Stash Report

Fixit Guy and I arrived home again from our trip on Friday afternoon. We drove over 9000 kms in our 6 wks and 2 days that we were away. Our van, that we picked up in Melbourne at the mostly Southerly point of our trip, has travelled over 4000 kms. We basically did the trip down in 3 days of travel (we stopped at the end of each leg for a week) and came home over almost 4 weeks. We had a great time.

Sewing wise I got a few things made: 3 casserole covers, 2 quilt tops, 3 zipper pouches, 2 plastic bag holders, and 4 hanging towels. I also started working on the backing for one of my quilts (but it was hard to do that without my design board cause I was improvising it sort of and kept getting lost so stopped) And then crocheting: I have completed 5 infinity scarves and have one 3/4 done. 2 are heading down to Victoria as soon as I get them parcelled up.

I was pretty restrained with my purchases whilst I was away. I bought some in the Gold Coast from a 2nd hand shop and then some fabric to finish off the My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes quilt. Those have all been recorded and they have only just managed to let me stay in the black with my stash usage this year. Once I get the two quilt tops I made whilst away and another 2 tops I have finished at home made into quilts then I will make a great leap forward in my usage stats.

My only finish since I reported (I missed last week) is the one little zipper pouch I made from some "made" fabric - 1"-2" strips of Japanese fabrics left over from the two Dots and Dashes quilt which used .43m

Fabric Tracking Week 21-22

Fabric Used              0.43m
Fabric added            0.00m
Weekly net              +0.43m 

Year to Date 
Used                        37.46m
Added                      35.45m
YTD Net                      2.01m


Linking up with Patchwork Times

WIP Wednesday

Since last Friday night I have been at the meetings of the Uniting Church in Australia Queensland Synod. This is where representatives from all the UCA church congregations, presbyteries and agencies meet together to deal with the business of the church, share ideas, report on what has been going on, pray and worship and try to discern the will of God for us in the next 18 months and further into the future. Its been tiring, exhausting, at times frustrating and often exhilarating. And Busy. 

Meetings started with worship on Friday night... and amazing and exciting time as we were lead by choirs from 3 of our faith communities - Tongan, Korean and Sudanese, with representatives from our First Peoples as well. We continued on for the next 4 days, beginning at 8.30AM with bible study and continuining on all day till 9PM some nights and 6PM. Today finished at 3. (well its supposed to, We have left early)

It wasn't all sitting in our seats listening to reports or other people speaking. The worship sessions involved singing, clapping, even a little dancing. And the business sessions involved debates and opportunities to ask questions. There were visuals to look at too on the big screen. We also broke into smaller groups for discussions and discernment times and also had the opportunity at different times to go to self selected topics to learn about and discuss different things. It was very interesting and stimulating. We also had the opportunity to make a message board and have our photos taken with it to send a message of love and support to refugees coming to Australia

Anyway there was times of sitting and listening and since I sit and listen a lot better if I am doing something with my hands I organised craft projects. I didn't have any embroidery to do (as I have done some times) or other hand stitching but did have some crocheting... I bought wool when I visited the wool shop last week. I took 4 balls of wool with me and started on the infinity scarves I spoke of last week. 

My first attempt had been one where I crocheted a long chain, joined it and gone around and around but that wasn't really successful. I ran out of wool before I had completed it so unpulled it. 

The pattern I chose this time was the Bellflower Infinity scarf, a free pattern available here

    

In this pattern the scarf worked like a normal scarf (across the width rather than the length) and worked back and forth. Once long enough the two ends are joined together. I didn't get adventurous but worked all the scarves I made the same way. I wanted a pattern I was super familiar with which would enable me to work without concentrating on what I was doing, enabling me to listen to the discussion. 

By the end of the Synod I had made 5 scarves. I completed the last one minutes before the final session that we attended ended. (I only have photos of the first 3 I completed)

 I have started work on another one today which will keep me occupied whilst we drive home over the next two days. I went to Spotlight today and bought some more wool. I have a request for a rainbow striped one.

I did do some sewing on Thursday night before Synod and got a little zipper bag made but that has been the only sewing I have done this week. I thought I might sew something today but... just not feeling the vibe so haven't pulled anything out.