Another finish!

When I had it all laid out on the floor ready for the final round of construction yesterday, it dawned on me that I really don't like this one! Is this normal? Does anyone else suddenly go off a piece at or near to completion?


My efforts at quilting this piece were, well, (Insert expletive!) awful just about sums it up! I wonder how much of that was down to the fact that I had gone off it? And how much was down to trying to use a household size machine? I think in future I'll stick to the quilt as I go method, it's more forgiving. But thank you to those who encouraged me to have a go, I'd still be wondering.......if it wasn't for your faith.
I put the buttons on again, one in the centre of each block, they are not needed to hide any wobbles, I got that bit right! I just like them, they feel good. Hehehehehe, is there an embellisher inside of me pushing to get out? :-D
DD pointed out that the colours are actually perfect for my mothers sitting room. Merry Christmas Mum! I hope she doesn't mind a bit of wobbly quilting and some slightly screwed up corners! I did my best to rescue it.

And for my next trick? The washing machine is whirring round as I type! A few weeks ago I joined a beginners club which, every month sends out a scrap bundle and instrutions for making up a block, my first installment arrived at the same time as the fabric I used for this last piece. It's the really bright roll in the center of the pic here. It sat in it's pretty roll adorning the sideboard for a while as it seemed a shame to break into it. After pressing tomorrow I'll be cutting for some bright nine patches, there are lots of really bright pinks and blues in this bundle, not at all colours I would choose for myself so I'm not sure what will become of them. I'll ponder that while I sew.

A change of Plan.

Back to work, well I have to pay for this new habit somehow! When I went in yesterday morning it felt like I hadn't been away. I'm still tired and there are one or two colleagues I really don't want to see nor do I want to work with them. On the other hand it was good to see the clients again and to feel needed and appreciated, I was working with a colleague whom I was pleased to see and whose company I do enjoy, and the shift went by very quickly with lots of laughter.


On a happier and quiltier note, you may remember I said I was going to make some 4 square blocks, well, I changed my mind, deciding instead to stick to the strip effect/theme begun by the log cabin blocks. So I've now made a bundle of these rail fence blocks.



At least I think they are rail fence, or a variation of, I've looked all over and can find nothing like these! I know I didn't invent something new, so unless someone corrects me I'll stick with the rail fence theory. These are just a few of them awaiting their last press before being trimmed and tidied.


I've had a play on the floor, (it passes as my design wall, if I stand on a chair I get a pretty good overall view!) and so far I'm settled on 4 log cabin stars, with a cross of these rail fence blocks running between them, a matching sash and border, then maybe a second or third border, I'll see how it feels once I have the first one on. On that note I am once again awaiting the arrival of some fabric, I wish there was a good quilty or even general sewing shop nearby! There are two stitchy crafty shops in town, neither of whom sell fabrics! The closest shop which does sell fabric has only a tiny selection as she is also stocking countless other stitchy crafts.
Shop local only works if the local shops will stock or provide what we want.

Have a good day all.

Another day out and some new blocks.

Hunney and I went out again yesterday. We took the Electric tram from our home town Ramsey along the coast to Laxey. It was a lovely sunny day so we sat in the open car. While in Laxey we walked around in the glen


before heading for the beach where we bought lunch to take away and eat in the open air. We both enjoyed a lovely day.



I've also been busy making up blocks with the fabrics I recieved the other day. I've made pink and green log cabins.


I have a few more green cabins to make before I go on to make some sixteen patch blocks in the same fabrics.


I'm not sure where this is going, I'm sort of making it up as I go again. I do however have a bag of off cuts which I plan to use to make another scrappy style binding, I really do like the look of the one I put on my Loulee's Plates quilt.

The weather is abysmal today, it's pouring down, so I don't think we'll be doing much beyond the necessary grocery shopping. That means more time to sew! I will also spend some time looking through two new books, ''Quick and Easy Quilts'' and ''The Encyclopedia of Quilting and Patchwork Techniques''. I've had a quick look through both of them 2-3 times, but want to sit and look properly.

Charming

I spent a very pleasant afternoon with my daughter today, between us we cut and pieced this pretty little crib sized quilt. I really like the scrappy effect.



We used up the packs of charms I had recieved free with some other fabric. I have named this one 'Lou and Kays Merry Go Round. As Kay was so much help I figured she deserved to have her name on there.

I'll gift it to the next friend, colleague or family member to have a child.

Hope your day was as good as mine.

