Almost there...

I've been quilting the Oakshott Carpenter's Star, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get it finished tomorrow!!!

Now get back to those giveaways!  Mine is here if you missed it xxx

100 x 80" = a lot of quilting...

This evening I quilted the other half of my Stitch Tease quilt.  A two and half hour marathon; which equates to about 8,000 inches of straight-line quilting, and I ache!!

After KS1 Sports Day tomorrow morning, (no work!), I am going the get the binding attached, leaving me with a couple of evenings of hand-finishing, which quite frankly, is a great birthday pressie to myself.

I have almost caught up with emails, thanks for all the 'fob love', and hopefully I will get to catch up with some blog reading, with limited commenting, on the iPad in bed shortly.  A pretty constructive Monday... got to love that!

I don't give a ...

Flying Monkeys!!

Those words often fly from my mouth in the company of small children, especially when their shouts and screams are heard over the buzz of the sewing machine, and my intervention has been requested!

Anyway, enough of my parenting style, here is my little dabble in green.

The Pantone colo(u)r of the year is Emerald.  The official colour is not what I would particularly call emerald, but what do I know?  Ali of a²(w) however has deemed all green as good green when it comes to the Quilt Challenge.

I do love green, but more the brighter, limier(?), grassier greens, and this was blatantly apparent when I searched for suitable fabrics.  However a few trusty Summersville scraps and a FQ of ELB's Quilt Blocks fitted the bill, with a few others thrown in for luck.

I toyed with the idea of flying geese, and then had those pesky flying monkeys from the Emerald Forest, going round in my head; although it is not officially the Emerald Forest is it, just the Emerald City I think - but I am not a fan, so it's all a bit lateral thinking.  I do know the monkeys are really blue, but you get the gist!!

Anyway, long ramble short, bring on the Flying Monkeys cushion...

Pre-quilting, in the sunshine.

I started with a 12" block, 64 x 1.5" HSTs paired with natural Essex Linen.

I was going to quilt the panel in my thread of choice Aurifil 50wt 2021, but it looked just a little too skinny, so I unpicked and went with a lovely green 40wt (2888), and it looks way better.

I sashed with linen to make it up to about 17" square, then French seamed the two sides together.  Flea Market Fancy green seeds and some more Quilt Blocks with a 16" cushion pad, job done.

They're in the trees, they're coming!

It's not going to win any prizes, but I made it for the fun of it, the challenge was simply that, a challenge to go a little out of my comfort zone and start overhauling the lounge cushions, because they really are starting to look like they have seen better days.

#happyday

On the weekends I like to have a quick look at my iPad before venturing from our warm bed, postponing going into the usual war zone of children and breakfast cereal, (this morning it was kids fuelled on thieved cookies!).

Today I also awoke to the most lovely and excellent surprise courtesy of the amazing Nova.  Did you see this post? 

I did, and it was the best start to the day.  If you don't follow Nova's blog, a cuppa and a catch up, I jolly well suggest you start!  She makes the most beautiful things, and has written some wonderful patterns, which, even if you aren't familiar with the lady herself, you will have seen all over the Land of Blog.  Thank you again my lovely friend x

The rest of the day continued equally happy; the snow remains, so we went out with the sledges, and ended up at the park, where there was an albeit small slope, (and best, did not require any parental assistance), and it provided an hour of fun before the cold took grip and we headed back for hot chocolate...

After lunch, I reclaimed the table, and set to quilting my #scrappytripalong. 

A couple of hours of nearly-straight-lining, and it was done!  I quilted each side of alternate seams, and called it a day.  It looks good, feels good too; so tomorrow I will trim and attach the binding, and that will be me sorted for a few chilly evenings of stitching.  Wonderful.

And now, the small people are finally up in bed, time for a DVD.  I think Mister Clooney has been waiting his turn since Christmas; so it would be rude not to.

xxx

Sunday Views...

Today I saw a little of this...

...and a lot of this...

Constellation is now a quarter quilted; the totally frustrating, awkward and downright difficult quarter, the rest will be time-consuming but a doddle in comparison.  I would like to be sat here, this time next week, hand finishing the binding; I am looking forward to that bit!

