Friday 31 August 2018

OPAM AND DECOS





This post probably reads as being Thursday but it is actually Friday. I still need to find those gremlins and deal with them. It is also the end of August which means that it is time for OPAM. Thank goodness I finished my table runner and set of 6 coasters.


 
2 of my Christmas decos are almost finished. All I need to do is add the backing and some ric rac to hang them. Two more are under construction.
 
 
 
 
I am now going to pop over to Jenny's blog to join in her new free stitch a long. I have tried 3 times to add her link but I have lost my post each time and had to redo it. So, Jenny's blog is at www.elefantz.com. if you want to take a peek. Those gremlins are obviously being very mischievous.
 
Thank you for visiting.
 
Angel Blessings.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 28 August 2018

WHAT A HOOT!


 With OPAM time coming up I thought it was going to be another month passing by without any finished projects. So, yesterday I decided to get stuck into completing the table runner which was to go with the coasters I had finished by hand. As you know, I am better at hand stitching than machine sewing but my pointer finger and thumb on my right hand ,( my sewing fingers), are getting quite arthritic and my pointer finger not only has that distinctive stitching bend in it but now has knobbly joints. Thus my attempt, once again, to machine quilt in straight lines. Well, I didn't bother attaching the walking foot this time so the quilting is a bit odd but acceptable. I did run off the lines a couple of times too. I figure that the runner is for me so I am not that concerned. If it was a gift I would not be so happy. My munchkin is going to loooove the owls. Grandma's house is full of them and he loves finding them all each time he comes here.


 
 
Today I prepared a couple of wool felt Christmas decos to stitch and have started the red robin.
 
 
 
 
I am starting to gradually work my way through my WIPs and projects that I have ready to grab and go. My angel quilt has not been forgotten but I need to get back on my sewing machine to do it.
 
Thankyou for stopping by. By the way, does anyone know how to get the date right on my blog? It keeps coming up the day before. Gremlins again.
 
Angel Blessings.

Friday 24 August 2018

SLOW STITCHING


Sashiko is such a peaceful mode of stitching and it hasn't taken me long to complete all the blocks.





The border motifs are nearly finished BUT I have run out of the thread. Grrrrrr. I may just use another ball of cotton that I had for stitching chicken scratch a few years ago or perhaps I shall just forget the rest of the motifs and piece the quilt without them. I am unsure how I am going to place them all yet. I can't be bothered ordering online for one item. 


 
I started , what was to be, a quick project consisting of a table runner and matching coasters. I have made a couple of table runners without any specific pattern but this time I could not seem to get the measurements right for the table runner.   At least I could sit and stitch the hexie coasters though.

 
 
Woohoo! I have finished another book. I am loving getting back into reading mode. This book is non fiction about the first Australian female detective. She paved the way for all those women in the police force today. Unarmed and with no uniform she dealt with the 2 most notorious women crime figures in Sydney and many other things during her career including the Razor Gangs and fortune tellers. Retiring at 65 she had no superannuation or pension despite her male peers having it all. This book gives a good history from the first settlement onwards.
 
 
 
Well, I am surrounded by building works as I type this. Behind me, over the fence, they are gutting the ground floor of the house and now they have a digger working there. The house behind us has had a digger going for about 3 months and now they have started gutting that house too. Soon the house opposite us will be under demolition and then a new house is to be built there. A few doors down, across the road, they have almost completed building a huge house. I am quietly going crazy here with all the noise and my house rocking. Thank goodness for stitching.
 
I hope you are enjoying peace and sunshine.
 
Angel Blessings

Tuesday 14 August 2018

MORE ANGELS


Now that I have completed all the angel stitcheries and put borders on a few I feel like I am actually achieving something. Here are 3 more blocks I have finished.


 
Another Sashiko block is now done and I am currently working on the last big block before starting the smaller designs on the borders.
 
 
 
 
 I have finished another book written by an American author who lives in Australia. 
 
 
 
Tonight I am looking forward to starting a biography. The sun is shining here but the wind is cool. I have washing on the line instead of hanging on the clothes horse relying on the heating to dry. It is Tuesday but I think my blog comes up with the day prior. I must look into that but I am too busy stitching hehehe.
 
Angel Blessings.
 

Saturday 11 August 2018

LAST ANGEL AND MOVING ALONG


Oh dear! What a week! I never usually "catch" anything going around and I thought grandmas were immune but I succumbed to an awful tummy bug that my beautiful little munchkin passed on to me as well as his mum. Whilst recovering from that I developed a couple of migraines so I thought I wouldn't really achieve much sewing for a while. Well. today I finally completed the last angel block. This is Angela the animal lover. I changed the design a bit as I do not like birds being caged. Infact, I don't even like what a cage represents so I omitted it from my block completely and perched the bird on Angel's hand instead.


 

The other evening I cut a few borders for some blocks after fussing and huffing for quite a while trying to decide what colours I should use for each block. In the end I decided not to be so fussy and went with the flow. I hope I don't regret my decision. I have the strips ready to sew on and have pinned the chosen outer border fabrics to each block so I don't mix them up.


 
 
I even had some energy to cut a few of 2 1/2" squares for the piecing bits. Only another 300 plus to go.
 
 
 
I have now finished 6 Sashiko blocks. These are the latest 3.
 
 
 
I am also proud to say that I finished another book. This one is another Aussie author who I heard on ABC Radio . His genre is not my usual thing and I would describe it as being light suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think I will seek out his other 10 or so novels he has written.
 
 
 
I am 3/4s my way through another novel so I am really happy I have found my reading enthusiasm again.
 
Thankyou for visiting my blog.
 
Angel Blessings. 
 
 
 

Wednesday 1 August 2018

IT'S AUGUST




                            Yep, it is August. How did that happen? This means it is time for.....


 
 
Once again I have no completed projects but I am working on some which will be completed...eventually.
 
My angels are coming along slowly but steadily. I can't seem to stand for long and using the rotary cutter creates shoulder aches and pains so I have had to do a little bit here and there. Pathetic huh? So, I now have 3 more blocks done with a total of 5.
 
 
 
 
I am quite enjoying stitching my Sashiko blocks and have nearly finished the 3rd one. It is so relaxing to do. (Except when someone manages to cut the hank of thread the wrong way resulting in a tangled mess to unravel and cut into correct lengths). 
 
 
 
 
The sun is shining at the moment. A rare event lately. I hope you are enjoying some winter sunshine too.
 
Angel Blessings.
 
 
 
 

A BIT HERE, A BIT THERE

  Weekly blogging is hard to keep up with lately as my crafty progress is slow these days. Health challenges often get in the way of product...