Christmas is Almost here!

Well as Christmas approaches I must admit my sewing has decreased as other activities have taken over.
However I have made a few presents and I had a lovely time following Julianna's wonderful  Christmas sampler.



I only managed to make two of her fabulous patterns but I hope to make the rest through the year and bit a bit better prepared next year!

Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and thank you for dropping by.

Linking up with Ho Ho Ho And On We Sew

Hidden Gem.

Whilst in the UK last week I went to Frome which I assumed was quite a boring place.  How wrong was I, stumbled across a great little street full of fab artisan shops.
http://stcatherines-frome.co.uk/shops/


Found a lovely fabric shop called  Millie Moon,http://milliemoonshop.co.uk/


A great bead shop called beadz bazaar



 coffee and cake shop (well you have to stop for a while whilst shopping!) The guy in here gave me all the history of the street and told me about all the designers.

Various local designers including a lady that does amazing magnetic boards for the kitchen
www.beyondthefridge.co.uk  I wanted to buy one as some of them were half price in the shop but didn't think flybe would let me take it hand baggage!

and a lovely shop called Mary Kilvert, http://www.marykilvert.com/







ooh and a fantastic yarn shop too!

October catch up

This month I seem to be chasing my tail trying to catch up with all my sewing commitments and finish some projects too.

So a quick post as I have to go sew!

October pinwheel in a star for threadbias Hive#8

Additional Christmas Blocks for my Fat Stash Brit Bee Christmas Quilt

 

Stars for 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee (two done two to go!)

October Moda Building Blocks for FQR Bumbling Honeys quilt bee

October Moda Building Blocks for me!

Anchors Aweigh!

Well I must admit I started this a while ago but what with one thing and another it has taken a while to finish it off.  The actual top was finished in the spring but then I dithered about backing as it is quit a big quilt.  In the end I went for a simple cheap plain wide backing.  Then it joined Sue's waiting list to be quilted. Unfortunately she had some issues with the tension and we had to re-stitch some of it on a normal machine.  Then I started the binding only to find I was a bit short and had to wait for some more to arrive!  Finally it is finished.

detail

can't beat a stripy binding!

the finished product!

Another finish!

Well I'm on a roll. Three quilts finished this month.


Last weekend Issie announced she wanted to make a quilt to take away to University with her.  She is off to Durham to study music and we are leaving with all her junk on the boat today!
So we both spent last weekend making this lovely quilt.
The pattern came from Love Patchwork and Quilting, issue 12.  Issie chose the fabrics and did all the sewing I cut, pressed and pinned! Then we quilted it on Sue's long-arm using a cute pattern that has musical notes that Sue found for us.







Finally finished sewing on the binding in front of the tv and here it is ready to go.

Moda - Modern Building Blocks

Whilst browsing the other day I saw some Camille Roskelley blocks and wondered what they were.  It turned out they were part of a new pattern produced by Moda called Modern Building Blocks.  Well they looked fun so an email to Sue and she had already had a pattern on the way to me.  (what are good friends for!)
Next was the fun part - choosing the fabrics.  Well the pattern is all in solids but I decided for a bit of variety.  I love the new Cotton and Steel collection so any excuse to buy a little more.  It also turned out that The Village Haberdashery had put together some solids to match the Cotton and Steel - so that's where I went shopping. http://thevillagehaberdashery.co.uk/blog/2014/our-new-summer-to-autumn-shop-window-display
I had to wait a little longer for my fabric as customs decided it was a bike worth £277.  After I persuaded them I hadn't spent that much and it definitely was not a bike!


So next I decided to go for it and link up with Sue and the Moda Building Blocks Sewalong.

This week we need to publish out fabric choices so here they are:





The solids:



and for a bit of variety and texture the basics:





I may well throw in a couple of Cotton and Steel prints too, we shall see!

Learning to Quilt on a long-arm.

Well since getting back from holiday I have been determined to finish some projects.
However, my first job was to learn how to use Sue's long-arm machine so that when she is away next month and I am looking after Lizzie her daughter I can quilt some of my projects myself.
I must say Sue has been very patient and my first project went very smoothly (more of that in a later blog).  My second project was a little more troublesome as the machine developed a mind of its own.  Still that's how you learn!


I have quilted my cheerio quilt with a pretty dragonfly pattern.









