I have slowly been adding tiny flowers to my 3rd vase of LE this week. It is finally getting to look more like a vase of flowers ????. two more flower heads and a few leaves to add then I will need to finish the embroidery stems on the cherries and the tiny pink hearts.
Cheers Glenda
My gosh Wednesday nearly slipped by me this week. It has been very busy mostly with cleaning the house and garden ready for the wet season that officially starts Nov. Paint ing is on the agenda in some places it is never ending in the tropics. This week I started the wooden wall below and hubby finished it, it took 3 coats to cover the wood.
Same wall last Xmas!!!!! I did not realise how dark it made the room???????
Freshly painted it use to be just the colour of the wood but it was so hard to keep clean in humid conditions during the wet. Now it will only take 15 mins to wash down. I call this area my roués gallery?????
Over the last few weeks I have seen marks appearing on my 1930 GMFG I have been working on all year hemming and quilting, I could not work out were I was picking up the stains, then last week as I pulled it off my chair a recliner it was caught down one side and as it came out there was this HUGH grease mark, horrors old black grease of all things.
I decided I needed to remove it as soon as possible but I did not want to wash it with out quilting that area first; so I worked just on the corner and washed it using I old rubber dub washing board and hand made olive oil soap from France nearly all the marks have been removed. One of the things I have learnt from this is I will NOT now wash the quilt till I have completely quilted it, washing it has made the fabric shrink a little and it is a lot harder to quilt compared to the area that is not washed.
Above photo is where the thick grease was!!!!
The below flowers are taken this morning. last week the spider orchid was just opening and now one steam is fully out.
Below a wild banana it even looks like they will grow big enough to eat this year?????
Below some of the undergrowth in our rain forest area.
Below a Huge hand woven floor rug that came in to the shop it is sooooo dirty no one wanted to touch it, but as I have been a weaver I could not bear to see all that work been dumped so I have brought it home to see if I can clean it up, it is surprising what a garden hose and clothes detergent can do some times. I will let you know how it goes.
Below Hoya is in full bloom they the blooms are every where this year the best flowering we have ever had, and the perfume is heavenly.
I love stones and have them every where?????
Off to link with Esther http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/now,
thanks so much for dropping in Cheers Glenda
This week I have been sitting quietly sewing down my Zig Zags on my first piece of the first border, it is very very slow but very satisfying. Photo taken on north veranda were it is so lovely and cool to work 
Last week I showed you my north side veranda full of ??????? I did finally clean it up and relocate most of it!~!!!!!! Now that the hot weather has arrived so quickly it is lovely to work here.
North side veranda cleared in time so we could have hubby’s birthday dinner here on Friday night.
Hubby enjoys orchid plants so the below orchids where to add to his collection; these were his birthday present from me. After flowering these will go out in to the garden till next year they grow so well here.
Hoya buds doubled in size in 3 days
Our Sunbirds are still building their nest?????? It is longer and more dense now I’m waiting for her to start making the hole in it all to lay her eggs. They have been building for 4 weeks now
Today I received a surprise at 2pm I went out to my car and the Sunbirds had made their entrance to their nest, I was disappointed that I and missed them actually forming the entrance today but thrilled they had made it this far; so now we may have some eggs this spring and may be babies. I can sit a metre away from them and watch and this does not worry them, they seem to know that with humans around their nests are safer . Click on photo to see how cleaver they are at making an entrance.
We have had our first rain for many months about 2hrs ago and it has brought the frogs out of hibernation straight away. Below photo shows you how small they are, that is a coconut beside them and a water tap connection in the right foreground. 
A lovely hand made birdhouse to cheer up the garden for the granddies they love looking for hidden treasures in the garden.
On Tuesday the sweetest wee pair of Chinese shoes were handed in, why I reduced them was because they had patchwork soles on them, reason I noticed this one pair had a hole almost worn through on the sole.
I have turned one wee shoe inside out so you can see how the inner sole has been made with pieces of material then quilted?????? There are 4 layers of fabric may be more in the sole!!!!!!
These wee shoes are so cute and soles been quilted I will repair them just for fun??????
Another wee treasure rescued from the tip??? he has been washed now needs a little TLC to cheer up his clothes and cover some stains I can not remove. Then he will be ready to be loved again by some one.
Update still Wednesday in parts of the world
Last week I showed you the spider orchid in a very early stage of growth, today the first one is unfolding I can not believe it has grown so quickly and the first Hoya flowers bloomed this after-noon!!!!!!
Spider Orchid
Off to link up with Esther at http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/ now.
Thanks so much for dropping in till next time Cheers Glenda
glenda_jean@bigpond.com
Hello from a warm dry tropical Kuranda on the edge of the tropical rainforest in Far North QLD Australia. This week we saw our first beautiful completed Love Entwine made by faith it is truly a work of art. I also noticed a new compass in the photo section so still quilter from around the world are joining the group and starting their own journey of LE> I have been slowly adding tiny pieces to my own see below.
Ive added one more wee flower and the french knots in the right hand 4 pink hearts this week plus some stems not a lot to show but still some progress.
Finally after months and months I have added the last off white oak leaf, I was procrastinating about this leaf for some reason and then it just went on with out a hitch; I’m still not sure what scared me off doing it for so long now to add the wee brown circles??????
Used french knots on these tiny hearts but colonial knots on the big hearts. now sewing stems to my cherries.
I’ve started to make a memorial tie bag for a lady who lost her husband recently, using bits and pieces from his life. Some times these bags take me ages to start till I find the right fabric for the bag, I use 100 wool from coats, this coat is from Italy and the fabric is so so soft it is lovely to work with. It has a orange fleck through it which is wonderful as the two ties which were his are both orange??????
Swimming pool is been well used now we have jumped in to swimming pool weather the last week and I’m in and out of the pool every day. Have taken some photo’s from the roof of our house so you can see the lay out better??????
