Michelle Ridgway

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Spring Has Almost Sprung

Tomorrow Spring arrives....we have been enjoying some absolutely gorgeous days....bit grey today but no complaints here. My King Orchid has definitely been in a blooming good mood, giving me 6 beautiful flower spikes to enjoy this year.

A new rose drawing is on the drawing board also...must be Spring Fever!

Tags are up to date.

Tag 33 - Flags

Being a turn it over make it neat freak, struggled to make it work.....but brief met!

Tag 34 - Make Yourself a Cuppa

A dotty cup of coffee for me for this tag on an old piece of tatty vintage lace.

Tag 35 - 3 Buttons + a precious piece of fabric.

I chose a scrap of Paris Flea Market fabric that I had made a special quilt out of in memory of a dear friend. A piece of ribbon from a vintage haberdashery in Castlemaine Victoria and 3 vintage buttons on a lace medallion. Loved this one!

I borrowed this photo from our clever tag lady Anne Brookes to show you all the tags that were sent from all over the world.

In the far left hand bottom corner you will see mine! The navy blue with the hexie. Just amazing the amount of folks stitching them from everywhere!

Last week our son came to spend some time with his Dad so I managed a little time for some machine sewing and got straight on to getting up to date on my Heartstrings project. Only to discover that I was a block short because I had decided to leave out the applique block....arrggh!

I chose the same size stitchery from one of Natalies other designs and presto! Done!

The next border of hexies could then be added and I am up to date .....I think!

So now on to the final border.....I have gone off script as I am not a fan of teeny tiny patchwork blocks so I am going with a combo of applique and EPP.

Hopefully it will look ok....watch this space!

Take care everyone and stay safe.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Friday, August 13, 2021

Here Comes August

Hello everyone. Hoping you are all well and safe. I finally had all the stars align so that I could get my first vaccination. Apart from a bit of a sore and achy arm so far so good.

Since my last post I have had a birthday. I was quite prepared to let it slide on by this year but my lovely family and friends made sure that didn't happen....flowers, cake, books, gifts, cards, good wishes and yummy fabrics made me feel very spoilt! Another trip around the sun is not to be taken for granted!

2 more tags were made to add to my growing collection .

Tag 31....was GOLD. Not being a particularly blingy person I thought I would struggle with this one. Eventually I decided that I would mark the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.......lots of GOLD there. I used a piece of gilded fabric that my brother bought me back from his trip to Japan a few years ago...added Gold Stars for the athletes, some gold tatting and I was quite pleased with the results.

Tag 32.....was LAZY DAISY STITCH. Throughly enjoyed this tag.....quietly stitching it was lovely!

I also have a quilt finish.....my Pandemic Basket Quilt. I designed and stitched this quilt from my stash only....including border, backing and batting. Side note: said stash does not seem to have diminished!

The binding was I thought going to be an issue but I found a brown fabric in those deep fabric bins we seem to have....

The little baskets surrounded a bigger one in the centre block. I included a little tag saying HOME as it seems to be the safest place these days.

I am very happy with how it has turned out and I really enjoyed the hand quilting of it too.

I have a vintage doiley for a label from my stash gifted me by a friend.....just need to write the story now.

Artwise, an old milk can I have in the garden inspired a little drawing study.

I used a LOT of artistic licence changing the rusty patina of the can to the gorgeous oranges and reds that I love! And of course a little lady Fairy Wren.

Hospital visit this week meant lots of sitting around waiting so I took along some Applecores to prepare and baste as I had used all the ones I had. I now have a lovely Applecore pouch to keep them in thanks to my lovely friend Shez xx

I got a nice little pile done so I can now get back to adding them to the quilt top.

I have so many projects in various stages of development deciding what gets attention is a dilemma lol!

That's me caught up. On the reading list issue I have dumped Blogger. They have seemingly ZERO interest in assisting you with any issues you encounter no matter how many times you report it and gone over to Feedly to read all your lovely posts. It is just taking me a little while to find you all and transfer you across but at least I can see your posts now.

Take care everyone and stay safe.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Saturday, July 31, 2021

HELP.....Where has my reading list GONE?

Hi there. My reading list seems to have gone MISSING. Anyone one else having or had this issue? Sent several complaints to Blogger and Google to no avail! As usual!

To read your blogs I have to individually go into your blogs....there is no feed of recent posts.......very frustrating!

Any advice or info gratefully received.

Michelle xxxx

Sunday, July 25, 2021

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

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

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!