Seeing in the New Year

On New Year's Eve at 6:30 am I joined Chooky's zoom sew-in. I eventually left the zoom at about 4pm on New Year's Day and was utterly exhausted after 2 days of sewing and chatting. We did take our own breaks for refreshments and sleep. It is not like a typical Zoom meeting in which you sit and talk to heads on a screen. We all work while on zoom and I was getting up and down from my sewing machine to collect or trim more pieces or to arrange finished blocks on my board which I positioned so others could see my progress. 

We had people from Australia, NZ, USA, Canada, UK, Norway and Germany. At any one time there were at least 9 on the screen but people would come and go as their time zones, stomachs and visitors allowed. That is why we start at around 6am our time. At one stage there were over 12 on the screen. 

We help each other with the next sewing problem or even computer problem but sometimes it is just small talk or complete silence. It is so funny to look up from whatever you are doing to find no other faces and complete silence. We all get a cuppa or meal when we need it and leave for our visitors or to tend the chooks or garden for a bit.

The day before New Year's Eve Stephanie and her grand daughter Lexie came to choose fabrics for my new quilt and then helped basting a few quilt sandwiches that I will need to get on to soon.

So Happy New Year to all my quilting friends. Welcome to our new year of quilting.

Merry Christmas to all (just a bit late)

After a crazy week of singing and visiting and entertaining I can now stop. To wish you seasons greetings I am showing off my bunting experiments.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

Karen's Knot Bag experiments

 Following Karen's show and tell on zoom last time we met she has sent through the following...

I've finished my Xmas sewing: Japanese knot bags. 

The sheep fabric bag was the one I brought to our December get-together: an experiment that I will keep. The other three are presents. 

I experimented with different patterns: the more rounded one from the Spotlight website and the less rounded one from 'Sew Very Easy'. I found the latter's method easier (uses an opening at the base of the bag for turning inside out - video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adOsyo950u0) than the former (opening in one of the handles).

I hope you are all inspired to try a few.

Our last get together of 2025

 Last Saturday, all in Christmassy mood, we joined forces to label our finished quilts and get them off to their new home at the Cancer Day Centre at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse via Karen

.

Our next quilt top has been built and is waiting for perhaps a border of the pale blue. We have decided not to put the extra corner diamonds between each block as it looks so pretty as it is...

I have still not quilted our second shadow box quilt but that is perhaps a January job. 

 Then after our lunch we were joined upstairs by Linda and Jess for some fun with bunting.

This allowed for lots of discussion and laughter about options.

Then we decided to put our last quilt blocks of 2025 up on the design wall to see how they work together. It looks rather good and we all agree that it needs a calico border and then perhaps a border of the small squares with calico binding.

Then of course there was the zoom together with more of our group. Janice and Heather were able to join us for that and Elaine was able to show her latest finished quilt.

Karen had two Japanese Knot bags that she had made. So simple but very effective.

Thank you to all those who have worked so hard this year on our joint projects and have kept me and others sane.

News from Jeanette

 Jeanette was unable to join our Zoom yesterday but sent these photos of the quilt exhibition she was involved in. She writes...

Hope you all have a great lunch today. 

Don't think I'll make it to zoom as I've got our patchwork building open today for people to see our quilts. The Art group is next door & having their open day today & asked us to join in. Unfortunately the area has very poor phone reception. 

It looks a great exhibition Jeanette. We did miss you on zoom.

Our latest quilt finish

 When Kerrie was visiting this week she saw our orange quilt and just loved it. I did point out all the faults in the quilting but she still wanted it. So I cut some binding of her choice and there was a lesson and experiment about machine sewing on the binding. It worked relatively well.

So this quilt has gone home with Kerrie and she has give our group a donation towards more supplies. It turns out that orange is Kerrie's favourite colour. 

Thank you Kerrie.

Another play date

For the last 2 days Kerrie and I have been playing upstairs in the cool of the air con when she came for a sleep over from the Blue Mountains. The temperature outside was in the high 30s so it seemed like the best plan.

 We continued with my current project making some bunting to hang around the house now that I know such a quick method and the results it can give.

The process is so easy. First you tip all your strips and ribbons that are Christmassy onto the table. Then you cut a square of any fabric into squares of about 6.5" to 10". We found that any bigger is too big and any smaller is fiddly.

Next you attach an assortment of coloured ribbon (or fabric strips) diagonally onto the square of fabric.

Next fold the square diagonally ensuring the top point is fairly empty of decoration and the bottom point has no decoration right down to the point (for ease of pushing out the point when joined).

Turn inside out and fold the top point to the inside.

Admire the effect on either side and choose the side you like best as the display side.

All done! 

A play date with Elaine and a magic find online

 Today Elaine came to play with some Christmas sewing. I found a great YouTube video on VERY EASY bunting so having tried it out I showed Elaine and we got a bit carried away. The bottom two strings below are done with this easy method. I even had a chance to add some little Christmas trees I'd made years ago.

We decided to attach some of my spare ribbon to some calico squares and noticed that the backs turned out as lovely chevrons. We did still more of these and are really pleased with the results.

Then I hit my doiley stash and experimented by cutting up a tiny tea cloth. I have still more of these to finish.

When we started dropping things and making mistakes we decided that was enough and came downstairs for coffee before Elaine went home.

So here are our achievements today...

Christmas is coming!

Time I started to panic. I had an urge to make some Christmas bunting, not because I like it more than anything else but as a way to take some shortcuts with decorations both for myself and others. 

I found lots of sites online encouraging detailed embroidery, using doileys, and using up scraps. So I decided to experiment with some ideas. These are the three options so far using just random scraps. There is also an idea to attach some of my decorations.

The first decision was the size - I just guessed at 10" high x 6.5" tops cut size. 

The next decision was raw edge or turned inside out to hide the seams. Although the second idea appealed more it was really fiddly trying to turn through the point so I've abandoned that idea and gone for raw edge.

I even pinned on a decoration to see how that would work.

The hidden seams option was too too fiddly.

In my final plan I am doing raw edge with a fancy stitch all the way around. I then turned over the top for threading onto the ribbon. The three can be compared in the top photo.

I guess after lunch and a webinar on biology I'll get on and do some real Christmassy ones with red, green, gold, silver, yellow fabrics and features.

Jo has show and tell to inspire us

 Our newest member, Jo, sent through her latest finish. It is a quilt, pillow and playmat all in one as a quillow.

What fun for one very lucky little boy.

See Jo's post about it here.