About Me

My photo
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
I have been stitching forever it seems and now do this just for pleasure,My DH and I are retired so I have lots of time for my hobbies--sewing Gardening and walking my dog. Have 4 grand-kids aged from 18 to 11 One lives in Australia and the others are very close to where we live. Hope to contribute more thru this blog. Kiwi Jan New Zealand

Friday, November 16, 2012

Xmas Runner and Mug Rugs

I have been happy sewing this week-- managing to finish several items that will go into my Xmas stash! When I have finished a project I put all fabric left over blocks or part blocks into a plastic bag-- They dont see the light of day for some time--one usually has had enough of THAT fabric by the time the project is finished---
This week was take out the basket with Christmas fabric as well as plastic bags of----'Going thru these bags brings back memories of articles made many moons ago-- and the fabrics are --new again-  One such piece was just the right size for a smalltable runner just had to add the end pieces quilt it and bind it -- had a few scraps left over so made the mug Rugs to match.

Then out came another plastic bag -- nice cream and greens odd windmill blocks  that needed to be used and a good sized peice of floral -- red and cream Pointsetters -I see more Mug Rugs for my Christmas stash
 
 
 
 
 
These Mug Rugs can be used either side which side do you like?
Thanks again for looking at my Blog.
Kiwi Jan

Monday, November 12, 2012

Hark the Herald Angels Sing-- UFO.

Today at the three J's meeting I finished off two UFO's--One is a block made for a Christmas Challenge at my quilting club--Pinestream Quilters  many many moons ago.
The challenge from memory was a Christmas hymn  --mine was Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This block is a mixture of handwork and machine work-- the Angels are hand stitched --buttonhole stitch and then outlined with Gold thread. Then a star machine stitched around the Angel.

I also had this little sample block a Christmas Star waiting to be made into something-- so added a border, a little machine stitching with Fudge , plksu the binding and here we have a Rug mug. Cute eh.A nice size for a coffee mug to sit on.
Thanks again for checking out my blog.

Tuesdays -Angels finished

Today being Tuesday the three J's --[who by the way all have all sewing machines that begin with J!!!] all brought their Angels so there could be a three some photo.
Each Angel is very different and have definite personalities,
So out comes another UFO of J 's thank goodness she does not have two more to share!!
Will this one be finished in time to join the big display at Christmas??? Go J!!!
Thanks for checking out my blog--

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Postcards

A miserable day here in Lower Hutt –NZ. [for anybody who wonders where Lower Hutt is]-    great for stitching!

I have  Purple Xmas ATC’s to make –[Artist Trading Cards] the collage is drying before any embellishments are added photos to come later--

Today effort with Fudge was to make 4 postcards—The theme is One of your favourite things—Well Christmas is a favourite of mine—many reasons –one being   the fabrics one can buy with Christmas as a theme— and sparkly thread  –  One of my rules when making ATC’s or postcards is to use scraps--- not to cut into a piece of fabric—These are all made from Scraps.

DSC00687                 DSC00688

I wonder what country they will end up in?

Thanks for looking

Kiwi Jan and Fudge [my Janome 6500]

Friday, November 9, 2012

Tuesdays

Tuesdays the three J’s meet for stitching—a week ago one of the J’s made us a challenge—two of them had made or partly made these Angels—I think this may have been a good few years ago—neither of them finished –and one of them actually had two—so guess who got the second one—the other J!!! Me!!

I also got to finish number one J’s Angel—just a few fiddly stitches to hold the wings in place—This is all done by hand –beautiful Stitching—number one J!!

 

 

DSC00673DSC00675

Over this last few days I have been working on my Angel—I have to admit the face was done on the Angel I was given—just as well—Thanks number two J!!

My Angel is Purple Angel or Xmas Angel or maybe just Angel—and is a mixture of hand stitching and machine—No back view of mine –

Number two J has been woring on her Angel and I am sure it will be finished this week  so

The challenge is finished –   yeaaaaaaaaa!!

wonder what this Tuesday will have in store for the three J’s  !!

DSC00684

Thanks for checking out my Blog

Kiwi Jan and Fudge

Monday, October 29, 2012

Stupendous Landscape

I have finished the other piece from the class Stupendous Stitching I mentioned in my last post and have at last taken a photo—

First I stitched the couched threads some of which I twisted yarn together to get the look I wanted--- Then filled in some of the spaces  with stitches from Fudge—my Janome 6500, using a variety of different threads –silk, metallic , Rayon, and then filled in the rest of the spaces with handwork—using mostly a running stitch and lots and lots of French knots—in a variety of threads I have really enjoyed stitching these and am sure I will do some more in the future.

DSC00672

next are some Applique blocks I worked on late last year   There are actually 12 blocks to this quilt plus a 36 square center piece!!  Each block is approx 14’’ square.

The pattern is called My Tweets by Erin Russek

I decided it was not for me and have finished the 4 blocks off as small wall hangings. They are all needle turned  Applique embroidery and hand quilted. Very pretty as wall hangings

DSC00667 DSC00665DSC00668DSC00666

Next I have been working on a monthly challenge issued by a online group for Janome owners  [6500 challenges @ yahoo ]Each month for 6 months we were given a new technique to apply to our piece   One I stitched all by hand the other was stitched on Fudge –my Janome 6500   lots of fun and not easy to work this way – not knowing what you were to add for the next month  but I like the finished effect.

The three trees  is to remind me of  NZ Symposium at Queenstown 2011 the colours of the trees with the sun light filtering thru were so beautiful ---

The two trees is made with bits and pieces made or bought at the last two NZ Symposiums One at Wellington 2009  and the other in Queenstown—2011.

 

DSC00669DSC00670

Thanks for looking at my work –feel free to make a comment.

Kiwi Jan

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Stupendous Stitching Journals

Fudge and Kiwi Jan have not been idle these last few weeks—months--- I have been working on several projects some of which I have not been able to show  as yet ---I will be able to do that very soon --

I joined  a online class with Carol Ann Waugh Stupendous Stitching –This class uses both machine embroidery,couching and hand embroidery and was real fun to do.

I was really thrilled at how well Fudge [ a Janome 6500] handled the machine embroidery. Fudge is at least 6 years old and many of her fancy stitches had not been used before--

First I made a stitch bible  trying out ALL the stitches available  on Fudge  some  will be real favourites some wont see light of day again!!

Then it was on to the real thing—I worked on two smaller pieces first –these would eventually be made into Journal / Diary covers

Two pieces to be used for Journal Covers

Fudge worked her magic first, couching then using her fancy stitches  --the spaces  were then filled in with simple handwork using different weights of Pearl Cotton .

I  then made the lining’s  for the  insides  and stitched them together adding just a little handwork on the inside

 

2

1

3

4 

I have one more piece to show as soon as I take a photo

Thanks for looking

Fudge and Kiwi Jan