Zooming Along

 It was Australia Day on Friday and the weather was very hot, so not the most pleasant for attending community events.  

Therefore, when it was announced that the Chookshed Stitchers were having a Zoom day I was very happy to join in.  Being Australia Day, Chooky decided to ask all participants where they would like to visit in Australia should they have the opportunity.  It was great fun hearing all the different answers.

I had quite a marathon time, jumping in at 6.45am and leaving at 7.30pm…..and I wasn’t the longest participant.  There were over 30 girls who popped in during the day, from all over the world, including a couple of newbys, which was nice.

So, the usual question was what to work on?

To start with I just crocheted another scrappy square in my rug.

I now have twenty.  They look so pretty when all neatly piled up.

What next?  Why not trace off the stems and appliqué leaves for the Laundry Basket Spring Mystery Quilt?  That wasn’t on the immediate agenda, but something that needed doing at some stage.  Sometime soon I will hunt out some green scraps and get the next stage under way.

Quite a few of us had joined in with the Chookshed Stitchers’ Challenge and had allocated our number six project to be the Scrub Stitchin’ Bag or another bag.  We had a little show and tell.  It doesn't show all that clearly, as there were so many of us on screen, but it was fun to see them all together.

Now what?  I don’t usually use my sewing machine while Zooming, but I had all those little strips laid out ready to make sixteen checkerboard blocks.  I supposed I could make a start.  Once they were all done, I decided I may as well start putting the border strips together, so trimmed down the appliqué blocks, as per the top photo.  

By the time I signed off to go and get some tea on, I had two sides attached.   After tea I kept going and by the end of the day the borders were all on.  It is really  taking shape now.  Surprisingly, everything fitted rather well.  I had to ease the border on a little bit, so I will make the next narrow border the correct size and ease it back down, so the quilt doesn’t end up wavy.   It isn’t as bad as the photo shows. That is the plan, anyway.

I just have one narrow border and then the Dresden plate border to go.  I am starting to see the finish line for the top in the distance.

It was a really nice way to spend the day. Thanks Chooky for inviting us all along.