More batik, a quilt, and a cold change

With only 8 weeks to go (plus or minus!) until bubba arrives, I returned to Australia - more specifically Tasmania - at the beginning of this week. What a temperature change from Bali!! It's been a rather miserable week in terms of drizzle, and the colder climate might take a bit of adjusting... time to get stuck into hand quilting perhaps?!

Before leaving Bali, I organised to do another batik-making class. This time it was a private lesson with the same instructor as last time (Nyoman Deking) but at his home. It was a great experience, with his set-up in his garden, and the lesson fee including a delicious lunch! It was much more affordable than going through the hotel like last time, and I feel I got more out of it. Pak Deking is happy to teach you one-on-one, or he can have large groups at his home. If you're visiting Bali and are interested in this type of experience, I would highly recommend contacting Pak Deking!

Pak Deking had prepared for me a design to match the one I did last time. It was great doing the class again knowing what was coming, and I was also lead through some more advanced techniques!! Here is my design after I had applied the bees-wax (which is step 1 of the process):

 Then then next type of wax then goes over the background areas, then the process of applying the colour. Here is my finished piece:

I'm really happy with how it turned out! And talking about batik fabric... remember how I blogged about going batik fabric shopping when Mum and Judy were here? Well, as promised I've actually made something with some of the stash I bought!! I made a relatively quick quilt - 'stack and crack' pattern - and even machine-quilted it myself! First time for everything I guess :) What do you think of the final product?

All that needs to be done for a finish is hand sewing the binding down - a perfect job for Tassie's cooler climate!!

Until next time x

My latest stitching... little progress though!

It’s been awhile since I posted anything much about my stitching. I have done a reasonable amount of stitching of late, but I’ve also been jumping around from project to project so haven’t felt like I really had that much progress on any one item to warrant sharing. I’ve done a few more stitches to my Anni Down’s ‘Gardener’s Journal’, a few on a Rosalie Quinlan stitchery, and some to a ‘couch companion’ by Leanne Beasley. Not yet sure if I’ll manage to meet my goal of finishing the quilt top of ‘A Boys Story’ before bubba is born, as the stitcheries are slowing me down. I have only finished one since last commenting on this project! Here it is:

I still have 10 weeks (plus or minus) until bubba is born, so maybe there is hope yet… just need to get focused again on the project!

Another little ‘finish’ I’ve had of late is the small birdies I was cross-stitching earlier in the year:

Just needs to be framed and then it’ll be completely done.

I’ve also been playing around with my new Bali Batik fabrics that I showed off a few blog posts back… hopefully I’ll have something to show you on that front in the next few days!

Until next time xx