saltbushstitch

Sand patterns and stitching.

2012-02-23T11:15:00.000+10:30

Some beautiful and interesting patterns in the sand this morning. They look like a wild seascape.

I've added four more letters to my alphabet over on ALaW I am really enjoying stitching on these tiny blocks.

I've also done another square on my Travellers Blanket. Not quite so happy with this one. I need to get a bit more adventurous with my stitching! Of course there has to be fish on this blanket. We like to catch them and eat them both here and on our traveling holidays (well, I do the eating and the man does the catching!!) And I love going to big Aquariums. I've been to both Sydney and Melbourne and one in the USA. I could stand and watch the fish all day! The colours, the shapes, the movement.

Keeping busy!

2012-02-15T15:42:00.000+10:30

Oh my, it's been a while! I've been busy. To give myself a challenge (even though I am doing two others!) I decided to join Carla Sonheim's Silly Drawing class. It only goes for three weeks and as I find drawing difficult, I thought it would be a fun thing to do. And it is! It only takes about 10 minutes each day and already I feel more relaxed about drawing and playing with my pens and pencils.

The day after I joined that class I found A Letter a Week blog and was so fascinated by everything I saw that I decided to join up! This challenge consists of creating two alphabets during the year in whatever medium you like to work with. After finishing each alphabet they must be put together in some way to be suitable for exhibition. Here are my first four letters of the alphabet. They are only 7cm x 7cm. I like working small! I've used linen and lawn to make the little sachets. I really like how crisp and firm the linen is. It irons beautifully.

I am still working on my Travellers Blanket every night and here is another square. This one represents some of the flowers/weeds I see on my morning walks.

Sunshine

2012-02-07T11:37:00.000+10:30

No quilt about life near the beach and our Australian way of life would be complete without some sunshine! Very strange suns but fun to stitch. Straight stitches and colonial knots.

An unusual gum leaf in the garden this week.

Out of step!

2012-01-31T14:48:00.001+10:30

When I saw the dear little footprints on Alex's wonderful blog I just knew I needed to put some on my Travellers Blanket. So with Alex's permission I have put some on one of the squares that looks a bit like sand or the stones we have on our beach. These were done with back stitch and colonial knots. I had trouble getting the big toes to look right!
I walk on our beach every day, in my walking shoes, but I do have the occasional bare foot paddle in the hot weather. However, I'm a big believer in the saying 'leave only footprints' in relation to how we treat this earth so these little footprints have lots of meaning. Thank you Alex! (Mine are not quite as neat as yours, they look a bit out of step! Lol!)

I have also added some running stitch around two of the squares to see what it looks like.

Challenge quilt

2012-01-26T16:56:00.000+10:30

The theme for our 12 x 9 challenge quilt this time was 'Flora'. For ages I couldn't think of anything even though it is a very broad subject. Then I looked out of my sewing room window and realised the answer was right there in front of me! I went into the garden and picked a leaf off every tree/bush/plant I could see. I traced around them and using hand dyed green fabrics appliqued them to a aubergine coloured shot cotton. I used some variegated hand dyed thread to do some hand quilting around each leaf. (Leaves used were lemon scented gum, passion fruit, mint, banksias, pine needles, tomato, and various other gums.) See more Flora quilts here.

Beach weather

2012-01-24T17:07:00.001+10:30

Even spiders need a day at the beach in this hot weather!!
It's been 39C for two days. More to come!
I like his shadow.

I have been working on one of the squares on my Travellers Blanket. We always see plenty of shells here on our beach and when we are traveling. I've worked this one with back stitch and french knots. I may do some more stitching on the background. I've been using a hoop for this one as it is right in the middle of the quilt and hard to get to.

cats and dogs

2012-01-17T12:04:00.000+10:30

I babysat one of the grand daughters today and we decided to do some stitching. She started this cat about a year ago and today we finished it. However she's decided she doesn't like cats anymore, so she wants to give this to her little sister and start a dog stitchery for herself! I put the fabric in a hoop to make it easier for her to handle but I still freak out about the needle! (She managed it perfectly well.) I haven't mentioned to her about using the machine yet but no doubt that will be next. We also made a small stuffed dog from the Softies book. She chose the fabrics and the buttons, I stitched on the machine!

Crabs

2012-01-10T14:01:00.001+10:30

I have finished stitching another square on my Travellers Blanket. The fabric is a hand printed piece I bought many years ago in New Zealand. I decided to stitch the crab blue to remind me of the many yummy Blue Swimmer Crab feasts we've had in one of our favourite holiday destinations - Port Vincent.

Other crabs I have watched are the sand crabs at Mission Beach in Queesland which roll up balls of sand as they search for food, so I stitched 'thread beads' (learnt from Jude Hill at Spiritcloth) to represent the little balls of sand.

Surprising how one little piece of fabric can take me to two different states of Australia and another country across the ocean!

Seed heads

2012-01-03T13:11:00.001+10:30

The Christmas/New Year craziness is over, things have quietened down and all the leftovers are nearly eaten. Back to stitching!

I have finished stitching all the squares to the background on my Travellers Blanket and I have embroidered my first one. The fabric on this one reminded me of the seed heads on the grasses that grow in the sand hills and in our front yard.

Years and years ago my mum and dad used to collect these, spray paint them white, sprinkle them with silver or gold sparkles and sell them as Christmas decorations in their interior decorating shop!
I put some in a vase on our dining table this Christmas along with some driftwood from Mission Beach.

It's been so hot here for the last three days (41C one day!) that I haven't walked on the beach, but it's been perfect for sitting in front of the air conditioner and stitching!

Christmas rush

2011-12-20T15:37:00.000+10:30

Where has December gone? The last two weeks have disappeared in a rush of shopping, babysitting, cooking, cleaning and Christmas parties. It's not my favourite time of the year. I much prefer a slower pace!

I have been able to do more stitching on my Traveller's Blanket though and nearly have all 63 squares stitched down. I am looking forward to starting some embroidery on each one.

Don't you love the fabric with the thongs? Thongs are an iconic symbol of Australian life. Long hot summers and very casual clothes! I think they are call flip-flops in America and jandals in New Zealand.