Succulent plant coming out of pot right hand side of the waterfall of the swimming pool is very very unusual, it send up long long thick stems no flowers just these long stems, I have never seen it any where else in OZ I bought it from a garage sale years ago??????
It is time to move to the North side of the house now as it is the cool side during summer, so it is back to playing or sitting under the trees.
I have started to move things off the North side veranda as this is always cool here even in mid summer when it is in the 30’s I like to have some chars and a table here to escape the real heat. Hopefully next week you will see a difference?????? LOL.
Garden is full of colour now and still more to come/
I add little animals to the garden for the grandies to find????? Two camels here under some miniature palms
Above a hoya which will be all flowers by next week
Desert Rose above is covered in flowers this year.
Last but not least is my wee Sunbirds nest they have been busy building it every day this week but it is still far from been completed, sadly the wee male Sunbird has not been seen today so I have my fingers crossed he is OK. I sat out under the nest after lunch for around 30mins and took these photo’s of the wee female Sunbird flying in and out she comes in every couple of minutes but only pushes the fibres in and is gone all in less than a fraction of a second so its very very hard to get a photo of her.
Off to link up with Esther http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/ now on her WOW or WIP’s
Thanks for dropping in. Cheers Glenda
glenda_jean@bigpond.com Please drop me an email if you can not leave one here I would love to hear from you.
Hello every one from Tropical Far North QLD where life is good!!!!!! It is the dry season which makes this place paradise this time of the year. Spring is all around us from the new leaves to the tropical birds flying back in to make their nests. It is so lovely seeing them flit amongst the trees and bushes around the house not to mention their lovely calls to one another.
I’m back working on my centre of LE after months just ;looking mostly and working on border parts for it for the future, well thats what I tell my self LOL. After seeing Narelle’s completed beautiful LE I just wish I had been able to spend more time on my lovely LE too over the last 12 months. How the last 12 months have disappeared and now we are in to Oct 2014!!!!!!!
Vase 3 I worked on appliquéing these tiny leaves last week each one takes me so long to sew on. I brought home a green silk jacket in the washing from the shop last week but could not remove the mark so I was thrilled as it will give me another green for my leaves on my vases
. 
This jacket is hard to photograph as it is silk and the light keeps changing but it is a lovely green so a big bonus for my LE.
Lots more work to do here at least a couple of months for me??????
While up the coast last week I managed to do 2 slits in my hearts these I’m doing by making Colonial knots and French knots as I’m working in silks this fabric would shed to much if I tried needle turning these slits so hence the embroidery here.
Close up of those French knots and Colonial knots it’s a slow way of doing this area but for me it is satisfying and relaxing as I make them.
I will also make the same knots on my tiny pink hearts here.
UPDATE 6pm Wednesday 1st Oct 2014
Adding my centre top flower, I added the flower to the left of it this avo using the green silk from the silk jacket?????
Have added a deep purple circle behind the red and now I’m much happier with the look. Now to appliqué all these tiny pieces in place, hopefully tonight??????
Indi playing with one of the lovely dogs I was baby sitting last week.
Sai sitting blowing bubbles while Becky looks on trying to work out what he was eating I think LOL
Jack and Becky settling down for their night. Such lovely dogs they were a joy to look after.
A rhino beetle that was in the garden one morning.
My camera would not focus up class for some reason this fellow makes a very loud hissing noise when he feels threatened, and my little DGS was not impressed and did not want to have any thing to do with him LOL.
Final night Hubby and I took a picnic down to the beach and watched the dusk creep over the sea and beach it was very beautiful.
I came home to a completed swimming pool deck, hubby had worked so so hard while I was a way to complete it as a surprise for when I came home and it sure was.
We sit out here for most of our meals now it is so lovely.
I have completed appliquéing the oblong patches all around this quilt, now I need to quilt them as they are too big to leave floating I think thats one of the reasons why the original ones shed so quickly compared to the rest of the quilt. the dark oblong has given it a darker look but makes the patches in between stand out more than the lighter oblongs did so I’m happy with how it looks now.
This is the original quilt with the verydamaged light beige oblong patches.
Our tiny Sunbirds are making a nest in our garage but I’m not sure if they will finish it as they are only very young birds but they are learning how to weave!!!!!
Here the male is sitting on a orchid stem they are extremely hard to photograph as they are constantly on the move like a butterfly.
Here he is again he is so light the stem is not even bending?????
Out my kitchen window this morning I do miss this view when I’m away it is so lush and green always.
This orchid is still in full bloom what a joy it is to see it each morning bobbing in the breeze.
While I was away the orange blossom was in full bloom so I missed it all this is the last of it.
My lovely deck where I’m about to go out and have lunch on!!!!!
This is the head of the orchid that that tiny sunbird was having fun on it is about 2 1/2 inches across so it is not even very big??????
Thanks for dropping by till next time. I’m off to link with Esther nowhttp://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
Cheers Glenda
PS if you would like to ask a question or drop in for a chat my email is
glenda_jean@bigpond.com
I have very little to show of my own quilting over the last few weeks or the last week. But we do have a 3/4 of a new swimming pool sun-deck, it is wonderful and what a lovely spot now to go out and read and have a coffee by. 
I sat out and had my breakfast here in the early morning sun this morning it was wonderful and this is where I will be having my breakfasts from now on. In a months time the children will be back swimming in the pool for the next 9 months.
I have two quilts of some one else work to show. First one is from a lady who has gone in to a home and she donated her quilts tot he church to sell for the children in Africa. They are mostly pieced quilts and machine made, the below one is a round robyn she made with other quilters, the brown fabric in the oblongs is much thinner than the rest of the fabric and it had started to fall apart, i have brought this one home to appliqué new fabric over the rotten fabric you can see in the bottom right hand corner I have started to add my first patch.
