Zakka

Just the sound of the word is endearing. My copy of zakka style with lots of linen projects arrived today. Just in time to accompany me on a short trip to the quilt show in Nantes on Wednesday. I'll digest the contents over the next few days to add any necessary items to my shopping list which already includes linen and the Presencia pink linen thread that I couldn't get in Spain.




There is a Zakka style sew along with lots of inspiration. This week the project is the pin cushion. There are some items in the book that no interest me (eg pot holders) but the majority look achievable in a few hours.
Several of the ladies participating in the fat quarterly retreat swap are making items from the book and the bottle holder appeals to me made from linen and camille's bliss line.
Off to have a read.

Zakkalong

My copy of zakka style arrived last week. I took it to France with me along with another new book, free expression by Robbi Joy Eklow. I visited the Pour l'Amour du Fil in Nantes with Kathy and Jackie. Photos to follow. However I can tell you that the fabric was very expensive.

Inspired by 1159studio on Flickr, I used a fat quarter of Hometown by Sweetwater, some linen bought at Tissus Myrtille in Brittany, some self cover buttons from the same shop and some vintage crochet trim from the show to make this pin cushion from the zakka style book.







I am going to make four more of these for the Sample swap at the Fat Quarterly retreat in June. The buttons are all covered and one more is ready to stuff and finish.

I have also made great strides on my swoon quilt which just needs some smashing sewn on to the blocks. Half of the blocks for my hopscotch quilt are also sewn. However I have several quilts for quilting on my long arm waiting for me and two more to collect at Caesarea Quilters tonight.

Location:Zakkalong

Happy mail

Not much mail waiting for us on our return from Spain. I am impatiently waiting for my copy of Zakka style.

As well as the bank statements and hospital appointments, I received a pattern from Jean Kester all the way from Oz. a simple but striking pattern with very detailed instructions for binding. A great way to use up some scraps for a fun quilt for project Linus.




I also received three pretty fat quarters to enable me to participate in the designer's challenge in the next issue of Fat Quarterly The fabric is from Sugar Hill by Tanya Whelan for Westminster Fibres.

I guess the washing is calling my name as is the empty fridge. Better get to it as I'm off to the quilt show in Nantes later this week.

Sewing kits

I was reading about the sewing kits Pat Sloan keeps to go travelling with etc. I have a completely different approach and add supplies to my project to travel or go to class. Here are the two kits I took to Spain.

The first is a hexagon block ready to hand piece with the bare essentials of the pieces ready prepared, a needle and thimble in a tin. This then goes in the plastic bag with the lock and thread. The nail scissors don't go on the plane with me.




The second kit is some embroidery. The hoop, pattern (not shown), thread and thimble go in the embroidered pouch with threads cut ready to use and the embroidery goes in a separate bag to keep it clean.





Of course when we take the car to France I pack my sewing machine and tools together with a project or two to work on!

I have just downloaded Blogpress to blog when I'm away from home. I wonder if this will wor.

2012 Finish a long second quarter

What to choose for this quarter? Like last quarter I'll choose five items including the April project for the 2012 UFO challenge.

1. Rose star which I started yesterday which will be two blocks made into a bag



2. Swoon for which seven blocks are made and I now have extra fabric for the last two blocks



3. Feathered wreath applique from the Accuquilt workshop which is also the April project for Patchwork Times' 2012 UFO challenge. This is what it should ressemble once finished.



4. Hope Love and Friendship by Rosalie Quinlan as I'm taking this on holiday with me next week.



5. Hopscotch Quilt a long which is all cut and needs a lot of work.



Perhaps I'll add in one more for this quarter:
6. Christmas stars for which I need to make some spacer blocks


A bit hopeful perhaps, but my swoon top is almost finished and the Christmas stars setting pieces are simple. We'll see in three months time.

