O M G it's H O T. It's weather for sitting still, as any movement causes sweat to roll down your face and drip off your chin. It's a day for lying on the deck in the shade, but only with about 10 layers of mossie repellent on, as the mosquitos are vicious after the recent rain. Even the heat off the laptop feels worse today.

I've been doing some hexagons as the thought of sitting in front of the machine isn't attractive. It feels sinful to be making these huge hexagons as they grow so quickly, but if it means I might finish it this year rather than next then it's a good thing.

I've been trying to use big prints for the plain hexagons and have re-discovered this piece of fabric. I know it's been there, but I've only really started to appreciate it since I've been working on this project. It doesn't have any writing on the selvage as it isn't a very big piece, but I've got a feeling it could be a Sharon Yenter print. I might try and have a look for it, but I'm sure it's out of print now. I'm trying to use green and pink as the primary colours for this quilt. The colours in the photos look a bit washed out due to the strong sunlight. Chloe is sitting in the sun in one of the photos, but I can assure you she didn't last long!

More Hexagons

I've started doing some more hexagons to have a hand project, inspired by these amazing quilts on the Fun with Barb and Mary blog. I emailed Barb and she said it's ok to link to her, so have a look at these fantastic hex quilts on her blog. Barb's quilt was made using 3 inch hexagons with the smaller diamonds, but I decided to do mine 2 1/2 inches as at the time the LQS had the 2 different sized diamonds to go with that measurement, but no 2 1/2 inch hexagons. I thought to myself that I would get started on the diamonds and look online for the big hexagon papers and template.

Trust me to decide on 2 1/2 inch hexagons as they don't seem to exist. Hex papers go up in half inch sizes til you get to 2 inch, then go straight to 3 inch. I have searched the world looking for them with no luck. So I thought 'well I'll have to make them'. I'm all for convenience so I always buy papers and a template, however after half an hour in Officeworks this week, I have learnt some new and useful things. I didn't know that copying paper was 80 gsm, and that there are all different weights of paper up to 200gsm which is a light cardboard. Fancy that? I bought 100 sheets of 200gsm for $10, then paid a dollar or so for them to photocopy onto about 15 sheets, and have enough leftover paper to print hexagons for a few years.

First I printed off the hexagons from this website, but even though I put 2.5 inches in the box, when printed the hexagon was a bit smaller than this. So I photocopied the page at 105% and it came out the right size. Only 2 hexagons will fit on the page so I'll make up a page with the 2 hexagons and some diamonds in the gaps and use that as my original. I also bought a sheet of template plastic to make a template.

It's been fun cutting the fabric to make stripes or fussy cutting flowers or berries and stuff. I have the scrap bins out and am trying to use some of them. I'm trying for green and pink as the main colours in this quilt.

I've finished the quilting in the light hexagons, and am arguing with myself about doing the red ones. I could probably get away with not doing them, but that's no attitude, is it? I'll think about it.


Meanwhile I looked out the bathroom window this morning to see this tree branch down, just missing my fence and the banana tree. Close call. It would be nice not to have a fence while all this empty space is around me, but with beagles there is no option. It's quite a big gum tree, and I've been told that they can be called "widow makers", as the branch soaks up water from the rain, then gets heavy and falls on your head without warning. There has been plenty of rain over the last few days but not much wind, so I'd say that's what must have happened.


I love having the big trees around, but when you see this you have to admit that the whole tree could fall over and land on the roof...

It's raining today, in fact the rain on the roof woke me up this morning. The good news is that the tanks will be full, but the bad news is that the house will be smelling like a wet dog before long. Chloe wants to be outside, but she doesn't like to get wet. I sent her out to do what dogs need to do outside, and watched her spring over a patch of wet grass to land on a different patch of wet grass. Whatever. I try to take photos of the rain, but it doesn't really work. Beyond the trees you can usually see the water of the bay, and Nth Stradbroke Island, but not today. Can you see the water pouring down the road?

Anyway, it isn't good for taking photos today. I'm slowly coming along with Mum's Christmas Present (Last Minute Lucy). I have ironed on the Pellon, which I think might also be called Vliesofix, to the backing fabric and basted. Then I tried to do some handquilting with pitiful results. Needless to say I'm booked into a handquilting class (hoop free) later in the month. I tried to do it with the machine and it isn't too bad. I'll finish it this way.

