Hexie finish!

Right back at the start of the month I made a pledge to myself to make and finish a hexie cushion before August was over.  I did most of the prep work before I flew out to visit my Parents in the West of Ireland last week.  So whilst looking out at this view...

View from the living room window

and actively trying to avoid the four kidlets running riot round my Mums house, I stitched and stitched and stitched.

Yesterday morning ( my last day of hols) I had got this far, with one more row of Newspaper hexies to stitch on.

Progress made on hols!

After dropping the kidlet off at Nursery this morning and ignoring the pile of holiday clothes in need of washing, I got back to work on sewing that last row on and finishing the cushion.

Ta da!

Required close up pic ;-)

Summersville Brushstrokes in charcoal for the envelope back

 My finish means I am just in time to link up with the Festival of Hexagons, which has some rather nice prizes up for grabs courtesy of the Fat Quarter shop.

There are some gorgeous projects already linked up, which includes Susan's beauty of a cushion so go and have a gander ;-)

My Mum loved her table runner and I will blog about that and the non stitchy part of my hols over the weekend.  Now I am off to catch up on what I missed in blogland over the last week.

Holiday!!!

Work is over and I am officially on holiday for the next two weeks - woo hoo!  So I had a little holiday checklist to sort out over the last two days:

• Clothes washed - check!
• Eyebrows waxed-check!
• Toe nails painted  - check!
• Hair dyed - check!
• Forehead, ears,neck and scalp dyed bright purple - check check check!

Why is it that no matter how much Vaseline I slather on before the dying process, I always managed to dye everything in the general vicinity of my head?? - No smutty remarks required Charlotte!

So before the Kidlet and I make our annual trip off to my parents in Ireland, I had one last urgent sewing job to do.  Another good friend from work is deserting me to go travelling and wanted a case for her netbook that reminded her of home.

I went for a subtle reminder when planning the design....

 

Showing my newly polished little stumpy toes!

I left the back plain as asked because she has the idea that she will get everyone she meets to sign the back.  I had palpitations about anyone coming near one of my cases with a Biro!!

My machine is now all packed away and my hand sewing is sitting waiting to be packed, along with a finished table runner for my Mum.  More pics of that will be coming.

One last thing before I go, the lovely Sarah from Narcoleptic in a Cupboard is hosting a Japanese Charm swap.  If you fancy joining in all the details are here.

Now just a evening out with the LMQG to meet Tula Pink to get through, oh I lead such a hard life ;-)

See you all in a week

x

Festival of Quilts 2012

I made the trip up to Birmingham yesterday for the FoQ and once again I came away tired but happy!

My spending was fairly restrained for once, but only because I blew my fabric budget earlier on in the month with some Melody Miller and Tricolette's closing down sale.

So I got the basics....

A little visit to the Eternal Maker stand....

and then to the Backstitch stand, where despite forgetting my 10% voucher the lovely Alice still honoured it!

Klona bundle that I have been eyeing up for months!!

The first person I bumped into was the lovely Laura Jane from Needles, pins and baking tins, who was glamming up the Sizzix stand big time.

Laura and a corner of Hadleys quilt!

I also bumped into Charlotte, Amy, Lucie Summers, Brioni and Tula Pink no less!  Now that's name dropping for ya ;-)

I have to confess that I don't spend an awful lot of time looking at the quilts on display, but I am told there were some stunners there.  There was one that I absolutely loved, hanging by a shop I can't remember the name of.  It was made out of hundreds of tiny log cabin pin cushions all strung together.....

 

My phone photo really doesn't do this justice!

So now all I have left to work is one 12 hour night shift tonight and I am on holiday for two weeks, bliss!

W.I.P Wednesday

I managed to get four days of sewing in this week and made quite a lot of progress on my never ending to-do list.

Finishes:

 In trying to make one decent gift for my friend at work, I ended up making three attempts! 

I used three tutes:

Noodlehead gathered clutch (top left)

Pink Penguin patchwork wristlet (bottom left)

Confessions of a fabricaholic wallet (top and bottom right)

The left two made the grade for pressies!

