Plan B

So plan A failed.

I was hoping to make a ticker tape style qult on the frame, but it just wasn't working out, so I did some reverse sewing and plotted plan B.

I made a start on that today. The overseer found it very tiring and climbed into bed for a nap.

The only time she will get into that bed is when I put it up onto the quilting frame! Any other place and she snubs it. I thought she would never use it. Then one day while I wad having a tidy it found its way onto the frame and in she went. So glad she is using it.

The boys quilt did finally make some progress today. I used some fabric I had precut, and cut and sewed more. There is no particular pattern, but it is inspired by this quilt.

 http://www.tidbits-cami.com/2015/02/lazy-quilters-quilt-no-measuring-required.htm

So, I had fun for a while this afternoon.

I have more fabrics to cut into, but can't help wondering if I have enough. I may have to go find more.

That would mean a shopping trip.

Shame.

The boy himself came for dinner this evening, bringing along a friend and his beautiful girlfriend.

She is a keeper.

Snow!

We have snow this morning.

Big white flakes falling all around us.

We were planning another shopping trip, to another quilty shop, but I think we will stay home instead.

The view from my wee room. I shall spend most of the day in there I think.

Snow, on my birthday! 

Its a bit like getting a white Christmas back on the Isle of Man.

I feel a new start may be imminent.

Dear son wants something boat inspired.

Todays purchases will be added to the offerings from the scrap box and fat quarter collection.

I think im going to do something ticker tape style.

Block 7

The beginnings of block 7. This one will have pretty blue flowers.

I have to say, its all very well having the pieces pre cut and fused, it does save a lot of time but, there is something to be said for selecting and maybe  fussy cutting your own fabrics. I find myself quite dissatisfied now at this point. I think it may have something to do with that missing step. Or maybe it's the background fabric, that insists on puckering! No matter how often I press the fabric, And no matter how often I lift the presser foot to ease the needles journey around the curves. I still get puckers.

I quilted!

It's been a long time, but finally I quilted again.

I spent a lot of Sunday pottering in my room slowly wandering up and down the length of my frame.

It was nice, working in there with the sun beaming in through the window.

I won't be winning any prizes, but each time I try I think I get a little better.

I'm probably not helping myself by trying to quilt an already completed top.

This one had some very basic and simple quilt as you go blocks which I joined and bound.

It was one of my very first quilting projects and I have learned a lot since then.

Returning to this very quilt from time to time for maintenance and repair!

Now that very simple quilting has become some meandering, some stippling and an attempt at custom quilting.

I couldn't do what I wanted in the Plates due to the restrictions of my mid arm machine.

I had a look at some long arm machines and opted not to mention them to Santa at this time.
Once I took the quilt back off the frame, I finally got around to sorting out that whole roll of batting, it's now in place and awaiting it's first project.

I have something in mind for that, which shouldn't be restricted by the size of my machine.

This evening I'll be under my very warm Dresden quilt, burying more threads.

Progress

On Wednesday I found some time to sit and sew. I completed block 4.

Love the colours in this block.

Today I completed blocks five

And six.

Even though my helper insisted on sitting on my pressing pad.

I kept picking her up and shooing her off.

Eventually after many trips around the room and several attempts to sneak back onto the pad, she took the hint and settled into the cat bed, strategically placed where a certain quilt was abandoned, er sitting awaiting my attention.

I've moved the quilt, because finally it is time I buried the threads and prepared it for some more quilting.

There are a lot of threads, this may take some time....

*

And finally, a picture of my button jar.

I had my buttons in a pretty tin, but it was getting rather full and since I acquired Tony's grandmothers button tin, I decided it was time to show off my pretty collection.

I have to say, Grandmas tin is rather rusty and battered, but has many fond memories for Tony, so after decanting the buttons, I popped it into his playroom. I'm sure he will find a use for it.

Even if it's just to jog sentimental memories.

I have to say that Grandma is alive and well, but at well into her 90s  just a bit beyond sewing on buttons.

I'm off to bury more thread.

Yet another tidy up!

Why is it our craft rooms and areas turn into dumping grounds?

It seems that I am forever having to tidy up, so that I can sit and sew!

On Sunday I hoped to sew, I was looking forward to getting on with block 4 of Spring Sprouts.

But my work space was cluttered again.

Up stepped Tony and kept a promise that has been waiting for a while.

I finally have a shelf above my work table. It's great for getting boxes and jars of tools up out of the way, along with tins and pencil cases, and other necessary items, that must be kept handy, but clutter the space.

Much better.

Thank you Tony.

The clutter had even extended to the top of the quilting frame.

I tidied that up too.

Though I did leave a partially quilted quilt there for Belle to sleep on.

