Weekend fun

I don't know about you, but I had a great weekend, even though I had to work.

Friday was an extra day off, we were all awarded a wellness day, as a thank you for all the hard work and effort that we have put in, even me who was off work for eight weeks. So I took it on Friday.

I played all day, with my floral scraps, making up blocks and even adding the first sashing strips.

This is how I left them when I went off to prepare dinner. Debbie and her hubby joined us. We had Prawn toasts and spring rolls, followed by chicken and corn soup and Tony's amazing crispy shredded sweet chilli beef.

Debbie brought a HUGE banana cake.

That was a late night, and I thought I might be late for zoom on Saturday.

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I wasn't late for zoom, I was awake in plenty of time to grab a cuppa and get logged in.

I spent the morning working on my Lucy Blue EPP project.

Of course.

It was good to see everyone and I enjoyed myself, listening and chatting until it was time to head off to work.

I added three large blocks and four smaller spacer blocks.

I'm on to the last row!

Then I'll need to go around and add the edge pieces.

Chooky, thank you once again for a great day. 

A little while ago I wondered about making it a little bigger, but decided in the end, to stick with original size, it's a good size for hanging in my hall way.

Tony wasn't available for my photo shoot today, so I pegged it on to my quilt hanging rail to get a good picture.

And decided while I was at it, I would change the guard.

I like to change the quilt hanging at the end of the hallway. Some stay for only a few weeks, some stay longer.

This one is a regular, I'm very fond of it.

It sometimes gets used as a table cloth too.

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Also today I played in my sewing room pretty much right up to the moment I had to run out of the door for work. LOL

I was determined to get the floral scrapper together and to get the first border on.

And I did it. I had just enough fabric, though there are a few more joins than I would like in some of those longer pieces.

I think I'll add a tiny peeper border (Chooky you've started something.....) before adding another neutral border.

That is a job for tomorrow.

I did think this one might be a donor quilt, but I've fallen in love with it.....

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On the whole, I think I had a fantastic weekend.

I hope yours was just as good.

Zooming With Chooky

So Saturday was one of Chookys zoom sessions, she promised a marathon, and that is what we got.

Well some of us did. I had to go off to work at 3pm (NZ) and returned again at 10.30, when I found a few ladies still chatting. 

Before work I was busy with Lucy and made a little progress. First I set about topping up my supply of one inch blue squares and also prepared a bunch of white honey combs, for the border treatments.

Yes, it's getting that close.

My supervisor spent most of the day curled up asleep on the sofa next to my chair, although she did make time for some personal grooming.

Once I was done with the prep work I got on to the task of adding blocks to the top, after I had added some blue inchies to the blocks I wrestled them on to the top one at a time. I only had time to add two and prep a third before I had to prepare for work.

I have almost completed the penultimate row of crosses. Just one more block required.

As you can see, Belle had to take the opportunity to inspect progress while Tony held it up this morning.

I really do need to work out how I want the edge of the quilt to look and get papers prepped for the final rounds.

Poor pictures I'm afraid as it is very overcast here today, so we had an indoor photoshoot with artificial lighting.

I'm really pleased with how this one is turning out and must confess that although I am excited to be so close to finishing the planned 5x6 layout I am tempted to add more blocks.....

I know I have plenty of blue fabrics left, I wonder if I can find more of that white?

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Time to go and complete the chores I should have done yesterday. LOL

 

Knit, sew, zoom.

So Chookyblue called a short notice zoom session for Sunday. 

As she does!

It was a quieter than usual session. But still very good. Our hostess Chooky was on a binding mission, keep an eye on her blog for a great show and tell on all of that. 

No pressure Chooky!

(What am I saying? Yes there is. I want to see pictures on your blog, lots of pictures of beautifully bound and finished quilts). 

I dithered, unsure of what to do. First I tidied up all the thread ends in the Frankenmats.

Next I pulled out a much larger needle and tucked away the yarn ends on this knitted washcloth. Which I had knitted over Friday and Saturday.

It is square honest! 

I seem to have pulled one corner out when smoothing it for the photo shoot.

 There is Lucy of course and I did add one block onto the top, but stopped there, my fingers were itching to hold my knitting needles. So I cast on another dishcloth.

But I somehow managed to break one of my beautiful knitting needles!

(Here is a closer look at the lovely colours on the larger needles).

