seemed quite right, so I'll see what I can find while I'm out and about today.

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After a quick lunch I pulled out my stitchery and settled into my armchair. I managed to finish the stitching on the half-completed block.

And here it is!

Tony arrived home just before I was finished, so I decided that was a good place to stop for the day.

Later today, once the chores are out of the way, I plan to make a start on the next block.

It's all ready to go, I just need to load it into my hoop.

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Before I get to sit 'n' stitch, I have a few chores to tackle. The washing machine is on, and as it's not a good drying day, so Gran's airer will be getting a workout.

I also need to go grocery shopping... and fleece shopping. 

If I'm going to quilt these two tops, I'll need to tidy up the quilting frame first. It hasn't been used for a while, so I'm sure it will have collected a good coating of dust.

No doubt one or two other jobs will make themselves known before the day is out, but I'm sure there will be time to stitch. Then it's back to work tomorrow.

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While I was sewing my I Spy blocks together yesterday, I noticed a bit of commotion outside my window. When I looked up, I spied a visitor scrambling all over Old Man Tree.

There were dozens of sparrows making a terrible racket, shouting at him and keeping just out of reach. LOL.

Poor puss didn't manage to catch himself a snack. I'm not sure where he lives, as I don't see him very often. He was definitely an unexpected addition to my I Spy game for the day. I wonder if "sneaky cat" counts as an S?

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Slowly Moving Forward.

 In my last post I left you hanging. There was no photo of my crochet work in progress and the possibility of spending a little more time with my sewing machine.

Ha! Well, the ugly crochet blanket is now finished... and there is still no photo. Sorry... not sorry!

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So, with one piece of handwork completed, what next? Something that has been whispering to me recently is my Down in the Garden stitcheries. I have seven and a half of the nine blocks completed, so I really just need one final push. Out they came this afternoon, and a little progress was made.

Did I spend Sunday afternoon and evening at the sewing machine? Nope! The Eye Spy quilt is still a collection of individual blocks spread across the design floor. I did, with Janice's help, finally decide on a border though.

Thanks Janice. It's nice to have a friend who helps. 

There is no red fabric left for borders, I had to piece together the last few strips just to have enough for the blocks. So, the plan now is to add a polka dot border and use the same fabric for the binding... whenever I eventually get it all sewn together!

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Of course, there has also been time for baking. My feijoa trees are still dropping fruit, so I've made several batches of feijoa slice since returning home from the Isle of Man.

Feijoa Slice

Base and Topping

220g butter, softened.

1 cup granulated sweetener (or your preferred equivalent)

1½ cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup desiccated coconut.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Filling 

1 cup slice feijoa pulp.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

1 tablespoon brown sugar or substitute. (Optional).

For the topping

Reserve one-third of the base mixture and stir in an extra 1/2 cup of coconut. 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Line a slice tin (approximately 20 x 20cm) with baking paper.

Mix together the melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla.

Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt and coconut until well combined.

Press two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the prepared tin.

Mix the extra coconut into the remaining 1/3 and set aside in the fridge.

Bake the base for 15 minutes until the edges are starting to turn golden. 

It won't be set yet, that's ok.

While the base is cooking prepare your fruit. 

Stir in the cinnamon and sugar if using.

Spread the feijoa mixture evenly over the still warm base. 

It will sink in a little. That's ok. 

Crumble the reserved dough over the top, large or fine, your choice.

Reduce the oven temp to 160 C. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

It seems to me that this recipe could easily be adapted for other fruits too. I'm keen to try it with Black Boy peaches, as I have some in the freezer in just the right-sized portions, and perhaps raspberries as well.

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As you know, Tony and I started a jigsaw puzzle soon after Christmas, but no progress has been made on that one. It's a warplane, and I really feel like it's Tony's puzzle rather than mine. I'm happy to help, but I don't want to take over.

I also set Miss Charmaine up with a 300-piece puzzle back in March, I think. She has struggled with it though, so recently asked if I would finish it for her. I had fun picking away at it over the last couple of days, and today, while waiting for the oven, I popped the last dozen pieces into place.

It really wasn't that difficult. Maybe this image just isn't her thing. Time to look around for something she might prefer.

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I've still got two more days off work, which feels like a luxury. Whether I spend them sewing, stitching, baking or simply catching up on jobs remains to be seen. Whatever happens, I'll keep myself busy... and hopefully have something a little more exciting to show you next time!

Meet Henry...

 In my last post I showed you the beginnings of an Eye Spy quilt. Since then, I've made lots of progress and all of the blocks are now finished. 

Now I just need to find the time to sew them all together. Perhaps that will happen after Sunday lunch with Torstein and Charmaine.

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Yesterday was patchwork and craft club day, and we'd invited a tutor to teach us the basics of needle felting. Lyn was an excellent teacher – patient, encouraging, and happy to guide us through each stage of our chosen designs.

