January's One Monthly Goal Finish

We have reached the end of January's One Monthly Goal challenge. Now is to link up and show off our finished goals. So I was aiming to finish my Dresden Plate table runner. Here are the details on what I was up to at the beginning of the month. This is what it looked like at the beginning of the month.

The plan was to get the borders on which was giving trouble. I can't decide on them. that is why the project had stalled. With that sorted I got stucking into quilting it with my Westalee Design Rulers. I am finding that adding the ruler work to my quilting has improved my free motion quilting and I am enjoying the quilting part more now I can be a bit more creative.

Now the quilting was completed I was able to get the binding on as it was ready to go. A couple of evening in front of the TV had me wrap up the hand sewing part and it was completed after I did go back and unpick a little bit of the binding to insert my label which I had forget originally.

I have linked this post up with Elm Street Quilts so pop over and check out all the finishes for January. You may want to consider joining us next month. Now to select February Project. I wonder what it will be.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Put a Little Love in your Quilt Blog Hop is Coming

We are just over a week away from the Put a Little Love in your Quilt blog hop hosted by Carol at Just Let Me Quilt. It will be all about hearts, which shouldn't surprise anyone as this blog hop will be held in February. So pop on over to my blog on the 5th February to see what I have for you and then visit all the other blogs participating over Four Big  days.

It is such an amazing and talented group of bloggers who will be 

sharing their creative projects for all of us. We can't wait to be inspired! Here is who will be presenting over the four days.

February 5

Life in the Scrapatch

Freemotion by the River

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Vroomans Quilts

That Fabric Feeling

It’s A T-Sweet Day!

Elm Street Quilts

 February 6

 Creatin' in the Sticks

Quiltscapes

Bejeweled Quilts

Creative Latitude

Fabric Scraps

Just Sew Quilter

Ms P Designs USA

Made By Marney

Beaquilter

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

February 7

 Kris Loves Fabric

What About Rheema?

Bumbleberry Stitches

Selina Quilts

Quilt Quest

Hazel’s Daughter

Quilt in a not-Shell

Words & Stitches

Sunshine Reflections

Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

 February 8

Sew Incredibly Crazy

KaHolly

Moosestash Quilting

Kwilt Krazy

Kwilty Pleasures

Patchwork Breeze

Home Sewn By Us

Sew Many Yarns

Seams To Be Sew

Just Let Me Quilt

Here is a little sneak peek of my project.

I have the binding left to do. I hope you will join me on the 5th February for the fun.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Desert Sky Workshop

On Saturday we had the Desert Sky workshop on in store. It has been an eagerly awaited workshop, with a stunning pattern and a new teacher. There was four of us in class to learn the best ways to foundation paper piece. It is something I really needed help with. I have tried it a few times some with ok results and some with I am going to throw this in the bin if I have to unpick it again.

It was  a hot day and I had all the fans with the air conditioner going trying to keep us cool. It was an enlightening morning session and we were amazed we cut all the quilt blocks ready to sew. Preparation is the key she told us.

We had a great day learning, playing with fabrics, cutting, sewing, and enjoying each others company. We made plans for future workshops. Three of us did complete 4 blocks each and started on the next batch. So hopefully we will cruise through the rest of the blocks since they are cut. I will be working on mine during Sunday session of Project Uninterrupted. Why not since everything is laid out in sewing order.

Watch out for more details on the Fractured Paintbox Workshop with Elizabeth which will be held on the 11th March in store. This workshop uses precut 2 1/2" strips, so maybe you have some jelly rolls in your stash that you would like to use, this may be the workshop for you.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Places We Go- Aurifil's Designer of the Month #1

We are getting ready to sew our first block in Aurifil's Designer of the Month Places We Go Block of the Month.
Here are my black and white fabrics that I am using for this block of the month.

I still haven't decided what colour I want to use. I am down to 3 colours  pink, blue and green but I think I will wait for the first block to be released before deciding.

  Now the first block has been released  I have made the decision on what to use. One colour per block but a couple of different shades of that colour. You know what that mean you will be seeing me using lots of the Riley Blake Designs Shades fabrics.

