World cup and a few quilts

Wow how time flies when you’re on holidays. I took four weeks off due to wanting to watch the World Cup in Brasil. The matches have been interesting and the shocks of teams dropping out are made for good watching. Plus while watching the World Cup I’ve had a good reason to try to complete some quilts.

I have just completed all the blocks for Berries and Bluebirds and I am slowly (no true words have been said) doing the boards. I have one border done and I need to now cut and sew on this border. I’m very happy with the way it turned out. I actually even got to show Gail Pan and I think she was very happy.

As it is that time of the year to do Christmas celebrations, I attended Christmas in July run in Albury with Gail Pan by the Christmas Beetle. We were given to items to complete – one a stitchery and the other was an appliqué – all with at Christmas theme. On the Friday, Gail put on a trunk show where we got to see her new fabric range and the story behind it. Oh the range was so lovely. I also brought her new book and had it signed. Hmmm….which designs to do first I wonder.

Michele (from The Christmas Beetle) out did herself again. We all received a lovely made bag containing lots of goods in it – scissors, buttons, cotton thread, and a mini candy by moda. We had lovely soup for lunch and the sweets were delightful. I did have to control myself with spending too much money on fabric.

Also, on the same weekend, was Craft Alive. I went to look and get some ideas and to look at the new products. I came home with a quilting Halo and some fabric. I also had a lesson on how to quilt using a home sewing machine. The tips I got were:-
• Tilt your sewing machine – using door blocks will help with this;
• Relax your hand – it takes the tension out of the shoulders and reduces pain;
• Have the sewing machine foot on your right side – it allows for easy control of the speed of the machine (something I never knew);
• Use a sliding sheet on your machine as it assist with the gliding of the fabric.
• Don’t pull the fabric – let it glide on your glide sheet. This reduces breaking needles.
The end result was an almost finished quilt – just a few more rows to complete. Then add the binding and one quilt finished.

My aim for over this period was to have 2 quilts completed and I have almost done it. I have completed my daughter’s blanket and now need to complete my son’s.

Oh have you seen Lynette Anderson’s new design Sweet Christmas Ornament. It is twelve Christmas ornaments but you can make them into a wall hanging. I’ve decided to do the wall hanging. It looks like a very quick little design done in red thread. Maybe it will be completed by Christmas.

So little time and so much to do…

I’ve been trying to get some things finished this week.  Have I achieved that – well in part yes.  I have just got to put the handles on my Doctor’s Bag and then I’ll have a new work bag.  It should be big enough to put my cup, my workbelt, some food, keys, mobile phone and my stethoscope.  Should be big enough.  Oh and I love the fabric – French General which I got from Quiltopida!Designs and the pattern was designed by Joy’s Patch.

As I had Sunday off, I went to Craft Alive in Wodonga.  Lots of quilts around and I brought some more buttons for Welcome to the North Pole and some fabrics.  I was so happy to find a layer cake by moda called Sakura Park which is the one my daughter wanted and I also got a pattern to use for the jelly roll that I had already found in the same range from Katie’s Patchwork Pack.  I also found a quilt that I wanted but as luck might have it I didn’t have enough money but grabbed a business card and will be getting that quilt.  While looking around, you’ll never guess who I ran into – Rosalie Quinlan and I asked her to help me to select my fabric for Scandinavian Rose.  Made it so much easy to have the designer there but I didn’t feel pushed into buying what was chosen.  I’m very happy with the range though we have chosen.

Now to cut some more fabric and do some studying….oh and do my tax (yuck!!!)

Happy Stitching