Finding its Way Home!

At the beginning of this year I set myself a challenge-

To make this quilt!

So since January this year I have been working on my foundation piecing.

I aimed to get one block made every month or so.

And ten months later I have completed the last of the nine blocks!

Yippee!

It is a rather time consuming process.

I first trace the 8 pieces onto light interfacing with a sharp pencil.....

 then choose the fabrics and cut them into strips....

after this I take a moment or two to remember how the process works-

fabric right sides together, under the interfacing piece with the lines facing up, sew, finger press open and on to the next section.

Once this is mastered it is quite easy!

HA!  HA! I hear you laughing.

But once your brain computes all this, its just a case of sewing on the lines!

And there is a certain satisfaction in seeing it come together!

So the 9 compasses are finding their way home-

This is the quilt on my design floor.

I don't think this will be the arrangement for their final home.

(I can see from this photo that the grey with white star fabric pieces are sitting next to one another.....)

AND.....

There are, however, major design flaws in these blocks-

Can you spot them?

Now do I unpick ( which is such a trial in foundation piecing!)

or do I just put it down to experience?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a great day!

SUZ

Embroider-Bee

Just a little update on what I have been working on-

I embroidered this while I was in New Zealand

and this week added the aqua and red borders.

This is going to be added to other blocks that some Flickr friends

Have I shown you what I was sent?

This one....

and this one...

or this one...

Not sure how it will work out?

It is indeed a WIP!

Have a great day!

SUZ

Happy, Scrappy Thanksgiving!

Thought I'd just share my latest completed(?) quilt top!

I say completed with a question mark because I think I will add a border or two!

I made this on the inspiration from Jodi at Pleasant Home's

Sew Scraps Along!

And I still have plenty of scraps to go round

But is great to have it together.

It will go to one of my friend's for her next birthday!

And to all my bloggy friends in the States-

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I'm giving thanks for all my bloggy friends today!
(see previous post)

Have a great day!

SUZ

Charming!

You meet the nicest people in blog and flickr land!

At least I do!

Flossybossy is a lovely lady I met on Flickr.

While there recently I happened to comment on someone else's photo and the charm she had 

attached, asking where she got it.

As it was a store in the USA,  I replied that I would need to pick some up the next time I was in the 

neighborhood! 

HA! As if!!!

Flossy saw my comment and......

What should arrive in my mail box this week!

The cutest little packet of charms!

What a lovely surprise that was after a horrid day at work!

Isn't this adorable!

I can't wait to use them!

So - from one Susan to another - THANK YOU!

And then another surprise arrived in the mail!

The cutest Christmas notepad from my bloggy friend Helen!

She has a lovely blog at Aunty Henny's

She won some Christmas fabric in an online quilt competition recently.

And this is what she's made-

This little girl is just adorable, isn't she?

I had a doll like that when I was young and she has red velvet coat like that-

My Mum made it.

Thank you Helen, you're the best!

And one more thing-


now that the dreaded school reports are almost finished I am committing to my


"TO-DO" list-


I am going to finish-


1. Pie and Tarts Quilt
2. Bind my Owl/ Star Quilt
3. Quilt my Pansy Quilt
4. Make one last Mariner's Compass Block


(kind of makes it real if I write it down!)

Then I might start some new things.

Have a great day!

SUZ

Sunday Stash

One of the first Flickr groups I belonged to was "Sunday Stash".

And with the Aussie dollar being so healthy I have been doing a little internet shopping.

This is one of my recent purchases from Hawthorne Threads.

I have already cut into some of this for a mug rug

This is the back.

The fabric along the binding was from this fabric-

And I really love this sewing themed fabric-

And I'm not too sure what I am going to make from this-

And this is some fabric I bought on my recent trip to New Zealand-

This one is just waiting to be made into a mug rug, don't you think?

Have a great day!

SUZ

Cross Stitch Tour

ChookyBlue began a Cross Stitch Tour (or is it a Sampler Blogalong?) last weekend!

And I wanted to be involved this week!

Although these ones aren't Samplers.


(An apology first - most of my cross stitch are framed behind glass and TERRIBLY difficult to photograph! The colors are not true to life either!) 

I do have a lovely sampler packed away somewhere?

Most of my pieces are quite 'old' because, after making many which I had framed, I ran out of walls to hang them on!

This one of poppies is a particular favorite!

We don't get red poppies like this 'downunder'!

All are on Aida, except this one!

It is on linen and was lovely to make! 

I completed this one for an "Embroider-Bee" on Flickr earlier this year.

It now lives in Scotland!

My husband is a big Native American fan!

That's why there are 2 on that theme.

The words on this one had a lovely romantic sentiment!

I do have others but they are packed away while we live in this small apartment as part of my husband's

job.

When we retire we will move to our bigger apartment that has more rooms (maybe one will become my

sewing room?) ....

and more walls!!!

Have a great day!

SUZ

I promised!

I promised some photos of the crafting I have been working on

(in between writing 'end-of-year' reports!)

This is my Candle Mat for the Swap organised by The Quilting Gallery.

It was pretty easy to make - I just needed to finish the binding,

and add the yo-yos!

Kinda pretty, don't you think?

The red and white braid came from Paris.

It is heading off to its new home in the morning!

This is the embroidery I worked on while on New Zealand.

I think it will be added to the embroideries I received as part of the "Embroider-Bee"!

I will use fabric from my extensive stash of red and aqua!

That will be one of my next jobs on the 'to-do' list!

And my latest mug rug-

The color is a little washed out- probably should have waited til morning before taking my photos.

 Here's a close up I took yesterday before I did the quilting- and the colors are much more 'true'!

The back is pretty cute- 

One of my favorite things- bicycles!

(I know from my partner's Flick'r profile that she like bikes too!)

And can you read this?

Hey good lookin', what you got cookin?

I was pretty pleased how this turned out!

I hope my partner likes it - I certainly loved making it!

What have you been up to over the weekend?

Have a great week!

SUZ

At Play - in New Zealand!

I don't usually post about anything other than my craft.

But because there hasn't been much of that going on in my life for the last couple of weeks,

 I thought I 

would share some photos of my recent trip to New Zealand.

We walked the Tongarrio Crossing- renowned as one of THE best walks in the world!

I was feeling quite good after a bit of lunch, but it was certainly a challenge!

It took us 8 hours to 'walk' the 20 kilometres (about 12.5 miles)!

I can't remember taking this photo!

 I actually needed all of my energy staying upright AND 

getting down this shale and rock slope!

 See that 'mountain' on the right?

Yep- that's the ridge I just 'skated' down!!!

And contrary as to how it might sound - it was a WONDERFUL !!!

And I took this photo on the last night - a magnificent rainbow after a day of rain!

I promise my next post will involve craft - 

I plan to get some sewing done sometime over the weekend-

I did manage to buy a little fabric in Lake Taupo

and 3 balls of lovely hand dyed cotton at a craft market in Auckland-

Just not sure what I will do with this yet!

Any suggestions????

Until next time,

have a happy day!

SUZ