This goes with that at Lucy's..............

For the Aussies I digress the blog title a slight twist on the old "This goes with that at Susans" advertising line.............

anyway back to Lucy.............

thought I had shared this but I hadn't so this is how I put my Lucy Boston blocks together..............

I join centre pairs and then put a green in this case and repeat for below then join those 2 sections and add the other 2 greens to make the section below.........

 I pair up the outer fabrics sometimes these have one directional prints etc and it is easier to think as I join them in pairs then as I put each one onto the block........

then it all goes together...........OMG when I first started I sewed wrong bits in or joined the wrong angles...........thank goodness I found a system.........well it works very well for me anyway..............

then  I add the units I have prepared of creams as per previous post........you don't need the little squares on all points.........

then we grab the fillers (see this post)

And this goes with that.........and Lucy starts to come together..........

Ignore the bottom left block as it is a corner and I am working that bit out............

I'll show you how I am finishing it off later..........

It needs more sewing and I am banned from Lucy at the moment.................

I moved it apart a bit so you can see the outline of each block...........

And just a bit closer..........

OK enough of Lucy..........I would not have done it today but we have free data with Telstra today so I have been getting some computer stuff out of the way.......updates etc..........I think they upped the speed because this morning mine was going SOOOOO fast for us..........not the case this arvo...........

usually we have such limited amount I am taking advantage.......

And it is hot so I am inside with the air con...............

I got one of the flowers finished and now April is done.............yep April last year........

better late then never?

Natures Journey.............

And my beautiful feathered friend Jenny @ Bird on the Border has been visiting for a few days..........the Chookshed was buzzing.............more from Jen then me but hey I got some sewing done.............made the design board above for Jenny while she was here.......

sadly she had to go home...........even if she banned me from Lucy and flogged me along with Natures Journey..................feeling heatly and reinspired with many projects and some time to do them..........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

HeLp........

The deadline is Girls Day in the Country 19th March....

helppppppppppppppppppppp

An insane Chookyblue......

SSCS Swap received...........

My Secret Santa Christmas Swap partner was Josie @ Dilly Dimple 

Oh I so wished I was a fly on the wall when she told her sewing friends she was in the swap and that she was making for me...........LOL............

Boy oh boy did she do well................the bag is just gorgeous...............I love it.............pockets everywhere.............perfect needleturn.............

lots of tiny detail...........

even on all the pockets...........

and look a chook christmas ornament...........its so cute...........

Josie also included the Scottish Farmer since I'm a farmer and I can see whats happening in agriculture in her part of the world............

since I have some belted galloways she sent me a beltie calendar..........how cool.......and a few other treats including some chooky fabrics..............

Thanks so much for being a great partner Josie.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

Natures Journey update..........

so I have not finished yet but I have more then 1/2 the stems stitched down.......... decided I needed the leaves as I went along since they are under the stems  so I spent today turning under the bits and cutting a few more bits I had not prepared........... so everything is turned and pinned on ready to stitch........ the creatures will be tackled once all these bits are attached........ I am LOVING all the centres..........they are amazing........... Check out the Stitch-a-long blog......... you can see what the others have done...... Chookyblue..........

Applique workshop with Cherry Pie Designs..............

It's been a busy weekend...........I got to attend an applique workshop with Carol Roberts from Cherry Pie Designs...........fortunately for us she is very happy to travel out bush to run workshops.......

no one travels out here for workshops.............

I got to attend both days as I also organised the food for everyone...........

I haven't done heaps of applique but this time we got to learn needleturn applique using the freezer paper method...........I have never done this and it worked pretty well once I had a shape or 2 done...........so while it isn't a new method it is new to me..........

here is a closer pic...........you trace out your shape and then iron it  onto the back side of the fabric...............cut out he shape leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance......put it in place.........turning the seams under as you go with your needle hence the term used...........

snip into the back of the fabric and pull the paper out.............easy right.........lol

some of the ladies in the Saturday workshop........

everyone gave it a great go.......Carol kept us all moving along..........

Carol brought some lovely shop goodies to temp us.............nearest fabric shops are hours away.............man I love a 1/4 inch bias maker............made those stems below so easy..........

part of the quilt we worked on.............we got the whole pattern but had a kit for the centre section........

Feeling Blue by Carol Roberts Cherry Pie Designs...........

funny as I love blue but ended up working with a red kit...............

we could choose red or blue...........

slowly I made progress.............and pretty happy with the result.............

Love these little applique pins by Clover

Some of the ladies from the Sunday group............you can see the quilt a bit better here........

anyway it was a wonderful weekend.......

Thanks Carol..........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

Natures Journey Part 1.............

Yes well this is only about 5-6 weeks late...........

But better late then never I say...........but there are many girls on the SAL pushing me along so finally  I can share these.............

Part one of Nature Journey by Anni Downs Hatched and Patched is done.............

loving the blanket stitch and the applique is not going too bad...........