The quilt blocks were all made by the lovely girls from a sewing bee I belong to called 'Siblings Together Quilting Bee'  https://www.flickr.com/groups/stqb/ .
The aim is to make quilts for a very special charity called Siblings together. http://siblingstogether.co.uk/







The pattern was from Camille Roskelley (one of my heroes!) She published 'Cheerio' in 'Love Patchwork and Quilting' magazine and it was perfect for this project as everyone could use whatever fabric in any colour for their blocks. I am very pleased with the final result, looks good!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well this month has been a busy time. It started with a fabulous trip to the Quilt Show in Birmingham. It was so lovely to meet people in the flesh that I have spoken to over the internet and to touch base with friends. It was also quite overwhelming with the stuff to see and buy! I managed to limit myself to a few essential fabrics (lol) and some cutters from sizix. My kids have a bigshot from scrap booking days which is in the garage in a box somewhere ( I wish I knew which box!)So I am commandeering it for my hexxies!
The rest of the month has been spent working on a quilt for my sisters silver wedding anniversary. I foolishly chose a paper pieced block that has four sections and I am beginning to regret it. Hey Ho 100 sections done only another 100 odd to go!
Then I'm catching up on my sewing bees. Its my month for the threadbias group next month so I have chosen a Camille Roskelley block. Think its going to be fabulous!

Sewing Bee updates.

Well July is my month for Siblings together and it is fun waiting for the postman and opening packages to see what people have made. I decided to have people make a cute cherio block designed by one of my favourite quilter Camille Roskelly.
This is what I have so far. Don't they look great!





Now onto my blocks for Fat Stash Brit Bee and this month we had a choice of two blocks along the theme of cats. I opted for the granny block with some fussy cat cuts in the middle. Hope she likes them!

Finally I managed to get ahead as Sue has gone on a cruise she published her block for august for siblings together.
 I like this block, I think its turned out well.

Blog Hop

A while ago I joined a blog hop and finally it has come good and I am hopping around!

Firstly I apologise this is all new to me and I may get it all wrong but I will do my best.

Onto news.  Well I have been in the UK looking after my sisters cute miniature schnauzers.  They were an inspiration for one of my quilts and I am now making another for an online magazine - sooooo exciting.

The other thing I did whilst I was in the UK was shop for new fabric.

Well I must admit Eternal Maker in Chichester was a hit!  Had to go twice as it had all the new Cotton and Steel and all the possible fabric you could dream of.  Plus they are building a tea shop.  What fabric and cake YUM! The other shop was the quilting shop in Hampton court which was lovely.  Great helpful staff but why oh why was it soo hot in London 30 degrees and melting!

Then today was my birthday. Lots of lovely presents including the Phillipa Naylor book and some money toward one of her courses. 


Plus a lovely gift of some Cotton and Steel (I love it) and some really cute bits and pieces.  I am truly spoilt!

Extra Large

Well when I asked my sister in law if she would dog sit for us over the holidays I thought the best form of payments might be in quilt! So a few months later and it is finished.  I must say this is the largest quilt I have made so far and I am glad to see the back of bear's paw!











Thank you to Sue for quilting it for me now all I have to do is finish the binding!

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Well after making a couple of very large quilts ( which Sue now has the job of quilting!)
I decided to have a go at some smaller projects.  Up popped a free pattern on the Fat Quarter Shop with a tutorial on youtube and inspiration struck!  A Tooth Fairy Pillow.  You put the tooth in one of the sail pockets and the fairy puts the money in the other.




My first pillow was made with fabric I had in my stash.



However, after putting a picture on facebook one of my friends at work said she would like one for her little boy.  Well I just didn't have any suitable fabrics, sooo... yes an excuse for a little internet shopping and I found the perfect combination on Cotton Patch. Storybook by moda that will do I thought and the next day it arrived.
So version two was born.

Well I did buy some more pink in storybook so now we are onto number three!

July Cheerio Block for Siblings Together.

Well July is my month for the Siblings Together sewing Bee.  I have decided on a fun and easy block published by Camille Roskelley in the  Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Issue 8.


So here are some quick and easy instructions for making the blocks.


You will need:
Four 5'' Squares
Four contrasting 23/4'' squares
Ten 23/4'' white squares
One 23/4'' x 71/4'' white strip

• Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on 8 of the white squares.
• Place one the top left corner and bottom right corner of each of you 5'' squares.
• Stitch along each line
• Trim
• Press open

• Sew the remaining two 23/4'' white squares to the contrasting 23/4'' squares and press open
• Sew the last two contrasting 23/4'' squares to the white strip.





• Join the blocks in three rows

• Join the three rows together and press.
• And there you have it a  block.
• Unfinished size is 11 3/4 (finished 11 1/4)