My favourite finish of the week is my rainbow coasters, made for my Mum to go with the Stargazey table runner.

WIP's:

Progress:

Star table runner is now at the binding stage and I am just waiting for the fabric to arrive.

Stargazey table runner

I also spent a few hours Sunday and then again yesterday afternoon finishing the hand quilting on my Brit quilt swap mini.  All I have left to do on this is bind and finish the label for the back.

BQS label progress

No progress:

• EPP hexie cushion - I am saving this for my hols next week.

Upcoming projects:

• Summersville quilt - Probably September's project now!
• LMQG August challenge - something Paper pieced
• Ruby Star vinyl bag

That's it now until next Monday for sewing for me. I have crammed all of my August on-calls into one hellish week :(.

Linking up with Freshly pieced WIP Wednesday.

Monday sewing...

The runner for my Mum is for her kitchen table and as there is always a string of people coming and going, drinking tea etc, I thought it need some matchy coasters.

Charlotte posted a great little tute on scrappy coasters a couple of weeks ago and I did make up one using that method but I seem to have a real problem with improv, it goes against my anally retentive nature ;-).  So I paper pieced my fronts instead, diving into my overflowing scrap baskets for the rainbow scraps.

This week is going to be a sad one for me at work, my good friend who has been my partner in crime for nine years is moving on to another hospital and I am gutted.  It is however a good excuse to make her something for a leaving present and after the weekends sewing success's, I though I would breeze through the pattern I had in mind - how dumb am I!!!!

The first pattern I tried was for a wallet that I had seen on a couple of blogs before, including Charlotte's (can you see a pattern forming here?).  Armed with advice about interfacing everything, size 16 needles and the need for gin, I got stuck in....

It wasn't hard to follow, but the kidlet nicked the computer half way through making it and I guessed far too much on what to do.  This resulted in a closure tab that didn't fit and needed doubling over.  This was obviously not something I was going to gift.

So I turned to good old Noodlehead patterns and made up the gathered clutch. Apart from the zipper ends, I am happy with this one.  

I might have another attempt at that wallet tomorrow!

Stargazy runner - attempt 2!!

Thanks so much for coming to my rescue yesterday and all your great suggestions.  I finally figured that the far apart quilting was what was annoying me, so I filled in the gap and then as suggested just added some hand quilting around the biggest stars.

My Mum had a look on Flickr and has pronounced it fit enough to grace her table ;-).

I am going to bind in the Kei honeycomb dots in grey.  I think there is only so much rainbow I can get away with for my family, although I would have loved a scrappy binding.

Today has been pretty much a perfect Sunday - messing around at the park with my boys and then home for some more stitchery....

BQS swap mini- hand quilting progress

Rainbow coasters for my Mum

Hope you all had a great sunday too!

Help me please!

I have spent today finishing up the runner for my Mum.  I used the Stargazing block from the Modern blocks book and then made a couple of extra little extra stars for the sashing. 

I can't help thinking it needs something more, but can't seem to decide what!  More straightlines, some handquilting?  

Stargazey runner

So I need your opinions, would you leave it alone or add more?  Answers on a postcard please ;-)

Giveaway winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, I had a good giggle at some of the random comments you left me ;-).

Well Mr Random generator has spoken....

 and the lucky winner is Moira aka Kettle Boiler :).  Well done Moira, i've just sent you an email.

Thanks again
xx

W.I.P Wednesday

The last week has been filled with hexies and stars as I work on more little projects.

Finishes:

Home mini made for the LMQG July challenge - blogged here

EPP sewing case - Blogged here

W.I.P's:

Rainbow hexie cushion - new project

I have sewn the print hexies into their rows and I am just starting to sew on the text background print.  The Olympics have helped a lot with the progress on this as I have hardly moved from the sofa ;-)

Star table runner - New project:

This is for my Mum after she came to visit and clocked eyes on my Rainbow granny runner.   I used the Stargazing block from the Modern blocks book, reversing the first and last blocks so the stars flow better.   I just  need to make a couple more mini stars to go in the sashing in between the blocks and then I can baste and quilt this in time to take with me on holiday.

