ScrapHappy Day in October

.......although I'm a little late!

Gun and Kate host Scraphappy Day and encourage us to use our scraps in some way, and then show off our creations on the 15th of every month.  It's the 16th here, but I'm sure it's still the 15th somewhere in the world.

This is a portable little project that I've been picking up and putting down over the last couple of weeks, taking it to appointments and making a stitch or two when I've needed a break from weeding,painting and mowing.

I'm making a journal cover, boro style.  This type of stitching is typically used for mending, but here I've layered large scraps onto a muslin backing, and then added smaller patches over them and used a running or kantha  stitch to hold it all together.  I might add some more patches on top as well, this will make the " fabric" that results nice and strong.

Close-up

I've used some of my hand-dyed fabrics, silk and indigo scraps from fabric bought in India and re-purposed scraps from op-shop buys, some over-dyed.  It's taken me a while to get used to stitching raw edges, but I'm enjoying it now and finding quite a sense of freedom and relaxation in it.

Next is a finished quilt that's not entirely scraps, but since a lot is, although larger scraps,  I'm including it as a scrappy project.  I bought the backing and that teal batik that's in the second border. 

I made this for my son's 40th birthday, which has been and gone, and we had planned I'd go to Sydney to give it to him, but his work commitments meant this kept getting put off.  This weekend he was free, so yesterday I hopped on the first flight out of Coolangatta to Sydney, and was able to present his quilt to him.  We spent the day eating good food, lots of chatting and catching up, and then mid afternoon he dropped me back at the airport.  I was home in time for tea.......pretty darn exhausted but feeling very satisfied!

Closeup  ...... color's not true here, it looks more navy then black

Oh and I sent it out to be quilted, Tina at the local quilt shop Moo Moo Stitches, did a lovely job, and saved me from hauling all that fabric through my machine and killing my back.

I'm linking up with Kate and Gun and other scrappy stitchers who're playing ScrapHappy Day this month.  Go and have a look and be inspired to delve into your scraps and make something wonderful.

I have other sewing projects to show, but will save them for another time....someone's waiting with admirable patience for her morning walk.  Hard to resist that face!

Till next time.....

Round and round the squares

slowly...........

I made these orange scrappy log cabin blocks earlier in the year as part of the rainbow scrap challenge on Angela's blog,  put them together into a quilt top and then put it away to finish for another day.   I thought it'd be good to finish recently as one of the charities that Knit4Charities is supporting was asking for blankets, rugs, or quilts to be given to their Young Parent's Program.  This seemed like a good use for this quilt, as they want quilts or blankets for floor play, or over a car seat, so I pinned it up and have been slowly quilting it.

It's very simple quilting, just straight lines following the logs, around and around.   It's a little bit boring, but also a little bit painful, as I hurt my back being a little too enthusiastic pulling weeds, and this makes it hard to sit for long periods.  So I've been quilting at least one square every day, and trying for two.  It needs to be in the mail on Friday, so I'll just keep going round and round until it's finished. Not much left to do now, two squares I think! And then the binding.

Here's the back....a cheery orange and grey I picked up at Spotlight on sale.

So back to it, time to get today's square done.  Till next time......