I have fallen in love with the quilt above as I have been working on restoring it; so yesterday I bought???
I have spent the last couple of hours measuring and cutting out the fabric to cover the damaged parts of the quilt each one has to be measured and cut then the turnings need to be ironed; they are all different measurements they are all a little out of shape but worth the time, the patches are only pinned in place at present I need to try and find the time before going to bed tonight to cut out the other two oblongs then I can start appliquéing them on. One down 9 to go LOL I have used a darker fabric than the original as I felt the original was to close to the colour value in the connecting blocks and did not sure them up as lovely blocks on there own. I think the darker fabric makes them pop now.
Close up of the frail fabric I’m going to cover with a similar weight fabric.
This is quilt was given to my friend brother when he was diagnosed with cancer made by his art group he belonged to, each block represents some thing he enjoyed or did in his life.
Lots of hand appliqué work and machine piecing and is machine quilted.
I love the colours through out this quilt.
Spring has arrived at last and the trees are all in bloom and the orchids are bursting out all over.
Taken late after-noon
Taken early this morning.
Taken early this morning
Late after-noon yesterday
Very much a mans orchid sorry it is out of focus
Now we really do know it is spring the orange blossom is ready to burst out today and in a week the caterpillars will be here too to eat the new green leaves. I grow the tree for them rather than the fruit LOL
Happy stitching every one. If you would like to drop me a line I would enjoy hearing from you but please do at
glenda_jean@bigpond.com.
I’m about to turn of my comments box as I’m getting up to 300 advertising comments even though I have a block on it????? Cheers Glenda
Hello from Paradise at present.
Out my kitchen window this morning around 8.30am
Today I have a friend coming at 10am. My after-noon is planned some time in the garden with DGD. She and I are extending her free roam area from the Patio to include part of the garden area; yes she has to help all 18 months of her LOL. Then I want to do make some boiled fruit cakes and date loaves for the Church stall on Saturday.
Well I thought I was going to make cakes and loaves but the gas oven is making a funny noise so will have to wait to see if Hubby can fix it ?????
Our days are picture perfect day after day finally the rain has stopped after 8 months> It is so lovely to be able to wake up each morning and know there will be no rain for a few months and I will be able to clean up the garden which is so over grown now; some of the trees are over 1 1/2 metres high and have grown that high in the last 5 months they need to be cut out before they cover us over and we disappear in to the rain forest. Seedlings in the rainforest sprout constantly and are usually pulled at around 4inches high to keep them under control but we have had an unusually long wet this year, our wet is officially from Nov till April but it just stopped second week in Aug this year so it has been to wet to try and work our in the grounds as the place was water logged which means masses of mosses and leeches????? It does NOT pay to assume in appliqué or quilting??????? My 4th vase pinned in the same spot as vase number 3 but the flower stems are way to short when I went to draw them what had I done wrong????? It does not do to assume????? I assumed the vases for 3 and 4 were the same but NO they are not, one is much deeper than the other at the top. I made both vases at the same time as I only had the one small piece of silk fabric and I did not want to miss place or use the fabric accidentally for some thing else. So I was assuming they were the same and made just the one template. Now I will have to make my stems longer for vase number 4 and add some more leaves and berries I guess!!!!!!
Don’t assume > LOL You can see the difference here???????
I was recently sent a lovely wee card made in the shape of a teapot and cup; I enjoyed it so much I made some up my self to give to two of the ladies who work with me; last week they had their birthdays.
Loved working in wool felt again
Hmm
Back in March I showed you the start of the new swimming pool deck that was been built, but the rain started again and never stopped till a month ago finally the ground has dried out enough to carry on the building.
In March New wooden deck is to be installed but the rain came and then Hubby hit one of the filter pipes and there was more water???????
Best part about the delay is we have a few changes, first been the entrance gate has been moved to the side of the fence making it a lot easier to enter and now no one will fall. Secondly the deck is going to be much longer and wide than first planned?????? This will make it a lot easier to keep clean in the wet season and now the Grandchildren will have some where to lie and sun dry after swimming. 
Yippee decking starting to go down.
Our wild local orchid and a import
Our wild local orchid sadly it only lasts a few days so you have to watch for it or you miss it.
poinsettia poinsettia
Gates removed from around the pavers here so DGD can now venture out in to part of the garden now when she comes to play.
Indi and I uncovered the secret path in the garden today, in the middle of the photo you can see a steps leading up. Look in above photo it is completely over grown!!!!
I built this path for Sai when he was 2 years old he is now 6 and Indi is 20 months old but works really hard helping me garden?????
Sai having fun running around and around the secret paths I uncovered with Indi this after-noon.
Will try and add some more photo’s of the flowers later today when the sun is on them. Off to link with Esther now.http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com thanks so much for dropping in Cheers Glenda
Hello every one thanks for dropping in, I still am not back to 100% so still playing around with hexagons only. Our sun has come back again after 2 weeks of rain and lovely cold nights cold enough to say we need a fire tonight, how I love to see a fire dancing in the lounge room from my chair.
Hanging my 1930’s GMFG quilt I’m adding the border too and quilting; in the winter sun today trying to get the musty dust out of it, it keeps making me sneeze when working on it so it can not be to healthy ???? I have made the hexagons for 3 sides now, sewn and quilted on nearly 1/2 the border hexagons.
Cuddly toys that had been loved but were very dirty when handed in to the Opp shop I have washed them and now they are ready to be loved again!
Above were two woolen hand made jerseys handed in to the Opp shop sadly they had been washed in a machine and were shrunk to hard stiff felt????? I brought them home and soaked them in softener for 24hrs and then dried them, they are lovely and soft now but the arms were so small even a toddlers arm would not get in to them, so I cut the arms off them and tried them on my DGS and DGD but they were long enough but miles to wide in the shoulders, so I borrowed one of Indians wee dresses and recut the smallest one and then blanket stitched around it in Red this is the top photo and now she has a super warm wee top????? I’m now working on the other one.
