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!

Home comforts

As I've moved to a new house part of the crafty fun is making new accessories for that house.  First on the list (having bottled out of making curtains for the time being...cost being my excuse!) is a new knitted cushion as the one I've had for the past several years is looking a little tired.

Progress so far...

Effective but simple.  Plenty more cushions to follow (I have a large sofa!).

Bits and Pieces for FNSI

As seems to be the case so often with my attempts at FNSI things didn't quite go to plan.  One of the joys of recently having moved house is that I often lose things, tonight that thing was my micro stitch tagged thingy which I use for basting quilts.  So the first hour of FNSI was spent rummaging through bags, boxes and drawers to find the missing item.  Now there are plenty of projects I could be getting on with but I really wanted to baste the quilt for my cousin's son as it'd be great if I could get it to hime while he is still a baby (as with most of my WIPs this has been in progress for ages...house moving etc stopped crafting!).

Once the offending gadget had been located progress was quite good.

Front and back of the disappearing nine patch quilt last heard of in October 13 and finally ready for quilting.

I also managed to finish hand sewing the binding on my first ever jelly roll race quilt.

How did everyone else do?

FNSI Sign Up

After rediscovering the FNSI a few days ago I almost forgot to sign up for it.  Plenty of bits and pieces to finish up so I should be kept occupied this evening.  Now to decide what to do...bit of sitting, knitting and thinking required before dinner and sewing.

Pop back tomorrow to see if I decided to be sensible and finish off some of my WIPs.

http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/fnsi-sign-ups-dont-miss-out.html ... March sign up list courtesy of Sugarlane Quilts

The start of something

I've recently moved home.  When house hunting one of the features I was looking for (and admittedly did not tell the Estate Agents about) was somewhere to keep my crafty stuff and maybe even do a little sewing...in essence my ideal was a sewing room or failing that a spare room with space.  Luckily the house I've eventually bought has both.

Now the sewing room is less than perfect - suspect electrics, probable leaky roof and single skin walls with associated threat of damp (conveniently its about 2 metres from the kettle which I think redeems a lot of it's worse features) - but it has that magic thing POTENTIAL ... and a door to hide my crafty excesses from unsuspecting visitors.  And so this weekend I started the first tentative steps to making this a useful room ...

A cutting table with adjustable height legs to make long cutting sessions easier on my back and hidden out of view I have a stack of boxes (A4 filing type ones) (and a bag or two) with all my in progress and planned projects.  Unfortunately I don't think the room is currently light enough for sewing in but I think it'll get some use anyway.  Even though it is a fairly tiny room I also have a large bookcase/cupboard in there with all my craft,cookery and generally creative books on it...inspiration to hand.  I have plans for this room - more storage, a pressing station and some fun decor...the brighter the better!

Reappearing Blogger...Disappearing Nine Patch

Wow! Work, house selling, studying and general life have really got in the way of my crafting.  I've done bits and pieces but nothing major (or finished) hopefully I can change that over the next few months.

And for a start let me present about 4 hours work on what is destined to be a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt for my cousin's newborn son:

The fabric is a Moda layer cake in Mind Your Ps and Qs by Keiki,  who is the designer of the fabric I used for his sister's quilt.  Its been really hard to find suitable quilt fabric for a baby boy (not helped by some that went missing in the post!).  If my maths is correct I should have enough of the layer cake left (bar a 5 inch square) to back the quilt as well.

Wonky Star-A-Thon

I have finally started sewing together the pieces of the Sparkle Punch Quilt (pattern courtesy of Elizabeth Hartman) for my sister.  It seems I have spent ages cutting yardage into 4.5 inch squares and then cutting a serious number of those squares into triangles, now I'm getting a chance to put the pieces back together again.

It's going to take some time but initial indications are this quilt is going to look good.

Finished Fishies

This Dancing Koi wall-hanging has actually been finished (apart from the sewing in of the threads) for a few weeks.  I had been meaning to take a photo of it outdoors on a sunny day but as is often the way I haven't managed that and if I wait for another sunny day it could be weeks more before the fish made an appearance on here.

I really love how this wall-hanging has ended up.  I was going to give it as a gift but now I plan to keep it for my own home.  It also means I now have an excuse to make another one as a gift.

This has really helped me to develop my confidence with FMQ too (not that you can actually see it in the photo below!).

Chocolatier-ing

A few months ago I went on a chocolate making course, taught by one of the UK's best Choclatier's, with my friend and colleague.  Whilst on the course a plan was hatched to make some chocolates to bring in and share with our workmates for our birthdays (which are very close together).

This Sunday saw that plan come to fruition. In six hours, with tea drinking and lunch breaks, we managed to make (mostly) four different types of chocolate (caramels and truffles); to our surprise this was managed without spreading any of the ingredients over ourselves or the kitchen.

The outcome was very pleasing...

...and very tasty.

I'm now looking for any excuse to make some more, another addictive hobby I think!