Wombat Tasting

What tastes do Wombats have?

Not the marsupial kind, but the sewing kind. This month the Wombat Stew girls are making Fabric Artist Trading Cards to send to eachother.

That means I have to spy on the tastes of 8 other bloggers and work out something that either reflects me or them.

So today I made a list of each of the Wombats. Then I wrote down some of their tastes.

For example 

Marieka likes purple...but Lara likes orange.

Alyce loves Kate Spain...but Jane is not fond of Heather Ross.

Gina likes strawberries...but Gemma loves croissants.

Kristy loves birds but I have no idea if Melissa does.

Then I checked my ATC Pinterest board for inspiration.

I gathered fabrics and started sorting them into colours.

Then I started cutting and sewing. I am getting excited.


Linking up to WiP Wednesday.

Octagonal Orb Block

Octagonal Orb Quilt Block

These are the blocks submitted by our Bee members so far. I think making a little mosiac helped me to choose scraps for my own.

The pattern is by Elizabeth Hartman and she has a great visual tutorial that I followed. 

Linking up to TGIFF for only the second time this month.

The Dreaded Orb Block

This month the block chosen by the Queen Bee had me stressing. I kept putting it off.

Today I knuckled down with many hours stretched out in front of me. I emptied my scrap bucket.

Cutting the odd sized pieces takes a long time.

Sewing the sections not so much.

Trimming was easy.

Putting the block together was quick.


Linking up to WiP Wednesday for the first time this month.

Sunday Stash #63

More Scrap Love

Today Sunday Stash link up is over at Sew Happily Ever After with Rachel but it may come online a bit later due to the time difference. 

Recently our family holiday took us to Coffs Harbour. 

Marieka and I

Some of the Wombat Stew girls and I caught up, with our kids, at North Sapphire Beach at the fabulous park and Cafe there.

Kristy and Jane

It was a time for eating, drinking coffee and swapping stories, blocks and scraps!

So much scrap love that I felt embarrassed actually.

But the girls are like that - so generous.

And these ones came in the post from Lara.

Fran had a bit of fun with them all.

She's been home with a nasty cough most of last week. She still has it so I am not sure if she'll even go back again tomorrow.

Today is my 2nd Blogiversary but I will have a fabric give-away next Sunday Stash. There might even be a scrap bag on offer as well - after all I have plenty now.



Linking up to Sunday Stash over at Sew Happily Ever After later today.

Sunday Stash #59

Sunday Stash is over at  Kate Quilts today. So I will see you over there for the linky party.

Wombat Scraps

Every time that I get Wombat Mail, I get scrap love along with my blocks. Look what has shown up recently from Alyce, Kristy and Gemma.

Have you been scrapped loved recently?
Kate Quilts

Resewing the Scraps

So a week ago the tall boy runner improv back looked like this:

And now it looks like this:

I was not happy with where the WiP was going and so I did some unpicking of what I had done and some other leftovers. A bit of flipping and turning and I am much happier.

The Front and the Back....

I know that the seams do not match up but they are near enough for me not to worry. I have basted and then will get to work quilting these two to make it double sided.

This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  Tall Boy Runner (back)

                                         'Sliced Scrappy' block for QCA Bee #1

Currently in progress -  Tall Boy Runner (quilting and binding)

                                                                                           

Yet to start  -  'Spooling Around' paper pieced block

                          'Sew Mid Century' paper pieced block for Wombat Stew

                          Lorax Quilt

                           

  

Linking up to WiP Wednesday...

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.

Sunday Stash #49

This week's Sunday Stash comes courtesy of the Australian Sew You're Destashing Facebook page. Lara from Luellabella was clearing out a few irresistables that I snapped up

1001 Peeps by Lizzy House in the tan colourway.

Kona Solid - 'Mocha' - over a yard

Retro Floral - I adore this piece and might use it with the Retro Kitchen paper pieced block I need to make for Marieka this month. Doesn't it look like 70s wallpaper?

RASK - Lara slipped in some scrap love. She always does. The sweety.

So how is your Stash this week? Feel free to link up below.

I'm a Little Teapot

The Wombat Stew is back in business for 2013.  Wombat Stew is a group of 7 lovely ladies who love to quilt and also paper piece. We mostly met through Facebook's Quilt Club Australia and are made up of:

Kristy from Quiet Play

Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

Gemma from Pretty Bobbins

Marieka from Bespoke Bites

Jane from Where Jane Creates

Lara from Luellabella

and me.

This month Lara is Chief Wombat and she has asked for teapots (bless her!). Their bottom must sit on the bottom of the block and also include a selvedge. 

I had a few teapots pinned on Pinterest but this one struck me the most. There's something about the retro shape and floral design that appeals to me.

A ceramic Blossom Teapot by Swedish designer Camilla Engdahl

I had a fabric similar to this but the print was small. And Teal.

So I chose to use this brilliantly happy Anna Marie Horner Sunflower print instead. It is bold and large (and I have seen it in some lovely colourways).

A quick few messages to paper piecing guru Kristy and she whipped up a 'sweet as scones' pattern for me and sent it through as a pdf. I am sure the pattern will be available soon and if you want to be a pattern tester for this one, please email her. (kristyqp@gmail.com)

I was a bit out of practice with my paper piecing I'm afraid. I find it very hard to work in opposites and this time I used A4 copy paper that I could not see through. In general I have difficulty conceptualising things so paper piecing makes my brain hurt! My block has three extra seams than the pattern calls for due to my trimming fabric too closely as I pieced.

By the time I had come to piece the handle I was back into the pp groove and I only made one mistake with it.

And look at that selvedge yumminess! 

It is off to Lara in the post today...along with some RASK (random acts of scrap kindness).

Oh and if you'd like to try some paper piecing yourself, why not join us over at Quiet Play this month for the 'And Sew On' - a sewing themed, paper pieced BoM, where you can make this...

I still have to make one for myself. Oh and there are prizes for linking up your version by January 31st!

Sunday Stash #35

Solids

During the Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop in August I was randomly picked to win a $20 voucher from Pink Chalk Fabrics. That about covers the postage to Australia. So I chose a starter pack of 16 fat quarters of solids. I don't have many solids in my stash.

Surprise

In the past 3 weeks I have got surprise squishy mail from two of my blog buddies.

First Kristy sent me some fat eighths of 'Bella' by Lotta Jansdotter. For no other reason than she knew that Marieka and I loved them and so she split a Fat 8th pack between us. So kind.

Scraps

Then Lara sent me a FQ of Castle Peeps and some random scraps. I have used a few of the scraps in some polaroid blocks for myself. And Fran loves them. 

Isn't it amazing what a little scrap love will do to brighten a quilter's day?  Let me know if you've been on the receiving or giving end of some RASK. (You MUST share Elnora - you have lovely friends who do this for you!). 

Random Acts of Scrap Kindness (RASK). 

I think it should be a new initiative for us all. Today, if you link your stash, two of you will be in the running for some RASK squishy mail from me. Please make sure that you pop me an email with your address to findingfifth@gmail.com. 

I will NOT let you know if you are the winners - it will just turn up in your mail box and you can share on a future Sunday Stash. Then it will be YOUR turn to pay it forward and send two people you know some RASK and have them blog about it for Sunday Stash.  Hopefully it will multiply and bring happiness to lots of folks.

Next week, on October 21st, Sunday Stash will be hosted by Gemma of Pretty Bobbins  (whom I am to meet face to face in about 2 weeks - yay!) so please remember to pop over there next Sunday. She assures me that she has a great stash lined up and a BIG finish for this Friday. 

Feel free to link up below.