Hazel Hedgehog

I have admired Elizabeth Hartman's projects for a long time and have purchased a couple of her patterns over the years.  I enjoyed making the New Wave quilt which was one of her designs, remember the one with the bicycles which I donated to PHEW.  It was a fun project and turned out really well it was just that little bit different. See it on my gallery page

I also have Fancy Forest downloaded as an ebook.  This is what I call a challenge.  K at class has made a lovely crib size quilt with this pattern and while I enjoy a challenge now and again I didn't really feel up to doing every little animal.  I'm having trouble with photos tonight so here's the link for fancy Forrest  Here

Remember the outing I had recently to Kaleidoscope, well I bought some lovely fabrics to start on one of the baby quilts which had happy little hedgehogs dancing along the fabric.  I thought this would make a cheery little play mat for one of the new arrivals.  The design hat was on and lots of ideas were beginning to form in my head.  The centre block of this quilt will be Hazel Hedgehog from Elizabeth Hartman's fancy forest pattern.  I've made a start and the pieces are all cut out ready to go.  I'm looking forward to piecing this one together!  

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This blog post tonight is frustrating me, I can't get the photos to load and there seems to be gremlins preventing me formatting.  Apologies I will try again later in the week. 

Happy sewing

Work Hard.......Play Hard

I have certainly been working hard this week and I am pleased to report that I am finally turning the corner and getting my house back in order.  Some rooms are looking so shiny and new and I am hoping to keep them that way.  

Techie's bedroom now my Sewing and Storage room

The others will have to wait a few months but they in turn will get a new look too eventually.  I am gradually moving my sewing fabrics, and equipment upstairs to Techie's old room where they will be still on show but will not be in the dining room!  I haven't yet decided whether to move my worktable and machine upstairs too, I do enjoy watching the birds and enjoy the changing seasons in the garden from the diningroom window as I plan my sewing projects and do my cutting.  

I had an unexpected visit to Kaleidoscope yesterday, hubby had an appointment in Milngavie, just along the road from the quilt shop so I just tagged along for the ride.  We had a nice lunch and then went our separate ways.  I spent a good couple of hours choosing fabrics and chatting to Susan and Merrilyn. They were in 'show' mode making preparations for the up and coming quilting shows.  Ingliston Spring Festival is next weekend 17th - 19th February, I hope I might manage a visit.  I selected a few fabrics for the baby quilts and a background fabric for my Arcadia Avenue Whirligigs.  A phonecall just as I was paying let me know the driver had returned to the car park.  A very successful and  enjoyable day out.

I spent a busy morning today polishing all the stainless steel in the kitchen and I was suitably pleased with myself to allow me to play hard this cold, windy and snowy afternoon.  The background fabric was chopped and sliced and the sewing machine was humming along sewing all the chopped pieces back together again.  I think it all looks rather good now and I'm pleased with it, especially as the Whirligigs were all made from my scraps in the 'box under the table'.  Here are the Whirligigs on the design wall.  

On the Design Wall

I have really enjoyed the whole process of this project and delighted that I have finally and  successfully mastered Foundation Piecing without losing my temper or throwing the bits in the bin.  The only downside in the whole process was removing the paper foundation.  however by the time i had got to the fourth one I had it sussed and like everything else in life the more you do something the easier it becomes.  What do you think?

Completed Top measures 52 x 47inches

Have a fun weekend and a good week ahead whatever you might be doing.

I Think I Have Finally Mastered It

Foundation piecing is a technique I have been longing to master since embarking on my quilting journey.  I have tried more than a few times to master the art with varying degrees of success, most of the attempts have ended in the rubbish bin they were so bad.  My brain would just not comprehend the reverse/mirror image thing and sewing on the foundation side etc etc.  We even had a tutorial given at the class of a paper pieced Hunter's Star, which is a lovely block. It would have made a lovely Christmas Quilt but mine was doomed to failure - I think I eventually did make the block but I cheated and pieced it as normal not on a foundation.

Having spent a lot of last year making Charity Quilts and using simple blocks I was determined I would try something more challenging and a bit different for the start of the new year.  I save  images from various internet sites and browsing through them once again decided on 'the one' but was dismayed to discover it was all paper pieced.  I jumped in with both feet - I ordered the pattern which duly arrived and I have spent hours looking, admiring, pondering, looking for the right foundation paper and the fabrics. The instructions are well written and it even gives you the measurements to cut each piece of fabric.  I did chicken out though and decided against purchasing all the rainbow fabrics. My stash has plenty of fabrics calling.  These are the ones I chose, only because they have been hanging around on the shelf for a long time.

I decided to make just one segment of the pattern to see how I managed.  After much head scratching, and a few stitching lines unpicked the first one was complete - it was all a bit stressful.  

Perseverance and determination overtook the stress and I am pleased to say this one's a keeper!  

The segments have even made it to the design wall!

I am so enjoying this now I have mastered the concept, why did it take me so long to overcome this particular hurdle?  There is no going back I really don't think this quilt will be ending up in the UFO box.

Sometimes you just need to give yourself that little extra push to try something different and then you discover a whole new area to enjoy.  Enjoy whatever you will be making this week.

