WIPW

There is something in my garden that doesn't like me.  It has bitten me before, but this time I was savaged and my immune system response isn't good.  I was laid low for the first week and now, in the second week since being bitten, I am still having to take to my bed.  I already spray myself with insect repellent but it looks like I will need to wear long sleeved shirts.  I seem to get bitten on my arms.

But those setbacks aside I am now working on another donation quilt.  It is a bit 'dark' but I know it will appeal to teenagers, both boys and girls.

I am working on designs for Xmas gifts. Sewing supply kits

and book covers, the covers of each are so pretty already.   (I will post patterns and tutorials for each as I progress with them.)

And I have slowly been working through the on-line workshops for Sketchbook Revival.

These are only free for a short time so I have to watch them all and select which ones I might want to take a class in.  (A bit hard when you are not feeling on top of things.)

 

Kogin

I said I wouldn't teach again but .... you know the rest.

I taught a Kogin class at my patchwork group but it didn't go to plan.  We meet in a school hall and it's school holiday time.  I wanted a quiet room but the battery had run out on the lock and we couldn't get in so I had to set up in the main hall.  Not what I wanted at all.

Kogin looks so simple but it requires a certain level of concentration.  You can not stitch and socialise.  And, it was a large class.  There were some who got it straight away and some who didn't.

 

I have to admit I love this form of stitching.  I might do some more.

Placemats- Finished

I can now rule a line under those place-mats.  They were wonderful to try out new quilting patterns, but,

the finishing of the binding really taxed my sore wrist.

I think that I like this swirling pattern the best because it suits the pattern printed on the fabric.

Lots learnt from this exercise.

A full week

The weather has been just beautiful.  So beautiful that I haven't had anytime to write.  Plus, on Monday I decided to work in my garden, got bitten by something and have had a terrible reaction to it.  It is still giving me grief but having been bitten before by this thing in my garden I know that the reaction to the bite will pass. 

It has been school holidays here and with all the fares on the ferry being 50c we have been inundated with day trippers along with others who came to fish.

It makes a wonderful day for a family with the great weather and beautiful sandy beaches but is terrible for parking on the mainland.  I have to admit I stayed at home for the first half of the week because I knew I wouldn't get a parking spot for my car if I moved it.  When I did travel it was on the barge along with the other locals because there was no room on the ferry. 

Beside the day trippers people have moored their boats off the beach and stayed here.  One group of men had all made their boats themselves and each one was perfect. 

Just a delight for the eye.

It has been time for the migrating birds to return from Siberia and they have flown into the bay in huge flocks.  It quite takes your breath away to see them arrive.

And the whales are here on their migration down to Antarctica.  The big ones stay in the deep water.

But the smaller mothers and babies have come to within 50 metres off the beach at the front of my house.

The whales had been hunted almost to extinction, it is wonderful to see them returning.  Mother Nature has put on a show for spring.

Finishing the place mats.

The binding of the place mats is not my favourite task but it has to be done.  I had a false start when I thought I would use an orange binding, it was horrible.  So, I unpicked it and have settled for a dark blue.

I have stitched a different quilting pattern on each one.  I started with a regular grid and then started playing.

I thought I would only do the six for my niece, but, then I couldn't decide which six!

So I am now binding all of them and will pick the best six for her.  I picked up this lovely fabric 2nd hand and didn't waste a scrap using every piece to make the mats.   (I know there are 7 here.)

They look good from the back as well.  It's' the hand sewing that is taking the time but hopefully they will all be finished by the end of the week.