SLIKstitches

Colourful Stain

2012-02-28T21:36:00.000Z

I know I still have loads of UFOs and PHDs to complete, but I have reduced the total over the last few weeks so I felt I could give myself permission to start on the Stained Glass Quilt (what sort of stain were you thinking of???)

I am not following Sarah's instructions, because I'm rubbish at following instructions, and the thought of cutting all those pieces accurately filled me with a deep foreboding (there's a work I've never used before!). Another excuse is that I am making a much bigger quilt than Sarah's instructions allow for, and that I have some fabrics I want to fussy cut, and they are quite big prints.

So I started today, and fussy cut my biggest print - Hissing Sid (you probably had to be in your teens in the UK in the late 70s for that name to be familiar, what did he promote? was it Milk? Or was that Humphrey?), and he needed to be cut as a panel 15 inches wide - so that is my starting point: 15 inch blocks. I have used sashing (lead) cut at 1.5inches, and can present block #1

Untrimmed, and unironed, but a start :-)

Blog link

2012-02-26T07:52:00.000Z

I have a great niece - she's a terrific niece but also a Great Niece in that she's my nephew's daughter - I usually refer to her as my niece to stop me feeling quite so old!

Anyway, I digressed (as I often do) She goes under the pseudonym of Roxi Flame, and is nearly 12. She wants to be a writer, and she reads *loads*. She writes book reviews for her blog, as well as posting some original short works. If you need to buy a book for a trainee teenage girl, or want to support a young writer, she'd love you to visit her blogs at Sewing The Seeds.

Love you Roxy x x x

(S)cream

2012-02-25T15:38:00.001Z

I shall scream if I have to do another cream quilt soon

I started with two - one for a January baby,
one for a February baby.

STOCK = 2

The January baby was Henry,

but I managed to embroider Harry on the quilt,

so that went on the waste pile

WASTE = 1

STOCK = 1

I used the spare one for Harry

WASTE = 1

STOCK = 0

DELIVERED = 1

Then Lisa's friend, Roseena wanted a cream quilt
for her 21st, so I made a whirly gig one

WASTE = 1

STOCK = 0

DELIVERED = 2

Then the February baby arrived: Luke.

I made the prefect point quit for him, which looks fab,

but is stiff like cardboard - so onto the waste pile

WASTE = 2

STOCK = 0

DELIVERED = 2

Then I made another Orphan block D9P,

and successfully managed to embroider Luke's name
onto it, and deliver it to the customer

WASTE = 2

STOCK = 0

DELIVERED = 3

Phew!

Pointless Perfect Points

2012-02-22T22:51:00.000Z

I was really chuffed with my perfect points, and started quilting it, but it is too thick to be a baby's quilt - it's like cardboard!

So all that work (plus time, fabric, wadding) was a bit pointless . . . and to make it worse the customer texted to say the baby she wanted it for has arrived!

The baby is to be called Luke (shame it wasn't Henry) so I'm frantically making another Orphan Block Vanishing 9 Patch, and will hope to get it finished by the weekend.

There was enough fabric for the top, but I need to get to a fabric shop tomorrow for the backing!

Sewing Saturday

2012-02-21T22:35:00.001Z

Last Saturday I hosted a Fun With Fabric session in the morning, and a Crafty Church session in the afternoon. I didn't get any photos in the morning, but one lady was cutting quite large hexies (2" hexies) for a flower garden, and a new 14 year old started on appliqued flowers onto a gingham background for a cushion. With three new people there was lots of chatting and looking at samples and examples, but not much decision making!!

At crafty church we had 7 I think. Lesley brought along a felting kit that much much better than mine! Mine was one lethal needle which was difficult to hold but hers (a) had five needles, and (b) had a comfy handle, so I know what I'm going to get!

She was cutting out felt flowers which were going to be felted onto a scarf

Lesley's sister, Alex, is working from Quilting for Dummies, and was finishing a lovely trapunto patch, while their mum was working on her tapestry.

Pam is waiting for a pink jelly roll before she starts a new project, so she was on teas, while Carolyn was helping Yasmin with her crochet and knitting

Reverse Applique

2012-02-18T13:57:00.000Z

The Chertsey class yesterday was learning to do reverse applique, from this great book lent to me by the lovely StitchinScience.

Not only did she lend me the book, but also her carefully made samples pieces for all the stages - so I didn't have to do ANY homework - thanks A!

Debra chose an oval shape and started to quilt it too

While Kay went for a circle

I was a bit late getting the camera out so the others had packed away before I got photos, so here is mine, front and back (with the flash not working it would appear)

I found some pirate ship fabric in the box, so did some fussy cutting and used a ship for my insert

*** TOP SECRET ***

The Assistant Curator at the museum is going on maternity leave soon, so with a barrage of 'innocent' questions, we have established she is expecting a girl, and the nursery colour scheme is yellow - so next month's plan is to make a sample quilt for the baby!

Perfect Points!

2012-02-17T20:45:00.009Z

I do NOT claim to be able to stitch with perfect points - partly because my attention to details is too scant, so my cutting is only close to correct, and then whilst I will tweek and, um, encourage seams to meet up, I generally work to the 3 metre rule - is there an obvious fault if you look from 3m away? No? then it's good enough for me (In my head I say "It's good enough for government work" is that from a character in a book? I'll guess a Stephen King novel, but I cant name the character)

Anyway, back to points (sorry I drifted off a bit there). A while ago, the lovely Hadley showed how she made a panel for a zipped pouch using an iron on method that gave perfect points (I'm not, of course, suggesting that her points aren't always perfect) so I thought I'd give it a go. She demonstrates her method [here], but as I took photos of my version too I will show them as well

I got some fusible interfacing/stabiliser, and drew a 2.5inch grid on the non-fusible side

I cut my fabrics into 2.5" squares and ironed them on in a tessellated cross design

I folded along each line and stitched (right sides together)

I trimmed the fold

I cursed as I tried to press the seam open, and gave up. Trouble was my points would now be very bulky, so I snipped at each junction so I could push the seams in alternate directions as I stitched the perpendicular seams

I stitched and then trimmed the second lot of folds. I considered trying to press open these seams, but eventually gave up

Instead I flipped the whole thing over and leaned heavily on the iron to flatten the whole thing into submission.