Finish along - First quarter 2012

Where did March go? I have achieved not a lot in March but fortunately I was working hard towards the Eisteddfod so have all of my commitments finished. I committed to:

1. disappearing nine patch - finished and donated to Project Linus




2. Cream and blue stars finished and I won a trophy for it in the local Eisteddfod



3. 1930s table runner - finished




4. Tilda doll - finished



5. 2 from 1 finished



Now to think what I'm going to complete for the next quarter instead of starting more projects.

I blame Wendy

At the Gogogetaway Wendy showed me all of her prepared pieces for some Star Rose blocks and laid a few out on her small cropping space. I could instantly see the appeal. Wendy shared the website address of summer fete and I was keen to start some on my return.

If I could use some of the techniques employed in the Vignette hexagon blocks along with an Accuquilt die, the pieces would be ready in no time at all. However the die I borrowed had been misshapen either by the wrong machine or too many layers of fabric. Never mind, having decided to only make two blocks and make them into a bag, I ploughed ahead and printed off some shapes from http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/ onto freezer paper. The next job was to cut them into the smaller shapes and choose some fabric.

I got lucky and Lizzie offered to cook chicken fajitas for dinner, so I got out my Sewline glue pen and tacked down the edges. This is how far I got. I now need to find a thimble so I can sew some pieces together.

Getaway challenges

Prior to the event there were three challenges announced. fortunately we had until 2 pm Sunday to complete these for entry into randowm draws.
#1 Badge with octagon base - I didn't do this one.
#2 Sketch layout based on 8
#3 Layout with eight requirements

Pre crop challenge #2

I used product I'd taken with me along with the wooden letters from the Friday class.

Pre crop challenge #3


I used a layout from Liz's Chinese Whispers group to do this layout. I won a prize from the random drawing for this. The tickets were pinned to the layout, so Katie called out the title. Or not in this case!!

Prize


A lovely selection of Basic Grey So Sophie and My Minds Eye Stella Rose. This may appear as a challenge at the forthcoming Hen Party crop.

There were also three more challenges from the weekend:
mini book make and take - not sure where it is but I did finish it
Group photo challenge using a sheet of kraft and white cardstock provided with anything left over from your classes. A challenge indeed.
Eight sketch challenges - well done to Lisa and Katie who completed all eight. deserved winners in the random drawing.

Group photo challenge



Thanks to rubina for the loan of her MS punch.

Sketch challenge


This is the photo I had originally chosen for the how tweet class.

Last but not least, the one other layout I finished over the weekend which only needed journalling and the word strips. Pathetic but finished.



Whilst I travelled pretty light this time, I could have left behind my swimming costume (I was convinced there was a pool I'd never used) and the Sketch Support half finished layouts which filled half an art bin.

I loved this weekend for all seven of the classes which I loved from the start and had no need to alter, the group photo and the portfolio of all the class handouts.

I was also pleased to meet Wendy who follows my blog for sewing stuff and who I hope to have persuaded to come to London in June. However she has started me on a new project which I will post about later in the week.

Gogo Getaway 8

I'm just back from the eighth Getaway and my fourth. Here are my class layouts. I have finished all but one layout which requires machine stitching and there was only one class where my photo was not suitable and I had one which I was going to use for a challenge so swapped them over.

#1 And did those feet ...




Someone didn't read the full photo requirements and had a lovely photo of some killer heels. I need to do some machine stitching to complete this and add the title which is bagged and ready to add.

#2 I can paint a rainbow



#3 Patchwork paperie



This one had my name on it. :)

#4 tattered and torn



My photo was perdominantly blue so I didn't add the mauve accents provided.

#5 wishi washi



Great technique which I think will be used over and over again.

#6 How tweet, can you resist




Yet another messy class. :) This is the class my photo was wrong for. However the B is for beach and birthday certainly worked.

#7 Tagged to transfer



A great class and layout to finish the weekend. The papers picked out the turquoise in Jessica's dress and the roses in Katie's dress.

And tomorrow I'll share the pre crop challenges and getaway challenges. And the prize I won from the random draw.