Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

Well, things are finally settling down a bit at our place now after a very busy Christmas. Miss M had a very exciting time and was very practiced in opening presents by the end of the few days. My favourite present was a series of photos taken of our 3 gorgeous kids (Miss A, Miss M & Mstr R) by a friend of Miss A's. They had them printed on acrylic for us to hang on the walls but they weren't ready in time (they arrived yesterday) so they gave us the set in 5" x 7" prints on Christmas Day. I love, love, love them and my heartfelt thanks go to Sarah (Sarah Ellen Photography) for her wonderful photography.  

 

Photo by Sarah Ellen Photography

Photo by Sarah Ellen Photography

Our Christmas celebrations were all about family and it was wonderful to catch up with many family members we haven't seen in ages. I hope you all had a lovely, memorable Christmas as well.

Miss M all ready for our Boxing Day family get together

 

It's hard to believe this year is already almost over, and yet I'm also not really surprised as it has been such a jam-packed, hectic year. I've noticed a few bloggers have chosen a mantra/saying to guide what they do in 2015. I thought it was a great idea and, with 2015 already shaping up to be another BIG and hectic year, I have chosen the following for myself...

Take time to enjoy the moment

What will your mantra be?

So, here are a few final quilting photos I wanted to share with you for 2014. I finally finished my Sunbonnet Sue wall hanging after 13 years. It was started in 2001 for Miss A and finished in 2014 for Miss M. I actually finished a couple of days before Christmas but I didn't get a chance to post pics until now.

 

When I made the binding I made waaaaay too much so I decided to make a cot quilt for Miss M's dolls with the leftovers. It's not quite finished yet but it's getting there.

Doll cot quilt front

Doll cot quilt front and back

Speaking of extras, leftovers and things that are not quite perfect, do you ever take photos that you love but you are not quite happy with? Val Laird has a fantastic idea on what to do with 'flawed' photos. You can read all about it on her blog.

And finally, Miss M and I experienced the wonders of nature on our walk to the park this morning. What a fantastic way to finish off 2014!



Miss M investigating a fallen birds nest at the park this morning

 

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

 

Cheers, Tracy xx

FNSI Christmas Party

Just an hour or so of stitching tonight while I enjoyed a glass (or 2) of champers. I've been hand sewing down the binding on my Sunbonnet Sue wall hanging that you may have seen in previous posts. It's nearly finished so I decided to hold off on posting photos until it's complete (it's a Christmas gift so pics will go up before Christmas!).

It was so nice just to have some time to do some slow hand stitching the weekend before Christmas. Who ever would have thought it would be possible? Hopefully everyone else at the party had a great night too. You can check out what they all got up to on Wendy's blog, Sugarlane Designs. Thanks Wendy for another great night in :).

In case you don't get time to pop back and check out my pics before Christmas, I hope you all have a safe, fun and relaxing Christmas and New Year.

Cheers,
Tracy

7 Sleeps to Go, a Finish and FNSI

Hooray! Christmas is almost here. The lights and decorations are up and Miss M and I have been counting down the days.

There has been so much going on that it has been ages since I last posted. I had a lovely weekend with Mum in Melbourne followed by a week of tending to Miss M who had a 2nd bout of Tonsillitis (poor thing was so miserable).

Thank goodness she was better for her 2nd birthday. Peppa Pig is the 'in' thing at the moment so we had a Peppa themed birthday party. My other creative inclinations came to the fore resulting in mini chocolate crackles, fairy bread and a Peppa Pig cake, complete with chocolate muddy puddle. They were all received with much enthusiasm!

There have also been multiple Christmas parties, gatherings and celebrations as various children's activities finished up for the year (eg Playgroup) and friends and family headed off on holidays.

Amongst all of this I have still managed to do a little stitching, goodness knows how. Happily, I was able to complete my 'Rainbows follow the Storms' stitchery in time to give to my friend before Christmas. Unfortunately I couldn't find quite the right size picture frame so you can't see as much of the border fabrics as you should. But I was very happy with it and am pleased to say she loved it. Now I just need to find time to make another version for me.

I still have a couple of projects to finish off for Christmas so am definitely joining in with Wendy for the Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) Christmas Party this week.

 

You can join us too if you like. Just click on the image above, or click here, to go to Wendy's page to sign up. 36 of us have already RSVP'd so it's bound to be an excellent party!

 

I hope your Christmas preparations are on track & look forward to seeing what you all get up to over the weekend.

 

Cheers,

Tracy

 

PS - If you've been keeping up to date with my jelly roll quilt saga, here is the final instalment. I took the quilt back to add a label to it for our young friend. While I had it I washed it another couple of times and a bit more of the marking pencil has come out. I'm hopeful now that over time, with use and washing, it will all eventually come out. Thanks for all your suggestions, comments and support along the way. I really appreciated it. xxx

More Info From Birch

Hi Everyone,

After I posted yesterday, I received an e-mail from Birch with further information on removing yellow quilters chalk.