Gone Quiltin'

Sorry I have been a bit lapse on comment replies today, I have been quilting the Man Quilt, it feels like all day - but I will hopefully get to sit in front of the laptop again later.

Apologies for also being remiss in giving you lovely non-Brits (and Rhonda) the low-down on Bonfire Night yesterday.  There's a full background explanation here on Wikipedia, which contains way more than you really need to know, but go ahead and knock yourself out.

Today, I have been a bit under the weather, and quilting is feeling like really hard work, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Does anyone know which Gutermann cotton thread matches Kona Coal?  This will be for hand finishing the binding, I want to order online and have it in my anxious palms asap; so any help with this one would be gratefully received.

And obviously as I am having such a successful day, I finally remembered I was going to take photos of my Bee blocks, just as the sun was setting!

So here are the first fantastic 4 that have been posted by their wonderful makers on flickr already...

I'll try to do better tomorrow xxx

The Good, the Bad and the Tidy!

Happy Friday everyone!

Firstly may I present to you the 'Good'...

Post of the yummy, folding, stroking variety; 2 parcels of loveliness, that I actually, spookily, paid for! 

This lovely bundle, from Julie at The Intrepid Thread...

I was toying between the 1001 Peeps or Little Apples for the Duo QAL, but having now got my hands on the Peeps, they win - how Christmas Panto are those guys!?  A day or so after these were ordered, courtesy of Annabella I won that delicious Moroccan Mirage fabric from Julie too, and I can't wait for that.

I also received this today...

My long coveted Cloud 9 Michelle Engel Bencsko, and a 'Farmer's Wife Scrap Bag' from Sew Fresh Fabrics...

Miles of really huge pieces, supposedly 2 yards - I reckon way more of the most wonderful fabrics all for $9.50, that's just over £6!   Oh I am so happy - I even got Pick Ups!  Coincidently I ordered these a few days before I won the Across the Sea gift certificate for Sew Fresh too.  Is that karma or what!?

So are you prepared for the 'Bad'?  Really really?

Actually 'Hilarious' would be more accurate, but that wouldn't have made for a snappy title. 

I am linking up with Cindy and her fluffy sheep for Free Motion Friday!  OK, so the 'free motions' in my case may as well relate to bowel movements, because this first attempt is quite frankly sh*t!  Look!!...

Natty labelling, huh!?

Mind you, after the break midway to chat to my mum, I seemed to have got a little rhythm, well maybe, a teeny bit!!  Terrible eh?  I must try harder, and practice longer  It most definitely does not look like it was meant to.  All you FMQers who make it look so easy, I salute you!

Not wanting to use up quality batting I did use some horribly puffy poly-wadding, which made the whole sandwich a bit of a doorstep... now I seem to have made up an excuse, I'm sticking to it!

So quick, the 'Tidy'... 

I remembered that I hadn't shown you the full daytime glory of my corner since the conservatory re-fit...

I need to do a bit more re-arranging within the tubs, and shift that huge red posting box, but it looks so much better than before; I love it.

So having given the hoover and duster a quick tour of the house this afternoon, I am all set for the weekend; no parties, no trips, no visitors, wonderful! 

I am going to ignore the fact that many of our US friends are destined for the most amazing weekend at the Sewing Summit, and I am so so so jealous, but whatever you have planned, I hope it's a good one x

Cutting it up a bit!

No sewing at all yesterday; there was some digging, mosaic, pottery, cave painting and colouring-in at the village museum though.

It was Junior Archaeology Day, so we went along and had a play, just as the sun came out.  A good time was had by all, and then we had a quick look in the actual 'museum'.

I don't know if there is an official minimum 'size' for a museum, but this one is probably up/down there in the 'tiniest' category, probably no bigger than our lounge (our lounge is not huge), but out of all the things they could have displayed, they chose to display this...

And look closely...

I am so easily impressed!

The museum is also home, (probably not unsurprisingly then), to the Storrington Quilters...

Who knew?!

And then there was the cutting, a lot of cutting.  I cut all the background fabric for the Across The Sea QAL top, to add to the Greek cross pieces I prepared the other evening...

