PatchworkDreams

May be I could do some thing like this?????

3 new borders sewn on to my 17 1/2 inch block, This is looking OK I think?

????????

Yes I can live with this and I have cut out 12 more pink mottled stips and ironed them in half for the next 3 blocks now.

Taken this morning and I’m still happy with it, I now have a 19inch block instead of a 17 1/2 inch block LOL  looking forward to seeing the 4 blocks done like this now.

All DH blocks are now  waiting to be finished applqiued by hand or machine.

I finished cutting out Block 3 earlier in the week it is completly ironed down ready for sewing.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Completed block all cut out.

Finished making those leaves Sunday night they realy made me think,  till I deicded to make that tiny tiny piece a big piece with  a big seam behind, it was so easy then.

Top two pieces my two tones leave shapes, notice my smaller piece is MUCH bigger than what I end up with top leaf all you see is a slither of pale green but behind in the lower leaf you can see how big it really was it is showing up as white as thats the backing of the ironon fussing.

During the week I made up some sqaures in a sqaure for my DH blocks what a disaster I think the little red sqaures look like they ahve measles LOL  also the red is to red it should be more in the pink tones plus I again did not read my pattern corectly and cut my fabric 2 inchs far far to big!!!!!  So now its back checking through my stash or may be I will have to give in and buy some new fabric for those squares?????   This was when I dicovered my block had been cut at 17 1/2 inches instead of 18 1/2 inchs!!!!!

Unfinished Kansas basket blocks

Kansas 1930’s basket blocks

Kansas basket blocks bought online in 2017 from Kansas

Card board is a template that has been sliced inside so you can mark the basket shapes to embrodier the basket weave look.

Looking forward to one day finishing these baskets for th eunknown quilter who spent hours embrodering the stems and leaves on most of these blocks

Appliquéd down using a running stitch.

These running stitiches are so small and even, they look like they have been done by a sewing machine!!!!!

Pieces are just cut out and marked b pencil to show were to turn under and baste with thread for appliqe.

Top template of cardboard for cutting out the basket shapes Bottom cardboard is slightly heavy weight and slashed to be able to mark through them  with a pencil on the basket fabric for embrodiery.

There are 4 cardboard templates with the blocks  Tulip shape and a small leaf shap to mark were to do the running stitches in side the tulip to give the tulip shape.

He was in side during the week and I carefully caught him and let him go out side.

Butterflies are such delicate creatures and all are so beauitful to watch and when they some times magically land on you their touch is like a gentle kiss.

Baby kookaburra

At last every thing is ironed down, I realy lost my confidence with this block so put it up on Esther’s BOM group to see what members thought feed back was pretty positive so quickly ironed every thing down before I could change my mind LOL Vase and lock are all machine applqiued down now to start on the leaves and finally will do the flowers by hand.

My bird is finally spot glued  down to my back ground and hopefully by Wednesday he will be machine appliqued down to the background fabric.

Close up of my elusive bird, now to make him a chain!!!!!

Thread painting on my bird for SG

He looks pretty wicked !!!!!

Ive added some background fabric in the centre so it does not look like it is a hole !!!!!! All 4 blocks we have recieved so far from the mystrey BOM by Esther ALiu for 2017 called The Seret Garden.

I have completed echo quilting around 3 dresden plates now and 1/2 way around the centre one so good progress on this one which I’m happy about.

The start!!!  Those flower heads have iron on fussing behind them and they are cut out in one piece.

Added a little more time to stop after midnight I can’t I’ll just add a little more!!!!!

Where I stopped last night, not telling you the time LOL

10pm I’ve just finished cutting out the last of my pieces for DH  May be with luck I will get them all irondown tomorrow.  This is a lovely block to make.  Frustrating part is I can not find the rest of my vase pieces I cut them all out at the same time to make sure I had enough fabric!!!!!!!!

Sitting waiting for a small insect to pass him by I’m all ways amazed how they will sit in the same spot for hrs waiting for their meal to fly or hop past them.  He was in my garden last night at the entrance to our home.

Sunset last night.

Some how this rather large flying bettle ended up in my hair the other night while I was about to drop off to sleep!!!!!!  Needless to say my reflects made me grab and flick it off me, then my wee dog rescued me by  jumping at it to stop it flying any more till I could dispose of it .

Last of the helieconia’s.

Tiny natice ground cover is even flowering again.

In a few weeks these buds will be beauitful falls of white.

one of th egingers.

cosmos

A clean side fence finally till the end of the next wet?

I mended two pairs of my DS favourite jeans!!!!!

Patched jeans using sashiko stitching.

Needle book is about 3inchs by 5inchs.  Round disc is a pin holder,  and oval holder I keep my thimbles in.    I cherish these.

Such incredible ribbon work on silk.  !00’s of hours of work went in to making these beautiful pieces.

These are so tiny I had trouble focusing them with my camera.

Where I was up to last Thursday but it was still Wednesday some where else in the world LOL

My first 3 blocks of The Secret Garden

Block 1 is at the top block 2 middle and block3 bottom of photo.   My 4th Vase will be dark.

I’ve chosen a bright red silk as I have two light vases and I want to dark vases Interesting how different a flower looks if you turn it around, here it is hanging down

Same flower but turned completely around

Add a few bias stems

Change the flower and add a few buds I wonder how this will end up????

Roughly cut out leaves and flowers ironed on to iron-on-fussing, ready to be cut out for block 4 of SG may be????

May be some thing like this?????

Or may be like this?  Having fun.

Finished and on its way to its new destination.

Last week when DGD was here I was looking for some thing and she saw this, I hung it over the end of my cutting table and she just sat there for ages looking at it then we played eye-spy with it. I said would you like it Yes Please Nanna I suggested I finish sewing it for her and she said could we do sew it together next time I come,   so today is that day. We have cut out a backing and some high-loft wadding as she likes cuddly quilts. Next week we will pin and may be start sewing it.

The ferns are over taking the area around the herbs and where we like to sit in the winter sun!!!!

Same place but after 2 days weeding, now you can see all the herb containers and a young pineapple growing to the left of the last container on the left!!!!!  there is still a metre square to clear so we can use the top area to have our morning and avo coffee up there in the winter sun again.   In a months time the heliconia’s will be up 8inchs and in 6 months all flowering again.

