Graceful Quilt Finished

I have just taken a quick pic of the Graceful BOM quilt finished. Will take a better pic when the light is more favourable.

BOM progress roundup

Yesterday was day of writing up BOM instructions and sending them out.

We are now up to Block 14 of Sassy Cats and that set of instructions has gone out.

Sassy Cats Block 14

Block 2 of  the new Embellished Cats BOM has gone out

Embellished Cats Block 2

as well as Block 10 of Graceful Air , Land and Sea

Graceful Block 10

I am a bit tardy in getting another Crazy Quilt Block out but most of my hand sewing time is being used to make the items for the  angel baby project and that is taking priority at the moment. I don't think that there is anyone desperately waiting on the  next crazy block.

Project Roundup- mine and others

Embroidery Library have a lovely set of Blackwork flower designs this week and I have bought the large size to do a quilt down the track. The design below is just one of them. They are still on special but do not know how much longer that will be for.

Some of the members of our local embroidery group are doing the  free Project House360 BOM. Make sure you download the Block for February before the end of the month.

I am doing the red/ black and white colourway.

My neighbour is doing the brown toned colour way. It will be interesting to se what other colour ways we get.

Sharon has sent in a pic of her finished Floral Sketches quilt being closely inspected by her fur baby.

Sandy has got her Graceful Air, Land and Sea BOM well underway as well. Love the colours she has chosen.

Elizabeth has completed Block 1 of the Graceful quilt and this is her first attempt at doing an embroidered and pieced quilt

I have ben busily working on my items for the angel babies in hospital and will have a pic up tomorrow or the day after of some of the things I plan to include in each package.

 I have been closely watched all week by the quality control officers from on high.

Enter the Fabric For Life Competition and a small Freebie Roundup

Keepsake Quilting are having a competition to win fabric for life. We can all do with a bit more fabric right! Unfortunately it is open to residents of Canada and the United States only so I can't put an entry in. You must enter by February 28th and think you can enter daily. 

If you have not picked up Kenny Kreations latest freebie  Candle Glow. You can download it from the link at the bottom of their home page. This would look great in a table runner or several stitched out for a bag. The design also looks good stitched on point.

Sew4Home have some lovely spring designs and pillow project as a give away the designs re by Michele Mishler from MM designs.

Urban Threads have this free Love design until Feb 23

Make sure you pick up this month's free  Embroidery Library designs before we get to the end of the month on Feb 28th.

Creative Machine Embroidery have some great free design with their current issue so be sure to go and pick them up while they are still available. Just a few of them are shown below.

this design is an ITH pocket

these two Easter egg designs are timely for Easter coming up

Designs in Machine Embroidery also have some great free designs for this month.

You can pick up this lovely daisy on the left hand side of the page

and the link for these inspirational words is down in the middle of the article that shows you how to make the wall plaques using them. These designs would look great made into cushions or wall plaques for a house warming gift. Teenagers would also like the these pillows.

Personalized Name Pillow Tutorial ready for Download and BOM Updates

"I don't need to get organized, I just need a bigger sewing (craft) room." - author unknown

For those people waiting on the tutorial for the personalized name pillow I have written it up today and uploaded it ready for download.  I have done the instructions for Luke's pillow. You can obviously change strip length etc to achieve your own look. You can download the tutorial from HERE

I have also emailed out the instructions this morning for Embellished Cats Block 1

 Sassy Cats Block 13

and Graceful Air Land and Sea Block 9

Remember if you wish to be part of any of these BOM's you need to send me an email and I will get back to you within a day or two at the latest.

Embellished Cats Block 1- Another New BOM

I have finished sttiching out Block 1 of my new BOM called Embellished Cats after the new BFC Creations Embellished Cats set. When I saw this set I knew I had to do a new BOM with them in my favourite Black white and red colour way. Block 1 is very straight forward to gauge the colour way, fabric colour and placement with the stitching etc.

There is some lovely stitching tin the Block. I am doing the applique background with the stitching over the top but you also have the option  of  having a stitched background.

I will be writing up the instructions in the morning and sending them out to those who have signed up for this new BOM. If you wish to participate please email me.

There will be further blocks going out this week in the other three BOMS: Sassy Cats, Graceful Air  Land and Sea and the Crazy Quilt so keep and eye out for those in your email box if you are receiving those particularly if you are an AOL subscriber.

Pics and Projects

It has been nearly a week since my last post but I have not been resting or on holiday even though retirement is supposed to be one long holiday. Out internet connection has been suffering major issues during the week as well dropping in and out every 5 minutes or so. That has made it difficult to upload pics etc.

I have been working on a new project. I have long intended to make items for hospitals to give to parents who have lost their tiny angels at birth. Anna is one of the three young former work colleagues who have been coming to some quilting lessons with me over the last few months. Tragically back in April of last year Anna lost her beautiful daughter Bridie, a few days before her due date.Together we are planning this new project in Bridie's memory. I plan on having a collection of items including the small bears in a previous post, some clothing and/or bunting and a  22 inch square small quilt with an embroidered bear as the centrepiece. I have been busily searching and collecting patterns from the internet and now think I have the base for this new project. We are going to start with the two hospitals in our region on the North West Coast of Tasmania.

Last night was another of our penguin guiding nights and we were treated to something very special. One of the penguins that is onshore to moult was peeking out of his burrow while it was still very bright so I was able to take some photos of him. I know it was a him because of the large hook on the end of his beak. I used the  sunset setting on my camera to take most of the pics. Make sure you click on the pics to go to the larger view.

You can see how rough his feathers are as they lose their waterproofing and he tries to remove them.

 In the photo below he has gone back into his burrow and started digging the soil like a wombat 

This is another moulting penguin. His feathers have become stained where he has been rubbing himself trying to loosen them. 

 I also saw this Pied Oyster Catcher way off in the distance.They have  along orange bill that they use to prise open molluscs to eat.

 I love the reflection of  this Pacific Gull 

It was also a lovely moon last night close to being very full.

Some weekend pics to share

I have some photos to share with you that I took down at the Lillico Beach penguin viewing platform on Saturday night. A little before dusk these gorgeous little Red Capped plovers were foraging along the waterline looking for food. They live on small crustaceans, molluscs and worms. I have never seen one before and fortunately they are not endangered.The nest is built in a hollow on the beach or stony area and is sometimes lined with small shells or dead leaves.

I think the one below is a male due to the black making down the side of his head.

All of the baby penguins for the season have left the colony that we monitor and the burrow that was occupied last week by the baby has now been occupied by an adult bird that has come on land to moult. They usually moult between February and April and new clean feathers are important for them to keep them waterproof for the remainder of the year.Before moulting the penguins nearly double their body weight because when they are in the process of moulting they cannot return to the water to feed as their feathers are not waterproof until the full moult and feather replacement is complete usually around 17 days or so.

In comparison to the little baby penguins this one does not have a very clean white patch down the front as his feathers get ready to come out.

Saturday was also a very hot day here in Tasmania and we had a lot of smoke that was over the North West Coast, probably form a fire that was on one of the islands in Bass Strait. As a consequence we had some lovely subdued colours and interesting cloud formations at sunset.

I also took this intersting shot of the moon over the water