September's textiles

September was a write-off - for sewing - as I was overseas for three weeks.  But it was still textile related - a textile tour of Morocco, with nine other like minded souls.  I really enjoyed the trip and Morocco itself, however there wasn't enough textiles for a nineteen day trip - to my mind anyway.  It was a cultural tour, with some textile bits included.  

While in Morocco, I purchased a "little" bit of fabric - two large pieces of stripey fabric, not actually yardage but I will use it as such.  I have a tunic top in mind for the blue fabric.  It feels like it may be rayon.  And a number of pieces of embroidered linen from a women's embroidery cooperative in Midelt.  Their work was such high quality.  

                    

Also in Morocco, I purchased a hall runner rug, in the "map" design from the southern part of the country.  The rug is 2.7m long.    And I picked up a few other textile bits and pieces.  

        

Blue rayon thread on the bamboo bobbins they use; two sizes of knotted thread buttons - one set of all blue, and a bag of multi-coloured ones; and a sample of sfifa braid.  

In Fes, we watched Bouchera demonstrate how she plies the threads, makes the sfifa and finishes it by damping it and flattening the braid with a bone tool.  The sfifa was knotted using her fingers, with the thread in a cat's cradle arrangement.  I've done a quick search online but couldn't find any demonstrations of how it is done, but a cat's cradle is the best analogy for it.  The sfifa braid is applied to women's kaftans and men's jellabas, usually around the neckline and down the front, with the knotted thread buttons there as well.  Bouchera makes the braid to order, working with the tailor or seamstress making the garment it will decorate.  Depending on the complexity of the braid, it can take Bouchera over an hour to make one metre of braid.  

I did visit a couple of patchwork shops in Australia in the last month and purchased 5.5m of fabrics - most on special.  None were for specific projects but filled a gap in my stash or just looked pretty.  

The white looking one is a very useful tone on tone, great for backgrounds.  The top two are fat quarters for kids' quilts.  I only paid full price for the FQs, others on special.  

September 2022 fabric tally

Purchased 5.5m of patchwork fabrics.  I'm not counting the Moroccan fabrics in my tally!  (MY rules.)

No finishes in September.  

Fabric used:  - 0 m         Fabric acquired:  + 5.5 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 31.75 m

 

Not much done in August either!

August was another slow month for sewing.  My right leg was the infected one, so I couldn't use the sewing machine for several weeks.  And my brain was pretty tired earlier in the month, so I didn't want to do anything that might require thinking!  

Here is Kaye's wallhanging as far as it got to, before I became sick in early July.  Not even the top is complete, as I still have a couple of sections to sew together.  I am still mulling over how to back it, with or without a binding, and the hand quilting will also take a while.  Since I missed Kaye's birthday, I will now aim for this as a Christmas present!  It is approx. 110cm x 58 cm.

I did finish Cheryl's second mallet cover - a quicker project now that I have the pattern worked out.  

This photo shows the three mallet covers I made - the first one was a very scrappy prototype.  The other two are fairly bland, being a black fabric, and are for two different sizes of croquet mallets. Cheryl seemed quite pleased with them.  

Cheryl had also asked me to finish a blanket for her daughter.  Before she passed away, Cheryl's mother had been sewing Girl Guide badges on a blanket for Cheryl's middle daughter.  I was happy to finish sewing on the last of the badges, as Cheryl is not a sewist.  There were about 40 badges to sew on, of various sizes and shapes.  The blanket is a stretchy knit fabric and was a pain to sew on.  None of the badges would line up neatly!  But they are all on, and it is an honour to be asked to continue the work of Cheryl's mother.  

        

Other sewing work done in August included much mending - trousers for the hubby, my backpack strap, worn patches on one of my favourite tops, and a couple of the tops that I will be wearing on my September holiday needed minor repairs as well.  

Our much spoilt cat, Mish, now has a new place to sit and survey her world.  Hubby made the stand from scraps in the garage and painted it white.  I made a cushion filled with scrap bits of fabric, and a zippered cover for it.  This sits on the top shelf of the stand.  Mish seems to like it.

            

Since I will be away for three weeks in September, don't expect great things from me in the month!  I have high hopes for October though.  Mmmm, I think I said that about July - back before I got sick.  I do have to get sewing though, as I need to get that 2022 fabric tally down quite a bit more.  It would be nice if I could use up all the fabrics that I purchased this year.  

August 2022 fabric tally

Finishes this month are:  croquet mallet cover = 1/4m fabric; cat stand cushions = 1/2m fabric.

Fabric used:  - 0.75 m         Fabric acquired:  + 0 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 26.25 m

My time away in September is in a place with lots of lovely textiles.  Will my purchases count towards my fabric tally in September?  Time will tell.  😇

Achievements in July

Covid and then a bacterial infection in my leg slowed down my sewing in July, sadly.  I had planned lots of sewing as my paid work had eased off a lot.  Not to be however!