This is a cute wee jump suit for a 10 month old baby miles to small for indian who is now 20 months old but I did not want to part with Minny????? So I cut Minny out and ironed on some Iron fussing to the back.
Here is Minny ready and waiting for some where to go permanently she is resting on the wee top I used to draft out Rudolf’s top for Indi. Minny is missing the top of one ear but I will cut out a butterfly and stick that there to cover up what is missing LOL I thought she looked so cute here I went and to make a wee dress for her?????
Instead I saw this wee print and became side tracked and cut out a summer dress instead from the drafted winter top, I thought it needed a little touch of more colour so making it reversible
Minny still does not have any where to go but I have started to make a hole in my cotton quilting fabrics which has not been touched for years.
Today I received a lovely post mail in it was a parcel from some one special and she had sent me chocolates and this delightful wee teapot felt card with a tea bag tucked in the cup a tiny note attached says.
On any day at half past three make yourself a cup of tea I’ll think of you and you think of me. How lovely is that???
I have pulled out my felts to make one for a friend so you can see I’m having a sewing day or more like a cutting out day.
I
In my garden today; it sure looks like I’m in to Pink today????? LOL
Sorry still no creepy crawlies it is just to cold for them.
Till next time off now to link with Esther at http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
Cheers Glenda
When many overseas people think about Australia they think beaches and sunshine so I’m going to share another of my favourite places on the coast of Australia with you today.
I have just arrived back home with no patchwork to share this week. I have worked constantly when I could on making hexagons and sewing them on to the border for my 1930’s GMFG I guess I’m 1/3rd there now. I was hoping to finish this quilt this year but it is August all ready????? I will be working on this, this afternoon while I sit and watch the DVD Noah with Russell Crowe???? 
Finished edges so far.
I found this beautiful hand made sashiko Kimono winter gown in a second hand shop in Kamakura several years ago, it is two layers of heavy white cotton and a thick wadding of silk and is so so warm to wear. but so heavy too. I love it, the sashiko quilting is so incredibly even and each stitch a joy to see.
Close up of a front panel. Stitches are roughly just under 1/4 of an inch and the width between each stitch the same. They have used a light, medium, and dark blue thread instead of the same blue through out which is mostly done.
A modern sashiko cloth recently given to me and a wonderful sample piece to learn from.
My first trip to the beach was gloomy and wet but I loved it.
Pandanus flower.
Lone surfer
To me even the dark sky was beautiful against the stark black trunks.
wet and soggy and a yacht bobs in the distance
Looking down on Noosa from the clouds?????
Next day???? what a difference a day makes?????
Yacht looks a lot happier to day, paddle border and DH and DS soaking up the sun and view.
Surfers waiting for that long wave?????
Lovely rock formation and surf breaking.
How beautiful is that? surfers like seals on the point.
Up close of the surfers on the point.
They do look like seals don’t they.
How clear and clean the water is. Jarrod often sees green turtles swimming with him here.
and dolphins surf the waves with him too.
A beautiful ghost gum tree.
Now back home and the poinsettia bushes have finally changed to red and yellow.
Close up of the yellow flower. we don’t see the yellow so often here.
Thanks for dropping in and spending time with me. Cheers Glenda who is off to link with Esther now.
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
Oh the Joy of been a grandparent; there is nothing else like it. MY DGD playing with tiny stones a lot more fun than an expensive toy??????
I’m going down to stay with my DS and his lovely partner for two weeks on monday so I have been busy sorting out what sewing to take with me, don’t worry about the clothes just the sewing LOL. I have pulled out my beautiful LE centre that I have not worked on for months as I have been making lots of the repeat parts that are in the borders and loving working on them to, I’m not the slights bit bored sitting there I keep saying just one more just one more many of you will know that saying LOL.
My centre is mostly made from silks from Japan I hope no one ever washes it LOL
Corner I have just started working on again. lots of flowers and leaves still to add, I hope to add the leaves while away and do the yellow french knots in the centre of the pink hearts instead of doing needle turn there. It takes longer to do but easier as the silk shreds when working on tiny pieces .
My first corner how I loved working on this flower arrangement. I made the white lilly so many times till I was happy wight he fabric and look.
Second vase arrangement here you can see the French Knots in the pink hearts. I have loved making the cherries so added many more than in the original design??????
Here you can see the colonial and french knots I used in the centre of my hearts I still have the other set of hearts to embroider but I have missed placed my silk threads to do them??????
Close up of those pink hearts and there french knots.
Some of the wee piles of repeat pieces in the borders. I have lots of these wee piles and love making them.
Collecting stones from the drive way is so much fun?????
Many of you will know Reiko Kato from Japans quilts, she use to make these darling wee quilts of her version of Sunbonnet Sue. Well my DGD aged 18 months has just been up to see me so we went for a walk in the garden. She reminds me so much of Reiko Kato’s quilts this morning
This is my garden seat
Another wee seat for me to sit on next to the strawberries!!!!!!
Update mid after-noon when it is much warmer in the sun.
Annabelle picking vegetables.
I was looking for something yesterday and came across some Annabelle blocks I made a couple of years ago. Annabelle is the creation of Michele’s at www.xstitchalley.blogspot.com.au I fell in love with Annabelle and made several delightful designs of her. I don’t know if Michelle sells theses delightful designs ?
Annabelle making wishes on thistle seeds blowing in the wind.
I’m not sure yet what I will do with them may be small shoulder bags?????
I’m off now to cut out around 200 wash away iron on freezer paper 1inch hexagons to sew while away for my 1930’s GMFG.
Hope you all have a great week. I’m now going to link with Estherhttp://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
Thanks for dropping in, till next time Cheers Glenda
I thought part 14 and 15 of LE which was released yesterday was so so beautiful and I could not wait to play with the Bow??????