A Few Missing Pieces

I have realised due to my inconsistence in writing these posts I have missed some important photos of some of the projects I've been working on recently.  I miss the ability to pick up my iPad and jot down a few words to keep you all informed.  So here are a few photos I don't think you have seen

Some of the gifts we donated to PHEW for their Christmas Fair

The Finished Christmas Stocking

Christmas 2016 Stitchery

The Finished Icelandic Jumper and hat to match

Each year our little quilting group has a Christmas night out where we always enjoy a lovely meal with good food and good friends.  We always have a Secret Santa, each putting in a gift to be chosen at random by each of our members.  Sometimes there is a theme, sometimes we have to make something from a specific fabric this year it was really easy.  I set the theme - the gift had to be something sewing related and had to be wrapped in paper and embellished.  The Gifts were well thought out and were all well received by their recipients.  The embellishment on the parcel had to be made with one 2.5in WOF strip of fabric.  This was not allowed to be cut up as I wanted to use all these pieces in a tutorial in January.  I wish I had taken some photographs - there were some stunning creations.   On the night I  handed each member a list of instructions in an envelope which also included another strip of  white fabric.  The instructions had to be carried out and the resulting strips had to be brought along last week to class.  This is the quilt top we produced on the evening, we had great fun stitching the strips together with lots of discussions whether we should piece randomly or not.  It really didn't matter as they all got mixed up anyway!  I will post a better photo when we trim it all up. We will all take part in making it as a class.  We will sandwich, quilt and bind it and over the months  and it will be transformed into another of our Charity Quilts.

The 'box under the table' is now only half full or is it half empty.  I cheated a bit and have removed the Christmas Fabrics and they are now stored elsewhere (more on that another time)  I have also removed some of the blue baby fabrics as I need to get started on the baby quilts.

My final photo tonight is the Steps and Stairs as I have called it as it certainly does not look like the Seaside Quilt as the pattern suggests.  This is my first finish of 2017

Until next time have a good week  

Progress Report

I have a very dusty house at the moment.  We are having some rooms redecorated which is way overdue but progress is being made.  As you will all probably know and have lots of experience of it, having more than one room done at any one time is bad enough, but having a few done one after the other is a logistical nightmare.  Techie's room is now finished and looking really bright, shiny and new - I have now to decide on curtains and how I am going to lay out the room again.  The hall and stairway is a work in progress this week but I am delighted how it is all coming together.  The dust though,  the dust.........it is everywhere! Even as I am typing this I can feel my fingers picking up the dust on my keyboard, ah well just another thing to do tomorrow.

Its been another busy week with Dad having a visit to the eye clinic.  Poor soul has had a blocked tear duct but is now on the mend the antibiotics are obviously working.  So sewing this week has been very sporadic, due to cleaning and extra visits.  However, I am pleased to say I have now completed three tops since the beginning of the year and I have made another space in that 'box under the table'  The Windmills are done, the Rail fence done and now here is Pick up sticks.

I have decided to continue with basic patterns to use up my small fabric pieces for the moment.  Then when life settles down I might be able to concentrate fully on the numerous new techniques and projects I really want to try this year.  This I think is also going to be the year of the baby quilts, already I know of 5 little ones who will arrive this spring early summer so will be in need of a playmat or quilt.  I need to get my thinking cap on for new ideas.

Have an enjoyable week folks - this week at class we will be doing some fun sewing - I will tell you all about it next time.

My Computer Is On

So I thought I should take the chance and write a post!  I have achieved quite a lot this weekend and I am very pleased with myself.  So I'm off to bed! but before I go here's an update on the never ending Connecting Threads fabric from the kit Monkeying Around

The Windmills are now all sewn together and this quilt top complete.  I will put it away meantime until someone calls for it!  I need to use up more of the fabrics in my stash as I have said before many times.  I've made a few more drawstring bags and there's more space in that box. 

but I still have pieces left............

...........they now look like this

Rail fence blocks waiting to be trimmed.  

Have a good week everyone. Time for bed!  Zzzzzzzz

A Guid New Year

This is the first opportunity I have had to turn on my computer over the festive holiday, so I wish you all a very Happy New Year and I hope this year will bring with it lots of inspiration for new projects to work on throughout the next 12 months.

Slow sewing it has been for me over the past months, life gets in the way but it is always good to have a sewing project to turn to when things get tough.  I don't feel as though I have completed many quilts in 2016 but if you have a look on the gallery page I have in fact done not too badly.

I still have UFO's in my baskets, lots of projects in my head, loads of scraps accumulating again and a few quilts on the shelves waiting to be passed on to those who need them.  I had a trawl through my box, yep you know the one, under the table, too big for scraps and too small to be folded on to the magazine backs to sit on the shelves.  I have pulled a few pieces out to make little bags.

A few months ago my DL asked her crafty friends to help make some Beads of Courage drawstring bags for the said charity.  At the time I was busy attending to Dad and was unable to help but offered some fabrics and thread.  So for the last couple of nights I have been making these little bags to be passed on for the children to keep their beads in.  Six made so far, and making a hole in the fabric in that box!

Still to have the ribbons threaded through

The Pieces are Diminishing

Also in that box were the remains of one of the Connecting Threads kits Monkeying Around - I have already made two quilts so far from this kit and now well on my way to making a third, this is what I've done so far.  This pattern is taken from the book Scrap Basket Strips and Squares by Kim Brackett - a good selection of quilts to use up scraps, 2.5inch strips, charms or layer cakes.

Now to make the Blocks

I haven't been idle but I haven't really got into the full swing of enjoying my sewing projects.  Hopefully my mojo will return and I will be sewing like a dervish demented again soon.  Wishing you all well in 2017