La vie en rose with Veruschka Zarate

I took one further class on Saturday morning at Pour l'Amour du Fil on foundation piecing as I loved the class piece. Verushka explained the method comprehensively. Her top tip was to use liquid starch and allow the fabric to drip dry.

The class came with a full kit using Bella solids. Verushka also gave out the remainder of her kit and it was interesting to see how firm the starched pieces are.

I managed to stitch four sections and then three of the sections into one piece.

Veruschka extolled the virtues of prepping all of the pieces and fabric and then sewing. That is so not my way. I am too impatient!! However, we stayed in France until Wednesday, so I prepared three sections each morning whilst waiting for my husband to get ready for the day.

The benefit of this approach is that I've stitched eleven further sections in the past twenty-four hours. I had thought this would be a good piece to take to the retreat in July, but I think it will be completed before then.

Veruschka's trip was sponsored by Wonderfil and there was a small exhibition of Veruschka's work next to the Wonderfil stand.

The detail in these larger pieces is phenomenal. I dread to think how many pieces each contains.

I was very pleased to have taken two classes at the event this time and we stayed at the Logis, two minutes' walk away from the venue, which was much more convenient than the Ibis.

Pour l'Amour du Fil

Of course the boat was delayed on Friday. We made it to Nantes just on time as Helen Robinson hadn’t quite started the workshop that I had signed up for.

Helen distributed the kits which included Art Gallery fabrics and two rulers. An additional ruler was gifted during the class to trim the small units.

Everyone completed one block during the class and there was some background leftover. Helen caught me trimming my squares st an opportune moment as I had forgotten to cut the second curve. The block still turned out as expected. 

I will turn the block into another mini quilt for our special care baby unit.

Friday finish - folk art sampler

 

It is already week 15 of the Folk Art Sampler with Art East Quilting. I am over halfway through the schedule for the 26 week programme to completion. 

Last week's block was entitled Star Fish - not quite what I envisaged, but it is a fish with a star in it and another fiddly star at that. The green fish on blue should have been the other way around, but I can live with my mistake. I have also run out of the original pink fabric, so I have substituted a deep pink with paler pink crosses for my original choice. I think that if I can make three blocks from each substitute fabric, it should still look cohesive.

Week 15 is the mushroom with another fiddly star. I see a theme developing here. Fortunately, next week is a bird so less fiddly, just more different shapes to cut.

I am totally caught up now as I also finished the two squirrel blocks this week, and as with previous animal bocks, I managed to get one eye the wrong way up!

You can really see the quilt coming together on my design wall now. when I stitch the second dog block, I will need to fix the first block which is not at all square. I think I'll add some wider borders and trim the block down to the required size.

Time to go and catch the ferry. On our return I have a customer quilt to start and next week's folk sampler block to stitch.

WIP Wednesday - packing for France

My Facebook memories tells me that 12 years ago we were getting ready to go to Nantes, so I have been going to this show for a few years. Usually, one day is sufficient to see the whole show and make some purchases, but this year, I decided to do a class and then because I got my days mixed up and we are travelling on Friday and not Thursday, I've booked a second class.

My first class on Friday is with Helen Robinson of Sew Wonderful. I have already emailed Helen to let her know I may be late if our travel plans don't go perfectly. 

Then on Saturday morning I am doing Modern Foundation Paper Piecing Fundamentals with Verushka Zarat. My friend Carol did a two day class with Verushka so it will be interesting to see how much we learn and accomplish in three hours! This class comes with a fabric bundle for the complete project.

I have assembled my kit for the two classes and one requirements list was not initially in English and the only item I didn't pick up was a light box, but it is now packed with a travel adapter for the plug and a giant mesh bag to put everything in. I've added a design board as that might keep me a little tidier!!

I have two cross stitch projects packed for when we are in St Malo for a few days next week. I am making good progress on Bee Farm for the stitch along.

I only have a small start on the 2024 collector's heart by Heart in Hand but it's good to have a choice of pieces to work on.

Fingers crossed we don't encounter any delays as there is not much spare time in our schedule to get to Nantes by 2.30pm. However, we know the route and the exhibition centre is just off the peripherique after a tricky set of roundabouts have been negotiated.

Monday Make - Quilters' tote

 

My Quilter's Tote by Zeriano has been getting a lot of love recently so I'm planning to make two for friend's birthdays. I think I'll give them as an unbirthday gift when we next meet for lunch. I pieced the side panels for one bag at Modern Quilt Club Retreat so didn't expect for it to take long to finish the project.

Yesterday I pieced the panels for the second bag with the plan to quilt all four panels at once on my long arm. Quilting them all together using a leftover piece of backing for the lining was so satisfying. I used the digital pantograph called circuits with Superior Threads' King Tut in Cleopatra. 

However, my machine was not playing ball in stitching the bag together and it took longer than I had expected. I need to buy a few more packs of Topstitch 90/14 needles. Once again, I used car headliner instead of bosal as it gives a firmness to the bag at a more reasonable price. 

As usual I forgot to add a label into the binding, so I added it before stitching the bag together. The label is from Sew anonymous.

Bee Farm SAL

I do enjoy a good Flosstube video on Youtube and one of my Favourites is Helen D who is East Coast Crafter on Instagram. The pattern can be purchased from Cobweb Corner and Helen has thoughtfully chosen a chart which the designer was happy to make available in PDF format for overseas stitchers.

The threads are all DMC which I can purchase locally, and I had all but two of the thread colours. I have chosen a 32 count fabric called eureka by Fox and Rabbit instead of the called for 28 Count. Everything is kitted up and I even add a hand cream to my project pouch as I have so many hand creams to use but forget to use them. The SAL officially starts on 23 April.

That bee was so tempting, and a centre start on the bee very appealing, so I gave in to temptation. I have worked to the top of the piece with the bee farm banner and will now work down to the local honey sign. It's not a big piece (70 x 70 stitches) and I am enjoying it but will be pleased to finish the black stitching first and move to the pretty mauves and greens. I am sure to mess up the wings with miscounting but will try hard to concentrate. 

We are off to France next Friday so plan to take this with me to work on along with the 2024 sampler which has also been started. 

 

WIP Wednesday - folk art sampler

It is already week 14 of the Folk Art Sampler with Art East Quilting. I am over halfway through the schedule for the 26 week programme to completion. This week is entitled Star Fish - not quite what I envisaged, but it is a fish with a star in it and another fiddly star at that. The green fish on blue should have been the other way around, but I can live with my mistake. I have also run out of the original pink fabric, so I have substituted a deep pink with paler pink crosses for my original choice. I think that if I can make three blocks from each substitute fabric, it should still look cohesive.

 

I haven't yet done last week's squirrels, but I did complete some extra bee blocks this week. The centre of the quilt is coming together, and I will also stitch one acorn block next week so that all of the acorns are complete. It would be great to get four more bee blocks stitched so that I can add the first row around the central star block. I have already started to stitch pairs of blocks together as that feels like I'm making progress. Next week's blocks are the birds towards the top of the quilt which together with the squirrels would complete another row. I can see more clearly from this picture of my blocks so far that there are a few more blocks I can sew together, and I use them as leaders and enders whilst stitching up the small blocks.

I think I need to be more focused and stitch the bird blocks first, then the squirrels and lastly the one acorn block. I have a customer quilt to work on this week, so I could cut blocks out whilst the Prostitcher works its magic. I would then have a few blocks ready to stitch on Sunday when the bird patter is released.

Monday make - September cottage

 

Number 7 was chosen as our Group's UFO to work on in April. Looking at the picture, I thought, it would be good to start with the big red house. I was surprised when I dug the project out of my UFO Challenge box, that I had already started on that house. That was a pleasant surprise.

