Prizes won

It's been a long time since I had written a new post as I haven't been doing any embroidering or quilting.  Me and my son both had Covid two weeks apart and my husband had an operation on his back, the 3rd one.

This year I entered 7 items at the Bloemshow of which 4 have won prizes.

Spiral Burst

Stack and Wack

These two quilts both won 3rd prizes.

Mandala

2nd prize

Heart Quilt

1st prize

Heart Quilt finished

I finished this quilt and is really pleased with how it turned out.

All the crazy patch hearts embroidery designs, are available at Molly Mine

Below are some close up photos of the blocks showing the free motion quilting done in more detail.  I chose to meander mostly as to get the quilt finished rather than spending hours wondering what motifs to use where.  Judges don't prefer quilts that is just meandered, but it is my quilt and my decision after all.  I don't quilt for awards, just as a hobby.

Below is a close up of one of the corners showing the stitching done.

Now I have to get myself started on another project as I am still struggling to get back my mojo after all my work issues the last year or so.  I am working from home sitting cooped up alone in my office all day, so I am struggling to get myself to spend the whole evening alone in the needlework room as well.  But when I do get myself to do something, I enjoy it and after a while forgot about all life's trouble and problems which never ends in our life.  

My contract at my current employer expires at the end of March and my son quit his new job after a month, so I am really struggling holding my head above the water.  All prayers for us are sorely needed.  Please do let me know of any job opening for a young man with 2 years administrative assistant experience, data capture etc. if you know or hear about anything.  It would be greatly appreciated.

Heart Quilt 6

It's almost two months since my previous post and about the only needlework done around here was finishing up the last three blocks of the heart quilt.  All the blocks have been stitched together and quilted, so only the borders needs to be added.

Crazy hearts from Molly Mine

On a personal front it was quite a difficult few moths behind me workwise.  After going back to the UK firm in April, everything was going well until the mid of August when they decided they didn't have enough work to occupy me and let me go.  And I have been struggling ever since getting another job lined up as things in South-Africa is very tight with all the SOE's bankrupt and me being in the engineering (infra structure) field, you are dependent from the national and local governments for work.  I am praying that the contract work I have applied for do materialize so that I could go back to being the normal me without all these external pressures, worries and stress.  It is not a picnic finding oneself without a job just a few years before pension. 😓

If any of you reading here can join me in prayer about this I would really appreciate it.

Heart Quilt 5

With winter upon us I find it increasingly difficult to do anything other than sitting by the fire.  So any quilting etc. now is done on Saturdays only.  I also find it difficult being cooped up in my office alone the whole day and then spending the evenings alone in my needlework room as well.  My husband do visit me during the day but I am definitely having a bout of cabin fever.

With that being said, I did embroider another 3 blocks of the heart quilt as well as adding sasching to the completed blocks so I can start quilting them.  I am however struggling with puckers.  Almost all of the blocks pucker, bit I will try my best to eliminate them with the quilting which I decided will only be meandering between the hearts.

This block contains one of Molly Mine's Crazy Hearts

These blocks I did not crazy quilt as I wanted to show of the beautiful Langa Lapu fabric prints which doesn't show up as well on the small crazy quilt pieces.  I used Molly Mines heart outline and omitted all the crazy patchwork.  By sizing them smaller, I added the smaller plain hearts.  All done with the help of Embird Basic Embroidery Software.

Three quarters of the blocks is done with only 4 more blocks to go.

Heart Quilt 4

 After falling seriously behind with this quilt, I finally got time to stitch another two blocks.

The crazy patchwork heart designs can be found here.

Heart Quilt Block 3 and Spit Cloths

I finished Block Number 3 of the Heart Quilt.  Although the pattern calls for a traditional pieced block, I enlarged one of my Crazy Quilt Heart blocks and stitched it manually playing along the way with different decorative stitches built into my Brother.

I also embroidered some spit cloths for friends of mine to gift at a Baby shower on the 10th of April.  Designs are from Buystitch.

Heart Quilt Block 2 and Homestead Quilt 10

 Heart Quilt Block 2 is finished but full of puckering, so I will have to quilt it flat.

I also finished another 4 blocks of the Homestead Quilt.  Only 3 more to go and then free motion.  The first time I can use the quilting rulers I bought recently.

Block 44 Propeller

Block 45 Antique flower basket

Block 46 Duck and ducklings

Block 47 May basket

Heart Quilt Block 1

 After acquiring all the fabrics needed, I could finally started working on this quilt.

I used the Crazy Heart quilt set from Molly Mine for the heart in the centre.

With Covid 19 with us for close to a year now, it was time to stitch some more masks for my son to wear at work.

I also stitched some more monograms for a few of my quilting friends who haven't received any yet.

 A friend of mine told me about somebody on Facebook selling Marathon embroidery thread at R5 each, so although I have nearly the whole catalogue of colors, it was not an opportunity to pass up on, so shopping she went buying me 100 cones.  

I also stitched myself a pouch like the one's I gave away as birthday presents last year.  The design is from Smartneedle and can be found here.  Been quite a busy week with lots of projects done.

I also made a skirt for our bed to extend to the ground.  Above is a before photo and below, after.

Spit cloths

Did some spit cloths for a new baby as well as embroidering some crosses and monograms for our friendship group named Amistad (Spanish for friendship).  And buying other background fabric for my heart quilt after my choices was shredded to pieces by my fiends. 😀

After having twin daughters 3 years ago, their parents was blessed by a boy.  They ordered the spit cloths in December but with my machine broken at the time, I was unable to embroider them in time.  But they are done now and will be on their way tomorrow.

I embroidered some crosses for some of my friends who joined our quilting group later and missed out on these beautiful bookmarks.  I always embroidered them in white, but use a beige this time and I think they look better than the white one's.  You be the judge.

The white one

and the new beige one.

I also visited all of the local quilting shops in vain to try and find two coordinating background fabrics and settled with only one background.  I also bought a yellow/orange/gold piece just to brighten up all of the dark colors.  Below are my new selection.

Heart Quilt - Fabrics

What would a new year be without a new project?

One of our local teachers started doing classes via WhatsApp since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown almost a year ago, inspiring the Guild's lady's to keep on quilting and stay busy.

So when I saw this quilt heart I just new it will be gorgeous with my Langa Lapu fabric.

For the background I chose grey

with this beautiful fabric for the sasching which pick up all the colors beautifully.

You may wonder at this stage what I am making and below is the pattern although mine won't be a traditional one like the photo.  I will be using crazy quilt heart embroidery designs, but that is still a secret.

As I am already one month behind, I will have to catch up in the next 4 weeks between all the other projects I also have going on.  Far too little hours in a day....