Another charity quilt finished

This quilt has taken so long to get done. I get inspired, then life takes over, get re-inspired and life takes over again. I am still up and down on days with energy or not and this probably has a bit to do with it. I have also been made redundant effective next week, which is a roller coaster ride, even though it is a positive move for me.

The quilt is made entirely from donated material and the back is very apt as it is bright material with stylised children all over it. This was just a case of sewing all the odd strips of material I had, once I had put them in piles of similar sizes, then adding row after row. 

                         

I have been wanting to get better at actual quilting for ages. Often  by the time I get to quilting I am a bit over it and just want to get it finished. But this time I used it as a practise for feather style quilting. I feel it is still a big messy but it was getting better by the time I go to the 

So Hope Homes - here comes another quilt for an orphan.

Linking to all these places.

A finished scrap quilt

I have finally sandwiched, quilted and bound this patchwork. Another quilt ready to be sent to the orphanage at Hope Homes International. This quilt I made totally improvisational. But to give it some structure I used a 1 inch strip of red in random places. It has a lovely flannelette back to be snugly on a bed. Pleased to get it done as it has been sitting in the wardrobe for a wee while.

I just stippled it as the batting was a lot of leftover bits, so stippling for quilting keeps it altogether. I am trying to do all my mending and bits lying around. I have a new overlocker I have not yet used because I just cannot start another project. But have cleared it to the point that there is a space to put it. So when I come back from my work trip I will have some fun with it. In the meantime my mending meant I had to learn a new skill. 

I taught myself how to do shirring. I love shirring but have just been too scared of it as it looks so complicated. But it really is not. The blue is the practice and the shirt is now mended. Four not quite even or straight rows, but I am pretty pleased.

Linking to these places and Crazy mum quilts. and 

Scrap quilt for charity.

 In October I finished this scrap quilt top for the Orphanage that we support - Hope Homes International. I am calling it "red line". Most of the materials are donated bits and pieces from people who I quilt with on a retreat once a year.

The red material was cut to 1 inch strips and I nearly threw it out. But then sometimes scrap quilts need some sort of item making it cohesive and I decided that would work. Now I need to sandwich, quilt and bind it. But really happy with the outcome.

Linking to these places and crazy mum quilts

It's a finish and some flowers

Well I have decided that the little projects, which can be finished easily, are the things to do as I try to balance my life working, being a mum, participating in our family and all the other stuff I want to cram in. This little project is inspired by a blogger on the other side of the world, who I follow, Tiina. She makes the most amazing zip bags all the time.

This is going to be filled with "perk me up" items for a lovely young lady going to university. Any suggestions for what to put into it? I have been focussed on food and need to think of other fun things. 

If you follow the blogs of other NZ and Australians, you will start to see the photos of spring coming in. Love love the huge variety of daffodils.

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Scrap, applique cushion

Still using the scrap bag. I had grand illusions of making a complete quilt. Using all my pale scraps for the background and all the bright for the applique sections. Well after doing one section I needed to change the game plan!! Not my style and I knew it would just end up being another UFO.

Up close. I even hand quilted it
using perle 8 thread.

So at my recent retreat I turned it into a cushion. It is a large cushion 25inches square. And amazingly, satisfyingly, I managed to find a gorgeous condition feather inner exactly the right size at the Op Shop (thrift store). A bargain of $10 as the original cover was yuck (but I saw underneath that).

I came home from retreat and did my wee show and tell at home and Jakob immediately pinched the cushion for his bed.

Linking to these places