Here is the link to Pat's Blog where you can find the first block and I will get to work on my first block. Don't forget Pat has a special monthly giveaway you can enter when you made your block during the month.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Cushions and Ruler Quilting Together

We had the Zipper and Piped Cushion Workshop on in store. With only one student doing the workshop we took the opportunity to do some quilting  using the Westalee Rulers. It is something we have trying to schedule in. With the Beginner's class in a couple of weeks I can see a need for more of these sessions. Once you have your machine worked out you want to quilt quilts, not keep doing practise samples. There is a lot out there on using the rulers but not too much on how it use the rulers on pieced tops. So that is what I want to focus on. How to quilt pieced tops. So watch out for those workshops once you have done a Beginner's Class.

Joy's managed to finish her two cushions in the one session. They have worked out beautifully.

While Brenda  was quilting her Sands of Time Quilt from one of my workshops from last year.

I was quilting my table runner which was created from my Dresden plate English paper piecing demo pieces from last year fairs and shop demos. It is my project selected in our Project Uninterrupted challenge and One Monthly Goal for January.

It was a lovely day of sewing. There is always something to learn that makes life exciting.
Next weekend's Desert Sky workshop is going to be an exciting learning experience on foundation paper piecing. If there is a spot I plan to join the class myself , at the moment there is a couple of spot left. If you want more details click of the Event/Workshop page here on my blog.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

On Ringo Lake Part 6

We have had the big reveal after Bonnie hit us with some quick fire clues leading up to the big reveal. Once that happened I had to find time to put a few blocks together so I knew what it was going to look like.
In the end I managed 8 blocks the day before the big reveal.

Then we had the big reveal and at this point I had to consider how many more blocks was I going to make. I did finish block 9. To go any further I need to make more blocks.

Anyway I did get an afternoon at the sewing machine to continue a little bit further on this project. I got most of the sashing done and another block and I was ready to lay it out so I could work out how much more did I need to get this to the quilt top stage. I am do a smaller version to see if I can get it to the quilt top stage before the end of January because once February hits it will be put aside for other projects. That is how Allietare and En Provence has ended up in my unfinished project list. If it is at the quilting stage it has more of a chance of being finished within the year.
This is where I got to by the time I have to stop to take care of dinner. In theory 3 more blocks and a few more sashing strips needed then the set in triangles.

 It will be tight to get all that done before the end of January as I am back at work from the 8th. We will see what happens.

I have linked this post to Bonnie's blog post so pop over and check out how everyone is doing on their On Ringo Lake.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

2018 Finish Along Q1 Projects

It's the first quarter of the 2018 Finish Along. It is time to select our project for the first quarter. What to select from my long list of unfinished projects?
Do I select lots of projects to push myself or do I select 1-2 project s only?

Project #1.

 My Allietare quilt from 2015. I finally got the top together over my Christmas break so my plan is to quilt it and bind it in this quarter.

 Project #2 is a Scrappy quilt with these little blocks. Still more rows to go but the blocks are all under 4" in size so it wouldn't be a large project, she says. This one may take me a while.

Project #3 is my Framed Up quilt, it is currently off being quilted so when I get it back it will only need the binding done.
I have linked this post up with She can Quilt post so pop over and check out what everyone is working on or may join in.
Until Next Time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia

Oh No! Project Uninterrupted Cancelled

That's right here we are on the first Saturday of the month and I have had to cancel our in store session of Project Uninterrupted due to the bad weather. Now being in South Australia bad weather in January is totally the opposite to the cold, ice and snow etc. our northern hemisphere sewing friends can be dealing with right now which we feel for them. It can still be dangerous.

Here we are having the opposite with 43 degree cel. (109+ fahrenheit) with a total fire ban for the whole state. Often you will have parts of the state under total fire ban but the whole state that is not good. It means is will be a dangerous day. Now we live a country town surrounding by farmland which can make us more vulnerable to fire as we discovered during the Pinery fires of a few years ago. We never considered us to be in a bushfire zone until then as there is no bush land /forests around us. So now we take it very serious.   Now here once you have a total ban we have 3 categories in that zone. Today the area we live in is classed as extreme that is second category  which is like sitting in a fence one side they advise you to leave for a safer zone the other side is dangerous but the least likely area to have a fire.  It is also safer to stay out of this heat too.
Now that does not mean we can't sew. We can still sew in the comfort of our homes and make some progress, as long as the power stay on. If not we will  have to go to our hand sewing project if the power goes off. That is what happened last night. Luckily we didn't have Summer School on last night or we would have be stuffed as our next project is a machine project.
Now the shop is open and I will be there hopefully working on this table runner that needs borders and finishing.

