Sunday, 10 November 2024

Work, Work, Work.

But there has been time for some play too. 
I've made a few more blocks for the Windswept quilt top and made some progress on the Cross stitch project.
Happily Ever After has more than a few beads now.
The above image was taken on 3rd November and I've picked away here and there adding a few stitches and beads, then yesterday got to sit for a couple of hours and did quite a bit. The image below is where I left it at tea time yesterday evening.
The vines and beads continue on up above the word 'And'.
Then I will need to figure out how best to finish it. A frame with no glass or as a quilted wall hanger.
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The Flutterby Bunny that I was quilting just a few days ago has not progressed. Work and the garden have gotten in the way of that. Maybe I'll get back to it today. But first some more garden work. I have a few things to plant, some more broccoli seedlings, another pair of courgette as I lost the previous pair to a late frost and I also want to sow a few Buttercup squash seeds.  
Our green house is going well, the tomatoes are doing really well with lots of flowers and some fruit already set. Though they are still tiny. In the small greenhouses the chilli peppers and capsicum are also doing well.
The cauliflower I planted in Autumn are much slower that the broccoli planted at the same time, they were finished a while ago, but the Cauli are now ready, we have eaten two, another is in the fridge, one needs to be picked and brought in and yet another will be ready soon. I've made a lot of cauliflower cheese and discovered a new to me Cauliflower salad recipe. I might tweak it a little but will for sure be making it again. 
Right I'm off to work in the garden before it gets too hot. Yesterday we reached 27 C. Today looks to be cooler but I want to get it done early so I can relax and play with my needles.

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

A finish and some more quilting...

As you know I have been busy quilting since I completed the wedding dresses. 
I've been working a simple clamshell design on to my Ready Set Sew quilt top that I purchased as a kit from Jude last year.
The quilting is complete, the binding is on and closed and I went outside yesterday for a garden photo shoot.
Then I spotted the mistake! A few naughty words were uttered. Too late, it will have to stay that way.
I had fun taking photos over the fence and the deck rail.
On Joe's bench.
And of course Old Man Tree had to get involved.
He is flowering and scattering blossoms on the lawn. Those are not daisies. LOL
Goal #1 for November complete.
Not a goal for November but making great progress anyway is Flutterbys.
This was a panel that I quickly added borders to back in September.
I loaded it on to the frame yesterday and got started.
My studio was the place to be. The sun was in and out so it's wasn't terribly hot, but I was surrounded by nature, birds, bees and butterflies kept catching my eye as I worked.
I even found the perfect panto at Urban Elementz.
It's called Take Flight.
I am just over half way with the quilting on this one and was hoping to complete it today, but life, the dentist and a meeting at work got in the way.
I was able to get a few of my Windswept blocks made though. The pile is getting higher.
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If you look at the tabs along the top of the page you will see that I have made a start on next years Chookshed Challenge.  Just a start and subject to change of course.
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That's it, that is all of my news for now.
Back to work tomorrow.

Sunday, 3 November 2024

November goals.

Here we are in the penultimate month for this year.
It has flown by. So what are my goals for November?
1)
I still have one Chookshed challenge to complete as it was pushed aside in favour of the wedding dresses.
I need to stitch and complete two final Christmas ornaments. I might get them both in, or I might stretch them out right up to Christmas. LOL

2)
Complete the Happily Ever After cross stitch for Joe and Lee.
I really don't have much left to do. On my version all of the lettering is done, most of the vine and I have made a start on adding the beads and flowers to the vine.
I've actually been doing some of that today.
3)
I need to complete the Ready Set Sew quilt.
It really shouldn't take long, the binding is on and I've made more than a start at closing it. I'm sure there is only about a quarter to go.
4)
I want to get back to my Wind Swept quilt blocks and make some great progress there.
5)
Finally I need to cut fabric and prepare paper pieces for my next EPP.
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Like many of you I've also been thinking about what I might put on my Chookshed list for next year.
Hopefully there will be no wedding dresses. It depends who asks. LOL

Wedding photos.

There are no official photos yet, but I was able to get one or two shots with my phone.
The bride and her party got prepared at our house and the official photographer came to capture some of that too. Once everyone was dressed and ready to go we had a quick photoshoot outside under old man tree.
I love this shot of Lee and Charmaine.

The bride had a man or brother of honour in place of a maid.

Joe and Torstein both wore traditional Manx hunting tartan and looked very smart. Charmaine scattered flower petals along the aisle, Torstein was supposed to blow bubbles but got stage fright. LOL
He got over that during the ceremony and there were lots of bubbles.

I caught Joe and Tony doing kitchen duties.

Tony caught this shot while I was helping Lee with her veil.
That's it. 
The wedding is over and they are now Mr. and Mrs.

Friday, 1 November 2024

Acquisitions...

While I was taking a break after completing the quilting on ready set sew quilt I noticed that my pal Debbie had loaded a few items for sale on facebook. 
I may have purchased half of them. LOL
It was a beautiful day so I decided to walk down to her place to pick them up. There is an Anni Downs pattern and printed stitchery to go with it.
A felt needle case pattern.
Not one but two mini Kaffe kits.
These make cute zippered pouches.
A lovely quilt pattern.
And a bundle of Aida for cross stitching.
While I was there Debbie was digging in her project box and showing me what she must complete. She came across a bundle of precut eye spy fabrics that she was going to make in to a quilt, there were also a few charms of black and white fabrics.
And she threw those in to my bag too.
The eye spy pieces are all cut ready to make a post card quilt, I just need to add sashing fabric.
That was an unexpected and happy little shopping spree.
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So as I mentioned above, I have completed the quilting on the ready set sew quilt. I was using my new Sure Stitch regulator. What a difference! It is so much better than my old regulator. Very happy with that acquisition.
The binding is on and half way closed. I'm hoping to get that finished today.
But I also need to make 3 dozen lemon muffins and go have my nails done.
We have friends coming for a BBQ this evening, so I had better do some preparations for that. Maybe a special dessert.
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We had wedding rehearsals last night, it is the first time I have been to the venue, what a delightful place, I'll try to get lots of photos tomorrow. I saw a lion, a witch and a wardrobe and close by was Mr. Tumnus. I saw Alice and the queen of hearts as well as a whole bunch of other folks.
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I'm off to find my apron.