No Sewing This Week

Gosh where is this year running away to - I cannot believe it's November already.  I hope you all had fun last night - don't gorge yourself on all the sweets, apples and peanuts left over from the guisers.  We had a quiet night, not my favourite night of the year and thankfully the children have all grown up and no longer come around trick and treating.  I did have just three of my pumpkins and gourds on display in the hall though.  Hubby brings them from the market mid October and they bring a nice bright splash of colour to the house 

.......... they usually last right through till Christmas until it's time for the festive decorations.  We will be counting down soon I guess.

As it says on the label no sewing this week but as I sit typing this I realise that's a lie.  I finished sewing down the binding of my Racing Minis at class on Tuesday night!  This is a bright easy and very simple pattern, the top has been finished for ages and has been waiting to be quilted.  All done now and will be a good teenage boys gift.  It's quite a big one measuring roughly  50 X 70ins

I did also manage to sandwich another of the tops sitting in the bundle waiting for the final push to completion.  This one first appeared here way back on the 1st of August!

It's another biggish one for me around 70 X 70 which was pieced with the practice blocks for a tutorial I gave at class.  This is another Missouri Star pinwheel design which used up a lot of my autumnal scraps.  The sashing background strips are Kona espresso and sets off the blocks quite nicely.  Sorry not a great photo.  The backing for this one has been pieced with lots of biggish scraps too - I had gathered a lot of brownish fabrics from my early days of fabric collecting so I took the opportunity to use them up in this very autumnal quilt.  Now the next challenge (always an issue for me) is to decide on the quilting.  Again watch this space!

It's a beautiful day today the sun is shining and making the Autumn colours glow.  It's been a challenging and very busy week for me and I know it's been a difficult week for my friends and family too.  As we start another busy new week hopefully you will find a little down time for yourself to sit and sew, craft or read or indeed just time to stop and look at the lovely colours of nature before they fade for the winter.

One, Two, Three and nearly Four

Our Sew-in was a great success the other week at class and I forgot to report on the progress here last week.  Everyone joined in and I think we managed enough blocks on the night for about 4 tops! I will try and get photos of each of them as they are completed.  As we were running short of the background fabric I decided to improvise and changed the pattern slightly.  I have been working on quick and easy projects for some time and have completed these two.  As requested there is no batting in either of these, only a fleece on the back - more easily washed and dried for the recipients.  Sadly in my opinion i would rather put in the batting as I feel it gives more body to the quilt, but thats only my view and I know I'm in the minority on this one.  They will keep a little child cosy though I hope during the colder months ahead.

and the Reel Time quilt is finished too all bar the label.  I still haven't quite mastered the Photoshop programme and I need to install new ink cartridges before I do any more printing.

The fourth quilt is my Racing Minis which has been sandwiched and quilted this week, and now is just waiting for the binding to be cut - but that's where the decision making lies.  Should it be a red binding or a black binding......or maybe both?  Watch this space!

I feel I am in a bit of a rut - I need a challenge I think, looking at the quilts I have been sewing recently are all quite straightforward, and while I have enjoyed making them they have not been all that challenging.  So......I'm looking for a new project and will set out this week to look for something a wee bit different.

I had a lovely parcel of fabrics arrive today and I've spent some time playing with it, refolding it and wrapping it around the cardboard comic boards in readiness for stacking on my bookshelves ....what fun!

Hope you've all had fun this week doing something you enjoy.  

Sew Saturday - Sew Everyday

Today is Sew Saturday, a nationwide uk day to raise awareness of sewing and local sewing and fabric shops.  The last thing I need is more fabric so no visit to our local quilting supplies shop, but  when hubby asked me this afternoon what I was going to be doing today the answer was of course sewing - its national Sew Saturday today!  .........the reply?  Well everyday is national sew day for you!  Yes indeed there is rarely a day goes by that I don't manage to do something with needle, thread, fabric and my trusty sewing machine.  Call it passion, obsession, relaxation, addiction or whatever you like but I just love it.  It's an escape, it's chill out time, it's tidy the dining room time but most of all it's my time and we all need that now and again don't we.  My frustration is that I feel slightly guilting sitting in my sewing/diningroom sewing when I could be doing housework, cooking, cleaning windows, dusting etc etc.  Chill out time is needed though for all of us and it's good to accept we need it now and again.

