2nd Week of December

A few more blocks have been quilted, a few more rows crocheted, some more looped picots on the Hardanger and a few more stitches added to a piece...

I did complete another Caswell block.... all those grapes!!!!

This is the pattern, the flowers were supposed to be lots of petals... an executive decision was made!

I've been baking for my daughters family lately - just some sweet treats ...  It was worth it so see the size of the slice Widget cut!

Hubz was getting grumpy he didn't get cake so I made him his own little mini one!

Righto, Gotto Go ....  the day is waiting. 

This is my bit of festive ... hopefully it will survive long enough to go in the garden.

Have a lovely week....xx

First week of December

I am so not ready for December.... 

I needed another lesson on looped picots for my Hardanger - so nothing more to show there.  I received a couple of learner books from Jennifer and they are helping me learn... thanks so much

Over the year Susan and I have been sewing Be My Neighbour blocks each month..... I got my binding hand sewn down this week so I have a finish... it's being called Debs' Village.

I did in the ditch quilting around the buildings and windows... some lines in the borders but it has kept it nice and soft.  As you can see in the next picture the backgrounds are different colours.  Quite a cheerful village I think, it's had a wash and ready for the right time to gift...

I did start on another Caswell block.... poor quilt has been severely neglected.  I do love doing the needleturn so not sure why it seems to take a back seat so often....

I had a single ball of this lovely soft thick yarn and made up this beanie.... well I had to do a few attempts so that I could get it all out of the one ball.... done now and this will go into the KOGO pile for next year.  Another square was done too.

Blue stripey crochet blanket has come to a halt as I did not estimate the yarn well enough and didn't have anything here that would suit so have ordered on line and waiting for delivery so I can finish it off.

Not been a good week for estimating yarn amounts!!!

Righto, Gotto Go - we went into Brisbane yesterday to watch a day of The Ashes, a rivalry cricket game between Australia and England.... had such a fun day.  The Gabba is going to be torn down - another place built for the Olympics, so this will be the last of the Ashes Tests here..... evening break as the sun goes down.

Have a lovely week.....xx

Last week of November

A stormy week we have had....  not much rain in it but amazing light shows, for us no damage (a power out one evening) but many people and places have.

I am keeping myself busy with one thing or another...

I had a home day so got out the magnifying light and worked on my blackwork ......

It's easier for me to have several to do at a time so these are catch up ones.... 4 more to go but I will wait till they are all released and finish them.  Still not sure what I will do with it!

While the light was on I worked on the next bit of Hardanger... cutting threads!!!  and of course I cut one that I shouldn't have ..... 

online lesson on how to fix it.... the tension is not great but I felt I did a good job and it will be stitched over...

Then I finished all the little eyelets in this block.....  again there is a mistake but I'm not undoing it... can you find it????

I loaded up my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt this week and will slowly do a few blocks when I can....  (top was made in 2019) 

Doing a bit of hand sewing my binding down on Be My Neighbour... which I am now calling Deb's Village

I like this little gadget when I am binding.... I can thread 10 threads at a time and hold them here where they don't get all knotted up..... and then just stitch away.....

Thursday Hardanger's lesson is these tormenting looped picots!  That whole block needs to be filled with them!  I am struggling I have to admit, at the same time it completely takes over when I am doing it and I lose track of time....

I helped a friend out with a tiny thing and she gave me this sweet needleholder as a thank you.... it is nice and lightweight so a perfect addition to my Hardanger WIP kit....

Some lovely gentle rain this morning and a Christmas party to attend today.....

Righto, Gotto Go put on my glad-rags....

Have a lovely weekend....xx

3rd week of November

The parrots are regular visitors and getting bold sitting at the table even when we are here..... they come and shout if there is no seed out....

The King Parrot is at the table (I call him Charles), behind at the seed table are a couple of Rainbow Lorikeets and on the lawn are a pair of Crested Pigeons doing their macho thing....

This week I worked on my eyelets for hardanger... every second thread on the bigger one and every thread on the smaller.  As you can see in my sampler I am trying different coloured threads so I can get an idea of the effect they make as well as the stitch. 

Mostly I was pressing cutting and sorting for my Wensleydale.....  lucky I could place all 60 sets on my lovely big table.  Mostly blues but also some beiges, mostly French General but others which suited are put in.  30 starting with light and 30 with dark (some artistic licence taken over dark and light)

Each set is now on a paper plate ready for sewing.... this way if I have a bit of spare time I can go and get one done (we are all looking for that spare time aren't we?)

My stripy crochet blanket is growing..... 

and another square has been knitted (car trips)

I do enjoy having different things to 'play' with, a gentle time to sit and watch the birds while I sit, or crochet, or sort colours.

Righto, Gotto Go..... coffee is drunk, the day has begun...

Have a lovely weekend....x

Second week of November

This week has gone in a bit of a daze and I have kept busy..

On Sunday I attended my last clothes making session of the year and I made up a baby romper for a friends baby girl...

I have forgotten how fiddly it is to make little clothes!!!

On Wednesday with the girls I continued making up some scrappy blocks for Trail Mix...

There is a bunch more to be made up...

I have taken to doing some stitching in the evenings and got out my table runner that has been neglected for some time...

Added a few more rows onto the crochet stripey blanket aswell....

This little village is on the quilting rack..... doing a little bit each day - mostly in the ditch around the blocks.... I feel that is all it needs...

Summer storms and some fierce winds have visited us, lovely to have water in the tanks and some green lawn to enjoy...

Have a lovely crafty weekend.... xx

Righto, Gotto Go..... time for a cuppa

Start of November

The local King Parrots have been visiting us.... this is Mr

... and this is Mrs.... there are a couple of Mrs's so not sure who is with who!!

They were coming in to the little veranda and leaving rather a few too many calling cards so we have set up a little feeding area we can watch.

They still come in and sit on the chair and shout if there is no seed there for them.

I missed a couple of my regular outings this week but caught up with my blackwork

... and Janice has shown me a rabbit hole to go down!!

I've had the pad of papers for some time with a plan to do it in Blue French Generals.  I know I can't keep up with the Stitchalong but I will start cutting as I find some time...

It's a lovely distraction

I am still knitting blocks for KOGO, but have started a little baby blanket in crochet as I do enjoy that in the evening....

Righto, Gotto Go...... time to get the evening meal cooked.... Spaghetti Bolognese with cheese on top...

Have a lovely weekend....xx