Halfway Through April Already

What a strange day - the sun is shining we have blue skies, but it's very cold, we have had a shower of rain, then some sprinkles of snow and now there's been hailstones.  I wish it would just get a little warmer.

I've had another busy week doing things for family so no great progress with sewing.  All I have managed is a few more strips of the new wave project and that's about all. 

Elizabeth Hartman's New Wave Pattern

Oh and I suppose I could count cutting and piecing some blocks for another charity quilt which I worked on at our class on Tuesday.  

A Connecting Threads Sale Kit

I have also done a little preparation for some handstitching and made a small A4 quilt sandwich for some freemotion practise at class this week.

Hexis and Embriodery

Following the trend of last week I had my Molly Mop hat on and also spent a day babysitting our little grandson who was pleased (I think) with his new Aran jacket with all the buttons in place!  I can't believe he's 16months old already and enjoying playing outdoors and watching all our birds in the garden.

Waving to the birds on the feeders

I have some wool left over from his cardigan so have decided to knit a hat rather than have yet more bits lying around.  It's been much easier this week to pick up my knitting which requires no real concentration than trying to concentrate on my quilting.

To clarify a question I received re the difference between the two battings I used in the little quilts - I did not and have never prewashed any batting, nor do I prewash my fabrics!

I hope you have all had a more productive sewing week than I've had.   

And the Verdict Is ......

Not Proven!  The two little quilts have been washed in a cool wash, hung out in the fresh air to dry naturally on the line, then finished off in the tumble dryer.  They have been measured and guess what - no shrinkage, exactly the same as before laundering.  

The ladies at the class did a comparison test and all in all couldn't really tell which one was the warm and natural and which one was the vilene 80/20.  Although I did have them marked so I would know which one was which I did actually tell the ladies the wrong thing by mistake.  When I checked my notes quilt No1 was the Vilene and quilt no 2 was the Warm and Natural.  So ladies if you are reading this I got it wrong!  I told you my head was not in the right place last week!!  

Thank you K for trying out some hand quilting on both - once again no significant difference.  The only factor and a considerable one is the cost per metre.  I buy a full roll for the class to share and the difference in price is £3 per metre. The Vilene being the cheaper of the two and it's also 97"wide in comparison to the 90" of the warm and natural.  As always the choice is a personal one depending on the quilt you are making.  It was a good and informative exercise though.

Our son and his little family were moving house and I had my Molly Mop cleaner's and helper's hat on last week.  A very busy week but delighted that the move went well and they are now settling into their house in the country where our little grandson will have a lovely big garden to play in as he grows up.  

So I'm afraid there was not a lot of stitching done.  The Circle still waits for backing, however this is what is on the design wall at the moment.  

'New Wave' designed by Elizabeth Hartman with alternative fabrics of course.  Sorry I missed a post last week, I hope you are all still managing some sewing progress.  I'm off to spend an hour in front of my sewing machine.