On the beach this morning somebody had made a window out of stones!

And these seagulls are doing what a lot of us are feeling at this time of the year - appearing calm and relaxed on the surface and paddling like crazy underneath!!

Progress

2011-12-03T14:10:00.000+10:30

I am making some progress on my Travellers Blanket. I have pinned the three layers of the quilt together and started to applique squares of fabric on top. I had great fun auditioning lots of fabrics from my stash and coming up with 63 squares that somehow relate to the beach and the area around here, and that also fit my colour scheme. (I can't believe I had that many different fabrics - well, yes I can! But it was nice not to have to buy anything new.) Once all the squares are attached I will start adding some embroidery.

I have also finished and added another little bird to my collection.

Nothing very exciting has happened at the beach lately apart from a man falling off his horse and being carted off in an ambulance. I didn't think you'd want to see pictures of that! (I can report that both man and horse are OK.) Anyway here is a lovely reflection photo taken a few weeks ago.

Round and round and round........

2011-11-29T14:42:00.000+10:30

'Round' was the theme for our 12' x 9" challenge this time. It was quite hard to come up with an idea. I was inspired by a quilt in this year's Quilt National by Judy Kirpich, but I constructed mine in a completely different way. (Also her quilt was a lot larger!) I used 1/8 inch strips of fabric cut on the bias and applied to the background fabric using Vliesofix. I then stitched it down with a narrow zigzag. I was going round and round by the time I finished! More 'Round' quilts here.

And another little bird stitchery! No bird, but a little nest with eggs and tiny french knots in the background.

Travellers Blanket

2011-11-27T11:20:00.000+10:30

I have joined Dianne Cevaal's Travellers' Blanket online workshop. I have dyed my fabrics and made up the 'blanket'. I am now choosing lots of different fabrics that relate to the beach and the environment where I live. These pieces will be appliqued onto the blanket and lots of embroidery stitches added. The whole piece is to tell a story of my travels (not necessarily long distance travel but my daily walks in this area). I think it will be a slow process and something to work on over the hot summer. Not a very interesting photo but this is the top fabric which we folded and then dyed to get the lines. Small pieces of fabric will be appliqued in the squares.

The weather has been cold and windy, the only person on the beach this morning was this horse rider braving a walk in the sea.

Lots of birds and a fish.....again!

2011-11-18T14:39:00.002+10:30

The swans' nest is no longer in the middle of the the lagoon! The wetlands are drying out as we approach summer. I guess the babies are almost big enough to look after themselves. You can make out two or three young still sitting on the nest.

This salmon was on the beach this morning. Something, maybe a small shark, has taken a big chunk out of his side! A bit gruesome!

Something far more cheerful - I have finished three little birds. These are all only 4" square and as I said before they are a mixture of hand stitching, embroidery and machine applique on onion skin dyed fabric. I have a couple more on the go.

Circles

2011-11-14T11:14:00.001+10:30

Another feather for Jude. This one is made with a blue batik fabric appliqued onto some recycled shirt fabric and stitched in circles with variegated thread. I had fun finding lots of different objects around the house to make all the different size circles. I've now made some templates so I can repeat this again. The smallest one is a tiny button!

Two swans on the beach this morning, possibly two of the young ones that were hatched in the wetlands. They were quite happy for me to take lots of photos.

Lucky I had shoes on this morning because I nearly trod on this! He was about 4 inches long!! They give a nasty bite.

Mice and hair rollers!!

2011-11-04T12:34:00.001+10:30

I have been experimenting with some pincushion patterns (to make for gifts). There are a lot of patterns on the internet. I have fallen in love with these little fellows!! They were very easy to make. The ears, eyes and whiskers are a little bit fiddly, and I put a big metal washer in the bottom so they stand up!
The pattern is here. Click on tutorials.

This cheeky boy was watching me closely from the pine tree out the back today - a yellow-tailed black cockatoo. There are lots of them eating the new pine cones. You can hear them crunching!!

I am always amazed at what you find on the beach. Where did this hair roller come from? Did the owner come to the beach in rollers and drop one? or was she on a boat out in the ocean? Who wears rollers any more?? Sitting on the sand it actually looks quite beautiful! It might make some sea creature a neat little home!

Lots of birds and a fish!

2011-10-18T14:09:00.000+10:30

Where is October disappearing to?
I've been stitching a little bird. After doing several feathers for Jude's project I decided I wanted to try a small bird. It's a strange mixture of hand stitching and machine applique. I have used Bali batik fabrics for the bird and the background is onion skin dyed shirt fabric 'invisibly' basted. The piece is only 4" square and is not finished yet!

There are a pair of blue wrens in the back yard. I'm sure they have a nest but I haven't worked out where yet. They take turns to look for food and have a quick little dip in the bird bath.

A pair of swans have nested on a swan-made island in the middle of the wetlands. There are three or four babies. The photos are a bit fuzzy as they are a long way off.

And this fearsome creature was on the beach this morning!

Two more feathers

2011-10-09T13:43:00.000+10:30

Two more feathers for Jude's Magic Feather project. Recycled shirt fabric dyed with tea, and feathers dyed with passionfruit skins and appliqued. I have added some embroidery on top of the feathers.

Story Time

2011-10-04T15:02:00.000+10:30

'Time' was the theme for our latest 12 x 9 challenge. I had various ideas including clocks, an hourglass, Old Man Time, etc. and then an image for story time appeared. I remember as a young mum struggling to find the 'time' to read that all important story and then nearly falling asleep as I read it. Now I am a grandma I have a lot more 'time' to read the stories but I still nearly fall asleep (especially after reading the same story five times!) See more 'Time' quilts here.
I used commercial fabrics for the applique, a yellow shot cotton for the background, machine appliqued the picture and added some hand quilting on the background. I love that bug fabric!

On the beach this morning the remains of a magnificent sand castle with an impressive entrance bridge, and a nice piece of rusty chain that should make a good addition to the dye pot!

