Magic Squares

Each block in this rug consists of 4 squares. The first row of each square forms 2 sides, with a decrease in the middle of every second row. The final row is only 3 stitches. I like the effect of the different coloured squares.

Tote bags - machine-embroidered

I don't do much machine embroidery but it's great for making interesting tote bags. The designs on these bags are from Urban Threads:

Tie-dye Gals

My granddaughters like tie-dyed clothes, so we decided to do our own.

They had great fun tie-dyeing everything from socks and undies to tops and pants:

 They also tie-dyed some fabric, which I later made up into tops for them:

Pioneer Women's Hut

The Pioneer Women's Hut is an unusual museum in many ways. Far from major metropolitan centres or even major tourist sites, it is located outside Tumbarumba, a small town in New South Wales about 480km southwest of Sydney.

However, it is worth the effort to visit the Pioneer Women's Hut because its collection focuses on "the ingenuity of women in finding solutions to the challenges of looking after a family in early rural Australia. I went there in search of material relating to clothing and textile sustainability, particularly the use of needlecraft skills to prolong the life of clothes.

I found items used for mending and darning:

And the most darned sock I've ever seen - why buy (or make) new socks when another darn will suffice:

These cloths have been neatly patched. (The red thread marking the repair might seem unnecessary but this photo is an enlargement - the repairs can be difficult to find.)

This beautiful crocheted cloth is testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the women who made it from over 200 pieces of cotton string unravelled from the tops of sugar and flour bags:

These replacement pockets were cut from old flour bags:

Detachable collars reduced the amount of washing that had to be done:

I love this dressing gown, made from pieces of woollen fabric. I'm thinking of making something similar for myself.

Small scraps of fabric were used for rag rugs, which provided comfort and a burst of colour, although I think they might have been very labour intensive to make:

The Pioneer Women's Hut is open:

• Wednesdays 11.00am - 4.00pm
• Saturdays and Sundays 10.00am - 4.00pm
• Most Public Holidays 10.00am - 4.00pm

Booked groups, clubs and coaches by arrangement 7 days a week.

For further information, contact the Tumbarumba Visitor Information Centre on (02) 6948 3333 or email tourcoordinator@outlook.com

Three quilts

I started this quilt at a workshop a long, long time ago. I'm pleased to finally see it finished and it has gone to a good home:

I made these quilts this year - tummy time quilts for new babies:

Christmas 2017

Two little girls in their Christmas outfits:

Birthday outfits 2017

Book Week 2017

Both granddaughters wanted to go to the Book Week parade as Little Red Riding Hood:

Evening Bags

These bags are further examples of exploring the decorative capabilities of my sewing machine. Both have found new homes.

Work in Progress Wednesday

On my sewing machine, I'm working on these machine-embroidered tote bags. The middle fabric is the lining.

I've put a few more stitches on my hand embroidery piece:

And my knitting project is progressing:

Scrap Bin Project 3

These 2 pieces featured in a Work in Progress Wednesday post and they are now finished.

I really like this pebbly one:

This one is very similar to the one featured in my Scrap Bin Project 2 post. I wouldn't normally repeat an idea but a friend "really, really liked" the previous one, which I'd already promised to someone else - and I still had plenty of aqua fabrics. Fran was delighted to receive this one:

Work in Progress Wednesday

I am currently doing my first Craftsy class - Carol Ann Waugh's Stupendous Stitching - and exploring the many built-in stitches on my Husqvarna Epic. Definitely more to do but I'm happy with what I've done so far - and I'm getting to use some of my hand-dyed fabric:

I've done a few more (more than 100) stitches on the Pebbly Beach, although it's hard to see the difference from last week - and there are still plenty more to go:

And another 2 squares of my blanket finished - only 38 to go:

Tote Bags

I made these tote bags to explore the computerised machine embroidery feature of my Husqvarna Epic sewing machine. This design is one of the built-in designs:

Work in Progress Wednesday

I've been having fun in my craft room lately using up scraps of fabric. I'm pleased with these pieces, particularly the aqua ones, which I'll make up into cushions:

I seem to have been working on this embroidery forever - well, at least for most of this year. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to fill in the entire background with French knots.

It is also taking me a long time to knit this blanket - I started it last year - but I only have 2 strips (40 squares to go). It might get finished this year . . . if the weather doesn't get too hot too quickly.

Scrap Bin Project 2

I cut the shapes for this cushion using a Sizzix cutter. I like the wavy effect.

Scrap Bin Project 1

For some years now, I've been saving all the scraps left over from various sewing projects, with the idea of one day using them to make something interesting. It's going to take a lot longer than a day to use them all up but I started with this aqua cushion, courtesy of granddaughters' dresses - Queen Anna dresses (Frozen movie) and Under the Water themed birthday parties:

Koalas and Kookaburras

I don't usually use Australian themes in my pieces but these quilts were for a baby born overseas, so koalas and kookaburras seemed to be appropriate.

This one features kookaburras and a flower that is vaguely Australian (I've seen the flower before but not in that colour):

And this is the back, which features a strip of the fabrics used on the front:

This one is more colourful and includes koalas as well as kookaburras:

The back also features a strip of the fabrics used on the front: