gypsy wife WiP

trying not to overthink any of these darling little blocks

but the teal triangles in this one constantly annoyed me,

so I unpicked & reset them!

ha-ha, these little blocks are so addictive ... if only I didn't have anything else to do!


a bit more #11
I have been thinking about the name - Gypsy Wife quilt - as I've been sewing.
It seems like maybe the concentrated cluster of blocks over the top part of it
are a lovely colourful shawl
and the long thin strips are the fringing!
yes?
no?

gypsy wife {update}

Don't you just love sewing on a wet wet day?

I was able to get a few of the first Gypsy Wife blocks finished
{bit of a late starter, I know!}
Better go now & finish some boring housework too!

Linking up for WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Gypsy Wife quilt ... a starting point!

Well, visiting Amitie in Gardenvale/Melbourne was like walking into a lolly shop!  It wasn't so much an explosion of colour really, because there was a very real "calm" feeling about the whole shop!
I think it was more about how it was displayed ... shelves full of fantastic variety, each colour grouped beautifully together, & inspiration everywhere. First up, I bought the Gypsy Wife quilt pattern! I confess, I've mucked about all year following the progress of others with this, thinking I love it, and thinking maybe I should be doing it too!

And fabric shopping? I hear you ask.
Actually, I really didn't know where to start with buying fabric, it all looked so lovely.
I made a few initial "safe" choices with some neutral grey & white fabrics ...

... and then just went for it, with lots of little bits of whatever took my fancy...

I am way behind with the current Gypsy Wife program, but that's ok. I've printed it out & will follow at my own pace. This pattern really is so wonderfully scrappy, anything will mix in! I just love the delightful effect of all that chaotic colour combined together!
So now I have the pattern ..
and a selection of new Japanese cottons .. 
and of course "my stash" for additional variety!
Am putting a hold on everything else while I make a start on this! First up 1x Colour Wheel block and a few Pinwheel blocks ... check back in a few days time!

weekending

We have just had a lovely long weekend in Melbourne. Lots of walking, eating, shopping! Went to the market at Prahran, (heaps of fresh fruit & veges, wonderful if you live there), had a tiki tour around St Kilda & the beach, became very familiar with the train & tram timetables,  and had breakfast at 5:30am one morning in town, (Mr D's body clock was all messed up!)  in the midst of everyone else (well, younger than 60!) who had been out nightclubbing!
And then one morning, just for me, we caught the tram out to Amitie (pics taken with consent) ...

Midnight at the Oasis - the original!

rows of lovely Liberty

a great selection of "browns"- was almost tempted myself!

and then the quilts ..

and more quilts..

.. and more

and then...
... we did also do a bit of this...

 ...it was a great way to see a bit of the Aussie countryside!!  

after the storm

It was such a lovely day today after the storm! We had part of a fence fall down, and next-door-neighbours huge, beautiful Liquid Amber tree fell down on top of my car! No serious damage thank goodness. This afternoon I took my finished quilt top along with camera and wandered around our garden. It's all a bit wild & overgrown, last of the autumn leaves to crunch thru', and plenty of dappled sunlight!

Here's a few Friday photos ...    

and my favourite pic of the day...

a bit more # 10

no more sewing now for me...

off to Melbourne next week for a few days treat

{celebrating a significant birthday!}

small steps

all of quarter one... done!

Well I must admit, earlier last week I did wonder what I had let myself in for! 

But I'm now getting a bit of a system "thingy" happening so it's not too bad.

After all, as I tell myself, there's no time frame for me on this 

and I'm actually beginning to enjoy the process. 

Slowly, slowly... one small step closer to nine complete circles!

    

scrapbox delight {work in progress}

This year I am working hard at trying to make a dent in the scrapbox! However, like many others, collecting fabric is something of a passion! {see Kathy's lastest blog entry, @ Material Obsession, on this subject too!}. And so from time to time, a bit of retail therapy is essential - to update my supplies & ensure a good variety you understand! 
Not too long ago I purchased a piece of fabric, but it was an "oh dear, what did I buy that for" moment when it arrived! (sound familiar?). Anyway, I pinned it up on my little design wall directly in front of my sewing machine & looked at it ... and looked at it ... every time I sat down to sew ... there it was!
Today it's raining -again-  but a perfect day for sewing, so I had a little break from sewing my Single Girl quilt, and found a reason to use up that piece of fabric!

Inspiration for this simple scrappy quilt came from a much looked thru' book on my shelf, Sunday Morning Quilts, and I do also recall seeing something similar in different colours over at Blue Elephant Stitches a long time ago. Construction was very easy. I joined assorted strips of fabric together in varying widths from 1"- 2 1/2" to roughly form a block. I pressed & trimmed each one to 12 1/2" block. Then simply joined them all together. It's got a kind of fresh look about it so far that I really like, with little pops of added colour. While I mainly stuck to blues, brown, and a bit of pink/purple, I did add a few other scrappy delights from the scrapbox, along with that fabric from up on the wall, and then lots, and lots of lights ... et voila!

a bit more #9
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@ Freshly Pieced

QAL {update}

Latest addition

It's a wet dreary Monday here in Auckland, outdoor pics may look a bit overcast!

Linking in with Erin's Classic meets Modern QAL