Home at last

2011-09-27T11:03:00.000+09:30

Back to my own bed and a lovely shower! (The caravan is comfortable but there's nothing like being home.)
Also back to our beautiful beach and my morning walks. A few treasures this morning - the white thing looks like a bone but is soft like cartilage. From a shark or a stingray perhaps?
After doing loads of washing and sorting and tidying I am ready to get back into the sewing room. Our next 12 x 9 inch challenge "Time" is due at the end of this week! I have an idea but haven't started yet!

Blown away!

2011-09-22T16:45:00.001+09:30

Lovely sunshine but the wind is blowing a gale, so no fishing or sitting outdoors. The seagulls seem quite happy.

I have finished another two feathers - one for Jude and one for a friend who is going through a very hard time at the moment. I hope she likes it. The white feather is made from the pin tucked shirt front I bought at the op shop, on fabric I dyed with passionfruit skins. It reminds me of a seagull feather. The other one is cotton threads leftover from a project I brought with me on this trip, on some of the recycled shirt fabric.

I am finding these feathers quite addictive!!

Six days on the road......

2011-09-21T10:20:00.000+09:30

We've been six days on the road, virtually driving from the top of Australia to the bottom! We are now in Port Vincent for a few days catching up with friends before driving the rest of the way home. This is certainly an amazing country with diverse scenery all the way. And it's cold!! Have had to dig out the socks and woolly slippers.

This is what we saw after we backed our van into a site in one country town!

(Don't worry he's just asleep!)

Should have time for a bit of stitching tomorrow. Would love to stitch in the car but most of the roads are far too bumpy.

Another shirt and some more dyeing

2011-09-10T12:49:00.001+09:30

I've bought another white cotton shirt from the op shop. This one has some fine pin tucks on the front which should make a nice striped feather. I have cut the shirt up and now have another lovely stash of good quality fine white cotton.
I cut up the skin of a passion fruit, popped it in my dye pot (coffee mug!), poured boiling water over it and put in a piece of my new shirt fabric. After leaving to soak over night it produced a wonderful purple!

A couple of nasty creatures who live in the waters up here - saltwater and freshwater crocodiles! These were photographed from behind a fence at the bird sanctuary, not in the wild!!

We have to leave this wonderful tropical place and head home - back to the cold weather! Hopefully we will return again next year.

Feathers and another visitor!

2011-09-08T14:10:00.000+09:30

I've finished another feather for Jude's feather project. The background is tea dyed, the feather is appliqued and another feather has been stitched over the top. The fabric has all come from the op shop shirt I bought. I've now made five feathers and have some more fabric left, so it was a good buy for $3!

I found a beautiful gift card today which I just had to buy! It depicts the male and female tail feathers of the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo. They are only found in certain areas of Australia. The artwork is by Jo Lane. She has also done some other beautiful drawings of feathers.

Another visitor to the caravan today! Hard to believe this is a spider. He's not very big but a very strange shape! Quite alien!

Visitor

2011-09-01T10:37:00.000+09:30

This tiny fellow came for a visit yesterday. He had very long antennae!
Not much stitching going on - it's very humid at the moment.

Birds of a feather...

2011-08-29T15:56:00.000+09:30

We visited a bird sanctuary and saw lots of beautiful feathers! However they were still attached to the birds so I couldn't bring any home!

I've stitched another feather for Jude, still using the opshop shirt fabric. Onion dyed for the feather and plain white for the background. The thread is a silk that I brought with me for another project.

The power and the beauty

2011-08-23T15:02:00.000+09:30

The force of Cyclone Yasi must have been horrific. This is a large tree on the edge of the beach.

A few metres away are rocks with beautiful coral washed up between them. So beautiful and delicate.

More feathers

2011-08-19T14:53:00.000+09:30

I sat in the caravan stitching feathers while the man went to play golf. This is what he brought home for me!

Two more feathers for Jude's Magic Feather Project. The one on the left is on tea dyed fabric with a spiral stitched behind it. The one on the right is dyed with soy sauce! I have let the 'invisible' basting stitches show. I really like the look of the tiny little stitches.
My three feathers are now 'flying' across the ocean to Jude.
(I think I may have to make another one! They are a bit addictive.)

Feathers

2011-08-15T12:59:00.004+09:30

I've finished a feather for Jude's Magic Feather Project. (There is a link at the bottom of this page.) I used a piece of onion dyed cotton and 'invisibly' basted it to a backing with a green thread, letting the little dots show. After I drew my feather I realised it was too big and the stitches would be more than 1/4 inch! But it seems to have turned out OK with a bit of 'smashing' and a good press.Now I'm onto the next one!
On my walk this morning I passed some large trees that had fallen in the cyclone. On the ends that have been cut with a saw there were some feathers!

My dyeing efforts with the soy sauce and seed heads were partly successful. The soy sauce gave a soft yellow colour (the smell washed out fine), and the seed head/wood gave a pale pinky/orange effect. So with my tea and onion dyed fabric I now have several pieces of soft coloured cotton if I want to keep making feathers.

Cassowary and colour

2011-08-13T14:12:00.000+09:30

My sea lettuce didn't want to part with any of it's colour even when I bashed it with a wine bottle! So that piece of fabric is now soaking in some salad dressing and soy sauce! You never know?
Two more pieces of fabric are wrapped around some seed pods and seaweed remains that I found on the beach this morning. I realise I could be doing this far more scientifically and waiting a lot longer for some results but I'm just having a bit of fun and playing with what I can find around me. It doesn't matter if nothing happens!

The rainforest up here is home to the cassowary - a large flightless bird. Because of the cyclone damage a lot of their food source has disappeared and this morning a male and his chick came into the caravan park looking for food. They can be quite dangerous with those monstrous clawed feet, so we all watched from a distance and took photos. People are discouraged from feeding them but special feeding stations have been set up in the rainforest so they don't starve.

Land or sea?

2011-08-12T09:26:00.001+09:30

Found this beautiful skeleton on the beach this morning. Not sure if it's from the land or the sea? It's very delicate and looks lovely sitting in a glass on the shelf.

My dyeing experiments went very well. (Tea bag on the left and onion skins on the right. The colours are darker in real life.) I now have four bits of fabric to play with and have started invisible basting one of the onion skin pieces. This morning I picked up some seaweed that looks a lot like lettuce, so that has gone in the 'dye pot' as well!

