Blue feathers

This is the latest SewCal Gal challenge, took a bit of time as I have been sick and then busy at work, and it is a bigger piece- about to be made into a cushion. Its a piece of hand dyed fabric, with a 'tile' like design, I decided to try to fill all the tiles with feathers, at first I tried small pebbles, but the challenge to myself of filling the  spaces with the same design paid off.  I did unpick the pebbles and one other sqaure- so time consuming.
I wish I had done some simpler feathers with wider spines as they look effective, I do have some thread build up in the spines, but it was a good thing to try to have as a sample.
The tutor for this month is Angela Walters.
The threads are mostly rayon embroidery threads which have a lovely sheen with Bottom Line in the bobbin.

 Oh dear, for some reason that is my mothers hand holding that ruler! wonder how it got there! maybe a sign of my ageing not her sewing.....
To do the straight lines I used a 6" ruler to hold against the foot to make sure I was going straight, even with a drawn line it is hard to get a straight one sewn but the ruler with the non slip back on it works wonders, I have watched long armers use one and thats why I gave it a try, so easy and effective.
Not sure if my "grout" lines are a bit wide? mabye for another project to make smaller ones.

Postcards tutorial

I have been doing the Queensland Quilters Teacher accreditation course this year, an interesting time. I have to do a short- 2 hour tutorial and chose hand/ neeedleturn applique - a Christmas tree postcard. This has involved a lot of work to make instructions etc and samples amidst being away on holiday, sick for a week and of course my paid employment.
The resulting cards are OK, but I am ready to move onto the next thing already. I did a Myers Briggs course a few weeks ago- I think its part of my personality to go onto the next thing before I have finished with the current one.

I discovered that you can iron on the small heat set sequins- the battery operated device I bought does ot really work, but a few randomly placed sequins on the cards and some Glad Bake and they all set really easily.

Oh well, now for the next SewCal Gal quilting challenge, hopefully tonight and it will be done.

Row by Row project

As part of the Queensland Quilters night group I am managing a challenge called QQ RRRR (roosting robin row by row) this is a project where you make your own quilt but within the row challenge themes set each month. Size is at your peril!

The first month the themes were- 1. paper pieced, and 2. 1" squares! I should have taken the harder ones out till later on in the proceedings...

I have lots of scraps and want to use them for this project. Doesn't help that I have a nasty cold/viral thing and feel very ordinary.

  I have chosen some farbic and cut some squares to sew together, have also trawled the internet and my boks for paper pieced patterns to use, as the scraps are small I need a small pattern, I have chosen this one from EQ5 as a 4" block.
Not sure if this grape vine floral will be a feature fabric and the connection between the rows? Maybe this quilt will be for me, maybe we will buy a caravan and this will be its quilt??
The first row needs to be finished by tomorrow night.

 We have been travelling- to Melbourne and back- by car, a long drive, went through lots of pretty towns, saw lots of long stretches of road, and just when you got bored- a view like this comes along. Amazingly still water. Knitted almost a whole sock along the way- not really helping with my quilting, but did keep me entertained while husband drove.