This was taken over 3 weeks ago.  the last 5 months of a long wet the vegetation has taken over!!!!!

Same place as above photo. To day my DGD 4 helped me finish puling those giant fern and now you can see down the boundary fence at last.  Ive pulled at least 4 trailer loads of rubbish from here.  This causes a draft of air movement through the land we live on and helps keep the mossies away they don’t like wind or draft movement This also helps dry out the under growth and stops the mosses breeding in it.

Stunning colours in tiny wee berries about the size of a green pea!!!!!!

self sewn cosmos

Bougainvillea just changing colour at last.

I have spent the avo rebuilding my block 3 of TSG There are two stems and two leaves still issing some where in my workroom area?????  Now I need to make the rim of the vase and iron down those pieces before it happens again LOL

10pm Wednesday. Spent the rest of the avo and early evening on my block and now its all ironed down so I can not loose any pieces again or have to start from scratch  again!!!!!

Colours are truer in the daylight I took this photo this morning its still Wednesday some where in the world!!!!!  

Where I was last week These are all sewn together now and waiting to be sandwiched and then hand quilted.

All sewn together now if you look closely they are sewn up differently than when they were laid out last week!

Where I was up to last time.

I have quilted down the centre panel and across the bottom of the quilt now working at the top

Close up of the bottom coloured thread is usually 4 or 3 threads of DMC

DGD who I was baby sitting was fascinated by it, I hung it at the end of my cutting table and DGD sat the whole time looking at it while she ate her lunch, I said do you like it “YES”  would you like me to finish for you to take home,  “can we sew it together next time I come?”  So this is what we will be doing next time she comes for the day aged 4 may be a future quilter?

Taken two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago you could not see the path.

We now can walk down the side fence!!!!

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This leaf is a week old!!!!!!! around 6 feet now? Some times I think I can see them growing things grow so fast here?

Here I’m slowly sewing these wee squares in to rows then I will join these rows.  This year my challenge is working on 17UFO’s that I choose last Dec I’m linking up each month with Meredithe on Ufosin2017  Each project has 21 days. My last 21 days challenge is sewing my last 88 wee squares which I started a week ago these wee squares were all in that wee wooden-cigar box waiting!!!!!

each evening I have managed to sew a row of these lovely wee squares together and some times sewn two rows together. This is where I’m up to now Friday 5th May 2017 These are all sewn in to pairs so I only have 4 more rows to sew and I will have the quilt top finished so I’ll have 3 quilt tops from my 258 squares.  I made more than 365 circles but appliquéd them on to only 258 squares.  2 quilt tops have 90 squares and this one has 88 squares and 124 circles in it. .

Last year working on my second quilt top.  Box of circles cut out waiting to be hemed then applqiued on to the tiny squares.

Start of My first 30 tiny squares with there circles for my second  wall quilt. Last June

2016 challenge 365 quilty circles. My second quilt top still just a quilt top!!!!

I finished sashiko quilting this wee quilt during the week one down 3 to go LOL

Love how the sashiko makes the circles pop out.

close up of one corner

close up so you can see the bigger stitches I use for sashiko quilting, my circles are not so good from the back but over time hopefully it will improve LOL

Back of quilt

I have all most completed sashiko quilting this wee wall hanging

1930’s GMFG quilt I’m still hand quilting it about 1/3 of the way now.

completed wee hexagon on the right left one still needs stitching down on the edge.

Left and right borders finished.

Bottom border quilted  top waiting to be quilted

Finally all those wee hexagons have been added to the border seen from the back I’m now hand quilting inside each wee hexagon and now realise by working on each hexagon more than one quilter made this quilt top, by the hand stitching acuratisey or in some case not so acurit LOL

I’m really happy I spent all those hrs rescuing this quilt.  I spent hrs dreaming about this unknown quilter and have now decided there were many quilters that made this quilt top not just one person.

Finally finished and I did not cut one of those hexagons in 1/2 to add the border so I’m happy.

This could be on my 2018 challenge list??? it is  also a 1930’s quilt top I have artist unknown but from the USA and made mostly of shirt fabrics. I love how fresh these hexagons look, there are a couple of bad stains but these are in the white border and this will be easy to replace and I will use a strong fabric than whats here now.

I have added some pelion to the back for stabilising and padding for  inside the circles, I will cut away the pelion from the outside of the circles you can see where I have started to cut it away.

My ANZ quilt that I’m still spending time on all though I meet the goal I’d set for this project.  My machine started to play up 5 days ago it was the tension I tried several different things and still the top thread was pulling all through to the back. Finally yesterday I put in new thread top and bottom and new bobbin and needle and it worked so I still don’t know what was wrong but I’m up and running again LOL  very very frustrating though as Ive lost 6 days of sewing on these circles.

I’m machine appliquéing these circles on using a satin stitch I was going to just use red thread but  it was so boring LOL  So changing using the red on the out side of the circles but the inner threads are oranges and yellows much more fun LOL

My last 21 days challenge is sewing my last 365 quilty circles together from my 2016 challenge, there are  88 wee blocks to make up in to a wee wall art.  A few days ago they were all in that wee box????  Top two rows all joined and pressed, second two rows all joined in rows and those two rows waiting to be joined. 5th row finished and waiting for me to finish the 6th row so I can join those two rows together.  There are still 22 wee squares in the cigar box. The way its growing I will get them finished and all joined by the 21st day of this challenge.   May be even get it sandwiched for quilting,  These tiny blocks are all silk none are the same fabric and 4 1/2 inches square. . I now have all the first 6 rows joined working on the last two now.  

Some thing else, I have a dear friend in hospital who is very sick and I made her this memory quilt of our friendship over the last 30 odd years. A little crazy wall quilt about 12inchs by 14inchs.

Back of my friends quilt her totom is the owl.  He was to big for the front so he has the back all to himself.

I also cut out and prepped my Secret Garden mystery BOM of Esther Aliu’s 2017 BOM

Ive  been working on making my QAYG antique hanky blocks only about 4 to make now.

