Q2 finish along 2017

I am quite pleased with the projects I finished in the first quarter, but it still seems there are a lot of projects to finish and I have added two sew alongside and a retreat project to my list. I must see when the Bee Sewcial Sampler finishes as it may fins have this quarter.

1. Garden BOM, The blocks for which are complete and I have to unpick my first unsuccessful attempt at the sashing. It has got as far as my design wall to potentially take to retreat.

2.  Jan Krentz project - this stalled because I didn't like one of the techniques used.

3. It's a small world 3 out of six panels are complete apart from some appliqué. This progresses a little last quarter and I am working on panel 4.

4. Green tea and sweet beans just needs some extra borders.

5. TQS BOM has a drawer to itself and needs a lot of work. If I complete the selected project before the end of the month, I will work on this project. There is a lot of work to be done and not even the first month is complete.

6. Xmas hexagons

7. Makers  tote - pattern purchased and I may make this at retreat in either January or March with the following fabrics. Our modern quilt guild (JMQG) are doing a sewalong with this pattern in July.

8. The Thread House retreat quilt.

Last quarter I listed thirteen projects and I now have eight to complete, which is good progress. I have finished my oldest UFO which was started in the year 2000. Here's to a productive second quarter. I can see at least three items which should be finished this quarter with several more that I can make a little more progress on.

Sewing machine quilt

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This was a test sew for @quietplay and also the Saturday activity for the Jersey Modern Quilt Guild's Rainbow Retreat. Amongst the business of the last few days before the retreat, I decided to quilt and bind the quilt. I pinched the rainbow binding from another UFO and it was soon complete.

Here is the centre block DK which others have made over the weekend and then the complete quilt.

One hour basket

This weekend I have been at the inaugural rainbow Retreat for the Jersey Modern Quilt Guild. Friday's activity was to make a one hour basket. Some took longer than other but everyone has completed a basket. Here is mine using a pre quilted panel for a quick finish. I should have used some interfacing as well as wadding for a firmer finish.

Colourway finish

Q1 2017 Finish Along

I had forgotten to share another finish from February with you. The pattern is Colorway by Camille Roskelley. I bought a jelly roll of a newer Bonnie and Camille range and combined it with my B&C stash. The block is very cleverly 

I finished the quote to enter it in the Jersey Eisteddfod needlework and text a hot art section. Here itis displayed   at the show. This year's adjudicator was Philippa Naylor. 

Sewcial bee sampler block 7

I wasn't sure about this block as it has no border and. Have put a border of mini pearl bracelets by Lizzy House around the other blocks. So I decided to use a neutral background of the same fabric line, not that I could initially find my fabric, that was because it was neatly put away with the other colours. I like this block and am looking forward to putting it together with six other blocks.

March socks

I started this new pair of Hermione's Everyday socks by Erica Leuder on 5 March. And this morning I finished the ribbing. They just needed to be blocked now after I pick up my sock blockers and docks from the Eisteddfod exhibition on Sunday.

Now I need to finish my Snowmelt shawl by sewing in the ends and blocking it.

March socks

I have chosen some lovely pink yarn by Kate Selene with speckles of green to signal the start of spring.

I am helping at the Eisteddfod this week and also participating in an emergency exercise on Wednesday so I needed a simple project in case of quiet intervals. So I cast on a pair of Hermione's everyday socks.

I also finished clue 5 of the snowmelt shawl, but have yet to sew in the ends and block it but I did block the Girl from the Grocery Girl shawl last week.

Bjorn Bear cushion

I decided to make one more item for our local Eisteddfod. I already had the Bjorn Bear pattern by Elizabeth Hartman, grabbed my fabrics and I finished the cushion the same day.

Summer Sampler finish

The Summer Sampler was UFO number 8 on the list of UFOS for the APQ challenge 2017. I actually worked on this from 1 February to get it finished even though it was more important to finish my Eisteddfod entries. I put all of the blocks on my design wall, only to find that I was one block short. I then reviewed my blocks so far and realised that two blocks didn't fit in with the rest due to being too light. I had used Kona iron as a background colour to tie the blocks together. So I decided to take out the two light blocks plus one other block to make a sixteen block quilt with the grey sashings.

Cross stitch progress for February 2017

Having had four pieces framed during February, it was time to move onto the Once Upon a Yime sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  The February block looked almost complete but there were lots of details to add. I finished the February block today and will spend the rest of the afternoon working on the September block.

I also finished the frame around the whole piece in February. I had visions of getting around the piece and being a half a stitch put, but it worked out perfectly. 

March is already complete so I will work on either April or December and perhaps stitch all the names of the months too. Thinking about it, perhaps December would be the better choice. Off to workon September   now.

Wonderland Bag

As a treat, after finishing my Dear Jane quilt, I took a break and made myself a project bag. I used :

Sotak Handmade's Lola pouch pattern

Wonderland charm pack by Katarina Roccella

Sparkly Essex dyed linen

Corduroy bias binding from Beyond Measure

I love the corduroy binding which I hand sewed to the front.

Cross stitch progress

I have just collected four cross stitch pieces from the framer, so I have mostly Christmas pieces to finish now. I need to also finish the February block of the Once Upon a Time sampler, also by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.

Merry & Bright a 2016 pattern which I made a lot of progress on during our cruise in November.

The Woodland Sampler, a much older pattern.

The Autumn sampler which has no glass on as I will enter it in our local Eisteddfod next month.

The Spring Sampler to finish the four seasons of samplers. Now I need to work on the February Once Upon a Time block and finish the border too.

Sewcial Bee Sampler

As you know I love a good sew along. I resisted thus one for several weeks, but two weeks ago I caved and sewed up the first three blocks.

I am starting in the top left with pink as you can see. Then I am moving onto red and pink.

Then onto red. I am loving my text fabrics.

And then onto red orange. No text fabric but I also love the Carolyn Friedlander screen in orange.

Then orange and I chose my border fabric for each block but I am missing a few colours.

This week it's another red and pink block.

And I am up to date with the blocks but need more of the colours of mini pearl bracelets.

Dear Jane finish after 17 years

It's finished. I hand sewed the binding down on Sunday having taken it to Jersey Modern Quilt Guild on Saturday. As I was getting ready on Saturday to go to our meeting and found the missing corner. Damn. Too late, never mind. That will teach me that I need to be tidier.

I used a swirly pantograph in with thread top and bottom. I took it off the machine early on Saturday morning and quickly did a rough trim of the excess backing and wadding. On Sunday I trimmed the quilt, machine stitched on the binding to the front and hand stitched 240 inches of binding to the back.

I am pleased with how it looks and will celebrate by stitching up a project bag for myself.

February knitting

This month I decided to work on one pair of socks and the Snowmelt shawl by Helen Stewart.

I finished the socks quickly, which I knit two at a time. They have a small mock cable up the side of each sock. The wool is by Vickevira.

The Snowmelt shawl is a mystery knit along and I chose three turquoise / grey yarns from Life in the Long a Grass, The Knitting Goddess and Kate Selene.

There are five clues spread over five weeks. So far three clues have been released and I gave kept up so far. I find with knit alongside and sew alongside, that if I don't keep up, the projects get shelved. I need to insert a lifeline before starting clue four on Thursday.

I also need to block my January shawl now that I have finished all of my Eisteddfod entries.

Progress on my oldest WIP

According to one of the blocks in my Dear Jane quilt, this UFO dates back to October 200. I guess I should be relieved that it is from this millennium and not the 1990s.

I applied the last border at the last Jersey modern quilt guild meeting and realised that I was missing one corner block. Oops. All of the blocks in this quilt are made from Christmas fabrics. In particular the corners are made with a gold fabric. Of course I had destashed all my gold fabrics and the Dear Jane book was sold long ago. Time for some procrastination. I searched for images of the quilt on the Internet and enlarged a photo of the corner block but I still need to make. This required two stars in the star bloke with a border and when I came to sewthe block I decided to simplify the block and remove one of the stalls. Fortunately a friend had the perfect fabric for the block.

The quilt has now been quilted with a large all over pantograph and is ready to be trimmed and the binding applied. I am entering this quilt into the eisteddfod so I need to complete it this month. I have various projects that I'm working on but I need to focus on just one project at a time. Not my usual modus operandi.

The Eisteddfod is in March and entries need to be handed in on 4 March so I have just two weeks to get this finished. Wish me luck.