Fun in the sun

2011-08-11T16:56:00.000+09:30

Our friends caught a lot of fish today. This is one of them. Isn't he a handsome fellow?

I want to stitch a feather for Jude's Magic Feather Project but I didn't bring any fabrics or extra cottons, etc with me. So I visited the local opshop and purchased a soft white cotton shirt for $3. I removed the buttons and tore it up into usable pieces. A wash in the caravan sink and out in the sun to dry! (I did try the shirt on but white is not my colour!) I had to go to the next town to purchase some black and white thread!

Four pieces of fabric went into a couple of dye pots (coffee mugs), two with a teabag and two wrapped around some onion skins. I poured on some boiling water and let them stew overnight.

A year ago

2011-08-08T13:23:00.001+09:30

A year ago today I started this blog while I was on a holiday in the tropics. Mission Beach is south of Cairns in Far North Queensland. I am back here again for the third year in a row and for a longer holiday this time. It is a beautiful place but has changed dramatically since last year. Cyclone Yasi decimated all the rainforest and everything looks quite different. It will take a long time to recover.
But the sun is shining, the man is out fishing and we are with lovely friends!
Last year I was working on my 'leaf creatures' as part of Jude Hill's Patchwork Beasts online workshop. This year I have brought several works-in-progress to stitch on, but I am also going to stitch a feather for the Magic Feather Project. I may have to go searching for a few supplies!

Also a warm thank you to the beautiful Kerri who helped get me started on this blogging journey. It's been a huge learning curve with the computer skills, but I've had so much fun and 'met' some amazing people.

Navy and White

2011-07-27T13:15:00.000+09:30

Not much stitching happening around here! We've just had our annual Quilt Camp with about 150 women in attendance. I'm on the committee, so lots of preparation and a very busy week while it's on. However, lots of laughter, good food, great classes and wonderful company.

I have finished my little quilt for our current challenge - Navy and White. I was thinking of doing a sailor - who doesn't like a man in uniform?? but decided instead to do a stack of teacups using some of my Japanese fabrics. I jazzed it up a bit with some red quilting stitches. To see more challenge quilts go here.

Kiwi

2011-07-13T17:05:00.000+09:30

Here in Australia we can watch a lovely program on TV called The Zoo which is all about the daily activities at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand. Recently they showed a sequence on the kiwi - hatching from an egg and then being released into the wild. At the same time I've been stitching some squares of fabric onto a piece of white damask. One of the bits of fabric I bought in NZ many years ago and it has a kiwi on it! The squares are 1.5 inches and I was inspired after seeing pictures on the internet of small quilts using a lot of white, not something I would normally use. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but it's fun!

Sunny yellow!

2011-07-09T15:52:00.000+09:30

After weeks of wet, windy, and grey weather I found some touches of yellow today to cheer me up!

Port Vincent II

2011-07-05T11:18:00.001+09:30

I've finished my small quilt that I started at Geelong Fibre Forum last year. It's based on two photographs from one of our holidays in Port Vincent. (The photo of the canoe is not the right one, but close enough! I can't find the original.) The fabrics I've chosen are meant to represent the sea, the sand, and the old fashioned flower gardens a lot of the stone houses have in the town. This is the second quilt I've made using inspiration from one of our favorite holiday spots!

Stitching the sea

2011-06-25T16:01:00.000+09:30

I've been stitching the sea.
And after a couple of weeks of wet, windy and grey days we had some sunshine today! Lots of interesting bits and pieces left on the beach by the stormy weather, and a lovely walk along a pebbly path to the wetlands where the swallows were catching insects.

A short break and more stitching

2011-06-17T10:09:00.001+09:30

We had a lovely long weekend over on Kangaroo Island. It was cold and windy but there is always lots of wildlife and birds to see. Kangaroos, Pied Oystercatchers, a pelican watching us from the top of a light pole, and adorable baby lambs!

I'm stitching fish eyes on the small piece I started at Geelong Fibre Forum last year. I want to do some stitching around the canoe too. It was hard to take photos of this, with the flash the colours are too bright and without the flash the colours are very dull!

Memories

2011-06-09T10:32:00.000+09:30

The sun shone briefly this morning, long enough for a quick walk. The fish was dead!

Two more little quilts/pictures - this time of my two daughters when they were babies. So long ago but it only seems like yesterday! Now they are grown up and one of them has two daughters of her own! These little pictures are only small, approx. 7 x 8 inches. I always thought I might put them on the covers of photo albums but that has never happened!

Flotsam and jetsam and another photo

2011-06-06T13:31:00.001+09:30

After a windy, wet and grey day yesterday there was lots of interesting bits and pieces on the beach this morning. Beautiful seaweed, colourful rope and lovely markings in the sand. (Click on photo for close-up.)

Another photo of my grandmother, this time all dressed up with her sisters and her mother (my great grandmother). I like to think they were all going out for a day on the town! As you can see in my little quilt I traced the photo from the wrong side and my quilt is round the wrong way! Artistic license again! More doilies in the border. I have quite a collection of these. You can still buy them at op shops quite cheaply. I like to think that the beautiful embroidery is having a second life.

Wedding day

2011-06-04T14:46:00.002+09:30

There were six people in my grandmothers wedding photo (1924) so I decided to use artistic license and only do four in my little quilt! I made all these quilts about 15 years ago and looking at them now I can see many ways to improve them! I guess my skills and my eye have changed in that time. This quilt is about 13 x 15 inches and again I've used tea dyed doilies for one of the borders. Click on the photo for a close-up of the beautiful dresses, and don't you love the wrinkly stockings?

Bowling hoops

2011-06-03T10:30:00.002+09:30

The next photo I used to make a small quilt was a picture of my grandmother (top right) as a young girl with her sisters and younger brother. I love the way she has her hands around her brother's neck! This was probably taken in Wales before the family emigrated to Australia.

This time I used an old doily as the background for my applique. All the applique pieces are held down with Vliesofix and then a small zigzag stitch around the edges. I had fun looking at the photo and then choosing appropriate fabrics for the clothes. Lots of hand stitching in the background.

