WIP Wednesday

I spent the weekend working on something that I can't show yet. This is as much as I can show you, as I don't want to spoil the surprise.

And this

The rest of this week I've been trying to quilt Spice Boxes.

I started making it way back last year. When Julie came up to stay over Christmas, this was one of the quilts we basted. It's been sitting around for the last 6 months. Occasionally I pulled it out to try and work out how I wanted it quilted. I was originally going to hand quilt it but my obsessive compulsive side wanting perfect stitches took over. I know, pathetic, I really need to get over myself trying to be perfect, it's really annoying. Anyhoo I started machine quilting it, but I really wanted the quilting stitches to stand out so I used topstitch thread.  Apparently my Pfaff hates topstitch thread or more likely it hates me, at the moment I think I hate it more.

I have tried everything, changing the tension, re-threading, changing the bobbin, changing the stitch length, cleaning the machine, you name it I've done it.  It will sew beautifully for usually about half an hour, it lulls me into a false sense of well being, then, BAM, the tension goes supertight or really loose and I either end up with this on the back

and/or the machine overloads and stops working altogether for up to a few minutes. I'm sure thats not good!

I was contemplating unpicking the whole lot and starting again, but I'm more than half way and when it works, it looks ok. So I'm going to persevere with it, and just do it in short bursts.

Sometimes you can see the bobbin thread on top but it's only if you look really hard.

Oh and I finished my second Mystery Quilt block, apologies to those who have already seen this one.

I'm enjoying the link to Lee at Freshly Pieced. I've found some great blogs and lots of beautiful projects on the go.

 

Mystery Quilt Quilt Along

2 blocks finished

Worked On This Week

My ........?....... Quilt

Spice Boxes - quilting

Procrastinating

French Roses

Hugs N Kisses Tiggly WInks

Given Up On 

This month's monochromatic challenge - Indigo - I just didn't feel the love. 

Need to Finish Quilting

Spice Boxes

Jacobean Flower Mini Quilt

Don't Look Now cushion/mini quilt

Weeks Stats

New Projects -1

Completed -1

Working On (or pretending to work on but really ignoring them) - still at least 8

The Sylvia's Bridal Sampler book arrived this week, but I'm not starting it until I've finished a couple of these WIP's.

Pyjama Party Sunday

Another fun weekend almost over.

Yesterday I had to go out during the day so didn't get very crafty, and in the evening I had a fabulous time out with friends. We went out for pre-dinner drinks and dinner. The temperature was milder than last week, so we sat at an outdoor bar and listened to a very talented singer/musician and then had a fabulous meal. No photos as it was really dark, we even had to use the table candles to try and read the menu!

I spent almost all day in my pyjamas today, I love sewing when I'm in my pj's, they are so comfortable.

On Friday night I started some raw edge applique and the machine went really well, but when I went back to it Fanny Pfaff had a phit, and made it abundantly clear she didn't want to sew free motion any more.

This is a sneak peek at what I was doing before Fanny stopped playing nice. The button hole stitching is  one of the programmed stitches in the machine.

I've finished 21 of these blocks now, so put them up on my design wall to see how they look. I love them, but I'm not jumping at the chance to finish the last 18.  I might try doing them later in the week.

Anther pieced flower that I made one evening.

Block 3 in the Mystery Quilt I chickened out of doing the paper pieced one, I might try it during the week.
I haven't been struck by lightning yet for mixing Kaffe and batiks. I'm not normally a fan of batiks but I really love the way these combine.




Join in on Pyjama Party Sunday and show what you have been doing this weekend,  you can link your post below.

Favourite Things Friday

This week Emma asked if I could do her favourite thing for FTF.
I said sure, can you please pick out the photos that you want me to use.......................I'm still waiting!

So here is a very late FTF post of Emma's favourite thing this week.

That's right it's Bailey, but judging by the look on his face, Emma wasn't his favourite thing at the time.

Pop on over to see Shay at Quilting In My Pyjamas to see what other favourites are posted this week.

WIP Wednesday

Not a lot has been happening around here over the last week, well not craftwise.  Friends from interstate meant lots of other things happened.  I did however make a block for Sheila's Mystery Quilt.

I have been oohing and aaahing over the blocks appearing on Flickr and thinking that they look so good maybe I should join in.
I'm trying to think outside the square, so to speak, and going a little out there with my fabric choices.

I'm combining Kaffe and batik.

I hope I'm not struck by lightning for doing it.

I also wanted to try something different with the background fabric so have picked a couple of white and black prints that are primarily white.

I may regret this or I may produce something amazing, we'll just have to wait and see.

My track record for joining in and staying the distance is, in a word - crap. The only think I have stayed the distance so far is the Monochromatic Challenge, and that's just because I only have to do a block a month. This month it's Indigo, and I'm just not feeling the love for this one and haven't started it or even thought about it yet. So I might not even do that one this month.

I've been finding a few minutes here and there to work on the Floral Bouquet blocks, a new name is needed for this one. No more finished blocks but I have nine more blocks that are almost finished. Then I'll be half way.