Most of us chose to make hares, while two ladies opted for flowers. 

I was amazed that, in less than five hours, we each went home with a completed felted picture.

I had a wonderful day and would happily do another class if the opportunity came up. However, I have absolutely no intention of dashing out to buy felting needles and wool rovings. My craft room is already bursting with enough supplies to keep me going for more days than I have left. 

And here he is... my finished hare.

Meet Henry.

He still waiting patiently for his whiskers and a few hand-stitched finishing touches, but I was delighted with how he turned out.

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Acquisitions. A Box Full of Possibilities.

 Since returning from our holiday I haven't really done much in the way of crafting. Between battling with jet lag (which I am now over, thank goodness!) and, of course, work, work and more work, there really hasn't been a great deal of time. Most evenings have been spent simply relaxing.

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I did manage to pull out an ugly, scrappy crochet project and make a little progress. I call it ugly because I really don't like the collection of yarns or what I've managed to produce with them so far. The yarns are a heavier weight than the DK yarns I usually work with, so they don't mix well with my stash. There isn't a huge amount of each colour either, probably just enough altogether to make a lap-sized throw. The colours simply aren't friends with one another—they don't seem to play nicely together at all! Still, I shall persevere. It keeps me warm while I crochet on these cold winter evenings, and who knows, perhaps it will grow on me. Maybe I'll show you a photo when it's finished! 

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One day over the weekend, when I got home from work, Tony was settled playing his game. It was rather loud, so I escaped to the peace and quiet of my sewing room. 

I pulled out some pre-cut I Spy fabrics, rummaged through my stash for suitable sashing, and finally made a small start.

 Not a huge amount was achieved, but it's a start. 

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While I haven't done a great deal of sewing, I have managed to add to my collection. You all know I enjoy browsing the local Facebook selling pages, and recently I found an English Paper Piecing project that was looking for a new home. 

The previous owner had made a start on these two-sided hexagons, created from diamonds. 

Now I have a decision to make. Her sewing isn't the neatest, but many of the hexagons are already complete, front and back. Do I unpick and start again, or simply continue what she began? I even wondered whether I could disguise some of the untidy seams with decorative embroidery, a little like a crazy quilt. We'll see. It's one to think about.

The bundle also included a small collection of pre-cut elongated hexagons, much longer than the Lucy Boston style long hexagons, along with some squares. 

They might be fun to play with and perhaps even add to one day. You never know where a little bundle like that might lead and happily, she thoughtfully included her templates.

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Then yesterday, on my way home from work, I stopped at a house just around the corner. I thought I was collecting a bundle of pinwheel blocks. It turned out to be so much more! 

There are enough pinwheel blocks for a lovely throw-sized quilt, along with a generous pile of half-square triangles waiting to be assembled. 

I also came home with a stack of pre-cut charm squares, again enough for a good-sized throw.

 A quilt top already pieced from charms and offcuts.

 It's a little untidy in places, but I think I can work with it. Perhaps some large appliqué would hide a few of the little oopsies. Or maybe I'll just quilt and donate? (At the moment it feels a little like my current crochet project. Maybe if I hang it somewhere and just "wait and see". Then maybe, inspiration will strike). 

The box also contained a collection of cotton offcuts. 

A small table runner that simply needs binding to call it finished

Maybe it was going to be an art piece?

 Ribbons.

 Some velvet-style fabrics 

(I'm not sure whether they'll stay or be passed on).

A huge collection of satin-style fabrics. 

Most are at least fat-quarter sized, with a few much larger pieces. I'm not entirely sure what they are or how I'll use them, but they seem to be talking to me, so they'll be staying for now. (I might take one or two of these to club next weekend and see what the other ladies think).

As we chatted, the lady I was purchasing from told me the fabrics and projects had belonged to her mother. She wasn't really a patchworker, but she loved to craft, making teddy bears and all sorts of other things. She isn't a sewer herself, but she wanted to make sure her mother's treasured stash found its way into the hands of people who would appreciate it and actually use it, rather than simply dropping it all off at an op shop.

What touched me most was hearing that every dollar raised from selling her mother's craft supplies will be put aside for the great-grandchildren. I thought that was such a lovely idea. Her mother's creativity is still bringing joy to others, while at the same time leaving a little gift for the next generation. I don't think she could have wished for a nicer legacy. 

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It's always exciting bringing home new-to-me fabrics and unfinished projects. They spark ideas, inspire new plans, and sometimes present a challenge that is just too tempting to ignore. Of course, collecting them is the easy part. The real challenge now is to stop admiring them and actually get on with making something!

Today is my only day off this week, so there are plenty of household jobs waiting for me as well as a sewing room that is calling my name. Hopefully, before too long, I'll have a little more progress to share on the I Spy quilt, and perhaps one or two of these rescued treasures will begin their next chapter.

Until next time, happy stitching.

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