This morning was spent running around doing errands (for other people) and this afternoon has been me time.  I have been putting the binding on my Reel Time quilt.  I am now sitting comfortably under my quilt and my daylight lamp stitching said binding down listening to a selection of lighthearted tracks from movies, can I guess which movies?.....eh well not all of them.  

Even my top and cardi are co-ordinating with my quilt

Dear hubby has just brought me a little bowl of olives and a gin and tonic....... Heaven on earth what more can a girl ask for, sewing in her own space, peace and quiet  (well relatively).  I might even sneak a wee piece of my favourite chocolate later which I've been hiding from Canmore!!  Bliss.

Hope you have had a good sewing day too.

Scrap Busting Again

I was determined to get some sewing done this week as well as getting to know my new computer.  so I have spent a bit of time doing both.  As well as the usual visits to Dad for our regular lunch and shopping trips I had a really lovely day with our little grandson.  His Mummy will be returning to work soon and she had to go to a meeting so Grannie was in charge.  What a great time we had.  I was a bit concerned that the old tricks wouldn't work after 30 years but I needn't have worried.  Yes it was a bit like riding a bike - once you've mastered it, it all comes back in a rush.  We played, we read stories, 

Lift the flap to see the cows - Moo!

We even managed lunch without too much of a mess, he even settled for me quite quickly at nap time - but and there is always a but isn't there …….I had forgotten how much an almost 10 month old can wriggle and squirm when it comes to changing a nappy!!!  

I suppose sewing and knitting are very similar in some respects, what we learn from our mothers, teachers and mentors in our younger years sticks with us - once shown never forgotten.  I remember being taught sewing at school.  Starting off with the binca and the thick wool doing cross stitches, then moving on to our lapbags  [mine was yellow with blue and green embroidery]  This was my first real sewing project and was used throughout primary school to keep sewing and knitting projects in for our weekly lesson.  The lasting memory I have is Miss Smith standing over me as I struggled to thread my needle.  Wet soggy thread all frayed at the end just wouldn't go through that tiny eye .......and woe betide anyone who lost that precious needle.  Ahh memories.

I finished an I spy charity quilt this week, scraps and leftovers, the top is one of a few that's been lying waiting to be quilted.  This one is all done just a label to go on.......but I'm still trying to fathom out the label printing process on my new Photoshop - for some reason it is insisting on printing in the middle of the page which I don't want!  Techie needed again to sort it out I think.

I bought a charm pack called Reel Time a few months ago which I have lifted and moved quite few times not quite knowing what to do with it.  It has now been transformed - a very quick and easy project combined with just under a metre of the new Lewis and Irene Bumbleberries in cream as a background.

And on the wall 

We are going to make one like this at class on Tuesday, using our scraps and stash, no new purchases allowed, so a good stashbuster.  We are having a 'sew in' I'll let you know how many blocks we manage to complete in the evening.  They will eventually be made into children's quilts for charity, a win win situation for everybody. 

So until next week enjoy your stitching.

Stitchless

This week has flown and not a stitch has been sewn!  A week of catch up with lots of things in the house and with family.  

I hate to admit it but I have gone over to the other side - technology speaking.  Before I went off on holiday my PC was running very very slowly, so slowly it was beginning to frustrate.  I can’t complain I have had it for a long long time, and as we all know technology has progressed in leaps and bounds even in a year never mind 10.   I have an Apple TV, an iPhone and an iPad so I guess the next step was an iMac or equivalent.  Techie made a good job of convincing me, so a Mac Mini was purchased instead of a PC.  Wow - Speedy Gonzales!  I no longer need to go and make a cup of tea after switching on the box.  Less than a minute and it is powered up ready to go. I thought I was just getting the ‘box’ but surprise surprise a new magic mouse appeared and a dinky wee wireless keyboard.  So this week has been a whole new learning curve, getting used to typing again with all ten fingers for a start!  

Techie needless to say did all the technical stuff and  backed up and transferred all the old files on to a separate hard drive then put only the files i really needed on to the new machine. I have been assured it will take me a long long time to fill up all the available space - eh really!  All that being said I have enjoyed embracing change, Techie has been really patient with me and I am delighted to say so far so good.   I am enjoying this new piece of kit.  I can even listen to my music - some of my Cds were almost antique - while I type up this blog post all done wirelessly.

