Off to a Flying Start...

This morning, I was able to give my burn an airing; I know, small pleasure, but having a shower without cling film for the first time in a week - yes I even took a roll to Retreat, was wonderful!

So buoyed up and feeling fresh, although having those this time last week feelings, I got my sewing machine out for the first time since Monday.

Brit Bee - Year Two has kicked off in style, with Trudi giving us free reign on flying geese blocks.

I pulled out the ziplock of fabric she had thrust in my direction at Retreat and took a closer look - lots of BROWN! 

Deep breath, after all, I don't have to keep it!

Having conquered the circle of geese block as part of new-Brit Bee Katy's Foundation Paper Piecing For The Terrified series, I could conquer brown, so I printed some more templates from here, and got going on my twist for my first block.

I used two clockwise and two anticlockwise paper templates and took a risk that I think paid off, making the geese from Trudi's white-on-cream background fabric, and scrappy filling the background...

Not too brown, and I am chuffed to bits with my piecing.  I hope Trudi feels the same. 

Last year when we were set the Lynne-Bob Square Pants block as our first Bee experience, I thought that was complicated - this really does bring it home just how much I have learnt and am volunteering to make in such a short space of time!

The second block is way more inside my colour comfort zone!   More Valorie Wells, but in a lovely aqua.  I suspect this block has a proper name which I am not familiar with, I spotted it whilst trawling google images and did a quick bit of maths to get it to size...

I love this one too.

Both blocks finish at 12.5", (and they actually do!), and will be flying back to Trudi next week.

So there we are, some real quilty sewing; it's so good to be back! 

5.4.3.2.1!

Over the last couple of days I have been working on the final FPPFTT piece, the rocket, and turning said rocket into a cushion for dear son.

He chose the colours when he got back from my parent's on Wednesday; OK, he was given a rather limited colour palette it has to be said.  Anyway snatching a few hours here and there, I got it made, saving the binding until last night, for the perfect sewing end to the week.

I admit this is not my finest paper-piecing, sorry Katy; I used all Klona, and I think on such small pieces its' stiffness is its', or rather my downfall; pressing was not so effective; some of the seams mismatch because of it, but not enough to raise complaints from the recipient.  I didn't have to unpick any seams, so I am pleased with it for that reason too.

I added some craters to the moon, a few stars and a planet just to break up the solids...

Simple envelope back; 16" cushion pad and ready for lift off!

This is number 2 out of 5 on my FAL list - so I have beaten the last quarter already in less than a week!

Next mission, finishing my Retro Flowers background cutting; this involves concentration, and over the last fortnight with the house full of kiddies, this has been seriously lacking!

I've also started pulling fabrics and cutting the linen for my FQ Retreat swapsies; I am heading down the Zakka Style route; so maybe more on that tomorrow, unless anything unexpected and totally exciting happens in the meantime!

Happy Saturday everyone x

FAL a La La La!

Time to link up with Rhonda's Finish A Long Q2 before I get stuck into the chocolate again...

I have a double roll-over from Q1 with my Hexi cushion...

... and the Mystery Quilt is still haunting me!

I thought I better chuck a couple more into the mix.  OK, so one of these will be a guaranteed finish, as I am almost there.

My Stained is up at the top of my 'big makes' list just now, and will hopefully be done and dusted this week, the quilting has begun...

And I have just started my Retro Flowers Quilt, and this is not one I want dragging on; I want it to be finished, like yesterday!

The final goal is the last FPPFTT block...

I finished the rest, so I want to complete the course; just like anti-biotics, if I want to get better, I can't give up before the end!

So that's my 5; however I also have a lot of things that I've not even started, like my FQ Retreat swaps, Katy's Stitch Tease block and I can't bring myself to think what else right now.

Today though, is typical bank holiday, it's pouring with rain and perfect for sewing, every cloud and all that xxx

Thinker's Block...

The penultimate FPPFTT is done.  This Calico Grove block was a hard one.  Not the piecing, but getting my head round the cutting required to make up the alternate colour placement that I wanted.

There were a few hairy moments when I thought it was all going horribly wrong, but I persevered, and by some fluke it all worked!

I have to show you the back, it needs another press, having just pulled out all the paper, but I want to prove I can be tidy when I want to be.  You may have noticed that I even used 'good' fabric for this one, how confident was I feeling when I started it eh!? 

This is not a block I would want to make more of, nothing to do with how it looks, but it was just too stressful and required way too much thinking time; I am a fickle stitcher!

The final week looks fun though - a rocket block; I think I know someone who will be staking a claim on that one.  Thanks again Katy for pushing me onwards and upwards x

More of the same, and a little tute!

Firstly, I was so bugged by the fail that was my first attempt at the FPPFTT Circle of Geese, I sat down last night and made another.

This time I scaled it at 50%, for a 6" finished block.  The pieces weren't too tiny, and my fabric was pretty much cut with perfect 1/2" seam/sewing allowances, so I was never in jeopardy of having gaps like before.

Love it!

So pleased I got this out of my system, I hate having niggles!

As anticipated, I was off work with a poorly girl today; spent most of it cleaning the house whilst she slept before and after a trip to the doctors and pharmacy.  Now she's tanked up on anti-biotics, so we all might get a good night's sleep and feel better tomorrow.

As you asked/hinted so nicely, I will show you how I am getting my latest pictures of smaller items to look a little swankier.  Although you could use Kerry's wonderful Photoshop tute, I am always up for a simpler option...

