Chookshed Challenge - Not Much Progress Report

Remember at the start of the month I switched projects for the Chookshed Challenge to make things easier for me in a busy month? Oh, and because I couldn’t find the pattern to go with the fabric.  (Lou has now provided me with another copy of that pattern, so at least I now have the makings.  Thanks so much Lou.)

This is what I settled on and I even took it along to Scrub Stitchin’ with the hope to make a start.  Obviously, that didn’t happen.  Well, looking at the pattern photo, I realised that the fabrics would not be ideal, as quite a few had prints that weren’t a consistent colour over the whole charm square, and the pattern effect would be somewhat lost.

Time to have a rethink and come up with an alternate pattern idea for a table runner using the fabrics.  This is what I found.  I figured I could just do a couple of rows of this quilt pattern and it would work.

Then I had a better look at some of the charm “squares”…..and found that they weren’t, by quite a bit.  Blast!  That takes care of either of those patterns.  

Time to rethink once again. I want to use up those charm squares. They were in our project pack at Girls Day in the Country back in 2013, and our project didn’t require them to be cut into squares, so it wasn’t an issue back then.

Therefore, I figured I need to also do something that doesn’t require squares…. Ta da!  You can make four one inch hexies from a charm square.  There are 68 roughly cut hexies there, ready to glue baste and then do something with.  Probably not a table runner, but who knows. Also, the variations in the fabrics works really well now that they will be hexies.  

All I know is that whatever I make, it won’t be finished in April, but I at least want to have them basted.  My new plan is to have them made into something by the end of the year.  I really would like to have all the Challenge projects done by then.

Wish me luck and I will check in at the end of the month.

Lest We Forget

As we attended the Dawn Service this morning, we were conscious that this year marks 110 years since that fateful morning at Gallipoli.  The crowd gets larger every year.

Neither of my grandfathers served in World War One, but both my parents had uncles who served.  Fortunately, they all returned home.

This is Mum’s Uncle Bert. He was born in England, but served under the Australian flag.  He was Grandma’s brother and lived in Queensland.

Granddad’s brother, Uncle Fred, was also an Englishman, who enlisted in Australia.  He was in the 54th Battalion and was a machine gunner.  We always looked out for his battalion in the Sydney Anzac Day march when I was little and it was sad when it came to be just a horse with the boots backwards in the stirrups to indicate that there were none left.

Uncle Fred was quite a good artist and he made Christmas Postcards for the troops to send home.  Here is one I can quickly lay my hands on.  As you can see, this was sent after the war was officially over, but he did not return to Australia until late 1919, so his war went on quite a bit longer than the official date.

My Dad also had two uncles serve, Uncle Arch and Uncle Ken.  Sadly, I don’t know a great deal of their details.  I do know that one of them suffered mustard gas poisoning, which affected him for the rest of his life.

Of course, my Dad was also in my thoughts.  He is pictured here with his two army mates, Dad on the left, Mac and Jim.  The three of them were together on the night Singapore fell.  Dad fell down a well and his mates got him out.  They managed to stay together the entire time as POWs, supporting one another.  Dad and Mac remained close for the rest of their lives.  They lost touch with Jim until this one meeting in 2000. Dad and Mac are wearing their 2/18 Battalion ties.

Lest we forget.

Scrub Stitchin’ - Part 5 - The Wrap Up

This is just a short final post to share the swaps I was in.

Firstly, prior to Scrub Stitchin’ when Lou and Tony came to visit, we did a little swap.  

My gift to Lou was a little hoop with a reference to hexy flowers.  I thought it was rather appropriate.  This also counts as a finish for April, which are a bit thin on the ground.

Lou gifted me two cute little zippy pouches.  Both beautifully made. The top one was used straight away to take some bits and bobs to Baradine.  Thanks so much.  They will be very handy.

For the Make It, Bake It or Fake It swap I made an EPP coat hanger.  

It went to Kylie.

I received a gift from Annette (NSW).

It was also a zippy pouch, made by House of Jackson in Armidale.  You can’t have too many zippy pouches and this one is cute.  It was filled with lots of handy little treasures and Easter eggs.

A couple of other things came home with me too.

For being joint winner of the Toddler Photo competition I received some quilt labels and a pattern.  I have this ongoing goal to add labels to all my quilts, which gets carried over from year to year.  These lovely, understated labels may just inspire me to pull my finger out complete this goal.

