Busy, Busy

Not a lot of sewing time the last couple of weeks in amongst time spent with family and friends, lots of home basketball games at the end of the season and going to work.

A couple of rounds have been added to Medley.  Very happy with how this quilt is coming together but it's going to be a while before it's all together.

I put Medley aside to make the little cot quilt for Mum to give to Lucy.  The heart/star pattern is from Thimble Blossoms' "Handmade with Love" Christmas quilt and it works beautifully for a baby girl quilt.

For the first time I've joined a beehive.  There are 12 members.  Each member chooses a quilt pattern (the theme is Bonnie and Camille patterns/fabrics) and every month one person is selected and each member makes a block from that person's quilt pattern and posts it to the person.  I've chosen "Summer Nights" by Bonnie Olaveson in all scrappy B&C fabrics.

The beehive members will make the star blocks in scrappy Bonnie and Camille fabrics and I will make the Irish Chain filler blocks.  I'll make a few extra blocks because I want the quilt to be a bit larger.

This week I've been going through my B&C scrap drawer and trimming lots of pieces to 2-1/2" and 2" squares to use in "Summer Nights".   Scrappy quilts are my favourite.

"The Post" was fantastic.  I need to watch "All the President's Men" again if I can get hold of a copy.  Mum and I plus a bunch of friends went to see "Darkest Hour" on Monday night - fabulous movie - made more interesting by having Mum giving a running commentary on all the events and people.  Tuesday afternoon Mum had a cataract removed and, aside from a bit of a black eye, no-one would know she'd had surgery.  She is remarkable.

I have a few quilt tops at the quilters. I dropped off the pink hearts quilt and "Nine Patch Waltz" and picked up "Cakewalk" from Karen.  The binding is sewn on and will hopefully be stitched down next week.

Yesterday was little ChaCha's third birthday - unbelievable!  She is now quite grown up, chatters pretty much non-stop and is a delight.  She was very excited about her new fish tank and fish.

Friends are visiting from Queensland - so looking forward to seeing them tonight. 

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.

Monday Again ...

Sarah sent me some photos of the back of my Tone it Down Quilt then told me that the quilting was finished and it would be on the way home today - so exciting.  Can't wait to finish this quilt.

Friday night had the best time having dinner with Barbara (our favourite pizza place) and then we went to the pictures to see "The Monuments Men".   I recognised some of these works of art I saw during my travels around Europe when I was much younger, so I am very grateful to these men.

Saturday was a mixed up kind of day - the usual housework and then I  played with some scraps.
 

I saw a great scrappy block on Susan's blog and would like to have a go at making some of these.  Lots of strips in varying widths ready to sew together soon.  I've ordered some red spot on white for the triangles.

Late Saturday afternoon I took Mum to the pictures to see "The Monuments Men" - twice in two days.  I was happy to see it again and Mum loved it.  Saturday night, thought I'd sew a few alphabet blocks together.  Reached halfway and called it a night.

 

Went along to a christening yesterday morning - it was so lovely.  The baby is the grandson of dear friends and he is gorgeous.  He looked so sweet in the christening gown made by his great-great-grandma for his daddy's christening.  After the christening came home to meet up with Louise and Tracy who were painting.  My contribution was the little gate at the top of the front steps, while Louise painted verandah posts on the large and small verandahs and Tracy tackled the small verandah ceiling then some of the fascia boards.  The house is looking fantastic.

 

We then attacked the lattice fence that goes across the yard before knocking off at 7.00 pm - an excellent day's effort.  Think I'd rather be at home painting today.