Mermaid and Seahorse

  I needed to make one more Present and the little girl was not going to be around til after Christmas. So for the last two days I have been grabbing spare moments. I am not a doll maker and have not made a doll before. There are no buttons or anything that could get stuck in small mouths as the little girl is just one.

This is the pattern from the latest issue of Homespun –The Summertime issue-  designer Natalie Ross. She looks a little different and has her own personality.

Happy New Year to everyone Cheers Lynne

Christmas Shirt is finally finished!

I have just sewn the last button on my Christmas shirt and it is ready to wear. A friend gifted me this gorgeous piece of Liberty Roses fabric (So Me :-)) and I thought it would make a perfect Christmas shirt. Red and Green with gorgeous gold buttons. I am almost ready for Santa. Not being the most organised of people that is nothing short of a miracle.

Wishing Each and Everyone of you Joy and Peace at Christmas and the very Best of Health and Happiness in the year 2011.

Cheers Lynne and Rob

Nearly Insane Blocks 7 and 77

Block 7 and Block 77. They look so different. There are little apples around the square in the square and what looked to me like Christmas lights in the Chrome Yellow in B7

Love Block 77Those Greens and Double pinks with a little Chrome yellow as a Zing

Wish I could say I was getting more sewing done! Plan on baking another fruit cake tomorrow. The Hazelnut one and other Christmassy things. Have a Great Week All Cheers Lynne

Fruitcake Baking Day

Fruitcake making day :-)  While I cook I have never made a fruitcake before and needed to learn the Art of Tin Preparation. A very important step in fruitcake making.

Yes we are both quilters. Notice the different cake personalities. Same recipe, except Rosemary left out the Ginger and made the weight up in fruit.  Different size tin but that is all. We had such fun and they both look gorgeous. My cake is secretly stashed to mature for a week or two.

This is my Before shot. Lynne’s Cake

Rosemary’s Cake

Rosemary’s After shot  YummYumm. Now Rosemary basted hers with Whiskey. Believe it or not cakes are the same darkness. Two different cameras

Lynne’s after shot. I basted mine with Brandy. I think we need to get together and compare cake flavours :-)

I have just found another Fruit cake recipe with Hazelnuts. Fruitcake is meant to keep right so I think while I am on a roll I should make another :-) Have a Great Day All Cheers Lynne

Block 4 and 53

 
Block 4 Has a Bee in the Centre
 
Block 53
I rather like this one. Totally different but still a star. The next block I need to do is Block 7 which just by chance happens to be another star and then the dreaded Block 8 which I have successfully avoided since the beginning when it was issued as a challenge. I have been making this quilt since November 2008. There was a while when it was on the backburner but now I am enjoying it with renewed enthusiasm.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.
Cheers Lynne

Nearly Insane Block 48

 
I have finished one of the blocks for the week :-)
Fussy cut the red and the black edge is fussy-cut from the same fabric. The black star and the gorgoeus yellow are fabrics I bought form the Quilted Crow while we were in Tasmania on our second honeymoon.
This quilt will be a journey of many memories. I am having fun. Cheers Lynne

Ward Brothers Sewing Machine

Just love these gorgeous Daisy Decals on this “Vesta” made Hand crank machine sold by Ward Brothers in Melbourne. She looks like she has hardly been used.

This machine is a vibrating shuttle with the long style shuttle. It also can sew in reverse
Vesta manufactured this machine c1930’s. It began as L.O.Dietrich based at Altenberg in Germany. The name was changed to Vesta around 1910 .    
Ward Brothers were a big department store based in Melbourne.
Notice the pin cushion on the parts box.
If you click on the photos they will enlarge nicely.
Cheers Rob and Lynne

Block 40 A Little of the Adelaide Collection

Block 40 Features fabric I wanted to use from the Adelaide Collection (Bird in the centre and the 4 corners) Adelaide is where I live and I thought it most appropriate now that this gorgeous range just come out thanks to
the Lovely Michele Hill and Jason Yenter.

Just so love the Serpentine too. I have to confess I did not even look at the way the block was presented in the book this time. Nor did I plan this block apart from really wanting to use the birds in the middle and they only just fit and the cornerstones of gorgeous from the Adelaide collection . Influenced only slightly by recently acquiring the gorgeous serpentine. The rest of the block I just let talk to me as I went along :-)

Block 2 (my personal weekly challenge as I need to make a few to fill the gaps so that I can start to sash my blocks) features a sewing machine. Fabric again thanks to
Jan from  Bemused. I was lucky to win this fabric last year. The 'L' came from the same FQ.

Remember the blocks are set on point so the sewing machine another squeeze fitted just but I am pleased with it. The cornerstones are straight it is just that I photograph on a board and cannot pin the flat so the edge is angled up
Looking forward to next weeks challenge on the Nearly Insane Yahoo group . My Personal Challenge for next week will be block 4. If I tell you all I will have to make sure I finish it or should I say both.

Rob has just taken photos of a sewing machine so I will put them up soon too. Cheers Lynne

Nearly Insane Block 1

Nearly Insane Block 1  (33 pieces)This is the 49th Block I have made. I thought it was 50. Oh well next one will be.
Taryn that is your little spinning top in the centre. I have not made Block 2 yet so that might have to be the next one. Wish I could say I got lots of sewing done this weekend but I did manage a few hours so that was nice.
Cheers Lynne

Nearly Insane Block 6 and 76

 
Block 6 was the Challenger for the week. Could not resist putting the L in the centre. Thankyou to Jan of Bemused. This was part of the fabric that I won on her blog last year. It fits perfectly. I know the wattle is not repro but it is so perfect.