So this is how I’m thinking of making those Bows in Part 14 of Love Entwine I had fun this after-noon making this one. But by the time I have looked at it a couple of times I may make it another way LOL
I took photos as I worked my way through it.
Added Thursday 18th July.
Have added this photo of the silk Kimono I’m using for the Bows in part 14 and 15. Lining is a plain silk but has a shimmer to it and the Kimono fabric is embossed. Colour tones are the same but in real life you can see the difference.
First I used press’n Seal to copy my shapes I wanted for the bow.
I pressed these shapes on to 4 layers of ironed freezer paper. By ironing 4 thickness of freezer paper together makes a great template for me to use when making a sample piece.
Here I have cut out the outer shape with very small sharp scissors.
I used a scalpel to cut out the centres.
Looking like a bow now. 
Now I have my templates I can draw my shape on to the wash away iron on freezer paper I’, going to us. This will be left in, if you just use freezer paper you need to remove it at some stage.
I have cut out my shapes and ironed it on to some silk, back is plain silk lining of a kimono and the front is brocade silk from the same Kimono.
Shapes cut out and one has the outer edge turned over and tacked down ready to turn back the centre.
Bad photo but opposite side.
One down one to go.
Both finished now, these are fiddly but what part of LE is not LOL. Enlarge and Zoom in for close ups of how I have stitched these.
Does it look like a BOW?????
Taken from my front veranda sunset late after-noon and the sun is hitting the top of the range and defecting down on to the river.
Close up it reminds me of a water colour.
Off to join up with Esther’s WOW to day. http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
Cheers Glenda.
PS thanks for dropping in.
This gallery contains 16 photos.
Word Press has revised and Updated its lay out and I’m lost?????? It has taken me hours to work out how to upload the photo’s?????? Now I have to work out how to write here!!!!!!. I have given up trying … Continue reading
White and cream silk heritage quilt I started to make several years ago. Next week I will take a photo of this in the day time so you can see what it really looks like????
Close up of one corner
Close up of the wedding silk fabric it is a very heavy embossed fabric woven on a 14inch loom by hand????? it took me a long time to join the fabric so you could not see the join unless you are up very close!!!!!
My first quilting lesson sample. 1990 on Tonga Is land in the South pacific
Close up at those quilting stitches that took me all 7 hrs none stop trying to make them before I found the rhythm and since them I have had a love of hand quilting ever since.
I like hiding little bits and pieces in the grounds for the grandchildren to find.
Two white china elephants have just arrived in the jungle ?????
Finally the wet has stopped and the palms are fruiting and bringing in the pigeons and fig tree birds again which is lovely.
Soft colours of these berries I love they are usually a dark red.
There were 4 large green pigeons fighting over these berries 1/2 an hour ago but by the time I got my camera they had left.
I have finally scrubbed off all the grim from the wood they are now ready for varnishing, I have recovered one of the seats, I had to wash and wash the foam to get it clean; I added some felting as well when I recovered it. When I took out the staples out of the original very very grubby stained fabric I could see it had once been a black and white flexed material ???????
Happy stitching every one and thank you for dropping in. Cheers Glenda
Hello from Far North Queensland Australia from a tinny village in the tropical rainforest.
Janet's quilt finally finished and ready for the dry cleaners then off to NZ
Back of Janet's quilt brought back from China as a silk panel around 1960 70's by her Mum.
Difficult to capture the beauty and design????
Close up of the silk panel
On the front veranda while I have been sick my hanging basket has bloomed?????
Snow white.
Flowering in the entrance.
Some times some thing beautiful sneak up on you??????
From our back veranda down by the river this creeper has burst in to flower it is amazing how it all blooms at the same time.
Close up of the creeper. behind you can see the weir which we normally don't see as the water is usually kept to the top but they must of opened the electric hydro water gates the water flows down through huge pipes to the bottom of the range to turn the power generators which are 1000 feet below us. We are so grateful we have this right in front of our home as it means all year round we have water to look down on as the river slows to a trickle in the dry which has hopefully just started!!!! 3 months late??????I don't want to see any rain for at least 3 months or more now after 7 months of rain.
Finally we hope it has stopped raining, to day I picked up some herbs and tomatoes to plant in my hanging baskets, I grow them in these old stainless steel cooking bowls as the turkeys like them too but when they try and land on them they swing in all directions and they freak out and fly away LOL. Bottom bowl is yet to be planted and hung under the other two which are hanging. I have planted a tomato , basil, mint, and strawberries in these so far.
Sun is sinking and and the last rays are striking the poinsettia which has not changed all over to red as there has been so little sun. There are two Poinsettia's her there is a younger yellow one there too.
Colour in the garden at last
Showing there last colours but I had to pull the plants today and now there is a basil plant in the planter instead??????
Time to harvest the Rosellas they make the best jam ever they are found in most parts of OZ.
A louciouse bowl of ????? ready for jam making. Top one is eaten away so you can see the seed that needs to be removed first though.
Fruit picked and ready to have the seed removed then it jam making time, may be tomorrow. I need to cut off any stalk and remove the seed I use a apple corer to do this it is simple and quick. Here you see the fruit and in the back ground the pot of jelly made for the fruit.
Back to making a make over again, this time a pair of pine kitchen chairs. seats look grey but are meant to be cream thats how dirty they are, will take the material off and I have some lovely tan fabric for them.
Removed seats the under neath is almost as bad as the tops, bleached every thing then sprayed the wood with a very very strong chorine and then scrubbed the wood with a small bucket of washing powder liquid. it come up good and removes those grimy area were the hands are constantly touching. These chairs are only about 1970 1980 but very strong so worth saving. Will show you the end results next week!!!!!
Hubby is working on a new make over too????? Renewing the back and tiles around the fire box, has just started laying the new tiles and it will look lovely and fresh when finished plus will reflect a lot more heat as well. This all came about because the base of the chimney needed to be replaced LOL.
