Feeling productive...

Wow, look what you can achieve when you ignore the rest of life and just sew for 2 days!

This top was all put together by Sunday lunch, leaving time to start work on the next challenge block...which is proving to be a challenge.

Hope you like the wind blown effect, along with the 'uggies', we were sewing in comfort!

Best bit is that Tom is thrilled with it, Wednesday's job is to by some wadding.

Hope everyone else had a super weekend too,

C

Catching up...

I'm finally managing to catch up a little with the challenge blocks for 2015...not sure these look like they could go in the same quilt yet, but hopefully I can bring some cohesion with the next few blocks! Aiming to get at least another one done before the next class...good to have goals!

 

And here is the distraction quilt going on in the background! Here are Tom's flying geese....he has stuck with this quilt pattern for over a year and was keen to help choose the 'geese' so I'm glad it is coming together (and with only a handful of 'new fabrics', including the background, I'm feeling pretty pleased with my use of stash fabric).

My sister and I couldn't get to the Gunning patchwork weekend this year, so we are indulging in a sewing weekend at her place instead. Soup, cake and dinner are sorted, sewing plans made, just need to pack!

Hope you all have a lovely one,

C

Progress on the Quality Street chocolate box

Well, I have finished the new blocks, and have a couple of things to offer ... My enthusiastic approach to chain piecing these two blocks came a cropper when I sewed one set of triangles the wrong way and ended up with the contrast Saffron Craig fabric on an outside point rather than inside as a square, bordering the central square.  (Does that make sense?) But I didn't mind it, so I did not reach for the unpicker.

Secondly, I felt that I was a bit scant on a couple of the squares, and it is a small 12.5 inch block, so it might be worth adding a wee bit of size to the outside pieces (light fabric) and possibly the two squares you cut diagonally to surround the central square.

These two are a bit too same same perhaps, but who cares right .... Love those octopi .

I was tidying up my  "good-for-chocolate-box" container of fabric and picked out these to go together for the next block that Sue Ross has in store for us.  I did toy with making another of this month's blocks but reminded myself of the WIPs calling out to me.

Another finish

Hi finally finished these for a friend after about 2 years.....

Before

And after

looking forward to visit

Hi everyone well I'm back. I had a lovely time.thought I would get the holiday snaps over and done with

 Checked out Jen Jones museum in Wales

saw some great stitching here by Eirian Short 

It was really amazing. She is still stitching in her 90s each day, amazing work.

Also went to the York gallery which is the National Great Britain quilt gallery but it is closing at the end of the year a real shame. It had a Kaffe exhibition of old and new. As I love his material it was lovely to see. Have a funny story to tell when I see you about Mark Hearld and what a small world it is.

Also at various museums saw this beautiful "toy"sewing machine 

and a sewing travel kit from 1720, Italy (in Prague)

Also managed to get one quilt finished which was for a friend in England 

and managed to find myself a little present on Gumtree in Scotland, a Singer feather weight

and last but not least I was happy to see him and Bach seemed happy too.

Warning .... photo heavy post

I have finally conquered the technology required to download photos from the various cameras around the house.  So here is a potted summary of recent crafting activity:

1 Laos baby quilt

Mad with my new favourite block, the hourglass, I whipped this up pretty quickly.  It has some cute prints, including some RED chooks which bled slightly when I cold washed it.  What should I do?  stop worrying about it and just send it off?  Try a colour catcher in with it in another wash?

2 Another slipcover

I finally slipcover the other sofa in our living room.  I admit it does not match the other one at all, other than keeping the quirky, edgy look that the rest of the room has.  I get a bit of a laugh when the cat lies asleep on the sofa surrounded by birds.

3 Cushion with Tapestry

A while back you remember I had a bit of a tapestry fetish where I was buying completed tapestry online?  Well here are a couple of completed cushions, although one is my own which was started when Robert was in utero.  And the other is one my grandmother, who died around 20 years ago, did. I think that was some time before she died so I reckon it is at least 30 years old now.  I am very happy with both, and suspect you can guess which one was my effort.

4 Latest Sue Ross block

I loved this block but didn't enjoy the foundation piecing around the outside.  As usual I tried to scrimp on fabric and cut the pieces too small.  And then there was unpicking and tears ... I recut to 2" square and found myself enjoying it again.  I also like the background I chose (which I pieced on by hand and then machined) but note that it will be significantly cut down to be the sae size as the other blocks.  There is only around a half inch where the circle meets the side of the block.

5 Jervis Bay

Finally, with no photos, a comment that I spent the weekend with my sisters and various nieces and partners of nephews crafting.  We made a simple tank top and then a lined drawstring bag.  They all went home with their own creation, chosen in their own colours.  It was nice to being a bit of confidence in using a sewing machine and choosing fabric to the next generation.

See you soon