I'm very please with the points, but if I ever do this again, I will (a) use light interfacing, (b) use bigger seams so I can trim and still be left with enough to press the seams open, and (c) maybe read Hadley's post in full so I see where she has added a link to a full tutorial, sigh!

Kids' Fun With Fabric

2012-02-16T22:17:00.001Z

You may know that I run 3 monthly and one weekly Fun With Fabric course. This all started when I went to chat to Chertsey Museum about helping with their Kids Craft days during school holidays. When I was childminding I would take the gang there during the hols, and got to know Sally, the assistant curator. When we talked about the children's sessions we got sidetracked and ended up arranging the adults sessions.

Well today I did my first children's sessions: 12 kids in the morning and 17 in the afternoon! The theme was Making Monsters . . . and just look what they achieved!

Me ? I'm exhausted! Good night

Done the Diamonds

2012-02-15T18:05:00.000Z

OK, not finished sort of 'done' but based and quilted sort of 'done' and I'm still in an alliterative mood, so this was the best post title I could think of!

It still needs binding, but at least it can move to the blue area of the UFO list, and I know I can add the machine part of the binding fairly quickly once I run out of hand sewing

Thank you Block Lotto girls :-)

Diamond Quilt

2012-02-15T12:05:00.000Z

These blocks were the ones I won from the Block Lotto at the end of November,

And in my quest to reduce the UFO list (although I prefer the PHD list as it sounds so much more intelligent) I decided to make something with these blocks. This is them stitched into rows, then auditioned for the best arrangement

and later I hope to do the cheat joining rows / basting / basic quilting that I do, so it is then ready to be quilted through the diamonds

Reducing the UFO list

2012-02-14T18:01:00.000Z

A finish - not a quilty finish, but a patchwork finish all the same

I spent most of Sunday adding the last row of squares, and sewing in the loose ends of wool. It's been on my bed unfinished for quite a few weeks, but I swear it's even warmer now for being finished!

Rosie's Quilt is Ready

2012-02-11T16:51:00.000Z

Rosie's quilt is ready to be given to her today - thank goodness, as today is her 21st!

The finished quilt

and a hand embroidered in-binding label

In other news - This arrived earlier in the week (but I was phone less and therefore camera-less until today)

This is an i-pad case from the lovely Victoria at Boutique Uniquely, who also sells her fab creations over at ETSY - some of the scrummy fabrics are also used in her summer picnic table topper - do go and have a look

It came to me as her Pay It Forward which I think we started last May or so. It does serve to remind me that I have to make goodies for Plum and Wilma as they are my PIF victims. Don't worry girls, they are under construction, but I confess to being a bit distracted!

Rushing Rosie's Quilt

2012-02-07T22:06:00.000Z

I shouldn't rush quilts, as mistakes happen - I cut these blocks slightly too small, then miscalculated the first border, but I think I've managed to bodge the result - I hope so - as there certainly isn't time to start over again!

The whirly gigs are showing up much better now that they have been assembled, and I have hand quilted just inside a few of them.

I added a narrow, almost plain, border, then a brick like second border (from the bonus squares when I cut out the whirly gig blocks) and now need to trim back the fleece and add the binding. IF there is any time left I will quilt a few more shapes, but if I don't, it's OK!

I finally got a chance to look through this month's Popular Patchwork tonight - not only is the front cover a bag and a quilt by the lovely Paula Doyle who lives just a few miles from me . . .

Inside there is an article about City & Guilds distance learning, and my friend Plum's pineapple block has been used as an example!

Does this give me an elevated status by association - knowing people who 'have been published'! Congrats to both Paula and Plum

Forgotten Deadline

2012-02-04T19:16:00.002Z

I looked at the UFOs, (or PHDs) and decided I would work on the batik whirly gigs, as that had matured enough for me to love the fabrics again.

I got as far as basting, and quilted one whirly gig.

I was thinking about Lisa coming home . . . and how lovely that she was coming home next weekend too . . . but we wouldn't see much of her then as she was coming home for Rosie's 21st . . . and it gradually dawned on me that I was supposed to be making a quilt for Rosie's 21st - NEXT WEEK!!!!

Rosie specifically wanted 'neutral' colours, which I don't use by choice, but I had these fabrics that I bought a few weeks ago

so I decided to use the Whirly Gig method again. I started off with 13 inch squares, and stitched them into a flimsy in a light / dark alternate pattern

(Sorry, no photo), Then I used my 10.5 inch square, with red lines on it

to cut lots of off-set squares, and then placed them together to make this

Still a bit of an optical illusion, as you have to look for the whirly gigs, but once it's sewn together it looks better, and the quilting will help loads too, so that's what I'm off to do now

First though, I'll quickly show you this fab poster Lisa brought me . . .

And a photo of the gorgeous Ben who was very unimpressed with his quilt, but his mum loved it!!!

PHEW!!!!

2012-02-01T19:25:00.000Z

Ben's quilt has been quilted

Ben's quilt has been bound

And Ben's quilt has been washed and tumbled

and nothing went wrong!

Phew - ready to be delivered on Friday

Retro Rainbow

2012-01-30T21:59:00.003Z

This top has been a PHD (project half done) since the autumn, but I managed to get it basted and quilted over the last few days, and the binding is half done.

For once I actually did real quilting, inspired by Hadley's Constellation quilting. I'm not sure you can see it here, but its a diamond spiral from the centre.

Yay, clearing the UFO pile :-)

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Baby Ben

2012-01-28T12:54:00.000Z

After Harry's disaster (now finished and delivered, phew) I need to be sure that I could see a project through from start to finish!

I went to a 40th birthday bash back in November, and we kind of hi-jacked the birthday with a baby shower as the birthday girl was also 8 months pregnant with her first baby. I had cut 30 x 8" squares, and taken along fabric pens for the guests to decorate a square each. Baby Ben arrived a few days before Christmas, and I then waited until I received a good photos of him, plus photos of his mum and dad as babies. These then got printed onto photo fabric, and then got pushed to one side to work on other projects.

