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.

No Words

Well only a few to say how pleased I am to have this little beauty at last on my design wall!

The Box Under The Table........

......Is Empty!!!  Hurray - although it is empty I still have some of the fabrics to use up.  I think though I have done well using up the pieces.  As you know the box was almost full

then gradually some of the fabrics were used, 

then I managed to use a smaller basket, the middle one 

 and now I only have the little basket of bits left.  I call that a stash busting success.

I of course also had the wastebasket in which all the smallest of pieces go - its not quite fully so thats another stash busting project in the future.  Do you remember my Toes in The Sand Quilt?

This was the block of the month quilt and when complete I had so much fabric left over I have made these tops which are now waiting in the stack to be quilted.

40 x 35inches

                   

40 x 40 ins

                      

Random nonsense which doesn't take much thought or concentration but is good therapy.  Sometimes its good to sit at your machine and pick up small pieces randomly and stitch them together.  Im pleased with the results and they will go to the care home in due course.

Crystal Star is now coming together nicely after a short break for some scrappy stitching.  I need to jump back on to Gracie to keep the flow going.  Its a wet day here so I might just go and do that now. Enjoy your weekend and week ahead whatever you are doing.  

Freemotion Quilting

Determination and encouragement by others is the answer to any anxieties over free motion - I have decided.  Having good friends to prod and cajole you along sometimes is just what is needed at least it was exactly what I needed to get my rear in gear and get over my hang ups about my Gracie Frame.

Having invited two quilty friends both very good at FMQ to try out Gracie I had no option but to bite the bullet and give it another blast.

What a lovely couple of hours we had. We were all a bit apprehensive but I think it was just what we needed - just look what we managed to do.  Stipples, swirls, waves, bubbles and feathers.  Encouraging each other to try different shapes the time just flew in.  Thank you girls!

                 

Having been given that wee push I loaded another two quilts tops up this week and am reasonably pleased with the results.  As always you learn from your mistakes and there are a couple of things I will change in the future.  Probably not noticeable to anyone else, but I know they are there.  Photos of the completed quilts are on the Gallery Page.

The Crystal Star has been put on the back burner this week but I am ready once again for the next section.  I am enjoying the foundation piecing but it is very easy to get complacent.  The last time I was working on it I almost had a complete disaster.  I was  on automatic and I placed the first piece of the section with the wrong side facing up instead of right side up.  I trimmed it ready for the next piece when I noticed.  Fortunately being thrifty with my fabric I did manage to turn it and slide it into position, I was lucky and managed it by a whisker!  I decided that I should have a break from it at that point as I was getting too smart for my own good.

I've had a good couple of weeks and I'm enjoying having most of my sewing items and computer upstairs.  Today was spent updating said computer, tidying up files and updating photos.  As is usual when I start on this type of clean up things don't go as quickly or as smoothly as I would like, thus taking much longer than I anticipated so no sewing done today.  There is always tomorrow..............

........and Another Little Girl

Yes she was a little late too.  Ellen Isla arrived last weekend and her quilt is ready and waiting to be gifted.  I can't show you the girls quilts just yet but here are the boys quilts.

Finlay's

Harry's

Zachary's

That is the last of the baby quilts for the moment - I have some respite from baby fabrics for a few weeks the next arrival is due in September. 

So whats next?  Crystal Star is coming along nicely and I think I have put to rest my fear of foundation piecing.  I am thoroughly enjoying making ups these panels.  The fabrics are pleasant to work with, the instructions clear and although I have had a couple of oopsies and have had to do a bit of reverse sewing all in all its a fun process.  Here are a couple more of the panels.

The gradual transition upstairs is ongoing - I cant believe its taking me so long.  I think because there is no deadline yet I am just faffing.  My desktop has been cleared and filing trays and stationery moved.  The last bookshelf is almost empty and will be moved this week when Techie is around.

So lastly for now - do you remember this fabric.  Yes you have seen it before and once again I am using up leftovers.  This range of fabric was used for the Farmers Wife Blocks.......... eh no I have not completed them all, and I never will.  I am however happy to say the decision has been made and I have sewn the last of these blocks using up the layer cake of fabric.  Enough is enough.  I will eventually sew the blocks together but meantime they will remain in the basket.  

These squares however were given to me by K, leftovers from her Twister quilt she made from the same fabrics.  I decided there were too many to lie unused so here is what I've come up with

The leftover squares from K

On the design wall - just to see how they looked

All back down again to be trimmed up to size.  There is something quite enjoyable seeing all those trimmed sharp edges and all the little slivers being put in the bin.

So I have had a good weekend, achieved quite a lot both in the home and in my sewing.  I hope you have too.