nearly all done

Holidays are over sadly but it's been a great week for labels and binding with some finishes to tick off the list.

Basket case is a big finish, label sewn on too...

The back is my attempt at a Liberty quilt but I wasn't quite happy with it so it made a perfect backing.

Tilda's Hometown  (adjusted) is done and will be gifted to a work friend.

This was quilted by a novice quilter friend. The larger quilting design has made it very soft, just like a handquilted quilt.

Don't these labels look pretty on their quilts?

Things will slow down, productivity wise but rest assured there will be crafting being done. 

Have a great day

Marina

Another Tick....

 The past few days I have been busy sewing down binding on my completed quilts. Which led to another job, that of sewing labels. 

I have quite a few quilts without labels but have a lot of doilies that I have collected to use as labels for my quilts so....... it was time to get to it!

The binding for this lovely got done. Trying to use from my stash so the binding was made from some greyish tilda that was in my stash. Not unhappy with it I must say, roughly half the binding is in each fabric.

two of my favourite blocks.....

Here is my little collection of labels ready to sew them on as you can see by the dates some are long overdue for their labels.

 I must say my stitching is a little higgledy piggledy but I can live with it. On other quilts I just used a pigma pen to write on the doilies and I always feel I was being a little lazy so I went the whole hog with these and stitched them, the stitching got neater with each label.

Do you always label your quilts straight away?

Just one more quilt to sew the binding down on and then that's it for my 2024 finishes so far. Gotta be happy with that!

Have a great day

Marina

April sneaking in

 Wow, April here you are... 

First week of the holidays is nearly over and what is there to show for it...

A lovely friend has purchased a quilting machine and offered to practice on a few quilts if I was happy to provide them. It is an offer too good to refuse.

They have been waiting to have the binding sewn down on them and then lo and behold I got a call from my local quilt shop that my two quilts were done and ready for collection.

The last two need to have the binding sewn on and down but here is the completed quilt...

I love a rolled up quilt showing off the binding.  The quilt underneath is one of the ones from the quilters.

the quilting design from the back.

This quilt has already been earmarked for a precious great great niece that is due in August. I hope her mum will like it.

I guess I'll be sewing binding for the next few days!

Happy days

Marina

What is new....

 Now that a few projects have been completed and delegated to different quilters I can share my new projects.

It was not easy finding the inspiration for a new project. I went through the projects waiting to be started and found a pattern that I had really loved and was keen to do. With everything I need at hand (after a little retail therapy) I was off and running.

this lovely pattern is by Irene Blanck, named Orange Sherbet. It was a project in an English patchwork magazine a few years ago and I was so keen to have it I subscribed to the magazine to get the pattern. That's why the pattern is just printed on paper. Irene has since put the pattern for sale on her website if you're tempted. I was very keen to use the same background fabrics as she used and it took some internet searching to find them, luckily at a couple of my favourite on line stores.

I started with the orange flowers and went with a mottled brown dot for the flower centres.

Tried my best to be as accurate as possible with the tracing on the back grounds and the flower petals. I think it paid off. Sometimes I can be a bit slapdash but this project won't be too forgiving I feel so it's slow and steady for me.

This week past I cut out the flowers for the centre blocks.  Here is one I tried out to see how the colours sat for me. I must admit I have toned the colours down a little bit, but they suit me so I am happy with them so far.

 

Second new start is another Irene design. Little Blooms.

In the pattern the flowers are pieced together like epp but one whole piece suits my purposes better.

Its always fun dipping into different fabrics to put a scrappy top together. Luckily I had quite a few background fabrics in my stash and it feels great to be using them.

Happy days as school holidays have arrived!

Two quilts have the binding to be sewn down, definitely on the holiday to do list.

some more applique to be done with some revisiting of projects on the go.

Cheers for now

Marina

PS thankyou to Suzanne and other commenters for your kind words. I couldn't reply to your comments so will do so here. Thanks

Long time between drinks.....