March is pretty close to done too......

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue..........

More SAL progress.....

I know it does not look much but it should be every applique piece for Feb and Mar for my NJ SAL......plus a couple more bits.....

yep it's bright...........

Happy Stitching.............

Chookyblue.........

can you have toooooo many pics?????

oh well you just have to have the lot.............I finished the binding while in town and had to stay in for a meeting so it was getting late when I headed home.........remembering I had to take photos for the SAL girls  (AND the sun is disappearing) I was keeping an eye out for a fence without barb wire or a nice log not in burrs to take some photos............

without the commitment I made to the SAL girls and having the Stitch-a-long blog this quilt would not have happened..........

they have been a great support............some times questioning my progress too (which I needed)

I didn't think this quilt would happen in August...........

We started the SAL and all was good and then life went in a wrong direction and it took til September and Janice coming to visit to get back into it.......I had started but not progressed far.......I knew I had been pushing Janice along and I had planned to work on the SAL while she was here.......then i got right into it......addicted..........lol......so most of my quilt was done in 1 month................

a huge thanks to Betty my quilt fairy for fitting the quilt in such a short space of time..........

...I just love what she has done............

ta da

ThAnKyOu SaL gIrLs

close up in sections.........

my layout got changed a bit........

the 4th and 5th rows are swapped as I had a problem with the fabric i used in the chook shed block and I was running out of time to unpick so moved the rows around...........perfect fix..........

the colours in a couple of photos are a little off.......was getting too dark............

a wheat paddock in the distance nearly ready for harvest............

and just one more photo just because I liked it.............

with about 2.5hrs to go (my time) the SAL girls can enjoy a quite peaceful rest from me.......

the details

My Favourite Things 

designed by Anni Downs (Hatched and Patched) 

from her book Some Kind of Wonderful

mostly used 1930's fabrics

quilted by Betty

Started Oct 2011 finished 2012 

Catch you later

Chookyblue...........

PS 2 quilts finished in 5 days...........I am on fire.........

SKofW the last blocks............

If you have followed the SAL blog you will have seen some of these blocks...............

My favourite places.....

where I have been - Western Samoa, GDITC (Girls Day in the Country)

where I would like to go - Canada, NZ New Zealand, Norway

The chocolate block got adapted for flowers as I had changed that one..........

I love quilty magazines................

I love to give and receive presents.............

Never wear heals so couldn't use that................but i do love my boots............my Blundstone work boots and Baxter dress boots........

I did want a big blue dress but I had too much blue in the quilt so needed a change............

oh the sewing block............I was stressing about the tiny log cabin blocks so decided to make 2 at once..........but they both turned out fine so instead of making the other blocks I used both of them........fiddly but fun to make............

And my favourite place to hang out.................the Chook Shed of course............

anyone want to come sew with me???

only one sleep until the SAL ends............31st October....
Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

23/24..........

OMG.......so hot.......no air con in the chook shed........need to win lotto........35 deg today.........one million bugs coming into the lights tonight..........cut lots of 1.5" squares.......now to piece them all.........
Chookyblue

stitching and marking.........

loving the holidays............full on so far but good............

got another block done for the SAL..........

some lamb marking.........they spin around on this cradle...........ear mark (so we know who owns it), vaccination needle, squirt of stuff so it doesn't get fly blown.......

it's always a big day..............

Bookworm can draft sheep..........saved me doing it.......

.....ewes straight ahead.....lambs this way...........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

the weekend that was.........

Wow I have just enjoyed a wonderful weekend sewing with friends...............

there was supposed to be 4 of us so Janice found this bottle for us to share "Four Sisters" but at the last minute Deb couldn't come..........don't worry Deb we drank your share..........

simple salad buns...........

The plan of attack for me for the weekend was my SKofW Stitch-a-long quilt 

My Favourite Things by Anni Downs...........from her Some Kind of Wonderful book

I had row one and some of row 2 traced onto the applique paper and fabrics cut for a couple of blocks.........

but by the end of the weekend I had all the blocks traced onto applique paper............changed 3 of the blocks to make it more "me".............cut all the background and weaveline for the back of the blocks........

picked out heaps of the fabrics and got things all organised into plastic sleeves and into rows...........yep feeling a bit too organised but hey there is always a first..............lol

some are more prepared then others..........

and finally I had one finish.............this is replacing the icecream block..............

sadly we had already drunk the pink bubbles so didn't have any for the photo.......

what do you think???

and I had the pleasure to see Janice put her quilt together.............she had rows and strips.............now she has a quilt top but I'm not going to ruin  her show and tell so here is a snippet...........i'm sure when she gets a chance she will get a post up..............but it was very exciting seeing it grow...........

my other friend "the finisher" and I tackled machine blanket stitch.........

hope you got to do something you enjoy on the weekend.........

we also had a fire and BBQ one night and a beautifully sunny weekend...........well if it can't rain at least it is lovely weather.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue