WIP Wednesday - Paris

 

The last time we were in Paris was 2006 when I went with Matt and Lizzie, my sister Joanne and neice Fiona to Disneyland Paris at Halloween. We had an annual pass and went into the city on the one day not covered by our pass. At Galeries Lafayette, they were looking for models for their Barbie clothing range, so the girls enjoyed a free makeover and photo shoot and Matt bought Lego.

I thought I had finished my Paris block for the ATW BOM with whole circle studio but later on Sunday, I found one of the platforms on my messy table. Fortunately it was a quick fix and I'm up to date again until Friday. We have Seattle and Sydney and one further city to be released.

Monday Make - Poppy Treffey tea towel

 

UFO 3 was chosen this month and it's a Poppy Treffey tea towel which was a gift from a friend perhaps ten years ago? My first thought was to use screen printed fabric for the bunting but the detail from the tea towel shone through.

I then selected some deeper print from my scrap stash and cut the bunting and then added a few details to the sewing machine using textile ink to paint with and one purple Cotton and Steel fabric. The fabrics were stitched down with a combination of blanket stitch for the base of the sewing machine and straight stitching for everything else.

I completed the back of te cushion first with a trim of Create by Quietplay to make the two strips of bunting fit the back of the cushion. The I added three perfect snaps decorated with vintage sewing machines. I bought these at Pour l'Amour du Fil a few years ago and hope to buy some more on Saturday. So exciting!!

The front of the cushion has just a few fabric elements added. I am so pleased to have finished this UFO. There is a cushion swap at the Modern Quilt Club retreat in four weeks time, so I just need to buy the cushion pad to complete the project.

Friday Finish - Christmas Wreath

 

Finishing this was on my Monday to do list and only took an hour as I had already bought the 14" cushion inner and found the fabric I wanted to use last week, so few decisions were necessary.

I did my usual folded back with poppers but hadn't accounted for the patterned fabric on the inside being visible on the outside. The fabric that I stitched the project on was Picture This Plus in Blush. The pale pink doesn't show in photos or real life, so to ramp up the colour a little I backed the cross stitch in a pale pink.

I only now have the Trip Around the World BOM as an ongoing monthly project and I just have this month's block to do.

WI Wednesday - spooky sampler

 

I know this is meant to be one of my October retreat projects, but I just couldn't help myself. I've only sewn a few blocks together, but I need to prepare the rest of the blocks so I can see if there's enough fabric left for a test sew that I have committed to.

What has become abundantly clear is that the quarter inch foot and setting on the Janome Atelier 7, gives a bigger than 1/4" seam. I think I have now perfected my quarter inch seam but will have to adjust the spider's web blocks that I've already pieced. 

I have an urgent customer quilt to quilt which I would like to get finished today, so I will also continue to cut the blocks for this quilt too and perhaps with a little focus, I can then put it away read for retreat and work on the test sew for @chasingtigers.

Monday Make - Christmas Cheer

 

Over the weekend I decided to focus on finishing the Christmas Cheer by Corinne Sovey. As usual I had started with the easiest blocks so had the ornaments and tree to finish.

By Sunday lunchtime I had a finished quilt top. At that time, I should have probably put it on my longarm so I could get it quilted but I didn't. Never mind. I have an urgent customer quilt arriving today and a busy day too. Do I quilt it now or load up the quilt top for the Karlee Porter class. Decisions decisions.

Friday finish - Prairie Schooler Santa 2017

 

I am feeling that I've actually accomplished something this week. The second of two mystery quilts with Modern Quilt Club has been quilted and I will post them back to the owner on Monday.

Then I've also finished the 2017 Prairie Schooler Santa, and made a small start on the 2008 sledding santa. According to my list, I have completed ten of  the 38 patterns. I need to check my list twice as I feel that I have finished at least one or two more. 

The finishing instructions for the Christmas cushion by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery is released today so hopefully I can share the finished project with you next week.

WIP Wednesday - spooky sampler

 

I have started prepping one block a day of the Spooky Sampler by Melissa Mortenson which I purchased as a kit from Set Hot. I've even labelled up my bags so I'm retreat ready only five weeks to go.

I have even sewn two more circular ornament blocks for my Christmas Cheer by Corinne Sovey, so I decided to reward myself and sewed up two of the blocks that I'd prepped.

First were the three Ohio star blocks. I am a sucker for a star block and the Ohio star was my first love when I started quilting. I then stitched together the two large pumpkin blocks. Today I have prepped for the applique blocks and ironed the Steam a Seam to the reverse of the black damask fabric and plan to get at least the three bats cut out at our morning group today. The two spiders are much more fiddly with their legs.

I am keen to load the quilt top for the Free Motion Frenzy class with Karlee Porter and I have finished one more customer quilt, and one further quilt should be delivered today for a quick turn around.

Monday Make - Modern Quit Club mystery quilt

 

I finished quilting this quilt for a friend yesterday. It's a mystery quilt BOM from Modern Quilt Club Every month you get a slim box through your letter box with the instructions and precut fabric for that month's clue. No cutting, what a genius idea. Lisa also keeps a stock of the fabrics for any mistakes or for borders and backings. The fabrics for this quilt are all by @giucy_guice

I have one more of these mystery quilts to quilt for my friend and then I need to load my own quilt top to do the homework for a class I'm doing with Karlee Porter.

Sunday stash - Spooky sampler

 

I am giddy with excitement, I have a place on the Modern Quilt Club retreat in Yorkshire in October, just a month away. I immediately booked my place within five minutes of receiving the email, checked that I could have a lift from Liverpool and booked my flights. I should now book a night's stay at Liverpool Airport for the Thursday and Sunday nights.

The same day I received the Spooky Sampler Quilt kit which I had ordered from Sew Hot in anticipation of being able to go on retreat this year whether in the UK or locally.

I think I might change out the the green fabric in the kit as I'm not a green lover and this an unusual shade of green. Or I might just use as is. There is a lot of fabric in the kit and my plan is to cut one block a day until the retreat. If it's all cut out I may be able to reduce the weight of the kit as I only have 15 kilos of hold luggage. Probably a mistake on my part not going for a bigger / heavier suitcase.

I cut out the first block yesterday and I am slightly disappointed that there's not an overall cutting plan that I can find so you have to refer to each block and work out what fabric is used for each element from the cover photo.

The question is, will I be able to resist sewing up a block or two before the retreat? I think I need to make more progress on my Christmas Cheer quilt first. Perhaps for every two blocks of Christmas Cheer completed, I can sew up one Hallloween block?

Friday finish - one ornament block

 

My progress on Christmas Cheer by Corinne Sovey had come to a grinding halt. I had four round ornaments to tackle and then finally the large Christmas tree.

The good news is this is now on my design wall and I have completed my first ornament block and pieced the striped fabric for the second. Significantly that finishes all of the blocks for the first column. The next block to tackle is the missing ornament from the second column. That's a job for next week.

WIP Wednesday - cross stitch projects

 

I feel that I've made a decent start on Christmas Tree by Barbara Ana for Nikta Moscow. I have the structure of the tree  and aim to finish one side of one level of the tree each month so it will take me ten months in all ready for Christmas 2022. There are a lot of colour changes, so I am focusing on the top level and using up any leftover thread on other levels as I go. As I have finished my Frosted Pumpkin sewalong I am going to stitch this project every weekend.

During the week I am working on the 2017 Prairie Schooler Santa which I started yesterday. This project has larger blocks of colour so should be quicker. 

Monday Make - shortie pyjamas

 

I made a thing, feels like ages since I've sewn and last week went by in a blur of inactivity. I must be feeling a bit better as I sewed these up yesterday on my Janome Atelier 7 and my daughter's overlocker. Perhaps Miffy isn't considered suitable by some for adult pyjamas but I like them and it was the best of limited availability in my local fabric store.  ran out of fabric for the back so used a different grey, also from Rachel's Textiles.

Once you become a woman of a certain age, you appreciate shortie pyjamas and I have now made two for myself. Perhaps I'll pack one pair for the short trip to France we're making at the beginning of October. The ferry times are poor but we're making the best of the winter schedule so get half a day's visit to Pour L'Amour du Fils in Nantes, a ride on the mechanical elephant and a few stops on the way back to St Malo. I am not sure how my 93 year old father will react to the mechanical elephant but his ticket is also booked!!

Friday day finish - Tulip dress

 

I purchased the Tulip Dress Pattern by Sew Different at Festival of Quilts last month and Lizzie purchased the denim for me as a birthday gift. I remembered to prewash the fabric but was very disappointed that there was distinct fading on the fold of the fabric. So I improvised. I put an extra seam in the front of the dress, however  allowed a 1/4" seam and sewed a 5/8" seam. Rookie error! I then screen printed the bottom panel of the dress to cover the fading, I think that was successful and adds to the finished look. You won't see a photograph of me wearing the dress a it's a little too small. I can get it on but it's not a flattering look! 

This weekend I'm hoping to make another set of shortie pyjamas and then I will make this dress again in some linen I purchased at Festival of Quilts, but in a size larger.

Have a lovely weekend.

September 2021 plans

 I plan to be more productive this month but also set myself more realistic targets. There are four months left of the year and I have completed two out of my four remaining UFOs. Will the random number picker be kind to me again? The two remaining UFOs are achievable in a couple of days so I'll now  start drawing up a list for 2022.

1. Draft pattern for Go Big Baby Bear

2. 2017 Prairie Schooler Santa - I have been completing these in a random manner so I think I'll complete all of the cardstock postcard sized patterns first.

3. ATW BOM for September

4. A second pair of shortie pyjamas

5. A second tulip dress in navy linen in a size larger than my first attempt.

6. Start Christmas Tree by Barbara Ana

7. September UFO - Poppy Treffy tea towel