Time out to Stitch

Hi where have I been?

In April I have been in Ashburton at Annies country quilt store taking a class with Australian Tutor Annie Downs, 3 other friends joined me and we had a blast.  Its amazing how a few days away feels like weeks.

Annie showed us 3 new patterns she designed, a clasp change purse, bag, zip change purse.  These new projects are apparently going to be in her new book out next year.

Annie Downs Class April 2013

Annie Downs - Bag

 

 

As it was the school holidays we headed to Arrowtown, Central Otago to our wee bach to relax and attend a conference for my husband.  While there the kids and mum and dad did a spot of horse riding, this has been high on the childrens agenda all summer, so I finally got on a horse and quite enjoyed it.  The scenery was beautiful.

 

 

Then we headed to Dunedin Otago to drop off University daughter and to have some shopping and cultural events. 

Now we are home I don't know where to start, housework or studio, well the studio won today and tomorrow I have a couple of ladies coming to stitch, perhaps Sunday it will be cleaning and unpacking day.  Until next time happy stitching.

 

PS I have worked on the Red Home its coming along nicely and also the Down in the Garden, Just delicious, pity I didn't get in my actual garden as much

 

Happy Stitching

 

 

Its together and first Border on! Red Home

Sometimes I do not know where the days go, its 3pm and school pickup before you know it. 
I have been fruitful today,requested Banana Choc Chip Muffins for the 7 year old, homemade  vegetable soup for me, Dinner all prepared and in the crockpot.  Yeah I even had time to put together the red home blocks and first border.

Here it is, doesn't it feel good when the quilts start coming together.

Happy Stitching

Sharon

Applique Red Home final Blocks

Hello  How did April arrive without fanfare, I even forgot April fools day in the middle of Easter and now we have the end of daylight saving here in New Zealand, colder dark days to come.  We have however managed to squeeze some more heat out of Mr Sun today here in Invercargill.

I have four more blocks complete and finishing the final applique block and yes I will get onto putting these together tomorrow.

I am changing the final block from the dog on the scooter to a bird from Anni Downs book My favourite things.

Wool Applique

Fellow bloggers bear with me as I am trying to update my blog and work out how to use links, badges etc.  do let me know if things are not working properly.

I spent the most amazing restful time in Ashburton at www.anniescountryquiltstore.co.nz
I took a class with Bonnie Sullivan in wool applique, naive folk art style.   It was a very restful relaxing time and I got to meet some lovely ladies and made a couple of contacts for in the future.  Thank you Rachel you were the host with the most and made me feel very welcome.

Here is the block I started not quite finished yet.  I have also decided to turn this into a wall hanging with some other blocks I have from Bonnie Sullivan's patterns. www.allthroughthenight.net
I hope this doesn't take too long or it made be added to the list of projects to complete.

 

Happy Stitching

Sharon

 

Ribbon Rose Ruching

Have you ever wondered how to ruche a wire edged ribbon rose or just a nice piece of fabric?

Here is how I do this check out the photo to tempt you.  Remember you can do this with fabric as well there is just a tip and you need to have a folded piece of fabric like the ribbon but with the edges folded in.

Add caption

 

 

After you have completed this step you then need to join the first four to five petals together and stitch through to join them on the raw edge then fold them down to be the centre of the ribbon rose.

 

 

 

Centre petals stitched at back and

folded out to form centre.

 

  

Once this is done then you slowly wind the ribbon around and tack it together, at this stage you can change the shade of ribbon to be different from the centre by twisting the colour to be on the edge.  You can only do this with shaded french wire edged ribbon. 

 

Back View

 



Then you can end up with this made in fabric.

 

 

Red Home Applique addiction

Another three blocks complete, not quite within the week but hey I have been busy looking after my Mum who has just had a back operation.

These were quick to stitch and fun to put personality into the cat and the girl.

Not sure how many more to go hopefully not many, I want to get this quilt together.

Happy Stitching
Its 10 43pm here in New Zealand so my bedtime

DOWN IN THE GARDEN - delicious quilt

Remember when I started this quilt, January 2012 and it is now March 2013 and this is all I have so far, lots of stitching but have had a few breaks to do other things.  A girl cant be expected to stick to one thing at a time now can she, however I only have two blocks left and nearly finished one of those.  Perhaps I should have been in the real garden tidying up.  No I enjoyed this garden better.  Welcome to my garden come on in and have a look.

The bottom two right hand blocks are yet to be finished. Dudley the spoodles loves to stich in my studio with me.  He even has his own mat he sleeps on.