Who's hubby spoilt her???? yes after more than 48 years he still comes home out of the blue with a bunch of red roses.
Last but not least is my 1930’s GMFG quilt I’m quilting. HELP needed please!!!!!!!
Help needed PLEASE If any one in the USA recognises the wadding could you let me know when it came out?????? Hexagons have been made by two different quilts, floral fabrics are mostly 1930's and older, but not sure when it was sandwiched but the wadding may date it for me. Thank you all who may recognise it. There are two pieces of wadding and each one is overlocked down two sides and they look like very very light weight cotton brushed blankets
Well thats it every one off to link with Esther at http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
Have a lovely week and thanks for all your lovely links to browse on Esther’s blog.
Please leave a note if you wish so I can visit you too.
Cheers Glenda
My first corner nealy completed, the flower is quilted except for the last row and I will do that now and then appliqué the hexagons down from behind.
As soon as I put a quilt down on the floor my wee dog will come and check it out then curl up on it?????? I have almost completed binding my first corner. I need to cut out 344 wash away iron on freezer paper hexagons for the binding, I have worked out a quick way to make these, I will write up how I do this next week if I can find time?????
I have only been hand quilting and working on repairing the binding edge of the 1930’s Grandmother flower garden quilt this week it has been so cold it is the best thing to do, curl up in my chair and cover my self with the quilt and keep warm while quilting ????
Back of the quilt with the Hexagon binding. I’m enjoying working and repairing this quilt so much every thing else is on hold?????
I added the last 13 Hexagons around this corner last night and there were no hitches. I had to resew all the side seams of the hexagons on the quilt as they are all a fraction to wide, then when I added the hexagons borders they fitted snugly.
I love the floral fabrics that have been used in this beautiful GMFG Quilt
I have quilted 9 flowers only 47 to go LOL
I’m just quilting the flowers at random, just choosing one I like then having fun.?????
Who ever made these rosetta was not short of money as this quilt has been planed it did not just grow, there are 61 different fabrics used and mostly lovely florals and the fabric is good quality.
I have dropped in to several of the links at Esther’s blog http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com this morning and many of you are saying how wet it is in your gardens, we are the same here, this is meant to be our dry season no rain from end March till Dec and it has not stopped raining, my hubby started to put in a new wooden decking around one end of the swimming pool 4 weeks ago and it has been raining ever since, all that is happening is the holes
This is meant to be a finished wooden deck where we could sit and have coffee on but the rain has not stopped for 4 weeks??????
that were dug for the footing are full of water instead of concrete?????? My garden looks bedraggled instead of beautiful!!!! We are still been bitten by mosses and leeches, rats and ants are moving inside even to get away from the wet. Tourists come this time of the year to get away from the cold down south but it is to wet for them to even go out on the reef?????
Here and there in the garden the real hardy flower is flowing but they look sad and wet not stunning as there is no sun.
Even the Anthuriums look drowned.
My first large white Anthurium
Poinsettia is struggling as it thrives on the drought weather not the wet?????
These yellow and red Poinsettia’s should be a mass of red and hello but it has been so wet they are not changing colour. We need our sun??????
A very drowned orchid display LOL
Thank you for dropping in. I’m off to look at some of the links on Esther’s blog now
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
Cheers Glenda
Nothing exciting to show as I have been sick the last couple of weeks and have been house bound and to sick even to sew. But this morning I decided to write up a blog on how I’m binding my 1930’s Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt that I’m quilting at present, I did do some quilting on this while I was sick but nothing else.
How I’m binding Grandmothers-Flower Garden quilt keeping the hexagon shape.
I made this binding over a week ago before I became sick the second time round????? I took photo’s at each stage I just hope you can understand the below!!!!!
Step 1 This quilt is over 80 years old and the papers have been removed from the edge of all the hexagons. I have decided to use iron on freezer paper for several reasons, one it will add some body, two it will add some weight around the edge plus it will be much easier to work with than just freezer paper.
Step 2 I need to resew several of the side seams as they are coming undone plus I only want the seam to stop 1/4 of an inch at the end of each seam, this will make it easier to turn the seams in the valleys of the hexagon shape. unknown quilter sewed right to the end of all seams.
Step 3 I’m working in sets of 9 to make the binding, first I ironed all the edges of the hexagons then ironed the papers to the back of the 9 hexagons then pressed the seams down too ready for basting with thread not glue as I live in the tropics and glue is a no no; ants love it and the mould????
Step 4 Front of side hexagons ready to be basted. I just love these sweet 1930s may be prints.
Step 5 Hexagons basted and then these tacked to the wadding and backing to keep them straight for cutting away wadding and backing later.
Step 6 I have needle basted 9 hexagons using wash away freezer paper, these will be my binding, I have stitched them in a row. I was going to use my old 1930’s fabrics but felt that they were just to fragile for her where there will be a lot of handling and wear over the next 50 years or more????? SO have used reproduction 1930 fabrics mostly from my stash.
Step 7 Hexagons placed on top of the quilt edge hexagons and whip stitched together.
Step 8 I have cut the backing and wadding away now .
Step 9 Backing cut away looking at the back of quilt I have cut it back to just below the valley of each hexagon. I’m not worried about there been no wadding and backing in the tips on the edge as I have to thicknesses of wash away freezer paper here plus the seams for a sharp point.
Step 10 This is the fun part flipping the hexagons over and getting those sharp points; I use a fine rounded pointed chop-stick for this it works so well.
Step 11 Back of those hexagons that have just been flipped over.
Step 12 Hexagons now pressed ready to be quilted down to keep perfectly. I tacked them down first though.
