Four + Three

The count so far this summer is Four Boys and Three girls and another little one due in September.  It has been fun making baby quilts using a variety of styles and fabrics.  I cant say I love them all but I do have my favourites, some fabrics were nicer to use than others, some frayed a bit which was a bit disappointing, maybe my colour choices were not quite right but all in all I hope the little ones will enjoy their little quilts. you can see some of them on my Gallery page.

I managed a finish this week the 'Delightful' (yes thats what it is called) Connecting Threads kit, there was a lot of thread went into this one!

I also had a little play and made this little fun Block from Elizabeth Hartman's Awesome Ocean pattern.  I just felt I needed something to 'make me think' a little - a nice little challenge, there are lots of other ocean inhabitants to follow over the next few weeks or so.

Our Group had its annual outing yesterday to Kaleidoscope - what lovely day we had, Coffee first at Dobbies garden centre, a couple of hours shopping and admiring all the fabulous fabrics then a lovely lunch at the Tickled Trout.  A good day was had by all!

Thats the news for this week, until next time enjoy your stitching.

It's That Time of Year

The soft fruits are in abundance so it is jam making time!  I enjoy making jam it rekindles lots of memories of my childhood watching Mum prepare the fruit, watching it bubble and being sent out of harms way when the crucial moment of testing the setting point.  Being allowed to watch from a distance as the boiling liquid was poured into the sparkling clean jam jars, which were then wiped down just in case there was a stray drip (there never was).  As I got older I was allowed to put the little waxed circles on top, placing them carefully and not allowing the edge to dip down into the delicious smelling delicacy.  Gone now are the days when we put cellophane lids on fixed securely in place by the little elastic band, the screw top lid has taken over.    It is funny how your memory is triggered by doing a similar task today.  The handwritten labels are gone now too replaced by the printed labels from the computer.  I am sure jam making is another dying craft.  Sugary jams are becoming a no no as our diet is bombarded with everyday sweet biscuits and cakes.  Jam was a luxury when we were children and about the only treat during the week.  Mum always did her baking on a Saturday and we were always at her elbow to get some sultanas or a glace cherry from the tub.  Memories..............I must be getting old!!  Well I enjoyed the morning jam making.

and so to quilting -  This week has been spent using up precuts.  Yes I know I hear you, I don't like precuts.  I have had these two same charm packs for some time and they were gathering dust on the shelf.  I combined the two and then split them keeping all the same designs together.  Swirls for one and spots for the other.  A quick and easy Zipper Quilt was the first one to be put on the design wall.  Does anyone else out there have a larger than usual supply of dull brown fabrics?  I seem to, although I have managed to use some up on this more masculine quilt.

The other half of the charms squares with the spots were made into HSTs and produced this little one.  Now I just need to find some fabric and put some borders on.

Two completely different quilt tops from the same fabric line.

Thats my news for this week I hope you have a good week and enjoy whatever you are doing.

The Star Continues

Crystal Star has been pinned to the design wall and I am so pleased with the results so far.  It is pinned because it wouldn't  hang there itself because of the tissue paper backing.  So the next stage was started sooner than intended as I didn't want it hanging there and pin marks appearing.  Well I have to say this was the worst stage in the process and its still not complete.  Pulling all the little bits of paper off the back took longer than sewing the sections!  It was a tissue paper pattern a bit like the dressmaking patterns I used to use many years ago, so the big bits came away easily but the littlest sections were a bit more of a challenge.  It is mainly done but I will have to go back over it again when I have a bit more patience - something I don't have a lot of!

Work in Progress

Whilst it was up on the wall I auditioned the border fabrics which came in the pack.  To say I was disappointed was a bit of an understatement.  In my eyes the border is the wrong fabric - its showing as a brown colour way and not the black of the rest of the background of the quilt top.  Hmmm! Plan number two is now in progress, after which it is being folded up for a while so I can come back to it with fresh enthusiasm.

I have been piecing another Connecting Threads kit in between times and its now hanging on the wall, I'm trying to get inspiration for the quilting of this one.

So as you can see I have a good couple of weeks and the little bundle of quilts for the elderly care home is growing.  I hope you have managed some stitching too, have a good week.