BOM rehab TQS September

I have been working hard on foundation pieced units for the Sedona Star quilt alongside other projects such as my FQR kinky bee blocks. September's task is to foundation piece six strips of 24 triangles to make a circular border. It's when you see them laid out that you remember what a big quilt it's destined to be. I will join these together once I'm ready to add the border to the middle which won't be for a while.

Today I'm going to the printers to get photocopies of the June to August appliqué blocks as I don't want to work with the originals which are glued together. Then I will need to start cutting the appliqué shapes on the Accuquilt machine. I am also waiting for a delivery of freezer paper from Ebay to complete the centres of the March to May mariner's compass blocks.

FNSI Finish

Friday night didn't go quite as planned. I had been out on Friday morning with Jane caching and we hadn't read the instructions for one of the caches, so Jane suggested we go out on Friday evening. We found the cache as the light was going and I returned home too tired to contemplate sewing. So here are the FQR Kinky blocks for Ann which I have finished along with her siggie block (love the elephant fabric) together with some for the Bumble Bee group.




These blocks are made using the converging corners block tutorial at Film in the Fridge. In October Amy is going to have us make one wonky log cabin blocks. Another challenge for me as I don't do wonky, well not intentionally.

I have been working on a foundation pieced TQS BOM border along with my Bee blocks which I should finish today as Lizzie is out all day on a Duke of Edinburgh hike prep day. Fortunately the rain has stopped for the moment.

It's FNSI time

Nick will be at air cadets and Lizzie will be at JACY so time to sew. Do sew along with us.

If you like crafting with others, Jenny and Joanne have taken over the running of our monhtly scrapbooking group - Caesarea Scrappers which is now Caesarea Crafters. More details on the Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/302980413142215/



BOM rehab TQS month 5

Pink Pincushion organises the Year of Schnibbles as well as the BOm rehab. I've been meaning to jump on the rehab wagon with my TQS BOM for 2012 but first of all I had to fin all of my fabrics and progress so far. That was done late last week and I started on one of the foundation pieced blocks for month 3. Unfortunately those compasses are pieced in long strips of 32 pieces whereas these blocks are 4 piece units sewn together.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that I was somewhere near to getting to September which is the small pieced border in the finished quilt:

This is more like where I'm at apart from the fact that I haven't appliqued the circles to the border or sewn the pieces together.

 Why not? The February instructions look like another peiced unit but they turned out to be appliqued points which I didn't like. I had this idea of making it foundation pieced which of course never happened and so it got left to one side. With the help of BOM rehab I'm hoping to get the March, April and May foundation pieced compasses done. Then I'll prep the hand applique of the compass centres for sewing at our Wedesday sewing group before thinking of cutting all of the applique shapes for the remaining months.

No sewing today as the schools are closed for Battle of Britain so we are heading to France for a cheap day trip with plans to gorge on macarons.



Vintage holiday quilt top finished

I'm not sure what block I should be on for the quilt along but I have now finished the quilt top. I used a combination of Bonnie & Camille's Bliss, Ruby and Vintage Modern ranges. The border is from Vintage Modern.



It's now ready to quilt. However I have a customer quilt on the frame. I downloaded the updated Prostitcher software earlier in the week in advance of a webinar tomorrow. I only discovered after installing it that there are some major changes. Whereas I could crop a pattern in about two clicks, it now takes more stages. Nick was kind enough to print off the new 120 page manual, so this weekend I need to sit down and study the manual and get Jennifer's quilt done. Then I can quilt my quilt top.



I have also been participating in BOM rehab. I needed to find all of the bits of my TQS2012 BOM. More about that tomorrow.

More progress

August was my month for the Fat Quarterly Retreat Kinky bee. I underestimated the amount of white on white background needed to make two 12" blocks. I bought some more of the muslin mates falling snow on Saturday. Packets were sent yesterday of another fat quarter to most of my bee friends. This is the second block that I made and I have seen two other versions of this block from the bee. The second block was participant's own choice.

Farming stage one finished

All 111 blocks finished. I finished the last three blocks before heading to the airport.

September UFO

Once again I'm planning to participate in Judy's UFO finishalong. I hope to at least get the project out of the cupboard this month. Judy chose number 11 for September from this list:

1. blue and cream stars - finished for February

2. Jan Krentz difficult quilt - Summer salsa lone star

3. rainbow squares

4. Heart stitchery

5. Disappearing nine patch - finished for January

6. Swoon - three more blocks to make finished in May

7. Modern V meets Thimbleberries scraps

8. Christmas table runner

9. Love laugh live stitchery

10. accuquilt feathered applique

11. Fat Quarter stars - just making some setting blocks

12. TQS BOM

I have started making my spacer blocks and I know where the project is and I glanced at it earlier in the week. I hope that bodes well for getting it finished this month.

WIP Wednesday 29 August 2012

Not much change this week or should I say month.

New projects
I have made the ET block for my month of the FQR kinky bee and am waiting for the rest of the blocks to return to me, but everyone including me is waiting for my delivery of white on white. This block took much more background fabric than I had estimated.

Oh dear, I've just realised the Vintage holiday quilt along is another new project started since the beginning of the month. I have done eight out of the twelve blocks and am again waiting for more white on white to finish the blocks along with some Vintage Modern fabric.

Finished projects
None


Ongoing Projects:

The rainbow squares just needs the remainder of the binding sewn on. This should be a priority over the next few days / evenings.
Hope Love and Friendship by Rosalie Quinlan is over three quarters completed. Mainly done whilst I was on our cruise and I'm itching to finish it and embellish it with crystals.


I have completed seven Farmer's wife blocks this week including four today. Only three more to complete - 37 Flower pot, 67 pine tree and 43 garden path. I hope to get all of the blocks done and perhaps work on it at our UFO day at the end of September.

Back-Burner:

Christmas stars

Hexy MF - I'm getting together with Jenny tomorrow to layout our blocks and use the basting gun to baste them together ready for each of us to sew three rows each.

This week's stats:

New projects - 2

Completed projects - 0

Currently in progress - 8

More farming

Getting closer to finishing. Only seven blocks left to complete the whole 111 blocks in the book. I realised that I sewed the majority last August in France which shows how slow progress has been. Whilst waiting for some more white on white and Vintage Modern to complete two other WIPs, I finished three blocks today.

65 Peaceful Hours

I'm not a big fan of green but I think this works well.

79 Silver Lane
I incorporated a few scraps of Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille along with the Bliss and Ruby collections. In this case the red and grey.

82 Spider legs
Too much white for my taste but finished.

I have also started finding the fabrics for the 2012 TQS BOM for which I think I've only done two months, to sew alongside the remaining farmer's Wife blocks.Somewhere I have my masterlist of fabrics which are different from the ones in the official quilt and also the first two blocks. I need to find those first before I can start the three compass blocks for month 3.

Back for a while

It's only a week since we returned from our Baltic cruise, but it feels longer as we have been very busy for the last few days. Matthew's GCSE results were available for him to collect on Thursday morning, then they had to be sent to Welbeck sixth form college by 2pm the same day. He need 40 points and got 46, so we were fairly certain he would be accepted, but it's good to have confirmation. Friday we worked on filling out all the other forms and Matthew took those to the PO, we just need one form from his ATC Officer Commanding and he's done. We eventually received confirmation late Friday afternoon. Flights are now booked for us all to accompany him in a week's time and also for his exeat at the end of September. One Saturday we took his packing list to town and bought almost everything he needs. Now the labelling and packing starts. We can send his suitcases by post for about £12 for a 30 kilo suitcase so they will go on Wednesday to arrive in plenty of time.

In between the activity, I have fitted in a little bit of sewing. I did some hand sewing on my Live, Laugh, Love   stitchery on the cruise and I'm itching to try some crystals on the stitchery to replace the French knots and flower centres, but I must finish the stitching first. At home I've been working on four items at once:

ET star from Lily's Quilts for my Kinky Bee month in August. I vastly underestimated the background sent to each of the other members in the group so I have ordered even more of the Moda Marble Mates falling snow in white. I have finished my version of the block and am pleased with it.

Another star which is foundation pieced for the Kinky Bee. I just need to locate some more background fabric if I have it otherwise it should arrive by next Friday from the Fat Quarter Shop. I used a lovely 20% off voucher from Fat Quarterly ezine which covered the shipping costs.

Spiders Legs block for my Farmer's Wife quilt. I plan to finish this one tomorrow.

Vintage Holiday Quilt Along, I am up to date with blocks 1 to 8 but I need more white on white and patterned fabric. Again this will come with the order from Fat Quarter Shop.

Vintage holiday quilt along

I know I don't need another project but this is so cute and the blocks are simple. I thought I'd use the leftover fabrics from my Hopscotch (very little) and Farmer's Wife (fewer than 10 blocks left). I can make two of these blocks a week no problem.
So are here are blocks 1 and 2.



More details at Heidi's blog

July UFO

I have made significant progress on my rainbow squares but it's not yet complete. It's now quilted and the binding has been sewn to the front. I will sew the binding to the back of the quilt after our holiday.

Fat Quarterly issue 10 is now out

And it has a Sew Britannia theme, think Union Jacks, Jubilee, afternoon tea and pretty florals. I participated in the designer challenge and made this case for my new to me Kindle which is in this issue. I love that you can add the e-magazine to your Ipad library and I read it on the go. The zipper pull on the case is from Zipit on etsy

 I had completely forgotten that I made a second case using a London theme.

