2018 Wk 33 - mostly Rainbows

Just look at these lush threads I used today!

My old Boss has been training to become a Methodist Minister and starts this on 2nd September.  I was honoured to be asked to make him a stole, but then panicked and have procrastinated for several months.  However 2nd if September isn't that far away, so today I pulled on my big girl pants and cut the first two pieces, and embroidered them.  He was a maths teacher before being a Head Teacher and now Minister so a cross made of triangles was ideal for this side.

The other side will be purple, and I'll do a Celtic cross for that side - maybe next weekend!

At the same time as embroidering the rainbows, and Lizzie was embroidering some uniforms, I was sizzixing card pieces for a WW1 project starting next weekend, and sizzixing fabric for Chertsey Museum in a few week's time - my lovely new big desk is only just big enough to hold everything!

These hexies are the start of a rainbow quilt-as-you-go project for Chertsey

I got a bit further with them tonight but they need stitching together still

I also did some patches for aprons for Monty's Popdog stand

And embroidered over 50 pieces of school uniform . . .which made a *bit* of a dent in the pile - just 125 left to go!

And earlier this week I finished hand quilting the last block (Australia) and put together the pieces from my interchange applique.  I decided to make two mini quilts rather than one big one as I only wanted one of each shape on the quilt.  I can't remember how to finish the edges so I'm hoping a R&Q friend will remind me (that's probably you, Plum!)

In case you can't make out the shapes, they are, from top left to bottom right . . .

• Scissors, Boris the skink, Halsnøy Island (south of Bergen), husband's spanner
• Button, wine glass, coffee cup (UK), Mr Twiglet the hedgehog
• Daffodil, Viking ship, Cat (representing the 7 we've had over the years), Tango the rabbit
• EPP Hexies, husband's hammer, sewing machine, coffee cup (Ireland)
• Australia, St Michael's Church, a bee (one of 4: we live at 4B) and a budgie (representing 4 budgies and two+ lovebirds over the years (they were a breeding pair: 14 chicks in total I think)

And the same again, but inverse design, and different placement

 Back to work tomorrow for a rest I think!

2018 Wk 32 - Sewing with Jackie

Despite starting with a tidy sewing room, Jackie and I soon descended into the "organised chaos" that is our usual working state!

Most of the time there was at least two projects on the go, plus Lizzy the embroidery machine doing her stuff, and probably something else needing unpicking!

We made another zip up tray pouch - pattern from Aneela Hooey  We love this design! (and this will get finished!) 

And Lizzy was put to good use while we made an embroidered taggie for baby Leah, and a ring cushion for Claire who gets married at the end of the month

We made four project bags, inspired by Running With Homemade's Lama Drama field bag with zippy pouches

And we made big bucket bags based on Ashley's  Around Town bag

As well as all the making I decided to carry on with the bobbin winding that I'd been doing at Chertsey:  I have far too many threads: mostly those small ones that come with sewing kits and are useless thread - I thought if I wound them onto the bobbins I'd bought for the Chertsey class (yes, I bought far too many, but they were really cheap!) I could make some more bobbin necklaces - the empties are in the middle - quite a quantity reductions!

And don't the bobbins look so pretty!

2018 Wk 32 - Chertsey Museum

Just had three great days with Jackie - including an afternoon at Chertsey Museum: sadly the fun ended at 5:30 tonight when I had to take her back to the airport :-(

We did get loads done, even if we worked in utter chaos most of the time! (see next post!)

First Cherstey Museum and Fun with Fabric: some of the Chertsey ladies had finished their inchies projects

And for this class we made bobbin necklaces (with magic sliding knots).  Some finished and some going home to be finished!

 And then home to a tidy-just-waiting-for-us sewing room

Oh and a few quilts on the spare room wall - Ferris Wheel has been finished . . .

And so has Seattle Sixteen

2018 Wk 31 Lizzy

I have worn out a couple of embroidery machines - apparently they are designed to be used a couple of times a month, and the 15 million (!) stitches I've done is excessive.  I needed to replace the current one, but it seemed crazy to replace with practically the same machine just to knacker that one too.

The industrial ones as bigger (and more expensive) than I have room or budget for, but with some help from Mummy I have bought a semi industrial machine - currently known as Lizzie.

The problem is that there isn't really room in the sewing room for her.  Husband has been helping find a solution, including finding two lengths of kitchen work surface to work as a work bench.

I took some evolution photos:

A while ago

Wardrobes taken out, Lizzy in a temporary position, and the computer has moved off the workbench onto a desk, one bookcase moved out

Old workbench and bookcases moved out, one kitchen work surface moved in and balanced on a couple of Ikea storage units

Second work surface liberated from a friend's school skip (thank you Barbara!!!)

Once Lizzie gets moved onto the new workbench (definitely a two man job; she weighs a ton!) and the room is tidied it will be perfect!  And just in time for Jackie to come next weekend

2018 Wk 30 - Misc stuff

A few finishes (or nearly finishes)

This machine pieced hand quilted mini sixteener quilt just needs the binding stitched down to the back

This EPP quilt has been finished (and cursed when the red thread ran; I might learn eventually) but I love her anyway)

A few quilts have been hung in Jackie's room ready for next weekend, and the sixteener will join them when she's bound

This I spy quilt has been finished including binding, just waiting for a little person who might want it.

At Stitch we finally assembled our first kits: lots of ladies working

and four of my favourite girls assembling kits

 I received this lovely pic of Amelia Rose on her I spy quilt

And I made this memory box for the girls (thank you Tara for all your help!)

The hearts for the Untangled Thread project need to be with the organisers by the end of July

Tara started our involvement and made this one

I just used pins and beads (and help from daughters) to create mine

And two other friends in the village joined in too -
and WOW!!!

Lindsey embroidered the Welsh Fusiliers crest

And Jane felted poppies in a field

I am reminded of my Grandfather's expression : Those that can, do, those that can't, teach - now we know why I teach crafts!!!!

2018 Wk 29 Happy Holidays

I didn't post while I was on holiday as the iPad doesn't seem to like blogging, and life has been a bit busy since then, so today you get a couple of posts!

The holiday was fab - an apartment owned by friends of ours with a private terrace and a shared private pool - the beach was 400 steps away and bars and restaurants were not much further, so there was a lot of sitting here

Or swimming and sunbathing here

And there may have been a fair amount of food and drink!

But at times it was too hot to sit outside so I worked on this, finishing all the EPP (except one triangle top right - I didn't take quite enough LV fabric

and quilting with the 4 thread I brought, and finishing it with a round of EPP in the backing fabric to maintain the shaped edges

There was also a fair amount of hand quilting these blocks from the Gillian Travis Interchange Applique class

Even some ironing - but only blocks, not clothes!!!!

And I learned that how ever lovely my sharpied beads necklace looks, if I wear it all day when the weather is very hot and I'm sweaty . . .  there is a risk I may look very bruised where the colour has come off!

Then the holiday ended and we sadly had to come home - however, within 24 hours this beauty had come to live with me, so it's not all bad!