Extension tables for sewing machines

 Yesterday Stephanie came to play while my roof gutters were being cleaned. We did a bit more on our Black and Brights quilt but then decided to face the issue of extension tables for sewing machines. 

I'd looked up prices for extension tables but then noticed that I could not even get one for 3 of my machines. I've been using a small cardboard box on one machine and that gave me an idea.

So we spent most of the afternoon considering how to create templates for the bases of the machines (each one is different) then how to cut some very old and damaged herbarium boxes to solve the problem.

Lots of trial and error later and we now have two extension tables.

Last night at 2am I even worked out that if I sit the box back in its lid and cut just the edge flap that goes under the machine the whole thing will be held in place with the weight of the machine. I'll try that tomorrow when I have a bit of time.

Who would have thought?

Saturday Zoom and gathering

 On Saturday we were a very small group for our physical get together but we did achieve a lot.

Our Stained Glass now has a border.

Karen made and extra Card Trick block as we did not have enough returned and I altered two blocks because they were not large enough.

We are unable to alert makers to the issue of some blocks not quite meeting the stipulated criteria because we don't know whose is which. 

We seem to have all lapsed in labelling our blocks except for Jeanette (thank you). When you return your block please write your name on the back along one of the seams then we can help anyone who seems to need help.

The Orange blocks are up but we are short a few blocks. Also one is missing because it needs to be reconstructed in parts. Again we don't know whose it is. We have decided a dark blue sashing might go well with this one.

Why didn't I think of that? The other day I was watching a YouTube video and noticed a lady had a square ended ironing board and her quilt fitted better than a pointy ended one. Then I realised she just had it turned around! It works so well.

I've now turned both of mine around.

Elaine had time to finish the top of the brown quilt she is making. It really looks quite stunning.

Jeanette showed us her latest achievements on Zoom but could not work out how to turn the camera around to show us so she sent photos instead. I have included them below.

I love them all, thanks Jeanette.

Another new purchase from the refund

 Elaine and I went to Spotlight yesterday and, apart from polar fleece, I bought us another new sewing machine. Luckily Elaine noticed that the one I picked up had been opened so I quickly swapped it over. 

This morning I opened the box and got the machine working.  I was packed with a piece of brown paper under the sewing foot and that had obviously absorbed excess oil. I've sewn a tiny bit with it and it sounds fabulous. This one actually purrs. I hope it keeps working well because I am well sick of machines that do not work.

I even checked the foot pedal of the old Bernina this morning too before I give up on it completely - it is completely clean so that is not the issue. I will donate that to Stephanie's other group who may have someone who can fix it for them or can use it for parts. What a pity.

The new purchase returned and money back

 Early in May I bought us a new sewing machine, the same one Stephanie bought a few years back from Aldi. While hers works like a dream, ours had intermittent faults and was driving Kerrie and I mad while we had a day of sewing last Saturday. As it was still within the return time I drove up today and did so.

So that is now back to 3 sewing machines that work. We might have to start using my treadle machine if things get tight. I still have Stephanie's machine set to my blanket stitch needs for my hexies but I guess I can change that.

News from Jeanette in WA

 Upon hearing of our rain on the east coast she writes...

Feel free to send the "wet" bit this way please.  Still no rain here & possibly not for another 3 weeks.

Had a bushfire next door last week.  Dopey neighbours lit up a pile of scrub Tuesday night & thought they'd put it out, but obviously not. It took off Wednesday morning in the screaming easterly, burnt thru 4 properties.  The firies were amazing & saved the 2 homes in the fire's path. We had 3 spot fires in ours from flying embers but got on top of them pretty quickly. Our friends up the road at the olive farm lost a machinery shed & house water tank. The rocky paddocks over road from us look like moonscapes now. 

If I knew how to send it over Jeanette I would do so.

Windows are finished and more show and tell

Elaine delivered the finished small knee rug I am calling Windows today. 

If anyone wants to suggest where this one should go please let me know.

 Elaine and I also worked today to get this far with our Brown Quilt...

And I also sewed together the Blacks and Brights blocks that Stephanie and I are creating.

In all a lot of homework is done ready for the next steps.

Tulips are finished

 Today was homework day for me and I was able to finish our Tulip quilt by adding the label and taking a photo.

All that needs to be done now is a search for stray tacking threads next time we meet.

Looking good!

If anyone has a good home for this knee rug let me know.

A new purchase

 A week ago, after a very frustrating time with faulty machines at our last gathering I happened to be walking through Aldi buying something quite mundane when I saw they had sewing machines for $129 and it seemed to be the same one as Stephanie bought some time ago and is quite a good machine.

So our group now has a new machine.

After gently testing it I discovered that something must have worked loose in transit so I took it apart in the bobbin area. I had to take Stephanie's apart to check just how it was supposed to go back together. I eventually got it running smoothly and made our next block using it.