I had to quickly pull out my interchangeable needles and after selecting the smallest set in the box, I was able to continue knitting. 

The knitters in the group, (I was not the only one) gained the spotlight twice during the session as we discussed needle styles and educated the non knitters. LOL

If you would like to know more about my lovely, lovely knitting needles, look here where you will see that they are made in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

Tony did try to repair the broken one, but sadly the repair did not last and it very quickly broke again in the same place. I'll be off out to the shop soon to look for a replacement set.

I had to absent myself from zoom for a few hours in order to go to work. But I re-joined during my meal break and later once I got home when I added a few more rows of knitting to the days tally.

Chooky, thank you once again for a fun day. Lots of laughs, lots of chatter, lots of stories, lots of inspiration and most of all, lots of blogger love.

We all enjoy these sessions that you organise for us. 

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In other news....

The scrappy Fig Tree HST's that I have been fiddling with have made it this far. 

I've pulled out an opened Fig Tree Jelly roll that had a few slices used in another project and I have started to play about with border ideas.

I'll keep you updated on any progress that is made.

And for those who are interested, an update on the jigsaw puzzle.

The majority of the detail has been found and placed. Progress has slowed considerably, but I still spend a little (or a lot of) time with it each day. 

I'm enjoying the process.

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I have two days off work, but they are looking pretty busy, I do hope I find time to sew.

Time to get out of the house and do some town chores.

Flu shot at work at 1.05pm, if the Doctor consents to do it as I still sound weird.

Then hopefully a restful afternoon, maybe with Lucy, maybe with my knitting needles.

But definitely in my armchair. 

 

New Year Zoom.

Sunday 2nd January was another great Zoom session. Thank you Chooky for getting us all organised and hosting another great day. It was great to see so many people popping in to say hello and making progress on projects. As discussed on the day, I'm sure many of us would not have achieved so much without the camaraderie of the group.  

Although it may not look like much, I had great progress. All my preparation work paid off and I was able to get lots of white honeycombs sewn onto my Lucy blocks.

I didn't take individual photos, because you have seen them all before.

Even though I had to go off to work at 5pm when I returned just after 9pm, I did pick up my sewing again after a cuppa and some supper and got more done.

In total I added white pieces to eight and a half blocks.

I did toy with the idea of adding some of the tiny one inch blue squares, but they are still resting in their little baggie, waiting their turn.

I'll need to do some more prep work before our next session. I believe you mentioned something mid to late January Chooky? Count me in.

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One more shift and my run of seven shifts will be over. Tony is hoping to whisk me away for a night or two before I have to head back to work on Friday. So not much sewing will be done for a day or so. That will be nice, though I am itching to get a quilt into the frame and try out my new Pattern perfect templates. Jo I had a look at the Groovy Boards and only a few of them will work with my machine. I'm not sure if they will work with my pattern perfect stylus, I've emailed the store.......I had not heard of them before, so thankyou for your comments about them in Zoom. 

Happy New Year everyone. 

 

Happy New Year Everyone.

Well here we are, in to a whole new year. I wonder what it has in store for us?

I really don't wish to dwell on that, so lets move on.

Chooky is hosting her first Zoom sew along on 2nd January, so if you would like to join in go along to her blog and leave a comment. I've been making preparations. I ran out of blocks to sew last week, so this week I plan to have plenty to keep me busy.

First I had to pull some papers from the back of the blocks I have made.

Then I had to prepare lots of white back ground pieces.

Here they are 60- 70 of them nestled into my project box,

waiting......

If I get a chance today I'll be making up some blue squares too.

Sadly we have some colleagues off work this week. One has hurt her back and another is fairly sure she only has a head cold, but had to get tested and is awaiting results. Another decided to resign! So I have extra shifts, all three of my days off this week I'll be working extra 5-9 shifts. So I'll have to leave Zoom, but will join in as soon as I get home again. 

On Thursday Hubby and I took a quick trip into town, I had no calendar for my sewing room. I was lucky and got hold of the very last Wrendale calendar in the store.

I do like the way she protrays animals.

And as soon as I saw Miss September I thought of you Chooky. LOL

Just look at that lovely tail.

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Well If I'm to get some blue squares prepared for tomorrow I had better get off the lap top and pull out my project box.

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Wishing each of you all the very best for 2022. I hope you find lots of time to relax and do the things you love and I wish you all good health.