Playground Days is a flimsy!

Well it has come together in a quilt top. 

This has been a fun project with more pieces than I have attempted for some time. Not every point is perfect, but my granddaughter won't mind. 

When I get back from an overseas trip for work I will have two weeks to quilt it. 

Progress, and a silver lining

Fifteen pinwheel blocks done! I have one more cut out which I will use to swap with one shown here, that I don't like. Can you see which one? Middle of the second bottom row. It can go in the back. 

One nice thing to come out of this weekend's machine troubles is that I have discovered that the Bernette 440 is a low shank machine just like my Singer 306, so the feet are interchangeable! 

That means that, if repairs are slow on the Singer I will be able to use the walking foot. 

This new banner in my local Anglican Church was unveiled today. Local parishioners made it, including the original art work and they did all the sewing and beading. It is in silk. There is a matching set of vestments for the priest and deacon, equally gorgeous. There are also 18 foot silk drapes on the other side. 

I was deeply impressed by the skill of these people. Seems to me that it is truly a community art work of some high standard. 

This is why I have a sewing machine collection!

I am now sewing this project on the third machine in two days. When the Singer 306 got a thread caught in the bobbin case which I couldn't fix, I packed it up and called the sewing repair shop that fixed the same problem in January. They have a three month warranty on repairs so I am hoping they will fix it after Easter. 

Then today I was sewing with my modern Bernina when the feed dogs collapsed and would not raise into sewing position. This one will go to the local dealer but I have no idea how long it will take to fix. 😢

So now I am using the Bernette that really belongs to my daughter. Nil desperandum!

Playing with layouts

After singing in the choir last night, and going to a vigil this morning (Good Friday), it was time to play with layouts on my quilt. 

This is probably the busiest quilt I have made! As my beloved Singer 306k has managed to get a stray thread somewhere in the bobbin case and I can't shift it, it will need another visit to the sewing mechanic shop. Sigh. That machine is the biggest I have and therefore ideal for quilting. If it can't be fixed quickly I might change the layout somewhat to enable a quilt as you go construction method. We'll see. 

This is the smallest sewing machine. My Aunts Singer model 99. It is very cute. Not practical for quilting! 

My hot Cross  buns were a bit rustic looking but quite nice. I missed the dried figs I usually use. Instead I used dried apricots and pears along with sultanas. Figs would have been nicer. Note for next year!

Autumn!

The week began with a wonderful concert from the Australian String Quartet. The three concert series was our Christmas present to each other. We have second row seats which puts us right in the action. The music was amazing. 

When we left the concert we had a sprinkling of thundery rain, the first in a couple of months. March is the time for storms and most days since It has been cloudy with threats of showers.

For the last three weekends I have been volunteering at CARAD.  I have been involved with CARAD for many years as a volunteer. This week we launched our first Chuffed crowdfunding campaign and launched our new logo.

You can find out more at https://www.chuffed.org/project/housingfamilies

I was at the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees yesterday which started from the grounds of St George's Cathedral.

On the quilting front, I have also done a few more 9 patches but progress has been slow! 

Assembly line!

Don't tell the quilting police but I rarely plan my quilts. Apart from a general idea, I usually start sewing, put the blocks on the design wall and play with the settings. 

My latest quilt is different. I have a design in a book and I am following it!

This is the test block and the first of 80 9 patches the quilt needs. 

I am even sewing width of fabric strip sets and then cross cutting! 

Feels productive even if a bit like working in a sweat shop.

As the temperature at the moment is 40C it may not entirely be the production line which is giving that feeling. 

I have collapsed onto the couch under the ceiling fan for some recovery time before getting frocked up for a concert tonight. At least the hall will be air conditioned . 

But it is not Halloween!

 I have now finished my Peanuts quilt, which features pumpkins, cats and spooky graveyards.

If  Halloween is only one night, it is a bit silly to make a whole quilt for the occasion! 

The Peanuts panel is what started it. I grew up with Peanuts, and this scene of Linus in the pumpkin patch is both sentimental and current. Linus thinks that the Great Pumpkin will bring him presents if he sits in the patch with a welcome sign. No one else thinks so, but he acts on his own beliefs even when it is scary to sit in the garden on his own. 

As it is told in the comic strip Linus is visited by Snoopy, whose silhouette against the moon is so scary Linus faints, only to be taken home by a rare action of kindness by Lucy. 

Last Halloween my DD encouraged me to start this. I see it as a fun lap quilt which could also be hung up on a hanger during autumn. Of course it is Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere now. 

All  this needs is a hanging sleeve. Must get on to it!

Edited to add the pic of it hanging up!

Playground days

When I visited my grandchildren last weekend, we had a moment to investigate the local quilt shop for inspiration. 

Miss 3 and a half told me her favourite colour is pink, but she also likes purple and green and black! Sounds like a colour palette to me! 

I have some fabric on the design wall. Not a bad start but I need more pink! Lots more pink!

I have been looking through this book for inspiration: 

There is a cute pinwheel design that is called " playground days" which I am interested in. If the white were replaced by black and there were lits of pink and green and purple pinwheels I think it could be quite interesting.