Progress

I feel like I have made great progress on my hexie project since last time.

I have the last two diamonds joined into the central panel.

It felt good to get that done.

Life has been quite busy for a couple of days, so I'm pleased to have been able to make two more flowers.

I didn't set out to make two purple flowers, they just happened to be what I grabbed out of the box.

*

Debbie and I have our fortnightly day off together today and we plan to sit n stitch together. I'm sure there will be a break in there for lunch and a trip to the local shop too, as Debbie did say she wanted some threads. 

*

I finally found a stockist here in NZ who had some of the Honeycomb papers I need for my Lucy project, so I bought all that she had left. 300 papers, that's enough to prepare twelve more blocks. I plan to do a lot of trimming and sticking this morning, then maybe after lunch I'll make another flower?

Or maybe I'll make my first Lucy?

I know which one Chooky wants me to do.

LOL

 

Still not going to plan.

I still didn't make progress on anything other than my hexies.

Maybe it's because my supervisor was distracted?

While she was bird watching, I was cutting and gluing hexies.

On Sunday, before work I sewed together the last of the diamond blocks. 

I thought it would be nice to keep them in my newly made block keeper...

I left them right where they were, piled up on top of the project box.

*

So Monday while Belle was bird watching I was as I said, preparing some more flower blocks. I have some already prepared, but want to stay ahead so each day I cut and glue at least one flower worth of hexies and a good few neutral hexies too. Did I mention that I'll need over 500 neutral hexies?

Once I had had enough of cutting a gluing I set about sewing the first flower together.

Very pretty too. 

But those diamonds were calling to me. And a little voice was whispering in my ear. Maybe it was the squirrel, but he usually shouts... Anyway, who ever it was, they were telling me that I should perhaps join as  go, rather than save all the joining to the end.

So I started to join diamonds.

And by bed time I had four of the six all together.

I'm hoping to get a chance to do some more today, but we have a meeting at work, and I have an extra 5pm - 9pm shift that I have agreed to cover, plus lots of chores to do as I neglected them yesterday.

I'm sure I can manage to squeeze in a little sewing time somewhere. LOL

*

I will have to find somewhere else to keep my progress though.

I put it there for just a moment while I had a quick tidy up of threads and scissors, I looked up and.....

Problem is, there is nowhere in this house that she doesn't consider to be her space and good for a snooze.

*

Right, time to get on with the day, the sooner I start the chores, the sooner I get finished. 

 

So the plan was....

 I said in my last post, that I planned to open up my cupboard and see which project spoke the loudest. 

Well that didn't happen.

I had chores to do in town on Thursday and on the way home I called into the Op shop, looking for the elusive orange coffee mug with white spots. (If you know, then you know).

No mug, but I did find treasure of another sort.

It's not often that I'm lucky enough to strike a find like this.

These are mostly fat quarters, with two skinny quarters and a bundle of fat eighths.

SCORE!

*

I was not the only one in the house to strike treasure.

Tony received mail.

It was all packaged safely in cardboard, not a box but...

Doesn't she look happy??

*

So what did happen?

You ask..

The squirrel took control.

I didn't go near the cupboard that holds all the projects that need quilting.

I didn't pay any attention to any of my other projects.

Firstly I pressed all of those pretty new fabrics. The squirrel happened to mention that some of them would be good for my hexie project. So that was that.

I sat the whole afternoon with Grans tray in my lap cutting and gluing hexies.

Then  I sorted my hexies into lil bags.

 Each one containing enough to make a whole diamond, or a whole flower. Not enough for the whole project, but enough to make a start.

Once that was done, I cut some more neutrals before I took out my needle and began to sew.

Yes, that outer round is one of the fabric finds from the Op shop.

Maybe I did find the project that shouted the loudest.

Sew that was my Thursday.

*

On Friday I did manage to achieve one of the things on my list.

Do you remember the spotty fabric? 

I was busy secretly sewing that.

And once that was done, those hexies got my attention again.

First thing on the list was to sort and cut more neutrals, I'll need over 500.

 I also cut and glued two more bags worth of hexies.

Then it was back to making diamonds.

By the time I finished sewing up number 4, I was ready for my bed and some sleep.

*

I know that Chookyblue would love it if I made such great progress on my Lucy Blue (Boston) project too. And believe me, I really would like to, but sadly I don't have any more papers. They seem to be scarce here in NZ. I have ordered some, but they may be a while.

Sorry Chooky. As soon as they get here I will make more progress.

Or maybe I'll keep it as my Zoom project?

When are we zooming again?

*

I have chores to do in the kitchen this morning, then I get to play, until it's time to go to work.

Three bundles of scraps.

Only three you say? Well I only used three in yesterdays finish.

Do you remember last weekend, when I showed you how some of the scraps from Summer Berries had been hexed?

Well yesterday it was their turn for the finishing treatment. I layered them onto a background fabric and some batting. Hehe, applique and quilt in one go.

The back ground fabric is leftover from backing my big scrapper last year. 

Then I added backing fabric too and sewed around the outside of my hexies.

(The backing is extra fabric left over from backing and binding my Gail Pan Wish You Well quilt earlier this year).

By the time Tony came home for his lunch I had the binding on as well.

The binding is left overs too, left from binding the Summer Berries quilt.

A very successful morning.

Once Tony had returned to work I set about closing the binding.

and on went the Loulee label.

and 

Ta Daaa!

Another quick finish.

Then I rewarded myself and the patient squirrel by snipping and gluing hexies.

*

I did not sleep well last night and spent quite a bit of time trying to think about what I might do today, but both the squirrel and my muse were silent, time then to open the cupboard and see who shouts at me...

 

Ta Dah!

So on Sunday, I spent the whole day working on one single project.

(Take that Squirrel!)

I put my trusty walking foot onto my table top machine and off I went.

Quilting lots and lots of straight lines onto my Summer Berries quilt top.

Which if you remember I had pinned last Monday.

I played around a bit with the distancing between the quilting lines, using the edge of the foot and the corners of the blocks as guides.

No quilt is complete without a label. Which I actually added on Monday.

I know some people make very pretty and elaborate labels, but I like my Loulee labels. 

And here you have it, one completed quilt.

Ta Daah!

The idea for quilting for this one came to me on a restless night, when I seemed to spend more time awake that sleeping. I've had a few of those recently. I think my muse is using the quiet time to get a word in around the squirrel. So now she is telling me how to quilt the batik hexies and also the scraps left over from Summer Berries.

Yes, more restless nights.

Watch this space, if I don't fall asleep I'll have more finished projects soon.

*

Monday was a less busy day. After chores I stitched on the Loulee label, then did some of the 'other' sewing. You know, repairs and hemming. Then as a reward I played with my blue fabrics. I cut and glued another two Lucy blocks.

I was hoping to fussy cut the outer corner fabrics on this one, but it was a scrap piece and it soon became evident that I wouldn't quite manage it, not even four pieces.

Never mind, it still looks lovely.

Well, I think it does.

I was able to be fussy about that pretty stripe in the centre of the second block though. 

I am still awaiting delivery of more honeycomb papers, so will have to either start sewing these together or go back to trimming and gluing scraps onto hexie papers for my other EPP project. I have plenty of those and don't see me running out any time soon. LOL

I have to say I am enjoying the process of trimming and gluing fabrics for my EPP projects, it's almost as satisfying as sewing them all together.

*

Tony has the day off work today. I took him to eye clinic for 9am. They put drops into his eyes which open his pupils very wide, so now he must avoid bright lights for a few hours. He is happily sitting in his chair in the darkened sitting room, with a book.  Do I stay in there with him and play with hexies, or do I venture into my much cooler sewing room and search for backing fabrics?????

I might make myself a hot cuppa while I ponder that one.

 

Plans for the weekend?

Any plans I make at the moment seem to get pushed aside as the squirrel takes control and I end up going off in all directions.

