"Hidden Figures"

Best movie I've seen for a long time.  Such inspirational women.  A movie not to be missed.

While we were watching the movie I was keeping up with the basketball score and we made it back to Lynell's in time to watch the last 8 minutes live and then a replay of the whole match - was a late night.  Fabulous effort by The Hawks to make it to the grand final.  Unfortunately they lost the first of five grand final games on Sunday night but we're looking forward to a better result tomorrow night when they play at home.

I've been sewing more of the Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks and have six more to put together then I can sew the blocks into rows.  Sunday was the day to sew Summerville together - this is such a great pattern.  Once all the components are made, they go together so easily and the top was done by the time I had to leave to watch the basketball at my friends' place.

The top needs a good press.  Backing next then it can go off for quilting.

Sewing This Week

In 2014 I finished my first Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt - it has been on my bed pretty much all the time since - I love it and I love the memories associated with this quilt:  a great weekend in Sydney with Sarah meeting Camille Roskelley, the designer of the fabrics I used.

The technique used to strip piece these blocks is available as a free tutorial from Bonnie Hunter - she is a brilliant designer and a magician when it comes to scrappy quilts.

I've been wanting to make another Scrappy Trip Around the World for a while and saw a beautiful version on Woodberry Way's Instragram feed using a white fabric for every second row.  Then I came across Cindy Lammon's quilt with wonderful pressing instructions and black fabrics for the feature rows and Erin Jensen's (@mommy2lu) beautiful quilt.

I thought I would use my white based Bonnie and Camille fabrics for the alternate rows with the black fabrics from their Handmade range as the feature but I realised I could use the whites as main fabrics along with Bella Solid 97/B&C white-on-whites as the alternate rows.  I'm thrilled to bits with how these blocks look and extremely thankful to these quilters for sharing their ideas.

We're going to see "Hidden Figures" tonight - so looking forward to this movie.

Building a Village

Most of my sewing time last week and over the weekend was taken up with sewing blocks for "Summerville", a quilt designed by Thimble Blossoms, which was cut out about a month ago.  This is a great pattern and very enjoyable to make - some quite large blocks and a variety of designs to put together into a medallion quilt.

Once all these are sewn together there is one more border to go around the outside edge.  This week I've been distracted by another quilt, Scrappy Trip Around the World, using all my white background Bonnie and Camille fabrics and black fabrics from their Handmade range.

Last weekend was quite busy but fun.  On Friday night Lynell, Robyn and I went to see The Idea of North, an outstanding a capella group - their singing is beautiful.  Saturday afternoon we saw "Chess" - a concert version of the musical staged by a local theatre company - not my favourite musical but some beautiful songs, especially "Anthem" (sung magnificently by a local singing teacher) and "I Know Him So Well".  Sunday afternoon was game 2 of the basketball semi-finals - do or die for the Hawks.  Was such an exciting game which the Hawks won.   The Hawks need to win the third game tomorrow night to make the grand final - won't be watching that one as it's in Adelaide and I'll be at the pictures.  Looking forward to seeing "Hidden Figures".

Had a fantastic time yesterday with little Gulliver - he's such a sweetheart; chatters 90 to the dozen and melts my heart.

Rebecca's Scrappy Churndash

This quilt is very special and almost wasn't made thanks to the incompetence of an Australia Post person - Rebecca asked me to make a quilt using her daughters' baby/toddler dresses and packed them all up to send to me.  The box was addressed correctly but for some reason it sat in a post office for 7 weeks with no notification to me or her as to where it was.  A card was finally issued and I was able to pick up the box - huge relief for Rebecca.  A complaint was lodged with Australia Post and it is still unresolved.

Anyway, back to the quilt.  Rebecca received it last week and loves it - so that's great.

 

I wanted an all-over quilting design that didn't favour one direction, and this tatting design is wonderful - quilted by Karen from www.quiltingonthecoast.com.au

My Pink and Green Heaven

This quilt is made using a design from Quilters Cache called My Blue Heaven.  I started a blue and yellow version in 2006 which was finished last year.  The new quilt took 4 months, so that's an improvement :)

Approx 60" x 72"

I asked Karen to choose a quilting design - love it

The backing is from my stash - used the floral green/pink for the binding.

A friend on Instagram said my Pineapple Quilt looks like Pineapple Sherbet, so that's what I'll call it - anyway, the quilt top is finished and ready to send to Karen once the backing arrives and Karen is home from her trip.

More Cutting Out

At long last the weather cooled down enough last week so I could iron the Snippets blocks - they are ready to sew together one day.  Spent a bit of time cutting out the Takes the Cake strips into 2-1/2" squares (1800 of them).

I'm looking forward to making up a couple of the Takes the Cake blocks to try out the black crossweave for the background in this quilt - something completely out there for me.

So glad I have the pink cutting mat - much easier to use than the dark green for black fabrics.

I picked up Scrappy Churndash and My Pink and Green Heaven from Karen on Friday afternoon - that was a scorcher of a day.  By Sunday the weather had cooled down enough for me to sew on some binding and stitch down Scrappy Churndash binding.  This quilt is now on the way to its new home.
 

 

The pineapples have multiplied - outer borders to go on (maybe) tonight and this is ready to go to Karen.

ChaCha had a two night sleepover on the weekend.  We went to a great basketball game on Saturday night and cheered the Hawks into the finals series.  Her first game - have to start 'em young (says her uncle).

It's Too Hot

Had such a fun time at ChaCha's birthday party on Saturday and was so lovely to spend some time with Gulliver and the rest of the family.

After the party I headed off to stitching at Karen's.  Really enjoyed seeing the girls for the first time this year.  I dropped off four quilt tops for Karen to quilt over the next few weeks:  Medley, Cakewalk, My Pink and Green Heaven and Scrappy Churndash (below).  White borders were added after this photo was taken.

16 Snippets blocks were sewn together on Saturday night

and the rest were sewn together on Sunday but it was way too hot and humid to turn on the iron, so these blocks are still waiting to be pressed.

Camille Roskelley has released a new pattern, Takes the Cake, and I spent some time after work yesterday cutting out strips and 2-1/2" squares for this quilt.  Lots more squares to be cut from the strips.  This quilt will be very different for me because I'll be using black crossweave fabric for the background.

January collage of quilts in progress and a couple of finished birthday presents.

I've been watching "West Wing" again while sewing and have so enjoyed the whole series - was quite sad to see President and Mrs Bartlett flying off into the sunset.

One TWO ChaChaCha

Little ChaCha turned two this week.

I made a couple of presents for the Birthday Girl:

Reading a Girl Cushion with a pocket to hold her new favourite bedtime book

"Giddy Up" designed by Melly and Me

 

Had a little issue when drilling holes in the dowel to stitch the head to the pole - it helps if the drill is in forward rather than reverse.

ChaCha and Gulliver are the sunshine in my life - their smiles make any heart melt - and I'm so fortunate to be their Nanna.