Stir Up Sunday

Traditionally the last Sunday before advent is known as stir up Sunday when xmas puddings and the like are made. Now having no oven I didn't think I'd be able to cook anything for Xmas but I then realised puddings were boiled (for hours and hours and hours it turns out) and I have a working hob so a perfect excuse to make Xmas pudding.

I would love to be able to say they tasted fantastic, but I'll have to wait a while before I get to try them out! Though I haven't met a Xmas pudding I didn't like!

Frustrating Friday Night Sew In

Well I had a plan for this evening to work on some cushions for my lounge, this would involve me trying to learn how to sew in a zip (zipper).  So I set up my sewing space, cut up the first squares of fabric and then found out that not only did I not have a zip foot I didn't have a normal foot either.  This seemed a little odd and was destined to end my sewing before it started when I finally remembered a little drawer...feet found.

Next step was to baste together the zip opening ( as explained in the wonderful tutorial courtesy of Grace Bonney at Design Sponge), at which point my machine started skipping stitches and unthreading itself in a most annoying fashion.  A serious cleaning session and some perseverance later I finally got round to sewing in the zip...

That actually wasn't too tricky (maybe the luck of the uninformed) and the rest of the project passed off uneventfully (ignoring the point where I realised why the zip opening was unbasted prior to sewing up the sides!).

Just a couple of little threads to tidy up, but otherwise I'm really pleased with the outcome and have another to make (and possibly a good few more in my future!).

Hope everyone else had a good FNSI.

Renovating...up-cycling...whatever

In the midst of my disjointed house renovations I find myself left with a surplus chest of drawers.  It a cheap chest but very handy as it has lots of drawers so I think I'll move it to my teeny, tiny sewing room. Unfortunately I'm no longer keen on the waxed pine look and I think it won't be great in my dark, teeny, tiny sewing room (I'm just glad to have one!).  So what's a girl to do but get out the paint brushes...

From this

Via this

To this...

Hopefully I've made it so that I can use the top of the drawers as a pressing surface eventually. I'm really pleased with this and it has worked out as I planned.  I'm also going to paint the matching large bookcase to match, but this time I'm going to use a roller!

Malvern Autumn Show

Last weekend saw my first ever visit to the Malvern Autumn Show organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.  Unfortunately the specific exhibitor I wanted to see didn't turn up but I had a lovely day anyway.  I browsed all the commercial stands, watched the dog agility competition and entertained my inner engineer with the steam powered engines.  I even strayed into the flower and competition pavilion.

There were beautiful growers' displays...

Exquisite floral competition entries...

And amazing produce entries...

These were the entries for the largest in the class, the woman sneaking into the bottom is an adult.  I don't know if growing over large and probably inedible veg is a British thing?

FNSI results

A little late posting this but I did achieve something during yesterday's FNSI.

I finally got the binding onto my cousin's daughter's quilt.  Took longer than I'd expected, but pleased with it.

I followed a binding tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Co and it has definitely improved the look of my binding.

Now for something slightly different...

Over the summer I ended up going to one of those ceramics painting place that I always thought were just for kids...

...I was wrong.  After painting the first mug at the beginning of August I took my sister to another pottery painting place at the end of the month and painted the blue mug.

Barring my inability to paint a steady straight line round the rim or base I really enjoyed painting these and may find an excuse to go again in the near future!

Wedding Banner - In Use

Well I didn't manage to quilt the banner for the big day, but they were able to use it as a banner.

I'm really loving how it's turning out.

(Picture taken by Paul Pickard - www.paulpickard.com

Still growing my own...

Despite my laid back approach to gardening and fairly long periods without watering my veggie plants are doing their utmost to produce something edible (they've also produced a ridiculous amount of leaves and are slowly taking over my yard!).

Courgette

Teeny tiny green tomato

Baby butternut squash

Wedding Banner Quilt - Part 2

And the work on the quilt for my brother's wedding goes on.  Nothing like an end of the month deadline to get you moving on a king size quilt!

A large proportion of the 900+ 2.5 inch squares destined for the border

Two of the letters - one appliquéd, one not

Festival of Quilts - The Shopping

So the Festival of Quilts wasn't just about the amazing quilts, there were also loads of vendors stands some of which I couldn't resist...

The little item with the hearts on is a needle case I won in a lucky dip.  This was especially lucky as for the past 15 years I've been using a little scrap of felt to hold my needles.  The needle case is going to seem like luxury after that!

Festival of Quilts 2014 - The Quilts

Warning picture heavy...

My sister and I visited the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham today and were amazed by the stunning quilts on display.  Here's a small selection which caught my eye...

Fire and Ice - Claudia Pfeil

Skull Optics - Paula Rafferty

Mum's a Star - Michele Clarke and Margaret Routledge

Fish at Sea - Pam Stanier and Quilter's Trading Post

The Brightness - Kazue Iwahashi ... Hand quilted!

Autumn Gold - Heather Bentley ... a close up of one of the log cabin blocks

Paris - Anna-Karin Andermo

David - Gillian Theokritoff

Harlequin Star - Jess Williams

And finally, a full size, actually working, quilted Grandfather Clock by Kate Crossley

Wedding Banner Quilt - Part 1

Well I've finally bit the bullet and made a serious start on the banner/quilt for my brother's wedding...which is taking place on 23 Aug this year!!!!!

I've had the fabric since April and started drafting the letters in July.  With a few hours effort I now have slightly more to show...

The drafted letters...

Transferred to bonda web type stuff...

Ironed onto the fabrics and cut out.

I'm feeling so much more enthusiastic and confident about this quilt now I've really started. Love how the letters look.  Need a few more fat quarters but it's definitely looking promising.

4th August

"The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime" 
  - Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Minister, 4th August 1914