One thing that did go to plan on Friday was to get some of the scraps from Summer Berries all joined together. 

It took a little longer than I anticipated, but here it is awaiting some finishing treatments.

The artificial lights make some of the fabrics seem much brighter, but they really do blend in nicely.

*

Another thing that has gone to plan was my Saturday morning. 

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to make a block keeper, and a plan has been forming ever since. So yesterday I pulled out some orphan blocks whom I had adopted from an op shop.

They are slightly different sizes, but a border around each soon sorted that out.

I hadn't realised until yesterday, but that star block is hand pieced.

Seems appropriate as I plan to use it to store my Lucy blocks.

It didn't really take too long to make, and after lunch, made by Tony, I set about closing the binding.

I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out and plan to make another, but there are one or two things I would do differently. 

The courier called again on Friday. 

Another book was delivered. Edyta Sitars Handfuls of scraps.

There are some beautiful quilts shown in it and some lovely patterns too.

I wanted the book for the cover quilt.

It's the only EPP quilt in the book and it is beautiful. I might have to have a go at making something similar with some of my scraps. 

So yesterday after completing the block keeper I set about sorting out some scraps.

This box was filled up.

Out came Grans wooden tray.

And while I watched a movie and messaged with Janice I snipped and glued.

In spite of a phone call asking me to work I did manage to get quite a few hexies prepared.

And when I got home from work I carried on and made more. 

There is still plenty of scraps in the box awaiting my attention.

And....

I have also started to get some blue fabrics ready, for some more Lucy blocks.

As I was getting these ready I realised that I really don't have enough of the honeycomb paper pieces so had to go shopping....

You know how it is...

I didn't just buy papers....

More about that on another day. LOL

*

How are your weekend plans going?

 

Mid week roundup.

 Yep! Blogger is doing it's thing again!

Moving things around and changing the order of things.

Sigh.

Fine my half composed essay can go out of the window and I'll wing it, all because blogger thinks it knows best.

So as I said on Monday, nothing went as planned over the weekend. Some of that chaos has continued into this week. This certainly wasn't in the plans, but somehow my Summer berries quilt top ended up layered and pinned. It had been calling to me over the weekend so was added to the list.

It's now awaiting some quilting. Maybe in the next few days......

Maybe not.

I'm not sure if it's my muse, or that squirrel I followed, but something is pulling me in all directions at the moment. 

*

Speaking of the squirrel, it took me shopping again.

So on Tuesday the courier delivery lady arrived.

It was my pal Claire!

Like Debbie and I, Claire has also changed jobs recently and we hardly ever get together anymore.

But she was interested to know what I was up to and what I had been buying.

Wow, what a lovely book. 

You know, you can get a kit of just the paper pieces and templates needed for the cover quilt.

I know, because the squirrel took me shopping.

Surprisingly I achieved quite a bit on Tuesday even with a new distraction. 

I did a lot of work on my Christmas Ornament and some crochet.

Then in the evening the squirrel had me playing with more of the scraps from Summer Berries.

While watching TV I sat with my Grans tray in my lap gluing a few more hexies.

Aren't the papers cute? I got them free with a magazine.

Then I started to sew them together, along with their friends who I had glued on Sunday.

And I played around with lay outs.

I see a table runner.

There are still a few more to add though. 

*

On Wednesday morning, I finally cut and glued one block for Lucy Blue.

I like both layouts, so may have to cut another in the same fabrics.

I didn't start putting it together yet, It's all safely tucked away waiting ....

*

Also on Wednesday, before leaving my sewing room I quickly put together a little baggie.

(It's actually a pretty green, not grey.)

Nothing clever or fancy just a simple bag with a channel at the top for a ribbon. 

At work we have a trolley containing all the medications needed for our residents. Inhalers and the spacers used with them take up a lot of room so they are not kept inside the trolley, but in bags, hanging on the outside. A new resident means a new bag was needed.

