Tall Boy Runner

The Tall Boy Runner is complete and now in use.

Because it is now Autumn in Australia, this Astor Manor side is on display.

Both Dresser and Tall Boy Runners together

The mornings are growing cooler. This weekend I am planning to pull our Astor Manor bed quilt out of vacuum sealed storage in our closet. 

'Hope' side

Usually our back deck resembles Jurassic Park or parts of the Galapagos. The water dragons like to sunbake here. This is one of larger ones. There are lots of younger ones. Tiddler and Piddler are tiny water dragons that like to cross over to my sewing room window and scale the bricks to eat the bugs attracted by the lights at night. They seem not afraid but are very fast and hard to photograph because of their lightning movements.

The wonderful Galapagos documentary by David Attenborough is playing on ABC at the moment and the cinematography and commentary is fascinating. There are some uniquely adapted creatures featured. 

I am so grateful to Sir David for his tireless years of service bringing us the wonders of nature with such passion and education.  I read his autobiography many years ago and my gratitude and admiration only increased.

My kids and I are starting to sit down and watch these documentaries together. Are there any shows that you like to watch as a family?


Linking up with TGIFF.

Scrapping Along

If you are looking for my 'Sew Retro' Paper Piecing Pattern Give Away you can find it here. If you visit Jeanette at Gone Aussie Quilting's blog, not only does she have a fabulous version of this pattern already quilted, but I think her Heather Ross Spoonflower prints are the best give away in the whole blog hop.

Too Busy for Scrapping

I have not had much time to work on the back of the Tall Boy Runner this past week. My closest friend is moving away this weekend and I have been busy helping her with childminding, packing and a spot of weeding.

I have a few ideas on the go - a log cabin (yes but not really enough long strips left over)

                                         - a more traditional block using squares

                                         - a sort of improvisational piece (my favourite kind of piecing)

I am happy to pursue all of these options until I can make up my mind which is most suitable.

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  Dresser Runner (back) 

Currently in progress -  Tall Boy Runner (back)

                                                                                           

Yet to start  -  'Spooling Around' paper pieced block

                          'Sliced Scrappy' block for QCA Bee #1

                          'Sew Mid Century' paper pieced block for Wombat Stew

                          Lorax Quilt

                           

  

Linking up with WiP Wednesday.



Medical Update

Duncan's Myositis has cleared up and he has been back at school since last Friday.

Last Thursday I went and saw a Hand and Upper Arm Specialist about my swollen index finger. He seems to think that the palm spike tip (about 1mm) is not the cause of the inflammation anymore. He seems to think that my finger has developed what is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

I won't bore you with the details but it is not very nice. I really do hope that it is not too late for my finger. Indeed I think some of the swelling has eased, some of the functionality has returned but I am a long way from straightening it.

Thankfully the pain is not excruciating and so I declined to go back to Brisbane again this week to see a Pain and Rehabilitation Specialist for treatment. I saw my GP today and obtained a referral to a Hand Clinic that visits locally on Wednesdays. So tomorrow I am off to see a Hand Physiotherapist. I have developed some dermatitis on it but I suspect that my poor finger is under a loss of stress from the CRPS.

Luckily it is not too painful to sew by hand or on the machine.

Astor Manor Dresser Runner

So nice to finish my retro-fitted runner and have it ready for Autumn. This NEW side will match my Astor Manor quilt that I will break out now that we are in Autumn.

It has such lovely earthy tones to it. Yes ALL our internal walls are brick!

It has been this side up for ever-so-long. This was made with scraps leftover from the 'Hope' quilt plus a Moda Scrap bag.

Linking up to TGIFF this week.



Chicken Update

Breanna has stitches in her neck and a drain to help drain the fluid build up

Both injured hens have been reunited with the flock in the NEW chicken yard. They have to go back to the vet for daily antibiotic injections but they are looking so much better. The vet is very pleased with their progress. And after Washington laid an egg in their yard they have told us to bring them back any time. They said it's been nice to treat something other than cats and dogs and having them free range out the back makes it feel 'very homely'.

Medical Update

Duncan is doing much better and has a barely noticeable gait when he walks but he is not back at full walking speed. He will return to school today. He has missed 8 days of school with this virus.

You can see the difference in appearance and movement in my right index finger

Me - The hand specialist does not think that tip of the palm spike is causing the stiffness, swelling, shine and sensitivity to my right index finger. He think I have developed what is called CRPS - Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. 

It's been a week for googling medical diagnosis. This one is particularly nasty and the longer left untreated, the worse the results. Thankfully pain is not the main feature of my condition - but loss of movement/function is. So instead of going back to Brisbane to see another Specialist (Pain and Rehabilitation), I am going back to my GP to get a referral to see a Physiotherapist who can help me with restoring movement back to my finger.

I must say that since reading about the condition I have been massaging the skin to stimulate blood flow and also using it and moving it a lot more and it seems to have improved in both appearance and function. So I am hoping to make a recovery. Surgery usually makes the condition worse and since my little procedure on Feb 14th I must say that the symptoms got worse. Before then I could nearly straighten my finger. The palm spike tip is still in my finger but not causing pain at the site at all. 

Scrappy but Happy

I really wanted to try some charming stars for the back of my 'Hope' tall boy runner but I find that I have lots of smaller scraps rather than charm squares left. I would rather use them up than cut into the larger pieces I have left over.

I also have long strips from where the Astor Manor quilt back was trimmed before binding. I wonder if I can use some of them.

Do you ever do that? Try and use up scraps rather than freshly cut fabric?

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  "You Little Ripper!" paper pieced block for Feb
                                         2 Hen Saddles for the chickens

Currently in progress -  Dresser Runner (back)

                                        - Tall Boy Runner (top complete)

                                                                                           

Yet to start  -  'Spooling Around' paper pieced block

                          'Sliced Scrappy' block for QCA Bee #1

                          'Sew Mid Century' paper pieced block for Wombat Stew

                          Lorax Quilt

                           

  

Medical Updates

I am off to see a Hand and Arm specialist in Brisbane later today. My GP is worried that my swollen index finger (my sewing one!) is not looking good after 6 weeks. I may have to be admitted to hospital, or in for day surgery so I have packed for any eventuality.

Duncan is still not walking properly and the GP gave him the rest of the week off from school, so I am taking him with me. We will stay with my parents and maybe I can get some sewing done with my mum.

Chicken Update

I will miss seeing the chickens come home later tonight when Frances, Tristan and Dean pick them up from the vets. Breanna had to have surgery to close both of her wounds yesterday but she is recovering well. She and Washington have been particular favourites of the receptionist. She chuckles when she tells me that they are free-ranging in the small yard at the back of the surgery.

I have made them some little capes/hen saddles/hen savers to cover their wounds and missing feathers. I don't want the rest of our flock pecking at them during their recovery. The fabric comes from Noumea and Gemma, of Pretty Bobbins, gave it to me when we visited last year. Isn't it going to make the girls look groovy? Late last night Dean and I test drove it on Bluey to see if it needed adjusting - thankfully it fit perfectly. I will share a tutorial later on how to make these.

Kristy will be kindly linking me up to WiP Wednesday later on today. Thanks Kristy.

A Retro Fit

A few Wednesdays back I was thinking about the back of my dresser runner which was just a plain French General textured solid. I wrote how I wished I had made it double sided. I wondered how on earth I could retro-fit my runner with a couple of nine patch squares.

Well the lovely Sheila, from Blue Patch Quilter, came up with a suggestion. This is what she wrote in my comments section.

Try this technique - Cut squares of iron-on lightweight Vilene/interfacing. Place your blocks right side down onto the gluey side of a square and sew together all the way round using a 1/4" seam. Now make a slit in the interfacing and turn through - poke corners and smooth without pressing with an iron.The gluey side will now be on the back of your block. Place on to the back of your runner and when happy with position, press with a warm to hot iron. You now have the look of needle turn applique and could reinforce with some slip stitching.

So I tried it. And it worked! Hooray.

I still need to reinforce it with some invisible hand stitching.

Thank you Sheila.

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  1 - Winter Solstice lap quilt gift 

Currently in progress -  Dresser Runner (back)

                                                                                           

Yet to start  - "You Little Ripper!" paper pieced block for Feb

                           

On Hold projects   - Tall Boy Runner (top complete)

                                     

                                 

Gifting the Winter Solstice Quilt

Tomorrow I am driving Goldie, her parents and nephew to the International Airport in Brisbane. I gave Lao Lao her special lap quilt on Sunday when we had them over for a lamb barbeque. She was very touched to receive something handmade. Goldie and I wrote the dedication in English and Mandarin on the back of the quilt.                                    

After a year of living with her and her family, Goldie will be rather sad to see them fly home to China and so we are stopping off at IKEA on the way home to cheer her spirits...(oh and buy some much needed cutlery as most of my forks have disappeared!)

Linking up with WiP Wednesday early if I can.

Retro Fitting a Runner

I made this dresser runner last year but just backed it with French General textured solid. Now I wish that I had made it double sided. I do love the triangular quilting from the front showing through.

I went off to my first Sunday Sew In at Rainbow Patchwork and discovered that I had 3 nine patch blocks of Astor Manor already sewn together. 