I'm actually going to meet Ben, and get my first cuddle next Friday, so it was time for his quilt to go back to the top of the pile

I'm really pleased with the way is has come out so far (pieced, basted, quilted in the ditch, and binding attached at the front)

I love the binding, and think it works really well with the colour pens used, but there wasn't quite enough. I then remembered a blog post I had seen a while ago (sorry, cant remember where or find the origin) where the binding included a plain section, and the label is written on the binding. So I added a white strip at the busiest block (the red number 23) and now have to steel myself to write on it after I have stitched it down

Finished!

2012-01-27T22:40:00.000Z

Harry's quilt has been finished, and the accompanying fleece blanket, and the customer has seen this photo, and is happy - phew!

Good night

Horrid Henry and Happy Harry (?)

2012-01-26T22:19:00.000Z

I've been working more hours than usual this week - on my day job, freelancing as a grant finder, AND trying to make amends for the problem with ~~Henry's~~ Harry's quilt.

Last night's grant meeting with the Borough was luckily more than half way to my nearest quilting shop, Helen's, so I took advantage! Helen has a wooden log cabin in her garden which serves as a shop and a workroom, and Helen is there pretty much 12 hours a day for help and advice. I haven't been on a Wednesday night for a while, and it was lovely to see two regulars, and a further 6 who have been claimed by the dark side (and the light, along with medium values, stripes, spots, batik, etc)

Anyways, I picked up some more half yards of assorted cream fabrics as I have at least one more cream (unisex) quilt to make for Debbie, and to finish Harry's quilt, I got wadding, fabric for the back, and the binding, as well as a few other half yards that were calling my name.

This evening I have been very unsociable, and have managed to get Harry pieced, basted, quilted and half the binding done.

Tomorrow I can finish the binding, and then take a deep breath and put his name on the quilt

Harry

(it is starting to look wrong now, sigh!)

Henry and Harry

2012-01-24T22:50:00.000Z

After saying some rude words over Henry's quilt, (and virtually no sympathy at all from my bloggy buddies, so glad I was able to entertain you all!) I am now making Harry's quilt

I do like random quilts, but I'm not capable of making one, I think because I approach quilting mathematically. So I have discovered a way (and an easy way at that) of making a random top: I made up 27 squares all at 6.5 inches. Some were just one fabric, a few were HSTs, a few were pinwheels, a few were 9 patches, and a few other ideas got chucked in too.

I made up larger 9 patches, using the pieced squares in the 4 corners, and the plainer pieces as the 5 that make up the +

Then I cut the 9 patch into 4 equal parts (Disappearing 9 Patch)

And then I can put the back together and I have a random quilt, or an Orphan D9P

Hopefully tomorrow all 12 new blocks will be stitched together - with quilting on Thursday, binding on Friday, and delivery on Saturday . . . isn't working to a deadline fun?

Menopause and Marbles

2012-01-23T22:42:00.000Z

I know I meant to show you what the girls got up to at the classes this weekend, and I will, but you'll have to wait.

Before Christmas a friend, Debbie, commissioned me to make 3 baby quilts (one blue, two cream) for babies that were due this year. I was to make the quilt and then, when the baby arrived, embroider their name onto the quilt and also onto a fleece blanket.

The blue one was the Pure Blue London bricks, and I'd finished one of the creams in a sort of orphan block-cum-vanishing 9 patch design that I was really pleased with (the other cream is still under construction as the baby isn't due for another month or so)

So the blue baby arrived - Edward - and I did his embroidery (forgetting to photograph his quilt, sigh,) and then one of the cream babies arrived, so I embroidered "Henry" onto his quilt and his fleece, and delivered them to Debbie

Nice name, isn't it, Henry? Well I though so, shame his parents didn't think that - his name isn't Henry at all, never was, it's Harry

Hence the post title. I'm experiencing one, and have totally lost the other.

I'm now frantically making another cream quilt, and have been to Ikea to get another cream fleece. If you know of anyone having a baby called Henry I can sell you a quilt and a fleece blanket ready named!!! (what are the odds that the third baby will be a boy and they call him Henry? Not too great :-(

Yes, it's OK to laugh!

Chertsey Museum Class

2012-01-21T22:34:00.000Z

I was away for the December session at the museum, so I left them with a box of felt, a basic sewing kit, some retractable tape measures and shome sheets of inspiration so they could make themselves a Christmas present!

Some of the ladies then brought back their tape measures this month to show

Didn't they do well!

What to do next: Groups, swaps and charities

2012-01-19T15:05:00.000Z

Lots of very exciting groups have started up this year:

Hadley and friends are running a swap they are calling Mouthy Stitchers - they are encouraging lots of chat via Flickr as each member makes a purse for a randomly allocated victim

Sarah is hosting the Stained Glass Quilt Along that I have decided to have a go at:

I'm getting so little sewing time at the moment, and I'm getting behind with blogging, blog reading, and emails, so I have decided not to join Hadley's, much as I'd love to. I know that's I'd either not be as chatty as the group would like, or I'd let other stuff slip, and risk resenting the swap

However, I am going to have a go at a suggestion from Annabelle at Annabelle Serendipity. She has blogged about Blankets of Love . . . [copied straight from her blog, hope you don't mind Annabelle]

In 1992 a charity was set up in Australia by two sisters, one a midwife and the other a quilter, the aim of which was to provide grieving parents with a special quilted memento of the child they lost. This lovely idea then spread all around the world and is now followed in almost all neo-natal wards.

The quilts requested are to be 'nappy' sized - approximately twenty-four inches square, extremely soft and extra special. The quilt is then tagged with a label provided by the charity.

If you would like to take part in this worthwhile project do contact The Child Bereavement Charity - Blankets Of Love via Julie Cullingworth on 01494 568917.

And this is something I will be making quilts for.

darn darning!

2012-01-18T23:06:00.003Z

As previously mentioned, I don't knit, but mother does - and is fab at it.

