Quilting.

Look what came home with Hunney yesterday. He does this, just buys flowers. Just because.

This picture really doesn't do them any justice, it's a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums and lilies. He always buys lilies, I love them. Yesterdays 'because' was that he had to work on my weekend off. He really is a Hunney

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So, while he worked, I played. I quilted near the ditch around all of the 16 patch blocks.
At times it was easy and I had fun, but at other times it was a little harder!

My poor arms and shoulders were tired from pushing and pulling the bulk of the quilt through my little sewing machine. I think I'm doing OK
I've started to work in the sashing, I'm about halfway done, then onto the borders. I'm undecided about what to do with the borders at the moment.

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Gratitude's

1) Beautiful Flowers.

2) My Hunney.

3) 55 Days.

Auditions being held today.

As predicted, the postman had been by the time I got back from the shops. So I set about pinning the rest of the Welsh Jelly quilt, it took almost 400 pins to complete! Now I just need to start quilting. I'm not going to baste it, I think the pins should do the trick, besides, the one and only time I basted, the back of the quilt had so many tucks and folds it looked decorative in it's own, but wrong way!!

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So as there are so many colours in this one, I've started auditioning threads, I'm going to have to use several.

We've all heard of auditioning fabrics for borders,
or bindings,
even backs,
but I don't believe I've ever seen anyone blogging about auditioning for quilting thread.
I have a bit of an assortment here, some quilting threads, some all purpose sewing threads, at least two different brands. I'm confident that they will all behave beautifully and when I'm done I'll have a wonderful quilt and a beautiful memory of a very generous bloggie friend.

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Hunney has had to go into work today, so I get to play. I'm going to drink my tea, then start filling bobbins, they all get to be one colour!!

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Gratitude's

1) Four days off work.

2) Lots of time to play.

3) 56 days.

Hurry up Postie.

As you may have guessed, the postman is running late today. I know my pins will be here today, they were dispatched last night. Hurry up postie!

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While I'm waiting, this morning I closed up the binding on 'Butterfly Blues', I've also added some hanging tabs and a label.

Here it is posing on the wall for the photo shoot. It's a bit wishy washy looking here, but try as I have I can't get an image with true colours. Look at yesterdays!! LOL

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I need to go do a little shopping, maybe the postman will have been when I get back.

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Gratitude's

1) First class post.

2) Another Finish.

3) Sunshine.

It's all or nothing!

Yesterday the postie brought my yellow with a hint of blue fabric, which I had ordered for the Blue Butterfly quilt. Then today he brought my dream green wadding, so I was spoiled for choice this morning.

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Yesterday after work I put the final border onto my Welsh Jellies, and this morning I pieced a back for it. Then set off pinning, but I ran out. I'm not even half way with the pinning, so once again it was off to my favourite on-line shop and by mid morning tomorrow I should have plenty more quilters safety pins.

I did look in the stitchy crafty shop we have here in town, but she doesn't have any. She stocks mostly wools and cross stitch supplies along with lots of general sewing supplies, but not much in the way of quilty stuff.

So, here's where the Welsh Jellies is at just now......
Well I can't move it, but what I will do is put the chairs back into the sides of the table so that they take the weight of the dream green, it does stretch a little and I don't want that. It looks so small here in this image, but believe me, it's not! At about 94 X 86 this will be the largest quilt I have ever made.

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So, having come to a sudden and rude halt on that, it was onto something else. I made the binding for the Blue Butterflies and got that attached. I'm off to sit on the sofa and neaten all the quilting threads on it before going to work today and tomorrow while I wait for the postie again I'll close up the binding.
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Maybe I'll get to start quilting the Welsh Jellies before I have to go into work at 3pm tomorrow.

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I didn't go up to the sewing shop near the office yesterday, the rain persisted in lashing down all day, apparently we got the end of a hurricane! It must have been the wet end as the winds although strong were not damaging. So no new goodies except those which I needed.

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Gratitude's

1) Mail order supplies.

2) Plenty to keep me busy.

3) No rain today.

Nothing Much

Did I lay out my plans on Sunday? Did I say I was going to have a busy day with lots of sewing and lots of finishing off? Well I had a lazy day! Hunney and I curled up on the sofa and watched movies and the F1 GP. I didn't lift a needle once. But it was worth it, to get all those cuddles.

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I have made some progress though. On Monday evening I finished off this little apron, it's just made from some Jelly strips.

And is reversable.
It's for a gift.

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Last night I completed the quilting on my Blue Butterflies. I'm so pleased with myself, not a single ruck, tuck or fold in the back! I know it's only a small quilt, but I'm happy, happy, happy! No photo yet I'm afraid, it's lashing down here and the light is awful. I tried taking a picture with the flash, but, ugh! It can wait. I know I bought a load of yellow fabrics at Birmingham, but I've decided that I need a piece of yellow with a hint of blue for the binding on this one, so last night I was off to my favourite on-line shop. They will mail my order today and it will be with me on Thursday. My big piece of dream green for the Welsh Jellies has still not even been dispatched. I wish I knew where else to get it here in GB, maybe it's time to get Uncle Google to have another look around.

