Interesting Historical Features

 The Year was 1841--The Rajah vessel was loaded with 180 women convicts heading to Hobert, Australia from England.  These women were given ten yards of fabric, four 'balls' of white sewing thread, a ball each of black, red and blue thread, black wool, 24 hanks of colored thread, a thimble, 100 needles, pins, scissors and two pounds of patchwork.  Although there were a few seamstresses on  board , most of the women were not schooled in stitchery.  By the time, the boat reached its destination, the women had created one of the most profound pieces of art!  It was titled Rajah Quilt and now is featured in  National Gallery of  Australia

The Quilt was sent back to Britain as a gift to Elizabeth Fry.  It is unknown whether she ever received the quilt.  The whereabouts of the quilt from then until it was rediscovered in 1987--handed over the the National Gallery of Australia as most treasured items— is unknown. 

Between 1788 and 1868 about 162,000 convicts were transported from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia.  The British Government began transporting convicts overseas to American Colonies in early 18th century.  The majority convicts were transported for petty crimes.

A book of the Rajah Quilt was published in 2016; also, a pattern to reproduce the quilt was published in 2014. 

Leader—ender

When I'm working on different blocks and want to take a break

between sections, I will use a #leader or ender-- or header/footer!

By the time you have finished one major top you have a second one began or

finished.  I'm working on two different leader/enders--one with 2.5" squares and

the other with 'strings'

The one with strings uses paper backing-- and that is recycled

as well!  I cut used paper to 8.5" square-- and sew

After I have a pile of squares on paper, I'll sit and tear--let

me tell you, it isn't always easy to pull paper off the back of

fabric.  It does help to shorten your stitch length, but I don't

want to keep changing my length between sewing.

Some people stitch on used dryer sheets— 

Maybe, you will try his method to use up all those small 

pieces and strings that accumulate in your bin.

 

Look Ma! I Finished Something!!

Another Pat Sloan finish.  This one is called Home—each Wednesday another step is published on her website

https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/

 I decided on red white and blue to make this finished top a quilt of valor 

Finally!! The rows are together!  Just needs a border--

I want to think on that for awhile!

So happy to be finished with this 'aged' row quilt--I didn't know that was

aged until I found it in my stash bin!  wonder how many other things I've 

started and put away somewhere safe!?

I’m On A Row!

 It seems all I'm doing these days is making rows!  Why did I commit to so many row quilts!??

This one is Fat Quarter for their 2021 charity quilt.  The next row is flying geese--think

I can knock those off quickly!

This is from one that I began ages ago--began it with two rows, got 

bored with making rows and put it away--

the other day I was sorting through boxes and came across the

rows, pulled it out and told myself--"finish it!"

Another row--do you call them blocks?  Yes, you can call these blocks!

As you make eight of these 'blocks' to make a row!!

This is for Tuning My Heart--Joy in the Journey

Another row Serenity charity quilt from Fat Quarter Shop

Mark Your Calendar!

 It’s going to be a sewing summer!  And it begins May 24 with Summer in garden—

• The quilt-along begins 5/24 with a blog tour from our hosts and ends with a wrap up on 9/13. Look for posts every MONDAY. 
• We will have three "settings" - 2 for quilts plus 3 different smaller projects for our friends who want to join in but but can't commit to making an entire quilt. The settings and small projects will be posted May 31, June 7, and June 14.
• There are 12 main blocks, 6 bonus blocks, and 1 label block. You will make a variety of sizes and a different number of blocks depending on your project or setting.
• Join our FACEBOOK GROUP for chatting, sharing, and links to the posts each Monday when they publish. Keep checking--as there has been a delay!

American’s quilter sew along—primitive gathering is Finally going!  There was a problem with fabric shipments.  

This American Quilter’s Stitch Along is a fundraiser for Hogs for Heroes…Please read all about them HERE.   All of our patterns and tutorials for American Quilters SAL will be FREE to you on my blog here or on my YouTube Channel.  But we are hoping you can find it in your heart to donate something to this awesome cause….

Fort Worth Fabric Studio

has another sew along--as a mystery!  You can order the kit, either red

or green.  I'm sewing from my stash.  I've enjoyed their previous mysteries!

This begins June 14

Meadow Mist Designs has created another fantastic mystery to sew up in July

Happy stitching!

Organization??

 What earthly idea got into my brain when I decided to move my bookcase of fabrics from one room to the other.  I have a cutting table in one room, along with bins of fabrics--mostly small sections or fat quarters--the larger lengths have been wrapped around card board folders.  When I was cutting for one block, I was going back and forth from room to room to pick out fabric—sometimes I’d forget what I went in the other room for!  I did pass through a door and you know what they say about forgetting!  For some reason, I thought why not bring it all in one location--so, I unloaded all the fabric from the bookcase in the weaving studio and moved it to the cutting room. 

Luckily, my hubby is willing to assist with the heavy lifting--helping me

clear out all the fabric boards, carry the bookcase to the other room, and 

leave--saying his job was done!

I had boards of fabric on the floor, in bins, in bathroom sink, anywhere I could

find to place them and then real chore happen--I decided to place them in semi color

range.  That took longer than I thought it would--

what to do you do with the stripes?  The prints? The plaids?

And the novelty fabrics?  Where do they belong? Separate section by themselves?

Well, it took some time--my brain was happy all the fabric was in one location but

it sure did mess up my cutting routine!

There we have the finished product!  Hope it remains as neat as this when I began pulling fabrics out for the next project--just wish my bins of scraps were as neat. 

Cuppa!

 We like to watch British TV shows and have Britbox and Acorn subscriptions so we can watch wherever we are in the world--not that we have been doing any traveling lately--that's another reason we enjoy these shows and movies--it's like the old commercial from Calgon 

These shows takes us away to foreign lands without leaving our viewing area!  

We've noticed in most of the shows if someone is upset or something terrible has happen--one of the characters immediately says "I'll put the kettle on" or "how about a cuppa?"  Cuppa could mean tea or coffee--

Now, in our household, if one of us has a problem, the other will say--"Want a Cuppa?"  of course, we don't run to the kitchen--just something we say to each other to make us feel better!

Here are some reasons to have a cuppa:

• Feeling sad? Cup of tea will sort that!
• Friends round? Get the kettle on!!
• Feeling cold? ohh a nice cuppa will warm you up!
• Got a bit of a headache? That will be the caffeine withdrawal…its been at least an hour since your last cup of tea….!

So, where did "Cuppa" originate?    first citation from Ngaio Marsh’s A Man Lay Dead (1934): “Taking a strong cuppa at six-thirty in their shirt sleeves.” 

If you are feeling down, then just say 

and all will be right with the world!