Works in Progress

Somehow I've ended up working on three quilt tops fairly concurrently...


My HSTs have migrated from the design wall, one row at a time to the machine and the top is coming together quite quickly now.

My improvised squares have been pieced into the background, so now I'm thinking about the back for this, which will probably be pieced from odds and ends, since this quilt is mainly that.

I'm sort of reluctant to post this yet because I know that the individual pieces in this top will really "meld" by the time I've quilted it. It's going to be a bit held up though, because the Copen (Kona solid) I chose for the back really isn't as good as Cadet would be... It is so hard to choose a colour from a card with 1" squares and I haven't found a shop here which sells solids. Such a shame to have to buy more fabric ;-)!

Speaking of which, I bought this lovely stack of Moda Grunge (plus bonus Habitat on sale)  for a project I have in mind inspired by our Cambodia travels and a particular spot in Battambang. 

I think there'll be a bit of the Grunge left over and I rather like the look of it with the Habitat Peach Pollen, which was serendipitous rather than planned, so it'll be interesting to see what comes of that!

On a Misty Moisty Morning

I really enjoyed my atmospheric walk this morning and happened to have the camera in my raincoat pocket. I very much appreciate the gift of sight!

My cup runneth over

Camera Case

We recently bought a new compact camera, just to have in a pocket or bag to save lugging the big one around all the time. We didn't buy a case for it, thinking I could make one. I've dithered for a few weeks waiting for this fab fabric to arrive:

and trying to decide on the best design. I'm not sure that this is the best design for this, but at least it protects it and it's simple.

Just a lined pouch, boxed at the base, and with a little batting for padding.

Ideally I would have like to find a silver flex thingy, but I couldn't without waiting longer to order on online and so I decided that this one, available locally is OK.

I adapted Ayumi's tutorial which was really clear.

All in all I'm pretty pleased.


Joining in today over here

Holidays

I've been having a winter break with the kids over the school holidays, so it's been a while...

It's been a great time and I've enjoyed:

Having the big boy back for a break from Uni in NZ

Walking with the family in the beautiful Grampians National Park in Victoria

Spot the Kangaroo

Also on the menu has been a bit more interesting cooking without the usual time pressure, and making the most of winter warming type dishes.

A Moroccan recipe book is currently undergoing a renaissance in our house.

This tagine uses chicken and preserved lemons. Our friend Nigel laid down the lemons for us, from the plethora on our tree, when he was staying earlier in the year.  This tagine recipe uses two preserved lemons, quartered; which made it pretty lemony. Delicious! Green olives were called for and these gorgeous buttery sicilian olives are my current favorite and complemented the lemons well.

On the sewing front, having finally finished the trimming, I have been fiddling with triangle placement.

I'm going around in circles a bit (so to speak!) with all the possibilities that value differences create. I quite like the zigzag pathways happening here, but have toyed with both something more random and something more regular. But I think I'll save the regular pattern I have in mind for more scrappy fabric. A few things jumped out at me from this photo that I have since changed (e.g. the matched large green triangle near the centre bottom). But I'm not sure how I'll ever finish fiddling with it?

I've rigged up a temporary design wall in the absent Uni boy's room, (but never fear, it's not a bathroom yet- in-joke for those that know that Australian ad!) over the top of his notice board and I must say it's GREAT to be able to leave the pieces up and muse on it! 

I've also ordered some fabric online... and have been pondering my blue and purple improvised squares and trying to figure out how best to piece them into the background...I decided on aqua in the end.

I have done some work in the "real job" too, so you can see I've been relaxed but not idle!