Sunday, November 27, 2011

YEs, I'm still here

Where do I start? I have been juggling a lot of things lately and something had to give.  I had so much happening,  pair that with a complete and utter loss of sewing mojo, meant blogging lost out for the last few weeks.

So now for all the news at Chez Sunshine.  BP is moving to Brisbane.
I'm a city girl at heart even though I've lived here for 12 years now. Wow 12 years, the longest I'd ever lived anywhere before that was 4 years. So I have taken the opportunity to find somewhere for BP to live in Brisbane that would also be perfect for me

to go and

visit and

stay and

shop and

do the stuff that city people do that I haven't done since I had Bitchypoo.  She is OK with that, in fact she is very ok with that.


Almost 2 weeks ago we moved most of BP's stuff there, but she's still here!!!!!!! She loves her mum so much she won't move out, ha ha.  I might have to move to Brisbane and leave her up here :) BP is still here partly because she has a part time job that will take her up to Christmas and the post Christmas sales, which is great.  She is working for a company that has stores in the city too so she can transfer to one of them if she wants when she moves to Brisbane. It also looks like she may have another job lined up in Brisbane in the new year. Fingers crossed for that one.

On the sewing front, it's been weeks since I felt like sewing.  I couldn't even summon the enthusiasm to sew a seam, cut some fabric or piece some of the EPP starflowers.
Nada, zip, nothing.

Cue Julie from Melbourne coming up to stay.  Jules was the catalyst for my sewing frenzy yesterday.  Julie helped me organise my stash and my projects. I cleaned up the dining table that went from way worse than this.

I should have taken before photos.


To looking like this.



A little bit of retail therapy helped, some Christmas fabric came home with me, for a Christmas project that might not be finished until the end of next year.


With my cleaned up sewing area and finally  feeling like working on something, the first cab off the rank was basting this baby.

Saturday Julie and I basted it, and I started and finished quilting this quilt. I must be sick. I just hope that this doesn't mean I've used up all my mojo that I found. Photos in next post.

Sunday was hot, very hot so in the morning we had brunch along the river at Noosaville.

Love this cafe, great view and food.
Then went for a walk along the beach at Noosa Heads.
I am not one of the people lying on the beach.

Sunday afternoon I was going to make the binding and sew it on,  but it was just too hot to think about doing that.




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Scrappy Swap

Finally Australia Post delivered my scrappy swap parcel which had a very long around the world trip that took almost 5 weeks.  It's a long way from PA to the Sunshine Coast but it shouldn't take that long to get here. I think Leona had just about given up on me ever receiving her lovely goodies.
Scrappy swap goodies received
Leona made a beautiful purse and tissue holder in gorgeous Amy Butler fabric. Look at the pretty button detail on each of them. So cute.
Scrappy Swap scraps
My pile of scraps is big too, there are some lovely Peeps pieces in there and lots of other great pieces too.
P1060339
Leona very kindly popped some very yummy dark chocolate in there too for me and a cute little Summer notebook which is very appropriate because I think summer is already here in my neck of the woods.
P1060337
Look Leona also slipped some fabric labels in to my parcel.

I'm so lucky to have a very nice partner, who definitely chose some fabulous scraps and goodies to send to me.

Thank you very much Leona, these scraps and goodies will be put to very good use.

  

Friday, November 11, 2011

Favourite Things Friday

Sometimes a change of scenery is just what you I need.


Brisbane River


Story Bridge Brisbane

Story Bridge at night

Brisbane at Night

Linking up with Shay for Favourite Things Friday.




Thursday, November 10, 2011

WIP Wednesday ( a little late as it's Thursday here)

I'm not sure whether you know this about me, but my most unfavourite thing of quilting, besides basting, and the actual quilting part, is making the backing. I know, I know, why do I quilt?  That is a very good question.
Anyway, this will probably be one of the few blogs where you will see a ta dah moment and blog post about a quilt back.  For me it's easy to finish a quilt front, not so much, a quilt back.  By the time I've finished piecing the front my mind is off and wandering thinking about the next 85 quilts I could be making, not thinking at all about how I'm going to piece the back.