A friend asked me to make a cover for the head of her crochet mallet as the one she had wasn't to her taste.  With much trial and error (do not attempt complex measurements when recovering from Covid), I finished two - my trial version and the final one.  She would also like me to make a cover for her smaller mallet, used for gateball - a form of croquet.  That is half done at present.  I didn't want to make bias binding in her preferred dark colour until I had the cover right, which is why the trial version is quite bright and varied.  The idea with the cover is that it wraps over the top of the mallet head, with a space for the handle.  The Velcro will keep it firm.  I sewed the round ends on with the seam on the outside and then covered that with bias binding.  Hopefully Cheryl will like them.  

My friend's birthday is in early August, and because I've been sick, her wall hanging is much neglected.  I'm hopeful of finishing it to at least sandwiched stage by her birthday.  Fingers crossed!

Bonnie Hunter's scrappy trip around the world pattern has intrigued me for some time, as it seems to be a great way of using up scraps.  I've made nine blocks so far - laid out on the table - and hope to make another 15 to get a decent sized quilt.  When I look in my 2 1/2"strip box, I am pretty sure I will have no trouble making those extra blocks.  Some blocks I've made using individual 2 1/2" squares, other blocks made from 6 x 2 1/2" strips joined together in a tube.  I'm still not sure which method I prefer.

I try to cut my scrap fabrics into useful sizes and keep on top of the cutting so that I'm not overwhelmed with scraps.  Initially I included 1" squares in the scrap cutting but stopped that as they're too small.  However, I had a bunch already cut so I'm using them as leader/enders for other sewing with a view to turning them into a small scrap quilt - just because I can.  After spending all that time cutting the squares, I would feel terrible about chucking them in the fabric recycling.  

Other useful sizes I cut are 2 1/2" strips, squares of varying sizes, 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles, and 10" squares too.  I have lots of patterns for precuts so all these should be useful eventually.

July 2022 fabric tally

Finishes this month are:  croquet mallets = 1/2m fabric.  

Fabric used:  - 0.5 m         Fabric acquired:  + 0 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 27 m

Just June

A new baby quilt is quilted and bound, and on its way to the happy family via Australia Post (who had better deliver it!)  Finished size is 32" x 48" (81cm x  122cm.)  Made from leftovers from a previous I Spy quilt, in the woven pattern that I don't know the name of.  The border fabric is pretty old, I think, from my stash.  The backing fabric is a fairly new one and the batting was from my stash of smaller batting pieces so I'm not sure of the composition of it, although I think it is cotton/polyester mix.  '

            

We had visitors this month and, since there isn't electric blankets on our guest room beds, I provided hot water bottles.  So I had to make two covers for the bottles, of course.  They didn't take long as I think I have the making of this pattern down pat now!

Here's photos of the badges I made for the "police"and "security"costumes at our local toy library.  I used the toy library logo on the badges.

I've started sewing with a charity called Days For Girls - www.daysforgirls.org   This group provides reuseable, appropriate products for women and girls in developing countries so they can manage their monthly periods and engage in education, employment and livelihood activities.  In some countries, the local women make the products.  In countries like Australia, there are many groups who make the kits up to send to women who need them, with appropriate education and support.  These kits cost around $15 each to make and will last a women for about three years.  

There is a local group of women who get together regularly, to sew up these kits according to precise guidelines.  I am excited to be part of the group and to know that my sewing can help women in other countries in this way.  Do have a look at the website and see what they do - I am impressed with their work.  

June 2022 fabric tally

Finishes this month are:  two hot water bottle covers and the baby quilt.  I really need more time at the sewing machine!  

Fabric used:  - 2.0 m         Fabric acquired:  + 0 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 27.5 m

Plan B is often better than Plan A - for May anyway

Plan Bs had to happen in May with lots of family happenings, so I haven't quilted the baby quilt yet.  The theory is that it will happen this week, as I am supposed to be home - less paid work, no family issues, no housework being done (!) - so lots of sewing time!  Let's hope that will happen.  I did get a few other sewing tasks completed in May, though.  

I've now cut all the fabrics needed for the flowers on the Quatro quilt.  I had used up all the fabric that came with the kit, but it was easy to find similar enough fabrics in my stash to cut pieces for another 15 or so flowers.  If I mix the new fabrics with the older ones in the flowers and scatter them around the quilt, nobody will be able to tell they're not part of the original.  I am hopeful that there is enough fabric for the light grey and white stars but I haven't yet cut all the pieces I need for those.  Solid fabrics like those are not hard to find though, so I'm not stressing about them.  Shown are the piles of the three shapes needed for the flowers.  So many of them!  It will take a while to finish this quilt.  

I made another couple of hot water bottle covers for my daughter's family, using up fabric and batting scraps.  I'm so glad I can help them out in this way.  The ten year old boy certainly seemed happy with the skull and crossbones fabric! 

Our local toy library is up and running again - Yippee!  and I'm on the committee for a while until they get established.  (I was last on the committee and a member in the late 1990s!)  With the stocktake earlier in the year, lots of the costumes needed minor repairs so I took some home and did those.  All needed washing too.  Two police shirts needed badges that didn't look too authentic but still seemed real.  I designed and printed the badges on fabric and sewed them onto the shirts.  Hopefully the kids will enjoy pretending to be police or security officers.  (Forgot to take photos though, sorry!)