So my question is...Can I retro-fit the back of this runner with these 9 Patch squares and what technique should I use? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  'Sew Retro - crockery" block for Wombat Stew

Currently in progress -  Tall Boy Runner (top complete)
                                            Dresser Runner (back)

                                               

Yet to start  - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                           

On Hold projects   - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                                     - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 

                                     - Victorian Garden Quilt - to baste

       

Linking up with WiP Wednesday.

A Top Runner

Before our wild and woolly long weekend I did manage to get my Tall Boy Runner top complete. I have not been able to sew since due to the clean up, all of my kid's starting the school year and some scheduled electrical upgrades here in our new house.

I am going to make it double sided with different fabrics on the back. I have a couple of mini - charms of Astor Manor and some scraps leftover from my queen bed quilt. I am still looking for the right pattern but am leaning towards a smaller version of Charming Stars which I used for a double-sided RWB Runner last year.

In hindsight I wish that I had made my dresser runner double sided but I just backed it with calico. I hope to start my 2nd top this weekend when I join a group of ladies at Rainbow Patchwork this Sunday for a 'Sew In'. It will be my first 'real' quilting group held each first Sunday of the month. And I am hoping Kirsten from Gemini Stitches will be there too!

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  'And Sew On' Jan block

                           'Just My Type' 'Faith' block for Kristy

Currently in progress -  Tall Boy Runner (top complete)

                                               

Yet to start  - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                           

On Hold projects   - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                                     - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 

                                     - Victorian Garden Quilt - to baste

                                     

Linking up with...WiP Wednesday

Candy for Tall Boys

First WiP in 2013

This is my husband's dresser. It is called a tall boy. It has been naked on top since we moved in and ditched the old 12" tv that used to be on top of a piece of fabric. I have been meaning to sew a proper runner for it since last year when I made one for my dresser.

The motivation was re-ignited with the two Moda Candy Mini Charm Packs that Lara sent me with my Wombat Santa gift a week or so back.

I pulled out my scrap bag of leftovers from the dresser runner and combined them with the 'Butterfly Garden' 2.5" squares. I love Moda precuts because they are pinked. All I had to trim were a few of my French General textured and 'Hope' scraps. 

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  Polaroid 9 Patch block

                                              QCA Bee#1 Dec - Feather block

                                              QCA Bee#1 Jan - Winged Squares block

                                              Wombat Stew 'Teapot' paper pieced block

Currently in progress -  Tall Boy Runner

                                               

Yet to start  - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                           'And Sew On' Jan block

                           'Just My Type' 'Faith' block for Kristy

                            

On Hold projects   - Sherbert Dreams Quilt

                                     - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 

                                     - Victorian Garden Quilt - to baste

                                     

Wear Gloves Next Time

Minimal rotary cutting is all I can manage for now as I am sporting a gardening injury to my dominant index finger.

On Sunday afternoon I was pruning a particularly nasty palm tree that overhangs our backyard pond when one of the spikes lodged in my knuckle. I pulled it out. But four hours later my finger began to throb and swell up. I knew it was the spike. A quick Google search lead me to information that these palm tree spikes can be full of bacteria that can get into your joints and cause all sorts of painful damage.

All those dead branches are cut off now

I could not bend nor straighten it by the morning! It seriously felt like I had broken it. A quick trip to the Dr and some antibiotics on Monday meant that now the swelling is decreasing and the range of movement is increasing. And I gave that palm tree some serious 'what for' pruning yesterday afternoon. But this time I made sure I wore gloves. Even so he still managed to get through a few times but no where near as deep.

Linking up to WiP at Freshly Pieced for the first time this year.

Sunday Stash #47

Something Traditional and Floral

I have a soft spot for traditional and reproduction fabrics. During the week I received two 2.5" packs of sweeties from Lara of Luellabella. See this post.

Butterfly Garden 

Making a Tall Boy runner is on my to-do list this month. I probably won't get it started as the kids are on holidays until the 30th, however when I do, I think I will be using some of this pack of lovelies. They are very similar colours to my dresser runner and bedside table mats.

Garden Party

This is a very sweet pack. Look at all that lightness and colour! Some designers just have an eye for what goes together. Not sure what I will turn this into yet but I am glad it came into my stash this week.

Postage Increases

From January 27th all standard International parcels from the USPS will increase from $16.95 to $23.95. That's a HUGE hike! So I suggest you get in NOW and order what you can BEFORE the change. It will definitely be a huge deterrent for Aussies to buy from the US after we have enjoyed the healthy exchange rates with US prices for fabric.

Linking Up

I must thank Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts for hosting Sunday Stash last week. I made a HUGE mistake with the dates that she handled very graciously. It was nice to see 5 folks link up on her blog.

