July Round Up

 Hello out there. I do hope all my southern friends are safe and well in the current lockdown situation. We are still masking up here in Brisbane which although I am very happy to comply makes hospital visits difficult. My husband ended up in hospital for 2 weeks and he was not allowed visitors which was difficult to manage when you are anxious and worried.....understand the caution but still difficult. And so many folks in this situation. 

I have kept up with my tags.....

The halfway mark was reached and we had to make ourselves a medal....I chose EPP....bee themed fabrics for our "tag making sewing bee"

Anne invited us to make a tag using favourite techniques from the challenge and send it to her (she is planning a little exhibition for them all) So far over 400 from all over the world have arrived....mine included.

I decided to make another medal to send to Anne using a hexie. I embroidered seed stitch over it as I enjoyed learning it. I also stitched on a piece of needle tatting that was new to me also.

I added a little bee suprise under the medal to tie it in with mine.....

This weeks tag was another multi layered project......make a brooch.....take and share a photo of you wearing it and WHERE you are in the world and then attach it to your No.30 tag......WELL....I am the Queen of terrible selfies....the Westerlies blowing didn't help lol!

But after a myriad of attempts...I decided enough was enough.....I  am what I am! Yours truly with said brooch!

My Brooch Tag....I chose green....I LOVE green and I upcycled a little Angel pin who had lost her backing pin....I  did enjoy planning and stitching on this one.

Apart from tags I have kept up with hand quilting while the cold weather is here. Something soothing about rows of little stitches making hills and valleys  across your quilt.

And more hexie flowers for my Heartstrings border.....which means I shall have to make up my mind how they will end up.

Only a little sketching.....trying to keep my practice up. Some of my nature table specimens for my sketchbook.

Nothing much happening in my Garden of Neglect but this pot of succulents and owl made me smile.

Take care everyone, 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

JUNE Is Busting Out All Over

 Hello friends. I have been away from my blog longer than I intended. But these days seem to be a continuous round of hospital appointments, sitting on the phone trying  to organise all manner of seemingly trivial yet vital services etc. I have developed a major dislike for being put on HOLD with crappy music! So a quick pic on Instagram seems to be all that I have managed. Some days I feel as though I am living in an alternate universe.....THANK GOODNESS for pencils and needle and thread! 

It has amazed me though, how working on a series of little things,  in lots of small increments that I can pick up and put down again have added up to quite a lot! 

I am still loving the #52tagchallenge and here are the latest ones. 

Tag 21 - Bullion Knot on an edge. Neat way to use bullion stitches....

Tag - 22 Layers of Lace ....right up my street as they say....all vintage pieces....yum!

Tag - 23 Flowers using a colour you haven't used before. I had a gorgeous CGT called Blueberry that I never could find a project to use it for. So that was my choice. 

It really hasn't shown up a lot but it was used!

This weeks tag...

Tag - 24 Needle Tatting 

My efforts are in the middle and I added a vintage piece of tatted trim down the side and a vintage tatted butterfly...seemed the perfect place to showcase them.

I have always wanted to learn how to do this so have been practising. Mainly on single rings and flowers. 

More video tutorials required on how to make a line of rings like the piece on my tag. I am looking forward to using some of the flowers on my slow stitching pieces.

With my sewing book completed I started  a long strip for one of the vintage spools I have ..oh what a lovely time I have been enjoying, working on it. 

A few progress shots....

This is the spool it is meant for.  I suspect that there may be several spools used this way!

I have been using some special thread on this piece. A family friend now in her late eighties gave me this box of threads several years ago on the proviso that I used it.

I could never bring myself to until now....they are gorgeous and even though 100% cotton....so silky! They must be very old as our friend was given several boxes by her neighbour when she was a teenager (the neighbour used to have a haberdashery shop) and was an old lady when the gift was made.

So happy that they are now part of my slow stitching project.....you could say continuing the thread down through the years. 

There has also been hand quilting going on in the chilly evenings we are having.....

A wonderful book has been read in the sleepless hours by clever Queensland author Avril Kenny.

And some quality time spent with my lovely coloured pencils......there is something beautiful about a rose!

A sweet little Granddaughter had a "Wild" birthday party. She was so excited....I  love that all my Grandchildren have a love for the natural world and its creatures xx I thought DD did a great job on the rainbow snake cake using Great Grand Nan's ring cake tin!

Cake, Cousin and Girlfriends 

Baby Croc

Little Sugargliders

Tawny Frogmouth Nightjar

Olive python

Thank you if you are still with me throughout this long epistle. 

I hope you are all well and my lovely friends in Victoria, well and safe, dry and warm.

Take care,

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Sewing and Milestones

 Good morning all. It has been quite cool for my little corner of the world which has been quite nice for hand quilting...no pics as you won't see much difference. But a stitch has been done here and there.

I have completed the butterflies block for Where You Love Is Home quilt. Another is prepped and ready to go.

The last page for my Slow Stitching Book is finished....it is a bit busy but I had several lacy pieces that I wanted to use without chopping them up. It did have me a little flummoxed as to how to achieve it and seem to take me ages with a lot of staring at it lol!

The cover is now underway.....then I must work out putting it on.....lots of head scratching and research ahead!

Last two tags....not sure if I have posted  No. 19....anyway it was WORDS. I used a little scrap of favourite fabric...do you keep the very last scrap of favourites? 

Seemed relevant in my current situation. 

Tag No. 20 was PEKINESE STITCH.... I have never done it before. It was interesting but I should have made the base stitches bigger to make bigger loops but it was something new learnt and that's a good thing. 

I actually got my sketchbook out recently also....it has been sorely neglected over the last little while. However a juvenile Little Friarbird just seemed to be asking to be drawn.....so I found that I could happily oblige!

Felt good I must say.

I am very humbled that more beautiful hearts and lovely cards are still arriving with the postman......thank you xxxx

We also celebrated my dear Husband's birthday. We enjoyed spoiling him with some of his favourites.

Music.....

Team merch, favourite people and cupcakes....

That is about it from me for now.

Take care of each other.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

 

Quilting Finally!

 Good morning everyone. Finally my quilting thread arrived.....very happy quilter! 

So I have been able to make some headway with quilting Basket Case.

I have cross hatched the centre block.....

With simpler quilting on the little basket blocks.

It's been a lovely pastime in the evenings with the weather finally cooler.

I have kept up with the #52tagchallenge and No.18 -Paper Piecing is finished. I felt this one was a little boring on my part but I enjoyed it.

Whilst in the "hexie" mood I made a start on the ones I want for my Heartstrings border.....several done and with a bit more hospital sittings they will grow!

My Slow Stitching Book is coming along too. I am having a very nice time working on this page.....

A thing I love is when the resident pair of Pale-headed Rosellas in my garden come to my front balcony for a little bit of seed that I leave out....if you don't know what they look like this is a drawing I did of one a while ago. They are beautiful shy birds and a treat to watch when they visit.

I usually bring the little bit of seed in each night but sometimes if dusk falls before I get there I find there is not a bit left.....Well I found the thief.... a very naughty possum, taking advantage of my tardiness!

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

Not a clear photo as I had blasted him with the balcony light....but there can be NO doubt who is responsible lol! So cheeky!

Well I must away. Another hospital visit today. So a few more hexies I guess.

I shall leave you with my two beautiful Granddaughters.....another great pic from the art installation they went to.

Namaste and Blessings Blessings Michelle xxx 

PS I have received some lovely comments from some of you that I have not been able to respond to.....so if I haven't answered your comment its because you are coming up as a no reply blogger. But thank you for your lovely comments xx