I took this photo this morning to email to my friend Di as she gave me this plant and can't believe that it's still alive. Well it is, and it's flowering! After I took the photo I noticed the "No Gimmicks, Just Cheap Cars" in the foreground. Need to look at the whole photo, not just the thing I'm photographing. So I took it again, then noticed all the other cr*p on the table. Really I need to have a cleanup today.

Way in the background is the sailing pile - ie 2 sails plus the boom, 2 PFDs, a towel, water bottle etc.

Behind the plant you will notice the life of a beagle owner. Absolutely everything must be up on the table or bench, not too close to the edge and with all the chairs left in at all times. The star blocks I've been cutting out while watching the cricket, Mum's hexagons, and all the scrap bins and assorted other fabrics because I have started more hexagons.

The problems of an open plan house - there isn't any hiding of the mess. Luckily I live in the sort of place where you don't get many people just 'dropping in'. It's such a pain to get here that people ring first to arrange a visit, but I like it. I like having a bit of space around me, I like living alone and I like a bit of isolation.

Finishing Hexagon Edges

Of course I didn't get the sewing finished in time, but Laura had so many presents I don't think she cared, and Mum understood. I've been thinking about how to finish off the hexagons. I've tried to add a few half hexagons to straighten the sides, but I don't like it.

I put the call out on the Hexagon blog of which I am a very bad member, and was directed to this video by Valentina who doesn't seem to have a blog but is part of the Sister Hexagon blog. It shows you how to put a facing on the back so that you can keep the points. I'll take the pink ones out and give this a go. Thanks Valentina.

Progress Report

It's only 3 sleeps to Christmas and Thursday is fully booked. Therefore today (already half over) and part of tomorrow are all I have left. Laura's quilt isn't finished, but it will have to be. Mum's hexagon/cushion thing will not be finished I fear, especially since I have now decided that it is a table thing not a cushion thing. If you put your head on the left you can sort of see that the 3 hexagons are down the middle tapering to a diamond shape at the end. Another flower has to go on the right side.

How I will finish it off is another matter. Like I say, I don't think it will be finished.


This is the backing fabric for Laura's quilt. Need to get upstairs and sew the top and bottom borders on, then get the back ready, then quilt it somehow.


And here is a bird's nest that I found on the ground out the front of my house. It was empty and had fallen out of a big gum tree. What I like is that the bird, apart from making an intricate nest, has used some bark and a piece of synthetic stuffing from somewhere. See it at the front?


Have a lovely Christmas if I don't get back onto the blog before then, and I hope your last minute sewing gets finished!

Boys, It's a Long Way Down

I've got to tell you that it's 8.5 metres from the ground to the top of my roof. Whenever anyone has to go up there, I fax the plans, give dire warnings, suggest cherrypickers and so forth. I draw diagrams, mention safety harnesses, and without fail the guys who get here to do the work know nothing about it. The same happened today when these guys turned up to put my new solar panels on the roof.

But even though they have harnesses, they haven't got them on. They have their Dunlop Volleys on (the roofers choice of footwear - have a look at the gallery photos if you have time to kill), but still... I walked down the street to take this shot and the boss followed me down. All along he's been calling out to them "hurry up, the barge is about to leave" and "come on, are you ready for the panels yet?". I must admit that some of his instructions were quite valid like "what do you mean you didn't take any measurements? Don't just guess!!" and "don't just stand there, wire it up while he's screwing them down!" We all know men can only do one thing at a time. It turns out that the boss was on contract ie paid by the job, whereas the boys on the roof were on an hourly rate. Gives new meaning to the phrase 'conflict of interests'.


Being a nurse I can't help but think the worst, so I said to the boss that they didn't seem to have safety harnesses on. "No, not a problem - we do it for a living" so I said "for a living I try to patch up people who have had accidents like falling off the roof. It's a long way down - the morgue or a wheelchair I would guess. I hope you have insurance as accidents happen..." I went back inside, then heard "don't stand there mate, you might slip" plus "be careful up there!" Hmmm. Anyway, they have finished without incident, but now the electricians are up there. Fingers crossed. Hopefully soon I will be generating power to send back to the elecricity grid.


