Costumes and Hearts

Sometimes, the pretty sewing has to be put aside for the 'important' or  "but Mum, I need it tomorrow"  sewing.

That is what this creation is.  A costume for the teenager for the school musical.  

His character is an American Sheriff, so I had to create a uniform for the sheriff.  

Epaulets and pocket triangles added to a fawn coloured shirt seemed to fit the bill.

 

It appears I forgot to photograph the finished shirt.  Oh well the production is on in the next couple of weeks, I'll try to remember then.

The Sheriff also needed a holster for his pistol.  You cant see it, but it is sewn.  Got to love having a craft cupboard of random fabrics. I knew the black vinyl would be handy eventually. LOL.

 My 'no stress' sewing lately has been felt pocket hearts for the 1000 Hearts Project.  These pretties were sent to an acquaintance who's had a tough time lately.  One for herself and others to share with her  local support crew.  If you are interested, pop over here to find out more about the 1000 Heart Project.

Catch you again soon.

Debra ~ Outback Crafter

An Unexpected Project

Sometimes projects just happen.

My youngest child has a banana pillow and every time we wash it it makes me gag.  No matter what I do it won't come clean. (No, I have no idea why we purchased a white pillow case).

So Saturday saw me digging out some long forgotten fabrics to create a couple of pillow cases that I can live with.

The old pillow case made the perfect pattern

 and we now have bright balloons

 and colourful crayons.

 These are fabrics that I'm not even sure why I had them.  I'm very glad they are now in a project.

 

So 2 more finishes for May OPAM and no feral pillowcase to have to look at.

Catch you soon.

Debra ~ Outback Crafter

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Its Show Time

The second Friday in May is always Roma Show.

Our Family love show time, we all enter exhibits and spend time as a family.  (We are not sure how much longer that will last, the boys are getting older.)

Our photography entries ready for the show.

My photos 

 Master Ts photos

 Hubby's belt for the Leather work section

 I was one of the handicrafts stewards for this year's show, so around work I was out at the pavilion to receive and display exhibits.  These photos were taken before the protective cages were put up.

Part of the quilt / patchwork section

 Some of the lovely, knitting, crochet & miscellaneous categories.

 Some of the many crochet rugs.  (That adorable elephant on the front corner is mine - not made by me but gifted to me.  He looks a bit forlorn on the display.)

 This Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs was knitted.  Each dwarf has real personality.

 The entertainment was Walter Whip  & The Flames.  He did many 'regular' whip tricks with flaming whips.  They made for great lighting effects.

 Master E and his art entries.  He did not place, but this was his first year entering art. There are some amazing artists in our community.

 Master T won two First Place ribbons. This is for his altered digital imagery.

 and this Fern is in the Novice Flora & Fauna.

 My apron came 1st in the apron section.

 Master E entered 2 Lego creations.  The Helicopter you can see over his right shoulder was awarded Highly Commended.

 and the excavator you can see in this photo was awarded Second place.

 

Master T's Claas Logging Tractor (on the top shelf) was awarded First Prize & Champion Junior Exhibit.  He is really excited as this is the last year he can enter as a junior.

 This hexagon wall hanging by Cecily Hamilton won 1st Prize Patchwork Wall hanging, Best Piece of Patchwork & Champion Handicrafts Exhibit.   It is all hand embroidered and hand stitched.  It is just lovely.

 These were some of the quilts on display.

 

 The table runners, my blue triangle mat was in this section.  

It did not place.

My cross-stitch ball of wool was awarded 1st place.  

That was an azazing surprise.

My "Red, Red Ribbons" Quilt was awarded 1st place and my Exploding Star was awarded 2nd place. They were both in the Quilt made by 1 person category.

That lovely blue trippy quilt was also in the same category as were 6 or 7 others.

 

 Then onto the rest of the show.

This Chicken Cake was amazing,  It looked real enough that it could have hung out in the chook pavilion with the live animals.

This real chicken reminded me of a powder puff.  It was more than happy to pose for a photo though.

We took time out to watch the Sheepdog Trials.

And of course the end of a good show is great fireworks.

I am always fascinated by the lights of sideshow alley with the fireworks.

Another great Roma Show.

 

Until next time.

Debra ~ Outback Crafter

Major May Finish

Last week I posted about February's False Starts and Flimsies  well, the quilt in question was going to be my second finish for the Roma Show.

I had 3 days until the deadline and all that I needed to do was quilt and bind.

WRONG... this quilt did not have a backing, so I needed to make one (it was also Sunday and the shops were closed).  Thankfully I had a bolt of white fabric that I picked up on an amazing sale so I could create the right look. (Finished photo at the bottom of the post)

O-me was having a big week and she didn't let me down.  The quilting went very smoothly, thank goodness.

As the quilt is a star, I quilted swirls & stars as an all over design.

 I love the feeling of the last stitches.

Then I created a red binding from assorted red fabrics in my stash and bound while watching more evening drama & crime shows.  

I present "Exploding Star"  60" x 60".  

(Photo is a little dark as it was almost midnight when I took the photo)

 and the back of "Exploding Star"

I am so very proud of this quilt.  I am so excited I was able to design something that worked.  A few tweaks along the way, but that is an important part of the design process.

My boys inform me this is my best quilt yet - but they are also fairly sure they will not be permitted to use it.

So this is OPAM # 2 for May and entry 2 for Roma Show.

See you again soon.

Debra ~ Outback Crafter

May Makings

 To begin May makings we have to go back to October 2016.  Everyone close your eyes and go back a few months..... a few more... yep, that's it... October 2016.

Roma Patchwork & Crafters Inc hosted a Mystery Quilt Workshop with Sue Pukallus from Bymount Qld.  The lovely Janeene of Fabric Patch to come to Roma with a Pop up shop.  We were going to be spoilt and we had no idea what we were going to make.

 Janeene's shop was full of many treasures and yummy fabrics.

 My workshop fabrics were shopped from my stash.  12 fabrics and a background.

 We got to work.  Busy Bees were we.

 My quilt in progress

 

 As the quilt tops came together they were varied and all so beautiful.

Gaye's autumn tones.

 Proof I was actually there, obviously someone else had a camera.

Liz's bright bandanna quilt.

 Leanne's pastel beauty.

 Gayle's black and yellow striking quilt.

 Kim's black, white & red. Wow.

 Sue's (our lovely tutor) pastels.

 Olivia's modern brights.

 Kelly's autumn

 All of us together with our quilt.

In usual Debra fashion, I cam home from the workshop, showed the family my quilt and popped it in the sewing room to finish later.

Later finally came on the 5th May.  I had two looming deadlines and needed to finish the quilt.

Onto O-me for some quilting.

 After dealing with some bobbin issues, I realised a simple arrow on my bobbin case might solve the backwards threading issue in the future.  (fingers crossed)

 and back to O-me. Once I dealt with the bobbin issues, it was quite an easy sew thankfully.

 Deadline one "THE ROMA SHOW" was not overly far away, so a finish was needed.

Deadline two had passed in October, but this baby was going to be gifted as a very belated 40th birthday gift after the show.... So onto binding.  Thanks to some late night dramas, binding was completed in record time.

Front "Red, Red Ribbons"

 And the custom made backing from the left over fabrics.  

(I promise they are the same colour, just a trick of the light).

So it was finished with 3 days to spare, leaving time to finish a second entry for the show.

OPAM 1 for May complete. 

Yes I am deadline motivated.  

No I did not get to bed before midnight for a week. :)

Thanks to the always attentive Chooky.  I have found the original pattern "Ribbon Boxes"

See you again soon.

Debra ~ Outback Crafter