Chookshed Challenges

 I'm a bit late posting about my Chookshed Challenge and missed the cut off for number 10 date for February.   This was to stitch up some pencil pouches for donation.  For this project I decided to recycle two Christmas placemats which we used in the caravan, no need for them now.  The placemats were lined so I cut two pouches from each, added red binding, and then they were done.  But...... I had a problem with stitching buttonholes.  Try as I might, I just couldn't get my head around how to achieve this, although it's not as if I've never stitched a buttonhole before.  Heather took them home and added some domes for me, thanks Heather.

Four Christmas pencil pouches

While they were away, I completed a few more.  One for a boy, using New Zealand silver fern fabric, and two selvedge ones, recycling selvedge place mats.  These three, complete with coloured pencils,  have been donated to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, and I'll send the Christmas pouches along to this charity towards the end of the year.

Three more pencil pouches, already donated

With these finally completed, I could make a start on the challenge for March.  Which was number 2 on the list, a pink and grey cot quilt.  The quilt was made during the 2024 challenge, one of two cot quilt tops I made to use up some pink and grey piano strips, which were originally going to be for a quilt border, but never happened.   I  added it to the list this year to get it quilted.  The backing and the binding strip was already prepared and waiting, which was a bonus.  So I pinned the layers up and I was ready to quilt.

Everything is ready and waiting

This took me a while to get quilted, and at the end of the day, Gemma liked to come and cuddle up for a snooze.

Gemma takes over at the end of my quilting day

I'm pleased it was finished before the end of the month, and I love the way it turned out.  After stitching the top, there were still quite a few of the piano key strips left over, so I added a strip to the pink wincyette (flannel) backing.  

Another donation quilt completed

Sew Wot Tuesday

Heather was the "Hostess with the Mostest" this week, and we all gathered at her home on a lovely sunny Tuesday morning.  She had been having a clean up in her sewing room, and had lots of goodies looking for a new home.  I spotted a strip of three teddy bear panels, which Heather had received from someone else and wasn't sure what to do with them. They will be perfect for making  three kiddies cushions for donation, I told her, as I scooped it up and put it in my bag.

Show and Tell was overflowing this time. Sandra arrived with a big armful of quilts, some of these had been hanging around for a while and she wanted them finished and gone, she said.   We all admired the postage stamp quilt she was making for a friend, just the binding to do on this one.

Postage Stamp quilt

The next was a pretty floral star quilt made for one of her Aunts.  Nice soft colours in this one.

Floral stars

I remember seeing the next one when it was a top, such a nice design and great colours for a masculine donation quilt.  I like the pieced border too.

Nice for an older boy

The next was quite a striking design, something she just wanted to try, Sandra said.  Another donation quilt.

Such a striking pattern

And lastly, another donation quilt, I really like this pattern, simple but so effective.  I might have to remember this for my own donation quilts.  Sandra has done so well, having a big push to get all these quilts past the finish line.

The final donation quilt, didn't she do well!

Our hostess Heather had a lot to show as well.  I had seen and admired her pretty Kawandi piece over the months while it was being stitched.  Originally it was going to be made into a bag, but then Heather decided to make a mini quilt instead.   

Heather's Kawandi piece, pretty in pink and black

The yet to arrive twin babies have a pretty aqua cardigan each

And lastly, Heather had knitted a pretty shawl for her friend, so light and lacy.

Pretty shawl

Jude had been knitting too, and  brought along five kitten kitten blankets for the SPCA.  When each kitten gets adopted, they get a cozy blanket to take to their new home.

Jude's kitten blankets

Helen had been busy too, she had stitched her Sew Wot mini blocks into a little book.  What a lovely job she has made of this.

Book made with Helen's blocks

Helen made another pair of socks

And lastly, Helen's sister knitted a baby cardigan, which Helen stitched up for her and will be donated.  Here sister has not done a great deal of knitting, so it was a great effort indeed.

Knitted by Helen's sister

And what would our Sew Wot get together be without another tasty morning tea?  There were plenty of tasty goodies here for us all.  The table was set with a custom made table cloth, using up many 5inch squares.  

Thanks so much, Heather, we all had a lovely time.  

RSC Yellow

 I've been working on the final yellow challenge for the month, making another double handed oven mitt.  The quest is to use up all my selvedges in the small bag this year, making these mitts as the colours are called for.  This is my third, I've done one in so far in dark blue, one pink, and now one in yellow.  As usual my layers are hessian, insulbrite and a layer of old toweling, and I had enough yellow selvedges to use on the whole project.

This oven mitt was completed up to the binding last week, and I took it along to my quilt club's Social Sewing day today.  It's too difficult for me to take my sewing machine along to these get-togethers, so stitching binding down is the ideal activity for me.

Stitching away

There were seven ladies there today, so as you can imagine there was plenty of chatter going on . Four of them were working on projects with their sewing machines and three of us were doing hand stitching.  As well as my binding being stitched, one was working on hexagons, and another was doing hand applique.  We meet in the Vintage Car Club rooms and take our lunches so it is a nice pleasant day, spent with like minded ladies.  There are plenty of tables and chairs, power points for the machines and iron, and kitchen facilities to make ourselves a cuppa.

In the Vintage Car Club rooms

The binding was finished and after lunch I started working on the binding on a donation quilt - more about that one later.