I've also started a second paper pieced flower. I'm not very fast with these, but it is nice to make them while sitting watching tv.

I've been thinking about this quilt and pulled all the fabric out of the bag yesterday in the high hope of working on it to get it closer to completion.  The trouble with this one, I don't like the pieced border that is supposed to be the next border, I think it will be too busy as I've used a patterned background fabric instead of a solid,  and I'm not really sure how I want the next border to look, so procrastination has settled in. I don't want to purchase any more fabric for this one and I am going to have to piece a border at some stage. I might make the next border with the fabric I've used for the background in the blocks and then piece the outer border. Decisions, decisions.

I'm linking to Lee at Freshly Pieced as I like the way this is making me more aware of what is sitting in the - I don't really want to touch it pile. It's also really great to see what lots of other people are working on this week.

Mystery Quilt Quilt Along
I block finished, need to catch up with another 4, I think.

Working On
Floral Bouquet
English paper piecing flowers

Procrastinating
French Roses
Hugs N Kisses Tiggly Winks
Monochromatic Challenge - Indigo

Need to Finish Quilting
Spice Boxes
Jacobean Flower Mini Quilt
Don't Look Now cushion/mini quilt

Weeks Stats
New Projects - 1
Completed - 0
Working On or pretending to work on but really ignoring them -  at least 8

I also have my eye on starting a sampler quilt Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. I've ordered the book and am playing around with fabric in the meantime in readiness for it's arrival. I really need to add this to my projects, ha!

Pyjama Party Sunday

I haven't really had that much time to spend in my pj's this week. I've had visitors and we have been busy sightseeing and going out. Not so much time to sit and do anything crafty. Which is actually very nice for a change.

The only things I've achieved this weekend.

I've finished piecing the very first flower. The first of many, how many will depend on my attention span.

All the pieces are now cut for the Floral Bouquet quilt from the Jelly Roll book. I still only have 11 blocks finished, but I've sewn some pieces together for the next 9 blocks, that's the pile on the lower left. They are also trimmed and pressed ready for the next stage.

Yesterday morning we went to the Eumundi Markets.

Look, more beautiful blue sky, a little colder yesterday, especially early in the morning, it did warm up later.

We bought these.

It's strawberry season already here, in the middle of winter. Have I convinced you yet that this really is paradise?

We came back here for lunch and Bitchypoo cooked Prawn and Lemongrass Risotto, the recipe can be found here and we made a delicious salad, neither of which I remembered to take photos.
Last night we went out for dinner and drinks.

Today I was in my pj's until lunchtime, other than cutting the pieces for the block, I don't think I can handle sewing anything today. It would not have anything to do with any of the following, drinking champagne in the afternoon, going out for dinner, staying up talking until all hours of the morning, waking up when Bitchypoo came home from her night out.

This seems like a much better pass time. Note the pyjamas and the ugg boots.

 Bitchyoo is in on the pj thing this morning too.

Bailey took a fancy to the pom poms on her slippers.

I think they are in for a very short life.

Join in on the pyjama party linky fun. As usual, you don't really need to have been or be in your pyjamas, I'm not coming over to check on you.

Favourite Things Friday

My favourite thing this week is something I have never done before. We just spent the most glorious late afternoon and evening with friends doing something really special.  I can't believe that I have lived here 12 years and haven't taken the time to do this.

A Sunset Cruise along the Noosa River.

It was fabulous, we had THE best time.

Warning: quite a few photos.

Today was one of those absolutely perfect winter Queensland days. Look at that sky. 23°C  (74°F)

We had a lovely day,

and then..........

 We had fun. We dank champagne, we ate.

We went past the Coast Guard, my dad is a volunteer there.

We looked at the view.

 We watched the sunset.

 We laughed and smiled.

We oohed and aahed at the colour of the sky.

We watched the ripples in the water.

After the cruise, we visited the bar/restaurant above on the left,
Sat upstairs...

We drank some cocktails.

Then we had dinner. No photos of that due to an abundance of the above.

A fabulous day, in fact one of THE best days I've had in a long time.


Hop on over to Shay at Quilting In My Pyjamas to see what fabulous Friday Favourites there are this week.

WIP Wednesday

For the first time ever I'm linking to Lee of Freshly Pieced

These are soooooo not my preferred colours, I love bright tropical saturated colours, and it doesn't go with my decor.

BUT

I love everything about this piece, the colours, the fussy cut hexies, the striped background, the borders.
I originally saw some hexies in Rural Jardin on the net, but for the life of me I can't find it now to give them credit, which gave me the inspiration for this.

I'm debating whether to leave it as a cushion sized piece or to make it bigger and use this as the central medallion for a larger quilt.




I've also been plodding along on these.

Four more almost finished, that will make it 11 finished blocks, 21 28  (hmm my math is not so good is it) to go, these are going to take me a little longer than I thought.


It doesn't help when I start playing with something else.

Not quite sure whether this is going to turn out like the picture in my head. Time and more playing will tell.