Came across these blocks last 2 weeks ago may be next year challenge LOL

Also this one ,  This one I’d forgotten about completely it was inside another UFO LOL  I think I will put it on point and add pieced blocks around that????

What a difference a day makes lay this on some black fabric Bingo !!!!

I also completed sashiko quilting Joshua’s quilt and it has gone to him.

Finally last but not least a project I’m sashiko quilting

This is free form sashiko quilting not embroidery sashiko quilting. Translated Sashiko means little stabs.  I want to get use to using sashiko quilting before sashiko quilting my Quilt Memory to War Mothers quilt.  I find sashiko very very addictive when I’m quilting free form.

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!!!!!!.

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.

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?

Roughly 12inchs by 14 inchs. Front of Cotrina’s quilt,  all the patches are silk and all tiny pieces I have added relate to memories we have shared over the last 35 years of our friendship.

Back of Cotrina’s quilt Cotrina’s totem is the owl.

Ive used all the colours that Cotrina loves the most.

Then used all the colours in a rainbow and sewed the blocks down in herring-bow stitch with DMC thread as she loves rainbows.

Then added lots of memories we shared.

Back of Cotrina’s quilt. Today I completed sewing the border down on the back of the quilt by hand. Now it is ready to go off to Cotrina.

Monday added my last hexagon to the border.  right side of border the hexagons on the edge have been quilted so sitting nice  and flat.  left hand side waiting to be quilted by hand.

Just showing the difference between quilted and not quilted border.

Last night finished quilting all those border hexagons.

Now stitiching down all those  wee hexagons on the back side of the border pink one is stitched down and working on the green one now. I have 32 left to do then finally the border is complete YAYYYYYYYY

1930’s GMFG quilt I’m still hand quilting about 1/2 way now.  Wadding is what they call flannel in the USA

This is the first bed quilt I ever made over 20 years ago and it is still been used daily!!!! It has faded with time and washing but still has a lovely appeal.  Its very soft and cuddly.

this is a little wild flower that grows around here is very tiny about 1/2 of an inch long

another wild flower these are around 1 inch long.

Stunning red and green

Its been so wet the fungi is growing like wild weeds.

Beautiful colours here.

Ants are in heaven getting all the nectar.

Move over and make room for me!!!!

Right in the middle of this photo are hanging 3 large egg sacks of spiders?????

This piece of wood is caught in the web which shows how strong this web is.

spider egg sacks up close as I dared to go.

This web is so complected in its design????

This spider did not like me getting close and rushed up to the bottom egg sack when I went to close.

First time Ive seen this spider and I don’t think Id like to be bitten by it, it was nery aggressive and with those bright red colours its a good warning to stay away.

Edge of the 1930’s quilt,   green fabric is very faded by been left in the light or sun for some time and has rust marks on the edges. Wadding is very frayed too.

Over the last week I have concentrated only one repairing and finishing the edges of this quilt, I’ve made 80 hexagons out of washaway freezer paper, 40 I’ve covered and basted in 1930 reproduction fabrics, other 40 I have put behind the outer edge hexagons and sewn the fabric to them.

I’ve  hand quilter up to the last row of hexagons.

Wadding goes out past the last hexagons.

Ive not seen this kind of wadding here in OZ it is slightly brushed and feels like a woven cotton  fabric.

I’m cutting the wadding back to 1/2 way down the last row of hexagons.

Ive had to resew all the seams on the sides of all the outer hexagons making the hexagons  1/8th smaller as they are to wide and were fluting.   then Ive placed washaway freezer templates on the back of each hexagon.

Placing new hexagons for correct placement.

I lay the hexagaons I’ve made for the border along top of the quilt on the last row of hexagons to get the correct placement, pin them together then sew them all together in a chain but keep checking that they are placed correctly.

when all are sewn together pin down on the right side and whip stitch the new hexagons to the prepared last row of hexagons on the border.

Preparing the last row of hexagons on the quilt. Pin the seams over these wash away freezer paper hexagons.

whipped stitched along the top of the hexagaons.

Then flipped the hexagons over to the back and then Walla!!!!  a nice finished hexagon border, waiting to be quilted through all the thicknesses two of washaway freezer paper and two of fabric, it is slow as I have to make one stitch at a time.  So far I have done two sides of the quilt.

After quilting a 1/4 of an inch inside all the hexagons  I then stitched down around the otter edges of the hexagons so there is no chance of them been caught and lifting.

Showing you what I needed to finish and finished border.

Close up. some of the edges were so frayed I had to make smaller hexagons to fit on to it.

Every stitch I make to finish this quilt for the unknown quilt Im thinking about her.

What wonderful fabrics she was able to choose for this quilt they were not left over scraps.  I’m about 1/2 way through quilting all these wee hexagons I’m quilting 1/4 of an inch inside each one so they will be strengthen.

It started out a dark miserable day not raining but close

About the only splash of colour in the grounds at present

My frogs are disappearing fast in the creeper.

My cat is dry so it must be not raining LOL

After a month this plant is still sending up new purple flowers each day!!!!

Young stag plant self seeded they love the wet climate here.

Been so wet I’m seeing new lichens on the young trees this year.

1  1/2 weeks fronds here ready to be disposed of.  Every morning I pick up dead fronds.

Our ground is so wet the ants are using this garden hose to travel across the lawn!!!!!

A ginger I think???  I popped it in here to see if it would grow, to be honest I’m not sure if its ginger or tumric?

Block 3 of The Secret Garden BOM 2017 by Esther Aliu Thank you Esther for such a lovely design to play with.

BUT it looks worse than before so its back to leaving it how it was before I  added these appliqué flowers they are far to heavy with the broderie perse flowers.

Block 1 of The Secret Garden mystery BOM 2017 by Esther Aliu. I Finished the large centre flower Sat night now I have completely appliquéd the left 1/2 of the block. Have the flowers and bow on the right side to do now.

Close up of the big flower

Flower on the right is the same shape as the one I’ve just about completed appliquéing and embroidering, its just a different shade, showing this so you can see the difference when you add thread play as I call it LOL . Monday I finished the big orange flower then added bullion knots to the pale pink flower

Starting to add the yellow bullions knots to the centre to give more 3D effect when you see it in real life.

close up 1/2 way through.