... then I cut the pattern pieces and interfacing for my 241 tote that I am planning to get on with today...

I need another finish!

God Save The Queen and Julius Caesar!

I spent Saturday evening and most of Sunday morning quilting my Mum's D9P quilt with 'straight' lines that echo part of the pattern.  If you look hard enough you can work out the my rationale, but life's too short!

Either way, some of the squares now look like this...

... and some like this...

... and others are completely different.

So once I was done with the mammoth wrestling match to get this all through the machine to produce relatively straight lines, I was left with literally hundreds of threads to sew in, as I stopped short of the edge, leaving the border un-quilted.

What a palarva; it took me the best part of two hours to bury those babies, but I have to admit that leaving the border free of stitching does look great, and it was worth the effort.

If it hadn't been for the Queen, albeit that she broke down half way round, and her even better replacement, Julius Caesar, I would still be straining my eyes this time tomorrow trying to get this quilt ready for binding.

So this evening I am hoping to at least get the binding pinned on...

... and everything is on schedule for delivery to the birthday girl this time next week - hurray!

Nice Pair...

This evening, eager to get back to my sewing machine for a quick 'fix', the timely instructions for the next blocks of the Mystery quiltalong were ready and waiting, thank you Sheila!

A pair of Ohio Stars...

These were lovely to make (unlike the horror of my paper-pieced effort), and I got them cut, sewn, trimmed and pieced in about an hour and a half, which is pretty good going for me!

I am regretting the background choice, but I think I have gone too far now to start again - it's a fiddle to piece, and is a bit too busy - but I really am treating this as a great learning project.  Sheila's instructions are brilliant, and I have attempted and learnt so much so far, so I am not going to beat myself up about the fabric!

Today I also handed wee monkey over to his new owner, bored ballet brother, who was thrilled!  It's nice to know he has gone to a good home and will be loved.  Phew!

The Weekend so far...

I've got the binding attached to the Union Quilt, and I am looking forward to sitting in front of the TV this evening and finishing it off.  If I get it done quickly I may even wash and tumble it before bed; yeah right!

In other news, I am now at liberty to show you the card I sent Fiona, but not her June Bee blocks (those pesky rules!).  The idea featured in Handmade Living, and I think it turned out pretty cute...

We've had tears and tantrums over ballet rehearsals although once I arrived, minus one twin (I left home with only one, before you ask!),  I had a lot of interest from a 'bored ballet brother' about a little toy I was stuffing whilst peering through the door at the ballerinas.  I think that'll be my first commission (non-paying, obviously) as he was so sweet, asking about the 'cotton wool' and how it all works and desperate for one!  More on that soon.

Tomorrow I am off 'round the corner' to see the Sussex Guild's Contemporary Craft Show at Parham House.  It promises 'Textiles and shopping', and there's a picture of a pretty dresden plate in the leaflet, so I'm just a tad excited!

Louise Bell's Big Red Tree

I'll be going it alone tomorrow, for my sanity, but will be back there again for the Sussex Game & Country Fair en masse next weekend.  Benta (slikstitiches) and I have already pencilled in a date there on September 4th for the 'Stitches In Time' exhibition - if any of you local types fancies joining us, you'll be more than welcome.

I will report back on my findings tomorrow.

Back in the old routine...

Having spent half term, and the last couple of days, (yep, good old inset day), keeping the family happy with a trip to Legoland on Sunday and a full-on home-cinema afternoon yesterday watching Gnomio & Juliette, with binds and curtains closed and lots of popcorn, today was back to work, nursery and school.  Boo!

But it wasn't all fun fun fun over the long weekend, I did have some time to get down to 'business' and managed to quilt the skull...

If all goes to plan, I am hoping to do the binding tonight - thank you for all the helpful, (or otherwise), suggestions, I will show you the outcome tomorrow.

I've also made my June Bee Blocks for Fiona already!!  I just have the siggy block to make, then they can be popped in the post along with my parcel of pink Rainbow Swap charm squares. 

Remember all the little change trays I've made from the Sew Hip/Jojoebi design, well how chuffed am I to have many of them show up on Jo, the designer's blog today! She is such a talented designer, it's a privilege to be included.