It is quite noisy and had a slightly different foot pedal feel but once you get used to that it runs well.

Then I had to test Stephanie's machine to make sure I put it together again correctly but as I had set it up for my hexie flower project I did not want to alter the settings. It is doing just as I need it to.

So I remember the settings on it I have taken a few photos so that if we need to change them I know where to set it to keep the hexie project going between times.

We now have four sewing machines that work. That is until something else goes wrong.

Show and Tell from Stephanie

As Stephanie will miss our next gathering I am posting a few of the quilts  she has been working on. She found a stash of orphan blocks so got to work on two quilt tops.

While we were away we visited Jen in Mudgee. Here are the instructions for the game of Bones that Jen and Alex taught us. I thought you might need them over the next month or so. Have fun with this game.

Continuing the Baradine story - so what did I sew?

 When we arrived at Baradine we had been allocated a work space and a bag of goodies which included a beautiful mug, some coconut ice made by Brenda, some other nibbles and a small parcel to be opened later. This parcel turned out to be a kawandi kit but mine is still at Stephanie's so no photo here. We had a workshop on that when Jo arrived.

While there was lots of space I cut the length of fabric Jen (Mudgee) had given me to add flowers to my hexie project (more later)

My next project was to make squares to match Stephanie's for our black quilt we started as a joint project a while back.

I ended up with enough for this layout and a few left over so I will make a few more to complete another row. I ran out of black fabric so will need to finish that at home.

Another project was to start quilting a tea towel to make a wall hanging for my kitchen. This is now nearly done.

Then back to my hexie project. The donated fabric left overs are in the back of this photo. My main aim was to experiment with attaching the completed hexies  to their background which will range from green to purple. These are just a few. 

I was able to buy an appropriate colour thread at the little shop that Sandi had brought along. The colour is a taupe and disappears nicely on most colours while still looking like blanket stitch. Click on the picture above to see the various options I tried.

Then last night in front of TV I was able to start one of the flower hexies to see how they work out. I think they could work well. I'll make lots but may not use them all depending on how they look on the quilt. These will be the larger feature hexies in the quilt.

Some of the quilts in the show and tell (photos in the previous post) give an idea of this finished quilt top. 

I feel satisfied with what I achieved over the 4 days and am pleased now to know that I can actually do an 8 hour drive without untoward issues.

Bags from Baradine

 Stephanie and I had a great trip to Baradine and lots of bags were involved. On the way up we stayed over at a friend's in Mudgee and she donated two bags of treasures as she is downsizing her patchwork activities.

She also donated a floral fabric that I am now using in one of my projects so it does not appear here.

Di donated a huge bag of bits but unfortunately most of them were too small to work with. Scraps need to be big enough to trim to at least 2" square or 1" strips. So these scraps will go straight to rag waste and used by someone else to stuff dog beds. These now fill two large shopping bags.

This is the pile saved from the waste.

Jenny donated another bag of 'bits' but these were much larger pieces!!!

They are all now flattened and there will be lots of usable pieces. Di's pieces are on the top right and Chooky's and mine are the tiny pieces on the top left.

Stephanie had been given lots of fabric so before she came she cut out lots of bags to make at Baradine. They look fabulous and the ladies she was making them for will be able to raise money for their causes.

Of course there was a show and tell session and I photographed quilts that I could use all these scraps in.

Stephanie's 'Oh my gosh' top

Janice's Hexie quilt

Brenda's Hexie quilt

Raewyn put together two of these quilts from blocks we had all made from our scraps and they will be donated to Macquarie Home Stay.

Brenda was a great sewing buddy who was able to solve a lot of my issues with my projects which I will put in a separate post. Thank you Brenda.

And Jo was my other sewing buddy who had such a lovely attitude to using scraps and making mistakes. Here she is knitting up some of the tea bag strings that we all save for her. Thank you Jo for your ideas.

And thank you to Chooky who hosted and organised the group and all the other ladies who came to enjoy working and chatting together.

A Saturday upstairs with friends

 On Saturday five of us gathered in person then another three on Zoom in the afternoon.

Apparently I was a bit of slave driver but we did get the tulips bordered and sandwiched and our dark 'brick wall' ready to sandwich. Unless someone else would like to do the quilting I will do that when I have time.

While we were on Zoom we drew out our next lucky dip fabric. This one was donated by Carol and it is really beautiful. It would be good to get a stunning block design that echoed the pattern in the fabric.

We have two suggestions so far...

One Karen found online

But I wonder if another stained glass Magic Numbers block using the aqua as the peeper in random positions might work focusing on the orange tones.

Or even a stack and slash with the slashes being parallel to the edge of the fabric rather than random??