Sunshine and finishes and following your bliss

After my breast cancer last year I made the decision not to work in the City nor in financial services ever again but to follow my bliss instead.

I've stepped onto my new road and progressed a little way - I'm teaching patchwork and general sewing (with 2 new classes starting next term in our local community house), I've hung out my shingle for long-arm quilting services, I'm starting a Diploma in Textiles next year on a part time basis and I'm still planning what items I want to make and sell on Etsy, or the markets, or wherever.

Today, as I sat outside, in the sunshine, and pinned and sewed, I thought to myself - this is SO right.  I'm smiling right now - and truly hoping you get to follow your bliss too.

I have been very industrious in the glorious Melbourne sunshine today - I have TWO finishes:

Do.Good Stitches 'Cherish' quilt:



The Hills Hoist shot!

Eight other members of the Cherish Circle made 2 blocks each, in pinks and greys, and sent them to me for finishing.  Yesterday, I bought an Op Shop quilt cover which has a real retro feel about it and put it in the Napisan for a really good clean.  Once it was dry, unpicked and ironed, it became the backing for the Cherish quilt and I quilted it on the long-arm using an edge-to-edge pantograph called 'Deb's Swirls'.  I was going to use a grey and white stripe for the binding (a bit safe), but the backing, plus quite a few of the blocks on the front, suggested green - so out came a piece of my green mottled hand-dyed fabric and I made the binding out of that.
Today I completed the binding (all machine stitched) and made and attached the label.  I've spoken with the director of the Charity it's to go to, to arrange delivery and can't help smiling about how beautifully it's all come together - thanks so much to the wonderful ladies of the Cherish Circle - an inaugural quilt to be proud of and one which should bring comfort to the recipient.

Goo Goo Socks Quilt:

I have lots of gorgeous nieces - and one of them is having her first baby soon.  She's also having a baby shower on Saturday and my sister, another niece and I are travelling up to country Victoria to attend - we'll probably stay the night so we can all properly catch up - so a baby quilt was definately in order for the mum-to-be.

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to make - until I went to amitie back in June and found some gorgeous fabric called 'Goo goo socks' by Alexander Henry.  I played around with the layout in my journal but once I started putting it together, I realised my original ideas wouldn't work 'in the flesh' so to speak.  So I faffed around a bit more, added some more prints, discarded a solid or 2 and came up with a layout I liked.  I pieced the backing and yesterday I quilted it on the long-arm - again using 'Deb's Swirls' (it's fast becoming a favourite).  I also did some hand-quilting on selected blocks, in different colours, using Perle no. 12 thread.  Today, I put the binding together (one of the original discarded solids) and machine stitched it all on (loving this - it's soooo much quicker than hand stitching the binding down as well as more robust).  Then the label and ..............voila

Another Hills Hoist shot - it was beautifully sunny when I took the photo and the Hoist just shines on through!

Here's where I 'worked' today.....

aaaaah, Bliss indeed..............

WIP #4

We had a few birthdays this week (my sister, my neice and my eldest son)  and Fathers Day on sunday so there's been celebrations and family get togethers along with too much cake!  Outstanding!

So, onto WIP's - I've decided to add a new category - UFOUFN's (Unfinished Flippin' Objects Until Further Notice - so these are things that I'm not actively working on, nor expecting to in the near future).....

Finished:
Omnitrix bag (although this wasn't on the list last week, I'm still claiming it!)



Cam hanging onto the Omnitrix bag for dear life!(blogged here)
Stella modelling the frock I made her for her 2nd birthday (blogged here)


Quilts in progress:
Do.Good Stitches quilt for the Cherish circle - made 2 more blocks for a missing member, put the top together, decided against a border, sourced a backing, loaded onto long-arm and quilted with an E2E pattern.  I've also cut the strips for the binding, but haven't yet sewn them together - that's for tomorrow.

Baby quilt - pieced the back, quilted on the long-arm and then small areas of hand quilting completed - just needs binding (all ready cut out) and labelling

Hand quilting using Perle 12 threads on these patches only and have used whichever colour relative to the stripes

FWQA

Only one block completed this week, due to impending deadlines of abovementioned 2 quilts..

Block 41, Friendship star

No action at all:
Hexagons
Double wedding ring
UFOUFN's:
Psycadelic tartan
Double diamonds
Which way to go
Dancing with the stars
Kimon mini
Sashiko qayg
Red and white challenge
Whirleygig II
Please click on Lee's "Freshley Pieced WIP wednesday" button on the right to see what others are up to

de de ede deded that's all follks

Trading quilties with Sandra Kaye

When I added my blog name to Lily's Quilts Small Blog Meet I looked at some other blogs listed there and came across Sandra Kaye.  Sandra makes fantastic and gorgeous little quilties and she's hosting a swap, so we can all get our hands on these little pieces of art - they're only 4" x 6" and can take any form you like - except they must incorporate buttons.  I'm getting out my button tin and my ideas journal (and my stamps, and my inks, and my crayons, and......) out as we speak......

The rules are pretty simple - go take a look and join in - the more the merrier......

Doing Good Stitches

I host the Cherish Circle of do.Good Stitches here in Oz.  It's the first one in Oz and I was very happy to be the Quilter for our inaugural quilt.  The rules are pretty simple and the Circle members have been busily sewing and pressing and posting their blocks to me.  Today I put them all together on the design wall and fashed about until I liked the layout:

I've got them half stitched together and tomorrow, if I can find a suitable fabric, I think I'll add a border - then it's onto the long-arm for quilting.  These blocks have come from wonderful ladies in the UK and here in Oz and they've all searched their stash (and bought in when they didn't have anything appropriate) and skilfully created 2 blocks each to give to someone they don't know - it's enough for them that this will bring someone comfort.  I love quilters......