Tomorrow I am off to Drusillas with the girls and nursery, and hubby gets to go to the Bluebell Railway with a lot of 6 year olds!  It's a hard life!

Half Term... part 1

I've actually had a productive couple of days, being that it's half-term an' all, but not a lot to show you just yet!

I discovered a fantastic tutorial and made a couple of 'gifts' which will remain under wraps for now, but I promise to show and tell soon. 

I've made significant progress on the hideous Boutique quilt, thanks to a virtual kick up the bum by Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts; but a combination of burgundy-fleece-fluff and pig-farm-smell meant my outdoor binding mission was put on hold yesterday...

... and I've pieced the Union Jack backing.

I've also re-sealed the bath with white gunk, and registered us all with the local doctor and dentist.   Tick, tick, tick.

So for today, a couple of snaps to keep you going...

The fantastic wall in the bathroom of the local bookshop/tearoom...

... a pile of library books I took out for inspiration...

...'Fez's are cool', and £2 from the antique shop...

... the cool dude on the beach...

... and the big blue sky full of looping-the-loop bi-planes... oh, OK, just the one!

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are...

The second cut of the week...

Boo...

Looking good so far for the Brit Quilt Swap?

I'm having a dilemma about the background though.  You'll remember that the original pattern should look like this...

However the highlighters at work were too tempting and I've had a play.  Now I'd probably go for the all-over random background, but I've also come up with other patterns...

What do you think partner?  Once again I will either go for majority rule, or the one I prefer if you don't speak up!

I've also be piecing the Union Jack quilt, and the top will be finished tomorrow.  Which reminds me, I forgot to tick these off...

1. Finish the Sherbet Pips Confetti quilt, and not let it just sit there for fear that my quilting will ruin it.
2. Finish my Scrappy quilt completely.

That's 7/20 completed and 3 kept on target; Bee block, Mystery Quilt and purposeful fabric buying; not bad I reckon.

The first cut of the week...

Last night, whilst waiting for cutting approval from my Brit Quilt Swap partner and 'wannabee partners', I decided to cut the fabric for my Dad's Union Jack quilt. 

This will be for Father's Day, and it's on the To-Do-List, so why wait.  Lots of strips, lots of trying to make sure that all the little trees are facing the right way, (like I was going to choose a multi-directional print to make life easier!), and lots of different widths for the white bits. 

It's not to scale so it won't be mistaken for a real flag, but I wanted to get it as big and with decent proportions as the fabric would allow.

I laid it out to make sure I hadn't missed anything, nor cut any pieces too short, and I think I am ready for the off!  Looking at the picture I can now see that it is going to be impossible to line up the horizontal tree-lines, so, if I mismatch each of the 8 triangles, it'll look OK!

As for the Brit Quilt Swap - an almost unanimous vote, (can you have that?) for 'get cutting', so who am I to disagree with the BQS masses!  The true recipient might or might not have responded, but I was only asking to be polite!  I will do some final sketching and counting rectangles whilst sonny boy has his swimming lesson later and then I should be ready for some more rotary action.

All fired up...

... to finish the Happy Scrappy quilt, so just a little tease pic of the backing...

I have just quilted it, whilst listening and laughing along with Rhonda's podcast, and I am about to trim and square it up before attaching the binding.  My rock 'n' roll Friday night!

Hopefully I will be able to get it hand finished tomorrow, but I foresee a future full of washing, cleaning and demanding children, and washing and cleaning of said demanding children, so it may be a revealing Sunday.

Whatever you are up to, keep smiling x

Confetti Pips - A Crinkly Finish!

Having finished the binding in record time, I nervously washed and tumbled the Pips last night, for my first foray into crinkledom.  Just before bed, I pulled out what I have been waiting for, for a long time - a quilt just for me!  Perfect crinkles too!

The Sherbet Pips are a muted version of some of my favourite colours, and the print is probably a little 'sweeter' than I would describe my usual tastes, but there is something so relaxing about the whole collection that made me want it!  And I love it, no excuses.

It measures up at 40"x 52".  If you want Quilt Dad's pattern too, it's in Issue 5 of Fat Quarterly.