Report for 6 and 6 in 2018 and 18 in 2018

So how has your month been?  I'm reasonable pleased with mine as I did achieve a few things.  We're also allowed to not perform quite as well in February because it's a bit sneaky in only having 28 days.  THREE whole days of stitching lost. Hmmm...
So here we go:

Happy, happy.  I have finished the second to last applique block of my quilt.  Already started on the LAST block.  Happy, happy, can you tell?

 The pies and tarts have doubled themselves, which is not great progress, but I have been concentrating on the applique.  This one is definitely going to be a slow project as it's very hard on my hands.  Still love it though, so although I had decided to abandon it, the girls have encouraged me to keep on going.  Glad they did.

The pile of nine patches has grown for my Mystery Quilt.  Such happy blocks to make and not too much brain work involved.  It's quite incredible that a simple bunch of squares like this can make so many wonderful patterns.

 I have finally made a block for Danielle's quilt.  Got a bit fed up with all the cutting and sorting, so decided to make a block.  I am pleased with how it looks, but it is a tricky wee block to make with all those triangles.  So important to get the size right too, so wondering whether to abandon the pattern and make something else up with the units I have. More pondering and  maybe I'll make a couple more blocks before I decide.

 My sister came up for the weekend and we had an awesome time stitching.  We have become very close since I got sick, and I love our time together.  We went out for coffee before Joy headed home.  The other good looking bloke is my dearly beloved Kerry.  Definitely a keeper as he has trained up quite well and looks after me extremely well in my illness.  I praise God daily for him.

All the kidlets and their tribes are doing well.  This year we have two grandies achieving their 5 years old milestones and will be gorgeous little school kids.


In between all this I managed to sew a swimming and book bag for my great granddaughter Tiana in Perth, Australia.  I did make it much harder than it should have been and you would laugh at the stupid things I did.  Was going to be simple - yeah right!



And to finished on a smiley note - don't you just love the way sunflowers make you smile.  These are growing out the back of our home and way above the fence (1.2 m) and much taller than yours truly with the camera.




I hope you have enjoyed my wee summary of February and hope yours has been good too.  Let's hope we get lots more sewn in March cause we have three more days in it, and Easter means no work and we get a very laid back start to April!  Oh dear it's going fast again isn't it.

I'm going to link to - Oh Scrap and this will take you there - here
To Pomegranate and Chintz'   6in2018-february
and Lynette at What a Hoot for 18 in 2018 here

Hugs and blessings and thank you so much for popping in.

Clare

Scrapping along...

It's been so rewarding working on the second to last block (or penultimate block as they say) of my "Applique Affair" quilt designed by Editya Star.  Rewarding, but at the same time frustrating as I plodded through this seemingly very plain block.  Then when you do the last of the leaves, all of a sudden this block turns into something rather beautiful that speaks of gardens.  The seed pods are definitely not my best work, but then neither is any of it really.  Is it the end of the world?  I don't think so, therefore it stays as it is.

These are the first of my nine patches that I'm doing as part of the mystery quilt with Carole as explained in my post here and I'm trying to keep ahead.  Life has a habit of getting in the road and all of a sudden then next clue arrives and the last one hasn't been done.  Trying not to do too much of that this year.  Also so happy to be using up some more scraps.

We had a group day to work on our charity quilt.  All the blocks are now made and we will sash it next.  Sad to say the dent in the scrap baskets was barely noticeable.  I think we have enough to make about 20 or 30 quilts.  Oh dear. Fancy having to keep on quilting....lol.














That's all my patchworking news.  But look who I got to meet on Sunday.... may I introduce our newest great granddaughter - Nathalie Charlotte.  We go to have cuddles and it was so lovely.  Nathalie was only 6 lb ?  born and is now well over 7 lb.  Mum and Dad are both very tall (Dad is almost 6 ft 5 in) so she is all arms and legs, which will catch up in the middle at some stage.  Very blessed indeed to have this wee one come into our family.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  Hope all your patchwork is meeting where it should and all is well with your families.

I am linking with Cynthia at Oh Scrap do go visit.

Hugs and blessings,
Clare

Oh no! Look what I found!!! (lots photos)

It's been a little bit cooler over the last week, which has been a welcome relief.  Today felt positively cold this morning, but it soon warmed up by the afternoon.

 The other day, DH decided it was time to sort through all of the "stuff" that had literally been shoved into the conservatory at the back of our house and forgotten.  Unfortunately for me, there was a large rolling bin full of ..... you guessed it!!
UFO's.  More blooming UFOs is just what I needed.  Well, like a hole in the head, I should say.

So I sat down and emptied it out and had a bit of a stroll down memory lane.  This Angel project goes back to 2003!!  That's only... let's see....ummm 15 years.  Not bad when you say it really, really fast?  Oh dear, it only needs the border done and it would be together,  On the list it goes.

