Sewing catch up

It's early morning here, and after sending out emails announcing our Guild's upcoming Fynbos Quilt Festival to be held in Hopefield, decided to get back to writing a post, with many photos.  It's been a while since the last post!

First up, one finished quite big quilt top.  This 365 Challenge Quilt was started the first year it was offered by Kathryn Kerr, and now nine years later, a slightly blurry picture of the top.  I was standing on the edge of a coffee table to take the picture, and then fell off!  Mostly ego bruised, but glass everywhere from a picture frame on the table behind me!  Only after this did I think I could have fetched a step ladder!  The 12-inch block at bottom left has over 170 pieces!  I love this top!

And, amazingly, another top finished, this time it is the Glenday Quilt.  Our Guild President challenged our whole committee to make this one.  I tried to keep sort-of similar colours as the original quilt, housed in the Cultural History Museum here in Cape Town.  It is a quarter size of the pattern (by Diana Vandeyar), because I didn't want hand applique bigger stars, diamonds and flowers!  I hope the minor wobbliness will quilt out.

And sharing an actual finished quilt, but not by me, but made by my daughter T for her friend's new baby. Quilt made in Wales and brought here by my son on his brief but welcome visit last month. This is the proud new Dad!

 

 

And to prove my son was here, and that selfies need work...

 Other sewing has been bits and pieces:  some of Good Hope Quilters' Guild's Mystery 2025 (pattern by Dewald Compion) :

 

Bonnie Hunter Mystery, layout decided upon:

 

A sweet card from a kit at last Guild meeting (kit from Tracy Bouras, The Quilting Co):

 

Another Mystery in progress:

 

Some blue sewing for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for March:

 

 

I'm really looking forward to a three-day Quilt Retreat next weekend as various admin has kept me away from serious sewing lately.  I have 3 projects that will hopefully get to flimsy stage, but/and the weekend includes a new mystery quilt!

 

But first, as it's Saturday, going off to meet quilty friends!

End of summer

Gosh, it's been two months!!  I really do need to write more often!

Our summer is drawing to a close, the nights are starting to get chilly, and I kept a jersey on all day today.  I have not been totally idle, just a few finishes, and lots of RSC colour sewing.  I read somewhere that one's blood pressure drops when one sits in front of one's sewing machine, I suspect there is some truth in that, as I definitely feel calmer feeding fabric under the needle.

My sweet son will be returning to the UK next month;  I have enjoyed having him here since November and will truly miss him.

Here he is with my dear husband, at the start of the new house kitchen unit construction.

As of last week we now have electricity to the house!  City council will only do pre-paid meters now, so have learnt how to buy units and to add to the meter!

 

 

My sister won a (tame) game drive at close-ish wildlife centre.  We saw elephants (very far distance), zebras, gemsbok, wildebeest, giraffes, rhino, hippos (their noses in the water), ostriches, lions, other animals and various birds. A very hot day.

 

 

Sign seen on a door in the foyer of a local girls' school - where we are hosting our biennial National Festival later this year:

 

 

A panoramic view of my sewing space, the window on the left is the same one as the one on the right!  Looks like I might have tidied up a bit before taking it!

 

And finally a few pictures of sewing done.  March yellows, all bits and strips sewn up (and back in a box):

 

Bonnie Hunter's last mystery, Rhododendron Trail, actually on the frame.  Sewed about a quarter and had to take the machine off as the top thread jammed up in the top mechanism.  Machine went off to the service centre (for the first time), and now back with quilting finished, awaiting trimming and binding.

Found a tub with lots of two colour trimmings, stitched them into columns, also back in the tub, until I find more to add to this new collection.

 

Another start, from that same tub above, think this will become a table topper.

 

Our Good Hope Quilters' Guild recent mystery, Greenmarket Square.  Have stitched on the last borders since taking this picture

And from the left-over grey bits, with others, pieced the back:

 

 

A gratuitous cat picture.  Two of our three, who all dislike each other!

 

Thanks for reading!

Another check-in

Where does the time go?!    I mean, wasn't it New Year just yesterday?  And lo and behold, the next New Year is just around the corner!  