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It's my day in the office today, so depending on the weather I may scoot up the hill to the sewing shop, not for anything in particular, well, maybe for some more Christmas fabrics and just for a look about.

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This evening I plan to get the Welsh Jellies top completed and get the back sorted out so all it needs is layering and quilting once the wadding arrives. LOL Maybe I shouldn't make such plans! I'm then on late shifts for what remains of the week, so I'll have to find something to do with my mornings. I could start on some Christmas things, I have some BOMs I need to print and catch up with. Plenty to keep me busy.

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Gratitude's

1) A day filled with cuddles.

2) F&P love of Quilting is here, reading material for the bus.

3) Plenty to do.

Works in Progress.

I have a few things in progress at the moment and feel the need to get something finished. Soon!

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The Welsh Jelly quilt is still awaiting it's final border of off white. I have an apron sat here awaiting only it's ties. The scrappy vines project which I'm doing jointly with my DD has stopped, I/we need only to complete one more vine, then I can put it all together.

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My blue butterflies is closest to being finished. I love this little design, it's so quick and easy to put together.

I didn't applique the bodies by hand this time, instead I selected the feather stitch on my sewing machine and made it a part of the quilting process. It's almost impossible to see on these photos, but I've also quilted around the very edges of the wings too.
I've done half of the quilting on this one and plan to finish it today.

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Hopefully I'll get the apron completed too and while I watch the Formula 1 GP I'll sew a few leaves onto my vines. I really want to get some of these small projects finished, then I can start on some Christmas things without feeling guilty about having other projects unfinished.

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Jenny and Vicki are hosting a 'Hug Swap' and I'm tempted to join in, but also worried that I don't have much time, I really need to be getting on with my SSCS as I'll have four weeks less than everyone else to get my projects completed. It will need to be done before I go to NZ so that all I do when we get home is mail it.

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Thanks everyone for your comments about the Festival of Quilts, again, I'm sorry I didn't make a note of who had made what, so that I was able to credit the quilters. They were all beautiful, so much hard work, effort and love had gone into each and every quilt. I loved it. Thank you to the quilt makers for sharing with us.

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Gratitude's

1) Two whole days with no commitments.

2) Loving reading my books.

3) A cup of tea!

FoQ Post 5 of 5 The Haul.

I went to the festival with birthday money burning a hole in my purse. So what did I buy? A bit of everything.

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This book was a must. There are some delightful quilts in here, all of which were exhibited at the festival.

I could relate to many of the images having already been to NZ. Hunney too seemed impressed with what he saw at this particular stand.

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I've been keeping an eye open for this little book ever since Jannimary gifted another Anni Downs book to me earlier this year.
I love the cover design and plan to make my own advent tree.

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This one is for a gift. I do have a Tilda book and I have made a couple of the projects, but it's really not my style, I know just the woman though!
I also got my hands on some christmas patterns,
and a cute kit, I fell in love with this chook just as soon as I saw the model handing on the wall of the kiosk.
I also bought some fabrics, I topped up on some Christmas fabrics
and of course, I had to get some yellows!
And who could resist the beautiful dyed threads, it was hard to choose, especially as I had no particular project in mind, I just 'needed' some pretty threads! LOL
See, I was quite well behaved, it's only a small pile.
And I carried it all the way home, I didn't ask Hunney to help at all.

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That's it, my Festival of Quilts experience in five blog posts. Enjoy the pictures.

FoQ Part Four.

The Hexie quilts were stunning and I had to get one or two images. This one is huge.

And this one was just amazing.
Each little hex had been individually quilted it looked like dozens and dozens of little flowers.
A log cabin hex.

Some smaller pieces.
And some more crowds.
Thats it, thats all my pictures from the exhibition. I could possibly have squeezed them into two posts, but what the heck, it's done now.

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I'll show my new stash in yet another post! LOL

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I had a wonderful day and would definitely go again, I'd even drag Hunney along if I couldn't find someone else to go with. Maybe a bunch of us bloggers should agree to meet up one day next year? You know, Hunneys are good, but there is nothing like discussing quilts with other quilters.

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Gratitude's

1) Spare batteries for the camera.

2) Loads of inspiration.

3) A great day out.

FoQ Part Three.

Here's my Hunney at about the half way point, he doesn't look too frazzled does he?

This phoenix is amazing in real life. It was made by Ferret. If you want to look at more of her work you can see it here.
Who put that pole there? The Quilt above is beautifully made by Jenny Bowker. I wish I could put the makers names with all of them. My report card should read can do better, must try harder.

I saw lots of fantastical creatures and somehow managed to miss out on pictures of dragons, we saw a few of them.

There are still more pictures.

FoQ Part Two.

As we wandered about I saw many inspiring quilts, some large and some small. These embroidered panels made me drool.

Hunney fell in love with these Kitty Cats.

I really must make him a Kitty quilt.

This piece reminded us of a scene in a game we used to play.
I still have more pictures.