Bits and Pieces

I embroidered a shawl for a Christening for a customer

I had a go at designing a rope embroidery for the borders on the lighthouse:

 not sure about these

And I finally stitched the remaining Jenny Bayer charms into a top.  The while pack was a gift just over a year ago

and the dark ones were used in this project

leaving the medium and light ones.

 I chopped up the last on my Kona white and had just enough for this

 

I'll get some more white for the outside and will eventually chop this up again to make a square dance / lil' twister top like this one

Finally, at the village fair yesterday there were a few vintage cars and other vehicles - including a Burrell traction engine. Having designed this one a while ago

I was thrilled to see this one in real life

Since my last post ...

Life seems to be whizzing by - not much sewing time and even less blogging time!!
I have finished the binding on this wonky stars quilt

I have finished this birthday reminder (although I wish I'd bought "family" or even "birthdays") but it is changeable

I've started embroidering this 36 times for a customer

And I've requilted the house group quilt - previously the lines were just under 1.5" apart, I've now quilted between each of them, so between about 1/2" and 3/4". Very, um, free range!

And I've added the binding. It's a wide one as I want all the ladies to write their names on the back of the binding

That's it for the weekend - hope you had a good one!

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Quicker than Quilt As You Go

I've mentioned this method before on the blog, and it's what is helping me assemble / baste and quilt these strips of blocks so quickly - a few hours and they are ready for binding.

I know the result is a Coverlet rather than a Quilt (two layers rather than three) but it is just as long lasting, much cheaper, and MUCH quicker than the conventional method.

So I have my blocks in strips (in this case just 'bricks' of fabric joined into strips the same measurement as the width of the fleece)

I have already done the middle ones (numbered  16 to 21) and I am now joining the next two (15 and 22).  I have pinned them to their next door neighbours, and to the fleece below

Then I stitch through 15, 16 and the fleece, (and 22, 21 and the fleece). I press 15 and 22 open, and repeat with 14 and 23 etc.

I'm not a great fan of heavily quilted patchworks (unless its quilting in the negative spaces - Jen, you rock!) so I'm very happy with there being no visable quilting on the surface and there is no crawling around on the floor stretching, taping, pinning, or tacking the flimsey.

And I managed two and a half tops today!

Speed Dating with Stars

Mum got me a stack of Jenny Bayer charm squares a few years ago, and they have been auditioned for several designs, and rejected, but I have finally settled on a design I'm happy with. I made cream star sections, and randomly stitched them into threes with the charm squares, then left them until mum came at the weekend - so we could speed date them

I'm really pleased with the final arrangement - and am just looking for the time to stitch them together!

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Three finishes on my List

The first finish hadn't actually made it *to* the list, so I've added it and crossed it off, which is a very happy feeling.  These are made 'in the hoop' - which kind of means I do a little bit of work on the computer and the press go on the embroidery machine and it does all the hard work!  A whole load of little 'thinking of you at Christmas' gifts sorted

This is an I-Spy quilt for a friend who has just become a Great Auntie to a baby called Chloe.  Her name is embroidered on the ballet fabric, but you can hardly see it.

And while watching the first half of the Bone Hunter last night I finished the binding on Warm Memories and Stars - this may be for a teacher leaving school at the end of the year.  I have two finished and they can now go to school where someone with decision making abilities can choose!

So the new and improved list now looks like this:

• START Nicky's Book Block (Out of Africa) 
• START Janine's Butterfly block (Out of Africa)
• START Christmas sacks for Liam and Harry
• START 12 place mats for Carol
• START 2 Pairs of Patchwork boots
• FINISH I-Spy for Liz
• FINISH Christmas sack for Chloe
• FINISH Christmas sack for Richard
• FINISH Christmas Tree by Candlelight wall hanging
• FINISH Napkins for Anna
• Batik Square Dance 
• I-Spy for Dina
• Christmas Waistcoat
• In The Hoop Gifts
•  I-Spy for Jane (Chloe) 
• Warm Stars quilt for Philippa

A 'Nearly Finish'

"Warm Stars" has been quilted

and bordered, and half bound,

 and despite a panic that I didn't have enough of the second border fabric, has come out quite well

Just need to hand stitch the binding and she's done!

Warm Charm Stars

If you . . .

Take a scrummy Charm Pack of warm colours

Remove the cream and tan ones which don't blend as well as the others, chop the cream ones into 4 tall thin triangles

Stitch the triangles onto one corner of the charms

Actually plan a top based on the colours and blocks available

 Lay them out on the design wall bed and check you still like the design

Use numbered pins to identify each row

 Stitch the blocks together in rows

And then stitch the rows together, you get this top of random stars,

and a very contended feeling.  Thank you Jackie for the very inspiring fabric x x