The Omnitrix factor

My  great-nephew, Cam, is obsessed with Ben 10 (Cam is 4).  He brought round a whole posse of alien action figures and proceeded to tell me each of their names and what powers they had.  He then split them up into two groups - he gave four to me (2 of which are 'bad' aliens) and he had about 24  - all of his being 'Ultra' aliens with greater powers than the others. 

After discussing the merits of sharing, the aliens were redistributed and we then roughly had the same number (although the 'Ultra's' remained under Cam's control).  There ensued a 'fight' whereby all his aliens knocked out all mine - not much fun because of course I had all the rotten aliens....so I suggested that perhaps instead of fighting, we could have a barbeque and all the aliens could get together and have a sausage sizzle and tomato sauce and a bit of a party.  This went down a treat - and even the two 'bad' aliens were allowed to join in the festivities  - I think it's because I gave one of them a scottish accent, a la Billy Connolly (without the swearing - he is only 4 after all!!) and the other one a kind of East End, Ray Winston twang - I also played on Cam's compassion with my Ray Winston alien whining about having no friends - I tell you, I should have been in the movies....anyway, we had a fabulous time at the 'barby' until it was time for Cam to go home.

During the course of the game, young Campbell decided I should make him a special bag to keep all his aliens safe, and it should have an Omnitrix on it so we could tell it was Ben 10, and it should have a zip in the the front to make it easy for him to get them in and out.  A sketch was duly completed in my journal (including a sketch of the Omnitrix), because this was where I wrote down my 'quilt things' (Cam had seen me write down info about his quilt previously)



Pretty basic - drawing isn't one of my strong points!


Young Campbell has an amazing memory  - and the first thing he said to me this morning when I saw him, was "Have you made the Omnitrix bag?"  Well, no, I hadn't, but he's coming over tomorrow to share lunch with all the family (it's fathers day and his mum's birthday, so all the Melbourne family on my side is coming for roast beef with the works - can't wait!) so I thought I'd best get cracking (even though there's a list a mile long BEFORE his Omnitrix bag)

Anway - some canvas, some webbing I've had for years, an old recycled zip, some heat and bond and his favourite orange robot fabric (initially used in his quilt) and, ta daaaaaaah, we have, the Omnitrix Bag....



A pocket at the front (with the all important Omnitrix) so he can store the Ben 10 book, and an adjustable strap




Robot aliens canvas - appropriate huh?



More robots inside

I also have a photo of my husband modelling the bag - and while I'm tempted to post it, I'd best not lest his reputation (in his own mind) as a big, bronzed Anzac be sullied.....

Small Blog Meet

Was just reading Lynne's latest post and thought I might introduce myself and my small blog - I've been blogging since May and finding it quite therapeutic - and that's not mentioning the amount of time I spend reading other blogs, coveting unbeleivably talented folks works and generally faffing about.  I do get some sewing and other crafty pursuits done too, as my previous posts will attest - but it's spring Downunder and my vegie patch beckons so other pursuits may have to be carefully stowed lest I forget to pick them up til autumn........yeah right!!  Spring means more daylight so all the more time to create - bliss!

Please feel free to have a look at what happens at Shocking Hocking and I'd welcome any comments (helps to quieten that little voice in my head that suggests 'there's no one really out there......')

My ambition is to have at least 5,000,000 followers so that I can be the Queen of Blogland and the Mistress of all I virtually survey *ooh, did I say that out loud???*

WIP Wednesday #3

It's actually thursday afternoon - 1st September - which means it's the first day of spring and it's my sister's birthday (happy birthday Alison).

So, this week for WIP action:

Finished:

Nil

Quilts in progress:

Another hexagon - now I have 10.

These are all drawn onto the fabric (using templates from the Blanket Box), the seam allowance marked and cut out with scissors.  They're then hand pieced - it's what I do when I join the ladies at the Stitch 'n' Chat group on wednesday mornings - saves me having to lug my sewing machine about - and I find I quite like doing it by hand.










Received more blocks for the Do.Good Stitches quilt (only 2 members outstanding now)

This is really looking lovely - I'll be machine quilting it on the Gammill - but I also bought a beautiful variegated thread in pink and grey so it'll have a little hand quilting too.













Remade the Farmer's Wife Block 37 that I wasn't happy with, then went on to make 3 more.  This means I now have 40 blocks completed - only 71 to go!!!!

Started - completed the quilt top for my niece - we're going to her baby shower next week so have to have this quilted, bound and labelled by next week - easy!!!!! (Gulp..........)

This turned out nothing like I first envisioned - and drew up in my journal.....it's based around the gorgeous 'Goo goo socks' by Alexander Henry and I originally thought I'd use a lot more of it - but it was a bit too cluttered so I added another couple of prints (no idea what they are!) - I had already planned on using the solids, small dots and the Drunkards Path blocks.  I think a little straight line quilting (my absolute new favorite) and some selective hand quilting will really set this off.








No action at all:

Double wedding ring
Psycadelic tartan
Double diamonds
Which way to go
Dancing with the stars
Kimon mini
Sashiko qayg
Red and white challenge
Whirleygig II

Go see what everyone else is up to on host Lee's blog....