Life just keeps getting in the way

The thing about life is it just keeps getting in the way of this blogging caper. How dare it!! 'Tis been a little while since I last waxed lyrical (to the point of boring you all to death) about my hexies. Life these past weeks has continuously interrupted me; in monotonously keeping you up to speed on all my hexie goodness. 

There has been some progress but I fear my scrappy hexagon quilt is not going to be lounging languidly on my sofa anytime soon. Alas no....though I have been whirring away on my 'new' little Bernina, whipping up framed hexies, I have only completed six rows of my quilt. As most of this quilt is hand stitched it will be a while yet till my hexie quilt is seen in all it's finished glory state.

The joy of a scrappy hexagon quilt is that each individual hexie seems to find it's own way, intermingling with all the other colourful hexies, that juxtapose side by side to each other, singing the most lyrical of colourful songs! Love, love, lurve all that colour and pattern! I love the higgledy piggledy-ness of it all.

Six rows of colourful, scrappy hexie yumminess.

I also have started to  prepare the bias strips of fabric to cover the seams at the back. The bias strips are also hand stitched. Normally I would finish the quilt before undertaking this step but this time I have decided to do it as I add a couple of rows of hexies; I have found it is easier this way. Again, there is no rhyme or reason as to the placement of each strip; just oodles more of scrappy higgledy piggledy-ness.

So there you have it....short and sweet!! Is that a sigh of relief I hear percolating from your lips?? Who would've thought that I could possibly have written a 'short' post......wonders will  never cease!!

So toodlepips for now. I must dive back into this thing they call life, hoping  there will be moments of hexie loveliness sprinkled throughout. Hope you are all enjoying a lovely week.

A little vintage shopping and ................... a few hexagons

One of my all time favourite things is to jump into our old tin lizzie and go for a drive with my significant other and see what pot of gold lies at our rainbow's end. There is always some quirky place down a country lane which needs to be explored. Sometimes there is nothing to tickle my fancy BUT sometimes there is so much treasure to be found, I can hardly contain my excitement.

A little over a week ago was one such day. Meandering over undiscovered hills and down dales brought a few exciting sightings.

At one little shop these pretties were unearthed.

A soft as soft pure wool blanket of the prettiest green, a lovely white tablecloth and this pretty coloured, large doily. They were all bargains. I think I will fashion the doily into a round cushion embellished with a few flowers.....(of course). Oh, and there was a length of sweet 1960's floral fabric. These blues are my all time favourite!

Then lo and behold at another strange li'l place where  teeny tiny bugs seemed to reign supreme was this gorgeous frippery!

Yes, this gorgeous embroidered gal was just hanging out, waiting for me to take her home. "Waa-ll aah do declare.......isn't she beautiful?" As ever, the handiwork on this southern beauty is amazing. Indeed the embroidery on the back is as perfect as the front.

She of course is going to hang out with some of my other ladies that lay dilly-dallying in my dowry of cloth.....waiting.....waiting....for me to fashion them into a pretty, which another generation can enjoy. All these embroidered beauties vary in height from about 24 inches to 36 inches. They are all exquisitely stitched! The southern gal on the left is embroidered on what was once a coverlet emanating from the 1930's. These pretty ladies are just dripping with oodles of sugary, syrupy southern charm; don't you agree?? I can never resist bringing a southern gal home with me when I happen upon one.

THEN........not I......but my husband, discovered this piece-de-resistance, an old Bernina Minimatic 707 sewing machine. Be still my beating heart!!

I know, I know....how on earth did I miss this little beauty. Alas, my engrossment was fixed on all these embroidered and crocheted pretties. Aah yes......vintage heaven.

Can you understand why I might have been a li'l distracted? Though these pretties are all neatly arranged and you can see in an instant what is on offer, I prefer to dive into baskets burrowing deep, deep down to the bottom in search of pretty embroideries. I find scrunched up and rumpled embroidered pretties usually are a lot kinder on the purse than those starched, neatly displayed pretties such as these above. None of these pretties came home with me......my large southern belle was a lot cheaper than any of these.

BUT.....back to the 'find of the day', my Bernina sewing machine. I have always hankered after a Bernina. Many of those who "are in the know" swear Bernina machines are one of the best machines one could purchase. This model was produced in 1971 and would have been a sought after acquisition in it's day. This particular machine, with an electronic foot control was the top of the line model for 11 years.

It is a solid machine with a very small free arm width, which is brilliant for sewing little children's sleeves, pants, cuffs etc. It is certainly making my life so much easier when tarting up children's clothes. When the free arm isn't required you just place the little table back. It is a teeny, tiny sewing machine......'tis so cute (that is of course if a sewing machine can be deemed as cute).

I must say I am enjoying stitching with this mechanical sewing machine. This machine has only had one owner and was only for sale after her passing. It has been serviced diligently every year and I must say it purrs like a kitten.