As for quilty content to this post, the other half of the fabric I ordered arrived yesterday, so I am off and running with Mum's hexagon thingy. She doesn't read this blog so it's ok to talk about it. Here is the rest of the fabric. I bought far too much, but hey, that's what I do!

Postman Stops at the Gate

All normal programming has stopped, as the postman has just made a delivery. Last week I ordered some fabric from Quilt-This in an effort to inspire me and shake me out of my funk, and today half of it has arrived. So frustrating, when the fabric from the Rouenneries range I actually wanted to buy is almost all in the other envelope - only the second fabric from the right is in this one.


Living in the opposite hemisphere to the source of a lot of happiness (online US quilt shops), it's a fine balance when it comes to how much fabric to buy. I usually get what it is that I want (or just buy heaps of sale repro fabrics), then make it up to the maximum amount that can fit in one of these envelopes. Or two. One has to minimise the $$ spent on postage after all...

So of course they rarely arrive on the same day. On one occasion 2 weeks apart, with postmarks on the second envelope that show it had travelled via Belgium or France or some such foreign land. Planes do fly straight from the US to Australia, you know.


Not to worry, gives me something to look forward to - I really must get out more. I'm planning a little last minute hexagon project for my Mum for Christmas, inspired by this blog post, as this is exactly the sort of fabric she likes. I love the woven cotton/linens in stripes that come with this range as well. I am thinking a cushion or two with the hexagons then a (I can't think of the word) border around it in the stripe. The only word I can think of is a flange, but I'm sure that's not it.

I haven't ordered from Quilt-This before, but so far so good. One of my favourites "Quilters' Quarter" has closed, and my other regular is Fabric Shack, and they don't seem to have the whole Rouenneries range.

Rain, rain, go away...

...come back another day. Although all we hear is 'drought, drought, drought', and are on permanent water restrictions, there has been so much rain lately that I'm over it. In 2 days we had 12+ inches, and it has been raining for a few weeks. The mud squishes up through your toes, the grass is totally out of control, the house smells like a wet dog, the tanks are overflowing, and it is impossible to take good photos for your blog!

My Japanese Quilt came back from the quilter. I'm pretty happy with it, and I'm particularly happy that I didn't have to do it myself! I know I got a bit of a shock when I found out the cost, but in retrospect, it wasn't that much - I just wasn't prepared. It has been done with an all over pattern of clouds, but as the quilt is very dark, and navy thread was used, you can't really see the pattern too well.


I have the binding on now, but have yet to do the handsewing. As it is so dark, it isn't really a job for night-time (the eyes aren't what they used to be), so I must get on with it during the day. It will be so nice to have it finished, especially since the top was made in 2006.


I have been moving on with my Checkerboard blocks, and am also trying to cut out another quilt as a leader-ender. I've tried to do this in the past, but find I want to get on with it, rather than a bit here a bit there. But this time I'm going to give it a go, as I like the idea of 2 for 1. I don't like cutting out fabric much, and always do it bit by bit through the construction of a quilt, but this time I'm going to try and cut it out before I start on it. Well a fair bit of it anyway...


I've also been doing a few 1930s hexagons, with no real plan in mind. I started on them after I finished the 1800s hexagon quilt top, as I quite missed having a hand project - I didn't think that would happen. They are 1 inch hexagons. I'm not getting along with it very quickly as work takes up all my spare time, but it doesn't help to be doing so many things at the same time, either, but we all know how it is!

It's Finished!

Well, the flimsy's finished. I have just looked back through my blog entries to find that I started this quilt on September 19 2006. Amazing!

This is not a photo of the finished quilt, but one from a few weeks ago. It's 2am, so not much point trying to get a photo, but I'll take one tomorrow. Tonight I've started taking some of the papers out, which will be a big job in itself.

As for the quilting... I'm not sure what to do yet. But it's done. Now I can go to bed. It is the only quilt I've ever made by hand - I'd like to start another one, but perhaps I should learn to do hand quilting instead.

I know, I know...

I've been a very bad blogger. I have been trying to get back into the habit, but just haven't been able to do it. Also once I start again I've got to keep at it, which means I'll have to actually do some sewing... I have been (very) slowly working on the hexagons, and I'm pleased to say that the top is nearly finished. In fact it is so close to being done, I should be at it! But no I'm in my usual place which is in front of the computer at the kitchen table, lifting the eyes up to the view, then down to the screen, then up to the view etc etc. I'm not looking at the house as the housework is a bit behind - that's an understatement btw - nor mowing the lawn, which it badly needs. Motivation is a bit lacking.

