Not a lot happening.

I've not done much sewing, my sister has been around doing hers, with my help and encouragement, but I've had little chance to get at the machine myself.

My beginners Scrap bundle and block the month instructions arrived yesterday. I got some lovely bright prints. Once again, they are mostly fabrics I wouldn't choose for myself.



The block pattern is for hourglass blocks. I'll have a play with those some time soon. I have to wonder though if I should change to a different club, I know I have only recieved two packages, but neither of them has really challanged me and inbetween the two I took on pinwheels with my sister and Katies choice for myself. I may have a look and see if I like some of the more challanging clubs. Any suggestions? I must confess to being tempted by this Dear Jane club. I've looked at it several times in the last couple of months. Julia You have a lot to answer for. LOL I've been following Julias progress for some time and really love many of the blocks she has produced.


I was out this morning with my sister, we stopped off at one of the islands few fabric shops, I got a few fat quarters. The christmas one was my sisters choice, I thought she wanted it, but when we got back here she said no, she'd suggested it to inspire me! LOL


I also bought some thread for quilting my boys top. The fleece has arrived and it's time to get on with it.

I have 4 Katies choice blocks made up now and 4 more cut ready to piece. Aside from being slowed down by a bad back, thats all I have to report.

Stash Building

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that I was new to quilting and didn't have any stash?
Well things have changed. It's still embryonic compared to some, but here is the beginnings of the future! LOL



Some was purchased as fat quarter sets, others were pot luck. Some I would have choosen for myself and others I wouldn't dream of picking up.


Some inspire me, and some have me floundering.


But I'm sure they will all get used somewhere.

My sister called round again this morning, we made some more of her pinwheels! Oh, and she found some more charms, Lovely! :-\ Anyway, she's gone to work now so I'm cutting more Katies choice pieces. I must say this one has slowed me down. Hunney is happy with that, I was getting through things a little too fast for his liking!
I've changed my mind again and ordered a piece of fleece for backing the boys charm quilt rather than a blanket and backing.
I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for stopping by.

Lots to see today.

I've uploaded the pictures in the wrong order, I'm having a hard time coming to terms with the picture I want to talk about first is the one to upload last!

So, in reverse order, cause I'm too lazy to start again.

Ater I'd finished everything else yesterday, I made this little Katies choice block.

I've been looking for something to use up my rose bucket fabrics and I couldn't resist this one, I'll be making more of these.

Dear sons charm top acquired some new charms while my sister was visiting yesterday, I found these red skull charms in her smeggie collection. Sorry it's a poor pic, I snapped it on the fly!


I think they look pretty good in the autumn quilt. I'm sure he will like them. I got it made as far as these 4 squares, I plan to quilt as I go, so it's awaiting some wadding and backing. I may use an old blanket in this one, if I can find one, I'll go trawl the op shops after work tomorrow. Then anything I find has plenty of time to wash and dry before the basket gets filled on Friday evening!


What should have been first but is now last but not least!
These are the awful ebay charms my sister brought with her yesterday. None of them are nicely cut, they are all different sizes so we will have to do some cutting to try to rescue them.

There are twice as many of the blue/grey with small flowers, I may abandon that one for now as it is very thin, a much lighter weight than the other, or any thing I have here. I do have some floral pastels that will blend in nicely with the floral fabrc, it was a quilters cheating fabric, it looks like 2" charm squares and is actually very pretty, but in most cases only one square remains whole!


I was actually here looking for ideas when I found the Katies choice block and got side tracked.
If I add some of my pastels and maybe some of the blues left over from my plates.........?
I do want to try to rescue and use the blue and yellows, as they are very pretty.
Any suggestions anyone?

Dear Sons quilt.

Thank you for all your comments on yesterdays post. I do apprciate them.
I started the day with all intentions of concentrating on DS's quilt. I spread all the charms back out on the floor, looked a it for a while, as I drank my morning cuppa and checked up on your blogs. Then I decided it was too small! Time to add more to it! LOL So out came the other pack of charms, they were duly added, things shuffled around a little, then I looked at it some more, while I had another cuppa. Worked out a plan of attack, now I have 100 charms, in a 10 x 10 arrangement, nice and easy, I'll stitch 5 x 5 blocks! Cool! Hey Ho, sewing machine here I come!


I got as far as you see here, then my sister arrived!

All the odd charms laying on the floor are hers! She brought her whole and extensive collection of 'smeggie' charms with her and tried to explain how I was going to help her make a nice quilt top out of them! LOL The cakes just on the right there were a bribe I think.



So we sorted the bundle into piles of 2x2 charms, it turns out what she wants is pinwheels. BIG pinwheels, so 4 charms each in matching fabrics. Sister dear ironed, while I cut, I did suggest the sew two lines then cut method, but she was having none of that!


Once she had finished ironing, she started sewing, while big sister was still cutting. :-/
Then she flew out the door to work, leaving me with this.....


And a table full of her pieces, while my own project still graced the floor!

It's not lunchtime yet, I have the whole day off work, I wonder if I'll get peace to get DS's top finished?

Dear sister did leave me with another project though. She had bought some 'charms' off ebay, they were hand cut, and most definately not square. She mooted the idea of squaring them up and using them 'somewhere' but I have other plans.
We also have a piece of silk which our grandfather bought mum from China many years ago, not big enough to make much clothing wise, but as a very special quilt back......it just so happens that it goes quite nicely with the odd shaped ebay charms. I feel a plan forming here, but in true Loulee style, I'm sure that will change! ROFLOL

I'll keep you posted.

What do you think?

I had two very pretty autumnal charm packs arrive today. I actually ordered them to help me decide which fabrics to use for my Chevron Quilt, but, over the weekend my oldest son dropped a not so subtle hint that he would like a mum quilt! To be honest I was totally at sea, the boy is 15 and impossible to buy for, but then these charms arrived. I had a play about this morning, cut some fat quarters which came in a lucky dip sale and added one or two charms from another pack. What do you think?



Most of the charms are from Modas Harvest Bouquet collection. I think my boy would like this, He is into brown at the moment, so, I'll get them sewn together and find something to use as a border/ backing fabric.

I had already decided that the other pack was more inspiring for the chevron quilt, it's another Moda collection, 'Autumn Journey' I'll decide on which fabrics I want and make a note of them, then make up a second charm quilt with those too, I have enoughof the fat quarter pieces left to make another the same size and with that in mind they should look kind of like a pair.