Yellow oven mitt done for March

Blankets for Kittens

 I've been busy knitting some blankets for kittens.  Every year the Knit World shops throughout New Zealand choose a charity for their customers to support, and provide patterns.  This year, they are supporting the SPCA, (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  After checking it out I decided that I would like to help with this good cause.  I got the free pattern, purchased three balls of the discounted 12 ply yarn, and started knitting.

All ready to start

"At SPCA, we always need heaps of knitted blankets for our cats and kittens.  Each cat and kitten receives their very own little blanket and will take it home once they are adopted to help with the transition.  If you love knitting, this is a super fun and helpful way to help the animals in need".  

And yes, I did have fun knitting these little blankets.  They made nice easy knitting while watching TV in the evenings, no thinking required.  I'll be dropping them off at the local Knit World shop, where they will be distributed.

Three kitten blankets done

Sew Wot Tuesday

 This week we met at Carol's home, just a short drive away for me, everyone was there except Sandra who could not make it this time.  We had hardly settled down and then the Show and Tell came thick and fast.  First up was Helen, who had completed her Kiwi Block of the Month quilt, and her task for the morning was to stitch the binding down.  This is a lovely quilt, make with beautiful batiks, and lots of Kiwi elements to spot, such as the lizards frollicking around and a pukeko and her chick at the bottom.

 

Helen's Batik beauty

Jude had been busy and had two things to show us.  First was her sewing machine cover, which had been hanging around for a while, so she was pleased to get it finished.

Sewing machine cover

And we all loved this fabulous Plus quilt, stitched in shades of grey and pops of yellow.  Very nice indeed.

Jude's Plus quilt

Remember those mini blocks we made a swapped recently?  Mary has made hers into a small table runner, adding some of her lovely crochet between the blocks, such a great idea.

Mary's table runner

Heather had finished knitting a tiny little vest for the Neo Natal ward, the wool was so nice and soft.  The buttons on the shoulders are to allow for any tubes which may be necessary for the tiny baby, and Heather had decided to add multi coloured buttons for added interest.

Heather's tiny baby vest

And Carol showed us the kit she was working on, this was a gift from her sister, she may or may not add extra borders, we will have to wait and see.

Carols quilt top

While Helen was stitching her binding, the rest of us were knitting away, mostly socks it seemed, although I was working on a baby jumper which had been put aside for a little while.  And then it was morning tea time, mmm, so delicious.  All nicely set out on a Holly Hobble quilt made with pretty 1930s fabrics.  

Morning tea is served

Thanks so much Carol, we all had a lovely time.  And we get to do it all again in two weeks time.

Stitching Yellow

Yellow is the RSC colour of the month, and I've done a little  stitching for my  block sets.  Not much yellow at all in my bag of 2.5in squares to make my framed four patches, but it just had to do.  I'm using those squares up, not cutting new ones.  And I cut some yellow strips for my black and white blocks.

Yellow RSC blocks

I enjoyed a lunch out with friends this week, I have known these ladies for over 40 years, so we go back a while.  Robin and I have been meeting up with Shirley and Robyn about every three months for lunch.  Their husbands have passed away, and I joked that "Robin was the last man standing" in our group last time we met last November.  Little did I know that his time was drawing near, and we only had 8 days left together.  This time, Trish joined us for lunch as well.

Trish, Jenny, Shirley and Robyn

We enjoyed a tasty lunch, reminisced about our younger days, and put the world to rights.  Trish had brought along some lovely apples off her tree for us all, and while decluttering had found several candles to pass on to me.  I had told her that I was lighting a candle in the evenings for Robin.

She had also brought along some photos from our SLG days.  I said I'd look at them when I was home, just in case I got tearful seeing them.  What a treasure trove of memories.  This one was taken in the 80s I think, not long after we were married.  We all had dark hair back then

Jim, Trish, Jenny and Robin out for a bush walk

This was taken at in 1994 at a Vice Versa party

Such a lot of special memories in the envelope of old photos.

Pink Socks and Blackberries

My pink socks have been a long drawn out project.  I received this lovely skein of sock wool from my daughter for Christmas 2023.

 Christmas gift from Nicky

I didn't cast these on till mid way through the year and the socks traveled with us down to the South Island in August when we went to celebrate my son Michaels's 60th birthday.  The trip across Cook Strait takes three hours so after something to eat in the cafe there is always time for a little knitting.

Knitting onboard the ferry

As I always seem to have more than one knitting project on the go, these socks were neglected for a while.  Then my daughter purchased some sock yarn in the Op Shop, asked for a copy of my pattern, and within a couple of weeks she had knitted her first pair of socks!  That really spurred me on to finish my own.  

I was soon up to the toes, that didn't take long, then sewing up the side seams.  Several have asked if the side seams make the socks uncomfortable to wear.  They run along the side/top of the foot and up the side of the leg, not under the sole, and I don't have any discomfort at all.  The weather is still nice and summery here, so I will tuck them away in my sock drawer to wear a little later.

Finally finished, that took a while

And just so you know, I've two pair of triple knit socks, my blue jumper, a baby's jumper, and a kitten blanket for the SPCA, all cast on and waiting their turns.  Plus all the quilting projects as well. No wonder I have trouble completing things, there is too much on the go!  

I was at a meeting last week and one of the ladies had brought along several bags of frozen blackberries to give away.  I gratefully took one, and made some blackberry crumble.  It was delicious, and I froze a couple of portions for later.

Blackberry crumble for dessert