It's wordless Thursday

I've been trying to post for the last 2 weeks but life is unravelling.  Not too many wonderful days, so here are photos, enjoy!

Just needs binding now

Another top done. Getting ready for Christmas

I made a box! (Spot the improvised curved needle)

Couldn't help but buy more fabric and start another quilt!

Twice in one day?

Well, things are a bit calmer now we have food.

Yesterday I managed to finish the centre of the scrappy quilt top I have been putting together.  

I think I was channelling a log cabin thing at the end.  I quite like it in a 'wow that's everything, everywhere' way.  So today in the everything else to do list I threw in a trip to the local fabric shop to get the border fabric.  

Here is where I could do with help, what colour for the border?   I looked at orange, yellow and blue was favourite, but the shades were wrong.  I'll try the local quilt shop next then online.

After lunch, I went for a quick win with a flexi frame purse.  I bought the frame at FQR 2013 and it was one of those things that I didn't want to just put away and forget about file carefully.  I altered the top as the frame I had was smaller than the one in the tute.

The opening isn't as big as I expected, you can't really test it until you put it together, and it has a wicked snap shut!  Probably not suitable for small people.  The man has asked for one for his change but a bit more manly.  Think I'll try another shape for his.

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts.

My FQR 2013 Roundup (part 1)

I had hoped to do this last week but found myself off the grid all week while on holiday. It did mean that I got lots of hand sewing done, but more on that later.

So there are lots of round ups with better photos than I have; I forgot to take any! So I'm going for the next best things, the people I met and shopping.

Friday; meeting Jenna was very cool and I can only thank her for taking care of me that first evening.  We went to our classes and agreed to go to the Village Haberdashery after.  So after 3 hours of photographic instruction with Judith, which was brilliant fun, especially for us compact camera people!  Jenna and I went shopping!  I came back with this lot

Village Haberdashery shopping

Jenna mentioned The Staple Dress that Mandy had been wearing, and how quick it is to make, and I have been after that Collette pattern for a while.  The scraps are for a top I started a while ago, I needed some more variation.

Then I met my room mates; Jane, Moira, Angela, Jo and Kate.

Saturday; the day of free motion quilting.  Trudi was informative and helpful as I machine quilted with hand quilting thread and broke a needle *hangs head in shame* (because for 2 years I advised people on thread use!).  

Mandy gave me some tips on my curvemaster foot, which, 1 year on and never been used successfully, will be written up to experience as the chance is it's a duff one as I can't fit it onto my machine.  And introduced me to Aurifil which did quilt like a dream.  

I never knew thread could be so involved and I did buy a reel of Aurifil, but only one after Ann told me how much she loves it but her machine doesn't!

My FMQ attempts and Aurifil

Rachel had planned to take a group to Shaukat for a quick Liberty fix.  I went, but didn't buy as it would have been for a Staple Dress and I wasn't sure of the quantities.  I'll be heading back though as the Liberty was extensive and I have plans!

Francine and I rushed back for our afternoon sessions and I spent 1 1/2 hours practicing my free motion design.  It's interesting how differently you have to think to keep the pen on the page.  Every so often I lifted so I started again.

There was time after for some for some EPP so I sat at a quiet table with Mandy and others and sewed.

So that's part one and two will be coming soon, but I have to go do things with the kids so until later...

First finish

It went quiet over here because of the testing times at school.  A whole new situation for me and I found it quite draining.  All over now and the sun has been out too!

Maybe last month, I finished my cushion cover and it now replaces the destroyed one.  

I really like it, even the bits I could have done better (aren't there always those!)

Now it's going to be a short post (I think I have to do each FAL in a separate post), but hopefully there will be more this week as school is off, although the yearbook that I have to finish is calling and I really need to get it done.

An early finish

Hi,
when I'm at work I like to use any free time to create, just to keep me busy!  I don't have a particularly high finish rate but even when I do finish something I forget to photograph or blog about it, which was the point of me doing this blog!