Over the years she has knitted me a number of really warm Norwegian style jumpers. The most recent one (3 or 4 years ago) is a style called Voss: a place near Bergen where coincidentally my aunt and uncle have a 'hutte' or cottage. This design would usually be knitted in just two colours, but I couldn't decide!

With the colder weather this last week, I went to get this jumper out of the wardrobe: can you see a problem?

What if I put my finger behind part of it

I am very peeved. I don't know if I caught it on something and didn't notice, or if I have moths, but I certainly have some darning to do, sigh

I wore this jumper to church on Sunday instead - more traditionally Norwegian. The scarf isn't traditional at all: it was bought from Holister - in Florida! It looked fab, but was too thin, so I have lined it with fleece which gives it a better shape, and much warmer

I have managed some sewing: it doesn't look much but, but these 50 or so blocks were last seen laid out on the floor in mum's spare room, where they were pinned together in rows, well now they are stitched together in rows, ready foir ironing and suddenly I have a gazillion more pins that I had yesterday!

Even more TLAs and other acronyms

2012-01-17T23:06:00.000Z

Here are some of my favourites - although the one I use the most is when I have a CRAFT moment - Cant Find A Flipping Thing

DH = Dear (or Darn) Husband
DIY = Do it yourself
DSM = domestic sewing machine
F8/FE = Fat Eighth
FART = Fabric Acquisition Road Trip
FFO = Finally Finished Object
FIU = Finish It Up
FLIMSY = Finished top, not quilted
FM = free motion quilting
FQ = Fat Quarter
Frog Stitching = ripping out stitched seams (rip it, rip it)
HP = hand piecing
HQ = hand quilting
HST = Half square triangle
HSY = Haven't Started Yet (pronounced hussy)
NQR = Not Quilt Related (an alternative to OT)
OSMG = Old Sewing Machine Guy
PHD = Project Half Done
PIGs = Project In a Grocery Sack
PIPS = projects in process
PITS = Project In Totes
PIW = project in waiting (waiting to grow up to be a WIP)
QIMM = Quilts in My Mind
QST= Quarter Square Triangles
RTFM = Read The Flipping Manual (last resort!)
SABLE = Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy
SEX = Stash Enhancement EXperience (or eXcursion)
SID = stitch-in-the-ditch quilting
Siggies = Squares of fabric with signatures and often other info written on them
Squishie = Envelopes filled with swap fabric/blocks (squishy is the way they
feel)
STASH = Special Treasures All Secretly Hidden
TBQ = To Be Quilted
TGIF = Thank God It's Finished!
TOAD = trashed object abandoned in disgust
UFO = UnFinished Object
USO = UnStarted Object
VIP = Very Important Project
WHIMM = Works Hidden In My Mind
WIMM = Work in my mind
WIP = Work in progress
WISP = Work In Slow Progress
WIVSP = Work In Very Slow Progress
WIWMI = Wish It Would Make Itself
WOA = Work of art
WOMBAT = Waste of Money, Batting, and Time
WWIT = What Was I Thinking

UFO, HST and other TLAs (*)

2012-01-14T14:56:00.000Z

At last I have managed some sewing, and I have been tackling what is probably my oldest UFO. When I first went to Sandown park for a quilting festival, I admired a quilt that was about 8 inch squares, made from two triangles where one was blue, and the other was stripes of fabric. (Now I can tell you that they were HSTs using strings)

So I started sewing strips of leftover fabric, and cutting squares of blue and squares of strips, and joining them with two seams either side of the middle (if you don't understand, see end of the post, but be warned, very boring to make!) and ended up with 17 completed units

(no, I have no idea how I ended up with an odd number)

and a few dozen striped squares, and some blues

and two flimsies of strips waiting to be cut into squares

and a loathing of stitching HSTs that is still with me.

I cant accurately date the start of this UFO, but I recognise most of the fabrics, and remember whose quilt I used them in. I can see Teddy bears from when Great Niece Emily was born (2000), and purple with white spots when a work colleague's daughter Sophie was born (2004), but none of the citrus fabric from when niece India was born (2006), so I'm guessing it was started about 10 years ago, and worked on a few times in the following half dozen years then put away.

Part of the problem was that I didn't want to make any more HSTs, and the other part was not knowing what to do with the blocks.. So today I took the bull by the horns, and make big pinwheels from the HSTs.

So that makes 8 pinwheels - NBG for making a quilt.

I can make a square and just use string squares in the middle, like this, and then add more strings around the outside (there are another 38 cut to size, plus the two flimsy, I wont run out!)

Or I could alternate pinwheels and strings like this,

Or I can return it to the PIGs group, and put the whole lot back into it's bag until I am next inspired . . . anybody got any ideas, suggestions or preferences?

. . . . . * * * * * . . . . .

UFO = Unfinished Object
HST = Half Square Triangle (explained brilliantly by Rachel at p.s. I quilt
TLA = Three Letter Acronyms
NBG = No Blinking Good
PIGs = Project In a Grocery Sack

There are plenty more of these if you want them!

Following Instructions - Moi?

2012-01-12T19:19:00.000Z

I'm not a great one for following instructions in any aspect of my life, which has guided my patchworking in certain directions, but I am going to have a go!

The very talented Sarah designed and made this scrummy quilt and is, starting next week, running a blog based class on how to make one. I have all the Australian Aboriginal themed fabrics and a whole load of black that I think will look fab in this design, so I am going to have a go at (gasp) following instructions! I am hoping my love of randomness will overcome my issues with instructions (and if I do things differently in places I'm not sure many people will notice, or care!)

If you fancy joining in, visit Sarah at her blog for details

work is a four letter word!

2012-01-11T22:48:00.000Z

Much as I love my job, it is getting in the way of my sewing :-( I haven't even switched on my sewing machine for over a week, although I did spend last night teaching nephew #2 how to use a sewing machine so he could teach himself book binding (don't ask!)

