Christmas has come and gone.

We had a wonderful time with family and friends.
This what I have been working on while waiting for the NYE mystery clues.
It is from orphan blocks made while teaching a friend how to
paper piece.
It will make up to a lap quilt size.
Here are some photos taken at Christmas.
Choir practice with my three daughters and sister, I am the one wearing the apron!
We had lovely weather and were able to sit outside

Until next time,
Happy sewing
Susan

Back home

Well again its been too long.
I have just returned from a weeks holiday in Margate.
Wonderful to relax.
I have however missed my sewing machines and all my fabric.
I am revving to go and sew again.
I will be doing a mystery quilt on New Years Day.
I also have about 7 UFO's or PhD's(Projects half Done) as I prefer to call them.
Sounds so much more professional!
Will be having my family over for Christmas Eve dinner.
This year I am making a Turducken.
Should be interesting!
This year will take photos to add to the blog.

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Wow one whole month!

I have just realized that one whole month has flown past without even one tiny entry. Life is just too complicated at the moment. I have so much going on in my mind that I cannot think.




On the quilting front there has been some progress. I have completed 2 table runners for Christmas. and the "one of a kind" quilt has its first border on. It is looking much better even though it is not really what I would have chosen to make. still I feel that having started I must complete it.

Until next time
Happy sewing
Susan

Sucess on the Hinterberg

Well I did manage to setup the plexiglass on the frame and have done a double bed mattress protector.
It all worked out very well and I will be loading some more fabrics for the next lot of protectors.
I only hope they sell as well as they sew out!.



Here are a few photos of the laser setup.
I am really pleased with the way this all came together.
I am now looking for a laser light that does not use batteries but one which I can plug into the electricity.
My H says he can modify the battery operated one but we will have to wait and see how that pans out.

Until next time,
Happy sewing
Susan

Snow in September?

Today we decided to take a drive to find and see the snow. We only had to drive about 20 minutes and there it was. We do not normally get snow in winter let alone near Pietermaritzburg
and certainly not half way through September.
We stopped for lunch in Himeville which is about 80 kilometers away.
They had about 12 inches of snow.
It looked like a winter wonderland.

These are my daughters "dancing " in the snow


Very little sewing done today.
Just the binding on the Christmas table runner.
Still need to work out how to miter a 60' angle corner!

Will post a picture when its done.


Happy sewing
Susan

Waiting in anticipation

Today my "Plexiglas" should arrive.
I will be using it on my Hinter berg so that I can do panto from the front.
This should change the way things go on the frame.
I have only seen this in a photo and do not know exactly how it will work.
Of course I can only experiment.
Will keep everyone informed.
Yesterday our sewing group did not do much sewing .
We all s.seem a bit disappointed with the mystery wall hanging.
I feel and so do they that it is very busy.
Still, we will carry on and finish it as a group.
We have decided at our next meeting to make a Christmas table topper/runner.





Last night I quickly made up a sample so that I knew the instructions were correct.
It worked out fine except for a few strips of fabric which were cut and then not used.
I think we will manange to almost complete it in one afternoon
This should be fun.

Until next time
Happy sewing
Susan

Update overdue!

I see that I have not blogged since the 8th.
I have been busy, you know!
Yesterday made up 3 bags for my daughter (Eldest,a school teacher,music) for the school band instruments.
One for the xylophone which needed a zip as well.
Also made up 2 mattress protectors on the Hinterberg.
They turned out well and hopefully will sell quickly.
Tomorrow is my sewing day with sewing friends.
I am still working on a wall hanging made up of one centre block
(Carol Doak PP) and 8 applique butterflies.
This will have applique daisies in the sashing.
Nice bright blues and greens.
Have "met" some wonderful ladies via this blog and do so enjoy getting emails from them.

Until the next time
Happy sewing
Susan
Will hopefully have some photos to show as well!

Some Progress

I have finished a quilt doing a pantograph on the frame for the first time.
It was fairly successful.
I am still learning.
Just as well this is my own quilt.
I have also received all the fabric needed to make mattress protectors.
That will give me a lot of practice using pantographs.
I am also busy binding an attic window quilt using fabrics purchased in the USA during my trip in 2003.
Progress on the wall hanging is on.
I have made the next set of 12 blocks.
The colours are still very bright but they are starting to grow on me.
No photos this time.
I will put them up soon.
Happy sewing
Susan

Productive morning

I have been staying at home for the past month on every Tuesday and Thursday just so that I can get things done for myself and also to make stock for my new business venture.
This morning I embroidered 2 pillowcases using designs from Hatched in Africa.
They stitch out beautifully.



Part 3 of the mystery wall hanging is out.
Need to make another 12 blocks 4,5 inches in size.
That makes 24 blocks so far.
This is certainly not my safe mode sewing.
I have chosen colours I do not usually use and feel it will be very bright.
Just as well it is only a wall hanging and not a bed quilt.