Here it is on the floor. The yellow tape measure shows about 68 inches. The whole top is almost square, but I didn't really plan it that way. What really happened was that I got sick of it, so just started the border without measuring it. It has been surprisingly hard to get a good photo of it, so this will have to do. I have to add a few more hexagons to fill the gap beside the tape at the bottom, and the best part of a row on the opposite side, but I've already sewn most of them together, I just have to sew the row to the top.

Normally I'd be in a bit of a frenzy to get it done, but I'm quite blaze (imagine a little thing on top of the e) about it all. This has a bit to do with the dilemma of quilting it, but is mainly due to slackness. It really deserves to be hand quilted, but I'm not up to the job.

My other photo to show off last, but definately not least, is a geocoin gift that was sent to me by Holly of And Sew It Is . At the same time we both had the urge to send each other a geocoin, so we did. This is a very special geocoin as Holly won it in a local competition where I think she had to find a cache in each of a number of different counties, and also visit the Holy Grail of Caches, which is the very first geocache. It can't be bought or replaced, so I'm very lucky to have it.

I think my next post is going to be "The Airing of the UFOs", in the hope that some of them might get finished this winter. Stay tuned...

Still Out There

I'm still away from the sewing machine - I've been staying at Mum and Dad's while having some medical stuff done. I went home for the weekend to visit the beagles, who are alive and well too... Chloe has put on a spare tyre, but Simon looks fine.
The hexagons are nearly finished, but not quite. If it wasn't so awkward to take it anywhere I'd have it finished I think, but it is a big nuisance to take anywhere. I'll be home soon so will be able to get back to work.

Fairybread Break

I'm going to be away from the sewing machine for a few weeks, so will not have much worth posting I'm afraid. I have the nearly finished hexagons with me, so I hope I'll get the top finished during this time.

Back soon I hope.

Procrastinate? Who Me?

Kim left a comment on my last post asking "what's new on the quilt scene?", and the answer is not much at all. I'm stuck in that No Man's Land between finishing the Couch Quilt top, and layering and pinning it, as I don't want to do it. Then the rule is of course that I can't sew something else as I should be pinning the quilt, so I do nothing.

I think a great deal about which batting I'm going to use, as I have 3 possible options. I have a piece of Hobbs Polydown, but really that's something that I think is better for hand quilting than machine. I have a piece of batting that I think could be mainly wool, which would be better for machine quilting, but then it will get washed a fair bit so I should probably use polyester, right? Then I have a piece of black ?cotton that I have been saving for the Japanese quilt top, which could be used as well. All this thinking leads to no quilting, as there are far too many options to consider.

So after I go through the options again, I try to put it out of my mind as I don't want to face it, but I can't afford to send it out at the moment. I even had a fantasy about using the Polydown and hand quilting it, but that was indeed a fantasy, as (a) I've never hand quilted anything, and (b) it's so humid here that there is no way I'll be sitting under a quilt hand quilting it!

So that's what's new on the scene I'm afraid. I will admit however, to a small amount of hand sewing on the dreaded hexagons while watching the cricket. I can only do this work during the day though, as the eyes aren't the best, and I'm up to the dark section. I took a few photos of it the other day. It's hard to spread out as about half the papers are still in. The central part is done except for a few hexagons that need to be added along one side. The borders are mainly done, but I'll have to add a few hexagons here and there to join the sections up. It's a funny size though - it's the size it is because one day I just decided I'd had enough, so I just stopped then started to do the borders.

Lots of people are working on their hexagons at the moment, and I think I will be joining Libby in the Old Folks Home with hexagons still not finished...

Travel Bug is Travelling!

I don't know if you all remember, but sometime ago Holly from AndSewItIs and I each launched a Quilting Travel Bug. They are travelling items that move from geocache to geocache. Mine is 'South' as I live in the southern hemisphere, and Holly's is North as she lives in Oregon.

Mine was sitting in the geocache near the Brisbane Airport hoping to be immediately picked up by an International traveller, and be in the States in a flash. Alas it was picked up by a cacher here on holidays, who took the bug to Canberra where it wandered around the bush and lay in fairly isolated caches for some time.