Anyway, the lovely Fiona has done an article about me on her UK based Sewing Directory website. Its a great site where you can search for services, courses, people associated with sewing,and she has posted info about all of my Fun With Fabric courses - thanks Fiona. Why not check out the site!

Tonight I'm clearing the decks so I can sew all weekend!

Hope you have achieved more than I have

To knit or knot to knit?

2012-01-04T19:16:00.000Z

[for those who gave me their addresses, I have *finally* been to the post office, so I hope the bags arrive soon!]

I can't knit, but my mummy can, and last summer while I made the texture quilt for her friend, she knitted LOADS of grey squares for me. I have been sewing them together, first in pairs, then joining the pairs, and I think I'm over half way

:-)

Has anyone else had problem with Blogger refusing to accept a photo as the limit had been exceeded? I just had to delete a whole load of photos from a Picassa account (that I didn't know I had) to be able to load this photo!

A finish from me, and a finish from him

2012-01-03T08:09:00.003Z

I've been plodding through my to-do-list again, and yesterday I finished mum's birthday present - another Pink Penguin's lunch bag's big brother

Brian has stopped working on the kitchen floor, but I do have a new door on the downstairs loo:

And thanks to Pinterest inspiration - how fab is this handle? And there is a spoon on the other side of the door :-)

More Block Lotto Blocks and two finishes

2012-01-02T21:08:00.000Z

The blocks from my Block Lotto win, keep tumbling through the letter box:

I am so looking forward to making this quilt. There is one more package to arrive, so I am going to plod through some UFOs and then I'll allow myself to start when the final blocks arrive

I have cleared a few more UFOs - they really didn't need much, just the binding being attached by hand, but they have now made in from the UFO list to the Finished Quilts list - yippee!

Pure Blue London Bricks #2

Orphan Vanishing 9 Patch in creams

A finish, an Ooops, and an off!

2012-01-01T15:04:00.001Z

The Finish:
This pinwheel quilt was almost finished before I went to Oz - just needed the binding to be hand stitched. Yay - now finished! This will go to my friend Sue who had breast cancer 15 years ago. She fund raises at school each year for the local Breast Centre Unit, the Parapet, in Windsor, and calls the fund raising Pink Day - so I thought this would be suitable for her raffle!

The Ooops:
I tried to finish the Christmas tree Jackie sent me last year . . I had sewn on the decorations, and stuffed it

but didn't consider that the 'branches' would then scrunch together, and all decorations near the middle would vanish into what the family kindly described as tree-bum-cheeks

Drat! I now need to unpick and move 3/4 of the decorations - that might be a job for next Christmas!

And the Off
Idid get all the Fat Quarter bags wrapped up ready for posting

And had great fun taking apart blingy key rings (left), and turning them into crafty key rings (right) - I wish I'd bought some more, does anyone know where they sell them in the UK?

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:51:00.003Z

Wishing all of you

all the very best

for 2012

More Christmas Pressies

2011-12-31T15:26:00.003Z

We stretch our Christmas out over a couple of days, and after I had posted pics of crafty pressies yesterday, I remembered that they were the Christmas Day pressies, but I was lucky enough to get some more on Boxing day:

These lovely summery fabrics were from Secret Santa (Thank you Slavka (Niece #1), I know it was you)

And these goodies were a belated Birthday Pressie from Anna (Niece #2) who confessed she had a lovely time choosing goodies in TheClothStore in Horsham

I think both girls have a hitherto un-discovered interest in fabrics and sewing, so I am working on them to come to the dark (and light and medium values) side!

Where did that week go?

2011-12-30T15:04:00.000Z

Gosh, suddenly it's New Year's Eve eve, and I don't seem to have done much apart from veg in front of the TV, eat, and drink!

Christmas Day was very civilised: both girls slept until about 10am, and then it took longer than I expected to get from this

to this

I had some lovely craft spoils:

This scrummy scarf from the lovely Jackie

This craft bag and these goodies from my BQL Secret Santa - I couldn't photograph the bag to show how fab it is, but it has six pockets around the outside, and six sections on the base all for crafty bits and pieces

This goodies were a wall hanging from Jackie (Let it snow) Handmade Nation book from another BQL Secret Santa, and the fab pin cushion from the lovely Plum

I also received this scarf from First Born Daughter - thank you Lisa, I love it!

Merry Christmas to all (but no Christmas dinner)

2011-12-23T22:30:00.000Z

Just a brief post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2012. Thanks especially to all who commented on the previous post - the bags are in their envelopes waiting for me to go to the post office, early next week.

I had an email conversation recently with the Littliest Thistle, Katy, about embroidery (have you seen the blocks she embroidered for her dad's quilt gorgeous) and mentioned that I hadn't done embroidery by hand for ages - sorry Katy I lied, look what I just found . . . my Christmas Cross stitch project

Sister In Law gave me this years and years ago, and I work on it a little bit each Christmas. When finished it will go into a house shaped frame, a bit like a dolls house

The other part of the post title may be explained by this photo of my kitchen

We planned to move the kitchen around sometime, but it would appear that NOW is the time. Although to be fair, these is never much danger of a Christmas dinner at my house - we graze all day instead!

Merry Christmas ALL!!!!

jet lag, and Christmas pressies and a give away

2011-12-20T17:30:00.000Z

I thought I was over the jet lag after my 13 hour sleep, but the next night I slept from 9pm until 3am, and this morning I slept a bit longer - until 5:30am! Not impressed!

I did spend some of the early morning time blog surfing - and actually looked at my blog! [I appear to have two pages titled Finished Quilts - I need to sort that out :-] Do you know that this is post # 197 - who'd thunk it? Nearly 200 posts - and 50 followers, I am really chuffed - thank you all!

The extra hours gave me a bit more sewing time too, LOL. So as I was awake at silly o'clock yesterday I decided to sort out my Australian fabrics. Some I plan on using in a quilt for me, but others were bought as Christmas gifts for patchwork friends and blog friends.

As I looked at the various fabrics . . .

. . . it occurred to me that they wouldn't necessarily be of any use to anyone as a FQ - so I decided to make a few Fat Quarter bags (click for link to instructions), and then I started some more, and some more - I feel as if I am working on a production line: there are at least a dozen, if not more!