Finally, after Tony had been home for his lunch I was able to sit down and finish my July ornament. 

Just in time for me to go to work.

*

Sew a busy couple of days...

I'm not going to commit to anything for the remainder of the week, I'll just wait and see where the wind blows me or maybe the squirrel will take me by the hand?

*

Oh and in case you are wondering, yes, I did, I ended up cutting and pasting and moving all of the pictures back to where I wanted them, in a nice order, so that I could write things down in the order in which they occurred.

Take that Blogger!

How is your week going?

That is not how I saw my weekend going....

If you read my last blog post, you'll know that I had planned to work on my Christmas Ornament and also cut some blue fabrics for a start on a Lucy Boston EPP project. 

Well none of that happened! 

When I went into my room to start cutting blue fabrics I had to do a quick tidy up and found myself sorting through the scrap bin looking for red fabrics.

You see, I came across this wee box (First seen here) and the squirrel took control.

Then because I had found a bunch more suitable fabrics and glued a bunch more hexes, this box was becoming too small.

Luckily I had another larger box.

Sew now there are two EPP boxes.

And still no progress on Lucy.....

And, the Red Berries quilt top has been calling out to me all weekend. It want's to be quilted. So on Sunday I found myself with pencil and paper in hand planning how that might go!

And I got in a few more rounds on my new crochet project.

So although some progress was made. None of it was planned.

Do you have days like that too?

Or is it just me?

And why is blogger adding extra lines between paragraphs?

Oh well, two days off now, so even more time to get distracted. LOL

A Finish and two Starts.

The secret stitching has slowed down a little, because I was very close to getting my crochet project finished, and you know how it it, once you sniff the finish line there is no holding back.

This very generously proportioned throw size blanket was supposed to be about using up stash, which I did do! But I also purchased more yarn, to make it bigger. LOL

It is pure wool so quite heavy and very cosy.

I have already pulled out another bag of yarn and made a start on another blanket. Lots of acrylic scraps to use up in this one. Photo soon. 

*

I have started to gather supplies for my next EPP project.

Chookyblue will be pleased to see that I have at last sorted out my blue fabrics and I am preparing to start a Lucy Boston quilt.

In blues of course.

So far, that is all I have done, but I'm hoping to make a start on cutting today, before I go to work.

*

In other news.

The applique is progressing slowly. It has started and stopped twice, as I tried out different stitches for adding the leaves.

The secret Christmas stitching is also on a go slow, but I'll be having a go at that today.

And I'll pick up the latest crochet project here and there and work my way through the basket of scraps. 

*

Time to get on with my day. 

 

Who needs sleep?

Well, me! If I want to make progress on my Papaver Pizazz quilt top today.

Over the last couple of days I have made some good progress and I want to continue that on my days off. But sleep is eluding me tonight.

Sew what's a girl to do?

Write a blog post of course.

In my last post I mentioned that I needed to get back to the secret stuff, so might not have much to show, but as previously mentioned, I have been making good progress elsewhere too.

On Sunday after writing about the Zoom along I went into my room where I cut and started to applique the stems for Papaver Pizazz.

You can just see them here  on this photo I took on Monday before work.

Five narrow green strips.

I appliqued the last two down on Monday Morning. Then I set about tracing all of the leaves.

As you can see above I weighted three lengths of very curly freezer paper under my long ruler before heading off to work on Monday afternoon.

But they were still very curly on Tuesday morning when I fused and cut out all those leaves.

No nice simple classic leaf shapes here, oh no, it's like trying to cut out Fjords!

But I got them all done and even managed to get the first two fused into place, ready to applique today.

Sew, although the pictures are really not that exciting, I feel like I have made great progress.

Oh, and I have also made great progress on the July secret Christmas Ornament.

Sew I'm a tired but happy girl.

*

I might go back to bed now to see if I can get some more sleep. 

Pussy cat Belle has disappeared from her spot on the sofa. I bet you that means she has taken up my spot on the bed!

I hope you're sleeping better than I am.