Embroidery machine

Well I have a new toy!!

I bought myself an embroidery only machine - Janome 300E.

I was really happy - the shop where I buy my fabric had a great deal and as well as getting $450 off the cost I got over $800 of freebies with it!!

Have been having a little play with it and love how easy it is to use. It just burbles away in the background while I am doing something else and I only have to change the cotton colour every now and again.

I have a lot of different ideas for quilt using embroidery blocks; I also want to make one using soft coffee colours as a hierloom type quilt. Of course this means I will have to live to 250 now to finish all the new projects I have in mind.........

Bearded Irises

My favourite flowers are Violets and Bearded Iris. I decided to make a quilt using Bearded Irises and in 4 blocks. Each block was made using a different technique - reverse applique, raw edged applique, hand painted and finally quilted.

This first block was fiddly to do but I was pleased with the result.

The second block was easier to do because I like raw edged applique and have done a lot of it.. This is the final 'picture' on a sheet of teflon before I ironed it onto the background.

The third block was hand painted and for the final block I drew the image lightly onto the background fabric and then quilted it.

I put the blocks together with black sashing between them and added a border of the background fabric then a final border of black to frame the whole 4 blocks. I quilted it in the ditch.

I am happy with the end result - there are a few things I would do different but overall it is pleasing.

Still have a little more quilting to do on it and then have to bind it (in black). It is a nice size to hang on the wall so now have to think about where to put it once it is finished.

Treadle Sewing Machine

I bought an old Singer Treadle Machine on Ebay recently. I did some research and also contacted Singer to find out when it was made and discovered it was made in 1926 at Clydebank in Scotland.

I have spent a few weeks restoring it. I only have the drawers and the inside top wood work to finish. Also have to clean up the bobbin winder; it is a bit tight and doesn't wind the bobbins very well at the moment. I am really pleased with it; it is looking really good, almost like new except for the lovely aged wear. The decals are in pretty good shape for its age.

I have got the tension working perfectly and it sews very well. I would like to make some quilt blocks with it and see how it goes. That will be another project for me once I finish with the restoration work.

Coffee making

Recently I won a coffee machine on the radio station I listen too. I am a fan of a show on Foxtel called "Coffee" and have been watching it for a few months so it was great to win a machine that I could play with.

I have been experimenting with grinds and tamps and having fun. My husband is loving it because he likes his coffee. Think I make a mean Latte now and want to try some Latte artworks.... will post a pic if I ever get one to work.

Still not happy with the amount of Crema I am getting but I guess that comes with lots of practice at getting the grind and tamps right.

My kitchen looks like a coffe shop; I have several containers with different beans; a grinder; tamper; thermometer; SS jug for milk frothing; SS cups and latte glasses. Got all the gear - just need to learn to make the perfect cup......

Books to read and shows to watch.

Just finishing the latest Jeffrey Deaver book - Cold Moon. I love his Lincoln Rhyme series, even loved the movie adaptation of the Bone Collector (probably because of Denzil Washington). I have my next book to read waiting patiently - Kathy Reich's latest -Break No Bones.

I have seen an ad on the TV that this week start a series called Bones based on her books so it will be interesting to see how it translates onto the screen.

Last night I watched the premier of Criminal Minds and really enjoyed it. It is on again tonight so will see how it goes. I don't watch much TV - usually just a few favourite shows - LOST (which finishes this week); Spicks and Specks, Coffee, Simply Quilts, Dr Who and Rosemary and Thyme. Will have to add Criminal Minds and Bones to my list now.

I have another book ready to read - Terry Goodkind's Phantom - it is the penultimate book in his Sword of Truth series - it will be hard to say goodbye to this series after 10 books. I love fantasy books when they are done well. Of course Tolkien leads the list but I love Terry Book's Shannara series; David Eddings; Raymond E Feist, Anne McCaffrey and J K Rowling. And of course who can dismiss Terry Pratchett's wonderful Discworld books, they are a warped as I am.

My friend Alison in New Zealand has told me that her husband suggests I give Nelson de Mille's books a try - he think I should enjoy them so I will keep my eye out for them when I go to the library next.

The Walk.

Took the dogs (Xena an 7 yr old female boxer and Fozzie 15mth old male Labradoodle) for a walk this morning - I haven't taken them for ages because I didn't think I could handle the two of them together but decided yesterday to give it a try. It was a bit frantic to start with but as they settled down (and got tired) the walk was easier.

We didn't go too far and this morning did the same again althought we managed to go a few more houses up the hill. The fun thing is when they both want to go and smell something in different directions, they have a combined weight of 60kg at least.

Xena crashed once we got home - she loves the idea of getting out but hates the fact that she has to walk! I'm afraid Xena is a couch potato, her idea of exercise is moving from the lounge chair to her bed. Fozzie on the other hand is like a whirlwind, he is always running through the house, playing with his toys and trying to coax Xena into playing.

Remember

My favorite online quilting group had a challenge which we had to make something that represented a word - Remember.

We were given the project in March and I thought it would be perfect to do something that related to ANZACs and the lovely Flander's Field Poppy. While I rummaged on the 'net I found a lovely painting by Georgia O'Keeffe that was perfect.

I appliqued my poppy onto some scrap fabric and then machine embroidered the flower and stem in all the lovely shades of red and orange so evocative of the Remberance Poppy.

I cut it out carefully and then stitched it to a neutral background that I had added a small border in burnt orange. The quilting on it represents the wind blowing across the fields of Flanders. I wrote the word "Remember' across the bottom.

The whole quilt is just A4 sized.