Zakka September Round Up

You may remember on 'to do first' this month I declared it to be Zakka September owing to all the projects that I needed to finish for the Zakka Style Sew Along. I completed 5 out of the 7 that I planned to do. You can find my review of the SAL here.

1. Zakka Style Pleated Coin Purse - 10/9
2. ZS Little Pocket Pillow Case - 22/9
3. ZS Nesting Boxes - 22/9
4. ZS Happy Garland Messenger Board - 6/9
5. ZS Patchwork Ribbon - 16/9

6. QCA Bee - Lone Star block - 16/9
7. 'Say Cheese' Polaroid block swap - 9/9
8. Wombat Stew - Shoji Screen Block - 11/9
9. Katie Jump Kites - quilt back - 15/9

Things that went by the wayside this month...

ZS Sweet Memories Photo Frame - I am keen to make this project but I am not sure how I will go about either constructing the frame or buying one pre-made from IKEA.

ZS Water Bottle Holder - I would not have much use for this item and so I will probably not make it at all.

Craftsy BOM for June, August and September - I am not sure if I will ever have the motivation to do these blocks in October either. I have really lost interest in this BoM.

Sherbert Dreams Quilt - arrrrrgh! I am dying to start this but I have ONE UFO quilt top to make a back for and then TWO quilts to baste and quilt. And I vow not to start another top until I finish ONE of these TWO - Katie Jump Kites OR Mystery Quilt (to give as a Xmas gift).

So what shall I do? See you for tomorrow's 'To Do First' post for October.

I am linking up with....

Merry Month of May

May Finishes

This month has seen me:

• learn the art of handquilting. Makes for a lovely finish.
• cut into my stash of Katie Jump Rope - twice.
• continue to enjoy the projects in the Zakka Sew-Along. And make some new blog friends through it.
• almost finish my second ever bag.
• fall in love with linen.
• finally finish the 'Fussy Fairytales' Quilt.
• Give the QCA Bee#1 Scrappy Log Cabin quilt to a deserved mum.
• Start hosting my own linky called 'Sunday Stash' where folks can exhibit their latest stash additions.
• Learn how to make my own 'button'.
• Hit 100 followers - and have a small give-away to say thank you.

Viewing - 'Titanic - the mini-series', 'Downton Abbey Series 2, Game of Thrones Season 1, The Voice Australia and Silent Witness.

Reading - The Third Reich Day by Day- Christopher Ailsby, Revolutionary Parenting - George Barna and The Hungry Ocean - Linda Greenlaw.

1. 'Fussy Fairytales' - finished 30/5    2. 'Fussy Fairytales' - back    3. 'FF' block and hand-quilting detail 
4. 'FF' - binding detail    5. 'FF' hand-quilting detail    6. 'FF' hand-quilting detail
7. Zakka Style Sew- Along - Raincloud Mug Rug - finished 14/5  8. ZSSA - RMR hand-stitching detail   9. ZSSA - RMR back
10. ZSSA  Itty Bitty Magnets in charcoal - finished 8/5  11. ZSSA - IBM in natural - finished   12. Katie Jump Kites - 56 blocks sewn 30/5
13. KJK block detail   14. ZSSA Patchwork Pencil Case (back)  - finished 1/5   15. KJK PPC front detail
16. Scrappy Log Cabin - binding 4/5  17. SLC - finished 4/5    18. SLC (back)

19. Craftsy May BOM - finished 4/5   20. QCA Bee#1 Disappearing 9 Patch 4/5  21. Five long-sleeved t-shirts - 22/5

So how did you go in May? Are you also linking up with...

Block it Out

My 'Fussy Fairytales' hand quilting continues at a slow pace. It may take me many weeks to finish it. But it is kind of relaxing to sit and sew in a comfortable chair watching a movie.

At the moment my husband and I are watching the first series of Game of Thones. I am not liking it very much - must be the sexist storyline and the fact that only one of the characters has anything that I admire (Jon Snow - and I am expecting him to have some huge flaw emerge in the next few episodes). I  bought my father the book series last year for Father's Day but I am not sure if he has read them all. The other series I am watching as I hand quilt is called 'Barabarians' by the History Channel. It is informative but not gripping me either. Maybe I just don't ruffians in general.

QCA Bee Hive #1 - May 

It's was kind of nice to get the tutorial from Bev - a scrappy Disappearing 9 Patch - as it is was nice to have an achievable project to do today.


Craftsy BOM - May Log Cabin and Wonky Log Cabin

I skipped last month's blocks but it was nice to get back to Amy's tutorials and put together my first improvisational blocks. And for some reason the 2nd photo has loaded wonky! Not intentional I can assure you...but very appropriate.

How my Craftsy blocks look together so far

A Special Gift

Today my husband dropped off this quilt to a cafe in Woodburn. It was the February quilt made by the QCA Bee Hive #1. It is s bright and colourful scrappy log cabin quilt that we are giving to special local mum of two, Kayla. 

Kayla is currently in her second battle with Leukemia and has to be away from her kids in Brisbane while she undergoes aggressive treatment in the hospital. It must be very difficult for her and we all hope and pray for her healing. Meanwhile we are glad to give her a lovely bright quilt to take with her as she has to sit with tubes in her arms.