I also received another random prize for being an over achiever in the sewing stakes.  This was two lovely fat quarters and a “Handy Little Ruler”.  Yes, that’s its official title.

There were a couple of community groups selling their wares.  The biscuits are to raise funds for the local school children to have an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef and the wild flower seeds are from Coonamble and are to raise funds for Macquarie Home Stay.

Sandy of Shiralee Stitches had a pop up store in the corner of the room with some beautiful and handy items.  I forgot to take a photo.

I may just have purchased a fat quarters bundle of “Ruby’s Coverlet” by Devonstone from Sandy.  It is beautiful and I do have an idea of where to use it.  In the meantime, it is nice to stroke and is my new pet, named “Ruby”, seeing as we no longer have a pet.  I’m sure a pet costs more than a fat quarters bundle and she doesn’t shed. LOL

Finally, those purchases I made at Deb’s new shop in Coonabarabran.

And that wraps up Scrub Stitchin’ for 2025.

Scrub Stitchin’ - Part 4 - What I Worked On

“Stitchin” is a key part of our time at Baradine, however, the amount completed varies considerably between participants.  This year I spent quite a bit of time before the event preparing projects with the intention of being a bit productive.  Of course, I did not expect to get everything done, but to have a variety of projects to work on.

The first thing I brought out on Wednesday was my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.  A nice quick and easy way to ease into the retreat.

Next, I started work on the appliqué on the bright fish blocks.  Rather than complete each block, I chose a thread colour and used that on whatever blocks required it.  I did manage to complete one before being ready for a change of project.  After working consistently on an appliqué project last year, I knew that this year I would give myself lots of breaks in this project.  The plan went well, and I just did bits and pieces randomly throughout the retreat.

The next project I started was the Secret Garden Quilt.  I had this cut out and ready to stitch the centre strip into the blocks.  That didn’t take too long.  

I had to wait a while for the design wall, before I could play with the layout, so went back to my fish.

Once a part of the design wall was free, I started yet another project, the One Yard Wonder Quilt.  I worked out the placement of the patches for the panel.

It didn’t take too long to stitch them together and then add the remaining pieces to format the quilt top.  The alphabet fabric, found at a neighbour’s recent destash garage sale, really sets it off.  This was to be a donation quilt, but one of the girls asked if she could buy it, as she has a baby quilt that she needs to make soon.  Yes, she could have it, but no she couldn't buy it.  In the end, she gifted me a charm pack she had that she wouldn’t use.  I think that was more than fair, as she still needs to get the backing and batting, quilt it and bind it, so she will still have made a lot of input into the gift.

The design wall became free, so it was time to play with my Secret Garden blocks.  I was determined not to overthink it and they came together rather quickly.

Once again, it didn’t take too long to get the top together.  This will be another donation quilt.  The turquoise sashing fabric was a “free to a good home” item at last year’s Scrub Stitchin’, so it was great to use it this time.  There isn’t enough of the fabric to do an outer border, so this is as big as it will be.  I still have to decide on a backing and binding fabric.  Hopefully, it will be finished before too long.

Time to play with some more fish….

Then it was time to bring out another project.  This time the “Five and Dime” quilt from the fabric I was recently gifted.  I had just brought strips of the fabrics that I had cut, so stitched them into their sets and cross cut them into their blocks.  Once again, time to play with the layout and not overthink it.  As there were only eight different fabrics there would have to be duplicates in the rows.  I can live with the layout.

This was on Saturday afternoon and I knew that there would not be time to get them all stitched into a quilt top, so packed them up in their rows to complete at home.  Once joined, there will be a narrow and wider border added.  Once again, hopefully soon.

Then it was back to my fish.  I had hoped to get them all done, but the two skeletal ones still have to have their bones stitched down and the eyes have to be done on all of them.  However, overall, I am really pleased to have made such good progress.

In addition to all these, I did start to use my leader and ender pieces I had cut towards my “Bonnie Lass” quilt.  I ended up getting forty pairs joined, which was a good start.  This will be a long term project.

So, all the prep I did before the retreat really paid off, as I did manage to get quite a bit of stitching completed and best of all, there was very little thinking or matching of fiddly seams involved.  The challenge will now be to get them all completed.

I also took along my Chookshed Challenge project, but didn’t make a start on it.  Fingers crossed I still get it done this month.  

Scrub Stitchin’ - Part 3 - Show and Tell

 A highlight each year is the Show and Tell on Saturday.  So many beautiful projects and talented ladies.

I had to get this photo at the end, which just shows how many quilts were shared.  Don’t you love Kylie’s shorts made from cheater fabric.

First up, let’s see the finished pouches from last year’s project.  They all turned out so well.  Mine is conspicuous in its absence.  Hopefully it will be there next year.

Secondly, the braid quilt that Chooky showed us how to do last year.  They all look so very different.  Once again, mine is missing in action.  I do have some fabric in a tub with the ruler and good intentions.  Maybe next year?????

The next comparison ones were Brenda’s and my Hexy Quilts that used the same pattern.  Brenda has completed hers, doing all the quilting on her domestic machine.  I have only completed my quilt top.  Once again quite different.

This year seemed to be the year of variations on a theme.  Miranda finished her “Confetti” top at retreat, while Jenny brought her completed quilt.  It just goes to show how one pattern can suit so many styles.

Last year, while on their annual road trip, Sue and Raewyn each bought a Sashiko bear kit and this year brought them along.  So cute.

Let’s see what else was on show.

Chooky had a few quilts this year.  Two of these are the same pattern, just one is rather large.  I’m glad I’m not having to quilt it.

Raewyn brought these tops from NZ.  The churn dash one was part of the stitch along a few years ago.

Betty.  The bottom two had special meaning, as the one on the left was made from her late husband’s shirts  and the on the right was made from waterlily fabrics that her husband bought for her.  He was a botanist who specialised in water lilies.  The top one is a variation on the quilt that she and Stephanie made from the scraps gathered at Scrub Stitchin’ last year.

Stephanie.  This is a supersized Omigosh Quilt.  The original has half inch squares in the nine patch.  These finish at one inch.  Much more achievable.  It turned out so well.

Annette.  The quilt on the left recently won champion at her local show.  Well deserved.  The one on the right was one she was struggling with the borders last year.  She was very pleased to show that it is now finished.

Jenny.  Two very different but lovely quilts.

Lianne.  The one on the left is also a show winner.

Miss Jules.  The backing of the middle quilt is really fun.

Sue.  She finally completed the quilt on the left, as the designer was visiting their guild.

Sandy.  OMG!  Her work is so beautiful.

Natasha.  The one on the right was started at a previous Scrub Stitchin’.  The one on the left was a travel project.

Kylie.  She has had fun using lots of 2 1/2” scraps.

Brenda.  This lady never fails to impress with the beautiful work she completes and all quilted on her domestic machine.  Don’t you love the fun tea cosy she has made.

Jo.  The bookcase quilt was made as part of a block swap and her hat is from selvedges of a quilt that is currently off being quilted by Jude.

Gail.  She pieced the middle quilt top this year at Scrub Stitchin’.

Maureen.  She worked on the Japanese quilt last year and the row by row was a part of a quilt along.

Linda.  The semi circular quilt was made to fit in the fanlight above a door.

Mary.  She continues to work on her Field Notes project in Liberty and has made two jelly roll race quilts out of Tilda.

Christine.  She has a definite love of Tilda fabrics.  There are 120 different Tilda fabrics in the little stitchery wall hanging.  The stitcheries are Natalie Bird’s Heart Strings.  The quilt on the right is also Tilda.

Sharmaine.  This quilt was inspired by one she saw at Scrub Stitchin’ last year and is to take on their camping trips.

Meet Tilly and Rosie.  These two gorgeous bunnies were made by Christine and Sharmaine.  On a recent trip to Melbourne they purchased wool felt to make them each a coat.  This was their project this year.  It took them twelve hours.  Such detailed and beautiful work, giving a very polished finish.  They should both be so proud of them.

Lou.  These supper cloths have special meaning.  The one on the right was completed by her Gran and gifted to Lou for her 21st.  The one Lou is holding was started by her Mum when she was eleven and Lou has just finished it…..70 years later.  So special.

Harriet.  She was adding the finishing touches to this quilt.  It looks lovely.

Di.  She has way more patience than me.  There is no way I could work such detailed crochet.

And finally me.  I bought the basket kit last spring from Deb of Coonabarabran. The quilt is still just a top.

And that wraps up the formal show and tell for another year.  I wonder what beauties we will see next time.