Then there are these two pieces of unfinished work.  They originate from a class I held in my shop back in ????? for the most lovely bag.  You fused the background and then cut out the flowers or a vase and put soft bridal netting over then.  Then you stitched it all down however you liked.  Made a fabulous looking bag, but maybe not until it's finished?  LOL.

























This vase full of flowers was lovely to put together.  Oh dear, this will definitely have to be finished.  Now how long do I have to live???

This is the pattern and you can see how beautiful it is supposed to look as a "finished" product.

Oh well, on with the parade.,.,,.

I found these most beautiful embroideries in a garage sale.  The lady who had stitched them had passed away and they had ended up in a church garage sale being sold for an infinitesimal amount. I love them and will do something with them soon.  Maybe set them on to a background and make a wall hanging with them.

This is the second half of a bargello quilt that I started making at a class with Malcolm Angus. The challenge was to use a colour not normally in your stash, so my friend Colleen and I swapped favourite colours.  I got purple and she got green, and it was very challenging.  Well it has to go on the list too, doesn't it?

My sample piece (wrinkled) of learning to hand quilt using the Luixin Newman method.  I only have some detail around the edges to finish and it could become a cushion.  Undecided on this one as I used a not very good quality quilters muslin, but it is one of my few hand quilted pieces,  I love hand quilting, but my hands don't!!

The left over makings of a sample from a Janome class in our shop.  It was used to learn lots of techniques like couching, decorative stitches, ribbon work, etc.  This lot will be donated to my friend who makes the Fidget Cushions for Alzheimer patients.

And then there was this magazine from 1997!  I thought why on earth did I keep this.  It's either the Sashiko stitching or the quilting patterns, but it's too long ago to remember, lol.

And finally, I found this Thimbleberries  Pun'kin Boy panel that was given to me by a friend for my birthday, probably about the same year as the magazine!!  I think they have even done a reprint of these I recall seeing somewhere.  Does it count if you have an original.  Not sure what on earth I will do with it?








Well, I hope you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me.  I am upset that I now have another six or so extra UFOs to get finished, but I do still like most of these, so I guess that's not so bad.



I hope you have all had a great week or so stitching and quilting.

I'm off to get organised for bed I think.  Shall try and make the next post a little shorter.  Take care.

Hugs and blessings
Clare

6 old and 6 new in 2018 -Making progress in record heat!

Oh boy, our air conditioner has been working overtime in the last few days, and there appears to be no let up for the next week.  A few days ago it was is around 42C,  (107F I believe), and that is just too hot for comfort.

Here is my report for the 6 old dand 6 new in 2018, plus I have joined the 18 in 2018 too!!  Just keeps me honest or mad or something!  I did at least make a little progress.

My goodness, it takes some time to get your head back into th right space with a quilt that was barely started in 2008.  All the counting has been done so I know what I still have to cut, and the next job is to finish off all the trimming of these HST's.  I think I might be a little short of fabric in the right colours, so, (every so sadly) I think I may have to go to a quilt shop. Hehehe.

Managed to finish the little tart as well as a pie this month, and have cut out and prepared quite a few more.  This project will definitely be long term as it is quite hard on my hands.  Another way to use up quite a good lot of fabric.

The second to last applique block for a quilt that has been in the making for quite some time.  I seem to have made a mistake in the drawing out of the pattern and had sewn on about five pieces and wasn't happy.  I decided to unpick, clean off my markings and start again.  Very happy I decided to do that.  The is so close to being finished I need to make a concerted effort to finish it.

I have decided that I am going to join in with Carole and My Carolina Home blog and do her Mystery Quilt and you can click on the link to see for yourself.  I usually don't get organised in time but this time I am determined to make it and of course we are given a month for each clue to be finished.  I felt it would be a great way to use up some more of that stash I am a little tired of.

Here is the River quilt all put together.  It's not a very big quilt, but will make a nice lap quilt or even a wall hanging.  I was so pleased the way the border fabric worked out so well, as it's always a bit of a problem after you have left it about 10 years to finish!!  Oops.  Never mind, it still counts as an almost finish for my 18 in 2018 list.















Most of my other projects have not been touched, but I did spend quite a bit of time resorting my fabrics and scraps.  Over the last couple of years as we finished this house, things got moved around quite a bit.  I have now managed to start getting everything back in the right places and can find things when I want them!  Well, that's what I'm pretending, LOL.  Actually, it has spurred me on to get moving on using some of these fabrics up, because although I still like them, I'm a bit fed up with looking at the same old stuff!  Keen to buy lots of new stuff in these lovely fresh modern colours!  Haha, that's famous last words.

I think that's all for now.  Happy stitching.
I'm linking up with Lynette of What A Hoot Quilts here
and Pomegranite and Chintz of 6 and 6 in 2018 here

Hugs and blessings,

Clare