Another November Goal Achieved.

 Down In The Garden is done, finished, completed!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Peter returned Jenny Janome last night while I was out at embroidery guild. So I didn't get a chance to play until this morning.

(Yes two posts in one day, if you're counting).

There were only 4 rows left to complete.

They didn't take long to do. 

Then it was time to go out to that H&S meeting at work.

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As soon as I got home, I trimmed the quilted piece and set about making the binding, all while lunch was cooking. After eating lunch, I got on with the business or sewing on and closing the binding.

Then I had to wait for the holder upper to get home from work.

Like yesterday I filled in time with a bit of a tidy up.

I'm very happy to have this one finished at last.

Down In The Garden, designed by Leanne Beasley.

I collected the parts as a BOM back in 2011. I think I possibly started the first block too, then it went into the UFO pile, until 2019, when I had another go and dated one of the blocks. Then back into the UFO pile it went, until last year when I had another go, eventually finishing the stitchery earlier this year. The quilting has been an adventure. I used my favourite meander, which looks just fine, even through the stitching. 

The back is a piece of fabric from a $20 paper sack! 

No surprises there. I cut it's width in half and sewed the selvedges together to make it long enough.

It's a bit difficult to see, but there is an all over tiny flower pattern.

It finished at 51x51 inches.

Once I get a hanging sleeve attached, it will take a turn on the wall in our entrance hall. 

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Back to work tomorrow.

Time to move on to my next goal for the month though. I'll let you know how that goes.

Interruptions.

Here we are at my two days off and both have interruptions!

Yesterday I made an early start in my sewing room, as I knew there would be a planned power outage, starting at 10 am. So I headed into my room early and got busy.

First task was to pull out my big tub of batting off cuts and make Frankenbatts for my bright new placemats.

It's rather a large tub, but I was able to find just what I need close to the top. Two pieces of cotton batting were trimmed and sewn together.

Then I layered my mats and quilted them using the serpentine stitch on my machine.

It works well wandering back and forth over the ditch. So much easier than trying to stay in the ditch!

I had already dug about in my box of leftover binding bits and found some that would be perfect. I joined them together and it didn't take long to sew them on.

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Then it was time to do chores before heading out at 9.55 am. 

I spent a couple of hours in town, visiting a select few stores, buying two spools of neutral thread at the sewing center. A new pair of black culottes for work, and even the beginnings of a secret Santa, also for work. Next, the groceries then it was almost 12, time to head home and see if the power was back on.

It wasn't, but I didn't have to wait long before my clicker opened the garage door and I was in. After putting the groceries away, I had a quick lunch and then Peter arrived to take away naughty Jenny Janome. Then I settled in my chair with my teapot close by and closed the binding on the placemats by hand. 

Then I went back to the sewing room and used the serpentine stitch to add a little more security.

Yes I know I could just close binding on the machine, without the hand work, but I am still learning this process and find it easier to ensure an even finish doing it this way. LOL

Besides, I really don't mind sitting and closing by hand.

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I frittered and fiddled away the rest of the afternoon having a tidy up and making some tea. After tea I went out to guild for a couple of hours. I took along Bring Me Flowers and made some progress on the next large flower.

I still need to stitch the border, but it was a good start.

While I was out, Peter returned with my quilting machine.

So today I'll be trying to complete the quilting on Down in the Garden.

Hopefully all will be well.

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Today's interruption?

A 10.30 Health and Safety meeting at work. 

I really should attend as I missed the last one. I'll see how things go with Jenny Janome.

November's Aspirations..

The first day of the month, oh my goodness how fast is this year whizzing by?

Time to make plans.

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1) Try a new recipe and share if it's good.

I also need to investigate the possible tweaks to last month's new recipe and share that.

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2) Finish the Down in the Garden Quilt.

That will depend very much on whether engineer Peter can coax my Janome quilter into behaving herself just long enough to finish the quilting.  She came home the other day, working fine as a free motion quilter on the table. We popped her back onto the frame, she quilted two rows beautifully, then at the start of the third row it all went pear shaped again. 😠

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3)  Progress Lest We Forget.

This one has been around for long enough. It was on last month's list, but I didn't touch it. Time to make good progress.

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4) Complete at least one flower a week on Bring Me Flowers.

The smaller flowers will be easy, maybe I should say two of those or one larger flower.  I'll see how it goes. I also would like to take them along to Embroidery club.

5) Continue to work away at Winter Fairy Cross stitch.

Progress was made in October, but the Windswept Santa kinda got in the way.

Maybe I should think about setting some boundaries? 

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6) Continue to stitch on Windswept Santa.

He is quite a big piece and I know he can't be completed for this Christmas, so no rush, but it would be good to pick away at him.

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7) Continue working through my mini cross stitch stash.

Those little kits are handy for taking to work and filling in my lunch breaks. 

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8) Complete the Scrappy Placemats.