So as far as sewing goes as I said earlier not a stitch as has been sewn.  It was good however to catch up with everyone at class on Tuesday.  Some of the ladies had brought along their purchases from the Quilt Show at Ingliston and a few bargains were to be had.  I managed to reorganise my desk/table/room and tidied everything up a wee bit.  Last night I spent an hour preparing another of my Night Before Christmas Blocks, so although no stitching a bit of preparation has been done.  Tonight I plan to make a list of all my unfinished WIPs,  then slowly work my way through them.  I have lots of tops sitting waiting to be sandwiched and quilted so that must be a priority and I have no excuse as my new roll of batting arrived this week too!

The sun is shining here and has been most of the week so I am heading out to the summerhouse to sit and drink coffee and enjoy the garden and the changing colours. This  is an unexpected bonus.  Enjoy this week as autumn creeps in.

Holidays Over

We are back!  Safe and sound after a very long day travelling.  We had a reasonable overnight flight and I managed to get a few hours sleep which is unusual for me, I usually find it difficult to sleep well on the plane.  It was good to see Techie waiting for us at the airport and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the family over the weekend.

Sadly we left this behind - 

these blue skies are just something I would love to bottle up and bring back home with all the other gifts and things in my suitcase but I will have to make do with the photos and the memories until next time.  I might even print some photos and hang them on the wall in my sewing room.

The suitcases were almost at their limits this year coming home. I managed a few bargain pieces of fabrics to add to my stash. Of course I have plans in my head for theses pieces - but perhaps I should write them down in my notebook so as not to forget what they are!!   I also brought the Hardware quilt back (without the batting) - I did think I was going to have to leave it till next time as space was tight, however DH offered to carry it in his hand luggage. So yet another top waiting to be sandwiched and quilted.  

Before I left Canada I did manage to get all 80 blocks finished for my wonky log cabin quilts I told you about last week.  That means I can get them sewn together next spring - it's always good to have a project in progress for snowy days.

This week will be a quiet one I hope - getting the body clock back in kilter, unpacking and catching up with what's been going on here over the last month.  Hopefully a few of you will be heading to the Quilt Show at Ingliston in Edinburgh this weekend.  I am sure there will be bargains to be had, lots of inspiration, new fabric lines and there is bound to be some lovely quilts on show as always.  I am looking forward to catching up with all the ladies at class on Tuesday to see what I have missed, and finding out what everyone has been stitching over the last four weeks.

Now as the summer comes to a close and we head into the autumnal days and darker evenings I for one am looking forward to cosy nights in my sewing chair - I've certainly got lots to finish and lots planned!  How about you? Have a good week.

 

Sorting Scraps and Counting Blocks

One of my plans for this break was to make a scrappy quilt.  Unfortunately that's not going to happen as time is going in so quickly.  I guess summer holidays are not when most of the sewing gets done but I must admit the curtains are closing earlier and the darkness falling sooner each evening.

This week I did make an attempt to sort out the scraps which have accumulated here.........

To this ........

A bit more organised and perhaps that scrappy quilt will be made next time I'm this side of the Atlantic.

Did I tell you I'm making quilts for the twin beds in the downstairs bedroom?  Yet another ongoing project which I am thoroughly enjoying.  The pattern is from the Mod Block Magazine by Missouri Star Co.  It's a wonky log cabin and the fabrics were purchased last year from Connecting Threads, unfortunately this company doesn't ship internationally but their prices are very good.  I now have 68 blocks completed and I reckon I need 80 to make the two quilts, so I almost there.   I did lay the blocks out - but then I realised I had them all wrong.  A nice layout but not the one in the pattern!

This car knitting project was fun!  Hopefully these will keep a young man cosy during the winter months ahead - oops pun not intended.

                                          

We managed a shopping trip to the city this week too, it's always nice to see different shops in the malls and take advantage of the exchange rate which is certainly in our favour this year.  A few bargains just had to be picked up for gifts.

I hope you have all got your winter projects planned for the longer evenings throughout the coming months when it's always good to snuggle up under a quilt and get some stitching done.  If you haven't yet perhaps this is the time to start looking.  If I have my dates right I think the Ingliston Quilt Show is next weekend.  I will be giving it a miss this year but I am sure a few of you out there will be going along and perhaps will be inspired by the lovely quilts and fabrics on show.

Enjoy the week ahead.