I used the called for threads but ran out of the weeks Dye Works pecan so I did the bottom stitch in the top border in the DMC alternative of 435 and the top stitch in the remaining hand dyed pecan thread. The DMC was a good match for my skein of pecan.

I still have quite a few of the monthly cottages to complete but I think first I am going to start Heart in Hand 2024 collector's heart as I was surprised to find that I have some of all of the threads apart from one and the fabric comes in the kit with a butterfly button.

Friday finish - Corbiere Cushion

 

I paired charm squares from Helen Steele with a metallic Essex dyed linen from Sew Hot. I need to investigate what colour it is as it's not my usual fog, it has more of an iridescent metallic thread rather than silver.

I pieced together the cushion top at the Modern Quilt Club retreat and brought it home to finish. The plan was always to make it the right size to take an Ikea cushion pad.

I quilted the panel using a design called Fast Feathers with a white Premosoft thread. Quilting a cushion panel is the perfect opportunity to use an unloved fabric on the reverse as it is never seen.

I used snaps to close the back in a range of mauve and pinks.  I purchased the heart snaps from Amazon here or if you need the tool, you can buy a kit of the tool and snaps here (affiliate links) The pattern for this cushion will be released on 1 May and is beginner friendly.

March 2024 achievements

Well March was a strange month and I only finished one item - the Halloween Terrarium by Tiny Modernist, I have painted the finishing piece and plan to fully finish it this week.

In good news, I am up to date with the Folk Art Sampler with Art East Quilting which took some doing. All of those little pieces to cut out!!

This morning, I dropped my husband off to the local hospital for a day surgery op. He just wanted me to drop him off and pick him up later, so I plan to quilt a cushion front and work on this month's UFO.

April 2024 plans

 Our April project for our Guild UFO challenge has been announced and it is number 7 which for me is the September Cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks. I plan to pull it out today and make a small start. The bold red house looks like a good place to start and outline it to then fill in. Hubby is having a day surgery op on Wednesday so perfect to take with me.

Lizzie finished her Zip and Grip pouch at last weeks' retreat, but I haven't got very far. I think I underestimated the effect that my disrupted travel plans had on my concentration on that first day.

The fraction quilt by Lou Orth Designs was a pattern that we won at retreat. I am not going to start stitching it, but I plan to start kitting it up as there are 15 colours plus a background. It will also be a good opportunity to tidy out my basket of Kona cottons and pass on any smaller pieces that I won't use. Lizzie has chosen this as our Christmas project already.

My Quilter's Tote by Zeriano has been getting a lot of love recently so I'm planning to make two for friend's birthdays. I know one birthday is at the end of July, but I need to check when the other birthday falls. I pieced the side panels at retreat so it shouldn't take long to put together.

Another raffle prize from retreat was the Mave Skirt by True Bias. I need to use some of the dressmaking fabrics that I have in stash before we return to the Festival of Quilts in August this year.

I need to quilt this panel that I put together at retreat for a simple cushion pattern. I did have a sample but I seem to have gifted it to my son prematurely. I have combined Essex linen with mini charm squares from Helen Steele.

I need to motivate myself to finish a customer quilt today so that I can quilt the cushion cover and tote panels. I also need to visit my accommodating neighbour to get some paperwork certified which I hope to post tomorrow in London as I have a quarterly checkup. In the UK, today is a Bank Holiday so I should be able to make good progress without interruption.

Plemont Pennant pattern released today

Feeling very nervous as I've published my first pattern this morning. I was very lucky that my friend Kim tested my pattern and I love the stripe she used from Kristy of Quietplay. You can either purchase the pattern here or you can subscribe to my newsletter here for a 20% discount until 17 April 2024.

I made this version of my pattern for my daughter Lizzie's Christmas present using a printed panel from Colette Moscrop.

Lizzie gifted me this cute and useful colour wheel pin last weekend, which is now on my Plemont pennant.