Step 14 Close up of the edge finished. I must admit that quilting those hexagons on the edge were difficult and time consuming as I was sewing through two layers of wash away freezer paper plus the two fabrics and the fleecy backing; I ended up making one stitch at a time, pushing the needle through pulling it right through then poking it back up from behind, it was just too thick to keep the stitches small any other way. But it is worth the effort to see that nice hexagon edge .
Well that was a surprise to get this blog made this morning on how I’m binding my GMFG. It has taken me 3 hrs though uploading the photo’s and adding some text !!!!! No house work done or sewing though??????
I will now link up with Esther http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com on her WOW today after ALL.
I hope this is of some use to a few of you now or in the future I just hope you are able to understand it all LOL. Thanks for dropping in.
Cheers Glenda
It is hard to believe that we are almost in to June and 1/2 the year gone??????
I guess if it is going this fast for me I must be having fun LOL.
During the past week I made up my first 4 background borders, this is quiet a task as I only have 7 metres of fabric and it is only 14 wide so I need to do a lot of joining and as it is silk it has to lie the same direction, some of these strips have only one join but one has 5 joins ?????? Then I have ironed on a very fine stabiliser as it helps stop the silk moving in all directions and keeps it in the shape I want not what it wants to do. ??????
It is rather daunting when I see how much work is going to be involved making LE but it is my heirloom quilt so I have several more years I hope to complete it LOL I have made up enough Zig Zags and Dutch Pixies for another side, plus lots of pieces for border 11 and 12, as I'm working on lots of different areas now I never get tired of working on it. I do not have enough fabric for the corner stones or the last border for the backing but LE will talk to me about that as time goes by!!!!!!!
Through so many of the members talking about hexagons I went looking for my first Hexagon WIP ???? but found this one instead.
I brought this one online about 10 years ago a unfinished 1930's grand mothers flower garden quilt. I have pulled it out from time to time but could not decide how to cope with the batting as the maker has used a lovely soft batting but did not cut it to fit, but over laid it in the centre so there is two thickness down the middle 1/3 of the quilt. Yesterday I decided well thats OK thats were you want the warmth not on the edges and i have decided to leave it as is rather than unpick the quilting that has been done around each flower in the ditch twice. I was chatting to Bunny about this quilt and she motivated me to start on it so yesterday I sat for 6 hrs I quilted one of the flowers a 1/4 of an inch inside each hexagon and how lovely it has come up.
One flower completed and only 55 more to quilt LOL While quilting it yesterday I realised how sweet these tiny floral fabrics from the 30's are, each is a little treasure on it's own. I also realised how dirty the fabric was too???? especially the white but what can you except after 80 years and never been washed LOL.
The backing is just a plain off white cotton but will show up the quilting and I think it will be lovely with this way of quilting it. These hexagons are 1 inch on each side finished.
I searched yesterday on the net to see if some one had put up a tutorial on how to bind the edges of the quilt keeping the shapes of the hexagons rather than a straight line, and found a wonderful one, it means making around 360 more hexagons, I have enough 1930 fabrics to be able to do this and so finally after 10 years plus I think I have solved all my problems and now just need time LOL. If the binding works I will show a small tutorial in photo’s next week. I have spent the last 3 days in bed with flu only thing I have done is quilt two more flowers for GMFG
I'm getting so much enjoyment out of quilting this old quilt.
3rd flower completed only 53 to go LOL. All the neutral coloured fabric are quite strong and thick, green has faded to 1/2 it's original colour but I like it as it is now, and the feedsack muslins are very thin, and quilt up so quickly at 12 stitches to the inch where the heavy cotton I can only get 10 to the inch.
No nature photos or garden this week I’m in bed still. I will link now with Esther
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com WOW or WIP’s
Thanks for dropping in. Cheers Glenda
My day started with very little to show you in the garden and sewing related then with a blink of an eye I saw some thing special, I was emptying the bag of washing from the Shop when I saw quilting stitches 1/2 way down the bag, I kept emptying the bag and adding the colures clothes to the washer and then pulled out a quilt???? all I could see was the tiny stitches on cream calico, I took it in side a spread it on the floor and Bingo
Bingo a 2metre hand sewn and quilted quilt in soft pastels ?????
All the blocks are made by different quilters, may be it was a group swap or may be even a online group swap which are very popular in Australia. When you look up close the stitching on some are quite primitive so they must have been beginners but it just adds to the sweet nest of this darling wee quilt. .
Each block is a pieced block all different so the makers were able to choose their basket but used soft pastel colours through out. The owner spent a great deal of time thinking about how to make these blocks up as they are so balanced and ZI love the flower vine border she added with the small baskets in each corner of the border.
Not sure if you can see the quilting in the border but it is lovely, so many tiny tiny stitches .
So from nothing to show I have enjoyed sharing this wee treasure with you. It has been well used as it has had constant trips to the washing machine by the feel of it, but it still has many more years to be loved and used. There is one small stain in the border and that is why they would have put it in the wash bag for me to wash, it may come out but if not it will be still treasured.
LE progress not much to see but I have been needle basting lots and lots of pieces for my Part 11 border.
My wee wooden sewing box is filling up quickly with needle basted pieces ready to be appliqué on to Part 11 one day LOL I have also made enough Dutch Pixie pieces to appliqué on to another border .
100s of laure leaves needle basted over wash away freezer paper. Over 2/3 of the way with these lovely wee pieces.
I'm making my fairies for Part 11 in two pieces as this means not so many sharp con-caves and they sit much better.
Yes I did manage to appliqué a few more Dutch Pixies and have pinned the Zig Zag on the top ready to appliqué down too on this border.
Nothing to show in the nature line this week so will repeat the last 3 photo’s I added to my blog last week just before it was closed off.
Wompoo bird has just brought her baby in on it's first flight, it kept falling as you will see by the other photo's I was lucky to have my camera with me as they flew in. Chick has a grub in its mouth.
Hows is that for colour every colour in the rainbow!!!!!! Chick has fallen in to the stalks of the eaten berries below the adult bird.It is the first time I have ever seen a chick in the 17 years we have lived here so this was very special for me.