Secondly I must apologise for getting all the Sunday Stash hosting dates WRONG for 2013. I must have been reading from a 2012 calendar when I posted Sunday Stash #44 late last year. So I have amended the dates for the hosts. Sorry folks.


13th January - Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts
17th February - Josh of Molli Sparkles
17th March - Gemma of Pretty Bobbins
21st April - Kate of  Kate Quilts
19th May -
16th June - 

I still have Sunday Stash host spots open for May 19th and June 16th. Let me know if you are interested in hosting for either of those dates.


So what's new in your stash this week? Feel free to link up below.

February Finishes

Thanks to Kristy from Quiet Play, and Mosiac Maker, I was able to come up with a mosiac of the finishes I had this month. It's nice to look at these and feel a sense of accomplishment for a month of long lasting work - unlike housework and cooking.

So here they are L to R, Top to Bottom

1. Scrap Bag log cabin bedside table mat - for him

2. Scrap Bag log cabin bedside table mat - for her

3. Scrap Bag stacked coin dresser runner - for the master bedroom

4. Sweetwater Designs notebook cover - for my 'To Do' book

5. Notebook cover - for my Finances/Budget book

6. Craftsy Feb. BoM 'Balkan Puzzle'

7. Craftsy Feb. BoM 'Chunky Chevron' 

8. 30 mini activity bags - for the Pre-Kindy

9. 6 QCA Bee Feb. scrappy log cabin blocks

10. 'Little Girls' Pre-Kindy seista quilt - for my daughter

11. 'Little Girls' Pre-Kindy seista quilt (back) 

12. 5 extra QCA Bee Feb. scrappy log cabin blocks

After making many things for others in 2011, there's been some nice projects that will benefit my family and I for a change.

I am linking up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts

and 'TGIFF - Thank God It's Finished Friday' at Quokka Quilts.

To Do First in March

1. Quilt Club Australia QCA Bee March 'Garden Gate' blocks
2. Crafsy BoM for March - I hear rumour that there might be a string block
3. QCA Bee Feb. Scrappy Log Cabin - sew blocks together, baste, quilt and bind
4. Quilt dolly quilts #2 and #3
5. Baste and quilt dolly quilt #1
6. Baste and quilt Far Far Away #2/3 'Fussy Fairytales' quilt top
7. Finish notebook cover #3 for my friend's birthday - due Fri March 9th
8. Sew a cover for my Janome sewing machine
9. Sew a cover for my overlocker.

That should be enough I think. I don't my commissioned quilt customer from Feb. is going to follow up so I will have more time.

I am linking up with To Do First at Lawson and Lotti. It sounds like she is moving to Australia from England - better warn her to bring her wellies and mac - we call them gumboots and raincoats here. 

An extra day!

I had a finish this week. My very long table runner, slated for the top of my bedroom dresser, was quilted and bound. I had planned to just shadow the ditch but it meant only 4 lines of quilting  and was very lacklustre. So I went to 2 blogs for inspiration: this block by Jess of 'The Elven Garden'

 and this block by Kristy of 'Quiet Play'.

From what I can gather both ladies did 1/4 inch distances between the triangular lines, however, I wanted to keep the fabric and design soft, so I opted for nearly 1/2" distances.

I knew that I needed something geometric to give the central strip some character and texture. So, taking my trusty 6.5" ruler I set to work making the diagonals with a washable marker.

I used a walking foot.

I was afraid that it might be too stark, so I put out a call to my online Quilt Club Australia' friends for opinions. No one though it was too minimal. 

I like the use of negative space in design. I did seriously consider a small triangle opposite the point of the negative space, but thought it might like too trite.

Then I used up some scrappy binding and added some more....

and was "this close" when I ran out. Dang! Inset new piece of binding and join the ends together.

Then instead of pinning, I decided to try a bobby pin method I'd seen on Pinterest. It seemed to work quite well and much faster but next time I will put them in upsidedown.

The scrappy binding looks much better then the tone on tone brown I auditioned.

The new look dresser table top.

Beside table - his

Beside table - hers

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 1 = Scrappy "Hope"  table runner 

New projects - 1 = baste and quilt 'HR Far Far Away 2&3 Fussy Fairytales' quilt

On Hold - 1 = Feb  scrappy log cabin quilt - once all the blocks come in

Currently in progress - 1 notebook cover,
                                             - 3 dolly quilts - 2 of them are now backed, basted and ready to quilt.

I am linking up with WiP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced....lots of other goodies out there today.

'Heather Ross Far Far Away 2&3 Fussy Fairytales' quilt top ready to baste.

My mum pieced this one and she altered Kate Conklin's pattern by making the coloured frames floating and adding more blocks. It is just gorgeous and the linen blend fabrics are so nice to work with.