Agadoo do do

 

You might be singing the song for some time. :) My summer sampler is at last finished and I can concentrate on washing and packing, though Nick has had us emptying the garage this evening and filling up the kitchen. I will see you again in a week's time.

FQR Friday

Before going to the interesting talk at Liberty's I managed to dash into Uniqlo and pick up some shirts for Matthew.




On the way back to our hotel Sarah and I hoped to pick up the newest issue of Quilty in Selfridges but we were to be disappointed. However the goody bag that we picked up at FQR registration didn't disappoint. Scraps of Art Gallery fabric, notions galore, Aurifil and Coats thread, mini charm pack of Simply Style and more.




Last night we headed out as a group of twelve to the Village Haberdashery followed by dinner at Nandos. I picked up my preorder.




I enjoyed raiding their scrap bin and picking up some webbing for key fobs. However I seem to have lost some webbing.





Liz also gave me some of her scraps in exchange for a fat quarter I sent her some months ago. Other people's scraps are always more interesting than one's own and Liz was very generous.





We missed show and tell last night as service was very slow in the shop but I hope we can donate the Siblings Together quilt today.

It's been a week

And I haven't been slacking. I have finished week four of the summer sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin and the final week will be released tomorrow just about the time I land at Gatwick airport. I will be in London until Sunday attending the Fat Quarterly Retreat. Although the event officially starts at lunchtime tomorrow, 30 of us were lucky enough to get tickets to a talk at Liberty's head office about the design and production of their fabric lines. Can't wait

 

Today I have been frantically quilting my honey bee quilt ready for show & tell on Saturday. It is quilted and trimmed, but I have resorted to zigzagging the edge rather than binding as it's now time to cook dinner and start packing when the clothes I've washed today are dry.
 

Linking to:

So quiet

All of the tradesmen have finished for the day and no one is returning for at least a week. The tilers start on Tuesday and should be finished by the end of the week. There are three things that are niggling us at the moment. All three have been mentioned, but I'll let Nick mention them again to the kitchen designer.

  

 

 

I finished another Zakka flower and pair of leaves today and added to the yellow flower, they look lovely. The book's project uses nine flowers, but I think I'll make a baby quilt using just four. They measure about 18" by 12" and with some borders will soon make a nice sized baby quilt.

 

I have also cleared my sewing table today. The last job I did was cut some more strips for the Fat Quarterly scrap strip swap, but now I need to buy some more ziplock bags to put the sets into. I thought I had loads of bags done, but I had only packed fifteen and had put some cut strips in the drawer with the completed bags. I think we have almost 30 swappers now, so it should be a lot of fun.

 

In just a week's time Sarah and I will be finalising our packing and checking in online. Can't wait.



Deckade the Halls block 4

 

 

The fourth element of the Deckade the Halls sew along is now complete. The accompanying video says this is one of the simplest of the blocks. Hmm, not sure I agree, it certainly isn't quick as you can't sew all of the elements and then put them together. This block reminds me of Camille' Roskelley's stocking pattern which is in the future at some point.

 

Not a visible amount of progress in the kitchen today, the fridge is in place and wired up, as is the dishwasher but not plumbed in, the work tops have been templated and some of the handles have been added. It will be mostly finished tomorrow ready for the tiler on Tuesday. I almost booked the tiler for Monday but that would mean Lizzie wouldn't have access to the kitchen on Monday for her party and home made pizzas.

Yellow flower

 

This is the first foundation pieced flower I've made for the Bloom Time quilt in the book Patchwork Please. The centre of the flower is a spotted fabric I bought in france, then a Sweetwater almost solid and then a Zen Chic fabric. I have also been sewing part four of the Deckade the Halls quilt which I should be able to finish tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

In kitchen news, it is just two days since the fitter started putting the kitchen in and he has made impressive progress. The microwave, oven and warming drawer are all ready to use as the electrician assumed that we had been surviving on takeaways - that couldn't be further from the truth. We have a microwave, panini press and one ring hob (the latter courtesy of Lorraine - thanks Lorraine) and that has kept us going. The first night we impressed ourselves with mushroom risotto and grilled chicken. Tonight is a simple tagliatelle carbonara which Lizzie is making. I'd better go and make the salad to accompany the pasta. Canasta is also on the cards tonight.

July Schnibble

It's only 8 July but whilst others watched Andy Murray at tennis I quilted this lovely little quilt. I also sealed the new plaster with Nick and Lizzie. Unfortunately we didn't have any white emulsion so it's now shades of beach and lavender blue, but it is sealed. Today the plumbers are taking out one radiator completely and replacing another with a super duper radiator which will arrive in a few weeks hopefully, but as my question as to delivery date is being avoided, then probably August as the factory is now closed for July. They are installing the pipework today so it will be ready for the tiler next week and not hold up progress.
 

 

I used a new pantograph to quilt the Schnibble and I hadn't quite appreciated how large it was. The throat was only just big enough. I'll have to remember to reduce it next time. I also used some of my Ikea Britten Numbers fabric for the backing. The fabrics for the front are two charm packs of Simply Colour by V & Co. The binding was left over from my Simply Style quilt and was a good match for the turquoise patterned fabric.

 

 

I will be making a return to teaching patchwork on a Friday morning, but from Fiona's lovely log cabin. I plan to visit her this morning to finalise details. Now I need to phone the flooring gentleman to order some kitchen flooring for the tenanted property, do a small amount of food shopping and drop in on Fiona. The next Deckade the Halls step is released today so that will be on the cards for this afternoon.

Friday Night with Friends

 

My daughter and her friends have gone out to a dinner all glammed up. Lizzie was only 15 at the end of June, but they look so grown up. Shame Lizzie's eyes are closed.

Whilst everyone's out - Nick and Matthew are both at Air Cadets, I completed week 3 of the Summer Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin as part of Friday Night with Friends hosted at Gone Stitchin.. The next project to work on will be my July Schnibble, but I think for this evening I'll just relax until I have to go and pick Lizzie up. Carriages are at 1 am, but I think 11 pm will be more than late enough for me.

 

 

 

I swapped the block with a frappucino for my attempt at a fruit cooler.

Summer sampler week 2

 

Hooray I've finished week 2 before week 3 is issued. I now have a few jobs to do and then I think I'll start the July Schnibble as a treat for myself. The fitter is here dismantling the old kitchen and he says he'll be finished tonight so the tiler and other plumber can come tomorrow if it suits their schedules. We were surprised that it only took an hour to clear the kitchen last night with the three of us working together and we have a cooking station in the garage and utility room. I think I'll make us risotto with grilled chicken tonight.

Here today gone on Wedesday

The stress levels are already rising. My tenants in theory should have left and our kitchen will be removed on Wednesday and taken to the rented property on Friday. Again in theory, we'll be without an oven until the following Friday, so ten days and another ten days until the work tops have been "template", delivered and installed.

 

For the record this is how the kitchen looks on Monday with some cupboards having been emptied and drawers removed.

 

 

 

The tenants have left but left some stuff and the garden "needs attention" in estate agents' speak. So the first job of the day is to meet with the estate agent to get advice on how far to go with renovating the rental house. The painter is already in and should have finished the prepping over the weekend. Once redecorated, it will look so much fresher.

 

On Sunday I escaped to our UFO day and completed the Deckade the Halls ornaments. This is how the three parts look so far:

 

 

In other news, Matthew's suitcase and sax have arrived home courtesy of Linda and her family. I was mightily embarrassed to have completely forgotten to go and meet them at the airport yesterday and collect the suitcases. Matthew has also arrive at the University of West England for a taster of university life for five days. He has already deemed it awesome. He will be back home on Thursday night and will be hard at work at the rented property on Friday morning. :)