All 33 of those wee billion knots finished!!!!

Finished flower using thread play.

Just started doing embroidery on this wee flower then will blanket stitch round the edges of the flower.

Needs some bullion yellow roses right in the centre of the flower.

Esther Aliu’s mystrey BOM The Secret Garden block 2 for 2017 it is still at the same stage as 2 weeks ago!!!! But nearly finished.

No progress here LOL

Stopped machine appliquéing these circles down as the thread kept breaking, I thought it was the machine Hubby had just fixed but finally I checked the bobbin thread and it was rotten!!!!!!  Now thinking about adding some wadding behind some of the circles to give a 3D effect, so pondering this one at present.

Masking tape taped to a swimming noodle so I can reuse it after removing it from this project.

Came across these blocks last week they are silk on silk original pattern was in Austrian Patchwork Magazine I’ve of course been me have changed several elements LOL   I hope to add sashings to these blocks this month!!!!!!

Today working on a wee hankie QAYG block, I have 4 more to make.

Ive also been working on making more QAYG antique hanky blocks.

Doing more sashiko hand quilting on my Bargello quilt top this week. I did most of it yesterday.

Close up of the circles I’ve added to day<

what a difference a day makes LOL By adding the circles the whole design looks completely different, I’m having so much fun with this sashiko I’m not using a pattern just going were I want to at the time I’m quilting.

Managed to get the old machine I was given for the shop going after 5 hours of cleaning and oiling, hubby spent 3 nights working on the later model it is no longer seized but not working  100% yet, I will use it for a month and see if it keeps running then sell it in the local Opp shop i work in.

My rain gauge LOL  She’s wet so its raining LOL  To wet to go out and take photos today.

Ive just completed the last 3 rows and joined them to the main part of the quilt, just need to add the two side red strips and the top is finished then I have the fun of adding appliqué to it. This was were I was up to and working on my last Ufgosin2017 blog.

Im about to make circles cut out of fabric with iron on fusing on the right and back side

a pile of circles all cut out

This fabric was heavily embossed with silver thread so I have a high contrast from the front of fabric to the back fabric.  It is from a old kimono and is woven design with wool and silver threads.   not stamped.

All circles ironed down waiting for them to be appliquéd on, I started appliquéing them but had terrible trouble with thread breakage, I thought it was the machine so stopped then realised it was rotten cotton thread not the machine. ??????  Best thing about this problem I now realise I should have added wadding behind these circles  to give me a more 3 D effect.

From two

Ive also been working on adding the binding to Joshua’s quilt,, which is now completed and the quilt is off to its new owner.

I so enjoyed doing this quilt by hand saskiko quilting.  My DDIL Is going back to Japan this month and is bringing me back sashiko needles so I’m over the moon, funny how a needle gift thrills me more now  than jewellery LOL.  I worked on this  all day one day for 12 hrs and the next day my lower arm was so sore LOL  So I have learnt to only do several hrs a day hand quilting now LOL

Joshua’s quilt made from Japanese mens old cotton fabrics. Is now completed. 2 finishes this year YAY!!!!!

I had to wait till there were two able men around to bring up table 3 so I could sandwhich my quilt.  This was one of last months goal, it is now waiting in a pile to be hand quilted ?????

This is the first block from Diamond Hill and I have also been appliquéing down the Brodeier Perse flowers on it the last few days.  Its been a full on sewing month.

This is my next project to work on for my next 21 days.   ????

Esther Aliu’s mystrey BOM for 2017 This is block 2 nearly finished 3rd block is released to day or tomorrow????  I have spent most of my time this month on this block very very time consuming.

Esther Aliu’s second block for her 2017 free BOM Diamond Hill  Ive also been working on this .

Ive also been working on making my QAYG antique hanky blocks through the last month.  I need to make a few more yet to make it a decent size quilt.

Caught by mistake and let go, we did get the HUGE white tailed rat that filled the cage the next night and he was relocated miles away in to the forest.

we set the trap for alarge white tailed rat but cought this beautifu wee local marsupial Rufous Beton;  commonly called rat kangaroo.  I adore these tiny creatures they are so quiet and gentle I can pick them up.   .

Creppy crawlies have not eatten them so we still ahve them in the garden.

look at those colours bright pink, purple and green wow what a quilt combination LOL

This was were I was up to last week trying to decide if to add the little Robins or not???? My big flowers are so over powering for the one bird.

Starting my DH block 2 with making the looly pop flowers first.

Large Lolly Pop flower, I cut out my back circle first then cut my top petals all out of the one piece of fabric, both have iron on fusing behind them.

My top for the large Lolly Pop flower notice Ive cut my petals out in one piece. Checking for contrast!

Making my small lolly pop flowers it was such fun using iron on fussing to make these.

Thinking about colours for my lilies now.

I like it!!!!

Even lovely on the black back ground.

Adding those stems using bias I’ve made and my first few leaves.

add a few tiny curls what fun.

Started off with a orange centre stem too but it was just to much orange for me.

Looks like I have a spider plant growing here LOL

To strong and dark dead centre I feel.

OK its growing but some thing is wrong????

Added a pale green centre stem its a little softer and lighter. Slowly adding those leaves that were a challenge till I did some latreal thinking LOL

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Im about to make circles cut out of fabric with iron on fusing on the right and back side of the fabric.

a pile of circles all cut out with iron on fusing on them.

Dark side is the right side and the silver is the under side there is a lot of silver thread in this old kimono I’m using. SO its a great fabric from a quilters point of view.

Circles all ironed on and waiting to be machine appliquéd on.

Ive also been working on adding the binding to Joshua’s quilt, I have 3/4 of the binding sewn on and 1/4 of it turned over and hand stitched down.

I sashiko quilted this quilt I do enjoy doing the sashiko quilting, just wish I had learnt it years ago, may be I’d not have so many UFO tops if I had LOL

DGD standing in amongst the air roots that are metres long on the ground too before we cut them back.

NO air roots hanging down now. When you cut the air-roots they release an awful smell, see her holding her nose LOL

Still flowering to my delight, purple flowers are all new blooms.

Creppy crawlies have not eatten them so we still have them in the garden.

we set the trap for a large white tailed rat thats been on our terrace lately but caught this beautify wee local marsupial instead. Look how beautiful her fur is. They are not scared of people and are so gentle, Ive picked them up to relocate at times and they just sit docile in my hands.  They hop like  a miniature  wee kangaroo.

She has been relocated.

This is what I woke to at 5am this morning the first touches of the sunreflection hitting the river below us.

First rays of the sun hitting a palm leaf in front of our home and the river below us.

This is were I was up to a week ago nothing but the vase and the first part of the sewing of the bias stems done. Since then I have hand appliquéd down the rolled over bias stems and appliquéd most of the blue bells and one large leaf.  As the blue bells are made of crepe silk Im having to make hundreds of little tiny stitches so the silk will not fray any where!!!!! A weeks work here in those blue bells LOL

This is were Im up to this morning,  15th March, 1/2 my leaves are appliquéd on by machine and I hope to finish those today, after I have finished those I can finish appliquéing the rest of the fine stems,  Blue bells, last two big leaves, big flowers and birds????? About a week or two LOL

I started appliquéing the blue bells and tiny stems with embroidery thread in the right hand corner and have worked my way to wards the first stems, had to add my 1st large leaf as a blue bell hung over top of it.  Using 6 strands of floss and doing double back stitch for my stems. Going to  add paler blue bells in the centre of the picture to give more light there, I ironed on those fused leaves this (Tuesday 14th Mar) morning  may be I will get them machine  appliqué to day these leaves need to be appliquéd  before adding those pale blue bells so my machine foot can manoeuvre easily.  My bird is just a thought at this stage LOL

Late This Avo Ive been making  tiny wee Robyn’s

Taken in the daylight this morning 16th March truer colours here.

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Scrappy hexagone on points.

Scrappy Hexagon.

Just keep on making  triangles in to hexagons and then join hexagons up in to a quilt the size you want!!!!!

On Saturday I was given these 2 sewing machines and and a over locker. I spent 4 hrs on the old machine in the fore ground and she is now sewing beautifully.  Its around 1950 model assembled  in Australia from Japanese parts. Hubby managed to get the electronic one to sew but it keeps sewing backwards though LOL

our front paves are very bad, in the distance in the middle of photo you can see where I have started exit-moulding them.

Oneof the joys of living in the wet rainforest LOL there is all ways lots of work to be able to live here.

In the foreground  is concrete covered in black mould path below I have just cleaned I was to tired to do this bit at the top.

Where ever I look there is cleaning up needed

even my wee sleeping cat the mould started to grow; I’ve cleaned her since this was taken this morning so she is snow white again!!!!

You can see where I have got to with the cleaning of this path!!!!!

A lovely splash of colour.

This is one of my favourite flowers in the garden It flowers twice a year and brings me so much joy.  What a colour combination, pink purple and green!!!!!

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Stunning colour combinations here.

A purple orchid unfolding from its sheath.  plus lovely splashes of bright yellow brom’s with red centres and last years brom flowers still not cut off!!!!!

He lives in Hubbies work shop and will not move, if Hubby wants to use the tools he’ s sitting on he has to gently move him.

An orchid bloom unfolding I love to see them unfold like a butterfly from a chrysalis.

Both flowers are fully open now so so beautiful and the perfume is magical.

I started by making templates out of washaway freezer paper for my small bluebells. I ironed 3 pieces of freezer paper together then drew the shape of the bluebell on to another piece and ironed this on top of the 3 pieces ironed all  together cut out the shape and then had a good solid shape to pencil around 53 times to make those Bluebells LOL  !!!!

How I made my wee blue bell flowers using washaway freezer paper.

Playing with laying out the pieces I have made so far.

Starting to make my vase, more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Im use to  hand appliqué so machine appliqué is a real challenge for me.

To mark my background fabric I tape it down first then lay the patten on top and tape this down to so I have no movement when Im marking.

I sliced through the pattern were all the stems will go and then I can mark the back ground fabric with a pencil these lines will be covered by the stems.

My pattern is getting more and more cut and sliced in to this is why I print off two patterns.

My other pattern I use now for holding all the pieces while I cut slash and mark my back ground.

Making my vase, pink is paler than it looks and is fine  silk.  First I cut out the shape in wash away freezer paper then cut out the inside of the shape leaving only 1/2 inch wide shape which I ironed on to the back of the fabric I choose for my vase. this was so my vase would not be to stiff.  there is a lot of appliquéing of  stems and leaves that has to go on to the back part of the vase.  I cut out th epink shape in washaway freezer paper then ironed it on to the back of the silk to stop it distorting as its so fine.  This also gave the pink more depth so it did not disappear in to the silver and gold vase fabric. To hold the fine pink silk in place I spot glued it then pinned every 1 1/2inchs with very fine pins.

Hard to decide were to satin stitch which area first this was scary to me as I was going to machine satin stitch so not easy to undo???? Added the satin stitch around the pink first then pinned it to the back ground fabric to add the rest of the satin stitching.

Then just kept going LOL  I did satin stitched around the whole of the out side first then the inside part, it was very slow going in all it took me 4 hrs to make my vase and appliqué it on to the back fabric.  I added a light weight fusing facing behind the whole shape before starting the satin stitch.

Placing some of the pieces of the pattern I have made or making so far.

It really is a beautiful design. Now need to make  my stems and sew them on before adding any of these pieces.

Made bias strips fold the strips in 1/2 and pressed them machine sewed them on to my block and have rolled them over and will hand stitch them down this way they give a 3D look. I store my bias on swimming noodles to keep them from getting crushed.

two more main stems to add then I will embroider the small curly stems I think?

I finished machine sewing down the last main stem at 1am Thursday morning and then had to play around placing the leaves and flowers to see what it was going to look like LOL

Taken in day light time just now not midnight time LOL  These colours are truer.  15 more bluebells to make and my bird. 

What I woke up to 3 mornings ago. I never need a holiday away from here. Im on a constant holiday.

Where I’m up to today Wednesday morning. Some flowers hand appliqué and some leaves machine appliquéd down. Most of the left hand side is finished except for the bottom flower. My bow will be the last thing I appliqué down.