But this week it was grabbed by a female Canadian cacher who has flown it with her in her luggage to Canada! Too exciting! I know you must think I'm mad, but you launch it out there, and it turns into your little baby, then you worry about it all alone in a damp cache in the wilds of the Australian Bush, that could be ravaged by a bushfire or found by some kids who toss it away!

Anyway, don't mind us, but Holly and I are quite excited to know it has travelled half way around the world in the suitcase of someone we don't even know, and now it's so much closer to its goal. If you look here, you can see how far it has travelled, and that it is now in British Columbia.

As for real quilting content, I've been busy watching the cricket. What's that got to do with quilting you may ask? Hand sewing. Yes the never ending hexagons have made a comeback, and I'm slowly working away at them. I will post an old photo to remind you (I almost needed to look at a photo myself, it was so long since I'd worked on it).

Oh and we lost the cricket to India. If the Aussies had won today they would have won 17 test matches in a row, which is a record. Tracey and I don't want to talk about it. In fact, I think Tracey must be in denial, as she hasn't even mentioned it.

PS thanks for the support re the large spider. The vaccuum cleaner idea is fantastic, thanks. I know someone who thinks that her house is on top of a Portal to the Underworld she gets so many spiders - she has my complete sympathy. Oh and the towel is still outside on the deck!

Between Me and Insanity

lies the humble mosquito coil. I have never in my life seen so many mosquitoes. I took the dogs for a walk late this afternoon, covered in insect spray, and in the end I couldn't bear it - I had swarms of them buzzing around my head, and biting me all over. Despite having fly screens, the house seems full of them. They come in with you, and I'm sure a few sneak in through the dog flap. Then you get into bed, turn out the light.... and bbzzzzz. Bbbzzzzz. Bbbzzzz-zzzz-zzZZZ-zzzz. All around your head. Aarrgghhh, the agony! So the old Earth Tiger coil is going non stop. Do you like Ms Redhead in a snow globe with Australia-shaped hair?

Anyway, back to the socks! I got a bit of knitting done at work last night as I had to sit with one patient a lot of the night. I am up to the heel turning bit, so it's all happening. I just love the magic stripes in the sockyarn. My rib is not very good - a bit loose, but I was struggling with the live hedgehog that lives in the double point needles (see previous post). However I am confident that I am improving. Progress not perfection. Thanks for all your suggestions and help. The Come to Silver sock tutorial that Quilting Fitzy suggested was very helpful, and Anne and Diana thanks for the loop switching advice. My ladder is less noticeable now, and it is getting tighter. Tazzie has been very helpful too, and speaking of knitting have you read about Ruth's announcement yet?


All this talk of finished UFOs around the blogs has me feeling a little guilty about neglecting the hexagons. So I got them out tonight to reassure myself how close I am to finishing (this is what I tell myself). They look a bit crumpled as I have started folding the whole thing up in a tablecloth so that the parts stay fairly close to where they need to go. The dark border probably would have been finished by now, except that I have gone around and added another row of hexagons as I have decided to slice the tops off the outermost row and bind the quilt with a straight binding. So time consuming, and I am a bit sick of the dark colours.

So I haven't forgotten it, just having some time out. Also it has become too big and unwieldy (is that a word?) to take along as a mobile project, hence the knitting. They must call me the crazy crafty lady on the ferry. Or as someone said to me last night "That's interesting. Knittting with Satay Sticks now. What's next?" Hmmm.

Scary Photo

I can't imagine that you are all too excited to see my right foot, but you may have noticed the lump on the ankle. Yes this is my foot pedal foot, and it is rather sore. I twisted it on a bit of uneven road this morning, and at the time it felt ok, but a few hours later it was very swollen and sore. So after elevation, ice and drugs it is feeling better, but I'm going to baby it as I am due back at work in under 48 hrs.

Now the good news is that this gives me a really great excuse to sit on the couch tomorrow with it up watching the cricket, doing more bloody hexagons. I know I don't sound too in love with the project at the moment - I even had an evil thought about starting some in 1930's colours tomorrow... But I think I want smaller ones for that.

The Aussies MUST WIN tomorrow, or we will have to close off Australia to the Rest of the World while we squirm in shame for being beaten by the Poms. So if you don't hear from me or Tracey for a while, you will know that the worst has happened...

