EPP

Good morning all. A fair bit of practice in gluing my EPP papers has been happening......only one teeny one for Nature's Journey has been removed so I cannot really say I have it managed but they do look pretty.
A hexie flower....

Some Dresden Plates for Heartstrings......

These fabrics are the basis for this quilt. They are such cute little plates.
Nature's Journey is progressing and I now have ample thread for the embroidery. So no excuses putting off that blanket stitch!

Yesterday I had a lovely stitching day with friends and came home "full up to pussys bow" with delicious treats and homemade soup and lovely conversation.
Thank you Kay xx
We had a very busy pair of soon to be parents preparing their nest on the rainwater pipe above us......so sweet.....2 little mudlarks (peewees). They were a bit flighty so weren't much interested in getting a photo.....managed just one from a distance.

Must away....my trusty manservant has delivered me a nice hot coffee to enjoy!
Stay safe, stay well and take care,
Namaste and blessings Michelle xxx

Auguat FNWF

Time to get together over at CHERYLLS for our monthly cyber sew a long.
I had a real "stitchy" kind of Friday. Beginning by doing a whole lot of chopping for Nature's Journey.

It took me ages to decide on this next border but I am happy with how they look against the main block. I got a little stitchery done after that on a secret project whilst waiting in the car in a downpour for school pickup for Grandies.....why do the heavens always open at school pick up lol!
Last evening I was back to Natures Journey, working on the individual blocks.
I began with the blanket stitch circles.....did I mention that I am not a fan of blanket stitch, let alone back the front blanket stitch!

I eventually got the hang of it...but using 3 strands of thread chewed through what I had so more will have to be acquired!
Three of the corner hexies were appliqued on and I am quite pleased with how they look.....

I think they will tie in quite nicely with the centre block.

Hopefully I should finish the fourth today. I am keen to do some more now.
Thanks Cheryll for gathering us together again.
Read a lovely book through the week....another DD lend. I really enjoyed it!

Ok must dash....hair cutting time!
I hope you will have a nice weekend despite these strange times.
Stay well, stay safe my friends.
Namaste and blessings Michelle xxx

Happy Birthday To Me

This past week I was very fortunate enough to celebrate another year.....in these times a real blessing it would seem.
As we have now had Covid positive cases working in our suburb whilst infected we took the option to stay at home and play it safe.....so a very quiet celebration for me.
My Daughter did a cake drive by with this delicious monster! It was a delicious sponge with strawberry cream....yum! I did send half home with her....my hips can't take it LOL!

Along with a very artistic card by youngest Granddaughter Miss E. She chose lots of red because we (she and I) both love it!

I had also been sung to and blown out candles on another delicious cake at sewing group. Who would ever imagined a time when you had to remove your candles and blow them out away from your friends?? The postman also bought beautiful cards and gifts from dear friends to spoil me some more.
This beautiful card from my friend Ann....

And all these pretties too...

A sweet, sweet needlecase and stitching notions from friend Shez....so pretty! However her gift was given over to the birthday grinch (husband) for safe keeping until the day! They are always in cahoots these two! It was worth the wait and squeezing lol!

Some of my favourite Aussies from friend Sue......wrapped in gorgeous fabric. Although I don't know how I am going to wipe my dishes on little Koalas sweet face lol!

Sue always sends me the best cards too! How adorable is that wombat!

My lovely friend Fiona who lives up on the big hill north of me made me the most beautiful cushion to rest my hands on when stitching......so gorgeous!

The stitching is so beautiful! It will certainly inspire me to do my best work...LOVE IT!
Thank you dear friends for all your kind wishes and beautiful gifts xxxx
Sewing wise I have been cutting out blocks for Natures Journey but boring to share and I started a few of the little stitcheries for Heartstrings.

They are absolutely delightful to stitch........ And I have to admit to not being able to leave the Applecores alone either ....oh dear! I now have 5 rows stitched!

I am not usually one for advertising this or that but I have to share that of late I have had cause to buy some small amounts of fabric and some epp papers online. I chose Maree St Clairs, an Australian shop because Maree was so efficient with papers when we all decided to make 1797 Revisted. And she was the same with my recent orders.
The reason for all these waffle is that I wanted to share the little treat that came with each order....there were four but I had unwrapped two before I thought to share.
A little "no calorie" lollie came with each order.....

Whats a "lollie" you ask? A 10 inch square of beautiful fabric! If you applique or do EPP they are a real treat to add to your stash....I thought it was such a lovely thank you for my order.
Well nice people thats all from me except to say .....keep safe everyone where ever you may be....to my friends in Victoria...you are in my thoughts.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Christmas in July

Its a showery kind of Sunday here today.....in fact its been a showery kind of weekend.

It was perfect weather to celebrate Christmas in July in an English Pub called the Fox and Hounds on the road to Tambourine Mountain  with my friends from Sunday Stitchers.

There was so much to look at but due to Covid restrictions we couldn't fully investigate (will need another visit I think) but I did manage to find my family fellas favourite UK footy team scarves next to each other. A fire kept us all cosy.....the girls at the end closest to it  were a bit too cosy!
Our fare was traditional Roast Dinner with Yorkshire Pud and either Pavlova and berries or Plum Pudding and Custard....just the thing on a rainy day.

