Setting my October Goals

We have a bit on this month, which always happens at this time of year, so I will keep my goals rather simple and then just have a “Wish List”.  The fact that “Monique” my quilting machine is playing up has also caused me to realign my plans for the month.  

ONE MONTHLY GOAL

My goal will be to complete the Sashiko table runner.  There is a deadline for completing this project and I don’t want to leave it until the last moment.  It shouldn’t take too long to do.

CHOOKSHED STITCHERS’ CHALLENGE

There was no surprise that the number this month was 8, which is the “Anni Downs 2023 Christmas Stitchery (stitch and hopefully make a small project)”. I’ve decided that I won’t make a small project, just get the stitchery completed.  

You see, I have a few more of her free Christmas stitcheries that I haven’t done, so have traced off a couple more.  Also, during COVID I stitched the “Love and Hugs Christmas Stitcheries” and haven’t done anything with them.  Add to that, I have a couple of Christmas trees stitched and they are just sitting in a box too.  They are all redwork.  I’m thinking that once these three blocks are stitched I could work all the stitcheries into a Christmas quilt.  There is no rush, and all I am aiming for this month is to stitch last year’s stitchery.

RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE

After last month’s lack of progress, this month I hope to make the fish for August, September and October, as well as some more split nine patch blocks and at least one hexy flower.  Last month’s colour was “Dark” and this month’s is “Light” or add more of any colour you need or want.  I’ll make that colour lime green.

BATIK FISH

I need to make the September and October fish this month.

That is all that I am setting as my goals, so should be achievable.

Now for the “Wish List”…..

USE MONIQUE - when my thread issue is resolved I will quilt the Three Yard Dog quilt that is on the frame and hopefully the two koala baby quilts.

DR SEUSS QUILT - I’d really like to get the borders added, quilt and bind it.  If it happens, great.  If not it will still be there for another day.

HEXY FLOWERS - I’m sure I will continue to work on these.  They are fun and portable.

Now for my non stitching goals.

• Read a book
• Try a new recipe
• Have a fun day out

Anything else will be a bonus.

Other Happenings in September

I’ve been rather remiss during September in relation to blog posts, so a big catch up here.  Firstly, I’ll share how I went with my goals.

READ A BOOK

Yes, I read “Cutters End” by Margaret Hickey.  It was one I found at an op shop or book fair or something and I really enjoyed it, as did Mick.  It is the first in a series featuring Detective Sergeant Mark Arita, with another three released since.  I will be on the lookout for them.

TRY A NEW RECIPE

Don’t laugh, but this was to make some chicken and bacon sausage rolls.  A very simple recipe that most people make with their kids, but something I’ve never done.  They received a tick of approval from Mick.  No photo, as they were either eaten straight away or put in the freezer for later.

I also made a small batch of strawberry jam.  

This came about as a result of our second fridge in the garage dying.  There were still some strawberries from last year in the freezer that hadn’t completely thawed so I made jam rather than throwing them out.  Fortunately, there wasn’t all that much in the freezer and the fridge is mainly used for drinks.  Now we have a nice, new, more efficient fridge out there that should last for many years.  The one we had was Mum’s old fridge, so would probably be about twenty years old.

HAVE A FUN DAY OUT

Fancy morning and afternoon teas seem to be the flavour of the month lately.  This time it was a morning tea to raise funds for the Radiation Bus.  Radiation treatment for cancer is not performed in Bathurst, with patients having to travel to Orange, about an hour away.  This bus runs each week day for minimal cost to the patients and creates an informal support group on the way.  It is run by the local Community Transport and receives no government funding.  The morning raised $5,000, which was an impressive effort.  The organiser is one of my neighbours, and many of us were requested to bring along a plate of food.  There was such an incredible spread and at the end of the event there were plates of slices and biscuits for sale, so Mick was able to have a few treats as well.  I even had my photo in the local paper.

Our other fun day out was to attend the NSW Quilters Show at Rosehill in Sydney.  That will have its own separate post.

Mick had a fun day out with my brother, who is a member of the local 4WD club.  The club went on an outing to check out a newly opened suspension bridge over the Cox’s River on the Six Foot Track, which is a walking track through the Blue Mountains.  They were blessed with a beautiful day weather wise.

The photos he shared showed an absolutely beautiful spot. Once he gets Rosie all sorted we may have to go for a drive and picnic so I can see it too.

WRITE UP BLOG POSTS ON OUR ISLE OF MAN TRIP

That still doesn’t seem to be happening.  I will get there.

What else have we been up to?

When we went to the Bathurst Swap Meet in late August Mick bought two signs.

The first one appears to be a very well home made, Suzuki sign.  It was just silver metal.  

He masked it up and painted the background the same colour as Rosie, his Suzuki Sierra.  It now hangs on the shed.

The second was a pair of signs off a vintage Franklin caravan.  They were even a nice chippy orange colour.

With a bit of chopping, masking and painting, he now has a name badge on Frank the Fuso truck.  It doesn’t take much to keep him happy.

Now that it is spring it was time to switch up my little shelf in the kitchen.  Sometimes the items remain pretty much the same each season, but it was fun to “shop” our display cabinets to find some different spring like items.

AND NOW FOR THE WEATHER……..

Early spring is notorious for being changeable and this year has been no different.  Firstly, our spring weather arrived about a month earlier than usual.

Warm mornings usually herald us having breakfast on the back verandah.

Plants budded up early and everything was looking lovely.

THEN…..

We had what they called a “Polar Blast” with the biggest frosts we have had all year.  I really felt for the orchardists, vignerons and wheat and canola farmers. There have been some big losses to some of their crops.

Our biggest casualty was the wisteria.  While other bloggers were sharing their wisteria in full bloom, ours was still budding up.  Then, frost hit and this is how our flowers look.  All over town it is the same. So sad, as it would have put on a good show this year. Compare it to this time last year.  The azalea and hydrangeas were also victims.  

Fortunately, the crab apple seems to have been unaffected.

Our iris and renunculas are adding a pop of colour at the moment.

Thankfully, we hadn’t got too far ahead of ourselves with vegetable planting.  We had some self sown tomatoes coming up in the garden, so covered them when the frost was forecast.  They are now in pots being taken in and out each day.  We have planted some cherry tomatoes in pots and they are in the little potting shed at the moment, also being taken in and out.

We are trying an experiment this year, growing some potatoes in a stack of tyres.  They are just starting to poke their heads out, so we will be gradually adding more soil and tyres as they grow.

Hopefully, the worst of the frosts are over and we will start to plant our veges in the next couple of weeks.

And that about sums up the month of September.

September Stitching Round Up

Here we are at the end of yet another month, with the year three quarters over.  Where has it gone?  

Time to check in to see how I went with this month’s stitching goals.  You can read about them here.  All I can say is that my goals didn’t go well.  

Once again, the main reason is that my sewing room has turned into a big hot mess.  That always does it.  I find it too overwhelming to sort out and just avoid it.  Funnily, I was reading back to this time last year and I could nearly do a copy and paste of that post.

Having said that, I still have been doing bits and pieces.  Let’s see how I went.

ONE MONTHLY GOAL AND CHOOKSHED STITCHERS’ CHALLENGE

As I shared previously, I did get the quilt top made while at Baradine.  Then it just sat until yesterday.  

I finally started to make some headway in sorting things out, excavated Monique, and actually pieced a backing and got the quilt loaded.  (Photo taken to show the tidy side of the room.  We won’t look at the other side.)

I started basting the edges and noticed the thread was unravelling after going through the tension discs.  We tried everything we could think of and have now put in a call to the serviceman to see if he can give me some guidance.  Therefore, despite my best last minute efforts, I have failed to get this quilt completed in September.  Not to worry.  It will get done, all in good time.

Pop over to Deana’s blog to see how the other girls went.

RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE

The colour this month was black.  Not something I want to work with in the split nine patches or hexies.  It would work for the Fish Quilt, as this month is tropical fish.  Well, I printed off the fish pattern…….and that’s as far as I have got.

BATIK FISH

Ditto.  I have the pattern, but have not gone any further…..see above…..the sewing room was too messy.

OTHER STITCHING GOALS

June Chookshed Goal - Koala Baby Quilt - I kitted up two quilts from the fabric I had and got the tops made at Baradine.  Once I get the current quilt finished I will quilt them.  Then I will be up to date with Deana’s challenge.

Quilt Laundry Basket Mystery Quilt - I want to try out a feather pantograph on one of the koala quilts before using it on this one.  Obviously, that hasn’t happened yet.

Deconstruct the crochet rug - that didn’t happen either.

Add the sashings to the Sashiko table runner - nope.

Hand stitching hexies - YES!!! LOTS!!!  This has ended up being my main stitching project for September.  I have made 23 one inch hexy flowers and one two inch hexy flower.  I have now made a total of 53 of the one inch flowers, so nearly half way. The quilt needs 111 one inch flowers and 8 two inch flowers.  I have also started to appliqué some onto their background fabrics and have several more glue basted ready to stitch down.  I’ve used up all the obvious small suitable fabric scraps, so now have to cut into some fat quarters.  I’m really enjoying working on this project…..more than I thought I would.  It also is the perfect project to take to my stitching mornings.

GROUP QUILT BLOCK

Our patchwork group are making a quilt and 12 inch blocks were requested.  I made one at the end of last month and have now made a second one.  The hardest part is to decide on a block design.  This was a fun block to make.

CRUMB BLOCKS

These were made while I was at Baradine.  They are great fun and use up some of those tiny scraps.  No idea what I will do with them.

UNPLANNED PROJECT

While I was at Baradine, Mick went to a garage sale in the street behind us and the lady had some fabric for sale.  He phoned me and did a wander showing us what was there.  

He bought a few pieces and one was a Dr Seuss panel.

After I returned home I wandered up to see what else she had left. One piece is now being used as the backing on the quilt that is currently on Monique.  

She had been making fabric masks during the COVID lockdowns and had a bag of cut out pieces.  She gave them to me.  I sorted them into types.  The solids will go into something at some stage, the batiks are from the same range as the ones I’ve been using for the fish, so they will get used and then there were some nice bright colours, but what would I do with them?  I had a brain wave.

Firstly, I cut them into pieces to make the best use of the fabric.  Somewhat of a time waster, but fun to see the odd shapes transform into something usable.

Then I added one inch borders to the Dr Seuss panels.

Before using the bright scraps for sashing and border.  I’m loving it.  I still felt it needed a border to add some size to it.  Fortunately, I found a suitable fabric in my stash.  That hasn’t been added yet.  It has now been put aside for the minute, until I get all those quilts quilted.

It was such a lovely day that I dug out my baby Elna Stella and set myself up on the back verandah to sew.

AND ALSO….

I nearly forgot that I made the little swap gift for Spring in the Scrub.

And that about sums up what I have been getting up to on the sewing front.

15 MINUTES A DAY

Apart from one day, I have done some stitching every day.

September = 29/30

Year to date = 250/274

Success rate = 91.24%

I’m happy with that.

So, all things considered, despite not achieving many goals, I still have a bit to show for the month.  We’ll see how we go next month.

Spring in the Scrub - Part 2

 SATURDAY

I forgot to mention in the previous post that most of us stayed in one of the local pubs this time, as the cabins at Camp Cypress are undergoing renovations, which should be completed before we return for Scrub Stitchin’.   

However, other than Friday dinner, all meals were at Camp Cypress.  This time the catering was by Chooky, Deb and Deb’s daughter.  We enjoyed a continental style breakfast, with some tasty treats included.  Lunches were make your own sandwich/roll/wrap, with lovely fresh breads.  There were plenty of fresh salad items and cold meats.  Dinner on Saturday night was pumpkin soup, butter chicken and Thai green chicken curry, followed by sticky date muffins with caramel sauce and cream.  

Of course there were also several slices to nibble on throughout the day and our usual scones for morning tea on Saturday.  There was definitely no excuse to go home hungry.

We were all industrious again during the day.  Once I finished my little quilt tops I decided to make the braided quilt we learnt at Scrub Stitchin’. I was going to use a junior jelly roll I purchased at Spotlight about 15 years ago.  However, when I opened it up, several of the strips were cut very roughly and in parts only measured 2 1/4 inches, so no good for this project, as it uses every last skerrick of the strips.  Not happy.  Oh well, you get what you pay for, I suppose.  I’ll find something else to make with them.

What now?  Time to have a play.

I pulled out the tub of pink scraps that I brought along.

After a little while I had an additional six crumb blocks to add to my collection.  I’ve still no idea what I will do with them all.  I’m just having fun making them with my tiny scraps.

Meanwhile Linda had been working on her version of the braided quilt using batiks.  It is going to be so effective.  I hope she has it completed for Scrub Stitchin’.

For the rest of my time, I just worked on my hexy flowers.  Maybe I chatted a bit too.  Who’d have thought.

On Saturday evening we had our Make It, Bake It or Fake It swap.  I was lucky to receive a small heat wheat pillow and a cute little embroidered sign or mug rug.  These were from Diane.

I have already found a home for it on my minis wall in my sewing room.

This is what I made for the swap.  It went to Mary.  They are a really handy little sewing kit.  I use the one I made ages ago all the time.

After dinner it was time for show and tell.  I’ll start with my three little quilts that I stitched while there.

I can’t say that I love the three yard quilt with the  dogs, but it will be fine for a donation quilt.  The other two are rather sweet.  They will all be donated.

Lianne shared her quilt and bag that won prizes at local shows, as well as her row by row quilt and the pretty quilt that she worked on during the weekend. 

Jenny shared her Foxley Village by Natalie Bird.  The back was nearly as pretty as the front.

Kylie showed her quilt that she had been working on at Scrub Stitchin’.  It is a Missouri Star pattern. Just gorgeous colours.

Natasha had two beauties.  First a blue and white and then Green Tea and Sweet Beans by Jen Kingwell.  She did all the quilting and the back was also beautiful.  It has taken seven years to complete.

Chooky shared the two quilts she was working on during the weekend to use up her flannel stash.  They will be nice and snuggly.  I’m not sure how she found time to do any sewing with everything she was organising.

Miranda shared her Elmo quilt that she was working on during the weekend.  She made the centre patch a couple of years ago at Scrub Stitchin’.  We hope to see it completed at Scrub Stitchin’ next year.

Diane had her king sized quilt that she was working on at Scrub Stitchin’.  It travels with her in her caravan.

Mary shared a quilt that she had made for her Mum that has now come back to her after her Mum’s recent passing.  She also shared her Liberty hexy quilt, which is an ongoing project as well as her Field Journal stitcheries, also framed in Liberty. This is about two thirds of the blocks.  Some of us had to have a closer look at her exquisite embroidery.

Karen was our super achiever, as she worked on many quilts.

Heidi worked on her first ever quilt.

Annette shared her Bonnie Lass by Jen Kingwell and her current hand pieced quilt.  She was nearly finished the binding.  It was nice to see it progress since Scrub Stitchin’.  The mitres border really make it.

A few of us then shared some of our earliest work.  It is interesting to see how we have progressed and styles have changed.

Mary brought this little beauty along.

Annette went and got this one of her bed in cabin.  I love the secondary pattern.

Maree shared a quilt she made for her Dad many years ago with a farming theme.

This is one of a pair of quilts that were the first ones made by Linda.  The other one has been completed, but this one still needs quilting and binding.

This is Miss Jules’ first quilt, from the time when her fabric stash was kept in a small paper bag.

This is my first quilt, made following a pattern in a magazine, back in 2003.  I had no idea how to quilt or bind it, so took my first class.  The backing and some of the front pieces are Liberty, found at an op shop by my mother in law.  The rest was dressmaking scraps and fabric left over from covering photo frames and photo albums, back in the day.  The intersections are terrible, but I still love it.

And this is the quilt I made in my first class in 2003, when Anni Downs first opened her shop in Bathurst.  The centre medallion is hand quilted.  The rest was quilted on my tiny Elna Stella.  As a result, we went shopping for my Janome.

I also took along my Trail Mix quilt that I made during Covid, as it is my favourite winter quilt.

Brenda had a beautiful quilt hanging on the wall made from vintage linens.  Zoom in to have a closer look.

She also brought in some non quilt show and tell.

The top teddy is made from men’s ties and the bottom teddy, which stands about six inches high, is entirely covered with embroidery.  Such a clever duck.

Jenny also completed two fabric baskets on the weekend.  Both in Tula Pink Giraffe prints.

And that concludes show and tell.  I hope I didn’t bore you too much.

SUNDAY

Sunday was a short day for me.  Some more EPP and then hitting the road mid morning, getting home mid afternoon.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, catching up with several other “Scrubbers” as well as meeting some new ladies.  Thanks to Chooky and Deb for all their efforts in putting the weekend together.  Now it is only a bit over six months until we all gather again for Scrub Stitchin’.  I can’t wait.