If I leave a cat bed there, or a completed piece especially made for her, she refuses to use it!!

Only an in progress item will do.

CATS!

No sewing was done on Sunday.

Then on Monday, while I was working an extra shift, a man in a van tried to deliver a package for me.

Tony works just around the corner from the depot!

By the time he had finished work, it was back at the depot and he was able to collect it on my behalf.

A whole roll of batting!!

Now I just need to find the space to unroll it all and re roll it onto the frame.

The sitting room might just be wide enough.

Guess what Tony will be helping me with next weekend?

Right, most of my chores are done, just one or two more, then I get to play.

Have a happy day.

Blocks two and three

I have to say, I really enjoyed myself on Monday, sewing together not one but two blocks for my spring sprouts.

As I said, the kit Tony purchased for me has every thing in it, even pre cut applique pieces. Wonderful.

It's just a matter of following the placement guides in the pattern.

Decide if it's a leaf, a petal, a bud or a stem.

Then applique into place.

The nature of the beautiful batiks chosen for this project do make some of the decisions a little tricky.

I'm sure those two blue leaf//petal shapes at the top are leaves, not blue petals, with a green flower bud? That's the way I went anyway, and I'm not going back now!

I did think about getting a neutral thread for all of the applique....

Nah!! Love working with all the pretty jewel tones and the leaves are all done in green!! 

I don't know if I'll have time to do another block today.

Maybe if I do find crafty time, I'll pick up my cross stitch.

A busy weekend.

Well it was all go in this house over the weekend. Tony and I both found time to play.

During the week I had gotten my Christmas Story quilt all finished and the binding on, all I had to do was close it. That was done yesterday.

Of course I did change a few things.

In places I used fussy cut pieces rather than lots of hand stitching.

I also made use of buttons and pretty accessories in place of hand stitching.

I had fun making my changes.

I personalised the gift tags.

Some of the images are a little blurry, sorry, I was taking quick shots using my notebook.

And a 

Tada!! 

 Moment.

And of course, a quick peep at the new start I mentioned yesterday!

This is block one, of Spring Sprouts.

I'm loving the pre cut pieces. As I have mentioned in response to some comments, no way could I cut neat circles, even with a template..

Block two will be happening today.

I mentioned that both Tony and I spent time on our crafty pursuits yesterday.

Here is a peep into his world.

First and foremost. A comfy place to rest for the furry visitor, along with a box and piece of paper for her amusement!

She was feeling camera shy and took off when I appeared, but she was on the chair, for a while.

Tonys chair is not quite so comfy.

He is making a fine scale model of an aircraft. I'm not sure what kind, but it is taking quite a long time. And what are my kitchen scissors doing in there? 

I gave him my old cutting mat. (I needed a new one anyway, well that's my story....)

I'll try to get progress pics for another time. But you can see current progress, just in front and to the left of my white kitchen scissors. I must go reclaim them. It's very small isn't it? 

I wonder what is taking so long?

A new start.

All the little finishes lately must mean I can have a new start.

The Christmas Story quilt is all but done. I just need to close the binding, then I'll get a photo taken.

I have some Christmas ornaments prepped and ready for some slow stitching and of course my cross stitch dragonfly is taking long naps in the drawer by my chair.

But all of that is for in the sitting room, while watching tv.

I need something for in my play room, and here it is.

Some years ago I asked Santa to bring this beauty along.

Which he duly did. Love you Santa, thankyou. Xx

It sat for a while in a drawer, moved house, moved across the world and moved house again!

Now it just might get its chance.

The pattern is Spring Sprouts, by Laundry Basket Quilts. The kit contains all the batik fabrics I'll need to make the top, and all of the applique pieces are precut with fusibles already in place and even presorted into numbered bags for a quick and easy start.

I took one of the charm packs into the sewing shop the other day a bought plenty of matching threads and two large reels matching the background fabrics.

Is today the day?

A quilt in a day!

I've had a growing bundle of pretty, romantic rose fabrics for some time now.

Yesterday was their turn!

Many were folded into neat wee turnover triangles.

This one had something to hide!

I opted not to use it!

In fact I used only a dozen of the fabrics from the collection,

I made some pretty raw edge roses.

And cut some 10 inch squares and a tone on floral tone border.

Belle checked out the batting for me.

It was so cosy she didn't want to move, so I used another piece!

I layered it after a quick lunch and a trip into town for backing fabric. (More roses)

The quilting is straight lines echoing the seams.

By dinner time, the only thing left to do was attach the binding!

It was finished by bedtime. 

Ta Da!

It's so pretty.

I love it.

I have a lot of the fabrics left.

I think I might just make a king size version.

But not today, I need to collect some more rose fabrics.

Today, if this headache lets up, I'll be hand stitching on my Christmas Story.