Old photos

2011-06-02T11:43:00.003+09:30

Yesterday Jude posted beautiful photos of her grandmothers dress and her grandmother. They reminded me of a series of quilts I made many years ago based on old photos of my grandmother. What is it about the old photographs compared to photographs taken today? Is it because they are black and white, or does the distance of time make them more intriguing? Over the next few days I will post a photo and the small quilt I made from it. I had such fun doing these and actually taught this as a class for many years.

This quilt was all done by machine except for hand quilting on the background. I used Vliesofix to adhere all the shapes and Pigma pens to draw the face. Old doilies were cut up to make the inner border. These were all tea dyed. The quilt is approx. 18" x 20".

My grandmother was a very independent woman who lived to 98 years living in her own home.

Grape Harvest

2011-05-29T10:32:00.000+09:30

The theme for our challenge this time was 'The Harvest'. When Judith suggested it we were in the middle of the grape harvest here in the area where we live. I found an interesting photo on the internet and adapted it slightly to fit the 12 x 9 inch dimensions. I used a hand dyed fabric for the grapes and free motion quilted over it. All those grape theme fabrics I showed you a few weeks ago? They ended up on the back and the binding. To see more challenge quilts go here.

Continuing and playing with more SunMoonStar themes. This is only about 4 inches square. I may join them all together when I have a few more. A split backstitch for the orange rays and a wrapped backstitch for the black and white rays.

Matching points!

2011-05-26T14:16:00.001+09:30

It seems quilters aren't the only people who have trouble matching points! Workmen have spent several days building a new fence at the end of our road to hold back the sand. This is where it joins up with the rest of the fence!!

On a brighter note, it was much nicer on the beach this morning. I could get quite close to these two terns. They were making lovely little calling noises to each other. I love their little short legs - quite out of proportion to their bodies.

And this gentleman looked like he was learning how to fly as he was staying very low and close to shore. Not something I want to do myself but it must be a fabulous sensation! A hot air balloon would be more my style!

Pots of gold

2011-05-24T17:02:00.001+09:30

It would be nice if there were pots of gold at both ends! This was the view from my window this afternoon.

Not sure where this fellow came from but he demanded a crown and some rosy cheeks! One of the moons I've been working on whilst doing Jude's SunMoonStars class. It's been such fun and I will be sorry when it finishes.

A little bit windy and a little bit of stitching!

2011-05-22T15:16:00.000+09:30

The wind was whipping up the sand on the beach this morning making walking very unpleasant. So a very short walk and back home to stitch. One of my 'disasters' has a silk moon appliqued over it with some stitching added, and one of my bleached moons also has some stitching. Need to do more!
I have also been working on my 'Harvest' challenge which will be revealed next week.

Short holiday!

2011-05-18T12:34:00.000+09:30

Have been away for a few days at one of our favorite spots - Port Vincent. It was very cold but we had a couple of lovely sunny days. These fellows are always hanging about waiting for all the fish guts at the fish cleaning station. They are so ungainly on their feet but so graceful when they fly overhead.

I have invisibly basted one of my bleached moons ready for stitching. The moon was done on a piece of fabric that was sun dyed with leaves many years ago. It has a piece of spotty navy Japanese cotton and a gold coloured shot cotton behind it. To me it looks as if you are looking through a window at the full moon, which we did last night! Have got no idea how I'm going to stitch it yet so I have basted some moons ready to do some experimental stitches.

And just to show you that all my bleaching experiments weren't perfect, here are some of the disasters! Good fun trying though.

Sun Moon Stars

2011-05-06T13:20:00.000+09:30

I have joined Jude's sunmoonstars whispering class and I had a lovely afternoon yesterday experimenting with bleach dyeing. Jude showed us how to make stencils using freezer paper. Some results were good, others not so good! Here is a picture of some of the better experiments. I used a variety of mixes - straight bleach, bleach mixed with cornflour, bleach mixed with Jif, and Harpic Bleach Gel. I am keen to try some more.

An unusual site at the beach today - five swans swimming just off shore! I think they come from the nearby wetlands but it is unusual to see them in the sea.

Ominous clouds

2011-05-04T13:41:00.000+09:30

Some showers forecast for today so there were dark clouds at the beach this morning. A row of galahs on the fence and part of a rainbow far across the water took my eye.
The subject for our next challenge is The Harvest. As we live in a big wine growing area I decided my subject definitely had to be about harvesting grapes. I've gathered some pictures and some appropriate fabrics, now I have to start cutting and stitching!

Where did April go?

2011-05-02T11:56:00.002+09:30

Oh my, where did April go? We've had some stunning weather so there's been lots of gardening, outdoor lunches and time on the beach walking and fishing. Easter was a five day holiday this year as Anzac Day fell in the middle of it, so we had to have an extra public holiday! Not a lot of stitching happening, although I have finished my Wagga.
It's been made in the traditional style of 'making do' using a book if tailors samples, a book of furnishing fabric samples, an old pillow case and some pieces of a woolen dressing gown. All things I had in the cupboard! The back is two pieces of some old curtains and the hanging sleeve is some old mattress ticking. I've then stitched it all together with some big stitch quilting.

At the beach there has been some beautiful lace seaweed, a cranky crab leaving interesting tracks, and probably a cranky man who got his car stuck in the sand as the tide was coming in!

Autumn

2011-04-07T14:15:00.002+09:30

Not much stitching happening around here at the moment apart from very repetitious things. I've made 20 fabric rubbish containers (with plastic tub insert) for participants in a class I'm teaching this weekend. They are very quick and easy to make and make a very small dent in my fabric collection!
And I'm cutting up metres and metres of fabric that will be packaged up and presented to delegates at a quilting conference later this year.
A perfect autumn morning at the beach this morning - cool, sunny and crystal clear water! (Click on photos for a close-up.)

Hunting for ants!

2011-04-02T14:12:00.003+10:30

We had a visitor in the backyard yesterday! An echidna digging around looking for ants. He was quite happy for us to get close. I guess with all those spines you don't need to worry about predators.

