Better late than never...

Apologies for the bloggy silence, it was way too hot and way too much fun to think!

Photo stolen from Karen (Blueberry Park) from last night's fun and games.

Looking forward to today xxx

First class prep...

My first session at FQR2014 will be hand quilting with Jen Kingwell (yes, Jen Kingwell!!!), and the supplies list says we require a 50cm square quilt sandwich, and that solids are good.

You know I don't easily do solids, nor do I hand quilt, so I am starting a long way from my comfort zone, which, I suppose is the point!  I don't see sense in paying to do something you are already good at.

So I dug deep and whipped up this panel all ready for some quilty action...

A bunch of Kona solids and white Essex Linen, I had to have a little texture.

This, and a couple of my other class makes are destined to become cushions, I hope.

I have two classes with Jen, (we are friends already, but she doesn't know that yet!),  so I am hanging my head in shame that my Midnight At The Oasis has been untouched for months.

I am hoping that I will return from Retreat inspired to hand stitch as much as possible, and get those applique flowers on so I can start on the teeny, tiny-pieced borders.  Well it's a plan!

Who?

A couple of weeks ago, I got chatting with Sarah about Retreat, and she mentioned that she wasn't going to be able to commit to the pre-weekend shenanigans, so I offered to make her a name tag, and mad fool she is, she accepted!

So knowing she is a bit of a Tula-fan, I knew exactly what I wanted to use...

Yep, I am truly on an aqua, pink and lime diet!

OK, so you remember those pictures from the 1980s that you had to stare at for 10 minutes until you went cross-eyed to see a hidden image, it is a bit like that, but it does say Quilt Candy - Sarah, honest; the crappy light doesn't help my case, sorry!

Hopefully Sarah is feeling a little more in the FQR spirit, as for me, a little of what you fancy does you good!

I am hoping to squeeze in a little sewing over the next few days, but Cubs and Brownies are going to be topping the bill, so I am not going to put money on it xxx

All kinds of good...

Yesterday I got the 'OK' to rant and rave about the full collection of Dear Stella's Hadley.  It is beautiful; the official photos are so much better at showing off the colours than I'll ever achieve on this grey old day.

I had already cut into some of the fabrics; I was lucky enough to be sent yardage of all the prints a couple of weeks ago, but I got on with cutting the rest and started sewing last night.  I will go into the whys and wherefores of the pattern I chose when it is finished and I present the grand reveal; this morning I finished the top!

To say I am thrilled to bits with how it is looking so far, is an understatement.  The rainy-day backlit photo does it no justice whatsoever, but I wanted to give you a peek at the loveliness to come because I am just so happy with it.

In making the quilt top, rulers were hurt though! 

Fortunately the lovely old-lady sewing shop in the village came to the rescue - I picked up a new Sewline 12.5" square for £17, which is not only a total bargain, but meant it was in my hands instantly; no postal delay, unlike the bloody stuffing!

What I did receive through the mail instead were Cindy's blocks for my LV Stitch Tease Scrap Vomit...

Lovely, fresh from the envelope, creases n' all, oops, sorry!

I also nipped out in the rain and delivered the bunting to my friend's new house and received the grand tour; it's a beautiful place.

And and and...

... I may have made a hotel reservation already!

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

Oops forgot!

Now I showed you the great FQR name tag that I received from Julie last week, but blow me, I didn't show you the full reveal of the one I made.

I did flash it up on Instagram, along with the fab self portrait of the happy recipient, but I got caught up in blog hops and other commitments and never showed you here.  Sorry.

I made for the lovely Sonia, who, between receiving her details and mailing her name tag, we both joined the Siblings Together Bee - yay!

I kind of had a plan before I got my partner assignment, and with a little stalking decided to go with it.

I did the teeniest of embroidery, which probably means you will have to invade Sonia's personal space to read her name, but I can live with that, (Sonia, you have no choice, unless you accidentally leave it at home!) .

I really enjoyed the tiny Liberty piecing, and getting in the FQR spirit; not long now chaps!

NB. It is now 2 hours after I 'posted' this and Blogger is not playing nicely, so hope you can see it soon xxx

My Weekend

Well it was a wet and windy weekend here, with odd moments of sunshine, luckily coinciding with this...

But after the domestics were taken care of, there was a little time for some stitichery.

Yesterday I made a start on my partner's name tag for FQ Retreat...

I have embroidered the name and blog-name of my secret partner under those there virtual buttons.  The liberty patchwork has ended up with 1/2" squares.

I am undecided on what colour/fabric to bind and make the lanyard in - yep it'll be a lanyard (again); I do not like pins, and I expect my partner to tow that line too!

Today after the duck race, I settled down and pieced all the crosses for the next border of my Marcelle Medallion...

And because there was a rather large bunch of bananas turning blacker by the minute, I made another Moshi Monsters 'nana bread - yeah, I am almost fooling the kids that I can cook!

So that was my weekend; hope you managed to cram some good stuff into yours too!