All finished.

I have to post twice again today, as there are so many pictures.



My mitres need a little work! I got myself more than a little confused and ended up having a few trial runs. I bought buttons to put on where the blocks meet, fearing that they would not be very tidy. I surprised myself, but used the buttons anyway, they look very pretty. They were a pain to put on, is there an easy way to get to the middle of a quilt this size?
Anyway, here it is showing off it's bottom on DDs bed. I think the binding is really effective, I like it very much.




I didn't quite get the random effect I wanted with the heart blocks, I think I'm half way there.
On the whole, as a first attempt at anything bigger than a patchwork/quilted cushion front, I'm rather pleased with myself.

Hunney loves it too, he is amazed at how quickly I managed to get it made. He says I can't do another one just yet, LOL we can't afford for me to be making one a month! So, I have my cross stitch and some knitting yarns, I'll just have to get busy with those! But I will be visiting quilting again, very soon. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

You wanna stay with me and see what I do next?

All finished.

On Tuesday. I cut the left over fabric into strips, which I sewed together, similar to the string blocks I've seen more experienced quilters doing.

After more cutting and sewing I got the iron out and made myself a long scrappy strip to bind with.



I like the effect I ended up with, it's really pretty.

A Quilt of two halves!

Well, it's coming along! Here's the first half, completed except for the removal of stray threads. I'd also like to press it again before I attach the other half and then bind it.



Here's the other half, waiting for me to slip stitch two seams in the back. I'll press both halves before stitching them together. I should get it done this evening. I'm off work again tomorrow, so I may get it finished.




As you'll see, no sashing, I decided against that on this first one. There will be no border either, I will be binding it though. I'm planning to make a 'scrappy' style binding with the fabric left over from the plates and the print on the back.

I see that it's usual practice to put a label on ones works. That means I have to think of a name for my quilt.

Dresden Plate.
Plates with Love.
Hearts and Flowers.
Blue China.
China hearts.
Loulee's Plates.

Help!
What am I gonna call it?

I have a sore finger, I had to go find my thimble, it's a lot of years since my fingers had to do that kind of work, you would think years of cross stitching would toughen my fingers, but the weave of aida and evenweaves means that the needle passes through much easier I guess.

Time to go pin the other half.

Have a good day.

Still enjoying myself.

My sister Moya came to see me yesterday, she brought my Birthday prezzies with her. This lovely handmade bag is reversable. I love the bugs on it, there are Moths, bees and dragonflies, very pretty.

She also brought me these two pillow cases which she made herself. She bought the pieces for Sue, but placed them all and hand appliqued them. I love them.


And last but not least, while she was here, she had a play on the new machine, here's the message she asked it to write for me, just before she left.


I've been busy again and all the plates are appliqued in place on their blocks and I've begun to quilt them. I can't believe how quickly this is coming together.

Have a good day all.

Quilt update

As promised, pictures of where my quilt is up to.

This first block will be one of the 'in betweens' and is backed with pretty blue rosebuds.



Here is one of my plates, it's not been appliqued yet! I can't get my poor old dinosaur of a sewing machine to do anything but a standard length straight stitch, and I want to satin stitch the edges of the plates, so I guess I'm waiting until Hunny brings my new machine home. Looks like I need to do some more ironing anyway! I never noticed that crease when I took the pic!



Tomorrow before work I'll be stitching up some more of the heart blocks.

Have a good day.

Ere,ere

Well my little friend has an ear. I've actually stitched more than this picture shows, I've filled in a lot of confetti style stitches around his face and been back down by his paws to stitch some more of the ground. I'm glad my plan for a rotation didn't work, I really didn't want to put him away.



As for getting on with my quilt during the day when there is no chance of disturbing Hunny! My sister keeps visiting, how come she gets to sit and do her embroidery while I get to surf all over the net and do her shopping online? Never mind, I'm expecting NO visitors today, so I'll get on and finish cutting the next lot of plates and may even get time to make a start on sewing them up. These are the first 8.


I'm not sure how many I'll need! Yes, I know, I should have decided this already, but well, I keep changing my mind. I have three plans here, all beautifully drawn on graph paper. I measured my bed countless times, measured the sheets, measured the two handmade quilts my hunny bought for me, then debated for and against putting my 11 inch plates onto 12, 14 or 16 inch blocks! Mind you, I've been planning on making it longer than it is wide, Hmm, where's my tape measure?
Happy Thursday.