I made an echidna quilt many years ago that included an echidna, an echidna train (several males follow the female around!), a puggle in the nest (a puggle is a baby echidna), and some flora and fauna from the bush. It's hard to see but there are ants stamped on the central background fabric. Sorry about the quality of the photo, it's a photo of a photo! No digital camera in those days!

Against the Flow

2011-03-31T11:34:00.000+10:30

Here is my little fish quilt for our latest challenge. I've called it 'Against the Flow' which is a statement about being yourself. Just a bit of fun. I used Japanese cotton for the fish, a shot cotton for the background and machine quilted wavy lines using a variegated thread. It took a long time to stitch all the fish and all those eyes!
Because I chose the theme this time I will receive all twelve of the Fish quilts. I have several already and am expecting more in the mail this week. Such fun!! If you would like to see more of the quilts and learn more about our challenge go here.

Cold, Wet and Windy

2011-03-25T10:43:00.000+10:30

Well it seems as if summer is over (what little we had this year) and autumn has hit with a vengeance! Rain, wind and rough seas! This time last year we were in the middle of a heat wave! On the beach this morning there are swathes of seaweed full of so many different colours (even pink!) and textures. Like miniature cottage gardens! (Click on pictures for a close up.)

Windy!

2011-03-16T10:52:00.001+10:30

It was very windy on the beach this morning and walking was hard work, but this windsurfer was having fun!

Fluffy tails!

2011-03-15T13:45:00.000+10:30

I decided my two rabbits needed fluffy tails, so after Googling 'how to make a quick pompom' they are now happy little bunnies!

And a sneak peek at my little 'fish' quilt. I started hand quilting it and didn't like it, so unpicked and quilted it by machine. Still not sure about it and may even make another one before the deadline! I have another idea but need to look for a certain fabric. A trip to the quilt shop may be in order!

Easter bunnies

2011-03-10T11:01:00.001+10:30

Some of you might know Janet Clare's delightful blog. Recently she offered a free pattern for a rabbit. I made two for my granddaughters for Easter. I used an old wool blanket for the front and a felted jumper for the back. Pink and purple ribbons (the granddaughters favourite colours) finished them off. Aren't they gorgeous? (Thank you Janet!) I guess I'll have to add some chocolate to go with them!
Still stitching away on my little fish quilt. All will be revealed at the end of the month!

Fishing for ideas!

2011-03-02T11:39:00.000+10:30

The next theme for our 12x9 challenge is FISH. It's my turn and I chose 'fish' because I live near the sea, my partner goes fishing all the time and fish seem to feature in our lives at the moment. However, the theme can be interpreted in any way by the other participants. I am looking forward to the results! I've been playing with a few ideas of my own and my little quilt is slowly coming together.
I have posted a photo of a tiny fish I found on the beach.

Busy

2011-02-24T10:57:00.002+10:30

It's been a busy couple of weeks. First of all a weeks holiday with friends in Port Vincent, fishing and feasting on blue swimmer crabs! Yummy! Then home to babysit, catch up on some gardening and start a bit of a clean up in my sewing room (I don't think it's flash enough to call a studio!) Have been sorting out my quilt batting supplies - keeping what I like and know I can use, and giving away the rest.
I have also given away two 'wonky' bears (that I bought several years ago in a second hand shop) to the delightful Jess of 'teddybearswednesday' fame. I didn't want them any more and Jess seemed very happy to give them a new home. They are winging their way to her as I write! They are looking very apprehensive here sitting on the couch but I know they will be very happy in their new home!

This fin was only a few metres off shore this morning!! It's a dolphin with her baby trying to catch fish. Fun to watch.
So not a lot of stitching has been taking place. I am going to make some more colour blocks today.

Playing with colour

2011-02-12T15:06:00.000+10:30

After working with shot cottons for my little challenge quilt I was keen to try something bigger! I've finished a lap size top using very geometric shapes (see below) and am now playing with some free pieced blocks for the back (see above) and thinking of doing a reversible quilt. It's so much fun playing with these colours.

The other morning I threw some bread scraps on the lawn for the birds and when I looked up a bit later my friend the fox was watching me!

The things you see....

2011-02-06T15:42:00.000+10:30

I commented the other day about seeing different things every time I go to the beach. This is what greeted us this morning! Not sure how it got there but I hope no one was using it at the time!

Busy bee!

2011-01-31T09:51:00.000+10:30

Down by the waters edge this morning a bee, probably in its death throes, left a beautiful pattern in the sand!

Window Shopping

2011-01-30T11:29:00.000+10:30

The theme for our latest challenge was 'Through the Window'. Here is my interpretation. I'm sure we've all spent time peering through shop windows lusting after items beyond our budgets (although in my case it wouldn't be high heel shoes!). I've made this little quilt using machine applique and organza for the 'window'. Some appropriate 'fashion' fabric provided the cut out mannequins.

What I love about walking on the beach is that it changes every day, depending on the weather or who is down there. A man training his trotter and a beautiful cloud formation this week.

Breathtaking

2011-01-21T13:32:00.001+10:30

Went down to the beach at 6am yesterday to watch the moon set over the horizon.
On the way home I took photos of the cactus flower in the neighbours driveway. This cactus is growing in gravel, next to a pile of rubbish and up against a tin fence. It keeps producing the most beautiful flowers. They are quite large - about as big as my outstretched hand. Click on photo for close-up.
I am working on our next 12 x 9 challenge - the theme is 'Through the Window'.

Making tracks.....

2011-01-12T14:04:00.000+10:30

It's busy on the beach at this time of the year. Cars, humans, dogs, all leaving tracks.
I'm making tracks on my wagga. Rows of stitching 2" apart. Nothing fancy, very utilitarian.

Beach birds and stitching.

2011-01-04T10:07:00.001+10:30

Lots of different birds on the beach this week. Some beautiful Banded Stilts, Pacific Gulls enjoying a feast and a Black Swan! Also doing some long straight rows of stitching on the wagga. Very meditative.

