The morning after the night before...

I finished off the Architextures Spring Carnival cushion last night; I was not happy.

Don't get me wrong, I love everything that's there, but feel like maybe piping or binding would have made it better, but I am not going to unpick again.

Just to top my day off, the pillow form I thought would fit, was way too big, so I had to cut open a smaller one and then give it some extra stuffing and hand-stitch closed.

Oh and then, whilst parent's were no doubt away, some local teenagers were doing the sleep-free party thing all night, so not much sleep for us either, and more than usual grump round these parts today!

I did manage a few front and back shots inside and out before the rain came, and came and came...

Just for those who like a stat or two...
Fabric - Architextures - Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman
Pattern - Ferris Wheel aka Spring Carnival, templates from Katy Jones/I'm A Ginger Monkey
Pieced with Aurifil 50wt in 2021
Quilted with Aurifil 12wt in 2021
Wadding - Vilene H640
Finished size - 19" square

So I did not get my sewing machine out today; I thought it was better not to tempt fate, but played with Touchdraw, spent a few merry hours in a Brit Bee 'email conflab' and watched trash TV instead.

Hoping your weekend felt a lot more successful than mine xxx

Any Porthole in a Storm...

... I've been at work, you didn't expect wit and wisdom tonight did you!?  I survived though, and the kids are all enthused and eager to go back tomorrow, hoping that some of that may rub off on me.

But if the weatherman is to be believed, this time tomorrow the summer will have gone, the temperature will have dropped by 12C, and we'll be needing that Ark after all!

For now, it is still mighty warm, and I managed to get some decent pictures of my Porthole cushion as promised.

I decided shortly after Retreat that I was going to stop at the two portholes I made in Lu's class and turn them into a cushion.  I bought some Aurifil 28 12 wt in my favourite 2021 off-white and when I got those bargain feather inserts at the boot fair, I was good to go.

I added 1.5" borders to the 10" blocks, fused them to some Vilene H640 and quilted in straight lines about 1/2" apart.  I had absolutely no problems machining with the thicker thread, and it looks and feels lovely...

Because it's double-sided, I had to put a zip in.  It didn't exactly turn out invisible, I sort of only read one online tute, and obviously didn't read all the important bits, but I am happy with this first half-arsed attempt!

So there you go.  Nothing Random for you this week I'm afraid, but check out all the other madness over at Cindy's, but linking instead with lovely Liz and her Brit Sewing Thursday...

My only actual sewing today has been 2 Rainbow Puzzle badges and a Cub Camping one - not even worthy of a photo!

Hasta luego xxx

Making the most of it...

Time is ticking until I have to go back to work.  Today I worked with the girls on their Out & About books, scrapbooks of their summer; their teacher is going to get complete deja vu when she looks at the second one, but they look pretty good and the girls are chuffed to bits with them, although they had gone to bed by the time I remembered to take a picture...

There was also time in the sunshine, as it looks like Autumn is coming knocking on Friday, and I am not ready for that either.

I meant to take some photos of my shopping from yesterday to show you, but the clothes have been put away, did I mention that I got a Cath Kidston pirate scarf?!

I also got myself a lunchbox - the kids all have their new ones, and as I am on a healthy-eating, lose-weight mission, I thought having a nice coolbag would entice me to take good food with me, not pick on biscuits and other crap all morning...

... we'll see.

Lastly, I managed to finish my first Architextures cushion this evening...

I machine quilted in 28wt Aurifil, and it looks and feels amazing, I'll get some finished pictures tomorrow.  I am aiming for the big one to be complete by the weekend, here's hoping. xxx

Friday finish...

Well not a total, full-on finish, but I have managed to get my Architextures EPP all sewn together today.

Having started basting my hexies at about 5am at Gatwick before our flight away, I have plodded slowly, and I love how it has turned out...

This will be sewn up into another cushion - I have a few of those will be cushions project stacking up, so hopefully I will have a run of actual, 100% finishes very soon.

Tomorrow, I will put the Stitch-Teasers out of their misery and show my September block requests, I am pretty excited about this!

Hasta mañana chicas xxx