Brit Bee Weekender pt.2

There was much laughter, chatting and eating, you get that, but by golly there was stitching!

I was actually quite unprepared for the productivity that can be mustered when you are not having to clear away all sewing in order to eat, do home work or keep the family happy.  I took, what I thought was ample to fill the weekend, and popped in my trusty hexies, just in case, but I ended up making way more than I had hoped.

Top of my To Do list was quilting and binding my #IGminiswap; success!

An off-centre spiral and semi-scrappy binding, hope my partner loves it as much as I do.

Next on my list were Bee blocks for Stitch Tease; this month for Jen, Re-mixed Geese, using the no-waste method; so quick, even with all the nattering!

Then a pair for Jude and Sarah's Bee Blessed; I used Sarah's bright idea of creating the two blocks by my usual HST method, and it worked a treat.  I was able to pop these straight into her hands, which was an added bonus…

An unscheduled tick, Susan had handed me the next Brit Bee Medallion to work on, and luckily the package contained most of the fabric needed, with some additions of mine and Ange's, I was able to get my geese border and 4-patch completed and handed straight to Sarah, woo hoo!  As these are secret, here's the highly doctored proof…

On Sunday we got printing!  Dear hubby had turned my vision into an image, I then emailed it to Thermofax to create a printing screen.

I had trialled it at home beforehand, and am the proud and happy owner of a navy hoody and grey slouchy Tee emblazoned on the back, as well as a nice piece of Cotton & Steel.

Anyway, we gave the pool table a break from being our cutting surface to become our printing area.  Mass production ensued, everyone who wanted had a go, and the lounge became a drying room…

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone makes with all their panels.  I screened a little tote bag, just because, and when the screen comes home, afters doing the rounds at Troods' and Katy's, I am definitely going to get a few more printed.

What I made next was a zippy pouch.  Total fluke that it fits my iPad; I do love an added bonus…

I used up a couple of Karen/Blueberry Park's scrap bags, bought at FQR when she got me into this screen printing lark, so it seemed totally right to pair it with my Weekender print.  I was running low on fabric at this point, so the lining is pieced, and I love it.

My final finish of the weekend was an impromptu sewalong with Ange and Fiona.  Using Svetlana's excellent tutorial, we all made little drawstring bags...

A little Jungle Avenue with Cotton & Steel, a sweet little combo I reckon.

And that was me!  My mojo was definitely back at full strength.  I wish I had taken photos of everyone else's makes, because there was so much gorgeousness about, but honestly, if I wasn't sewing, I was too busy eating!

Back home, I just need to get the binding on my commission quilt, then I am going to dive straight into a Sew Together Bag.  Ange made one over the weekend, and what more inspiration could I need?

Ahoy!

Over the weekend I had time to fulfil my monthly commitment to Bee Blessed, making a couple of sweet sailing boats which will end up in another quilt pieced with love by the fab BB ladies…

What makes me particularly happy about these blocks is that I will be able to hand them over in person to Jude and Sarah in a month's time!!

I did some sewing too!

Firstly, thank you all again for the kind words and encouragement that you have given the young stitcher over the past couple of days - he is so proud of what he has achieved, the cushion has a tour of show and tell venues all lined up, Cubs, school, my parents and pride of place on his bed.

Surprisingly I was able to have a go on my sewing machine too over the weekend, and have a quite a few bits to show you over the next couple of days.

For starters, a couple of blocks for Bee Blessed...

... they were nice and quick(ish).

I also added the next sections to Jo's Brit Bee Medallion, but as secrecy prevails, here's some doctored proof...

I also made my real partner's FQR name tag, and popped it in the post today - so hopefully I will be able to show you that midweek.

I am slowly ticking off my To Do list for June and feeling like the pressure is off a bit... I am just building up my stamina for basting and quilting my Siblings Together quilt.  Soon, I promise, soon xxx

Guilty Pleasures

Yesterday I came in from work and stitched up a couple of blocks for Bee Blessed.

They were super easy, super pretty and a pleasure to make...

They eased my guilt a little for having skipped the April blocks.  You see, the April blocks weren't particularly difficult looking, however you had to watch a Craftsy video to make them, and I just wasn't up for that.

I am a visual learner, ie. I need the cutting measurements and a picture of the finished block, then I'm off.

I don't like to be told, well not without a handout anyway!  The thought of flitting from the computer to the cutting mat, pausing, re-running and writing stuff down only served to push the blocks well and truly to the back of my mind!

At this point I must point out that I did not watch the video, and it may have been wonderful, easy to follow and not my worst nightmare, I will never know.  Sorry Bee Blessed ladies.

I must also admit I have purchased a couple of Craftsy classes in the past, and they too remain unwatched, one day folks, one day!  Am I the only one who has an irrational, or maybe proven, aversion?

Oh and before I go, I must offer my heart-felt and jealousy-fuelled Congratulations to Amy who won the #DSTTchallenge today - I hope you don't get an enormous Customs bill buddy ;)

Dancing, yeah!

Another tick off my monthly 'To Do' regulars to show you today; actually I made these on Thursday morning to distract myself from my impending Consultant meeting that afternoon; dancing girl blocks for this month's Bee Blessed contribution...

These are pretty time consuming, but I needed that.

I will be back at the hospital this Thursday coming, for an endoscopy, and hoping that afterwards I will be put on the road to normality (?!) once again.

Please bear with me until then, as I am not feeling the most talkative right now.  I will respond to all comments and emails eventually, I promise, but by the time I get to sit and relax in the evenings, sitting is about all I am good for!

Even if you didn't have the urge to put on your dancing shoes today, I hope you were able to put away the wellies! xxx

Sew Wednesday...

