Birthday

 MANY HAPPY RETURNS

I had a significant birthday this year and some of my friends got together and gave me a voucher for some wool from the Bendigo Woollen Mills and some tea, a special blend as I cannot eat much in the way of chocolate these days.

Simone, yes I know another with the same name made me a special beautiful miniature for my birthday,

 Front and Back, Love the backing material. I think it is moda maybe 3 sisters?

We had a lovely dinner at a local Indian restaurant as well. A very good evening was had by all.

Finally Boo boy is keeping me company nearby while I write this. I have been concentrating on some knitting I have had on the needles for a while now. Its a long cap sleeved jacket with a large collar and I have had 2 starts on the collar so far. Must remember to do the patterned knitting when fresh and wide awake!

Easy Street Step 6

Easy Street
Finally, step 6 is complete. easy going I thought. The strips were cut easily and sewn quickly.
I left it for the night then ironed them the next day and measured them before cutting. Just as well I checked the were short by 1/4 inch! I has sewn them with the zigzag foot on my machine which is wider than the normal foot. Ripit ripit ripit was the next order of the day. Finally after correcting that all went well. Then I found 2 extra strips beside the chair I had sat in to unpick the strips! Well I now have extra strips for whatever comes next. Roll on step 7.

Meanwhile below is a picture of how Lady sleeps in what we call the captains chair.
Despite how it looks she stays like this for quite a while.

Cat etc

Well I have completed the cutting of the 2 x 3 1/2" black and whites. I have included on the previous post the link on how to do the flying geese using Inklingo which I would have done is my printer was working.  Now I need to decide on a portrait photo of Lady for the rascals wall. Which one do you think looks best?
Hubby likes the top one, the middle one is her ' I am comfortable, What are you staring at pose?', and the bottom one has her relaxed in the outside enclosure. I am labelling them as A = top, B=middle & C=bottom.
Just let me know what you think.

Busy Saturday

It has been a busy saturday. First off download and print the directions for Step 2 of Easy Street.
Then get cutting and stitching. In between this 4 loaves of almond bread to bake.
Step 2 is completed, just have to cut 64 black and white 2x3 1/2 blocks.

Lady in a perfect position for a photo!

I do not have the rulers Bonnie does so it was a different way around and I have to cut off the dog ears, but that will be for another day. I usually use Inklingo but the brain was on the fritz and I am having printer problems. The link above will take you straight to Linda's directions for the HST triangles.  It will definitely come into play is needed in later steps though its so easy to iron print and cut then sew with no dog ears. I usually do several lots of Almond bread for family and gifts. I have been using a recipe I received from my 2nd cousin about 20 years ago, I have made a slight modification to it but it is still her recipe, and goes down well at Christmas. If I don't hide it the family snack on it before I am ready.

The Almond Bread logs before I cut and re-bake.

This is one I prepared earlier.

Hope you all have a good day.

                                                             

Autumn and Friends

Well it's now autumn well and truly, the colder weather is here. I have been working on some knitting and quilting an Amish style quilt I started some time ago. I have been to a tea cosy exhibition with some fellow bloggers and I look forward to seeing what they are doing in this colder weather. The cow tea cosy above was one I couldn't resist taking a photo of. The face is completely composed of beads, and looks amazing.

This is an Inklingo New York Beauty 02 pattern. I couldn't resist the shapes and have the number 1 & 3 collections as well. They might get printed tomorrow and hopefully I can finish some more. They are addictive and very pretty.

Meanwhile there are some nights which I find it difficult to do any quilting at all and have to do some hand piecing or nothing. There is aprox 15 kilos of feline parked on my lap in this photo. All we are missing is the other maine coon. Thank heaven she doesn't want a lap at this stage!
I must admit it is very warm under all that fur but it does make getting a cuppa a little difficult!

Snack Quilt top

My Inklingo snack quilt top is finally completed. Thank you Linda for the Pattern. This has been a work in progress for
a couple of years now, something I pick up and put down. Taken to meetings and DR's offices.
I plan to hand quilt this with a dark brown thread with wide stitching on my quilting frame.
The photo on the left shows the whole quilt and the one on the right shows what the colours are really like.

Flowers in the Grass

The sawtooth border on the right of the top belongs to the quilt underneath.

Finally have you ever seen a feline sit like this for any length of time? I just had to have a photo Lady is just so funny at times. She sat like this for at least 10 minutes. Must have been comfortable.

Pets On Quilts Show

Welcome to the Pets on Quilts Show Hosted by SewCalGal .
Here are the Maine Coons who just have to be involved. When they get involved I have to move carefully those paws are BIG. They came to us after being terrorized by 3 dogs. They are big beautiful characters who chat and love laps and to be involved in everything we do.

Bess on a quilt top trying it out for size.

If she had a try I have to help too mum. You missed this bit if the quilting.....

 Yes it's comfortable, thanks.

Bess also overseas the ironing, although paws must stay away from the iron.

 This runner is pretty and suits me mum. But it needs to be a little longer, add more squares like these ones mum.
I love the fur babies and they love being involved and around their people. So I will have many more years of quilts and cats to come.

Having a Bess supervse the ironing can be a little bit of a problem, especially when Making bias binding but fortunatly the paw only came out once and a little tap was all it took for her to decide that watching was more fun.