Stitching Wrap Up for October

For a month with rather low expectations, I am pleased with what I achieved.

The main aim was to get the three Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts well on the way, with at least one over the the finish line.

I ended up with two finishes.

The third is ready to quilt.

Other than that, I finished my beanie.

I made a little needle book for travelling.

And, I traced the stitcheries for two projects.  I have had these two kits for well over ten years, waiting patiently for their time to shine.  This will be their time.

I also completed a further seven corner to corner crochet squares.  It really makes a difference when you get to attend your stitching days. There are only four more squares required to make a blanket for Wrap With Love.

I didn’t get around to completing the bowl cosies, but there is no rush for them and there wasn’t a block issued by Betty.

15 MINUTES A DAY

October = 26/31

YTD = 249/304. = 81.91%

All in all, a good month.

A Bonus Finish for the Month

My wish for the month was to have one of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts completed.  However, I have ended up with two.  It would have been nice to have the three done, but that wasn’t to be.

Anyway, here is the second one.

You can see where  I started at earlier in the month here.

I thought that a simple Baptist Fan pantograph would suit it well.

This was a fun quilt to make and using solid fabrics was quite a change for me.

I didn’t end up using a solid for the backing, but this one had a nice clear colour.  It has been in my stash for about 20 years, when I bought a heap of end of bolts at Spotlight for next to nothing.  I think it works well for this.

It will be a donation quilt, but I don’t know where it will end up.

I will be linking up with So Scrappy.  It is nice to see the other projects coming together, now that we are heading towards the end of the year.

QUILT INFORMATION

Measurements - 64" high x 52" wide

Pattern - Inspiration from a photo seen on Pinterest.

Fabrics - Stash.  

Quilting Design - Baptist Fan by Karla Gerome for QCT6

Batting - Cotton/Poly

Backing and Binding - Fabric from stash

Thread - Glide - 10000 White

A Quick Little Make

When we go travelling I like to take a simple, no fuss project to work on.  What I have found to work best for me is to take a stitchery that just uses one colour.  

I usually take my project and a separate little pouch with my needle, scissors etc, but the one thing that annoys me is that I end up with little snippets of thread that just get put in the pouch and end up making a mess.  I thought it was time to come up with a solution.  

Plan A was to make a little sewing hussaf style kit, but I thought I could come up with something even more compact. What I have made is very simple and extremely compact.  It should work just fine.

Enter my latest little needle book, finishing at just 3” high and 2 1/2” wide.  The hardest part was choosing the fabric.

There are two pages sewn in.  When you open the first there are my needles.  

Flip to the third and there are a few pins.

Turn to the inside of the back cover and I have popped in a tiny zip lock bag with three thimble dots.  I really like using these of late.  Once you have started using one, you can just stick it onto something and then use over and over again.  Hence, the plastic bag. The “in use” dots can get stuck onto the front to use again.

The best bit is the middle spread.  This is where I can lay my snippets of thread while stitching away.  When the needle book is closed they are contained…. I hope.  Too simple……it should work.  I know, simple things amuse simple minds.

I haven’t worried about a closure.  It will stay closed once it is in my project bag.

This is my new travel set up.  My stitching projects each have their own zip lock bag holding the stitchery and thread.  All I need to go with them is my little needle book, my tiny scissors and my embroidery hoop.  The hoop is another thing that I have only just started using and am finding works surprisingly well.  Who’s have thought. LOL

So there is everything is nice and compact, packed into my funky Queenie pouch ready to take on future trips.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Quilt Finished

My main wish for this month was to have one of the  Rainbow Scrap Challenge Quilts completed.  I’m happy to report that I have achieved my wish.

The quickest and easiest to work on was the Black and White Potato Chip Quilt.

This quilt was started back in January this year, so I am very happy that it won’t be carried over to next year.  I made five blocks each month.

I decided that a swirly pantograph would suit it well.

The sad thing to happen while quilting this quilt was that my super glide foot broke on Elly May.  They are renowned for doing this and I did take all the recommended precautions, but to no avail.  I don’t think I will purchase another, if it could break as well.

The big decision for the quilt was to choose a backing.  To my delight, on a recent trip up to Orange I came across something suitable.

Wait for it…..

Oh my!   Does’t it make an impact.  It is a doona cover from Ikea that I found in the Salvos op shop.  The best thing is that I still have the other side, which is the same, to use on a future quilt.  I think I will make the exact same pattern again next year.

This quilt will be donated.

QUILT INFORMATION

Measurements - 64" high x 47" wide

Pattern - Inspiration from a photo seen on Pinterest.

Fabrics - Stash.  

Quilting Design - Swirling Wide e2e by Leah Day for QCT6

Batting - Cotton/Poly

Backing and Binding - Ikea doona cover found at Salvos op shop in Orange.

Thread - Glide - Steel Blue

I’m linking up with So Scrappy.  Pop over and see what the others have created.

Macquarie Marshes - Part 6 - Going Home

After our couple of days exploring, it was time to start heading home for all those commitments that we couldn’t avoid.

We were back in Warren by morning tea time, but alas, there was no carrot cake at the coffee shop this time.  We had to make do with a delicious muffin instead.  Such hardship.

While walking up the street, we noticed that the museum and art gallery was open, so of course we went in.  It is housed in the old building on the right, which has A Alexander Provider cast into the facade.

After that business closed, it transformed into a motor vehicle business, followed by a tyre fitting business.  It had been empty for some time and with the assistance of a government grant, this impressive museum was established and opened in 2023.  It is fully run by volunteers and is self funding.  We met a lovely fellow on the day we were there, who was very informative.

The museum is fresh and modern in style.  

We had a nice wander around.  I liked this display of wool bale stencils.  “Haddon Rig” is a very well known historic merino wool producing property.  “Egilabra” is also a famous merino wool line.  Some years ago Mick and I visited a number of historic wool sheds in our area and the Egilabra blood line featured in most of the properties.

What was really impressive, was the back section of the museum had blank walls. They acted as screens for an impressive audio visual display showcasing the various aspects of life in the Warren area.  There was the Macquarie Marshes, cotton production, sheep, cattle, wheat, shearing sheds, as well as the general scenery.  It was really enjoyable to watch.

Through the door in the middle of the display is an art gallery space, which featured local artists’ works.

One item that we had a good look at was a model of the Macquarie River created in the 1950s.  This had been housed in the local Department of Lands for many years, but was gifted to the museum, to prevent it ever being removed from the district in the future.  It showed all the little water ways, running all over the place.  Really interesting.

After our visit, it was time to get back on the road.  Our next stop was in Narromine.  The blossoms had really come out in the few days since we had been there.  We had also collected a lot of bugs on the windscreen.

In the early afternoon, we called in at Dubbo shopping centre and caught up with Di and Chooky, which was a nice surprise.  It was good to see them.

Just south of Dubbo they are erecting some large power poles in readiness for the nearby solar farm’s commencement.

Our destination for the day was the caravan park at Wellington, right by the Macquarie River.  Some nibbles in the late afternoon were in order.

It was good to see that the resident goats were still there.    

The next day it was just straight down the highway to home.

We had enjoyed a lovely few days away, all the more special as they were totally unplanned.  Then it was time to actually stay home for a little while.