WOW 1st July

Hi Everyone,

Gosh the 1st of July today, where has June gone? I have no idea but tomorrow my DH has his big 60 birthday. Nothing planned as we are both working so it will just be a nice dinner and a bottle of bubbly for the two of us. Maybe Sat we will have a day out.

Progress on my cushion cover has been steady, border on, iron on padding in place  and quilting done.

I love using this light weight iron on padding for wall hangings and small projects. 

It is Fliselina H640 the heavier weight of two available locally in NZ.

Once it is fused it stitches easily without a backing fabric or any pinning which makes it ideal for stabilising applique blocks and adding depth from the start.

Apart from the background I choose to simply ditch stitch the major segments and let the fabrics do the work.

Doesn't show in the photo but the various segments do now stand out.  

I changed my mind  and decided not to radiate lines from my joined fabric but to echo quilt 1/4 inch apart  lines around the hexagon and continue these out to the corners.

Think it was the right decision, where is my join now!!!

For my binding I was going to cut 5 x  3" strips and make a wider binding but I only had enough fabric left for the normal 2 1/2 " binding strips, that is all my  favourite fabric used up, only a 1/2 inch strip left. Had to do straight joins on 3 of the strips to get the required length as well.
And then when I went to join the two ends I was an inch short, an unpick of a couple of my leftover strips sets, another join and just enough fabric.

Last minutes on my design wall.

 Waiting for me to sit down and relax.

The rest of my blog I want to show the talent of some of the members of the Dargaville Quilting group which I belong to. Most of the members are farmers wives or retired farmers wives as Dargaville is a rural farming town on the West Coast of Northland - 55 km's from Whangarei.

   

Our biannual show was held last week and the theme was "Memories and Milestones"

This wonderful small hanging by June Horobin at the door

 says it all.

So this year there were lots of poppies on show.

One of our two raffle quilts "Poppies 100"

 I hate to admit I forgot to take a photo of our other raffle quilt  "Remembrance" 

Am hoping to get a photo shortly.

Poppies by Lynette Vallance

Poppy wallhanging by Carolyn Hutchings.

A design by Adrienne Walker  reflecting on the shattering effect of the Christchurch Earthquake

Poppy Cushions.

Another cushion variation.

"Lest we forget" Wallhanging by Marion McEwing.

Marion owns the local fabric shop and Janome outlet.

I believe her classes on using  Janome Embroidery Machines inspired these fabulous Poppy designs.

My own  Poppies ( Lest we Forget)

I haven't been able to join up with the group as often as I would like the last two years and didn't really know the theme for this year, luckily my wall hanging seems to fit in perfectly.

The main pattern is by Adrienne Walker, an extra background panel added plus two Poppies and a seed head from Esther Aliu's Forget Me Not BOM completed my wall hanging.

In the past few years a number of the group have purchased embroidery machines. WOW what wonderful designs they are creating.

Goosetracks by Adrienne Wordsworth
Even the border is plain fabric machine embroidered.

The embroidery detail is amazing.

Jacobean Stitchery by Christine Herald.

Blue Embroidered by Lynn McKenzie
The embroideries are all stitched onto felt and this king size quilt now adorns Lynn's bed.

Stitchers Garden by Val Woods
I wish I had taken a close up of her embellishing details.

Le Jardin by Pam Taylor.

Wheely Gear by June Horobin.

And for the handstitchers amongst you this most intricate small wall hanging.

Mini Hexies Flower All Year Round by Tonia Nyboer.
I didn't measure it but I think it is approx 20" square edge to edge.
1092 individual handstitched heaxagons in this masterpiece.
Tonia I congratulate you !!!!

Many other small pieces by members made their appearance as well
This was one of several displays.
And of course my two other wallhangings.

Faberge - A Ginny Beyer Pattern and Fabrics.

12 Days of Christmas- Pattern by Esther Aliu

For me, now that my cushion is on the couch - what to do next.

I think that this week my days off  will be spent cleaning up my sewing room as I have never put anything away properly since moving into the room. Then next week - which UFO will I bring out.

Enjoy your Wednsday everyone and thanks for dropping by.

Cheer's Jenny