Speaking of which, there is a message on Clare's blog saying that Jen (Hedgehog) is fine, just hibernating as apparently Hedgehogs do in the winter.

I've Turned a Corner

Too corny for words, I know, but...
I haven't been doing too much quilting so I'm excited when 'something' happens. I'm still plodding along with the hexagons, but I have to admit I'm not as keen as I was. But I can't stop, or start a new hand sewing project til I'm finished.

I've had a cold, so have been laying low, but I have been reading other people's blogs - there are so many to look at now that it is a real effort to keep up with them all. I know I keep saying it, but I think some small quilts are next on the agenda. I'm a bit fed up with myself starting all these great big ones, then struggling to finish.

I'm inspired by all the lovely quilts on Karen's blog Sewprimitive, and want to try something similar. I also love the customer's quilt Patti has on Quilting is My Passion. I'd like to try some applique too, but that is hand sewing which totally goes against my promise above . I also saw a little string quilt on someone's blog (can't remember who - Dawn's Quilts and Pieces), which would be a perfect way to use up the scraps from the hexagon quilt. So much to do, so little gets done...

But boring things beckon - I'm going to hang out the washing, iron my uniform for work, have some lunch, then go to bed in preparation for work tonight. What a drag, huh?

Adit: in response to questions - I have 'heaps' of projects on the go, but I'm afraid with the hand sewing project, because it is so time consuming, that if I stop I'll never start again. I'm trying to have some discipline (dirty word for me) and keep going with it til the bitter end. I have about 5 other quilts in various stages, not to mention the flimsies that need quilting!

Can't Get Moving

I'm in some kind-of Post Christmas Slump, or something like that. I can't seem to get my act together. One minute I think I'm coming down with something, the next I think that I just need to get out more. Or work more. Or 'something'! Feeling unsettled and restless, can't sleep at night (only all day), and can't even seem to get any sewing done, except for (you guessed it) the blasted hexagons.

Here is a shot of the border I've decided to do - doesn't show up too well on the dark floor but I can't be bothered to redo it. Sorry. Now I need to decide about the outside edge. Do I do as someone suggested and applique it on to something, or put another row of hexagons around and slice off the edge to make it straight?

Going back to bed. Happy New Year!

Hexagon Photos

Here are the photos I tried to post yesterday that blogger wouldn't allow. I think there is a bit of a hexagon trend rippling around the world. The latest Patchwork Tsushin magazine that I have features hexagons, so the Japanese are into it too. These photos are from that magazine. Isn't the bag nice with the hexagon quilting and then what looks like the hexagons sewn on with raw edges? The quilt is pretty amazing too - I like how the centre section is a big hexagon.

I buy my hexagon papers too as I would rather spend the time sewing. They are quite cheap really, so I'm quite happy with that. I do recycle them sometimes too.

I have been out nearly all day today "doing lunch with the girls". I have one friend on the island here who I see a few times a week - we walk the dogs together and talk about gardens and work and stuff (she is also a nurse). I went to her place today and she invited 2 other women who I don't really know. One lady I had never even seen, and the other I say hello to when I see her, but haven't been introduced to. We had a lovely afternoon sitting on the deck eating beautiful Lebanese food and talking about all and sundry. I was there for over 5 hours! The dogs came too and cruised around with Neddy and Lucy.


We all have an interest in trees and plants and not cutting down every tree on the island, and the lady I've never met before was an art teacher and has a lot of arty crafty interests. She told me today she is interested in antique/vintage fabrics which was cool. So we talked about fabric for a while and both agreed that the internet was going to be our downfall! She is a bit scared to start looking on ebay for more fabrics as she is worried she won't stop. She doesn't really sew, but just likes to have them - I can relate to that. I feel the same way about buying antique quilt tops - I'd love to own some, but fear that once I started I wouldn't stop.

The other lady lives a simple life with no electricity and is a vegetarian. How could you manage? No internet or sewing machine? I think she plays the guitar and listens to the radio a fair bit. She also has a kayak. So, it is taking a while, but I am meeting some interesting women here, which is nice. But I would still like to meet some quilters.

Anyway enough rambling. I did some hexagons while I was there, so some sewing was done these days off!