Little Letters top finished

I’m really pleased with my sewing result this week, and can report that I have finished my Little Letters top.  Just the top – mind you, not the whole quilt.  There was a little more time available for stitching this week, although we were away on a 60s Up bus trip to Caccia Birch on Wednesday, read about it here, and out for a couple of afternoon teas.  Life is always busy, we find.

It was a big help that I had all the components already stitched in this particular UFO bag.  The blocks, the filler blocks, and the sashing strips – all ready and waiting for me.  So I laid it all out into rows, pinned the rows together, and got stitching.  Stitch, press, lay that row out, and do the same with the next row, and the next.

Ready for a good press all over

Then today, I cut, measured, and stitched the border fabric on – the same fabric I used in the colourful setting squares.  Originally purchased for another project, there is more than enough to use in both, and the nice bright design helped pull all the different fabrics together. 

The finished top

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a real fan of “leader and ender” sewing, and stitched the little top squares onto these sashing strips while working on another project.  And while I was stitching my alphabet rows together, I used the easy strip piecing as I start to assemble blocks for my Soul Searching quilt.  (More about that one later when it gets added to my UFO list).  It’s really bonus sewing, almost like getting something for nothing.

With the quilt top completed, the next step will be to pin it all together, top, batting and backing, ready for machine quilting, and it’s next turn when the dice stops on number four.   And tomorrow, I get to roll the dice again.  Wonder what number I’ll get to work on next week?

Town and Country Quilters March Club Night

There was a good crowd for our March Club Night, and the members at the Special General Meeting agreed to adopt the new Constitution.  With that bit of business out of the way, our meeting got underway.

 

Show and Tell is always interesting, and there was a great selection of items, such as Carol’s pretty little French inspired tote bag.

Carol’s tote bag

Sarah is thrilled that she will finally be a granny soon and I loved the pretty striped quilt she had stitched up, based on the colours the parents-to-be had selected for the nursery.  The appliqued pussy cats are such a nice touch too. 

Sarah’s cot quilt

The blocks for the pretty pink hexagon quilt were stitched while Barbara was in South Africa, she told us.  This quilt is finished with a lovely braid border, and wonderful machine quilting.  In front is one of the Row by Row quilts which was the category for our special Show and Tell segment.  Members were invited to bring a Row by Row quilt along this month, not necessarily a new finish, to get our older quilts a chance to share the limelight again.  I brought my one along too, which was made for my 60th birthday, by a bunch of generous quilters from my former home town!

More show and tell

Instead of a speaker for the evening, some of our talented members set themselves up and showed various techniques, such as the Acuquilt cutter, and the felting machine, both of which I have never used before.  I was interested to see how easy it was to make  “quilt as you go” place-mats and little pouches  – I’ve tried it many moons ago, and it certainly is a great way to use up extra strips of fabric. 

Quilt-as-you-go” items

After a cuppa and a scone topped with jam and cream for supper, catching up with friends, admiring the show and tell, it was then time to collect my things, say my goodbyes,  and head home. 

MIL’s Throw-Over

Clearing out cupboards when Robin’s Mum passed away, after the siblings had taken whatever they wanted for their families, I was very fortunate to take my pick of what was left.  No one wanted the hand embroidered doilies or tablecloths, or the multitude of crochet and tatting.  Most of these items had been made by Robin’s grand-mother, so I’m very grateful to have them.  And I’ve got plans percolating on how to re-purpose them to show them all off to the best advantage.

Tucked away in the bottom of the linen cupboard was a grubby looking hand embroidered throw-over.  This had minimal hand embroidery with a basket of flowers in each corner, and was hemmed in black.  After an overnight soak, a gentle wash, and a cool iron, it came out sparkling white, fresh and clean once again.  

Hand embroidered throw-over

It’s so nice to have these beautiful family treasures, and I’m sure that if I hadn’t rescued them, they would have ended up being disposed of.  Robin and his brothers don’t remember their Mum doing hand embroidery, so we don’t know if she worked on any of the items I now have.  Although I do wonder who actually made this pretty little cloth, the important thing is that it now will be used and appreciated for it’s simple beauty.  

  

The Dice rolls Four

Monday is my “roll of the dice” day, and number four is the lucky number this week.

It’s number 4 this week

Which is…….my Little Letters Quilt.  This is a design from the Temucula Quilt Company blog as a free quilt-along project in 2014.  The pattern for each letter of the alphabet was posted on the blog weekly, and although I was a little late starting, I soon caught up.  All the different fabric colours came from my 2 1/2in strip scraps and I used plain white for the background.

All the little letters have been completed

Then it didn’t take too long to complete the extra filler blocks.  The pattern gave four different designs but I decided to make my four as pinwheel blocks.

Pinwheel blocks

And lastly, I sewed some sashing strips as a “leader and ender” project some time ago.

Sashing strips

As you can see, I’ve already made quite good progress with this UFO.  And now it has a week out of it’s bag after being hidden away for a while, the next step will be to assemble the quilt top.  Until I lay it all out, I won’t know if I need to stitch some more sashing strips or not.  So that is my challenge for this week, working on putting my Little Letters quilt top together.

And if you are wondering, as I’ve already told Robin, there will be no cheating when I roll the dice.  If the same number comes up several weeks in a row, (it hasn’t happened yet) that’s the way the dice fell.  It’s actually quite fun to see what number UFO I get to work on each week, and I’m sure I’ve been spending a little more time sitting at the machine lately.

The things you see on Sunday!

We enjoyed a day out and about on Sunday with friends, travelling down to our old stomping grounds, the Hutt Valley.  During our travels I spotted a couple of quirky textile items which I’m sharing with you all.  

1:  Giant Knitting.  On Sunday morning we viewed the “Shapeshifter Sculpture Exhibition” at the Civic Gardens, Lower Hutt, and came across some very pink giant knitting artfully arranged in the gardens.  This sculptural piece by Mia Hamilton was called  “Its a girl – birth to old age”.   It wasn’t just for fun, but had a story to tell as well.  The artist stated: “Baby pink knitting heralds the birth of a little girl.  On closer inspection it becomes obvious that the knitting needles are old, wooden, walking sticks.  Age is creeping up on me.  Friends I considered young are dying.  I am not done here yet, I have so many artworks to make, so many stitches to complete, so many threads of life to follow”.

Giant knitting,made with pink plastic

2:  A patchwork jacket for Elvis:  Actually, it was an Elvis look-alike puppet and he was at the Sunday Strum ukulele jam at Expressions Gallery at Upper Hutt, which we attended in the afternoon.  I was told that his jacket was especially stitched by a quilter who resides in Tawa, to fit over his white satin jump suit.  “I’m a quilter too”, I told Shane of the Ukulele Institute, .who kindly let me take a couple of photos.  Perhaps someone knows the name of this elusive quilter from Tawa?  We sang along to all the songs played by a group of ukulele enthusiasts,  including the Elvis classic, “In the Ghetto”.  Can you tell that I’m an Elvis fan?

Elvis puppet wearing his patchwork jacket over his white satin jump suit

The closest I’ll ever get to Elvis

Nine Patches roll off the Asssembly LIne

There’s no doubt about it – I’ve been on a roll this week.  The grey and black 9 patch blocks for my grand-daughter Emma’s horse quilt have been rolling off the assembly line.  And I’ve got 40 completed.  

I’ve been cutting fabric and stitching up strip sets, then sub cutting them.  Pin them into place, stitch and press - you know how it goes.  I’m using plain black homespun for the centre squares, but I’m running low on some of my “patterned” black fabrics, so will need a trip to the quilt shop to buy some more blacks.  It’s been quite exciting to see my pile of 9 patch blocks grow during the week, but I know I’ll need a lot more.  Still, it’s not a bad start, I feel. 

As well as my time spent sewing, it has been a busy week though, with a hospital appointment one day.  Then a  morning spent with my friendship group, the Sew Wots, it was lovely to catch up with them all.  And yesterday, it was lunch out with old friends – another nice social activity.  So I’m really pleased with what I have achieved in the sewing room this week.  There will be no stitching done tomorrow (Sunday) as we will be spending the day out and about with another group of friends, and I’m sure a nice lunch will featuring heavily on the agenda.  Come Monday, I’ll get to roll the dice again, and work on another of my UFO projects for the coming week.

Meeting up with the Sew Wots again

It’s been a long time since I met up with my friendship group for a morning spent stitching and gossiping.  Mind you, we don’t meet over the long Christmas break, and then, due to other circumstances, I missed the first two February meetings.  So it was great to meet up with a full contingent of Sew Wot ladies today.

Pam and Helen were sitting together on the couch, both very busy.  Pam always make us smile when she talks about her colourful  “Rest Home” blanket which she is crocheting – so it will be ready for when she goes into a Rest Home, whenever that day comes.  And Helen was sewing the binding down on her pretty Bronwyn Hayes  designed wall hanging.  This will be hung in her sewing room, she told us.

Pam and Helen with their projects

Moira and Heather E were busily stitching away, and Mary had almost completed a lovely vintage Noah’s Ark stitchery.  This will be going into the centre of a child’s quilt, she said, and as usual, Mary’s work was lovely.   I really like that happy hippo hanging over the bow of the boat!

Mary’s Noah’s Ark stitchery

Heather B was appliqueing a couple of dolly figures onto pretty pink gingham.  This will become a cot quilt and Heather intends to put it away in her “Great Granny Box” for the future.  I understand her reasoning completely, as I already have some hand stitched goodies and knitting tucked away for when my grand-daughters settle down.

Heather B and her cot quilt in progress

These three little cot quilts were made by Carol to be donated to a good cause.  Made in such soft and pretty colours, they are sure to be much appreciated.

Carol’s charity cot quilts

As for me, I did a little stitching on my Christmas ABC blocks, but had to leave a little early.  But not too early to miss the lovely morning tea our hostess Rae provided.  I especially love her shortbread, and now make it myself, using Rae’s recipe.  Thanks, ladies, for a lovely morning.