I think I have finally settled on the border fabrics which I cut last night. Just maybe I may be able to cross this one off the list. As I am finishing this post at 9 am local time it has already reach 38 degrees here.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Projects for Project Uninterrupted 2018.

It is that time of the year where I look at what I didn't complete and compile a new list for 2018. This list is going to long considering what was left of the 2017 Project Round Up.
1. My Leaf Placemats Half of the first one completed.

2. My black and white hexagon quilt. I am halfway through this one. Unfortunately I have not touched this one  during 2017 even though everything is cut so I should do something with it.

3. Forget Me Not Sew Along EPP hexagon quilt. Up to Step #9 which is about 3/4 through the top. A little bit of progress but not enough as I haven't finished it. I think I better start using this project as my English paper piecing demo to see if I can move it along. This year's Dresden plate demo project is ready for quilting so a replacement project is needed.

4. Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015. It is Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery quilt from 2015. This one I have picked up recently first to unsew a couple of rows so I could realign my blocks that I twisted. They were only twisted in the sense I used a directional fabric and I have to have them going the same way. The top is finally together and the backing made so it is ready for quilting. 

5. Vacation Time 2015 Block of the Month. Halfway through the blocks. No progress here. This one may become something else.

6. Bitty Blocks from Quiltmaker blog. I'm just over halfway through the blocks. I am considering making a small quilt with just what I have.  I have started on some four patch blocks which will become sashing rows in between the block rows of this row by row quilt. Plus some star blocks.

7. Paper piecing Quilt Along. I started this one hoping to improve my paper piecing I made 1 block and cut lots in preparation but couldn't find time to work on it. No progress here.

8. Craftsy 2015 Block of the Month I think I made 2 blocks. Kept meaning to cut the next blocks out but it never happened. Oh boy.  The projects from 2015 are haunting me as a write this post. This is the fifth one that I haven't finished from that year. No progress here, it will need to be reinvented as I give a friend some of the fabric from it, as she needed to finish a project. So we will see what I do.

9. My Pemberley Quilt. A block of the month started in 2016. Some progress but not enough so I will have to take a serious look at it.

10. The Shop's Octagon quilt was another block of the month program started in 2016. The blocks are done and I have started on the squares that fill in around the octagons. I need to work on the layout so I can start sewing them together. Some of the blocks.

11. My Tea Party Quilt. The blocks are completed and the sashing strips are cut, so I just need to sew everything together but I haven't touched it.

12. En Provence Mystery Quilt 2016- Mine is a smaller version of the original and I think there is still a few parts to make up before I can sew the top together. Even choosing to do a smaller version has not help me to complete it before the next year's mystery is released.

14. My Reel it in Quilt which I started at the beginning of 2017. I have completed half a dozen blocks.

15. My Christmas Reproduction Sampler Quilt. All the blocks are completed but no progress this year on it.

16. Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge which was suppose to help me use up some on of my batick scrap/stash. I have only made three blocks.

17. My Victorian Lace Table Runner the top is completed but I have misplaced it. I did notice a mistake it one of the blocks which is why I haven't quilted it. Not sure if to fix it or leave it. This is the last picture I have taken of it.

18. 2017 On Ringo Lake Mystery Quilt. Once again I am only making a quarter of the blocks until the quilt is revealed and them I will decide the final size.

19. Round We Go is the current Block of the Month I am running in the shop. We are only 3 month in to it. Technically there is 48 blocks over 12 months. I have completed 9 blocks so far.

20. A new Cynthia's Ark design using Keera Job's Daisy Day fabric range.

21. Plus there is another Four Patch project in the works which has developed from all the Four Patch blocks I have been making for my Bitty Block project.

22. My English paper piecing Dresden plate demo piece which has become a table runner. A different shape for next year's demo's -Hexagons is what I am thinking to help finish project #3 on this list.

23. My signature blocks from a swap I participated in last year. I need to do something with these blocks. I have a few ideas so we will see what happens to them.

 24. Gee Whiz! This is the last one. If I find any more I am not going to tell you.  My Framed Up Quilt which was a workshop is currently off to be quilted so only binding to do on it.

With all this down in writing I will need to focus on one or two projects  at a time and see them to completion.

 Plus try not to add to this list, which will be the hardest part.

These are the projects I have started not the ones I have patterns for that I want to make or the ones that I have patterns and fabric waiting for me to start making.

Until Next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia