Ready for Halloween

Not really, but I am ready for the start of The Frosted Pumpkin Halloween stitch along on 9 September. I am pleased with the linen I am using and the mottled colouring works well with the hand dyed threads used for the frames.

Both Matthew and Lizzie are at Jersey Live for the weekend so I have been very selfish and spent the time working on these frames. It looks very striking and I'm looking forward to starting on the designs on 9 September. We will collect Lizzie from Jersey Live at 11pm so I have a few hours more spare to start hand sewing the binding to my FQR Kinky bee star quilt.

Halloween Sampler

 

 

It's August so that must mean it's Halloween??? You've got to start early to get ahead especially with The Frosted Pumpkin's stitcheries. The stitch along starts on 9 September and lasts for three weeks. This time they've turned it up a notch. The borders are fancy with skulls and spiders, the fabric is mottled and the thread for four of the colours is hand dyed so has small variations in the base colour. I was able to buy Zweigart 32 count Belfast linen in Vintage Dune which has a hand dyed look. I also forgot to say this sampler is on 32 count linen. I don't know if my old eyes will cope.

 

from the sneak peek above posted on their Facebook page it looks like each block will contain one of the nine letters that spell Halloween. It looks very cute.

 

 

As the borders have very few straight lines and neither does the linen, I did start the autumn sampler borders first. However I realised this week that with nine days to go, I ought to start the borders, if I want to be a speedy stitcher. It's coming together and even if I just finish the top right corner before 9 September, I'll be ready for the first week, but I hope to get it all done over the next few days.

 

Jersey Live is on this weekend, so I will get some time to just sit and stitch, once we've dropped the children to the venue. 10,000 festival goers are expected. I have finished the first of two customer quilts, so I'm on target for getting them both finished this week.

Deckade the Halls

 

Woot woot. I have caught up with the Deckade the Halls quilt along by the Fat Quarter Shop - just in time for part 9 to be released on Monday then two weeks later, the finishing instructions are released. Even I might have it finished by THIS Christmas.

This is part 9 Trim the Tree with fabrics from Summersville Spring, Bonnie & Camille and a random spotted fabric.


This is the last block set (Season of Giving) I made with Bonnie & Camille and Aneela Hoey prints with some Moda Essential dots in red.

 
And last but not least the Holiday Home coming set in Simply Style, Pearl Bracelets and the random green dot again. The last set is of cocoa mugs and I'll try and repeat some of the fabrics I've already used in the other seven block sets to try and pull it together. Time to get back to my long arm.


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Simply Solids swaps now up to date

Yesterday was a satisfying trip to the Post Office to post a thank you card for the lovely haberdashery, the Sewing Room swap (photos to follow once it's arrived) and three months of Simply Solids swaps - only one of which was late and one is early.

Firstly we have the curvy block for Alice, which I have avoided as I don't really wing it. however I came up with my own method which worked brilliantly. I placed two rectangles of fabric on top of each other and cut a curve down the middle. Then I sewed two pairs together. Repeat several times and then when it came to sewing pairs together, I stacked the pieces again and cut and joined. Really pleased with this one.

 

This one was harder than July's and I'm not happy with the centre points but I unpicked it more than I usually would so had to call it finished. This was pieced in four quarters but may have been better as two foundation pieced halves. All those points converging was never going to be easy.

 



 

And lastly Amy's block for September was improve which is out of my comfort zone again but I'm pleased with the results. note to self - start with a bigger centre. I trimmed the block before posting so I stitched 1/8" in all the way around the block to minimise stretch.

 

Tomorrow I'll share my Deckade the Halls blocks which are now up to date but today I need to load up a customer quilt on the long arm and finish it no later than tomorrow. Then I have another customer quilt to quilt and then I can work on my own projects.

Habby treasure

 

About a week ago, a school friend facebooked me and asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested in her Mum's stash of haberdashery. I think my response may have felt like I was snatching, but let's just say my response was an enthusiastic "Me please". I turned up earlier than planned and Janine was not yet suitably dressed but I had a lovely chat with her and her mum. There were five boxes in all, the first was full of assorted useful zips. The second above has useful trims including gold ric rac and some pale blue daisy trim. I remember Mum made Joanne and I matching dresses with similar trims. I may use some of this on my applique cushion to trim the roof of the little house.

 

 

 



The next box was full of delicious lace trims including several that were crocheted - not machine made. They would look great on some pillowcases.

 

 

The last two boxes are button tins - many of the buttons are from Janine's grandmother and aunt. Inside the big tins are these sweet smaller tins.

 

 

Lovely little mother of pearl buttons which are very useful.

 



 

Look at that little Oxo tin. I was particularly intrigued by the buttons on the blue cards. Apparently they are linen buttons and were used on underwear and night clothes. I've never seen their like before. Have you?

 

 

Another box of even more mother of pearl. Look at those lovely buckles. I think I should go and have another rifle through the boxes, to see what treasures I haven't yet uncovered. Lucky me.

Slower progress

Progress yesterday and this morning was slower. However Matthew has now passed his motor bike test, so cause for celebration. Today I've finished the Deckade the Halls part six - season of giving, so just one more part and I'm caught up.

This morning I managed to break a needle trying to improve the matching of the points on this August block for the Simply Solids Amaranth swap. I have unpicked it more times than I would usually and I've now called it finished. Not as good as I would like it to be unfortunately but it's also ready to post on Tuesday.

I have finished the social tote and contacted the designers to let them know about the errata. The pin cushion just needs to be slip stitched closed. I'll share some photos once it's been posted and on its way to its recipient. I will aslo have some photos to share on a friend's mother's haberdashery stash that she has passed to me. Linen buttons, crocheted lace and of course a great button box.

Catching up with commitments

I have decided that this is the week to catch up with my sewing commitments. I think I have the following to do:
Sewing room swap
Siblings Together block for July
Simply Solids for July and August

Alongside these commitments I want to catch up with the Deckade the Halls sew along. The seventh part was published on Monday and I have completed the first four.

Yesterday I decided the most important one to do was the social tote for the large item for the sewing room swap. I had the pattern all ready and I bought the fabric at Fat Quarterly Retreat. It all went swimmingly until I came across a piece that wouldn't fit no matter how much I stretched it. In the end I think it is 1" short and there's a typo on the pattern so I added a little piece of another fabric to make it work. Our guild meeting last night was surprisingly short, so I managed to fit in another hour last night. It is now ready for the binding to be hand stitched tonight and I hope there's some half decent telly to watch whilst I do it.

Today I decided to work on the September Amaranth block as it seemed an easy one and then I'd get ahead along with the Trim the Tree block (part 7) for the Deckade the Halls. I chose this block as it also looked easy to put together. I was right and got the trees made quickly and then started on the August Simply Solids block which I should finish tomorrow.

The September block for Amy is improv. Eek. Not my thing at all. However it's finished and I'm happy with it. Another time I need to remember to start with a larger piece in the middle as this is a 15" block. Ready to pop in the post.

Unfortunately we are no further on with our kitchen as the red glittery splashback had a chip in it. No amount of persuading would get me to agree to take it so there's another two to three week wait for a replacement.

Tomorrow I plan to do the gifts part of the Deckade the Halls sew along and finish the August Simply Solids block which is about 60% done already. I also need to locate the pieces for the ST2 block which I started about three weeks ago. I found one piece so the others must be close by.



Progress

The fence has been painted, so I celebrated by painting my nails before falling asleep at about 8 last night. I hadn't felt well all day and this morning, I still feel shaky. The neighbours at the Trinity property were kind enough to tell me that part of the side fence is falling down which will just have to wait.

I have also worked on my autumn sampler frames. However today I need to focus on the sewing room swap as that needs to be posted by 25 August. I have the pattern and fabric and that's as far as I've progressed.

FNSI August 2013

I had more time on my hands yesterday than planned as it rained on the morning so fence posting had to be postponed until today.  I've just heard one third of the team is helping air cadets today.