This is Block 76 and has been in the making for weeks. Somehow on the backburner while I was distracted by Blind Mans Fancy (which I was still working on today) and my Little Bears Paws. The block is square just not photographed square. I have now made 49 blocks and am Half way :-) Will need to find some self discipline and get back to regularly making them won’t I.
Have a great week all Cheers Lynne

Blind Man’s Fancy Block 4 and 5

I know I have been quiet for a while. Small problem or in our case large Internet problems We were going at snails pace there for a while. Thank goodness we could still send emails but I do now have a much greater appreciation of the returned speed and really feel for those on much slower speeds.

Block4
 
Block 5 I have made half of  2 of 3 of B5  so still have one and a half to go. Am getting there and then I have not counted how many flying geese blocks I need to make. It will be interesting to see Rosemary and Nancy’s versions.
Photos 1,2 and 3 are my Greensleeves Roses Day 1  There are no Green Tinges yet

Greensleeves Roses Day 2  Usually there is a distinct lime green colour. Stay tune.
A Red Single Rose Look at all the buds behind it. It really has been a  wonderful year for roses. I just love them. There is lots of Garlic growing amongst my roses.
Have a Great Sunday Cheers Lynne

Another Blind Man’s Fancy Block

I have finished another block. The other two (the Same are well on the way. I do not plan the colours till I have done each part. I chose the Square in a square. Then after they were put together I chose the HST. Then finally the cornerstones for onpoint. I have had the centres made for ages. That is how I always work. I like each step to be a surprise. It always works out. Enlarge the block to get a closer view of the fabrics. The block is square it is just my photography  Have  a great week All Cheers Lynne

Another WIP Bears Paw

These blocks started out as Leaders and Enders to my Blind Man’s Fancy. Patterns is in an old Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine and is called Little Brown Bear.  I am having fun just sewing the blocks. It will be a quilt one day, no rush. I will just enjoy the journey. Maybe I will do my own applique for the adjoining block. At the moment I am just enjoying the sewing. All Paper-pieced and the HST are all different. I just so love the super scrappy look. I still have 2 more borders to put on these blocks to bring them up to 12 inches. One is Another HST border. All those blues are going to sparkle.
All the photos enlarge. The fabrics are all repros but come from many collections Past and present. I just wish that I had started to collect Repros sooner. My stash of Repros has only been collected over the last 6 years and if I see any of the older ranges try to add them to the stash too.
Some people find Paper-Piecing maddening I just love it. Stay tune for the next borders.  Have a  great Weekend All and enjoy whatever you do :-)Cheers Lynne

Blind Mans Fancy Block Size 15in Finished

I am making 3 of each block for a swap among 2 friends.
Block1 Before I had those wonderful HST papers. In case you are wondering the HST made for  Block1 - 2 and 3 I have never delegated anything to the bin but they were getting the better of me. Just would not behave.
All the photos will enlarge :-)
Block1 Version2 Block2 
Love Bird Fabrics :-) Love this block.Beginning of  Block3
Beginning of B3 the HST this time are the same values. Just so that it looks different.  I also have a finished project. totally different.
I have a great niece Zoe who is 1. I made her a present. Have not bought the little T-Shirt to match yet but plan on adding enough to it so that relates to the skirt. I has fun making this. It is nice and bright and fresh. Spring is here.

Close up of the flowers I plan to make another pink one and RicRac leaves to decorate the T-Shirt Cheers Lynne

Sturts Desert Pea

    Week1 (All the photos enlarge)

  Week2  Week3 Don’t you just love them. A dear friend gave them to me last year when I was not well. Hers all died. She probably looked after them too well. I am sad to say that I neglected mine and can not believe the results. These gorgeous flowers State Emblem of South Australia normally grow out in the desert.

Sorry for the blog break. Have not been well – Fibromyalgia and a shoulder that I would like to give away. It keeps me awake at night and severely encroaches on my alert time for stitching. I am slowly getting on top of things and have found medication I am not allergic to.

Will post a few of the things I have been doing. Not anywhere near enough but little by little I’ll get there.

Here is my Lorraine Lea Rose in the side garden.

    Cheers Lynne

1920’s Beale Sewing Machine

Gorgeous Art Nouveau Decals Made by  The Free Sewing Machine Company of Rockford, Illinois. Branded for The Beale Company based in Sydney. This company manufactured Pianos as well as selling a range of sewing machines. This sewing machine has the long bobbin and shuttle often referred to as a bullet shuttle.
The Decals are if you look closely Stylised Peacocks. A wonderful example of Art Nouveau of the time.
Yes I have drawn the decals and plan to use them as inspiration in a quilt. They are talking to me.

have a great Weekend Cheers Lynne and Rob

A Quilt Block Challenge Vintage Revisited

I won this book on the Quilt Qua Blog a while ago. I had delayed blogging so that I could read, comment and do justice to a review of this wonderful book written by Mary Kerr.

It is amazing how different quilters with different styles of Quilting and Patchwork could take these Vintage blocks and use them to tell totally different stories. If only their original owners could see how each block could take a different journey under another quilters vision. In some of the quilts it is a challenge to find the original fabric from the original block. In others  block or unit structure has been maintained. The original block is not always obvious.

I just loved the book. It would be fascinating to see what a group of friends would do if they had a single block and were issued a challenge to create something from that using the either the block or the original pieces of the block as an influence. Have a Good Weekend all Cheers Lynne