                     

My son asked me to make a padded drawstring bag for his spiral didgeridoo.  Searched for a design but ended up making my own pattern, based on several online.  The bag is padded, with double batting but the drawstring part isn't, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to close very well.  I used up some of my Aussie fabric  and joined together quite a few small batting pieces to make enough for the double thickness in this bag.  (I always get such a sense of accomplishment when I use up small pieces of fabric or batting.  I'm trying very hard not to throw anything out.)

I hadn't seen this style of didgeridoo before- different, isn't it?  

May fabric tally

Only finishes are two hot water bottles and the drawstring bag, so only 1.5m used last month.

Fabric used:  - 1.5m         Fabric acquired:  + 0 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 29.5 m

Small projects

I've accomplished a few sewing-related things in the last couple of weeks since we returned from our holidays.  It has been great to get back into the sewing room, enough to make me feel like saying 'no' to casual work as I don't want to leave my happy place.  

Hot water bottle covers for my daughter and her family - I looked up patterns on the net and based mine on a couple of reasonable sounding ones.  One I made from woollen fabrics (the fabric is leftover from the vests I made for the men in my daughter's wedding party), and another from quilted fabric from the stash.  It was good to use up leftover binding strips for these covers.  And leftover batting also.  I will see how these go before I make any more.  

 

A new cover for my foot stool cushion.  I made the cover at least 15, probably 20 years ago, and although the base and the edge are fine, the top had worn through so I just used some leftover piecing to replace that.  The top doesn't match the bottom but that doesn't matter.  You can see in the photo how worn the top fabric is compared to the bottom fabric.   

Good friends of ours have a new grandchild so I've made a quilt for him - I've pieced and sandwiched it and will quilt it this coming weekend, when I have a full day to work on it.  Here are the blocks laid out on the kitchen bench.  I've added a border as well.  

I have now promised another friend a quilt as a house warming gift.  Her house is 170 years old and has been renovated in an older style, and her furniture is mainly antique too.  One of my bright quilts (which I tend to make) would not suit the house.  I have a quilt in mind though - a kit that I bought (too) many years ago and have never started because I decided it isn't really my thing.  Some piecing and some applique. It was originally a "block of the month" so is presented in monthly paper bags, which will be a nice way to work through it.  I've never done a BOM before.  I'm pleased now that I can make it with a specific person in mind.  

    Photo of the photo of the BOM quilt, from the last package in the set.  The BOM was issued during 1998! and I bought the set of bags on special in 2004 (I think.)  I remember it being a reduced price, and I wasn't going to let a bargain go past!  I don't really like the pillow part of the quilt at the top, so will probably not include that.  It will still be fine without that.  I don't know why I decided this wasn't for me as I am quite liking the colours.  

I've completed the first two paper bags already.  I know that the larger outside rounds will take longer to make, especially the applique.  But it has been fun so far.  

Almost May - already!

Didn't realise I'd bought so many grey threads.

Since my last blog post, I’ve hardly been home, with a couple of short and two longer trips away from home. And when I was home, I seemed to be unpacking and washing, or working, or packing for the next trip - so very little sewing was done at all.  In ten weeks, I was home only 14 nights, split into several short stints.  And while away, sadly, I did very little hand sewing, being busy with sightseeing, etc.  

Seen in a museum in Charters Towers

Our most recent trip was four weeks in Queensland, so we drove through lots of small (and larger) towns, where of course I wanted to support the local patchwork shops.  They vary so much in how they’re presented, the stock they hold, and the warmth of the welcome. Some shops held so many fabrics that it was hard to choose.  One of the smallest towns had a shop with an amazingly wide assortment of fabrics and notions.  

These are the shops I would recommend a visit to:

• Just Country Crafts - in Gulliver, a suburb of Townsville - such friendly, helpful staff 
• The Quilters Store - in Salisbury, a suburb of Brisbane (I have gone to this shop each time I visit Brisbane, and was sad to hear that it is becoming an internet only store in June)
• Needleworx - Mackay
• Brown’s Craft Shed - Charters Towers

Unpacking from this trip was great, finding all the goodies I’d purchased. Sadly this means my fabric tally is definitely not in the black!  But I have ideas for so many more quilts, utlising these fabrics.  Other than fabric I also bought a few different threads and I succumbed and bought a couple of patterns. I did buy more grey threads than intended!  

More cat fabrics! for my teeny tiny collection! 😆

Novelty fabrics for kids' quilts

    

Useful sashing & border fabrics

             So I really supported local patchwork shops!  😄

I was also given a large bag of craft fabrics from a deceased estate, which I won’t include in my monthly fabric tally - mainly because I haven't looked at them yet.  I might include them after I've sorted them.  They are mainly checks and plaids, and I have an idea for making some donation quilts with them.  

April fabric tally

Fabric used:  - 0.0m         Fabric acquired:  + 31.5 m

2022 fabric tally so far:     + 31 m