Ripples

2010-12-30T15:52:00.001+10:30

We are finally having some hot weather after a wet and cold start to summer. 43C in the city tomorrow! Too hot for me but lovely on the beach early this morning.
I am making a wagga using suiting samples, an old pillow case cover, a woollen dressing gown and old curtains for the backing. I have used an old op shop flannelette sheet for the batting and now have to work out how to quilt it. Most waggas were stitched together very roughly or tied. Somehow the quilt seems to relate to the ripples on the beach this morning.

And just because she's the apple of my eye and makes me laugh - my granddaughter taking a photo of me taking a photo of her!!

found and stitched

2010-12-14T13:37:00.007+10:30

It's been a while since I posted. No excuses, just busy with life.
I have been making some little lavender sachets which I hope to sell, otherwise they will be gifts for friends. They are fun to make and I like choosing a button to go with each one.
I have also been working on a piece for 'found-stitched-dyed'. I found a small tablecloth in an op shop. It was dirty and stained but washed up well. I've started stitching in the heart shapes along the edge and would like to fill the whole cloth with stitch. However, I'm liking the white on white so much that I don't know if I'll get to the dyeing stage!

'bits and bobs'

2010-12-02T11:07:00.006+10:30

Here is my little 12 x 9 quilt for our challenge group. The theme this time was 'My Collection'. It was hard to decide what to interpret, I have a few collections! This is a small selection from my button box stitched onto a collection of my 'shot' cottons. Some of the buttons have been handed down from my mother and grandmother.

Frustrating!

2010-11-13T15:16:00.002+10:30

Well, they've had my camera, and my money, for two weeks now! How long does it take to replace a broken screen? However, some stitching has been happening. I just can't show you without a camera!
I've been working on a small quilt for the Quilting Arts Calendar contest 'Feeling Pet-ty!'. Probably can't show you a photo of that anyway if I want to enter the competition.
Also finished the next small quilt for our challenge. The theme this time was 'My Collection'. This was a hard one because like most of us I have a few collections!!
I'm also stitching a found piece of table linen for the found,stitched and dyed sewing circle.
Because a blog is a bit boring without a photo, here is the front and back of a moth on the window that I took a few months ago. Hard to believe it's the same moth. Click on photos to see more detail.

So I've been keeping busy. I just want my camera back!

No camera!

2010-11-01T12:32:00.000+10:30

I dropped my camera on a rocky path at Uluru and cracked the screen. I could still take photos using the viewfinder but couldn't see anything on the screen. After a bit of research I decided it was cheaper to get the screen fixed than to buy a new camera. (Both options expensive!) So, no camera for a couple of weeks. I miss it already! These are a couple of photos from our little holiday. Beautiful ghost gums in the courtyard of the hotel and a lizard seen on one of our walks. He was about 12 inches long. He's disguised quite well on the leaf litter.

An '0' birthday!

2010-10-25T13:53:00.001+10:30

It's been a while since I posted but I've been away again. A significant birthday prompted a trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock), somewhere I've always wanted to go. It certainly lived up to all my expectations! Awesome, inspiring and quite surreal! Nearby Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) was equally fascinating. We did two big walks, one around the base of Uluru and one though Kata Tjuta. It has been raining up there recently so it was green, with lots of wildflowers. The resort we stayed in was like an oasis in the desert - beautiful and so relaxing!

So, not a lot of stitching has been done lately!!

A dog's life!

2010-10-14T12:00:00.001+10:30

Lot's of dogs having their walks on the beach this morning. One lady had five!
I made a quilt several years ago called "It's a Dog's Life!" There were nine blocks, each with a dog in a different chair. Here are a couple. All machine applique and machine piecing. All around the border I had sayings such as - 'his bark is worse than his bite',' let sleeping dogs lie', 'love me, love my dog', 'beware of the dog', 'dog eat dog', etc, etc. It was so much fun picking the fabrics for the dogs and the chairs.
(I must have taken these photos with my old camera. Or else I didn't know how to use the close up mode!)

Birds!

2010-10-12T12:34:00.001+10:30

We think this handsome fellow and his little lady friend have a nest in a bush near our birdbaths. The first year we were here we never saw any blue wrens, the following years they would pass through once or twice a day. This year this couple are constantly around and keep flitting in and out of the bush. I have looked but can't see a nest - I'm sure it's very well disguised. Now I am constantly on the lookout for next door's cats! As much as I like cats I wish there was a law that required people to keep cats on their own property! When I spoke to the owner she was sure her cats never hunted wildlife! Yeah, right!!
And just so there is a bit of stitching on this blog here are two little stitched pieces I did last year just for fun. They are about 16cm square and the tree in the second one was inspired by a drawing from the lovely Cathy of onepinkgoose and used with her permission of course! I really enjoyed stitching these. I've used stranded cottons and some lovely variegated crochet cotton dyed by a friend, on a dark brown background.

Back again!

2010-10-07T11:33:00.000+10:30

Oh my! it's been nearly two weeks since I last posted. Where has the time gone? Had a fabulous time in Geelong with a great tutor, wonderful company, good food, fun shops and lots of inspiration! We stitched pictures from photographs, I have lots of new ideas! Home to lots of washing, catching up on chores and weeding, but at last some lovely spring weather. It was beautiful at the beach this morning. The seagulls were enjoying the sun too!

Packing

2010-09-25T20:54:00.000+09:30

I will be taking a break from the computer for a week. Off to Geelong Fibre Forum to do a workshop called 'Stitched in Memory' with Michele Eastwood, whose work I have long admired. I have spent the last couple of days getting my supplies together and trying to work out what I will need and what I can leave at home. I'm sure there will be things I won't use and things I wished I'd taken! I also have a quilt hanging in the wool quilt exhibition which is on at the Wool Museum in Geelong from now till January.

Twelve!

2010-09-23T21:09:00.000+09:30

Here is my little quilt (12" x 9") depicting the theme 'Twelve'. When I was thinking about what to do I kept coming back to a 'dozen', hence the eggs! I think the chook looks suitably horrified at the thought of twelve babies to look after!! As I said in a previous post I quilted the background before doing the applique - much easier! I am looking forward to hearing what our next theme will be.

