Bargellos, bags and cabins

Crikey, the month of August has just flown by. I almost haven't had enough time to scratch my bum!

I've been pretty busy trying to get my bargello together to resemble looking like a quilt. I finally sewed together all my 16 blocks the other weekend and then arranged them on my bed to see what the end feature would look like, and I must admit I was pretty blown away by the effect it is going to make. My next assignment on that quilt will be to sew the rows together.

All 16 blocks assembled ready to sew together

At my sewing group I started making a bag with the rest of the troops and am progressing slowly, but surely. Two of the group finished theirs last Wednesday and they are absolutely smashing. It is great to see their faces on completion, huge beaming smiles and wops of delight and satisfaction. I sewed my braid on, very wobbly I might add, but nevertheless it is now on. I did the detail on the straps and next week will start sewing them onto the top of the bag. I should take a photo of my progress so far, but that will have to wait till it is daylight again!

In the meantime I got encouraged to start another quilt. This one will be for my Dad and his wife. The colours they love are green, blue and pink. After turning the pages of several magazines to get some ideas I finally, yes finally, decided on one called 'Home Sweet Home' by Lee Avard. It is from 'Australian Patchwork & Quilting', vol.3, no.4. I have cut and sewn six blocks already and today cut out six more. I've come to realise that cutting out is one of the most time consuming bits of making a quilt.... and unless you have a cutting table at a height that doesn't involve bending, you end up with a sore back, Gordon Bennett!! I am cutting my strips for cabins wider than the instructions say cos I want the quilt to end up bigger. I shall add a photo in a day or two of where I'm at. At least I'll be able to look back at this blog one day and tell myself, "Gee, you did that!?" I really want to start sewing my blocks together tonight, but I having taped Coro Street for the last two nights. The Street wins out, ha!

Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Shopping for elephants

Well, not the real ones of course, but that darn marbled grey fabric that I run out of that makes elephants and couldn't find for the life of me in any local shop. I had another look at Quilters Quarters and blow me under there was just a tad left so I brought the remains off the roll. Now I can complete Parts 4, 5 and 6 of the elephants I require to complete my mystery quilt! Yes, Part 6 came out on the 1st August and yes, another elephant. I wonder if there are other people making this quilt thinking the same as me, "why an elephant, why couldn't it be a cute teddy bear or rabbit!!!". Yes, life's a challenge, roll with it! I still have to order my Vanity Fair fabric from that Australian on line site to complete my circles. God certainly loves a trier when you run out of your fabrics after you make boo boos that shouldn't have been made in the first place, lordly, lordly!

At the weekend I tackled Part 5 of the scalloped strips and alternated with my bargello blocks. Eight are now sewn together, eight to go! I didn't go to my sewing group last week, but intend on taking my bag bits and pieces along to tackle some more. Happy stitching!

Pear cushion complete

At last I finished the cushion for my friend's birthday. Sometimes it's good to have a deadline cos then you know you have to make the extra effort to get it done! It turned out bigger than I thought, but very interesting to make. It was my first go at needle turn and jeez I have some learning skills to do there! I took a photo of it, but have yet to load for you all to see, I'll do that in a day or two.

Ready for stuffing

Inspection by Bella

In the meantime I havn't tackled my bargello blocks for some time now.... As for my Wednesday sewing class, a few of us have begun to make a large bag (my very first). It will be a very interesting few weeks ahead. Can't wait to show you the end product!

Time to begin Part 5 of the mystery

Finished off appliqueing the circles of Part 4 yesterday, only that darn elephant to go... Today I cut out the pieces for Part 5, which include four strips and four sets of scallops that sit at the top and bottom. Those extra circles (fabric being brought from the web) will go in-between. After that I will attempt the last elephant (well, let's hope so).


I've been able to do this extra bit of sewing because my car is at the garage. On Friday morning on the motorway, passing a 18-wheeler truck I look down to see "Check Engine" looking back at me and the temperature needle on HOT!!! EEK, here's where my cool banana skills took my driving skills to another level... with cars up my bum and already 3/4 of the way past the truck, I put my foot on the gas and got in front of the truck then had to indicate quick and pull over at speed and not hit the marker sticks in the process. Made it! Cellphone in hand (thank goodness I packed it in my bag that day) I rang the AA and Bob's ya uncle. Out of action till the end of tomorrow so I reckon I'll have lots of free time to sew, sew, sew!!!

Part 4 continues

I knew those elephants would be sew-stoppers! I have to buy more grey fabric to make them. I also ran out of another shade of fabric and the original store I brought it from ran out and the other shops I purchase from also don't have it :( So pleased then that the wonderful world of the web exists! I will be purchasing my required fabric from 'The Stitching Cupboard'. I googled them awhile back and they have some in stock. The only down side is, I don't have a credit card. After setting up my Pay Pal account it requires either a credit or debit card, so it's off to the bank next week to get a debit card at least. All so I can start Part 5 of my mystery quilt!!


Tonight I am hand appliqueing the Part 4 circles, down to the last eight. My friend's birthday is next week and only the binding to go on her cushion, oh and buy a cushion inner...

More of the same

The weekend brings a chance to unwind, relax and sew! With only two weeks before my friend's birthday I thought I had better get on and try and finish off the cushion I am making her. The detail of the front has the applique done in needle turn. I've never tried my hand at needle turn before and boy do I need to practise some more! I quilted the cover after adding the detail then tackled the back which has an insert that the cushion inner goes in. The last touch will be the binding.  Once done I shall take a piccie and add it here, but that probably won't be till next weekend.


In the meantime I am hand appliqueing Part 4 of the my mystery quilt, sewing on 32 circles..... And because I constantly want to start a new project long before I have finished the last, I have already begun to select colours out for my next project, a queen sized quilt for my Dad and his wife, in shades of green and pink. I have decided to do a log cabin design even though I haven't done one before. I wonder if I can get it done in time for this Christmas?

Two halves make a whole

At last I finally finished sewing my halves to complete my blocks!! I will now sew the two halves together to make a whole!! Can't wait for the blocks to become whole and get a better picture of where the quilt is taking me. I have so many threads to trim, rows to iron and make them all look pretty. Sometimes when we do block construction we often are so focussed on the task at hand that we forget the bigger picture. Last week I was de-moaning that I wished the blocks would just vanish, but now with them complete I can't wait for the next step in the process.

Here are the completed halves all ready to sew as whole blocks.

This is what the two halves will look like when complete!