Sandi,  Helen and Noreen put together some little Christmas babbles, wrapped in beautiful Christmas fabric and filled with ribbon and lace just to add to our festive mood. Thank you ladies xx We had heard about this spot from them and it was lovely to visit all together.

Some of the Sunday Stitchers are embarking on a "Stitch-a-long" with Natalie Birds new pattern.....

Certain people twisted my arm violently and yes I have joined in. I love Natalie's work and she is such a very nice person as well. Its been a while since I stitched one of her designs and this one is so sweet....plus it has a whole lot of techniques I love!  I didn't have quite what I wanted in my stash so I ordered some bits and bobs to add to it. I wanted a slightly brighter vintagey look if that makes any sense. Happy with these.

I have held off beginning until my fabrics arrived and I had finished the last stitchery in Flowerville .....

And its now done! These were so lovely to work on and I loved the CGT I used.
Wasn't I good to wait lol! Lots of little Dresdens now!
So officially I can now begin the very cute stitcheries on the preprinted panel.
Its a bit crinkly because of how many times I have looked at it....sorry about that. But you get how cute they are.....time to choose threads.

I have also been honing my EPP Applecores skills.....and basted quite a few (I won't be practising gluing on these babies....not yet anyway)

I have just begun the fourth row of them and I love their scrappy beauty! I think I have already said that apart from a few spots or plains just to vary things, I am trying to keep all the fabrics flowers and botanicals. During the making of my Clamshells quilt, I was ASTOUNDED at the variety of fabric prints in the world....and I had only barely scratched the surface!

I am still finding them awkward but not enough to put me off. Besides sometimes extra effort is needed to achieve lovely things. I feel so fortunate that the joy of threading a needle and making little stitches has never left me.
Don't you?

Have a lovely Sunday folks.
Namaste and blessings Michelle xxx

When Sunday Becomes Saturday

Due to Covid restrictions and safety protocol we had to change our room and our day for Sunday Stitchers to Saturday.
It was very nice to see everyone even if we were tables apart.

Lots of lovely show and tell and a HUGE catchup on our birthdays. This year we had a "5 item" in a drawstring bag challenge .
1. Something round
2. Something touchy feely
3. Something with the recipient's initial
4. Something funny
5. A treat
This yours truly opening hers.

My gift giver was Anita and I was very spoilt!

Can you guess what was what?
My drawstring bag is just so gorgeous. And has a different design on each side. Anita has a fabulous whizz bang embroidery machine....you would swear it was hand stitched....

We had quite a few "interesting " items e.g. Unicorn Snot lip balm?? Lol!
Sandi also gifted all the birthday girls with some of her lovely handmade cards.

I worked on my No. 9 Flowerville block.

So despite all the cleaning and wiping down of everything and no shared treats we still managed to have a lovely time!
Yesterday I watched some tutorials on the old age debate about glue basting v thread basting for EPP. I know that I shall always want to thread baste some items but I really would like to save my hands and some time by gluing occasionally.
So I have had another go.....it is obviously much faster.

I will withold judgement until the papers need to come out! That has always been my issue. Hopefully this time I have used just the right amount of the right glue.
Time will tell.
Have a lovely week friends.
Michelle xx

Favourite Wednesdays

After not seeing each other since March it was wonderful to catchup with friends for a stitching morning. Wednesdays are our special days. As you can imagine lots and lots of chat, laughter and good company.....I think we did fit in a stitch or two and knit a couple of rows....
I tried to be arty and get me in the mirror for the photo.....hmmmm...fail! Lol!

Friend Bev hosted us and filled us up with delicious snacks, warming vegetable soup and this gorgeous cake.....which happened to feature one of my favourites....
Sweet fresh figs! Work of art I think and tasted wonderful!

So a "diamond day" amongst all the stone days of recent times. Family and friends were all I really missed in lock down.
I did get some stitching done and was able to finish my 2nd last Flowerville stitchery block yesterday. No. 9 (last one) got  underway chatting to friend FIONA via video link.

As I have some cutting and machine sewing to do on Nature's Journey I did a little bit more trial work on Applecores. I have worked out the second row now.

I am sewing the under and over technique, sourced from tutorials on the internet....which is a little awkward to do....its a bit of head patting and tummy rubbing at the same time awkward!

But less awkward than trying to baste the whole applecore and then try and sew it to the ones ajacent and above it. So far I am managing the unders and overs as the back shows...

Now that I have the hang of it and like how it looks I will continue with it but I think it will be a home project after all. I don't want to scare off other campers with the faces I pull sewing this lol! I am loving seeing all those lovely scrappy pieces in the beginnings of this quilt though. I am trying to keep it mostly to florals and botanicals. Why is it you think you will always have an abundance of scraps to do a project but always need to go and aquire more???
I do have a couple of other caravan EPP options....my six pointed stars that I actually began last year on our journey north.

Or the recently purchased Jewels which make lovely hearts....you have probably seen the liberty versions on the net that are all the go at present.

I bought quite large ones so will sew up quicker and could be quite nice with some fussy cutting too......it is good having options AND something to look forward to.
There is plenty of time to decide as we aren't taking our "Chateau de Wheels" out anytime soon in this current climate.....I am still in semi hermit mode.
Well nice folks.....have a very nice weekend, stay warm, stay safe and stay well!
I have to get ready for a little furry friend who is visiting for the weekend.
Love this photo of my Son and Grandchildren.

Namaste and blessings Michelle xxx