This bird is from the Dove family all though it is the size of a large pigeon and we are so lucky to have it fly in and out of our palm trees so we can see it up close when feeding on the berries. Chick is still hanging on and still has the grub in it's beak from when it flew in with it's mum???? It has grey and brown feather s for a long time then blossoms in to it's stunning colure around 1 year old.
Well from having nothing to show I haven’t done to bad LOL
I’m off to link with Esther on her WOW or WIP’s today
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
Thanks for dropping in and visiting my small part of paradise.
Cheers Glenda
Not sure how it happened but I have lost a week, I thought it was the 8th today LOL. I have very little to show this week but today I hope to finish off tying a quilt.
I have two sides to finish ting then several butterflies to add using buttonhole stitches and it will be finished.
I have been making oval shapes this week for Part 11 even though I’m a long way from doing Part 11 as I’m still working on my centre vases but I enjoy jumping from one area to another with this beautiful quilt. I was not looking forward to Part 11 with all those repeat olive leaves as I call them but I really just love sitting there and making them, I made up nearly 30 last night watching TV. There are 66 on each border and I have made enough so far for 1 1/2 borders so by the time I get to Part 11 all my olive leaves will be made and i will have the fun of appliquéing them on straight away.
I made many of these olive leaves last night.
I have also been making up more fairies for my Part 11 this week.
I found time to sew on 8 more Dutch Pixies plus make up a few more pink and red clogs so I have enough now to finish my first border. I can not believe that it takes me 20 mins to appliqué one set on to my background?????? Thats 7 1/2 hrs stitching Dutch Pixies for one side but I DO enjoying working on them so is worth every minute I spend sewing them.
For mothers day last Sunday my Eldest DS and his beautiful wife gave me the cutest wee wooden sewing carry box.
My mothers day gift which is perfect for all my pieces I'm working on for Part11 of LE
All my little bits and pieces I'm needle basting for my LE mostly Part 11 at the moment.
Bottom draw is full of iron on wash-away-paper for my appliqué pieces of Part 11 I cut them out last night around 150 pieces ready to be ironed on to silk and needle basted. I do love this wee carry box.
Our garden is looking very sad as we have had more rain over the last week. On mother day DH decided to give me a new wooden deck around one end of the swimming pool, sadly he hit one of the main feed in water pipes on the pool filter, so an easy job has turned in to a major job as he then decided to take the air pipes away from in side the pool. I will show you what it looks like now and when it is finished so you will see how much work was involved.
New wooden deck is to be installed but the rain came and then Hubby hit one of the filter pipes and there was more water???????
I can assure you when it is finished it will look and be wonderful to use.
Poinsettia has more red leaves since last week.
Only bright spot in the garden is the water Lilly????
Only creature to show this week and he was a night visitor who got caught on the wire we are using to stop our grand daughter from falling off the veranda till she learns not to climb. He is about 3inches long.
Up date Thursday 15th 12am
A beautiful Wompoo bird and her chick just flew in to one of my Palm trees for the berries; it is not often you can get snaps of the Wompoo bird with it’s wings spread to see the rainbow colours it is made up of.
Wompoo bird has just brought her baby in on it's first flight, it kept falling as you will see by the other photo's I was lucky to have my camera with me as they flew in.
Wompoo bird and chick
Hows is that for colour every colour in the rainbow!!!!!!
Look closely under her and you will see her baby it is still wearing its baby feathers that are all browns and greys.
Our sun has just broken through how lovely it is to have it back even for a short while.
I’m off to link with Esther now,
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for dropping in Cheers Glenda
Wednesday morning again and I have very little to show, have just taken some photo’s of what my LE will look like up to Part 11. I have made a border of each border up to part 11 so I know what colours I want to use and to make sure I have enough of the fabrics. I have just started to sew down my Dutch Pixies but I still have not finished my centre by a long way but I just could NOT stop my self from sewing them LOL. Part 11 is not sewn at all pieces are just placed so I could see how my colours were working. No beach today, but my DS is taking me to the beach tomorrow for breakfast so if I remember my camera I will up date my blog tomorrow.
Love Entwine so far??????
My wee pixies I could not leave alone, I have started appliquéing them on each one takes me about 40 mins to sew on??????? Been silk my stitches need to be very tiny as the fabric is so fine and sheds like crazy.
This is showing my borders up till Part 11 it helps me see how my colours are going to work, it also makes me realise this is going to be a huge quilt when finished. I love the border for Part 11 it is an extra joy to work on.
To day I will keep on sewing those wee Pixies. I know I will procrastinate over those tiny pieces that go on this border for months??????
Going for our morning walk friends for ever !!!!!!
I wonder what they have found??????
This fellow is eating the leaves on my mandarin tree on the patio.
Look closely and you will see a green caterpillar same colour as the mandarin leaves his legs are brown so he just looks like apart of the branch; he turns in to a beautiful big black and white butterfly about 5inches across. right in the back ground is my DDL
Charlie has spun his web across out drive way?????
Poinsettia first of the leaves to turn red, by mid winter all the leaves will have changed to scarlet red.
This vine is a vegetable much like a spinach and is wonderful used in a quiche as it keeps it's body and does not go mushy. It is flowering at present and also covered in purple juicy looking seeds so is very attractive. Best part you just cut the leaves off as you want them and several more grow where you cut the leaf off?????
A Bromeliad. Very little colour in the garden at present but the river looks lovely from the other side of the house.
Looking down to the river it is so peaceful this morning around 22C cooler weather is on it's way. We have and two cold nights down to 16C so our blankets have been pulled out of storage and woollens back in draws to wear again.
Thanks for dropping in I’m off to link up with Esther now at http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
SO if I you would like to see others who are working on Love Entwine please join us. Cheers Glenda
