Road Trip!

Yesterday Karen, Paula and I drove to Bathurst to the annual Bloggers Meet.

Bag packed for Show and Tell along with present for swap

First stop was Anni's wonderful shop, The Home Patch.  Bought a few things - pretty restrained for me.

A kit of Anni decorations, Country Keepsakes Christmas decorations, some of Anni's new Christmas fabric,
glue pen refills and some metal Christmas decorations.

Was lovely to meet some new friends and catch up with dear friends.

Little Chicken (Julia), Susan, Fiona, Kylie's daughter, Kylie

Ann, Donna (Chooky) and Ros.

I was thrilled to meet Ros (Bloom) as I've made a few of her beautiful designs.

Some of our on-line group girls came along too:

Susan, Fiona, Donna, Jan, Peg and Sue

Great to finally meet Susan and Fiona - we've been chatting via email and FB for quite a while.  Always lovely to catch up with Peg, Donna and Sue and was lovely to meet Jan who travelled a very long way.

We had a little swap on the day

All the presents ready for the draw.

I received a very pretty washer and soap made by Jan

and Paula received the present I took along

Machine embroidered tea towel and hexagon coin purse.

The hit of the day was the swap present Paula brought along - a Janelle Wind apron - the pattern was in Homespun Volume 12 No 11 in 2011.

Susan modelling her beautiful apron from Paula

 We had some VIP guests attend - Peg and Dale snuck into the photo with Susan.

Another Long Weekend

I was able to have a flex day on Friday so that meant two long weekends in a row - could get used to that.

There has been a bit of sewing happening although it's secret sewing.

All wrapped up and ready to go in the post.

And some 1/2'" hexies for another secret present - hexagons are always fun to make/sew.

I've been on a couple of shopping trips over the last few weeks:  new computer and desk

as well as tv and cabinet.

Had lunch with Mum yesterday and we went to see "Diana" - although I enjoyed the movie, it wasn't fabulous but it did remind me of what a sad life she had and that it was never her own life once she married into the royal family (and especially after the divorce).

Hexagon Bag

Finished at last.  It was actually started at New Year - feels like this bag has been on the go for so long.
 

 

Didn't need to be at work quite so early today so I had a spare half hour to start strip-piecing the Kiss Me block centres.

The colours/fabrics look pretty even from the underside.

Diann is making excellent progress - she has four blocks finished.

I am so looking forward to Saturday night - I'm going to see the "Thank God It's Friday" crew in Wollongong - Wendy Harmer, Jean Kitson, Richard Glover, etc. Should be hilarious.

Paula's Quilt

On Sunday afternoon Paula came over to play on the doover (the quilting frame).  As it was her first time I set her up with a practice piece.

It didn't take long until she had the hang of it so we loaded up her beautiful Bento Box quilt. - the colours are fabulous.

The first row is always a bit nerve-wracking but she was off like a champ and I think she's hooked.

I even talked her into having a go at an easy free-hand border design (pseudo feathers) - excellent first effort.

Two more borders to go and she's done.

I've quilted the hexagons for my doctor's bag and the piece is now on the way to being made into a bag.

Lots Happening

Well, I'm hoping that lots will be happening today.

Diann and I have decided to make a quilt each:  Kiss Me designed by Fig Tree & Co.

Today's task was to choose our fabrics:  this was easy for me.  I'm using a "Vintage Modern" jelly roll along with the cream/beige spot for background, pink floral for borders (maybe) and the red spot for binding.

The weekend is for cutting out.

On Tuesday night the stitching girls came over - I put them to work helping me lay out the "Picnic" blocks - my least favourite part of the quilt-making process.

Looks like the girls got the colour placement right first go - there are a few blocks I will need to turn 90 degrees.  It's looking great.  Might sew a few together this morning.

This pretty tub is filled with all the half-square triangle off-cuts - over 1200 pieces of fabric.  One day, maybe, one day I will do something with them.