They shouldn't take too much effort. I'll need two franken batts. The backing fabric is already sorted and also the binding. I could have them done in a short time.

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9). Make another scrappy quilt top.

Maybe I'll finally get to some of those pre made blocks that came in the paper sacks, or maybe something else will get my attention. Whatever happens, a scrappy top will be born.

I hope.

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10)  Try not to be distracted by squirrels!

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Yeah right! 

That's the plan.

I wonder how I'll go? 

What are you planning?

Octobers Achievements.

 Happy Halloween.

Or Hop-Tu-Naa as we say on the Isle of Man.

A festival much older than Halloween.

So it must be 31st October, another month has come to an end and what do I have to show for it? Let's start with my goals.

1) Try a new recipe and share if it's a good one.

Well, we did try two new recipes, but one needs a tweak before I share. 
The other will not be revisited. LOL 

2)  Progress Down in the Garden.

I wish I could tell you this one is finished. It should be, but my quilting machine is having yet another hissy fit! Not during a scrappy quilt, but during a special quilt. That seems to be her speciality!

That said, I have made progress, quite a lot. It has borders and is loaded onto the frame, it is two thirds quilted and will hopefully be completely quilted soon.

Hopefully Peter the engineer can get the machine sorted soon and I can get this one completed. 

It's waited a long time.

3) Progress Lest we Forget.

Nope, not a stitch.

4)  Complete the Memory Quilt.

Yes!  The memory quilt has gone to its new home and the owners are delighted.

5) Continue with Winter Fairy Cross stitch.

Yes, I have continued, though not as much as I would have liked. This is the most recent image I have and there is little difference when I look at my work now, just a bit more snow and shadow.

6) Complete the Thistle Cross stitch.

Not only did I complete the stitching, I also completed the project.

It's now a cute wee needle book.

7) Add and close the binding to the I spy quilt. 

Another completed project.

If you remember some of those goals also had a b) project.

4b) I wanted to quilt another scrapper before putting the important memory quilt back onto the frame, following Jenny Janome's previous hissy fit.

Quilted bound and finished.

6b) I also wanted to continue to work on my cross stitched penguin.

I'm happy to say he is completed and is awaiting his turn on our Christmas tree.

And very proud he looks too.

So those were my goals, but you and I all know I have achieved more than that.

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I completed the cross stitching on Santa Claus.

But I can't find him! He must be busy in his workshop or maybe I put him in a very safe place. 

It took me one afternoon to stitch this cute wee keyring size piece.

I've quilted and bound this lovely piece which has been waiting a while.

I made a quilt in a day.

Yep a whole quilt in one day.

To be fair, the squares were precut. LOL

The next day I made a Kaffe quilt top.

Mostly precut pieces, though I did have to cut the outer border.

And I also played with scraps to make these beautiful bright placemats using grocery receipts as foundations for the oddly shaped pieces.

Oh and I finished an adopted Cross stitch.

This piece needed a lot of back stitching to pull out a few details and the addition of that pretty quilt on the wall beside the hutch.

 I have started not one, but two more Santas.

Both are cross stitched. 

One is another mini. The second will take a while.

He currently has a bit of arm and a short length of holly garland.

And finally, I pulled Gail Pan's Bring Me Flowers out of the UFO pile and into the WIP pile.

I have completed a little more and plan to take it along to Embroiderer's Guild meetings. Maybe not every meeting, but I hope it will feature frequently.

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I think I had a busy month!

I wonder what November will bring?

End of Day Three

 And here we are at the end of day three. I'm off to work tomorrow.

Yes, I had a few chores to complete this morning before the fun began.

Then I went to investigate 'that' drawer again. I pulled out the last few bits of my Kaffe scraps, 

along with a collection of scrappy brights in spots and stripes.

Next, I pulled out my collection of grocery receipts to use as foundations.

I had just enough to make two placemats.

And I used up some of those Kaffe strips too.

But I had to accept that some of those strips were narrower than others again!

I can live with it; they are just mats for Tony and I to use.

I plan to make some Frankenbatts for these two, but decided I'd had enough time at my sewing machine for today and besides, it was lunchtime....

I'll finish them another day.

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It's a messy business.

I had a quick tidy up; the leftover strips went into the strips drawer and the leftover spots and stripes went into the scrap bag for Linda.

Along with the leftover foundation pieces.

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After some lunch I settled into my armchair to do some more cross stitch.

No minis today, instead I pulled out a larger piece to work on.

I left Santa looking like this back on 17th October.

I've picked a little along the way and after a few hours today, he is looking a little different.

Once he's done, he'll be looking like this.

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As I said, back to work tomorrow, I'll be taking along my latest mini cross stitch.

Another Santa. I'll keep you posted.

And finally. The weather today was forecast to be worse than yesterday.

It got a bit wild and windy, but I'm happy to say no repeat of yesterday.

Enjoy your weekend.