Nothing lazy about it...

Little hexagons are so much fun...I see fussy cutting opportunities in a myriad of fabrics...it drives my DD nuts!

Lazy Susan, a pattern by Wendy Williams purchased from MO at the craft show has given me more reason to play with these little cuties!

But I am starting to assemble the blocks now and despite careful pinning & slow sewing I was not overly happy with inserting the circles by machine....so I tried hand piecing, which was much better, but think I might opt for needleturn onto the square instead. What do you think?

 I have completed this months quota of the circle game too...this month was pretty simple...I am a little anxious about what next month might bring!

Block 6...I like the simplicity of pattern in this one!

One sleep to go!!!

 Cardygirl xx

Monthly sewing keeps me going!

As a celebration of the year's projects with the Le Petite group, here is a mosaic of them all. It was a fun group...each month we all sewed the same pattern in our own choice of fabrics, some didn't make a small quilt, they made them smaller or larger...entirely your own choice! Predominantly Schnibbles patterns, they were good for honing skills especially in the area of points! My only difficulty was that few of these patterns are available in Australia...I was only able to purchase the last one, Fanfare, locally. Thanks to Sinta and Sherri for organising the group...and thanks to the designers! Looks like we may do it again next year!

Jackie has organised a Bloggers BOM...with some very talented ladies designing a new block each month. The first month was Sherri, and I made my block from Flower Sugar...I am going for pretty! The next block is due today from Field Trips in Fiber. 

Hope you have time for some sewing in your day!

Cardygirl xx

An end to the breath holding...

Despite my recent low rate of posting, I have achieved a few minor victories in the war on attacking WIP's and making some sense of the chaos that is my sewing room (I feel it may be related to the state of my somewhat disordered brain!). This week I aim to clear the backlog of posts and share the good, the bad and the ugly!

Last Sunday I aimed to finish this...my Sue Ross BOM from Material Obsession. I had a major tantrum ages ago when, as I went to construct the top my points did not all match perfectly! So much breath holding and foot stamping ensued, that it was packed away for nearly two years (roughly). So, out it came in all it's lovely glory and without further bother, fuss or ado, it was sewn together, pressed and readied for the quilter. 

A wacky back was ordered from MO and it's next journey was ready to begin. I had always planned to hand quilt, but our relationship is obviously a tad unsteady, so time apart may let us appreciate each other again! It really is lovely, but the points are not perfect and that is my own issue! 

I love this backing for the Kaleidoscope quilt too.

This block has sat unloved for a considerable length of time too...so it is now a cushion complete with concealed zipper back and piping...looks fun.

There were lots of comments about Brigitte Giblin's hexie bag. That one was made with large handles, but I bought these smaller handles from her to make a smaller version...love those funky handles.

A dear friend was having an attack of the glums this week...I know what she means...hayfever, daylight savings, lives TOO full...so she sent out an SOS for a visitor...it will be fun for both of us to catch up...I told her to batten down the hatches as this Cardy is going country very soon! Woo Hoo...might have to borrow some real boots this time!

Cardygirl xx

Branching out with Brigitte

This week was my last class with Brigitte Giblin at Southern Cross Needlework, Maitland. This has been fun, but Brigitte is super busy so will not be teaching this far from Sydney next year (she has left room for a possible return when life settles a bit though!). It has been great to soak up a bit of her creativity, and it has been wonderful to get to know some really great & supportive stitching ladies. We actually have decided to stitch along together next year as we were all a bit sad at the thought of "losing" each other...lovely to make new friends. Chris has even put her hand up to join us at Nundle...a brave soul indeed and we will love having her! I am so glad this group is staying together.

Here are some snippets of our interpretations of Brigitte's designs shown this week...

Chris has done an amazing job with lime linen and hexies in a Reece Scannell shot cotton...this was so mouth wateringly delicious! Loved it...the colours are amazing!

On a gentler note, this was being nurtured along with the most amazing fussy cutting! Go on ...zoom in!

As usual Brigitte was full of inspiration...

a beautiful hexie bag...

and a piece that I was drooling over! Definitely on my aspirational sewing list.

Cardygirl xx

Kaleidoscope Quilt

 Back in July I began this project on my Nundle girls weekend at The Cottage on the Hill. Slowly I have chipped away at it, and I have recently put the blocks together. It is a pattern from Cluck, Cluck, Sew, and  has come together well. The red/white spot adds a dash of fun and I will bind in this too. What do you think? 

I seem to have a bit of yellow happening in my sewing room at present...either I am feeling spring like or is my view of sewing a tad jaundiced??? Hopefully it is the former.

These fabrics followed me home from the most recent Nundle visit...already planned for a project...I did not realise that they were the new range by Carrie Nelson, the creator of the Schnibbles projects I have been stitching...silly me.   Look, I have bought some more yellow!

Cardygirl xx

Why am I Cardygirl?

Over the last week or so I have enjoyed reading how people came up with their blog names.

Encouraged by Dawn, bloggers have shared how they morphed into their blog persona and it has been fun. So I guess it is my turn now. I had never heard of a blog until I attended the Girls Day in the Country at Nundle a few years back. After that I became a lurker, just wandering about and seeing what people were up to. At the following GDITC I was sitting at dinner on the Friday night with two ladies, introductions were made and I found out they were bloggers...Peg And Dale. Well, anyone that knows Peg knows that she is full of information...so she was pointing out bloggers and then she said...that is Chookyblue! OMG! I was like a teenager again who had found out the Bay City Rollers were in the room! (Sad time of my life I don't often discuss!) I am normally pretty respectful of personal space...but not this time as I dashed over and introduced myself to her. She was startled and obviously concerned I might turn all "stalker" on her, but was gracious and encouraged me into the world of blogging, ably supported by Maree and Peg! Then ensued a long conversation about names...my non blogging friends all joined in...there was lots of hilarity and false starts, but it was finally decided that I wear LOTS of cardigans...always have...love them...and must have one in nearly every color...so Cardygirl was born! I quite like it's neatness and often have people just calling me Cardy...I never had a nickname growing up...I have one now and I like it!

amitie's circle game

After I visited Kate in Singapore, I was inspired by her hand pieced blocks to join in this BOM with amitie. I was a little behind, but have managed to catch up. I am loving the tranquility of hand piecing and the fabrics too! I know last time I posted a pic, people were asking about this BOM...I think you will have to email them to see if there are any places left as there is not much on their website about it.

Block 2

Block3

Block4...fun piecing...my favourite so far...yummy!

 Cardygirl xx

Nundle Quilt Airing 2011

We set off this morning, fingers crossed that the forecast rain would stay away from the Cottage on the Hill for Kerry's airing of the quilts. BUT, we  had only travelled for 1/2 hour when we found that it was raining up in the hills and the airing was cancelled...drats! But we decided to continue anyway and have a nice day out, just a bit wetter than planned. Raelee, Julie, Lea and myself had the company of my dear Mum (who was dreadfully excited about the trip to Nundle...she hadn't been there for more than forty years), and off we went to a very wet and bitterly cold Nundle. 

Here are the piles of quilts (with my Mum...she looks like she is having fun) ...

that should have been hanging here...

with these quilts that Kerry collected from us on Thursday.

Here are the lovely green hills...

surrounding the shop...a lovely day out, lunch at Mt Misery...

a visit to the woollen mill...we still had a memorable day out, hoping for better weather next year!

Cardygirl xx