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Sunday, July 2, 2017

It's a Bit Fresh!

Well it is for Brissy town anyway! We even had to light the fire last night....stop laughing friends down south lol! My favourite cup has been getting a work out...lots of warm Lemon and Ginger teas and the odd coffee....
You know to keep Jack Frost at bay!
For some reason this post is a wee bit long....I know...surprising for me lol!
Just when I thought it was safe to go digging around in my sewing room....eek! Another UFO of long standing attacked me recently! A lovely design from Bella Embroidery.  I have loved Crinoline Ladies since girlhood....did you ever receive one of those gorgeous Crinoline cards for your birthday?  I loved them! I think perhaps that was in my mind when I  bought this pattern....so I had already started one block and being sooooo efficient have traced out all 12 blocks....yes folks 12 blocks!
Thankfully the thread is with it, so I know what I am using!
Guess I have an almost new redwork project! I think it might be safer not to open any drawers in that sewing cave....it's frightening coming face to face with my impulses!

Ok it's JULY and that means another colour in Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at SO SCRAPPY This months colour is BLUE......fabrics sorted....and it's a "butterfly " applique month too. For some reason the butterfly fabric looks apricot but it is a pretty soft pink.
I am still beavering away with my hexies but after sewing a whole row in the wrong place...reverse sewing had to happen and patience evaporated. I put it gently (ahem) aside until the aforementioned patience returns! Unpicking teeny stitches? Not fun!
So I moved on to some border choices for Country at Heart Alphabet quilt. As I am determined it should be in my stash....this is the only half decent choice!
I would have preferred a darker last border but I am going with what I have! Don't worry all this frugality always means guilt free acquisition later down the track.

Just to bore you rigid a little more lol!
I treated myself to some new art paper....boo boo! Wrong sort. Didn't realise so transferred my new sketch on to it and soon discovered coloured pencils were very hard going on this textured paper....sshiish! Anyway I had invested quite a bit of time on the piece and perservered.


It took so many layers and hard burnishing to get anywhere with it. Finally though I got something half decent and the texture in the background looks good. I left it untouched to highlight the troublesome texture.
For my overseas friends. This sweet bird is called the Eastern Yellow Robin and I see a lot of them when we go exploring in the hinterland in northern New South Wales. They are quite small and make these cute cup type nests in tree forks with leaves and stick it together with cobwebs. So clever. I used a different technique to try and represent the cobwebs called gouache which is  a cross between a watercolour and acrylic paint.....first time having a go with it. My friend Kev Webb took the beautiful reference photo and I had his permission to use it. See what I  mean about clever folk.
Beautiful!  Thanks Kev!

Lastly I am posting these Violets for my dear friend Gaye who is gravely ill....hoping the love in the gesture finds its way to her heart and the prayers help her get well.

Stay warm Aussie friends and enjoy your Sunday.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

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18 comments:

  1. sunnyJuly 2, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    I love your little bird! I think you've captured him perfectly. I took a look at my UFO list tonight, to see what was coming up next. It looks like I'll be prepping some applique! The list never seems to shrink, does it?

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  2. JenniferJuly 2, 2017 at 3:33 PM

    You have a fire? Well, well......you should have been here this morning, minus 3.1 deg C and it felt much colder.....your bird is beautiful, the yellow feathers really glow! Your border choices compliment your quilt very well. Yes, I remember those crinoline ladies cards too.

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  3. elliekJuly 2, 2017 at 4:35 PM

    Have to laugh at you brissy people. The frost covered the back yard this morning...very hard to get out of bed these mornings. Love your bird and sewing...with new projects we can never say we are bord!

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  4. Asta BuchananJuly 2, 2017 at 5:51 PM

    Lovely to see you handiwork - and just love your little bird- you are very talented! Very cold here down here on the South Coast of NSW!!

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  5. JoJuly 2, 2017 at 8:05 PM

    The sun was out but still cold. Put the heater on at tea time to sit and relax with a movie. Lovely drawing as usual and a great find with the redwork to continue on with.

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  6. SusanJuly 2, 2017 at 10:31 PM

    It certainly is a little fresh at the moment. Sending you hugs for your friend Gayle.

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  7. MiaJuly 2, 2017 at 11:24 PM

    Your little bird is fabulous, Michelle!

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  8. AnonymousJuly 3, 2017 at 10:13 AM

    HI Michelle your lemon and ginger tea sounds yummy.
    Love your bird so beautiful,sending prayers for Gayle xx

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  9. OndreaJuly 3, 2017 at 5:42 PM

    I am also rather partial to lemon and ginger tea. Big oops with your hexies. Is that the shrieking I heard down hear the other day? It is reather disheartening when we think we are zooming along only to have a huge hiccup along the way. ( I still haven't picked up Little Lucy). Your bird is gorgeous! One would never know you had so much trouble with it. What is burnishing? Sounds tedious.Many healing angel hugs to your dear friend.

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  10. CheryllJuly 3, 2017 at 7:47 PM

    All the very best to your friend Gaye...

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  11. LinJuly 3, 2017 at 9:43 PM

    Lovely crinoline ladies and pretty blues. At least I have plenty of blues this month to work from. Love the bird, a new one to me. Love and prayers for your friend.xx

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  12. FionaJuly 4, 2017 at 8:12 AM

    You have lots of lovely projects on the go.... it's nice interchanging them???? love to Gaye, I do hope she is getting better. your bird is just perfect....
    Hugz

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  13. retdairyqueenJuly 4, 2017 at 9:04 AM

    Never bored with your posts my friend xx

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  14. kiwikidJuly 4, 2017 at 5:57 PM

    Beautiful stitcheries Michelle, can't imagine it being cold in your part of the world! The bird drawing is amazing! Hope all goes ok for friend.

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  15. MarikaJuly 5, 2017 at 12:28 AM

    Wieviele schöne Arbeiten du momentan hast. Ich bin begeistert. Ich habe auch ganz viel angefangen und bin fest dabei . Erst einmal abzuarbeiten

    Liebe Grüße Marika

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  16. RaewynJuly 5, 2017 at 4:48 AM

    I can relate, people have been known to roll their eyes when I complain about being cold in Northland! It's all relative huh?! Your Country at Heart is looking gorgeous with the border and I adore your bird drawing... in spite of the 'materials' hassle you seem to have got through it all :-) Good on you opening your drawers to find ufos...that's a very scary thing to do in my house! The Crinoline Ladies will be a lovley project.

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  17. Love Of QuiltsJuly 5, 2017 at 6:12 AM

    Unpicking stitches is not fun, have done a few in my day. Sorry you are in the cold part of our year, while I am in the warm, guess it just has to be that way. We are now in the hottest so as I don't go out side to much. You stay warm and safe. Thank you for visiting.

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  18. Karen SJuly 5, 2017 at 7:26 PM

    Yes, it has been hard keeping warm of late. Brrr.....
    Finding these old projects is a bit like Christmas. A nice surprise.
    It does look like you have been kept busy with all your stitching regardless of it being forward or reverse.
    Lovely work with the bird, too.

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