The girls are coming back this afternoon for a play-date.  Paula will have her first turn on the quilting frame.  Perhaps I should take Sarah's advice and offer Paula a couple of glasses of wine before she starts :)

Rhonda will be making her first bag.  Yesterday at lunchtime I took out my hexagons and decided that the row I was stitching would be the last.  I'm over sewing these particular hexies, so I'll be starting to put my bag together along with Rhonda.
 

Had a great time last night:  had my usual hairdresser appointment (Adage in Church Street).  Barbara and two other friends were there.  Barbara and I decided to go out for dinner afterwards.  Dinner was so delicious and I had way too much (of course).

"Lest We Forget"

My Dad - WW2

My Grandad - WW1

Very Slow Progress

I have probably stitched during two lunchtimes this year so I'm making extremely slow progress sewing the hexagons together for my next Doctor's Bag.  The area with all green/pink hexies will form the base of the bag.

These are 1" hexies.  It's on the "one day ...." list.

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Nothing Much

Nothing much to show that is.

Sunday week ago we went to Sydney to be with The Bride while she tried on a dress she liked.  She ended up not buying that particular dress but she does have a dress, which is great news.  We also went shoe shopping (for The Bride), had nice lunch together etc.

On the train to/from Sydney I stitched some hexagons together - was pretty chuffed with how many rows I ended up with by the time I arrived home.  Still working away on these some lunchtimes.

Saturday afternoon Jenni and I went to Miranda for Hens Day supplies (that will be held next Saturday) and we also called in to Ikea - would you believe I bought nothing?  It's the truth!  Saturday night we went to a surprise 30th birthday party at a place called "Madam Fling Flong" in Newtown.  The birthday girl was very surprised - it was a fun night.

Birthday Girl opening one of her presents

Yesterday I was hoping to do some sewing but it didn't happen - the house is clean and tidy though, the washing and ironing are all done, so I suppose that's something.  I did start machine embroidering a present for The Bride for her hens day.

Tuesday Girls are meeting up tomorrow night for the first time since Christmas - I'm looking forward to that.

Big Hexagons

I've cut out these 1" hexagons for my own version of the Doctor Bag.

They look enormous compared to the 1/2" hexagons I used for last year's bags but they are quick to sew together.  Excellent lunch-time stitching.  Haven't finished the Lynette Anderson Christmas mini quilt I was working on but then there's always next Christmas for that one.  Diann sent me a packet of Lynette Anderson buttons for Christmas thinking they'd be something I would like and they are the exact buttons I need for this mini quilt!  Talk about serendipity

Hexagon Bag No 3

I've had my fill of little hexagons for the next while.

Over the last couple of weeks I've also sewn some Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks together.  The blocks have been cut out for a while just waiting for an opportunity to sew them up.

Contrary Husband

Birds in the Air

Broken Dishes

Card Trick

Children's Delight

Chimneys and Cornerstones

Chinese Coin

Clay's Choice

I might cut out a few more blocks tomorrow.  We are going to see "Mental" tomorrow afternoon - I hope there's a laugh or two in the movie.

Hexagon Bag No 2

The Fig Tree Hexagon Bag is finished

and I'm done for the day.

Hexagon Bag 1

The first bag is finished and my fingers are sore from sewing on the frame - not my favourite part of the process.

"Little Hexagon Purse" pattern purchased from the designer, Brigitte Giblin

The friend this bag is for doesn't use shoulder bags so this handle is perfect for her.

Bag No 2 is ready for attaching the handle.

Back to it.

Hexagons

Had a lovely afternoon yesterday. Karen came to visit and told us all about her new caravan and the adventures she and Bob are planning then I had some time in the garden before going into the sewing room.

I started outline quilting the white hexagons in the Pink Hexagon quilt.


Will take a few quilting sessions to do these hexagons. I've been using the BSR with the foot pedal and it's going quite well. I sewed black/white/grey/red hexies together while watching tv last night. Actually I sat in the sewing room watching "The Pallisers" on DVD because John was watching football. Think I'll put "Seachange" on this afternoon while I'm sewing.

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