My old/new news:  still working from home, and I am still enjoying it.  The world is still trying to figure out how to live with Covid-19.  I am grateful to have been vaccinated.  Four stitches in the finger that got in the way of my scissors - all healed now.  My son is visiting us from the UK for an extended period while he completes his studies.  My grandson started Nursery in Wales, and he is a constant delight.  My mobile phone went for a swim in our pool - have new one but it's not as nice!  Luckily managed to get all pictures and data off the old one but only if plugged into a power socket!

Well, sewing... I am satisfied with what is getting done!   A quick summary of the year:  21 quilt tops pieced or assembled, pieced 9 quilt backs, 11 quilted and bound (8 in the past month!)

I play along with Angela at So Scrappy and this year aimed to make at least one top from random/orphan blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) colour of each month, happy to say, goal exceeded!  In August I had a light-bulb moment (don't laugh), why not piece backs from less loved fabrics whilst the quilt top is still pinned up and being admired- best idea this year!

The reasons I used-to-have for not wanting to go near the quilt frame:

•   No backing ready 
  
•   Throat space quite small (9") on machine - starts at 6", diminishes to 4"  work space.
  
•   Batting not at hand, or needs to be joined
•   Thread always breaking, both top and bobbin
•   Rather be fondling fabric and piecing
  

I think (I hope) I have overcome/learnt to live with these problems.  My Pfaff Grand Quilters are not long arm machines, just fast straight stitch machines (great workhorses for piecing) and without stitch regulators.

• Next year will be the Year of the Backs!  Will make backings each month in the RSC colour and prep bindings
  
• Looking for and trying out 4" height free-motion quilting designs - keeping the designs very loose
  
• Bought WIDE batting;  I keep yearning for the fabulous bamboo I got in Australia, but making do with local polyester
• Thread problem resolved:  using a bigger needle 90/14 - polyester thread in bobbin (has a little stretch) - and using cotton quilting thread on top.  Last eight quilts, only one thread break!
• Fabric - always time to play!

In September, under the prompting of my very good friend - The Quilting Co -  challenging us to get UFOs moving, I listed all (100) of mine.  Am glad to say that has already reduced to 92.

Aah!  Just discovered that I have access to (some) pictures without uploading from my phone!  These are three of the finishes.

My niece and her two daughters, getting the baby's quilt.

Folded hexagons, zig-zagged together, and bound with left-over bindings:

 

Curvy Squares:

The jacaranda tree in the garden of the new house that will be finished next year.  It was severely trimmed three years ago before the building started and is now glorious:

That's all for now.

Son Off and Weekend Away

Late Thursday afternoon P and I took M to the airport for his unlimited sojourn in London with serious mixed feelings, glad for him that he is spreading his wings, envious that he is doing so.   Have spoken to him on Skype since so not feeling so sad now.

 

On Friday went on the quilting retreat at Goedgedacht, this is the Barn in which the 24 of us, each with our own trestle table, sewed up a storm!  I know my phone camera doesn't take great photos, so only took a couple of photos over the weekend.

I took a few projects that needed next steps, the first was easy, a border on this one, and it's ready to be quilted.  These scrappy trip blocks were made last Goedgedacht (not by me):

 

 Next was to add sashing to one more of these blocks and put them together (now to find a border):

The third project was to put the neon green borders on these 12 blocks.  I thought I would join them with some black-on-white prints, but that didn't pan out, so will wait to discuss what next with Mum.

This is block number one of about 100 4.5" scrappy-pieced beautiful made-by-Mum blocks.  Actually, ALL the scrappy blocks in this post were made-by-Mum!  My intention was to cut 4.5" strips of tone-on-tone fabrics to border each one, but forgot and cut 3.5"!  But actually think it is better.  Have about 50-60 strips cut and sub-cut, ready to sew.

 

And because there were lengths left over, I used them to add to one side of these Flying Geese Blocks I won last year from Block Lotto.  The blocks are sewn in columns, so not quite complete yet.

I did some sewing on Celtic Solstice, and a number of the Split 9-Patch in-between blocks, but not enough to warrant a photo!  But you do need to see my sleepy photographic assistant: