It’s Show Time

As soon as we returned home from Baradine it was time to get into show mode.  Starting the day after we arrived home, I would be assisting with the set up and pull down, which went on for two weeks.

Firstly, we had to clean the pavilion and receive all the entries and sort them into their classes.  Although I was primarily stewarding in the Needlework section, it was all hands on deck to assist with the judging and display of other areas as well.

Here is the needlework, all ready for judging, which took place on the Monday of the ANZAC long weekend.  Being the public holiday, we had some extra helpers, which was greatly appreciated.  Doesn’t the area look bare.

Once the judging was over, it was time display everything.  That is quite a task.  

There was some lovely work on display.

I really loved the quilt that won best machine pieced.  Such intricate piecing.

Yes, that is my hexy quilt hanging on the wall.  Rather happy with that.

The feature display this year celebrated 100 years of the Edgells brand, which originated in Bathurst.

There was a special section in the cake decorating for the event.  Isn’t this clever.

Once the pavilion was all set up it was time to have a wander around.  The weather for the weekend was perfect, dry and quite warm for the time of year.  Let's have a wander.

Sideshow Alley is always so colourful.

We stayed until early evening to watch some ring events.  These motorcyclists were crazy.

After gates closed on the Sunday we pulled down the display, ready for the owners of the entries to collect them on the Monday.  Monday was another busy day and I think everyone involved slept well that night, satisfied that another show had run to plan. Oh, and the Monday was cold and wet.  How lucky were they for the weekend.

We already have the date for next year’s show, so it is in the diary. Next time it will be the week before Scrub Stitchin’, so fortunately doesn’t clash.

Stitching Recap For March

I seem to have had a rather productive month in March this year.  I managed to complete five UFOs and three projects that were started this year. My goal this year was to completed twelve UFOs and I have already completed eleven.  I’m pretty happy with that.

Let’s have a look at what I did.

Firstly, I completed the three RSC project sections in the colour red.  I only had to make one crumb block, which speeded things up.

Next, I completed the final two coloured strips for Betty’s rainbow quilts.  They will be delivered to her at Baradine.

My next project was the little quilt in a day to try out a new level of the quilting program on Elly May.

It was then time to work on some hand stitching and I managed to complete the little slow stitching pouch. 

Back to Elly May, I quilted the two bright fish quilts. 

While playing with fish, it was time to prep the remainder of the batik fish blocks to take to Baradine to work on.

I needed more prep to take to Baradine, so cut out the quilt using the solid fat quarters I bought from a market stall late last year.

Back to Elly May, I bit the bullet and quilted my hexy flower quilt.  I’m so happy with how it turned out.

In the background, I had started knitting the second cabled beanie, this time in blue for Mick.  It was finished in the last week of the month.

On a stitching day, when I had nothing ready to work on, I pulled out the donation rug and found yarn to complete the final three squares.  They are now completed up to the last round, which is joined to the rest of the rug as you go.  I have to learn how to do that, so it will be a home job at some time in the near future.  Then it will just be the final border to add to finish it off.

My main monthly goal was to finish the little pouch designed by Anni Downs that was our Scrub Stitchin’ project from 2024.  I kept putting it off, but managed to finish it on the last day of the month.  Phew!

Towards the end of the month I had nothing ready to take to my stitching morning, so started another Corner to Corner rug.  That was opportune, as it was the perfect thing to work on during two Chookshed Zoom mornings last weekend.  It is such a brain dead thing to work on while chatting away.  It will probably be my stitching days project for the next little while.

Also, in the background, I have completed a secret project, which was a lot of fun.  All will be revealed before too long.

And that about sums it up.  Phew.  I don’t think the next month will be quite as productive, but I must say I am really enjoying getting projects finished and working on others.

In all of that, I only managed to empty two spools of thread.

The pretty jar is still looking rather empty.

So, how did I go with my 15 minutes a day?  So, so!

March =  26/31

Year to date =   77/90 = 85.56%

I’m now looking forward to seeing what I can get done in April.

Another One Bites the Dust - The Hexy Flower Quilt is Finished

This quilt was started back in May 2024. I needed some hand stitching to work on at stitching days, so started making some random hexy flowers with no project in mind.  It was also something that fitted in with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I thought it would be something that ticked over for a very long time.

Fast forward just a couple of months and Anorina Morris had a pattern published in Homespun magazine called Bigs and Smalls and I now knew exactly what I would make with the hexies I had started and it gave me the impetus to get them made a bit quicker.

I became a little obsessed and really enjoyed the process of making the flowers.  I used up all the suitable fabrics in my little scrap tubs and then started using some fabric from my stash.  I seem to be a scrap magnet.  You know how they say to donate those scraps that you won’t use, there is someone who will like them…..well, that’s me.  A garbage bag of scraps came to our patchwork group and after the better pieces were removed, the rest of the smaller pieces were going to be thrown into the garbage bin.  Noooo!  They came home with me and many of them have now found a home in this quilt.

Finally, it was time to start hand appliquéing them to the grey backgrounds, which also came from my stash.  Some onto just one piece of fabric and some pieced.  It broke it up and also used some of those smaller pieces of fabric.

Then, in January 2025 all the blocks were made and after making my design curtain, especially for this project, it was time to play with the layout.  That was great fun.

I think I looked a bit happy when it was all in place.

By the end of January the quilt top was completed.  This was so much quicker than I ever expected.

Now, how to quilt it?  A lot of work had gone into it and my quilting machine was still not playing nice.  Would I consider hand quilting it?  I packed it away to think about on another day.

Tuesday this week was the day.  I now felt confident enough to quilt it on Elly May.  This involved yet another learning experience, as the design I wanted to use was one that I would have to purchase and download the software.  It all went rather smoothly.

It took quite a while to quilt, as the design was detailed.  I wanted movement, but not flowery or too round, so chose one call Tendrils.  

I’m really happy with the results.

I knew from early in the making of this quilt what I would use for the backing.  It is the second orange vintage sheet that I bought at the church fete some years ago.  I think it suits the sunny, happy feeling of the quilt. I used the other one to back the Crossroads Quilt.

This quilt will definitely be a keeper and has already found a home on our bed. Something to cherish, as I never thought I would complete a hexy quilt.

QUILT INFORMATION

Measurements - 84" high x 70" wide

Pattern - Bigs and Smalls - published in Homespun Magazine June/July 2024 - by Anorina Morris 

Fabrics - Various from stash and from scrap bags

Quilting Design - Tendrils #1 by My Creative Stitches

Batting - Bamboo/Cotton

Backing - Vintage Sheet purchased at church fete several years ago

Thread - Glide - Warm Grey 4

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.