This machine truly has the most meditative and soothing sound, with the most beautiful straight stitch; with perfect tension. It's whirring sound takes me back to my childhood where I would sit and watch my mum sew on her Singer treadle machine. A sound which always seemed to be rather akin to a comforting and reassuring hug.

Though this machine only has eight stitches in it's bag of tricks I am finding I don't really need much more as I have my Janome 6600 to turn to for all those other sewing jobs. My poor old Janome is feeling her age....after all she has been in use every day of her life for the past ten years, both by me and oodles of children who walk through my front door! I suppose 10 years is not venerable for a sewing machine but I have demanded a lot from her and have put her through oodles of stress. She is a grand old girl but she is feeling a little weary. I am actually in the process of purchasing another sewing machine. I have my eyes on a new Bernina but as they are expensive I need to do a lot of research. Pray tell, what machine do you use.....or indeed what machine would you recommend?

I have been sewing the 'frames' of some hexagons on my little Bernina, that I have been preparing for yet another scrappy hexagon quilt, and it has been such a joy. Yes, I am in need of some hexagon therapy....another hexagon quilt is going to live in my humble abode....just because I don't have enough!!!

As some of you know, I go into a state of apoplectic shock when my beady li'l eyes spot a hexagon. To me there is nothing quite like a hexagon quilt. I love the higgledy piggledy nature of a hexagon quilt. I love that there is no rhyme or reason to the scrappy makeup of these quilts. I love the fact that oodles of disparate fabrics are thrown together with a myriad of colours and designs. Yes indeedy......love, love, LOVE hexagon quilts!

Normally, when I stitch a hexagon quilt I would sew all the hexagons by hand but as this fabric is 100% cotton, and cotton's DNA tends to have a perfectly behaved disposition, I have decided to machine stitch around the frames. I will then stitch all the hexies together at the back, by hand. If I have piqued your interest and you would like to have a bo peep at some of my other hand stitched hexies, I wrote a post waxing lyrical of all things hexagon, way, way back when..........here.

Yes indeedy, I am so thankful this old girl caught the attention of my husband. Wasn't he a sweetie to say "you really, really need to buy this beauty"! Such a discerning man is my husband! AND....she was only sixty smackeroos.....so I am a very happy gal....delirious with great joy actually! I might say if I hadn't purchased it, another lady was ready to pounce and whip it up into her arms and head for dem dar hills! I actually thought she might do me some harm and I would be no more....but no, I live to see yet another day....or indeed, to sew another hexagon or two!

So.........'tis toodles from me. I will be in hexie heaven this week as I have oodles more hexagons to stitch. Soooooooo much hexie love!! Wishing you all the most wonderful week!

A confectionery of ribbons

Firstly, let me say a warm thank you to everyone, who left such sweet comments concerning Fiona's heirloom quilt. I'm happy to say this pretty has gone home with Fiona to live happily ever after in her glorious 100 year old school house. Oh and I might add Fiona did love it....so much so that she has given me a few more stitching orders for me to fashion.....really, really fun tasks....but more about those another time.

After finishing Fiona's quilt, and having completed a few humdrum orders I hankered after a little more fun stitching. Boring orders punctuated with some pretty stitching always perks me up.

My fingers were itching to fashion oodles and oodles of pretty ribbons into oodles and oodles of floralicious delight!!

So, whilst away on a little road trip last weekend, meandering along the countryside in our faithful ole tin lizzie, in celebration of a BIG birthday of my significant other,  I sat happily in the passenger seat coaxing silken and shiny ribbons into  bloom after bloom, collecting them all together on the dashboard.

My, my......don't pretty ribbon flowers add to the countryside??? Me thinks every dashboard should be bedecked with a ribbon blossom or two!!

Back home again..........high tea anyone??? Tier after tier of French wired confections of Pansies, Roses, Fuchsias.....so, so delectable.......so, so much eye candy!!

We cannot only have a pretty, tiered cake stand of ribbon delight to tempt the eyes, now can we?? A 'must have' is a Royal Albert, fine bone china teapot, overspilling with a pretty palette of blossomy delight!!

Mmmm.....very pretty, I hear you say.....but what is the purpose for all this ribbon delight??

A little over a year ago I fashioned another heirloom quilt for a very dear friend, whose home (which both she and her husband designed and built) and everything she and her family owned was destroyed in a devastating bushfire. I wrote about my friend and the fashioning of her quilt here.

I decided I wanted to stitch a lovely cushion to send to my friend, to perhaps sit alongside the quilt that I had fashioned. My friend and her husband have been very kind and and generous in their friendship to my husband and myself these past couple of months, so I thought I would thank them with this little gift. A cushion is always a fun pretty to stitch. AND......fashioning a basketful of gorgeous, ribbon delight is always the best fun.

I chose a pretty cream bridal damask that I had stored away in one of my armoires. It has climbing roses and leaves rambling their way across the fabric. The basket is a vintage doily which lends itself very nicely as a basket.

So......let the playing begin!