I wanted the quilt to be easy for her to carry and so I cut a up-cycled pillow case in half and made it into a drawstring bag.

The good news this week, Dani (her best friend) tells me, is that Kayla is doing so well that not only is she able to keep food down and keep her doctors very happy but that she is strong enough to have her kids come and visit her as a special treat.

Thankfully I can (technically) link up this week with TGIFF...this week at Quokka Quilts...

Sunday Stash #7 and April 'To Do First' List

I know...2 weeks on a row of Denyse Schmidt fabrics...but this woman really knows how to design a winsome line. This is called 'Aunt Edna' and is a new line out in the US at Joann Fabrics - and so perhaps it will make it's way here at some stage so we can all be enamoured with it.

Who would have imagined that pink, orange, mustard and grey would live so harmoniously and merrily together? 

And the Scots part of me is cheering about the 2 tartan prints! The mustard one is not too dissimilar to the McLeod dress tartan  from my family heritage.

My lovely friend Simone from Local Honey Crafts was selling these 12 FQs which I snapped right up. 


'To Do List' on the First of the Month


April


QCA Bee - April block 'Diamond in a Square' by Kristy from Quiet Play
Craftsy April blocks - not sure what these are yet!
Zakka Sew Along - zig zag bag  4/4
                                - pincushion 16/4
                                - sewing kit 23/4 
Festival of Half Square Triangles - it's a quilting blog hop. Organised by Canoe Ridge Creations.
HR 'Fussy Fairytales' - quilt back to piece, then baste, quilt and bind.
Easy zip pouch 
Denyse Schmidt fabric table runner - not sure which pattern to use.


That list is already making me excited and yet sweaty just thinking about it. My kids will be on holidays for 2 of the weeks in April so I am not sure how much of this is realistic. But it's good to have something to aim at.


I am linking up with....

March Finishes

Setting a goal on the first of each month has definitely helped me to achieve a lot more in March than any other  month.

March Finishes

1. 'Gelato' scrappy log cabin QCA bee - finished 29/3
2. 'Gelato' scrappy log cabin QCA bee (back)
3.  'Gelato' scrappy log cabin QCA bee (binding)
4. Quilted book covers - 
5. Duck notebook - finished 4/3
6. Happiness notebook - finished 7/3
7. Dolly Quilt 2 - finished 10/3
8. Dolly Quilt 3 - finished 10/3
9. Little Dolly Quilt A & B - finished 14/3 & 15/3

Block Finishes

 Craftsy March 'String' block - finished 4/3

 Craftsy March "Broken Spider web' - finished 3/3

March QCA bee blocks in grey/black and gold - finished 2/3

Unfinished Projects

The only project I didn't finish was the basting and quilting of this gorgeous 'Fussy Fairytales' quilt in Heather Ross 'Far Far Away 2 & 3' fabrics.

That will go into the project list that I will create for April. That starts tomorrow - Yikes!

What about you? How did your March list of projects go?

I am linking up with...

Foundation Piecing

String Block


This month, March, the two blocks from the Craftsy BoM are based on foundation piecing. 

So I took out my BoM mixed stash of greens, blues, yellows and browns.

Then I cut strips of 2.5" from each (the leftovers can be used for a scrappy binding later). I then cut these into varying widths of 1"-2.5".

1. Cut four 6.5" squares from the base/solid/backing fabric.

2. Mark the diagonals and sew the first strip 1/4" from the marked line, and press flat.

3. Sew on the next strip, with right sides together.

4. Continue sewing strips all the way to the edge and then switch to the other side to the 2nd marked line.

5. Sew strips of varying width onto this side and press flat.

6. Turn over and trim off the excess strip ends from around the foundation fabric.

7. Turn back and marvel at how good it looks.

8. Do 3 more blocks and sew all 4 together pressing the seams open.

Broken Spider Web Block


1. With the foundation fabric and cut a square 13.5". Then cut through the diagonals to make 4 large triangles.

2. Finger press the triangle in half and mark a spot 1/4" from the edge. On the diagonals mark a spot 7" from the end. With your ruler on these spots, draw a straight line connecting them to the first spot halfway along the hypotenuse.

3. Sew the first strip on and then the 2nd, but hold the foundation fabric back out of the way so that the strips are only attached to eachother and NOT the foundation fabric.

 4. Similar to the string block, sew strips of varying widths from this line to the edge, 

5. Repeat the process on the opposite side.

6. Turn over the triangle and trim off the excess strips.

7. Then remove the foundation fabric by slicing 1/4" from the first strip.

8. Then admire your handiwork again.

9. Lay out the blocks. 

10. Sew together pressing the seams open.

11. Admire the view.

Here are all my 6 Craftsy Blocks together.

Meal Plan Mondays


One of the benefits of a meal plan is the layover. This happens when meals that you planned and bought for are not used and can layover and be cooked the next day or week.


Last week I had planned 2 meals that did not happen and so they appear again on this week's menu. Can you deduct which two?

Here are our home made burgers sizzling in the pan.

I have been reading through 'Losing the Last 5 Kilos' and so last week I changed my breakfast and lunch menu to include wholemeal muffins and crispbreads, egg and more leafy greens such as rocket and baby spinach.

I have been tracking my meals but only 1kg of the weight has shifted so far. Very frustrating.  




I am linking up with...