Hexagon Runner

Simple, fun and easy.  A delightful little runner which I made on a rainy afternoon a few months ago.

Designed by the ladies at Patchworks Unlimited, this particular project came as a pattern with small pieces of oriental fabrics to make the hexagons.  I used a tone-on-tone fabric with gum leaves printed on it for the background, backing and binding; and then used pellon for the wadding.

I stitched around the hexagons with gold metallic thread for a luxurious touch.  

This was a very calm and peaceful project to make.  It now resides on my bookcase with a fabric dragon and snake for company.

Small things

Small things, small finishes, use up some left overs and you get oven mitts!  I was looking to use up some small pieces of fabric and the strip sets to remove them out of my stash.  They kept on coming up to the top of the pile and every time I went into the shelving, they were front and centre.

I have had these two items finished for several weeks now, just needed to find some time to sit at the PC and blog.

The showy side of the oven mitts.

The oven mitts and the heat pad both use up leftover strips from a Bargello quilt which I made a few years ago.

Heat Pad 

Both items have insulbrite and cotton wadding - nice and protective from heat.  They are getting well used in my kitchen and don't burn my fingers like the worn out ones!

Cutlery Bags

As we all know, there is never, ever any cutlery in work-place staff/lunch rooms.  It doesn't matter how many pieces of cutlery get purchased at the start of the year, it is guaranteed that within a few weeks, there is very little left - especially the forks.

So, for 2015 Christmas Gifts, I e-mailed my closest colleagues and asked then what their favourite colour was.  As you can see, there were a few purples.

I purchased some lovely coloured cutlery sets; and where I didn't have the quantity of chosen colour in cutlery from the set I matched the cutlery to fabric pattern colours.

All in all, there were 11 bags to make, each specific to its new owner.

The bonus of putting cutlery into bags is that it can be washed at the end of lunch and then stored in a desk drawer and stay clean, ready for the next day.

My colleagues loved their gifts.  We had such a beautiful morning in the office, swapping gifts, eating a very large morning tea and sharing our Christmas plans.  Going to work is very easy when you work with wonderful people.


PS:  I made one more set (not pictured) for my sister to keep at her work place.  She thought it was an excellent idea - just like my colleagues.

New Year, New Goals

So far so good.  2016 has started off with a wonderful holiday to the Adelaide Hills - a snatched week away while DH was off work for the 'silly season'.  Last night was a good reason to celebrate with some lovely wine and dinner as DH had some great news regarding his job.  It seems I can spend less time working and more time quilting - yeah hah! :) 

I only found one quilt shop while away at Bordertown (apparently there are two), which stocked some lovely William Morris fabrics; and the day after coming home, sewed my fabric up into a block roll, which I will use while embarking on my own 'Dear Jane' Quilt journey this year.

Sideways view of Block Roll and Needle Book
(not sure why photo is sideways....)

Opened out Block Roll

I also made a small needle-book from the unused fabric length.

Inside view of Needle Book

I am searching my sewing room for another pattern to make a small block carry around folder thingy-a-mi-jig to transport the hand-sewing blocks in, which will also be made out of this same fabric.

My two new starts for this year will be:

1.    Dear Jane Quilt (with Kilmore Quilters) - new fabric purchase.

2.    Seminole block [row] of the month at Morning Glory - use up stash.

My goal for 2016 year in all areas of my life is twofold - focus on what I have already started and allow serendipity to happen.  If my plans don't work out, then I will do my best to follow the alternate path and not get distressed.