BAM 2017 - January so far

I thought I'd show you a couple more pics of Bertha Bling this week.

To read her story go here

And she has been featured, along with some of her kin, 

on the Laughing Purple Goldfish site.

BAMCAL 2017

Another block has been made for my Blues afghan.

This block started off as the circle design from a book (Granny Squares & Shapes by Susan Pinner), but it was a circle, so I modified it to be a square.

And here's how my 3 (so far) January blocks are looking together.

I'm not joining them together until I have made them all, and at the moment, I don't know how many I shall be making... as this is meant to be a stash busting project it just depends on when I run out of blue yarn I suppose.

I'm quite pleased that I have January off to a good start. 

I have also made two more blocks in a different colourway, but I cannot show them here yet.

Onwards and upwards.

Happy Stitching.

Cyra

(Batty) Bertha Bling

Say hello to Bertha Bling, better known to her closest friends as 'Batty'.

The Ravelry Freeform groups January challenge brief was to create your Inner Beast using a magic ball of yarn. A pattern was provided by one of our members. As this was a Freeform challenge it was expected that the pattern would be used as a starting point, or spring board, to create our own Inner Beasts. Many of the resulting Inner Beasts are hilariously unique. Pop over to the Ravelry Project board to see them, and more Inner Beasts are still being created as some members are having so much fun with this they are creating a whole family of Inner Beasts, lol.

Inner Beast Project Board. (You have to be a member on Ravelry to view this link.)

I started with the pattern instructions for the body, but freeform took over just as I reached the leg holes.

What happened then I can only describe as innovative.

A bit of a Budha style tummy, and other curvy body shapes, appeared. She had driven her way into my head and was creating herself.

She is 16” tall in a siting position, and 27” from toe to crown.

Half woman / half beast. She occupies her days by creating havoc and laughing very loud. In just the nine days that I have known her she has kicked over my water glass twice, hidden the back door key, left a tap running in the bathroom, tipped a box of my yarns over, worst of all, left a hand/claw print in the un-set jelly.

Her name is Bertha Bling but her friends affectionately call her Batty for short.

She is by far the craziest woman, or beast, that has ever come to live in my house (although my family would argue that I’m almost at the top of the crazy list).

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Other things that have been made this week:

Moody Blue 12" square - designed by Helen Shrimpton

and Efflorescent Window - designed by Laurie O. Campbell.

These are 6" squares that may, or may not, be joined together to make another block. I'm undecided whether to use them as individuals or not. They need another round of stitches to get them to the 6", but I'm waiting to see what other 6" blocks I make first.

Happy Stitching

YOP - Doilies - Decoupage Tree - Stash

Two completed projects to show this week.

They will both benefit from a blocking soon, to help them keep their shape better.

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Stash Enhancement Xercise

100% pure NZ Merino top. 

Colour : Deep Rainbow.

For a needle-felting project starting sometime early(ish) 2017.

I am so lucky to have discovered a treasure, a very local hand-dyer of beautiful fibers and yarns, he lives about two streets away from me. Ian recently won a 1st prize award for a crocheted afghan made with his hand-dyed fibers.

This is my first purchase from him (the first of very many I'm beginning to think).

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And just to add to the season of Jollility, here is my decoupage tree, making another appearance this year as I love it's simplicity.

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This has been another Year Of Projects post.

If you would like to see what the YOP is all about, 

you can click on this icon in the side-bar, and

be taken to the Ravelry group.

Mandala Madness part 11

Here we are with another part of the mandala completed.

A Little Bit of Stitching - Building Blocks

My Building Blocks Quilt has had quite a few more 'bricks' hand stitched to it this week.

Our house is almost empty now. All the packing is done, just need a couple more trips to take it all to the new place.

And another one bites the dust - PINK block done

YAY..... I've finished this block now.

It's PINK.

I like this one, it has some interesting shapes and seam treatments.

So now I have to await the big move in November when I shall be reunited with my stash to make the next naked block and start embroidering on it.

I shall have to invent a new crafty project to occupy my hands in between packing. ALL my 'stuff' is now out of reach, and I dare not go shopping for more because I'm fed up with packing it all away and out of sight.