Thursday morning my time earl morning the sun is filtering through the windows.  It took me 1 1/2 hrs yesterday to button hole around this Bow LOL My machine is old and I had to stop every few stitches lift my foot and  turn the fabric ever so slightly so it would keep a smooth edge. My thread kept breaking due to the build up of glue on the needle from the iron on fusing at the back of the bow which is holding the batting in place to give me a padded look. 1?2 way through my machine told me it needed cleaning, a new needle and oiling LOL  SO I did and what a difference in the stitching then. Most of my leaves are appliquéd down now.  

Where it all started 2 weeks ago.  I like to use coloured paper for my print offs I can see the pattern as a picture this way not lines on white paper.  Its just the way I see things.

Many other quilters commented on the orange paper back ground thinking that was my fabric so I decided to try it on a lovely piece of orange fabric but I was not happy with it.

Placing my flowers to get the balance I want in my flower arrangement.  I all ways print of to copies of the pattern. One to refer back to and one to cut into.

Cutting out the stems on a print out so I can mark them on to my background fabric or alter them if I wish. a couple I did as my flowers were too big.

My SG after I had finished making all my pieces now all the pieces are ready to be appliquéd down by hand and machine. I ended up using the first choice of back ground fabric which is a lovely soft blue which was once a lovely Kimono. It is a fine 1005 wool tight weave and so lovely to work on.

Here you can see I’m making bullion stitches.

Close ups of flowers on my SG so you can see how I’m appliquéing the flower heads on and embroidering them

One leaf appliquéd by machine, it really gives the leaf a defined shape.

4 flowers embroidered and appliquéd down.

My last flower I have done so far, I added lots of stem stitch to this one to give it mare depth from a distance. Bullion knots in the centre.

I took satin bias strips then ironed on fusing strips behind them, this made it easy to weave as I ironed the tips on to the top of the basket shape and then wove the strips till I was sure they were all woven properly and evenly spaced .

Backing here is a pale blue silk see how it changes the colour of the strips?

Ive used a lightly silver and gold shimmery backing, looks a bit like dragons scales LOL In the past I used it to make a Dragon wall art piece for my Son.

All ironed down and trimmed. These are strong colours but my flower arrangement is subtle so needs this effect at the bottom of the block I think?

Ironed on to some batting before I quilt all those strips in place I want a 3D look as it looked rather flat.

Im using a very fine bite stitch here, 3 straight sttiches then one in to the material . My machine is over 40 years old and this is the appliqué stitch if I’m slow it works well to appliqué down these strips. Machine appliqué is new to me. I did stop at every weave do a back stitch and then start on the other side, slow but worth it for the end look.

All strips quilted down now to trim back the batting.

I cut out the surrounding of the basket in one piece. Its a piece of Kimono fabric with a little glitter in it to. I wanted some thing dark but not black this is a dark navy with silver threads. first I ironed on some iron on fussing to the fabric I used then cut the shape out as one piece, I carefully ironed it to the vase shape. I did cut my vase shape slightly smaller so that it was a perfect fit and cover? and when I sew it to the background fabric finally it will roll over around that edge as  the out side 1/8th of the frame has fusing and nothing else behind it. So if Im lucky it will look 3 D!

It took me several hrs to make I can not believe how long it took me, getting those weaves to be even was a challenge on its own LOL So there is a days sewing LOL

My latest fisher man has settled in to my garden well and truly now.

Red delight always nice to have a splash of red in the garden.

Ive never seen this before either LOL Its a growing spore its been so so wet the last month that all sorts of spores are growing here not good for ones health if you have asthma!!!!! But boy is this a stunning display and so so yellow.

One of the flowering ginger plants I did not grow this one either LOL

A storm has just been through, the heavens open for about 10 mins then its all gone till the next one.

This lily just appeared in my garden thats one thing about rain forests areas things just pop up for the first time even after 20 years here????? Its so pure white and so beautiful I have so enjoyed watching it grow and then it started to flower this week.

Esther Aliu’s Diamond Hill BOM 1st block of mine does not look any different to last week but I have machine appliquéd my leaves on, just don’t look to close as Im just learning to do Machine appliqué LOL

My challenge to my self on Diamond Hill is to learn machine appliqué!!!! It is painful but if I only do 30mins at a time I can cope.

A memory To  Women in War

backing was not big enough so have had to add some fabric from another cotton kimono but it blends in OK Hopefully I can show this sandwiched next week?

To get another table to make a work space big enough to sandwiching My memory quilt I had to clear this table???? so this week I was working on completing my ANZ quilt. Its called that as family when travelling to NZ and around OZ over the last few years have brought me home lovely NZ and OZ designer pieces of fabric and Ive just used those in this quilt top.

Ive just completed the last 3 rows and joined them to the main part of the quilt, just need to add the two side red strips and the top is finished then I have the fun of adding appliqué to it.

Those two strips of Bargello look at the end of the pieces and see how distorted they are? you can not see it in this clearly but the centres bow to the right LOL all the last row on the left of the big strip are almost diamond shape they are meant to be square thats how distorted it became.

You can really see the distortion of the fabric pieces here.

After cutting and slashing those two pieces of Bargello today I have something that might make a single bed quilt, thinking of sashiko quilting the black in off white thread for a strong contrast. I can not wait to try the sashiko quilting on that black space now. Quilt size 40inchs by 70inchs.

Backing taped down ready for cotton batting.

Cotton batting rolled out on top of backing.

Quilt top in place but is this the right way up or

is this the right way up LOL

From two horrible misshaped pieces of pieced fabric I now have a quilt LOL were there is a will there is a way!!!! I have started sashiko quilting the centre black panel.

I have been humming and haring over my flowers for TSG all month Ive coloured in pages of flowers but was not happy with them, then Monday night some thing remind me of some beautiful fabric I had, it was given to all most 20 years ago. I just found it difficult to cut in to this fabric for pieced work but it would be perfect for my SG  keeping the flowers as flowers.  So here they are on the sheets of A4 orange printing paper to give me an idea how they will look. Now Im happy LOL

I forgot but hubby didn’t, they are sitting in a brand new dust pan LOL He has been talking about a dustpan with a handle so I don’t have to bend down??? well here it is LOL  But full of flowers how lovely is that?

Palm fronds picked up yesterday and this morning its a never ending task but worth it to have them around the pool. We place them on sheets of plastic and then drag them to the rubbish pile down in the trees and it all goes back in to the ground.

large stag-horn plants that love this tree from one there are many now.

Baby stag-horn plant growing on a 1ich stem of a palm, it will not survive here!

where ever you look there needs a lot of cleaning up to be done, kiddies sandpit covered in leaves.

First thing this morning NO rain thank goodness but very high dry temperatures been 32C here but over OZ records have been broken up in the 40’s I feel for the people down south were they are having fires and terrible high temps.

Then out of the blue at 11am the rain came down on top of us. while the range was till bathed in sun!

Then 5minds later it is all gone and we are back in sunshine!

I have sons who surf so we even have a garden seat from a surf board LOL

My only patch of nice lawn and it takes a lot to keep it in the wet tropics.

A wee herb patch my DGD and I made

My tiny clean patch of grass it reminds me of our homes in NZ

Thank goodness for the pool in these high temps.

The 3 wise men

Some of you have suggested I use vinegar to kill the mould as I often talk about it, Ive just started cleaning the patio which is covered in mould the mould here would just laugh at vinegar, this has to be cleaned ever 4 months Those pavers on the right are meant to be pink also!!!!

I nearly stood on him last night. They are not scared of people. Caught in my torch light.

Unpicked a Kimono, I patched and patched to make a square backing out of one for my memorial quilt to All Women In War

My 3rd Project for 17Ufosin2017 I call this a memory to all war mothers. Because the purple kimono fabric is from WW11 and was patched and patched may be 100 times as the mother could not afford a new one. Times are always difficult for women and children every were when their countries are at war.

I found a HUGE box of scraps I’d forgotten about in the attic during the week LOL I was thinking lately when I was making my Diamond Hill block how did I use up nearly all my scraps ?????

This box was so full I could hardly carry it, I’ve  ended up with 3 boxes one with silk scraps one with cotton scraps and 1 with lengths of fabric which were also in the box. So Im a very very happy chappy as Im making several appliqué quilts this year.

I was given a beautiful Japanese Doll 40 years ago as a thank you gift, sadly over the last 18 months a dark stain I thought was coming from inside the porcelain, I have been to scared to do any thing about trying to remove it.

Yesterday I decide I had to do some thing as it was spreading right across her face, so decided to try bleaching the mark out!!!!! so took some cotton buds and added a little concentrated chlorine to the tip of the bud and dabbed like you would removing mould from a old painting, much to my surprise after about 30 mins of carefully dabbing and 30 cotton buds later she was back to normal, Im so happy to have her back again looking so beautiful.

My beautiful beautiful Doll. Given to me many years ago. She is still one of my most loved dolls.

My beautiful Dolls clothes after 40 years have faded and soiled around her neck, they are silk so there is no way I’d try to clean them on her, Ive decided to try appliquéing over top of the neck pieces with very fine silks. Hopefully Ill do it this week now her face is back to been its beautiful self.

4 completed old-fashion hanky QAYG blocks.

Another 4 Old-fashion Hanky QAYG blocks ready to be quilted and have the Dresden plates added and appliqué on.

This is the sashiko quilting I have been doing this week, my goodness Im enjoying doing sashiko quilting I wish I’d thought of learning to do it years ago, it is so effective on a neutral fabric.

Close up of sashiko quilting.

Esther Aliu’s Diamond Hill BOM 1st block of mine does not look any different to last week but I have machine appliquéd my leaves on, just don’t look to close as Im just learning to do Machine appliqué LOL

My challenge to my self on Diamond Hill is to learn machine appliqué!!!! It is painful but if I only do 30mins at a time I can cope.

At the entrance to my house I use these old-fashion lamps as oil burners which I burn citrionella oil in to keep the mossies away.

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I love tiny porcelain pieces in my garden in fun places.

after 4 weeks it still holds its amazing colours.

Heliconia or some times called the brirdofparadise

Taken early this morning.

After 21 days I had finished making the quilt top, sandwiched it and almost completed quilting it. All the machine quilting in the ditch was finished and about 75% of the sashiko quilting done. So Im happy.

Added the borders, sandwiched it, machine quilted in the ditch around all the borders and sashiko quilted around the teddy Bears. Hanging on the line after washing on a wool cycle yesterday 29th Jan 2017 before it was posted later in the day. It has a wool batting so will very light but lovely and warm.

leaves all ready to be ironed on. I keep all my pieces of iron-on-fusing in-between A4 sheets of paper in side a book this way they keep nice and flat.

5 of 7 flowers made for my 1st block of Diamond Hill Esther Aliu’s new Free BOM in 2017

Strips for the vase I’ve cut enough strips for all 4 vases so I know I  have enough fabric.

4 vases in place of the four blocks to be?

Gluing is quick but Im not sure its going to work up here in the wet tropics??? time will tell.

All the pieces for the main flower I did not use iron on fusing for this flower.

I have turned the edges over using glue

Stems placed, I made them with a strips cut on the bias then pulled  through a bias maker. Narrower stems strips are just pressed in 1/2 sewn to the background fabric seam cut back then fabric fold over the seam and stitched down.

Close up. Ive ironed on  very narrow iron on fussing behind the stems to hold in place till I appliquéd them on .

Stems applqiued on by hand and machine.

Building up the irononfusing flowers, ironing them on to a Teflon sheet which is over the pattern to guide me.

Last two flowers made now.

Finally the block is complete all the iron-on-fusing pieces are ironed on waiting to be appliquéd on, stems are done so now the relaxing part begins.

Love his big eyes

Mating season is in full force

We don’t have many of these big fellows thank goodness as they sound like foghorns LOL

These two jumped on to my trouser and I had to forcibly remove them LOL

Big fat toad I dislike them.

Concentration at its best LOL

To compete Sara’s quilt I had to add the jumping sheep and the final border around it.