I am so pleased to have this network of bloggy friends - mostly virtual, but some I have met, some have become family (thank you Jackie for the Christmas card from the Irish Cousins!!!), some really are family (hi to my Mum and Daughter :-) but all are supportive, and funny and helped me feel grounded even while I was away and homesick - So to celebrate Christmas, New Year, 200 posts, 50 followers, a new kitchen floor being laid downstairs and anything else you fancy . . . to everyone who read and comments on this blog, please comment here, then I'll email you for your snail mail address, as I'd love to send you an Australian Fat Quarter bag.

Less of a zombie now!

2011-12-18T17:24:00.024Z

After a 24 hour flight, and fighting sleep until as long as I could, I finally gave in at 5:30 last night and went to bed. Ah, what bliss to sleep, and in my own bed :-)

I woke at 6:30 which is ridiculously early, but I had had 13 hours sleep, so I feel much more with it!

There was some very exciting post waiting for me. a pressie from Jackie, and one from the BQL Secret Santa, both of which have been put under the tree (albeit with a bit of squishing on the way!)

Also . . .

[Hold on while we travel back in time. One of the blogs that I follow is Block Lotto - each month, the list Mom, Sophie, introduces us to a block, usually with a colour scheme. We can make as many or as few of these as we like, and each one that we submit a photo of counts as a ticket for the month's lotto. I actually remembered the let Sophie know that I would be in the air when she drew the names, so if I won I wouldn't be able to acknowledge for a few days - just as well I did as I was one of the winners {VBG}]

. . . now back to the present . . . there were four squishies, each with three Scrappy Round The World blocks.

Thank you so much to Cathy Ann, Celine, Debra and Kate - lovely blocks, and I'm really looking forward to playing with the blocks and deciding how to arrange them

Mini Christmas

2011-12-17T12:43:00.002Z

Before I left Australia, we had a Mini Christmas - so I could give the kids (and Brother, and Sis in Law) their pressies while I was still there. However, I was too busy playing with the toys to remember to take many photos. So until I get hold of brother's photos, here are just a few - brother in his t-shirt

And nephew in front of the tree (He L.O.V.E.D the Road Map Mat - I can highly recommend it as a gift for a car mad 3 year old!)

But what I hadn't expected, was that I got a pressie too (Brother doesn't do Christmas, birthday, presents etc!). Look at these yummy bits from them (actually, thank you Lise, I know you bought them!!!)

And Lise - you have a great eye for fabric - are you tempted? Go on, I think you are - I bet Logan's or Quiltsmith do lessons!

a postcard TO Australia

2011-12-15T04:54:00.002Z

Look what arrived in the post today from my lovely Lisa. Thank you sweetie x x x

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a stitch in time . . .

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000Z

. . . saves me from getting bored!

I've done a fair bit of sewing while I've been in Oz, and have just realised that I haven't shown you any:

Jackie sent me a half-made Christmas tree last year - and I hadn't got around to finishing it. Still not actually finished, but lot closer ...

It may be difficult to see what it is, and what I've done, so: imagine 4 tree shapes cut out of Christmassy fabric - stitch the sides (not the base) together in pairs, RST, red to green, and turn right sides out. Place the two units one on top of the other, and stitch from top to bottom in the centre. You now have a tree 'book' of 4 pages. Add decorative buttons to each page (we have scissors, gingerbread baking, skiing and baubles and snowflake themed, thank you Indi). When I get home I can stuff each section, and sew up the base.

I have also finished the I-Spy blocks that I bought in the Blue Mountains (thanks Indi and Marley for helping arrange the blocks)

India did some sewing with the left over blocks

look at these neat little stitches - not bad for a 5 year old eh?

And finally I finished the quilting on Marley's Road Map Mat - I just need to trim the threads - the *&^%$# at Bangkok confiscated my snips. Yes they were less than 3cm blades, yes I didn't go to Bangkok as such, yes I didn't leave airside, yet I got back onto the *same* BA plane, but yes they searched my bags, and told me "No sharps" as they took them from me - grrrrrrrrrr

ooops, I found a bead shop!

2011-12-12T08:52:00.001Z

The biggest bead shop I have ever seen!

I spent an hour browsing, and hope I haven't disappointed anyone with my haul. Oh, and this little lot cost about £30, not bad eh?

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shopping again (2)

2011-12-09T05:39:00.003Z

Fabrics from Material Obsession

Fabrics from Logan's Patchworks

more from Logan's

And I got a new set of crockery. I particularly like chunky handles as I have problems holding forks with flat handles, and I fell in love with these. I got the knives and forks too

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Shopping again

2011-12-09T04:16:00.001Z

Poor s-i-l and nephew got dragged around fabric shops today!

We went to Material Obsession, and I got two more aboriginal themed fabrics, plus some text fabric, and a street map of Paris(!!!). It was a great shop (thanks for the suggestion, Avril) FULL of lovely fabrics and inspiration.

Next we went to No Chintz, but they were mostly upholstery, and didn't have ones I could see myself using for bags, so we moved onto Logan's Patchworks ...

Set in an industrial estate, it was like a tardis: tiny on the outside, HUGE on the inside, and so many fabrics! I bought some more aboriginal themed fabric, and a few other lovely fabrics. In the end we left the 4th shop for another day - there only so much fabric shopping I can subject a 3 year old to! (and shop 4 is within walking distance of the house, LOL).

Teje asked how many kilos I was allowed to bring back, ooops, I might need to post some clothing back home!

today we hit the shops (2)

2011-12-08T09:36:00.002Z

Hoodie for the child who wants something obviously Australia, and a zippy for the child who wants a subtle one

T shirts for the God daughter, and the Great Niece

Jacket for the husband who doesn't really want any sort of distraction from 'boring'!

Playing cards and notebooks as assorted 'holiday gifts' possibly to be used as Christmas pressies

And a hoodie for me - given the unseasonable weather, I needed a hoodie to keep warm!