And while I'm on the subject of packing --- I was in a dilemma about what to do with this:

It's a lovely piece of furniture, and I love playing on it (a perfect sound). I have been trying to get Tony to agree to keeping it, but it is rather big, bulky, and heavy, and he says we are rapidly running out of storage space. So I have been thinking about giving it away to someone who will love it as much as I do. Maybe the local primary schools could suggest a child or family who could make very good use of it.

Anyway, the problem of what to do with it solved itself yesterday.

I turned it on and started to play a sad tune on what I thought would be my very last time on the lovely organ. After about 3 minutes there was a splutter, a loud fizz, and then an even louder bang, followed by an enormous amount of smoke coming up through the keys.

Yes..... I killed the keyboard.

 How sad.

CQJP 2015 Purple Block finished

Last week I couldn't find my camera attachment to upload photos.

This week I have found the missing chord/lead/usb thingy (someone put it in my crochet bag and put some crochet leaflets on top of it).

As I have had a great stitching week I am going to cut to the chase and show you the completed Purple Crazy Quilt Block, because, yes, I have completed it.

Please don't ask me what that 'thing' is on the left because I have absolutely no idea. It just developed into that, that.... thing.

And here is the next naked block, hand stitched as per all my blocks this year.

Once this block is finished I cannot make any more until after the end of November, as all my fabrics, and threads are are packed and have already made the trip to the new place.

I'm getting excited about moving now, and can't wait to reunite with my 'stuff'. 

Oh what a lovely adventure awaits me. 

Once we have settled there I plan to write all those books that are in my head, and make all those quilts that need making, and paint all those paintings that are just waiting to be inspired by the scenic location, and crochet all those 'things' that need to be created, and finish all those UFO's.

Haha! famous last words........

Reflecting on the week

I have been doing just a little bit of stitching - honest.

No photos though as I've lost misplaced my camera usb plug I really hope I haven't accidentally packed it away and sent it to our storage place.

Sorry I missed being here last week, phew what a week. Still packing, packing, packing, and meetings with solicitor, accountant and bank account adviser.

When will it all end? I am so looking forward to going, and relaxing, and sitting in the sun and just stitching full-time. 

Tony was down at our our new place for a couple of days last week sorting 'stuff' out. He says it is soooo quiet there he thinks he might get bored. Not me though, I'm so looking forward to the peace and tranquility. I shall be lost in my own world there, far from the madding crowds (and maddening).

My Purple Crazy quilt block has progressed a bit, and has some of my usual unique seam treatments. I have packed away my sewing machine and fabrics and most of my embroidery threads now. I just have two small baskets with threads in left out by my armchair now. One is the purple threads for my current cq block, and the other is the next colourway (as yet a secret) for the next cq block. I have also stitched the naked block for the next one, as all the fabric has gone into storage now as well, and I needed to have the next block ready for stitching when I finish the purple block.

Just a small case of hand sewing tools, along with the threads, are all that remains in the house now.

My office is packed up (equipment, paperwork, files etc.). My craft room is packed up and all in storage. Most of our clothes have gone, unnecessary furniture has gone. TV & lounge suite are about to be gone. All the cupboards except one are packed and gone.

The house is looking quite bare now.

Roll on November.

Close-up on the Orange CQ block

Here are some close up photos of my Orange block crazy quilt

The next naked block is ready and waiting for it's thread colour to be chosen.

I just can't decide which colour I want to work with next. It's not that I don't like the next colours, it's just that I have so many ideas and I'm finding it rather difficult to channel my thoughts into one colour.

Hubby & I have an exciting day out tomorrow, so I shall see if I'm inspired by any particular colour on our travels.

Woohoo - I Love Paisley's and Mandala's

Just a quick one-photo post today, as we are in the midst of O.I.S. (Other Important Stuff)

I love Paisley's and Mandala's

I will hopefully get some individual seam photos posted during the week (or next week at the latest).

CQJP progress on Orange block

There is only one word that describes this particular week for me --- BUSY

It's change-over week for ownership of our Auckland farm property, and that means lots of visits and meetings with professional services people.

This time next week I may be able to sit back and enjoy the sunny days, but for now, it's on with the business at hand.

Where did I find time to stitch? I have no idea, but here ya go, a bit more 'filling' on the Orange block.

CQJP 2015 - Orange block progress

Orange is the colour for the block this month and

here are some progress photos of the various seam treatments.

More embellishing to come next week.

Happy Stitching