After 17 days I had almost completed Sara’s quilt. only the top,sides and bottom to sahiko quilt and the machine quilting in the ditch is completed, Im feeling good about this one. By the 21st I had competed sashiko quilting the top section, all the hearts  and started quilting the side circles.

Started to long ago now that baby is 8 !!!!!!

First border added one of 3

Scraps of flannel I will use to make the backing. Two dark fabrics Im using as borders.

Two more strip should make it big enough? There are dinosaurs,  teddy bears and racing cars on the flannel scraps I’m using.

Teddy Bears Picnic Baby cuddly about 1 1/2 metres by 1 3/4s metres.  3rd day basting the quilt with safety pins

Close up of cover over the safety pins these are worth the money I spent on them they are so easy to open and close.

Back of teddy Bears Picnic

My little dog wanted to be in the photo and would not move LOL close up of the sashiko quilted hoops?

All the machine quilting in the ditch around the borders is complete and 1/2 the Teddy’s are now running around in their hoops having fun.

Hanging on the line after washing on a wool cycle yesterday 29th Jan 2017 before it was posted later in the day. It has a wool batting so will be lovely and warm. It is now safely in Holland.

working on completing my ANZ quilt. Its called that as family members brought back these fabric s to me from NZ and OZ.

Ive just completed the last 3 rows and joined them to the main part of the quilt, just need to add the two side red strips and the top is finished then I have the fun of adding appliqué to it. Still have not found my appliqué circles so it is sitting still.

Unpicked Kimono patched and patched to make a square backing for my memorial quilt to all women in war.  This is lying on two large tables pushed together.

My 3rd Project for 17Ufosin2017 I call this a memory to all war mothers. Because the purple kimono fabric is from WW11 and was patched and patched my be 100 times as the mother could not afford a new one. Times are always difficult for women and children every were when their countries are at war.

I had to wait till there were two able men around to bring up table 3 so I could sandwich my quilt even 3 tables were not big enough so Im going to baste as far in around as I can reach ever 4inches and then remove the tape and work each the left and right hand side  of the quilt that is over lapping .   Here it is all ready to start the basting 25th Feb 2017

Finally all that is lying flat on the table is basted as far in as possible, after 3days working on it. Have removed the masking tape and wrapped the tape around a noodle to reuse.

I have moved the quilt to the right on the table so I can now baste the left hand side of the quilt that was hanging down the side, have taped the backing down with the old tape Id wrapped around the noodle.

side section is now all ready to be basted on. I will have to do the same with the other side after this is basted then I will finish of the centre were I was unable to reach.  Lets hope its worked doing it like this?????

I’ve completed basting the left hand side and now have turned the quilt around completely so I can baste the other side now.  Quilt is lying lovely a flat it worked doing it this way.  SO in future I can do others this way.  Ive folded the quilt back on its self on the right hand side to give weight so I can pull the left hand side firm and tape before basting it.

While looking for my circles for my ANZ quilt I found these two pieces of Bargello that I made 30 odd years ago, my first attempt at piece quilting, talk about jumping in to the deep end of quilting LOL  Those two strips of Bargello look at the end of the pieces and see how distorted they are? you can not see it in this clearly but the centres bow to the right LOL  To day I came up with an idea of what to do with them after 30 years  LOL

After cutting and slashing those two pieces of Bargello today I have something that might make a single bed quilt, thinking of sashiko quilting the black in off white thread for a strong contrast. I can not wait to try the sashiko quilting on that black space now.

Starting to sashiko quilting  it.  Not on my 17 list

This was one of my mums table clothes from around 1950 and Ive loved it always but it was badly stained in the centre and I have not been able to budge that stain I have also not been able to bring my self to discard it. last week I thought WHAT IF

To late now LOL

Making a QAYG block with one of the lovely pieces.

4 little 12 inch sqaure QAYF blocks now what do I do with them????

May be a wall art quilt????  Time will tell.

I also found time to appliqué and quilt several  more wee hanky QAYG blocks I find these so relaxing. These are not on my 17 list.

I love how the dresden plate pops out when quilted.  28th Feb Now around 6 made !!!!!

Swords and shields quilt

It took me 1 1/2 hrs to button hole around this Bow LOL My machine is old and I had to stop every few stitches to turn the fabric so it would keep a smooth edge

Esther Aliu’s Diamond Hill BOM 1st block of mine does not look any different to last week but I have machine appliquéd my leaves on, just don’t look to close as Im just learning to do Machine appliqué LOL

New tender growth on one of my favourite native trees

My latest fisher man has settled in to my garden well and truly now.

Red delight always nice to have a splash of red in the garden.

Ive never seen this before either LOL Its a growing spore its been so so wet the last month that all sorts of spores are growing here not good for ones health if you have asthma!!!!! But boy is this a stunning display and so so yellow.

One of the flowering ginger plants I did not grow this one either LOL

A storm has just been through, the heavens open for about 10 mins then its all gone till the next one.

This lily just appeared in my garden thats one thing about rain forests areas things just pop up for the first time even after 20 years here????? Its so pure whit and so beautiful I have so enjoyed watching it grow and then it started to flower this week.

What I woke up to 3 mornings ago. I never need a holiday away from here. Im on a constant holiday.

My day started out with this lovely morning. Rained all night but no flood water in the unit this time. So hopefully the problem was solved with Hubby and DGS putting in a new drainage at the back of unit.

From ironing some vintage hankies an idea for a quilt evolved. If you want to see how I made these wee blocks up below check out my earlier blog.

First 4 blocks of 15 vintage linen hankies and dresden plates. These blocks are ending up 12inchs square and Im making them up in  QAYG blocks they are delightful to do.

3rd of Jan I added the bottom panel to  Sara’s quilt so now I have a quilt top???? this is my 1st challenge in 17Ufosin2017 with Meredith

After 17 days I have almost completed Sara’s quilt. only the top,sides and bottom to sahiko quilt all the machine quilting in the ditch is completed, Im feeling good about this one.

Also sahiko quilting this at present nearly finished. This was just before I started quilting it.

A perfect ball of red star flower?????

Just saw this tiny fellow a few minutes ago by the pond. 8pm

Both on my door step this morning dead?

Centre flower of Esther’s new free BOM for 2017 Diamond Hill I could not resist starting it.