Well I am considering myself lucky to have been able to stop indoors for most of the day, dodging the rain storms and listening to the howling gales outside.  With power, heating and plenty of tea and biscuits, I had a pretty good sewing day.

After dropping the kids at school, I stopped by the little village newsagents, and re-arranged their displays a bit, Love Patchwork & Quilting 5 is in the shops from today...

Then the sewing.  Sadly it was of the secretive kind.  I have February's Brit Bee border additions made, and because Susan is such a super-speedy star in the round before me, I am already 1/2 way through March's with all fabric cut.  I made the siggie I had forgotten for her under-wraps Stitch Tease month and have just sussed out what I am meant to be doing for Siblings Together, so that's a job for tomorrow.

What I can show you though are the two blocks I made last night for Bee Blessed...

Aren't these blocks superb!?  I'm sure Sarah and Judith wouldn't say no if you wanted to spread the love and contribute a couple too!

PS. To all my West Country friends, stay safe, warm and dry.  xxx

Postponed...

I had plans for the weekend just gone, between sorting and sleeping, but the fabric I was waiting for still hasn't appeared; I am really hoping it turns up tomorrow, as I need to finish a secret, and put the borders on Di's Brit Bee top.

Now, as you know, I do like to get my Bee blocks out of the way as early as possible in the month, and I am already getting a bit angsty about Di's which, now I think about it, isn't due until mid-January, but November has not been kind.  Sarah, I will get Susan's off to you by the weekend, I promise.

I always try to get a couple of blocks made for Bee Blessed too each month, although I am under no obligation to do so, it's just a great cause, but this month, today in fact, I have only managed a single block...

Sorry ladies, please let me off this time; I tried to make it a pretty block though xxx

PS. The 'full shutdown, count to ten and turn it on again' fix to my MacBook last night has been working with mixed success; let's see how long we can go without the air turning blue again shall we!?

October Blocks...

You know me, I like to get my Bee commitments done and dusted as early as possible in the month, just in case any form of disaster strikes later on.

So in the last couple of days I have made these for Bee Blessed...

... full details here if you want to donate a block or two to this great cause.

I made Valerie's Stitch Tease block; 24 flying geese in raspberry pinks and golds on a low volume background, (sounds like the menu in a fancy restaurant to me)...

... and today I used the pre-school pick up hour to make the latest Siblings Together Bee block for Mary; paper-pieced strings...

Another 20" block, using Moda/Zen Chic's Barcelona.  A shout out as ever to our wonderful sponsors...

      

            

      

And in an almost-Bee, a Pop Up Bee, if you like, I have been stitching together rows of gorgeous Oakshott HSTs.  You may have seen these appearing all over the place, all will be revealed, in due course...

The 'you need to buy some yourself to see their real colour' photo effect working well tonight then!

Now I only have to get my Brit Bee block made and I am done; just the way I like it xxx

Friday catch up...

I have responded to about 200 emails/comments and read through 3 day's worth of blog posts this evening, so now it's my turn!

I was planning on sewing down the binding on my Cherry Christmas quilt, but I think that will have to wait until tomorrow now!  Yep, I got the most fluffy fleece blanket along with the groceries at Tesco yesterday - it measured about 2" all round bigger than my quilt top; (I had to look up my blog post for the measurements and a metric to Imperial converter on my phone), but the perfect colour, a beautiful teal, and only £12, it was a no-brainer...

And as the kids were over at their friends' for tea, I got on and pin-basted(!) it and quilted it all before they were picked up at 6pm.  So there will be a Christmas reveal some time soon!

Other things to show you...

Little felt cupcakes made with the Rainbows tonight...

... less painful than I was expecting, and I will be back there in a fortnight.

I whipped up a key fob earlier in the week for dear son's friend to go with her zippy pouch...

More blocks have been coming in for my Stitch Tease LV Scrap Vomit.  These from Katy...

 ... and these from Random Di...

Look how lovely they are all looking now...

Di also sent me some DS Quilts fabric I'd asked her to track down for me, from JoAnns...

What would we do without super friends, and Paypal!?

And finally, I whipped up a couple of blocks for the Bee Blessed ladies...

Busy week really!

New Stuff!

OK, well aware that I have been flashing my old finishes at you over and over again these last couple of days, I thought you might like to see some (mostly) new makes for a change.

I have deliberately kept my July 'To Do' list as short as possible, in order to concentrate on Retreat prep, and the inevitable aftermath and start of the school holidays; so I have flung myself into July's 'Must Do's with avengence!

I have already made...

Blocks for t'other Di our Stitch Tease Queen for July...

I will be able to hand these over in person, bonus!

Blocks for Bee Blessed...

Which will also make their way to Northern Ireland via Retreat.

A c.20" whopper block for the Siblings Together Bee...

My thanks again go to the wonderful sponsors for this year of charity makes...

      

            

      

And I have just begun a little something that I have been thinking about for ages, and now the decks are clearer, I have the imaginary green light...

Obviously, with all this productivity I am almost running out of fabric, so luckily my birthday pressie from my sister arrived from New Zealand today...

1/2m cuts of some beautiful Sarah Fielke fabric from Spotlight, (oh to have a Spotlight/JoAnns equivalent in the UK!).

And I am going to add in here these blocks, that I made way back when, for a very special friend and her fine gentleman...

The mastermind, ring-mistress and all-round super special friend that is Susan, has posted best about the quilt made by the self-proclaimed 'Circle of Friends'.  It was an honour to be a part of this secretive international group, and a cheeky thrill that it made Cindy cry when she got it - a sure sign that our work was a success!

So there you go.  I still need to work on my pre-Retreat, all-about-me post, so you have that to look forward to.  Now I am going to turn up the TV, to drown out the ringing in my ears from today's recorder concert, and do some hand stitchery.  Nice xxx