No progress:

• Brit quilt swap mini - I have the hand quilting to do still.

 Upcoming projects:

• Summersville quilt - Probably September's project now!
• LMQG August challenge - something Paper pieced
• Ruby Star vinyl bag

I will be back to catch up with everyone else's blogs and post the winner of my giveaway tonight.  My mean old work blocks access to most social networking sites ;-)

Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday.  

Hexing along

I have to admit to having done very little over the last few days apart from baste and stitch these lovelies and watch Team GB at the Olympics.  There is something quite soothing about mindless sewing whilst shouting at the telly ;-)

Hexy cushion

I did leave the sofa yesterday to attend the LMQG monthly meet in posh St John's Wood.  I love seeing what everyone else has been up to.  The challenge for this month was to make something to represent what London means to me.  I have to say I am crap with these kind of things, I have no imagination!

Having ummed and ahhed over this for the last month, I decided that I had better pull my finger out on Saturday and make something.......

July LMQG challenge mini

 London to me after 11 years of living here is just home, so I made a cute little mini paper piecing both the bunting and the letters.  On the back I used the Underground print with the Northern line, which I have spent the best part of the last 11 years going up and down.

Now in exciting other news I have just signed up to learn how to embroider with the Queen of the stitch herself - Aneela Hoey.  There is only 10 spaces so if you want to sign up , you better had get over to her blog quick!

Hexathon - part 1

I have an idea in my head that I need to make a hexagon cushion, it's like its a right of passage and that I won't be a proper sewer (sewist?) until I have done so.  August is the month of the hexathon for me, by the time the 31st rolls round I want a hexie cushion sitting on my sofa looking all smug. 

So yesterday I got started, because as many of you know handsewing isn't my forte and this could take a while ;-)

A bit of scrap plundering

A lot of template cutting

 and then to the exciting bit messing about with layouts...

Option1

Option 2

However I decide to lay the hexies out, I still have to baste another 78 neutral ones for the border - oh happy days!

Don't forget you can still enter my 100th post giveaway  until next Tuesday - CLICK HERE!

100th post = Giveaway time

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

 
Woo hoo this is my 100th post and to celebrate/commiserate with you all having to read through my ups and downs, I am having a little giveaway.

For a chance to win a Charm pack of Summersville, matchy matchy zippers in red, orange, green and blue; Perle thread (no 8) in red; key fob hardware and a ready made key fob.......

Giveaway loot!

All you have to do is leave me a comment about anything you fancy, that's it no hoops!  For a second chance just leave me a second comment telling me you follow.  If you are a no-reply blogger etc, please leave your email addy in the comments.

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday 7th August and then I will employ Mr Random generator to pick the winning comment. 

 GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

**********************************************************************************

Whilst I ponder on what quilt I want to make next,I have been trying to get myself ready for my upcoming EPP marathon.  I needed a special pouch to hold all things hand sewy...

Fancy new EPP pouch

It seemed only fitting that I made a little rainbow EPP for the front of it ;-)

All ready to rock and roll!

So now all I need to do is cut out a million hexagon templates and get to basting!

 GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Blooming finished

just in time for Fresh sewing day!

Whilst watching the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, I finished stitching down the binding on my rainbow bloom.  Oh how I love this quilt, it has usurped the HMM quilt as my all time favourite.  Aneela's pattern is fab, with well written and easy to follow instructions.  

I am taking this quilt to Ireland with me to get some decent pics and then it's coming right back home, to live on my sofa.

Rainbow bloom - Pattern by Aneela Hoey

Quilt stats:

Approx 73" square

112 dresdens in 34 different fabrics

A million and 1 hand stitches (okay maybe that's a slight exaggeration and I did have help on the third dresden plate)

Background fabric - Kona White

Backing and Binding - Moda extra wide dotty in grey.

July was another month of little projects for me.  I did a lot of hand sewing, which I am finally starting to like.

July's makes

August is going to be another handstitchy month as I quilt my BQS mini and attempt to make a EPP pillow. 

I am linking up with Lynne's Fresh sewing day and WIP Wednesday.