 Well it has been awhile. Life has been happening and thankfully crafting too.  It's a lazy Saturday and I felt it's about time to pay some attention to my neglected blog and update my crafting projects on here as I do like to chronicle them here.

I have been visiting my usual blogs but as they authors are mostly on instagram too it's easy to comment there. I do feel I've missed my blog too.

There have been some finishes here which you know means some starts. Gotta be happy about that.

Here are some progress pics 

Nine Owl and Hare stitcheries applied to my dresden top and is now at the quilters. I must say I really loved doing these stitcheries. 

Who's who in the zoo now just needs to have some borders done...... my least favourite part of a quilt.

My aussie animals top is done, finished differently to the pattern but that's the way I tend to roll.

A friend has kindly quilted it for me as a practice quilt as she is new to machine quilting.

and my hometown tilda quilt is done too again completed differently to the pattern.

Here is the progress on my little Kathy Schmitz stitcheries. I need to cut some more blades for the dresdens shortly as I have nearly completed those I had prepared. All the stitcheries are completed that I need for this project as are the backgrounds.

Looks like Dresdens have become a little obsession of mine. 

Well today I hope to get the binding sewn on the two quilted tops so that they can be called a complete finish.

Hope this post is not too photo heavy and that there are still visitors to my little blog.

Perhaps next time I can share my new projects!

Happy days

Marina

Time is flying....

 Seems like my blog has become a little neglected again, this doesn't mean a lack of crafting though.

Progress has been achieved on most of my ongoing projects I'm happy to say though not has quickly as I would like. Just need more hours in the day I'm afraid.

Latest row of the zoo quilt has been done, a plan has been hatched and implemented for the sweet Kathy Schmitz stitcheries and that has involved some fabric hunting, one of my favourite sports. Would you like to see ?

I am using up leftover background fabrics and also my small stash of leftover Liberty fabrics. I did need to do some buying to add to my stash as it didn't have enough variety. Thankfully GJ's sell and cut down to a 25"square so this was not an exorbitant expense and I could pick lots of styles. These dresdens were left over from a quilt I made a little while ago that I ended up gifting to a lovely work friend. Now I will get a version to keep-well that is the plan lol.

So it seems this is becoming a real leftovers quilt, you have to feel good about that.

A peek at some of the later stitcheries that were completed....

Christmas has been on my mind too..

This little pillow got finished. Poor thing was the last of the set that was just hidden in a drawer. But he's done now and ready for Christmas.

 

I got to go to a lovely sit and sew day at Kilmore quilters and there was a little retail therapy had.

This little ornament kit came home with me and was completed in my Festive flurry. There were plans to make more but I think this will do for now.

Well that is it for me for now.

Hopefully I will not leave it so long to make a post. 

Next post I will share the updates on my zoo quilt and Tilda quilt. Both are on the home stretch.

Happy days

Marina

PS stay tuned for some Elf antics as the time is drawing near for their arrival!!

There have been some new purchases for this year's antics. I think I really need an intervention lol.

Take care.

September

 Good intentions just weren't enough and just like that it's mid September.

Some progress has been made on the usual projects and School holidays started this week.  All my hopes for social catch ups and sewing have been crushed thanks to our old friend Covid. I started to be unwell last Wednesday and thought I just had a flu as Covid tests showed a negative result but low and behold on Saturday I tested positive. It explained why I felt so bad. I am on the improve a little each day but I seem to feel to fatigued after very small exertions. That's life !

I do have some pics of the progress that has been made in the past month to share though.....

the next row is ready for the Who's who at the zoo....

Next hometown block done and the third prepped.

More crochet happening this is the third scarf being made. I love how the colours unfold.

Some squares for an un-yet decided project

two more blocks have been done from the owl and hare set. I still don't know how these will go together yet. 

That's me caught up and hopefully if I feel better I'll get to make some more progress on my works.

Happy days

Marina