Rather frightening to think it is May in a couple of days time????? I wonder if this year is flying past you as fast as it past me???? Best part is I’m actually managing to do a lot of sewing but working mostly on WIP’s this year. But I was tempted away from them by Esther Aliu’s beautiful BOMs this year yet again LOL
My week has been spent on every thing but what I should be doing or what I planned to do????? I have not been 100% so spending a lot of time on the daybed in my sewing area.
My little compaion wants to sit on top of me all the time when I’m not well so I spread the quilt I was quilting on to the end of the divan so I could sew LOL Notice in the foreground the dark marks on the quilt this quilt is over 80 years old and has never been washed I’m trying to finish quilting it by hand so I can try getting some of these stains out?????
This part of my sewing room area is still not finished to cover up the ceiling that needs to be finished I have pinned an old quilt!!!!!! Its much nicer to look at !
I have been quilting the hexagons on what I thought was a 1930’s quilt but as I stitich each hexagon I’m realising it may be a lot older, notice the out side fabric that looks an older fabric than 1930????
Notice the green hexagons have been made with several pieces of fabric sewn together to make enough fabric to cut out the hexagons!!!!! These hexagons are just under 1inch on the sides so are smallish, so this quilter wasted not even the smallest pieces of fabric, thats real patchwork in my book!!!!!!.
Do any of you make some thing and put it away carefully and find it years later and you have forgotten you even made itLOL Well the below is one of those projects I designed years ago,
Still not finished 2 centre flowers need to be machine appliquéd down and then I want to put this on points maybe in the centre of a pieced quilt?????
I’m getting so far behind in my machine appliqué so decided to set up a machine just for it, This sewing machine space has been there all ways but I use it more for my kitchen needs as it is at he side of my kitchen!!!!!! Last weekend it be came my appliqué area and oh how much easier it is to just plug in the machine cord and sew, slowly very slowly the circles on my ANZ quilt are been satin stitched down. But oh my goodness it is so boring doing just satin stitch LOL I have added a little padding behind the circles to hopefully give them some 3D effect????
One of my views from my new sewing machine area.
Looking down to the river it was cloudy and overcast the day I took this photo. But still lots of light for sewing.
I’m doing a dark red on the outer circle and any thing goes for the inside but lighter this is making it not so boring LOL
Over the years I have kept buying bobbins from Opp Shops for no reason LOL Now I know why I’m rewinding all these threads on to the Janome spools and using them for this project, only thing I’m sad about you wont see them on the back after I sandwich the quilt LOL
Love how the lighter inner satin stitch makes it more interesting.
Ive sat several hrs slowly doing the satin stitch and only made a wee dent in it so far LOL Its an old Janome so if you try and go fast it does not look so good LOL But it does have needle down position which makes doing this job so much easier. After an hour I stop and do something else.
I have learnt to sew so far then stop and sew back the other way so I’m not pushing all the bull of the quilt through the arm, once I got use to it is working out OK. There is such a good light on this Janome and I all so have the light from the huge windows I’m sitting in front of.
Another thing that is helping is raising the back of the machine with these door stoppers I can see so much easier with out bending my neck so much.
My DDIL has just been to Japan and brought back hand made sewing needle for me in all sizes including Sashiko needles OH my Goodness they are so so sharp, have the finest points I’ve ever seen they just glide through the fabric. I’ve been using one this avo on my hand-quilting on those little hexagons and I can sew so much faster , and much tinier stitches as well.
Garden is dismal and so over grown we will be swallowed up by the undergrowth of the rainforest if it does not stop raining.
To day the sun pops out now and then and it is lovely to see it.
This is meant to be a cleared path over almost 2 metre wide for air movement and to help keep the mossies down!!!!!! This is one end
The other end of over grown path from the last 5 months of rain!!!!
Fungi grows every where at the moment these are about the size of 1/4 of a pin head!!!!!
There is hardly any colour in the garden at
the moment just wee splashes of colour here and there
But our wee water lily faithfully throws up a new flower ever day
Some of the most unusual plants in my garden they grow instrange shapes.
some grow so dense.
Every were you look is just lush green but so over grown!!!
Last but hidden my last addition for my DGD 4 crazy critters in the garden. A fish hiding in the swimming pool area LOL She has not spotted it yet?
Thank you for dropping in to look at my part of the world and to share what you are doing, I do enjoy visiting your sites too.
Off to link up with Esther Aliu’s WOW or WIP’s blog to day.
Cheers Glenda
Love looking at what you are up to, you are so productive. Your little grand daughter is going to be so excited when she finds that little fish.
Beautiful garden, l would think you battle nature all the time to keep the Rain Forest out. Thank you for your photos l so enjoy them
Hi Ellie My DGD is coming in again tomorrow for the day not sure what we will do have no plan yet, may be make some sultan bread rolls, she loves forming the buns and it fills in a good 40 mins or more LOL She has found the fish and was very happy with it. I have managed a few hrs in the grounds and have almost cleared the back path so very happy about that. Just wish I had the energy I had 10 years ago LOL Hugs Glenda
Dear Glenda
What a view from your sewing area, mine looks out over the road. As for all the lush garden and green with the rain, itis fair to say, when the rains come, they come!
Circles must be in fashion, I spent the last week stitching 108 circles on a quilt for a friend.
Love the orange Cosmos flower.
your growth in your garden is just amazing, I could not keep up with keeping it all under control and I bet you and your hubby have a hard time keeping up with it. I too am amazed at the pieced hexies – 1 inch, she surely wanted the color of that green to be able to make a hexie flower from piecing several together. Needles straight from Japan is probably the way to go.
What a lovely view from your new sewing station! Amazing! I’m not sure that I’d ever get anything done with that to look at.
Your applique circles are amazing – they might be a lot of effort, but they are worth it. Love your hexie rescue too. Old quilts are always intriguing, aren’t they? Loving to wonder about the history of the one that you are working on!
Your garden is as amazing as ever, although the amount of work to keep it looking so lovely must be huge. Makes me want to sit down and rest just thinking about it!
Hi Glenda your quilt is gorgeous,well done.
Wow I am loving your garden your flowers are magnificent,thankyou for sharing.
Also love the old quilt,if only they could talk xx
Thanks Shez, since I started hand quilting each of these tiny hexagons in the Grandmothers garden quilt this quilt has started to talk to me, I know know that several people worked at making this quilt, from the different stitches, threads to the different fabrics, some of the fabrics are even older than the 1930s. Cheers Glenda.