So these are finishes from some time ago that are currently in an exhibition at a Clandon Park:

Just after the new year, I was fabric shopping with a friend from the Guild who said "so have you started your piece for Clandon?"  There was much confusion and a degree of fear from me and lots of "you'll be fine" from her!  Well, I panicked and while babysitting for another friend decided to get started.

I've always wanted to do something based on the tree of life and this is it.  It's based on lots of different ideas but as usual with me I needed to keep it simple.

This piece I completed in my lunch breaks at work (previous job).  It really was a 'I need something to do for the free half hour of lunch' project and I love it, so does the girl.  Unfortunately for her, it sold!  And will be going to a new home in Devon next week

This mini quilt was my hand project for last summer holiday.  Which I had fun finishing and I'm guessing I've got away with including as I'm quite new to the embroidery game.

If you have time between now and next Wednesday, I recommend a trip to Clandon Park.  The house looks interesting and the textiles exhibition is stunning.  I've very lucky to be in a Guild of such talented people!

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts

2013 FAL Q2

Hi,
I've been looking, and feeling slightly shamed, at how much is achieved by joining in with a FAL (Finish A-Long).  I have tried before just listing things here but clearly it didn't work! :-)   So I've decided to join in with Leanne from She Can Quilt. 

So, in the style of Pointless (BBC program), in order of least likely to most likely to finish:

1. Giant start quilt

I started this at new year eve 2012 and had the top done just before my brother and family arrived. I don't have a day off work anymore and sew on the dining room table which has put me off starting the quilting.  I think i pieced the back and basted it on a free day I had between my two jobs.  I have to quilt and bind it and at about 2m square I'm expecting it to take me awhile.  I'm going for circles which should make it easier but it will be my biggest quilt done at home (read:nervous).  This holiday has helped me reconnect to my sewing machine so hopefully by end of June.

2. Swoon

Moe and Joe (my mojo) left me so I've only got 4 blocks done.  The guilt has been high watching others finish and just not wanting to.  Then I saw others only got as far as 4 and stopped.  It gave me the permission to stop and make the 4 blocks into a top.  I know, I shouldn't need permission, but... well this time I did.  I have to finish the top, quilt and bind this.


3. Just wing it quilt

I started this a while ago, then it was lost carefully put away. About 3 weeks ago I had a massive clear out and tidy and found it again (hoorah!).  All it needs is binding.



4. Embroidery page
I am a member of the Embroidery Guild.  Last year we celebrated the Queens jubilee and this years project is a fabric book.  Each member from our branch is making a page.  This has to be done by next month; no pressure!  I'm new to embroidery so I'm keeping it simple.

5. Cushion cover.
I'm playing with square sizes for another project I would like to start and I made a few blocks from my scraps. 

They were so pretty I didn't want to put them in the 'what to do with pile' so DH suggested a cushion cover to replace this...

 that has been attacked by the boy over the last 6 years.  I had the cushion for about 20ish years before it was "played with" so comprehensively.

I'm going for a more than 50% success rate and I don't think I'm putting myself under too much pressure.  If it goes well maybe I can up my game in Q3! 
Good luck everyone!  Here's hoping we all achieve what we are aiming for.

Linking up with She can quilt FAL Q2

Hello!

Hope you all had a good Easter, I enjoyed a technology free time.

It snowed here yesterday!  Made me glad to be in and for the first time in a long time I have managed a finish.

Last night I needed to sew.  I'm trying out different size squares to see what would look better for a future project. So last night I made mug rug with 2 1/2 inch squares (thank you Sizzix Big Shot).  I think it turned out ok.

It was nice to have it totally done before I went to bed.

Last week I was also inspired by this to try some improv piecing, I wasn't sure if I would like it as I really tried to copy the "pick without looking" method.  Another not too shabby piece of work.  

I looked back at the first issue of Fat Quarterly and found a finish for this block (really wide border) which I'm going to do when I hit my target size.  

Best bit about all of this is all the fabric is from my scrap boxes!

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts