It's Thursday

And I'm officially up to date on the Moose on the Porch fat quarter stars quilt along. The next block is published on 3 January 2012. In between each block I also pieced the binding for one of my UFOs which I wound on the jumbo spool I bought at the Festival of Quilts. This UFO just needs a border for the top to be finished. Hopefully that number will be chosen as the first UFO to work on.





Today I start my craft room tidy up ready for the New Year. Or should I say tidier, as it'll take more than a few days to get it tidy. Job number 1 is put the 12 UFOs on the top shelf of my cupboard, numbered and ready for the UFO challenge.

Free day

I thought today was Thursday with a committee meeting and funeral, but it's Wednesday, so I've had an extra half day to sew. I have done two of the star blocks from Moose on the Porch and have two more I think to be caught up. As the UFO challenge doesn't start until Sunday, I thought I had a free pass to work on projects which are more WIP than UFO.





I need some more white thread to finish another project so will head out later to search for some and do recycle the mass of cardboard that has built up over the last week.

2012 twelve UFO challenges

1. Jan Krentz difficult quilt - Summer salsa lone star. This is going to be a challenge to remember all the tips Jan gave us and I have a horrible feeling I might have used up some of the fabrics I used.



2. blue and cream stars. Quilting needs unpicking as there was a pleat in the backing and put it on the long arm - in the depths of my cupboard so no photo.

3. rainbow squares - in process of quilting being unpicked



4. 2 from 1 awaiting border fabric


5. Disappearing nine patch




6. TB BOM - almost finished quilting when my machine developed problems




7. Modern V meets Thimbleberries scraps - quilting needs to be finished



8. Christmas table runner - stitcheries done just need to put it together


9. Love laugh live stitchery



10. accuquilt feathered applique - should look like this




11. Disappearing nine patch runner - half way through being quilted



12. TQS BOM - piecing finished. Needs to be pressed and wadding purchased. I have the backing somewhere. I want to do some custom quilting on my long arm for this one, so it may take a back seat for a few months.

2012 UFO challenge

I found the full details of the challenge. I knew it would turn up on Quilter blogs eventually. And here it is just in case I lose it or someone else wants to join in. http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012-ufo-challenge/ Now I need to pick twelve UFOs to work on out of my 17. Some are more WIPS than UFOs like the star quilt along and the Farmer's Wife sampler. I'll post my list tomorrow with photos.

Two more to add

16. Disappearing nine patch runner I pieced yesterday
17. Dear Jane Xmas
Edited to add:
18. Tilda doll

It's worse than I thought and I've just seen the TQS BOM for 2012 which uses the Accuquilt machine. I have promised myself I'll finish five projects before starting another. I think I need to choose the five fastest finishes.

UFOs and WIPs to finish in 2012

I need to find the challenge that inspired this post as they choose a number between 1 and 12 and you work on that project during the month. I start each year with good intentions to finish my UFOs but 2011 was definitely a fail in that for the most part the same quilts are on the list unfinished and the list has grown longer. And all of this despite buying my long arm machine. In no particular order and I reserve the right to add to the list:

1. Jan Krentz difficult quilt - Summer salsa lone star. This is going to be a challenge to remember all the tips Jan gave us and I have a horrible feeling I might have used up some of the fabrics I used.
2. blue and cream stars. Quilting needs unpicking as there was a pleat in the backing and put it on the long arm
3. rainbow squares - in process of quilting being unpicked
4. 2 from 1 - started yesterday
5. Disappearing nine patch
6. TB BOM - almost finished quilting when my machine developed problems
7. Modern V meets Thimbleberries scraps
8. Vignette
9. Elephantz
10. Flurry sew a long star blocks from Moose on the Porch Waiting for some more Flurry fabric in my Christmas stocking.
11. FWQS
12. I'll add my cowl in here as progress has slowed
13. Just remembered - love laugh live stitchery
14. Oh and the hugs cushion
15. accuquilt sample for class next month which I need to start today.

I will add some photos in the next 15 days so that I can remember what the projects are!! And no doubt find a few more to add to the list. A photo for the first project by Jan Krentz is pictured above.

16. In anticipation of not getting to it this week Stitchery Christmas table runner.

A good FNSI

I finished Sarah's quilt yesterday and it was getting dark when I was ready to take a photo.




That freed me up to tackle another item from my to do list for my FNSI so I decided to choose a quick make. I had cut several of the pieces out for Lizzie's present so it didn't take long to put this together. I just need to slip stitch the edge closed and buy some velcro for the fastening. The instructions for this can be found at Fresh Lemons Quilt



Unfortunately whilst browsing the internet I've found a couple of other items I want to make:

Circle ear bud pouches from




Christmas present blocks from united notions for a guild Christmas activity for next year.





So my to do list now looks like this with Monday's deadline for two items looming large:
1.
2.
3. Machine applique sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
4. Disappearing nine patch sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
5.
6.
7.
8. Table runner - blocks completed and now need to be set together and quilted; and
9. Tree skirt - pattern and backing fabric purchased yesterday

I have decided for the samples for CQ, I'm going to do an applique border for the disappearing nine patch sample and combine two samples into one.

Yesterday was a good day

Having shared my list of nine items to sew in the next week, I completed threee yesterday. Then at about 2 o'clock my long arm started playing up which is a shame as I was on target to finish Sarah's quilt too.

So I finished Liz's quilt which looks beautiful. See it here. I was looking for a project to teach for Sirens WI on 3 March so I have now chosen this quilt pattern. Contact me for further details if you'd like to attend.

Fiona's Christmas present is now bound. I finished this whilst waiting for Lizzie to do her hour of swimming.



I also did a Heart of Friendship which is meant to be peach on cream, mine's more pale orange on beige but I'm sure there will be many variations on the theme. I used my new Sizzix dies which only arrived the day before - very timely.



I also finished my Christmas cards which will be posted today. So my list now looks like this. The remaining items will take a little longer to finish. Sarah's quilt definitely has priority.

1. Sarah's quilt to be machine quilted;
2.
3. Machine applique sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
4. Disappearing nine patch sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
5.
6.
7. gift for Lizzie which is planned but that's about it;
8. Table runner - blocks completed and now need to be set together and quilted; and
9. Tree skirt - pattern and backing fabric purchased yesterday

Two FNSIs in December

What a nice gift, two Friday Night Sew Ins for December. I couldn't participate last Friday as we were in Nottingham visiting Welbeck DSFC, but apart from being Matthew's taxi, I'm free this Friday.

I have started a list of what needs to be accomplished for Monday first (our quilt guild Christmas party) and then for Christmas. I'm having an at home day today so after writing my Christmas cards, I'll make a start on the list:

1. Sarah's quilt to be machine quilted;
2. Liz's quilt to be machine quilted;
3. Machine applique sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
4. Disappearing nine patch sample for January workshop to show at CQ;
5. heart block (number 1 priority)
6. Gift for Fiona which is half bound
7. gift for Lizzie which is planned but that's about it;
8. Table runner - blocks completed and now need to be set together and quilted; and
9. Tree skirt - pattern and backing fabric purchased yesterday

Hopefully I can do at least items 2 and 5 today. If not I'm in trouble and should start panicing now.

Moose on the Porch

Oh no, I've been tempted in and started another project. http://moosequilts.blogspot.com/ I love stars so have pulled out a package of fabric left from my last quilt together with the red patterned fabric I was sent in error instead of the icy blue colourway. They are up to block 6 already but I put together the easiest three blocks this morning.

FNSI almost a finish

I worked on the angel from the Christmas sew a long which is block 6. As you can see it's not quite finished as I ran out of both time and thread last night. So item 1 on our shopping list today is red anchor thread colour 47.

November FNSI

I haven't posted much since the last sew in and I was wondering what to prepare for this evening. My last FNSI post reminded me I have two Christmas stitcheries still to do and they're printed ready, so I'll start those later.

FNSI success October

Well I didn't make the ipad case but I did finish this week's Christmas SAL block from Sewhappyme. I've kept up to date with this one and there's only two more blocks to do. Again I was able to print the stitchery direct onto the starched fabric.

October crop catch up

Whilst everyone revisited colour blocking and shaped templates, I tried to tidy up the unfinished kits and class layouts with some small success. The layouts made with the templates were all first class and showed that unloved doesn't mean dated or unusable.

Gogogetaway kit from June 2011

Scrapbook Generation sketch club - just needed journalling


Page from September crop which just needed professionally printed photos as my picturemate is malfunctioning


September scrapbook generation sketch club with blokarting photos from September

October FNSI

September FNSI didn't happen for me, but I have high hopes for this month. Lizzie is going with four friends to have some professional photos taken and then they're coming back to ours for homemade pizza before going to JACY. Oops, better get a new oven before Friday then.

Look at what arrived in yesterday's post

One of these pink bags of goodies from the Urban Stitches retreat in Australia ordered from Under The Mulberry Tree Sold out now unfortunately.



Contents including the necessary fabric and threads for each project:
Melly & Me Sketch & Stitch (now finished)
Leanne's House Sew Laugh Love
Rosalie Quinlan Dance of the Hearts
Charm pack of Lecien squares of Old New Fabrics 30s
Two FQs of Lecien fabric

Here is a photo or two of the finished Melly & Me project. My quickest ever finish and just in time for OPAM for September. The kit contained a busy green floral which I swapped for some Bonnie & Camille turquoise Bliss. The kit contained hanky linen which is used often in Australian stitcheries and I was surprised how open weaved it is.





I have also downloaded week 2 of the Christmas Stitch Along The first pattern which I've finished is up for two weeks and each subsequent pattern is up for one week. So don't delay. I have printed the pattern straight on to the fabric as I hate the tracing. Another reason why I love the Urban Stitches kit as the patterns are preprinted onto the linen.

CQ Farmer's Wife blocks month 1

Last night we introduced the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt to 49 members and guests at Caesarea Quilters' September meeting. My turn to introduce and demonstrate the first four blocks. Four blocks was a bit of a high expectation!! I finished one doing the demo and two more were finished this morning. The remaining block - 68 postage stamp will wait until we have more scraps to use up as they are 1.5" squares.



The fabric is Grace by Moda and was chosen by Anne. All of the demonstrators will use this line of fabric so at the end of the year we will have enough blocks for a lap quilt which will be raffled.

Design Seeds

I'm not the only person to struggle with picking colours for projects, but I'm sure I'm one of the last people to find Design Seeds. Several colour combos are published each day along with the picture source.

I love this Neighbourly Hues



This combo reminds me of Sweetwater Sunkissed so I may pull some out and use them for Lily's Quilt a Long. Not that I should be starting more new projects - I should be doing things with Allen keys and a spirit level.

Another quilt top finished

I have been awaiting impatiently the light blue patterned fabric to finish the blocks for this Quilt Book Club quilt called Modern V from Modern Basics. I picked up the fabric from the Post Office yesterday morning and it is so quick to go together that it's now done and just needs to be quilted!!



Today I want to trace Elephantz Block of the Month - block 3 to take to quilting tomorrow to handstitch. Not that I've finished months 1 or 2 yet. No change there.

Holiday photos

I think this photo tells you a lot about the weather we had for most of our two weeks in Saumur. Even Lizzie had a go and made a block. She's very good at selecting fabric in combinations I wouldn't have chosen but they do work. Time to update the spreadsheet for those I have finished, I think almost two thirds are now complete.

Foundation piecing

Jenny, Lorraine and I had a fun morning doing some foundation piecing. Even though the plan for the Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt at our guild is teach foundation piecing again in March, someone couldn't wait!! Here's my block for today.

94 tall pine tree



I will be taking this project on holiday with me so I hope to have some more photos for you in two weeks time. Meanwhile there'll be more blocks on the Cottonberry blog

Back from the Festival of Quilts

My feet are very sore and my purse a little lighter, mainly due to several trips into Birmingham. The winner of the Festival was a beautiful piece called Octopussy. There was a huge variety of quilts to view, including many hexagons and union jacks. The group winner featured meerkats which was very amusing.



My purchases from the Festival of Quilts comprised of some raffle prizes for Caesarea Quilters and the following for myself:




A jelly roll and layer cake of Ruby by Bonnie and Camille which I have waited for impatiently so I snapped it up on our second visit.
Fusible wadding for some bags
Big reel for rolling binding on
A subscription for Irish Quilt & Craft Magazine. A great size to pop in your handbag and has similarities to Vignette in that it combines garden, cooking and other articles but at a great price. Look out for this one in the CQ raffle in December. They also sell kits for the projects in the magazine which is very useful. This is a quarterly magazine.

I've even used some of the layer cake in some Farmer's Wife Sampler blocks. These three block make 37 blocks done in total - a third of the 111 blocks. Unfortunately they are the easier blocks in the book!! I hope to get to 50 by the end of the school holidays as my sewing machine is coming to France with us.

54 kitchen wood box



95 temperance tree



102 whirlpool

Mini design boards

I have just made some of the design boards shown on Lori Holt's blog To see the instructions on how to make them go to this post.

I have made two small changes to the construction of the mini design boards:
1. Her tutorial calls for foam board which is hard to get and expensive so I used some free mount borad which I got from a local framer and for that reason I also reduced the binding to 2" as the sandwich is thinner; and
2. I am not an expert with a glue gun, so I just used fabric glue and popped it under my cutting mat when finished to dry.




I have made eight boards in all, four for myself with trim to match my Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt fabric (Bliss by Camille for Moda), one each for Jenny and Lorraine, and two for our guild raffle for September (if they want them).