Because I don't love piecing backs it takes me twice five times as long as it does to make the front. For this back I used some of the left over HST's from the quilt front.
Piecing part of the back

This week the sum total of my sewing frenzy slog, is this quilt back.
I didn't have a holder upperer to hold it for me for the photo shoot so had to hang it on the shutters, so not a particularly great photo.
HST quilt back finished 

HST quilt top finished
It's to be the back for this quilt
I'm really happy with it, but that's all I've achieved this week. I'm hoping that Friday will be my day of accomplishment, and I'll have something more to show next week.

I forgot to show you last week that a minor miracle happened at Chez Sunshine and I've started handquilting the hexie mini quilt ( it was going to be a pillow) that has been on hold for months.


Worked On This Week
HST quilt backing
Hexagon mini quilt - started hand quilting (technically not this week, but I missed showing it last week)

Waiting Patiently For Me To Show Interest
Mystery Quilt
Floral Bouquet Quilt
McFlurry - backing
Circle Game BOM
Material Obsession BOM
Monochromatic Challenge
Starflowers

Weeks Statistics
Worked On - 1
Ignored - 7

Congratulations to Lee for a year of WIP Wednesday's. I only joined in a few short months ago but it really has helped me to focus (occasionally) on my WIP's and at least try to make some progress on some of them. Pop on over to Lee's to see the wonderful creativity that has been happening this week.
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced



Wednesday, November 2, 2011

WIP Wednesday

Subtitle :  The week I turned a shower cap into a quilt block.


It's been a while since I joined in on WIP Wednesday. Lots of things have been happening at Chez Sunshine, not much involved sewing.
However this week I'm back into hand sewing, not without dramas. I think we all know by now that just about everything that involves sewing on this blog is usually accompanied by a drama!
In my last post I was less then impressed with my attempt at sewing a block for the Material Obsession BOM.  You can read about it here. Go ahead and read it, I'll wait.
You might need the background for this to make sense, then again, not much I say makes sense.
Fo those of you who already read my last post here's the photo to jog your memory, this was what I finished up with something very closely resembling a shower cap.

Despite wanting to throw it in the corner and forgetting about it, I was given a few helpful hints like running over it with the car to flatten it, using a huge amount of spray starch and ironing it to death or sleeping on it, literally, to flatten it. I had already tried starch and the iron, and I wasn't quite ready to take to it with the car, although I must admit I was very tempted.  Instead I grabbed my trusty seam ripper and worked on the seam between the inner and outer circle as individually they lay flat before I sewed them together. I then took a look at the seams between the aqua and blue triangles. I realised I had used a scant 1/4 inch for the seams rather than a full 1/4 inch, so I sewed over every seam again. I wasn't about to seam rip all of them!!!!!
After doing that I sewed it back together, which also involved more seam rippping as I managed to catch the centre circle in the seam - twice, grrrrrr. Naturally I hadn't managed that amazing feat the first time I sewed it together.
Here's the final result.
Better, not great, but it is better!
This was after lots more spray starch and pressing the crap out of it.
Centre circle

Now it doesn't have a hole in the middle in case I need it as a shower cap.



Slow progression
Growing slowly
More hand sewing.

A few weeks ago I joined in on the Scrappy Swap run by Kat. For my scrappy item I made a scissors case. This was completed a few weeks ago but I couldn't post about it until I knew my partner received it. I drafted my own pattern with the help of a friend and made the first one in pink to see whether it would work and then made the second one in yellow and grey as my partner loves that colour combination. 
Scissors Case
Front
Scissors Case
Inside
Scrappy Swap, scissors case front
Front
Scrappy Swap scissors case, inside
Inside
Scrappy Swap scissors case, back
Back
I'm really happy with both of them, especially the fussy cut bird on the front of the grey/yellow, using Joel Dewberry fabric. 
I forgot to take photos after I had sewed the magnetic catch to them!

Worked On This Week
Starflowers
Material Obsession BOM

If I Ever Work On These It Will Be A Miracle
Mystery Quilt
Floral Bouquet quilt
HST project - finish backing
McFLurry - start making the backing - (I think I should aim for a finish for Xmas 2012)
Circle Game BOM
Hexagon Cushion
Monochromatic Challenge

Weeks Statistics
Worked On - 2
Ignored - 7

Thank you Lee for hosting WIP Wednesday. Pop on over to Lee's blog to see lots of creativity this week.
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced