It has been raining for weeks, on the 1st April that morning the sun tried to break through but didn’t make it? Cloud base was down so low it was at my front door?
1st of April and I had To go down to the city. I went and had lunch at my favourite wee restaurant which is at Muddies children’s water play ground right on the edge of the ocean, sadly the tide was out but I was happy to eat fish and chips with the best mug of coffee
I sat and stitched tiny tiny stitches on a DJ block and let the world drift by? Even when the rain drifted in from the ocean and blocked my view I just moved my table and chair back out of the rain and kept stitching LOL.
I dropped in to a wee patchwork fabric shop near the Cairns Airport called Hooked on Sewing before going in to town and these Australian batiks were spilling all over the counter waiting to be put back on the shelf? I fell in love with them specially the blues and aqua’s . ,
The owners daughter offered to make up a swagg roll of one of each colour while I was in town. A swagg roll is 5 1/2 inch’s wide. Now how’s that for service, it is not only a great wee shop with top quality fabrics but great service.
So if you are ever in Cairns and need a fabric fix drop in to see them.
These lovely lovely Ozzie batiks on the right and on the left is a swagg of Hoffman’s lovely fabrics.
Those Hoffman’s will be great for wee DJ blocks.
Nnow isn’t that a sight for saw eyes if you are a quilter?
As soon as I saw these
I thought Tropical rainforest, sunsets, and the beautiful coloured fish and coral in the Great Barrier Reef which is on our back doorstep. We are so so lucky to live here?
I started DearJane blocks years ago, My hubby bought me the book I thought??? but it turned out it was the CD and the book how to use the CD Big mistake to try learning how to make DJ blocks and how to use the computer to learn to make the DJ blocks. How I hate that ET book not its fault all mine, I’m a visual person LOL I have a couple of dozen blocks made over lots of trial and error but now with a great many hrs of machine paper piecing and many many hrs of hand applique I can work my way slowly through some more blocks?
DJ. Block
I have been looking for my DEar Jane folder for months and a few days ago found it, where? On my bookshelf of course??? So I’m back making some DJ’s mostly because I know a lot more about cotton fabric and quilting than I did years ago when I started to make these wee blocks.
Back of DJ M – 13 I have cut away behind the wee square I appliqued in the centre and spiralled the hem to take the bulk out of that tiny square and it is sitting nice and flat?
DJ F – 9. Colours are no5 bright like this , taken at night time.
DJ F – 9 using the dark maroon from one of the new Hoffman fabrics I just bought.
DJ. F – 9. This is very close to the true colours I’m using. Such a sweet wee appliqué Block ? Time consuming but with it. All hand applique.
I laughed when I really looked at my work table this morning? There are 7 projects lying there??? From sewing Lewis Bears Harris tweed hat back on, to giving Kangaroo a new nose, plus my Diamond Hill in-fore ground designed by Esther I’ve just pulled after buying some more black fabric, of course I will find the original border fabric now I have cut some new ones? Tomorrow I hope to mitre the corners and irondown my stems.
Thats it for today ! I’m off to link with Esther’s WOW or WIP’s it’s great to be back blogging after months of just been to busy with endless cleaning trying to keep things from been distorted by the mould it’s been a long wet monsoon season this year and it’s still not gone?
Thank you for dropping by, it’s been a frustrating day as I have written this blog twice today, for some reason my iPad was showing it was been saved but it wasn’t, second time round I hope it is??? Yep all saved LOL. Cheers Glenda
Going to link with Esther now over on her blog for WOW or WIP’s
how nice to have your projects laid out on the big work table and move from one project to another as you want. Been such a long time since I made a Dear Jane but after making two of them I no longer have an interest in them anymore. Lovely bundles of batiks – hope your rainy weather slows down!
HI Karen, problem with a big table which I really wanted for sandwiching the quilts??? is that more and more gets put on it till you have no room to work LOL MY DJ is a long long term project LOL Like years and years LOL I just enjoy working on tiny blocks every now and then. Find they regroup my mind and I solve all my big projects problems LOL Love these kind of batiks as they have endless uses and i can all ways find the right colour I want LOL. Rain has been rentless and we are beginning to wonder if it will ever stop???? worst monsoon season we have been through and we have been through a great many LOL Cheers Glenda
Great post, thanks for sharing. I live on an island off the west coast of Canada, which is a rain forest so I know about dampness and rain. This year we have had little of it but today it began and it will rain for a week until there is a brief break.
I’ve spent the last two weeks prepping and planting the wee garden I have here; the first year in this place.
Today I will re-examin my design wall and perhaps decide which project to work on…or maybe finish another UFO!
Keep well.
Hi Ingrid, sounds like an interesting place if rather cold in the winter, do many people live out there??? So glad all your packing finally arrived what a stressing time it must have been? At least now you can enjoy setting up your sewing area and quilt again? Cheers Glenda.
Looks like a great shop! I love the batiks!
Loved seeing all your work in progress Glenda. I have always admired your work. Beautiful batiks… oh my… Thanks so much for sharing your Wow’s .
Hi Rhonda lovely to hear from you, I have endless projects going this year, I was thinking of not starting any new ones this year but caved in when I saw Esther’s HOTYH and then WIL LOL On top of them I have pulled two WIP’s I’d like to finish this year and then pulled my DJ’s Yes I know I’m crayz LOL Last night I machine appliquéd down my first stems on Diamond Hill so I’m happy to see that growing again, hope to work on it again today. or make the bia’s strip at least for them???? Cheers Glenda
Such beautiful batiks 💕💕 I havent seen swag rolls here in the US, but what a wonderful idea. I hope it navigates its way over soon.
Hi There Lennea, Its ages since I dropped in on you, this monsoon season has been trying our patience to the limits and left us very little time to do any thing but try and keep the house dry???? Im not sure if its just this wee shop that does the swagg’s Lennea but they sure are a great idea when you want a little of a new line or design??? Wonderful when working on Esther’s BOM thats for sure. They will add a little zing to my DJ blocks too? Cheers Glenda
Lot of pretty fabrics! Love your DJ blocks
Finally caught up on my life???? Some times it gets so hectic doesn’t it. My DJ blocks have had to stop so I can concentrate on my WIL and catch up on mail. Thanks for dropping in Fred I see you are still quilting? Really like the AZ Challenge you are in and love that quilt you have just added to your blog!!!!!! Cheers Glenda