25 March 2012

CQJP - TAST - Quilt Blocks & Life

CQJP - TAST - Quilt Blocks & Life

Life got in the way of my online presence over the last few weeks and trouble always seems to come in 3's.

We (hubby & I) have two sons still living at home. Both sons are Uni students, and both had trouble the same week about 6 or 7 weeks ago. Hence mum (me) to the rescue.

The first trouble that occurred was son#1 computer blew up. 
As his coursework demands copious amounts of research, writing, and digital designing, I had to give him my computer to use until he could buy a new one. Hence, most of my online absence was due to not having my own computer. 

The second trouble happened when son#2 was driving up the motorway to his Uni. The cambelt broke on his car and he managed to maneuver his dead car to the hard-shoulder through the busy city traffic. The engine was damaged beyond repair. Had to scrap the car and I have had to drive him every day since. It's a two hour trip there and back - twice a day. I'd much rather be stitching for those 4 hours a day, but his course comes before my pleasure. 
He is not legally allowed to drive my car. We are still searching for a new car for him but not many decent cars around at the moment.

Trouble number three - the trees in our orchard are meant to have the fruit ripening at different times, but this year they are all ripe at the same time and I'm having trouble keeping up with the fruit picking.
Our chickens are loving the windfalls, and the parrots are taking what I can't get to in time, my dining table is fully laden with apples, the peaches were juiced (delicious), the plums turned to mush too quick, we managed to save most of the pears from the bugs, but we are over-run with apples.
I'm fed up making stewed apples, apple pie, apple muffins and apple cake, even though it is well liked here and doesn't last long.

The last slice - and I only made this one last night.
I would be very pleased to have comments about other things I can do with apples

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And now onto my current stitching projects.
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TAST update

At the moment I can't remember where I got up to, but here are some that I have done on the chunky, brightly coloured, highly textured cushion that I'm making for my (almost blind) mum.

Chain Stitch
Couching
Running Stitch
Whipped Spider Wheel (tutorial on previous post here)







There are other stitches on this cushion too, as I'm slowly building up the colour and texture.
I have actually done a few more Whipped Spider Wheels on here, but no current photos as yet. You will have to wait for next weekends reveal for that.

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CQJP - February Finally Finished

Yes, I have finally got to a finishing stage for my February CQ block.
There is still more I would like to do on it, but I have run out of time, and really need to concentrate on my March block now.


And some details.




Stumpwork butterfly.

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Other Projects
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I have also stitched this Kiwifruit applique block for the Prostate Cancer fundraiser quilt, that my local quilt group are making.



And the following pic is the block I've entered in the block lotto for March at the quilt group.
The theme for this month was the Grandmother's Flower Garden Block and had to have a cream background.
All hand stitched.


Well that's me done for another reveal.

Happy Stitching.