 

I decided to work on my July Simply Solids block yesterday. I printed off the instructions, watched a video and headed to my room. Damn I was in the middle of some applique on this patter by Lenora Jenkins which was an OPAM prize from peg. Now I know I said I wouldn't start it, but I lied. The chain stitch wreath was completed on our cruise and I borrowed a holly die from Lorraine to cut the holly leaves rather than do them by hand. So yesterday I finished machine blanket stitching the leaves down. Next I need to do the house which should be straight forward once I've resolved my dilemma over the scalloped edge to the roof. As I am doing machine applique with Bondaweb, I can't use ric rac as it would show up under the roof so I'm looking for either a scalloped ribbon or a narrow white lace.

I also decided to start stitching the frames for the Autumn Sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin. Although the Halloween Sampler starts first, the borders are much more intricate so I thought I'd do this simpler framework first and I have seven done already. they may not be complete but doing the first half stitch eliminates any miscounting so the second half stitch is much quicker.

 

Time to get ready for painting the fence.

A good start to the day

A good start to the day with Matthew's AS results - 3Bs and a C. A relief all round and I hope he can build on those results in the coming year at Welbeck. Flights were booked a few weeks ago for the coming term, so we are almost set for the start of the school year. A few days after the beginning of term, Lizzie is off to Disneyland Paris to play in the park with the Beaulieu & De la Salle Big Band.


As intended, I got back to my sewing machine yesterday and finished this log cabin table runner from the hen party last month. The wedding is on Saturday and apparently it's going to be on display so it's now ready for collection. The fabric is by Moda and is a jelly roll cut in half as the logs on the cabins which were foundation pieced are 3/4" wide.

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Greetings from the Beach

I won the pattern for Greetings from the Beach from the Frosted Pumpkin for being a runner up in their speedy stitcher contest for the summer sampler. After getting back from holiday, I decided to start it working on some Aida I already had as I thought it would be a quick project to do until I found my sewjo again. Fast forward ten days and it still wasn't finished and I had a call yesterday to tell me the wedding for the hen do I taught about three weeks ago is this Saturday. Eek. I haven't touched the log cabin blocks since the event, so I thought I'd better get finishing the cross stitch ready to put together the table runner today. There were two Kirstie Allsop programmes on last night so I had those on in the background as I stitched and I even stayed up until past 11.

 

So once showered and dressed I plan to work on the table runner. First I have to locate the work in progress and remind myself how far the hen and friends got and then finish the twelve blocks needed for the runner. Hopefully I'll have progress to report by tomorrow.

Back from my holidays

We have been back a week but I have lost my mojo. Perhaps the loss of my mojo isn't surprising after suffering concussion on holiday. I was wearing sensible shoes on a wet granite pavement in Bergen - our first cruise stop and slipped and banged my head. I sat up and felt the blood on my head, and that's the last thing I remember until about 45 minutes later when I was stood outside the medical centre on the cruise ship. Scary. Nick says there was a lovely big puddle of blood on the pavement and that I kept asking where Matthew and Elizabeth were. Matthew was gliding in England and Lizzie is still on pilgrimage in a place whose name I can't spell.

 

The length of time that it is taking to do up my rental property and also finish the kitchen at our house is also sapping my energy. I appreciate the tradesmen who do what they promise to do on the date arranged and communicate problems as they arise and even let me know when they've finished. And the rest - the sooner this is finished the better and we can get back to something close to normal. Photos to follow next week.

 

My bee commitments have started to pile up, but this one for August's Siblings Together Bee mama took about an hour and used scrap strips from a swap at FQR and some fabric scraps from Liz Dandelion for the FQ of  Sunkissed by Sweetwater that I sent Liz. I definitely got the better end of the deal. :)

 

 

 

I've also started a new cross stitch which I thought would be a quick make, but as I have no get up and go, progress is very slow. But hopefully by Monday the rental property will be in the hands of a letting agent and I can get back to some stitching.



Linking up to:

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.
 

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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.