Each blossom was stitched to the basket; pretty, ruffled roses, fancy-faced pansies, dainty fuchsias and scrunchy, green leaves. I added a snippet of a doily and a pretty bow.....and voila......all pretty as a picture. I always find it joyous stitching baskets of overspilling flowers with their pretty, blossomy faces smiling back at me. I never tire of coaxing shimmering and silken ribbons into fanciful bouquets of blooming fantasies.

In closing my friend and her husband decided not to rebuild as the costs to do so were too exorbitant and prohibitive. So many  building codes, rules and regulations would have the costs go through the proverbial ceiling. They have since bought another home and are slowly beginning to gather and collate treasures. They are slowly continuing their biography, in which new chapters will be written and new memories shaped. My friend perhaps will tuck this bouquet of flowers somewhere near her heirloom quilt in her boudoir adding to the basketful of memories which our friendship of many, many years enjoys.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.....I don't suppose there will be any fashioning of pretty ribbons for me for a little while, as that bright pink front door has opened once again to those delightful kiddos who visit my humble abode and stitch a little.......toodles!

Linking up to Mary's Sweet Inspiration Linky party.

Something Sentimental

It is holiday time down here and I have been having the most pleasurable of weeks. With the bright pink door at the Kim Sharman School of Excellence closed to students for two weeks I have been catching up on some orders. A lady, Fiona, asked me if I would stitch a wall hanging which would become a family heirloom. Fiona's dad recently passed away and she hankered after a wall hanging, incorporating some photos of her grandparents, her mum and dad, and her siblings. She also said I could do whatever I wanted!!!

Fiona intimated she would like pretty embellishments that evoked a sense of nostalgia. Heirloom....pretty embellishments....nostalgia....complete carte blanche in what I fashioned....all these words are music to my ears!! AND.....to be given complete freedom in whatever I wanted to create.....well....it doesn't get much sweeter than that!!

Fiona asked perchance, if I had some pretty laces and bits and bobs to incorporate into the wall hanging. Now let me see........do I have enough pretties with which to embellish?? Yes indeedy, I think I might have a few!!!! Actually, I have an Aladdin's cave overflowing with a bounteous supply of all manner of lacy and embroidered treasures! Who needs a haberdashery store anyway??

Of course when Fiona said she wanted pretty.......I did double check that she really meant pretty. When given half a chance to 'do pretty', here in my humble abode the embellishment bomb detonates with lace, ribbon, vintage pretties, buttons, beads etc etc......AND.....I do tend to get carried away. As Fiona has five sons I wasn't quite sure if what was in my brainpan would sit well in a home where there are 6 humans of the male kind. She assured me that my creation would be displayed on a wall in her bedroom, the one room in her home where femininity rules! I might add Fiona lives in a 100 year old school house!! Lucky Fiona!!

I photocopied the photos on some photo transfer fabric, heat set the photos with an iron and then rinsed them in cold water for about a minute.

After stitching the photos onto the backing fabric, I then began playing with all my pretties I had gathered up and began to stitch them in an arrangement that was pleasing to my li'l eye!

As is always the case with a project such as this, I am afraid I made the most unholy mess in my sewing room, because I always find when stitching a project like this, I need to find the exact snippet of lace or a tiny embroidery that I know is somewhere, but cannot quite remember in which suitcase or hat box it is waiting ever so patiently, so that it might cast a little beauty to the project on hand. Hence the upturning of many a suitcase is required and the burrowing deep, deep down into the disarray of pretties......into the mayhem........is mandatory! A lot of time is spent in arranging the perfect pretty in the exact position.

Fiona wanted me to include some gorgeous hand embroidered doilies her grandmother had lovingly stitched many, many years ago, so I machine stitched the names on these to make them a little more personal.

I adore hand stitching. I find hand stitching to be therapeutic; it gives me much pleasure and satisfaction. I adore adding little snippets of lace, remnants of embroideries, a little satin ribbon here and there, a fragment or two of antique motifs, some beads, buttons, a vintage piece of ornamentation........a smidgen of a doily. It really is the best fun.

With every heirloom piece I stitch I always love to incorporate a vintage glove holding a few stems of pretty blooms. After all, every bride in a bygone era always wore a beautiful pair of gloves on her wedding day. In this instance I fashioned some pretty roses using French wire ribbon.

I bordered the quilt with edgings of an assortment of vintage tablecloths. I feel they add to the nostalgic feel of the quilt.

It has given me much pleasure to sit in my sunny sewing room this week and stitch this heirloom quilt. With each stitch I have thought of Fiona and the many treasured memories that encompass her family. I hope when Fiona gazes upon this quilt many reminiscences will come to mind of the happy and cherished moments spent with her loved ones.

This last week of the holidays I have a few more orders to stitch but I don't suppose they will give me as much joy, as the stitching of this nostalgic-filled quilt. Oh well.......such is life.

May you all have a sunny week filled with a li'l stitching. 'Tis toodles from me!