I'm saving this issue for our trip which starts on Saturday with a flight to Southampton and more than a little retail therapy. If you'd like to buy a copy there's more information here

WIP Wednesday

Not much change this week, but I finished quilting two identical quilts for Val. also my Bee packets for August have been sent out and have started arriving at their destinations. I sent a fat quarter out of background out for two 12" blocks and there is already some concern that it won't be enough. I will wait and see.


New projects
None, but it's tempting to start the quilt shop stitchery Peg sent me this week.

Finished projects
None, but I should have one by next week.

Ongoing Projects:
The quilting of rainbow squares is almost finished and I hope it will be completed by Friday. It looks a bit sorry at the moment as it has felt pen markings all over it from previous attempts to quilt it, but they should come out in the wash. This is the quilt on my long arm with about one full row to go.


Looking at my list, I realise I also worked on Hopscotch and basted it on the long arm ready for some straight line stitching on my Bernina with the walking foot.

Back-Burner: Christmas stars
Hope Love and Friendship by Rosalie Quinlan
Hexy MF - Jenny has finished her hexagons so they will be ready to sew into rows next week.
Farmer's Wife

This week's stats:
New projects - 0
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 6

August UFO

Judy has picked project 7 out of the bag for August and it should be achievable even with being away for two weeks as it's pieced and part quilted on my Bernina. Project 7 is Modern V meets Thimbleberries scraps.

I have made significant progress on my July project which is almost finished being quilted, then needs to be trimmed and bound. Should be mostly finished by Friday with picture to follow.

A lovely bundle from the postman this morning:

A England nail polishes from their recent sale. Which one shall I try first?
Fabric postcard for my birthday in my favourite sweet water fabrics
From OPAM Peg, a prize for participating in May - a lovely mini quilt and a pre printed stitchery panel and a bag pattern. I may pack the stitchery to take with me on holiday.

Location:Red letter day

WIP Wednesday

Matthew has been away since last Saturday so the house is much quieter. It was an early start as he had to be at the airport for 6 am. I have got back to my long arm quilting and finished quilting Cynthia's building blocks quilt. Next up is Val's pair of appliquéd quilts.

New Projects:

The fabric arrived from the FQR Kinky bee Miss July - Linda. It's a Denise Schmidt selection. I've never seen this range before as it's mainly been available from Joann's, a US Store. Linda asked for two 12.5" freestyle square in a square blocks. Initially Linda thought she might like  a bit of wonk in the blocks, but she changed her mind. I finished both blocks and they are ready to be posted along with the August fabric as I am Miss August.

Finished projects
I finished Linda's bee blocks

I also sewed down the binding on my July Schnibble - Reveille from "another bite of Schnibbles". The backing is some hand dyed fabric found in my pile and the navy binding is left over from the backing of last month's Schnibble.

Fabric is Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda

Ongoing Projects:
I have also been working on my Farmer's Wife Quilt - I finished three blocks. Just 10 to do to complete all 111 blocks and I have now completed over 100 of the blocks. The end is in sight but progress is slower.

110 wood lily

62 Peace & Plenty

76 sawtooth

Back-Burner:
Hopscotch
Christmas stars
Hope Love and Friendship by Rosalie Quinlan
Hexy MF
Rainbow stars

This week's stats:
New projects - 1
Completed projects - 2
Currently in progress - 6

Finally a winner

It's taken me six weeks to pick a winner from four entries, so don't expect me to work out how to post a picture of the random.org number picker too. So the winner is Liz Dandelion. I'll send you an e-mail Liz and get your book in the post.

Nails - a new obsession

I recently came across a British nail blog - Nailasaurus on Kristina Werner's Blog. What I like about nailasaurus is that she uses products available on the Uk High Street - of course many are not available in Jersey as we don't have Superdrug, H&M etc. However whilst in town on Saturday we spotted a salon that stocks OPI near to Bean around the Wolrd.

I digress, through Nailasaurus' British Blog list, I came across Cutetickle Nails. There is a fabulous giveaway on the blog for some lovely goodies. As a newbie to nail art, I don't recognise all of the brands so I would love to win and try them out. Looking at the list of prizes and the following photo from the blog, I realise that all of the items pictured are in the prize. I like the look of the Boho set.

I may have ordered a few polishes this week from QVC who had a Nails Inc TSV, A England who had 50% off and Ebay - to get the Technic Carnival. I blame Nic for sharing a photo of the carnival glitter polish on Facebook.

Seal on the right

Dolphins

And what do the random photos of sea life have to do with nails? We went on a rib trip to the Ecrehos yesterday and I took the photos. On our way back the lady next to me asked me about my nails. I was so chuffed.