Place your objet d'art on a white background.  I use the lid of an IKEA storage box, and place it in the brightest place you have; note that if it is really bright you will get shadows, but I think that still looks good...

Take your shots...

Load into the photo package on your computer.  Now I use a MacBook Pro, and hence iPhoto; I have no experience of any other software, so substitute this as best as you can if you are of the PC persuasion.

iPhoto has a few cropping edge borders and blurring, I pick the one that white-outs the edges into a circle or oval; don't panic if it cuts into your object a little, you can remove it later...

Now you will be able to see how non-white your white bits are!

Here's where it can all go so right, (the ones you've seen), or so wrong!.  Adjust the exposure of the picture until you can no longer see the edges...

Sometimes it will come out too over-exposed, but most of the time, if it was all pretty bright to start with, it will look cool!

Then crop to size and remove your edge whitening if it has affected the subject...

Nothing complicated, but it can look way more accomplished than it really is; and now I've gone and blown that illusion, doh!

If you want to go into the realms of light boxes and all that shenanigans, Kat had a cool way of making one.  So I think I have covered enough methods of snazzing up your photos to keep you going, have fun.

Oh, and if you Pin this, I won't sue you!  I will be flattered and take it in the spirit of what Pinterest is meant for, goddamit!

Goosey Goosey Gander...

I am not sure if I can class last night's FPPFTT as a success or not.

Now if you had told me a couple of months ago I would be able to make a circle of flying geese without going completely potty in the process, I would not have believed you.

I think I unpicked 2 seams in the whole 12.5" block, however there are holes!

I was a little miserly in the cutting of my white fabric.  Although Katy says to cut 1/2" seam allowances, I cut a few narrower to use up some scraps.  I paid the price.  I also needed to use a better light; I have just remembered that I used a small desk light previously, but last night in my eagerness I just used the lamp in the corner and it really didn't help.

So excuses out of the way, what do you think...

A closer look at the oops...

and perfection...?

I am definitely going to try and do this again very soon; that 4th, purple quarter was a cracker, and it is already niggling me that I didn't re-do the first red section. 

I think all in all it was a pretty good first attempt.  Thank you Katy for getting me playing with the birds x

Shoots and leaves too...

I made my Mum's Mother's Day leaf last night; I didn't paper piece this one, just joined some strips and used Leila's template to cut the leaf shape; I am not sure if it was quicker or not, as I had the fabrics ready and that cut down the faffing about no end...

She got an extra mini leaf too, but I didn't get it in the pictures; it was one of those brilliantly sunny afternoons where you had to point the camera and hope the subject was in the frame as the screen just looked black.  Definitely not complaining!

I didn't get much further, or better at the crochet it has to be said.  It's my left index finger that isn't doing what it should, but I will suss it!  I need a friendly granny to come and poke it where it is meant to be; I think there's one that waits at ballet, so I might have to look all forlorn and see if she takes pity on me.

Tonight though, I take on the flying geese!

Paper Paper Everywhere!

I am loving all this paper-piecing I have got embroiled in.

Last night I worked on the third block of Katy's Foundation Paper Piecing For The Terrified, and I think I did OK...

I wasn't consciously planning on a square in the middle, which is fortuitous really, because it isn't, but it was fun none-the less!

Then this morning, after a stint reading at school, I made a teacup to go with Ceri's Teapot for her February Brit Bee wall hanging.  I used Leila's pattern, scaled it down a bit so that it was smaller than the teapot and left out the beautiful heart from the original as the pieces came out so teeny tiny small I didn't want to push my luck.

Hope these meet with your approval Ms Feb.

Although not paper pieced, I then spent this evening making a couple of dancing girls for Judith and Sarah's Bee Blessed which I will show you tomorrow.

But that's not all!  I got mail.  My brilliant winnings from Isisjem's Jan; a Melody Miller/Keyka Lou wristlet with a tale to tell, some great key fob hardware, and maybe some chocolate... there is photographic evidence, but I can't find it anywhere now.

              

Jan also enclosed a lovely notecard with this felted embellishment...

Thank you Jan, I know this was not the simple giveaway you were hoping for, but it turned out beautifully.  Aren't I a lucky duck!

Paper Pleasure, with a hint of OMG...

Part Two of Katy's FPPFTT was posted yesterday, so I got on and made my second block, and thanks to the great teacher, it went without a hitch...

It took me longer to decide on which scraps of fabric to use than it did to sew.  I think I am getting it... when the pieces are numbered!

My only problem was actually pinning the fabric to the paper without it all slipping out of place, so I resorted to pinning from the wrong side, but I know this can't be right; I'm not sure how I'll cope with smaller pieces.

On to today, and I had 2 parcels waiting for me, the first containing my book prize from a recent giveaway over at Ali's Very Berry Handmade. 

As Ali pointed out at the time, Paris Sewing Cafe - The Sweat Shop Book contains some weird and wonderful makes, and this one was obviously my favourite!

Ali, the honey that she is, also enclosed a few charm squares, some of which were purposefully brown, and lovely!   Pop over now and she's having another lovely giveaway.

My other parcel was from Brit Bee Ceri, requesting paper-pieced food and drink themed blocks for March.  Not having quite the same reaction as last month's request from Jennie, it only took me a couple of minutes, in light of the fact that I am now such a whizz, to figure "I can do that".  Bribery by way of chocolate and fabric certainly helped!

Thank you again ladies for playing with my comfort zone x