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Today we hit the shops (part 1)

2011-12-08T09:28:00.000Z

Mum and I did the tourist thing today: bus to QVB, (did a bit of shopping) then walked down Pitt Street (via the mall) to Circular Quay, then got the ferry to Manly, (past the opera house and the bridge) then walked (past a few shops, into one or two) to the ocean beach where we had a paddle, and lunch. Then the ferry back, and a bit of shopping at The Rocks, then staggered back with bags and bags of shopping!

Tomorrow . . . Well sister in law has designed a patchwork crawl around the 4 patchwork shops within about 10 minutes of the house, so I guess tomorrow will be fun!!

Photos from Oz

2011-12-07T09:45:00.001Z

Fabric Purchases - and I've started sewing the I spy blocks by hand!

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A letter from Australia

2011-12-07T09:17:00.001Z

This is just a really short post to let you know I am still here, although 'here' is currently the other side of the world!

I'm having a great time, we've been to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney (where I found one fabric shop) and are off to the city tomorrow, and S-I-L has found 4 (yes , FOUR) patchwork shops within walking distance of the house!!!!!!

Photos to follow when I work out how to get them from the phone to the iPad to the blog, LOL, or when I get home!

It doesn't feel very Christmassy here - but it's not the summer holiday I expected - the coldest and wettest start to summer in 50 years!

Greetings from Vienna

2011-11-28T19:12:00.000Z

I had a great time, a few photos just for a laugh - I hope you love my new hat

We visited 5 or 6 Christmas Markets

And saw lots of "Hummm, I could make those" things

And lots of pretty lights

And drank a fair amount of Gluewein (brilliant idea, the mugs come with the drink for a small deposit, so you can drink while you are shopping, then return the mug to any drink stall at that market, and get your 2 euro back, or keep the mug). Nicky, Liz and Liz

We did sit outside with hot chocolate, thanks to the Ikea blankets provided by the cafe, Jane

And this is Hayley showing us a big pair of Mozart's Balls

(Sue, how did you manange to avoid photos?)

Time for bed

2011-11-24T21:32:00.000Z

I'm off at 5am tomorrow, for a girly trip to Austria (Vienna!) so this is just a very quick post to show you . . .

. . . this (Nephew's car track quilt, ready for hand quilting on the plane)

and this little bag for a secret Santa swap

and these goodies for another partner in the swap

and here they are ready to be posted

Where is Mr Ripley? I dont think he would believe this

2011-11-24T21:22:00.003Z

I have to show you this photo

A colleague at school was clearing out a cupboard and found two boxes of knitting needles.

I kid you not, their brand names were . . .

SLIK and Quick covered bag

2011-11-23T21:22:00.000Z

I LOVE these covered bags

So much space inside, but also lovely and safe as the contents are covered, and the draw string can be put over your arm along with the straps to prevent anyone from helping themselves.

I made a number of these bags earlier in the year: they are based on Ayumi's (Pink Penguin) lunch bags, but I scaled them up to make handbags. And then I lost the scrap of paper that I wrote the handbag size measurements on!!!

Luckily Jackie had made a note of them when she was last here, and she emailed them back to me, but I felt it was time I recorded them somewhere that I wouldn't lose them!

Refer to Ayumi's instructions if you want to make these for the first time, as they are very detailed, and loads of very clear photos, what follows here is more of a reminder, using different measurements

So I cut two pieces of canvas like fabric at 18" wide, 14" deep and stitched them RST at the sides and at the bottom. I did the same for the lining fabric

Not shown - I added a full width pocket on the lining fabric before I joined the pieces, and stitched a few vertical lines to divide it into sections. This lining fabric is very stiff, if it wasn't I would have added stabiliser

I squared off (or boxed off) the corners to make a flat bottom, stitching where the line measures 5 inches (Ayumi shows this very clearly) This needs to be done for the bag and the lining.

Next I made the handles. I like mine quite long so I can use one hand to put the bag onto my shoulder. I cut two strips 28" by 5". I folded each one in half lengthwise, an then opened it out. I folded each side in to meet the fold and folded along the fold, and pinned. I stitched both the open side and the folded side.

Then I made the rim for the bag. Two pieces cut at 18inches (bag width plus seam allowance) by 2 inches

Join the each rim piece as a circle, press open. Place them together RST, and put the handles in between them as shown. I measured the handles starting 4" from the bag's side seam

Stitch the rim where the pins are shown, open and re pin, and then top stitch.

Assemble lining inside bag (wrong sides together), and the rim on the outside, straps hanging down, and stitch with scantest possible seam

Next take thinner, patchwork, cotton for the cover. Cut to finish at bag width (so in this case 34") by 10". Joint to make a tube, but leave two inches at one end. Open the opening into a V shape and stitch down opening (go back and forth a few times over the seam)

Make casing for ribbon

Take the cover, and put it, top down, RST, over the bag, lining up the top of the bag with the top (bottom really) of the cover. Stitch down with a generous seam allowance to hide all previous stitching

Ta da!!!!

The bag can be used as an open shopping bag with purple lining,

Or as a secure handbag with a purple cover

Phew!

[As always, very happy to have any errors or illogical instructions pointed out :-)., thanks]

That is the last essential finish before Australia! Now just a few more things that I would like to do, and a name-on-a-blanket request from a neighbour that I said I would do, but no more panic!

The Bag Lady

2011-11-21T22:54:00.000Z

I have finally started on S-i-L's bag, and nephew's car track.

The bag is this awesome heavy weight Echino fabric: black with sights of London on it in bright colours. There will be an instruction post, as I lost my piece of paper with scribbled notes, but it an adaptation of Ayumi's lunch bag over at Pink Penguin

Marley's Car Track Mat has been created and basted, and I can now quilt it pretty much as much or as little as I want to on the plane. Photo will follow, but it's in the car at the moment as I was working on it during Fun With fabric.

