Monday, July 29, 2019

UFO Monday- 22nd UFO Finish.

I did get this UFO finished and it's my 22nd UFO finish for the year. It's lovely to see so many of my old UFOs being finished and ready to donate and I keep finding more so I need to keep working on them.
  I made this top ages ago and I think it was too narrow so I added borders to the sides. Possibly I intended to add them to thd top and bottom but I couldn't find the same fabric and it was large enough at this size so I have finished it and it's ready to be donated to brighten someone's day at Peter Mac.
Now I need to get some more quilt tops basted and get busy quilting again while this afternoon is free.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Vic Quilters Showcase.

It's been a very busy week with Jake sick and Aidan unsettled with a growth spurt so there's been lots of cuddles and not much quilting. I did finish 3 quilts and 2 baby jackets but haven't had time for photos yet.
  I did manage to spend Saturday at Vic Quilter's Showcase and had a lovely time catching up with quilting friends and seeing lots of fabulous quilts.
  Here are a few thst I enjoyed. I hope to blog more soon.


 








Hugs, Jan Mac 

Monday, July 22, 2019

UFO Monday.

 I haven't finished this UFO yet but it will be done in a day or two. After making the top many years ago it waited for quilting and I have finally been working on it today.
 This top was also found in the same box and it will be finished very soon too. It was donated as a much larger top which wasn't a good size for a donation top so I adjusted the size and now just need to stitch down some of the green stems then quilt and bind it so that should be finished as soon as I complete the stitching and make a backing.
 I have also returned to stitching this donated BOM for my quilt group. Once completed it will be donated too. Below is a photo of the central part of the quilt but I'm planning on altering some of the blocks and not adding an appliqued border as the quilt will be too large for a donation quilt.
 The last 2 photos are repeats of the quilts I shared in yesterday's post so you can fet a better idea of their colours. The sun was out today, although the wind was cold, so we had a long walk and then I managed to fit in some pin basting and quilting while the boys slept.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Weekly Catch Up.

 The lighting is not very good but by the time I took a break for photos it was too dark outside. Family commitments afain this week meant there was less time for quilting but I did manage to finish off the UFO quilt a few days ago as well as this top for AQA.
 Another QAYG quilt was made for Peter Mac from donated blocks.
 I also made a large pouch bag for the Peter Mac auxiliary shop and used some hexagons as decoration.
 I also finished 2 more baby jackets for the week.
Not a bad result for a busy week and I need to keep working on my UFOs to reduce the large pile of them. That is, when  I can find them in various boxes.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Saturday, July 20, 2019

21st UFO Finish.

 Like a lot of my UFOs this one didn't take too long to finish as it just needed the fused appliqued flowers to be stitched down. My preferred method of applique is hand stitched needle turn but I am using the feature on my sewing machine to stitch a lot more of these quilts which will be donated and it's much quicker. Once the applique was stitched down, it didn't take long to piece a backing and get it quilted. It's great to have finished 21 for the year, so far, but I also need to do some work on those UFOs needing lots more work. On those I'll settle for making progress instead of a finish.
 We've had a lovely week with our 2 little grandsons and Jake is fascinated by my crocheting and is keen to have a go himself. He's also very happy to follow PaPa around and supervise his work like changing batteries or putting together a new doorbell. It's lovely to see their relationship develop as they share special moments. Jake must feel like he's learning a lot too as he's removed the back of their TV remote and tried to change their batteries too.
Little Aidan is 7 weeks old now and sharing lots of smiles and becoming much more aware of us all, but sleep is still very high on his list of favourite things to do.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Many Thanks Again Delys R.

 I've received another wonderful parcel of goodies from Delys R. from Western Australia and she has been very busy crafting. This beautiful crocheted blanket was made by Delys for donation to Peter Mac and the beanie was made for New Guinea. I know how much work and time these take and they will be much appreciated.
 Delys also made more lovely QAYG blocks and these will be used up soon to make more quilts for Peter Mac .
A lovely fabric panel and more lovely fabric was also sent in the parcel and it will be used to make more bags and quilts for Peter Mac .
Once again, thank you so much for your support for my various projects , Delys. It is really appreciated and does help to make a difference to others in need.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Monday, July 15, 2019

UFO Monday- 20th UFO Finish.

 This lap quilt is my 20th UFO finish for the year and used up 2 panels and 2 different sets of blocks. I had 3 orphan Snowball blocks and Heart blocks donated by Dutch quilters so decided to combine them with the panels to make a lap quilt for Peter Mac. I made one of the Heart blocks into a Snowball block and I'm very happy to have another finished UFO which uses up more of my orphan and donated blocks. It's also making me work creatively to use them in quilts.
 I also finished the machine embroidery on the applique for this UFO and have almost finished quilting it so it should be another UFO finish in a day or so.
 This hexagon heart block is another UFO that I am working on and I will add a border first and then add more hexagon blocks to surround it.
At the moment I'm appliqueing hexagons to background squares and it's also using up more scrappy hexies that I have been working on, so a win-win.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Weekly Catch Up.

 This first QAYG quilt is lap sized and will go to Peter Mac for one of their clients. I never tire of putting these together and they always look lovely. Many thanks to my lovely supporters who supply me with these blocks.
 This top was donated by Delys R. I think, and she's from Western Australia. It was twice the size and I made it into 2 quilts to be a more suitable size for donation.
 This Disappearing Nine Patch quilt top was made by a member of AQA for our Gift Quilt Program and I have quilted it for donation. I love the controlled scrappy look with each block being a different colour.
 Another baby jacket finished for the PeterMac shop.
 7 more chemo beanies for Peter Mac.
 We also spent 3 days with these little boys and enjoyed a long walk to see the ducks on a nearby lake.
It was a busy week with family fun and I am pleased to have finished more quilts etc to donate. I've also completed a UFO which I will share tomorrow . We're having cold weather here but it's lovely for quilting.
Hugs, Jan Mac 

Saturday, July 13, 2019

AQA Quilt In.

 Today was my quilting group's Quilt In and it was a very enjoyable day chatting with old and new friends.
 There was a Silent Auction which I  supported and I was lucky enough to win on 6 items. I placed lots of bids as the items were going too cheaply and it's a good way to raise funds for the group. This BOM was one item that I won.
 This complete kit and pattern was another.
 This little hexagon purse with pattern, 1/2 inch hexie papers, bag handle attachments and fabric was one I loved and will keep for myself.
 There was a bundle of 7 Kaffe Fassett knitting and needlework books  which was another I won.
 Another lovely applique pattern with fabric to get started. Below you can see some of the hexagons I joined to decorate bags. Another great way to use up scraps and make pretty items for Peter Mac to sell.
 Our guest speaker was award winning quilter, Sugy Kim, who gave a very interesting talk on how she designs and makes her original quilts.
 This photo is the last item I won in the Silent Auction and it's a kit to make a lap sized quilt. I doubt that I will make the included pattern, but as I paid less than the fabric is worth, that won't matter and I will probably use the fabric to make another lap quilt for sale.
It was a lovely gathering on a wet day and well supported by quilters from other groups, with lots of friendly chatter. A good reminder too that I am so lucky to meet so many like minded quilters for a social day .
Hugs, Jan Mac