Here is the e-mail they sent me ...

Dear Tracy,

It is always suggested to test a fabric mark on the same fabric you are using.  Fabrics change from supplier to supplier.

Also if the fabric is not pre washed the sizing used in the manufacturing process can sometimes retain some of the colour.

To try and remove markings on your current project first test on a scrap of the same fabric or on an inconspicuous place as it is important that it does not ruin

Some ways to remove chalk from fabric:

1.       Brush it with a soft brush – like a soft toothbrush. 

2.       Gently blot the marks with a soft white cloth and a solution made from ½ white vinegar and ½ water. ( Some quilters use 2/3 white vinegar to 1/3 water). Some people report that that marks don’t seem to disappear until the quilt is dried.

3.    Cool water with a drop of dishwashing liquid. Use a soft toothbrush to gently rub the solution by dabbing with a clean sponge and cold water.

4.    Use a fabric eraser.

Regards,

      Birch Haberdashery & Craft

I hope this can help someone else out.

Cheers,
Tracy

The Story of the Yellow Chalk Continues

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions about removing the yellow chalk from my jelly roll quilt, and those who made such kind comments about the quilting.

After searching the website of the company that makes the product, Birch, for information on removing the chalk with no luck, I sent them an e-mail requesting help. I have to say, their customer service is excellent. They are the only company that I have contacted using their online e-mail form who has ever actually called me back. And not just 1 staff member but 2! Thank you Birch.

This is what they told me:

• Sometimes the sizing in the fabric can retain colour from the chalk. It may wash out with the first wash when the sizing washes out.
• If the quilt has been in the heat (eg been ironed, been in a hot car or near a window in a hot room) the colour from the chalk may set.
• Try the following ways to remove the chalk - make sure to test on a scrap piece of the fabric first...
• Use a soft toothbrush to gently brush the chalk marks off the fabric. You could also try a paintbrush but it may be too soft.
• Wash the quilt in lukewarm or cold water with a mild detergent (eg wool wash)

They also recommended that any marker should be tried on a scrap piece of the fabric to make sure it can be removed, before being applied to the quilt top.

Unfortunately neither of these suggestions worked for me. Using a toothbrush softened and blurred, but did not remove, the chalk lines.

I then tried washing it in cold water with a small amount of fabric softener (suggested by a friend's mum who is an avid quilter). After washing it twice, the chalk had completely gone from the darkest blue fabrics, been reduced by about 50% on the mid-blue fabrics and barely shifted from the lightest fabrics. I was devastated to the point of tears. My wonderful family comforted me the best they could.

Our friend's birthday party was on Saturday night but I was in Melbourne for the weekend so couldn't go. The rest of my family all went and gave Miss J her present then texted me photos.

Miss A and Miss J holding up the completed quilt.

She loved it. From all accounts she didn't even notice the yellow chalk marks. I'm so pleased she liked it & that I managed to get it finished in time for her party.

I need to get the quilt back soon so I can attach a label as I ran out of time to do that before leaving town. I'm thinking I'll run it through the wash another couple of times while I have it. Hopefully each wash will reduce the amount of chalk left. Although they haven't really noticed, I know it's not supposed to be there and I think it looks terrible!

Anyway, I hope this info helps some of you. I certainly will be testing any marking tools on a sample of the fabric I'm actually using before marking my quilt tops in future. Having a deadline is not enough of a reason to miss out this step!

Have a great week everyone.

Cheers,
Tracy

Jelly Roll Quilt Update & Seeking Advice

Well, I'm on track to (hopefully) finish the quilt in time for the birthday party on Saturday. I finished the hibiscus quilting today and am pretty happy with it.

 

Now that I'm getting close to finishing the quilting I have started researching how to remove the residual yellow chalk from my hibiscus pattern. From what I have seen on the internet I am quite concerned that I may have significant trouble doing this.

Does anyone have any advice on the best and most effective way to remove yellow quilters chalk from fabric? Also, is there anything I should definitely not try for fear of ruining the quilt?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Cheers,
Tracy

Happy With My Quilting Progress

I had a very productive FNWF today. After another 3.5 hours of quilting ...

Head down, bum up

Hibiscus pattern traced in yellow quilters chalk

... this is how far I got.

I'm pleased to say that the free motion quilting is not as difficult as I thought it would be. However, my shoulders are quite sore (even though I kept telling myself to relax them) so I think I will take a break tomorrow.

I also finished stitching my rainbow stitchery tonight over a couple of glasses of champers.

Maybe tomorrow will be a fabric cutting day as I need to cut the border fabrics for the stitchery, and the binding strips for the jelly roll quilt.

A very big thanks to Cheryll at Gone Stitchin' for being such a wonderful hostess for us again this month. You can check out what everyone else got up to for FNWF by visiting her blog here.

Enjoy your weekend.

Cheers,
Tracy