Heart Quilt 6

It's almost two months since my previous post and about the only needlework done around here was finishing up the last three blocks of the heart quilt.  All the blocks have been stitched together and quilted, so only the borders needs to be added.

On a personal front it was quite a difficult few moths behind me workwise.  After going back to the UK firm in April, everything was going well until the mid of August when they decided they didn't have enough work to occupy me and let me go.  And I have been struggling ever since getting another job lined up as things in South-Africa is very tight with all the SOE's bankrupt and me being in the engineering (infra structure) field, you are dependent from the national and local governments for work.  I am praying that the contract work I have applied for do materialize so that I could go back to being the normal me without all these external pressures, worries and stress.  It is not a picnic finding oneself without a job just a few years before pension. 😓

If any of you reading here can join me in prayer about this I would really appreciate it.

Heart Quilt 5

With winter upon us I find it increasingly difficult to do anything other than sitting by the fire.  So any quilting etc. now is done on Saturdays only.  I also find it difficult being cooped up in my office alone the whole day and then spending the evenings alone in my needlework room as well.  My husband do visit me during the day but I am definitely having a bout of cabin fever.

With that being said, I did embroider another 3 blocks of the heart quilt as well as adding sasching to the completed blocks so I can start quilting them.  I am however struggling with puckers.  Almost all of the blocks pucker, bit I will try my best to eliminate them with the quilting which I decided will only be meandering between the hearts.

These blocks I did not crazy quilt as I wanted to show of the beautiful Langa Lapu fabric prints which doesn't show up as well on the small crazy quilt pieces.  Three quarters of the blocks is done with only 4 more blocks to go.

Heart Quilt 4

 After falling seriously behind with this quilt, I finally got time to stitch another two blocks.

Crazy quilt handbag

It feels like ages since I last did any embroidering or quilting as I only worked day and night for the past 2 months or so.  Workwise I left the company in England and returned to my previous employer on a 6 month contract basis to finish the only contract they have at the moment.  The company in England kept in contact and so I decided to return to them at the middle of April as I can't get any work locally.  That left me with unfinished business which I had to finish up after normal business hours leaving me with no down time at all.

Luckily it is almost done so this week I could start playing around again although my machine broke down after only 2 nights of embroidery and had to spend some time in the workshop getting fixed.  Hopefully all the problems brought about by sub standard work done by the local dealer are now fixed.

One of the crazy quilt handbags I wrote about in  this post was finished and gifted to a dear friend of mine for her birthday. 

After stitching all the pieces together, this is what the front of the two bags looked like.

Then it was time to complete one of them and I started with the red one.  It was a huge task with lots of stitching and quilting every piece as I go.  But the end product was a huge success and truly beautiful.

On the the back I added an extra zipped outer bag which I decorated with satin ribbon and a few other bits and pieces. 

The completed front.

                                               Below is a close-ups of the front and back.

I still have to finish up the black one, but is at the moment trying to catch up on the heart quilt where I am 3 months behind.  Time just slips away with 2021 almost halfway.

We are truly blessed not contracting the Covid virus going around although it is coming ever closer with friends and acquaintances coming down with it.  We are still deciding about the vaccine and needs your prayers in this regard as to what we should do. May you all be blessed with good health.

Heart Quilt Block 3 and Spit Cloths

I finished Block Number 3 of the Heart Quilt.  Although the pattern calls for a traditional pieced block, I enlarged one of my Crazy Quilt Heart blocks and stitched it manually playing along the way with different decorative stitches built into my Brother.

I also embroidered some spit cloths for friends of mine to gift at a Baby shower on the 10th of April.  Designs are from Buystitch.

Homestead Quilt 11

 The last 3 blocks are done!

Block 48 Wedding Ring

Block 49 Basket of Grapes

Block 50 Sister's Choice

Heart Quilt Block 2 and Homestead Quilt 10

 Heart Quilt Block 2 is finished but full of puckering, so I will have to quilt it flat.

I also finished another 4 blocks of the Homestead Quilt.  Only 3 more to go and then free motion.  The first time I can use the quilting rulers I bought recently.

Block 44 Propeller

Block 45 Antique flower basket

Block 46 Duck and ducklings

Block 47 May basket