Happy Birthday One year old!

Our baby boy turned One year old this week!
He is our star & to all the people who surround us in life,
we "Thank you" for being part of the village helping us to raise this child!
Oscar we love you more than anything!
A Rocket Ship Birthday cake,
a fun-filled Party,
stars galore,
perfect weather
& children who didn't want to go home
because they were having too much fun!
Or cup runneth over!

BLOCK SWAP - Triangles

How to make Triangle center square variation . . .
As worked out by Jenny & Wendy

Cut from 2 different fabrics 6 squares each 5.5"
= 12 squares altogether (6 of each fabric)
You can get tricky another time with mixing 4 fabrics!
This will make 12 finished center block squares
that the borders can then be sewn to:Use a quilting ruler & a sharp grey lead pencil,
mark on all 6 of one of the fabric squares
a diagonal line from corner to corner.
Then mark a quarter inch seam allowance line
on both sides of this line = 3 linesWith right sides facing sew squares together
with one marked with pencil lines facing upwards!
Sew along both the outside lines
(back stitching at the start & end of each line of stitching)
You can not do chain piecing for this!
Do not stitch on the center line - this is just a guide . . . Iron flat . . . to the darker side!
Then using your quilting ruler & rotary cutter . . .
Cut along the center line - the one you didn't stitch along . . This will make x2 sets of squares made of triangles . . .
we're not finished yet!Iron these flat . . . It is best to work in these "pairs" of squares from now!Then again using your quilting ruler & rotary cutter . . . Cut across the triangles from corner to corner . . . trust me this works!The using a "pair" of these squares lie them out like this in the same direction . . .
Take the top half from the top square
&
The bottom half from the bottom square
& swap these about like this!Then match the seams in the center, pin & sew!
Hey presto! You did it . . . 5 more "pairs" of squares . . . easy!

Swaps!

Our first night of swapping blocks!

The purples & greens have combined so nicely!
They all work together really well & you can start to get an idea of how they will work as a whole quilt! Yay for us!
We missed you Kylie, Wendy S & Sam . . . next time!

&
This was my Spring Swap . . .
a lovely little American Indian saying . . . .
graphics by me & collaged patchwork by me too!
One went over the crow's nest to the UK
& the other by way of the Pacific to one of those North American states!
Enjoy ladies . . . if was fun!
&
thankyou for your swaps in return! Feels like Spring!

Chocolate!

New quilt . . . we're combining forces . . .
shhh - its a gift for a new baby on his/her way!

BLOCK SWAP

Hey Wendy S . . . . well done girl on making your first set of blocks
for our Block Swap!
They look great!
Love the purples & greens working together! Yay!

One Project finished & another one started!

I just love the journey!

So the 'Granny' went the way of a scarf instead!
I wasn't happy with the way the shaping was going on the granny square with the weight of such lovely wool/alpaca - hand dyed, hand spun, country victorian, market bought yarn!
So a scarf was a bit more my style! I do love it!
Its thick & snug for these freezing winter days we're having!However I've been determined to learn how to crochet some more!
Different green yarn . . . more commercial! Dare I . . .
But my granny square has grown quickly into
what I'm hoping will be a great lap rug!Shows what you can do in a night in front of the TV with no husband at home when you're feeling coldy & a baby who went to bed so nice & early!

Block Swap "How to" Tutorial

OK . . . Here's what to do 'swappers'!

BLOCK A: To make 12 blocks
Cut x12 = 4.5" Center Squares in fabric of your choice!
Cut x12 in x4 fabrics = 1.5" x 5.5" Border Strips
Step 1:
Sew a Border Strip to the Center Square, Sew only part of the first seam as shown in diagram! Press the seam towards the Border Strip.
Steps 2,3 &4:
Sew Border Strips 2,3&4, sewing from edge to edge. Press as you go!
Step 4: Sew the rest of the unfinished first Border Strip seam. Press! Yay!

BLOCK B: To make 12 blocks
Cut x4 = 2.5" Four Patch Strips in fabrics of your choice, either 2 or 4!
Cut x12 in x4 fabrics = 1.5" x 5.5" Border Strips
Four Patch: Sew 2 of the Four Patch Strips together & Press. Sew the other 2 Four Patch Strips together. Trim one end, then cut 2.5" sections across, turn & sew to make a Four Patch!Note that it is very easy to do chain stitching at this point!Steps 1-4: As above!

Have fun!Hear are my samples with one of my set of Blocks hot-off-the-press!
Gives you an idea of how this might all come together . . . will be so exciting & intriguing to see what everyone does! xxx

BLOCK SWAP

Last night we had our first Block Swap . . . hooray!
Welcome to Lizzie, Jo, Nicole, Wendy,
Jenny, Kylie & Katherine . . & me . .
. . . we missed you Sam, Louey & Sarah!
All great fun . . . . stay tuned as there will be a TUTORIAL coming soon!

Begining the Square!

"Thankyou" to Pip Lincolne from my own Melbourne town!
Maybe one day soon I will get into your little shop & meet you!
Thankyou for your amazing new book "Meet me at Mike's"!!!
From this, I taught myself just this morning . . . .
while Oscar was back asleep . . . to crochet!
Not bad for my first efforts I thought! I'm going to make a blanket . . . as big as the ball of wool will allow! It is a good sized ball, but I have no idea how far it will take me!
I guess I can always add another colour yarn!
The wool is a blend of sheep's & alpaca! Multi-coloured hand dyed from a lady who I've seen every year for the last few . . . except this year at the Easter Sunday market in Alexandra! Why not this year? We were at the other favourite (wider) river further northward!

So I'm not actually 'officially' doing
"A Granny a day until the end of May" . . . but the square will grow! What fun! I have wanted to do this for a while . . . had tried last year with 'other' instructions but with no result! Thanks again Pip!

Circles

Oh the stories the trees could tell!

All those concentric circles . . . & then the weathering!

More Circles . . . .

I've been reading lots of other creative people's blogs lately . . . one person I'd love to meet in real life is Malka (her blog 'a stitch in dye') & she's from Austin, Texas in the USA! This is one of her Twinkle Circle Quilt designs . . . . & I love it! (I hope she doesn't mind me adding it to my blog?) I think we'd have alot of fun experimenting in a workshop!
You need to look her up on etsy!

OSCAR W

What a wonderful Easter . . . we had stunning weather at the River & it was lovely to share time away with Mum & Dad & friends . . . .
The 4 of us plus Oscar went out to lunch on Monday . . . to the old Port to "Oscar W's" . . . so many years we've been heading up that Northern Hwy & never managed to eat a meal there! Yay we finally made it! & to discover that Oscar W's is named after the last Paddle Steamer built at the Echuca port 100 years ago!
It sank at some point down river & has been restored but isn't in good enough condition to make it back to Echuca!I think its very cool that Oscar Wesley has a Paddle Steamer as a name's sake! & the famous Architect Oscar N is also 100 years old too!

Swapping!

I am really hoping to join this "Spring Swap " . . I love red & yellow and the fact that we are heading into Winter is fine by me . . . little mixed up but since I have two sister-in-laws who hale from the US & therefore family who live there I'm kind of in tune to some degree about what's going on with the seasons . . . at least north/west of Philadelphia!So please, please, please 'the6oclockstitch' please include me!

Riding HIPPO!