Gunning Patchwork Weekend

Home after a super productive weekend at the FAT Quarter in Gunning.

Weather was miserable but the heaters were firing, the food was delicious, the company was good (not as good as the Hexy Ladies of course though!) and lots of sewing was done.

Here are loads of blue and white strips ready to turn into my sister's overdue wedding quilt....not too many blocks actually got completed but lots of cutting and sewing.

Managed to get the lone star completed and all the blocks attached, but forgot some of the fabric for the fill-in wedges so couldn't finish it off. Better photos are on the GPW's facebook page.

And I wasn't the only Sue Ross student there, I recognised one of the quilts and turns out Lyn will be seeing Sue in a week or so!

Now to get everything sorted for the week ahead...

C

Slipping into slipcovering

I have been playing at slip covering with some scrap upholstery fabric I inherited from a friend who was relocating overseas.  There was a whole load of linen, but very little that would actually fit a whole side of the sofa or cushion.  Patchwork skills came to the fore.  I am happy, and the fam seem to like it.  

travelling garter squares

This is a post for my sisters.  Between us we are knitting up some hand-dyed, handspun from the "stash" (yarn stash, separate from fabric stash)  So girls, here are the instructions:

1. Using 6mm needles and the hand-dyed, handspun, cast on 29 stitches.  Yes, 29, not 30.  Cast on using the double method, where you push the needle behind two strands of yarn not one.  See top photo.
2. Knit 49 rows. Knit every stitch.  No purling, and no slipping the first stitch or anything fancy.  You are up to 49 rows when you can see 25 "ridges" and the starting waste yarn is on the bottom left corner.
3. Cast off.  Not too tight.
4. Your square should be approximately 7.5" square.  Don't fret if it is not exactly that size. 
5. Both start and end waste yarn will be on the same side.  Leave a good tail so there is spare to sew with.  

Repeat steps 1 to 5 until you can't stand it anymore or run out of yarn.

I am thinking about a hundred squares.  I have done 5, so 95 to go.

The Vast Interior

The theme of this year's Gunning Patchwork Weekend's competition blocks is "The Vast Interior".

Here is my small offering!

I can hear Sue telling me it needs more applique but I'm going for the 'empty' feel!

All the blocks get sewn together by volunteers and the quilt is raffled off at next year's weekend.

More upholstery...

The gorgeous revamps posted by our mystery member (reveal yourself o creative one!) have been an inspiration. How fabulous to restore such cute found articles.  

Here is my office chair which is a great sewing chair, but rather hideous to look at. 

Before: grey, ghastly,...dull

I had to get DH to take it apart ... drilling, unscrewing...so that I could staple the IKEA spotty fabric to the underside of the seat and back. The cover panels were then replaced and secured, and voila,  a much more aesthetically appealing sewing seat.

After: cheery little number

Continue to be inspired by the collective creativity of our merry band of quilters and am looking forward to Saturday.

Dxxx

Some upholstery

Hi thought I would show you these, they have been on the go for a couple of years. the chair just needed a hem (for over 12 months) which I have finally done and the footstool is still not completely finished. I still need to get the bottom staples in deeper but don't have the right tool


So here are the befores

here are the afters

Both were picked up on the side of the road, so very happy how they turned out.

Report vs Jewel

So boarded my flight bound for Bangkok.  Had 9 hours to write my online report… which really should take me about 3, but as I was pulling out my laptop I did the fatal mistake of taking out my little ziplock back of prepared jewels, I figured I'd need them after I did my report.

Well while waiting for the plane to take off, then waiting for the signal that we can turn on electronic devises I started stitching…. and stitching…. and stitching.  Needless to say zero report and 9.5 jewels completed!  

And that is how we roll….

Now to write that report…..