We have moved the day for the Broom Farm FWF, and I'm not around for the last 3 weeks of term, so we havn't promoted it, and there are just two mums at the moment. M is working on a Christmassy table runner, and C has been working on Christmas stockings, but has today started a dragon applique [click here for the Fun With Fabric blog and more details]

Weekend Round Up

2011-11-20T16:06:00.000Z

I've had a busy few days: Fun With Fabric on Friday, Church Craft and Christmas Fair, followed by a baby shower on Saturday, and sewing today.

I didn't get any photos of the 'homework' from last month at Friday Fun With Fabric but I did get plenty of moans about how difficult the binding had been! I did remind them that we had been working with fairly small units, and that binding a large quilt would be much easier, but promised them something easier for this session.

As I hadn't finished my sample, I took them on a Magical Mystery Make instead! Based on a tutorial from Lis at Piece 'n' Peace, (thanks, Lis) I got them making Christmas Coasters that DID NOT NEED BINDING!!!! Just for fun I didn't tell them what they were making, just gave them one instruction at a time!

Ready for some photos?

Saturday was mostly spent setting up and then attending the Church's Christmas and Craft Fair. I didn't take anything to sell as I don't have any stock, but I have an order for a Christmas sack for next year, and I was also promoting the church version of Fun With Fabric, and got some interest in that. I also managed to finish the binding on Swirls, so when I unpack the bags that can go up on the wall, yippee (only 15 months!)

From there I went to a friend, Lisa's's, 40th birthday Champagne Tea Party. As Lisa is also 34 weeks pregnant with her first baby (Congratulations Lisa) we turned it into a bit of a baby shower too. I had cut 36 8" squares, and had the 'girls' decorate them with fabric pens. After the baby arrives I shall stitch them together into a quilt. Most of the squares are fab . . .

I knew I would late arriving, so I had done a sample block to remind them that they had to leave me some seam allowance - I thought I made int fairly clear, but these six blocks will need some creative work to be able to include the words that went right to the edge!

Ho hum!

Anyway, today I managed to get some more ticked off from the list: the draught excluder / door stop for school - done

A very girly baby quilt for Jane who became a Great Aunt - done

with Amelia's name (need to wet that water soluble pen mark in the middle of her name!!!)

And a name onto a knitted blanket for another customer (yuck - knitted blanket are 'orrible to embroider onto!)

Now off to do some work of a bag for S-I-L and a play patchwork for nephew

Block Lotto entries

2011-11-18T22:30:00.000Z

I L.O.V.E the blocks being made for this month's Block Lotto. I have managed to make 6, so that gives me six chances to win. Have a look at the site to see some more

The block is from Bonnie Hunter's site: its a sort of technicolour yawn with a black Irish Chain running through it. Even if I don't win any blocks, I think I'd like to make one of these with my scraps

The Door Stop is under way, but is too long and thin to photograph well. I have made the tube, and need to acquire something to give it the weight it needs to be able to hold a heavy door open . . . next door have pea shingle on their drive, do you think they would notice if I 'borrowed' a few cup fulls?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

2011-11-17T21:31:00.000Z

Dear Mr Postie

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Or instead I could count the packages that he managed to squeeeeeze through my letter box today

Firstly came a fab, very squishy surprise from the lovely Plum: she ran a session at the Richmond and Kew quilters on Monday making chickens. I had planned to go, but in the end too much real life got in the way, and I had to pull out. Plum took pity on me, and sent me everything I need to make my own chicken!

And then the next package was my Give Away winnings from Lis's blog: a package from Keira at Kiki's Craft Corner. I had left it to Kiki to choose me a charm pack, and I bought from her a metre of a contrasting fabric that I could use for sashing. I love the warm colours in the charm pack (Moda's Cattails and Clover) and the extra fabric is gorgeous - plain enough not to detract from the patterns in the charms, and mottled enough not to be plain. (I think I need to revisit the website to get some more of this range!)

Actually, much as I love my postie for bringing the squishies, I need to paraphrase another cliche: dont ~~shoot~~ love the messenger: Plum, and Lis (and by extension, Keira) I love you all, thank you so much!!!

Christmas is coming . . .

2011-11-16T16:36:00.005Z

. . . and Elsa is ready!

11 year old (!) Elsa started this stocking at the Windsor Baptist Fun With Fabric session on Saturday, and then we ran out of time. I was only able to give her very quick instructions on how to finish it, and just look what she's done!

How fab is that???

And just in case you didn't appreciate the finer details . . . here is the top in close up, including bells which were all her idea! (Thanks Tina for emailing the photos)

Could be difficult for Santa to put in the pressies without waking her - was that the plan Elsa?

(I will post something about MY sewing one day soon, just as soon as I do some!!!!)

I won something!

2011-11-15T07:27:00.001Z

Late last night I opened an email from the lovely Lis form Piece'n'Peace. She's just posted her FIVE HUNDREDTH blog post, and had a giveaway to celebrate - and I have won a charm pack!

Not only am I delighted to have won (and have have come over all unnecessary), but I have never worked with a charm pack before, so it is very exciting! I think I shall go and lay down under the letter box just so I don't miss it arriving!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lis

The Reds are reducing

2011-11-14T20:59:00.000Z

I've managed to take a few more paniccy red projects off the list on the right, thank goodness, as it's now just 16 sleep until I go to Australia - and I have a girly weekend in Vienna to squeeze in before that too!

To into the "FINISHED" category go . . .

. . . .An I-Spy quilt for mum's boss's new granddaughter

. . . And Christmas Sacks for one of the teachers I used to work with, and for the nephew and niece in Australia (the naughty / good is only to show the design, not to indicate the Lucy is naughty, or that Marley and Indi are good!!!)

In other news this weekend, Mum finished Lisa's VERY warm wool jumper, exactly to specifications:

warm wool - check
mottled wool that mustn't go stripy when knitted - check
big neck - check
not the big cable on the pattern, but not plain at the front - check
long enough to cover her bum - check
holes about 3 inches from the end of the sleeves so she can put her thumbs through - check

I think Lisa looks rather pleased with it!

And Niki finished an I-Spy quilt for her friend Jade's new baby sister, Maisie.

Cheesy grin, but permitted given the great job she has done (and this is the daughter who claims she DOESN'T sew!!!)