Well back to the machine,
Happy sewing
Susan

Whale watching

We have just come back home after a weekend away in Cape Town.
Saturday we took a drive to Hermanus to see the whales.
The weather was superb and we did see the whales in the bay.
The country side around Cape Town is amazing.
There is such contrast with vineyards and farm lands and suddenly rolling hills all green with the winter rains.
The mountains are so close and the ocean is even closer.


I did not manage to buy any fabric and missed my machines back home.







I have my kaleidoscope quilt ready to be put on the frame.
I am keen to try something else besides stipple/meandering.
Do I draw onto the top or try a pantograph?
I think it calls for feathers or wreaths of some sort.
Tomorrow is my sewing day at home.
My sewing friends and I will be working on our guild mystery quilt/wall hanging.

Until later
Happy sewing
Susan

Its amazing how life just seems to rush past and sometimes just bowl you over.

I have had the most horrendous week work wise.

Although I am living in South Africa I am slowly getting very despondent being here.

One has to put up with so much bureaucratic nonsense in the business world. Just trying to make an honest living but being self employed at the moment is the pits.

There is so much paperwork and red tape involved that some days it just does not seem worth it. There are days when I wish I was employed and not the employer and could go home at 5 and not worry about work until the next day.

On a lighter side I am really enjoying my sewing and especially patchwork and quilting. I think if it were not for my after hours hobby I would go stark raving mad.

My kaleidoscope quilt is almost ready to be quilted. I still have to add the final border.

I ran out of fabric and now need to get another meter.

This afternoon is the monthly guild meeting.

Thank goodness for that. At least it is a quiet afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the working world.

Will also be getting the next clue in our monthly mystery quilt project. This is sure to be lots of fun.

Chat soon
Susan

The days after a class

Classes were just wonderful
There were 12 of us and we all chose such different fabrics.
It is so amazing to see the different blocks when doing the kaleidoscope quilt.
I think this is also known as a "stack and whack" quilt.
I did manages to complete 6 of the 8 squares and have completed the other 2 this evening.
I am also cutting another 9 blocks so that the quilt will fit my big bed.
My sewing group did not meet this evening but we will meet again in August.
Cannot believe it will be August soon!

Not much done today

Well I did start loading the next quilt top. It was not the NYE mystery. I found an old UFO made with fabric purchased from the States when I visited my baby sister Belinda in June 2003.
wow! 5 years ago already. I think I need to go back there again. She lives in Los Angeles and is a physical therapist.
The top is an attic window with cats. Sadly I discovered that my backing is too small so will have to shop for more. Will visit the local factory shop which has quite a good range of fabrics available.
Also managed to cut out 9 9" squares for a class on Tuesday. A kaleidescope quilt using a protea as my focus. The protea is South Africa's national flower. Sorry I don't have a picture. I certainly need to get up to speed with taking photos and posting them.
Will take some during the class and post. I promise!
I am also busy embroidering butterflies for a quilt using one of Carol Doak's patterns as the center block.
So much to do and so little time.
Chat again soon
Susan

What a day

Friday was one of those days.
Work was ok. Friday is always ghastly as it is wages/payday.
Still I only work until 2pm or 2.30pm
My youngest daughter Cathryn and Michelle went horse riding and did an out ride.
At 4.15 they called to say that Cathryn had taken a tumble.
Motherly instinct kicked in and I called the emergency rooms to let them know that I would be bringing her in.I had not even seen her yet.
We got to the doctors rooms just after 5 and it was confirmed that she had dislocated her left elbow.
This resulted in surgery and an overnight stay in the hospital.
I got to bed after midnight.
So much for plans to load my second quilt on the frame!
She is now home. Very sleepy but all put back together again and I am trying to catch up my sleep.
Tomorrow I will load the quilt top.
It was a mystery quilt done with an online internet group. (NYE Mystery).

First quilt off the frame

Good evening
The first quilt is off the frame and I am busy doing the binding.
I am really pleased with the results. For a first time!
Quilt feels a bit stiff maybe because of the intense quilting.
It was all done free hand. My next effort will be using the pantograph.
Will post photo as soon as the binding is done.

Well, I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post.
I have had a very busy week and weekend.
First my hinterberg machine and frame arrived from the States and I have been opening and unpacking all the boxes.
Saturday was a Knitting day in Howick.
I joined several ladies and we knitted a square for blankets to be donated to breast cancer patients.
Will post photos as soon as I can.

More sewing

Pyjama pants finished. Went quickly and girls are delighted.
Today will complete 2 bath mats for main bathroom. Hope to drive
out to Howick to visit with family.
Looks like it will be a good day!

Back at Home after early morning market shopping plus getting goodies for finishing off 4 pair of pyjama pants for the daughters.
Will post a photo when done.

Day one of the blog

Hi This is my first post.
I am Susan and live in Pietermaritzburg with husband and 2 of three daughters.
I work outside of the home and try to spend as much time after work sewing and quilting.
My goal is to have a small business running from home quilting for others.
On my wish list is a Voyager 17" and a stretch frame.