First Finish of 2014

And it's only taken until the end of April to achieve it!

A baby quilt made from a layer cake of "Mind Your Ps and Qs".  The front is the disappearing nine patch pattern, the back the remaining squares. Quilted in the ditch on the front, making a randomish grid on the back. Pleasingly my accuracy is improving and all but one of the quilting lines appear to run parallel to the seams on the back - a very happy accident. When I actually got around to working on it this quilt went together very quickly (barring significant indecision regarding the layout of the front), unfortunately not quick enough as the recipient is rapidly heading towards a year old!

Shopping Spree

Luckily with my recent house moved I've left behind one good local quilt shop and now live between two good quilt shops which stock different fabric lines.

This afternoon I paid a visit to Midsomer Quilting. As they seem to stock a wide range of coloured fabrics, mostly sort of patterned coloured fabrics, I knew they'd have the fabrics I had in mind for a quilt I'm making for my brother and his fiancée.

This is usually the point I'd add a link to the intended pattern, however, that isn't going to happen this time as they've asked me to make them a bespoke quilt to commemorate their wedding. I have the bare bones of an idea sketched out on graph paper, the basic plan is appliquéd words and a fancy border. I'm quite nervous about this not ending up as what the had in mind but as they've haven't given me much direction this shouldn't be the case. I have a feeling I'm going to need quite a bit more coloured fabric before the end...I'm having difficulty figuring out how much the border will need. This is not helped by my not being sure which border to use!

FNSI - the results show

I had a pleasingly productive FNSI.  I decided to work on my Christmas table runner and I'm really pleased how it's working out.

It's surprising how neatly it's working out considering each strip is wonky to a greater or lesser degree.

I haven't straightened up any edges or squared any pieces up and am just doing the best I can when it comes to matching seams but that isn't bothering me at all.  I'm not sure I'll bother neatening things up when I do my next one (there is going to be at least one more).

Hopefully everyone else had as successful an evening.  Why not head over to Wendy's to see everyone else's results.

Friday night sew in - April

It's that time of the month again ... FNSI!!!  Well at least it is tomorrow.

If you want to spend your Friday night sewing with people aground the world then there's still time to sign up HERE

I have plenty of things to be getting on with this Friday.  I'm making a big effort to finish off all my almost done projects this month and then I have a major project for my brother's wedding to work on for the rest of the spring and summer (so no pressure there then!).

Ready for Rio 2016...

...or in actual truth lagging behind from London 2012!

I started this sport themed blanket in 2012 as part of Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket that year and it's still going!  I'm now on the seventh (out of ten) set of instructions so I have broken the back of the work although the blanket's bunting-sequence border and the Swiss darning required are niggling at me.

I'd love to get this blanket finished this year as I have the yarn for another mega knitting project all ready to go.

Xmas work in progress

Much as I'd wanted to start work on the garden this weekend I was really pleased to see the gloomy weather as it gave me all the reason I needed to get my sewing machine out for about the first time in four months.

And the results were a happy afternoon spent chain piecing and pressing

A work in progress shot, on my new dining table which I probably shouldn't be using as a sewing table hence the mats and tea towels under my machine! 

I'm working towards a Christmas table runner based on Rebecca Silbaugh's Santa's Cookie Mat.  I'm enjoying making this so much that I've already started find fabric for another, all year round, one!