Port Vincent

2010-09-20T16:07:00.001+09:30

Last time we stayed in this lovely little fishing town (April) we had the most amazing sunset one night.
Of course the pelicans are always around looking for a feed.
And a while ago I made a little quilt (12'' square) to celebrate some lovely holidays here with friends, sun, sand, feasts of blue swimmer crabs and good wine!!

Short holiday

2010-09-19T11:18:00.000+09:30

I'm away on a short holiday at the moment. Brought the little Japanese silk triangles to work on while the man catches fish for dinner!

Something finished!

2010-09-14T17:07:00.000+09:30

Started this little (6" x 6") stitched picture some time ago and today I finished it. It's stitched on a piece of yellow antique Japanese silk using cotton and silk threads and then backed with a piece of stiff wadding covered in calico. I made a little loop with ribbon and a button. The binding is a piece of cotton that had all the right colours in it! I really enjoyed doing the seed stitching in the background - so meditative. The baby isn't anyone I know - just a photo out of a magazine!

To the rescue...

2010-09-13T13:23:00.001+09:30

Walking on the beach this morning I found a freshwater yabbie! He was not looking at all well. The wetlands have overflowed into the sea after all the rain we've had and he'd obviously been swept out to sea. I decided to put him back where he belonged so I picked him up very carefully and carried him back to fresh water. He revived immediately and I think he was very appreciative of my efforts. Luckily there was no one on the beach this morning to witness this!! They might have thought I was a bit weird! (Isn't he beautiful! Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sunny and warm!

2010-09-12T09:51:00.001+09:30

A beautiful walk this morning in the glorious sunshine. An interesting rock on the beach, and a look at the wetlands which are overflowing into the sea. It really feels like spring. I have also finished stitching my leaf beasts. Not sure how to finish them off now. They will go up on my design wall for the time being while I get on with some other projects.

Feathering the nest.

2010-09-08T16:17:00.000+09:30

The Blue Wren is in the garden every day with his lady friend, showing off his courting colours! So today I took a bundle of thread ends (too short to use for stitching) and spread them around in some bushes. Nice to think they may make a cosy lining for a nest.

Some signs?

2010-09-06T10:12:00.000+09:30

After a very long, cold, wet winter there were some signs of Spring this morning! (Along with a garden full of weeds!) Click on photos to enlarge.

Also, my sun now has a face, albeit a very strange one, and is sending rays of warmth to my leaf beasts.

Noisy visitors!

2010-08-31T16:06:00.002+09:30

Not much stitching happening at the moment. Some sunny weather so lots of weeding and a visit from about 50 Yellow-Tailed Black-Cockatoos! Very destructive and very noisy but beautiful. They are eating the new pine cones. Click on pictures to see better.

Stitching

2010-08-27T16:06:00.003+09:30

Have started quilting my beast family to a backing. The backing is the reverse side of a large sun print of some leaves done by a (deceased) friend of mine many years ago, so it's nice to use this and think of her as I stitch. It means the piece is reversible!
It took a long time but I've managed to post THREE photos at once and get them all in the centre! Will I be able to remember how I did it??!!

A challenge!

2010-08-25T13:34:00.000+09:30

A group of twelve friends (including me!) from Australia and New Zealand have decided to set ourselves a challenge. Very similar to the Twelve by 12 challenge but ours will be 12" x 9" in size. Every two months we will produce a small quilt with a theme chosen in turn by each of us. Our first theme is 'TWELVE', due at the end of September. I decided to try something I haven't done before - quilt the background before adding the applique! Much easier than trying to go round it! I will show you the finished quilt soon. Hopefully I will be able to show you some of the others too. I really enjoyed thinking about 'twelve'.

Grey!

2010-08-23T13:03:00.000+09:30

Another wet, windy, overcast and GREY day! So a picture of a beautiful banksia in my backyard to brighten everything up. The honeyeaters love them. Come on Spring!!

Japanese silk

2010-08-22T09:59:00.001+09:30

I've been working on a silk quilt for a few years. Hand pieced over paper using antique Japanese silks. The triangles are one and half inches on the straight sides. It will probably take me another few years to finish it! A very slow cloth! But that's OK, I enjoy picking it up between other projects. Most of the silks came from Wafu Works, a lovely shop in Tasmania. I notice Jan has started a blog http://wafuworks.blogspot.com/

Froth and bubbles

2010-08-20T11:32:00.001+09:30

There were soapsuds at the beach this morning after a wet and windy night!

Family

2010-08-18T10:40:00.001+09:30

The Frondescence family have joined forces and are now together awaiting some quilting!
Have returned home to the cold and rain and several loads of washing! Of course there is no food in the fridge either, so after that I will be looking forward to getting into my sewing room.
Still taking me ages to load a photo onto this blog. Sometimes it works first go and sometimes it takes several tries. Now that we are home with better coverage perhaps it will be easier. Still learning!
Have also tried everything to try and reduce the size of my header photo - will have to get some expert advice!

Patterns in the sand

2010-08-15T14:06:00.001+09:30

Little crabs take the nutrients out of the sand and then roll up the remains and poke it out the hole! Looks like lots of french knots! Only one more day of this beautiful sunshine and then back to the wintry weather again.

Unusual colour

2010-08-12T11:15:00.001+09:30

A most unusual colour for a flower. It grows hanging down from a large vine in the tropics, and is a lovely soft aqua with purple stems.

A Leaf Beast.

2010-08-11T13:13:00.001+09:30

This is one of the little beasts I've been working on. There are three so far - they live in the leaf litter in the garden! I am adding more leaves and details before I put them together and start quilting.

Patchwork Beasts

2010-08-09T14:46:00.002+09:30

Have been thoroughly enjoying an online class with Jude Hill from Spiritcloth - stitching patchwork beasts and being totally inspired by Jude and others in the class.
At the moment I'm enjoying a holiday in the tropics.
Still trying to work our how to post photos etc. I'll get there!

A Start!

2010-08-08T08:50:00.000+09:30

Well, I've been thinking about it for a long time so here we go! Not sure what it will be about yet but hope to post a photo and say a few words a couple of times a week. Inspired by my recent online class with Jude Hill and lots of encouragement from Kerri. Thanks Kerri! (Not sure how to put a link to those yet but I guess I'll learn!)