WIP Wednesday ~ thimble SAL week 5

 I thoroughly enjoyed the retreat last weekend. Unfortunately, there has been fog in Jersey and I have been in Liverpool for three days. EasyJet have put us up in a hotel opposite the airport for two nights but we just want to get home. The fog seems to have cleared in Jersey but I am concerned that it is heading north to Liverpool.

One of my retreat projects was to stitch four of the week 5 thimbles for the sewalong with happy sew lucky. I kitted up each pattern in a separate plastic bag and worked on one at a time.

I especially like the mushroom on mushroom block.

I cut the spool fabric the wrong way around but as it’s almost a solid, I wasn’t unpicking it!

And a subtle pink thimble with a solid red heart. Week 6 is the last week with very small thimbles and one very large thimble.

Retreat packing - first November retreat

I was very late in packing for the retreat which starts in Leeds today. I had two projects prepped, medicines, pyjamas and an empty suitcase.  Wednesday was full on; I left home at 9am to go to my quilt group and returned home at 5pm after visiting my father. Fortunately, I didn't need to cook a meal as I had met up with friends for lunch and a long catch up.

I then chatted t my daughter, who has now moved to Leeds, to see how flat hunting had gone and check what I needed to pack for her projects. Only one item for her and three items for Gill, who Lizie is staying with temporarily.

Our Friday join project will be the Spencer Ogg packing pods. You can purchase the pattern here. I have the suggested fabric in turquoise for Lizzie and pink for me. I also bought navy and grey which we will make into a set each for my husband and son for Christmas, but we won't stitch those until December.

My Saturday project is Go Big Baby bear which is a pattern of mine which was published in Make Modern and will be released for general sale in December. I am making this in pinks and purples.

For Sunday, I've packed a dress pattern and fabric which I could finish but as long as it's cut out ready to stitch on my return, I will be pleased.

I find it difficult to judge how much I can achieve, so on Thursday I kitted up some of the week 5 blocks for the Fussy Cut thimble SAL. I would be happy to complete just one block.

WIP Wednesday - Thimble SAL week 4

I am enjoying stitching these small blocks for the Fussy Cut Thimbles Sew along with Happy Sew Lucky. My first block was to celebrate strong women and I love this Ruby Star print.

I would have probably been better using this fabric in the previous block, but I thought this was a good fabric to use as we're so close to Halloween.

I thought this was a sweet fabric to use for this block. I definitely need to purchase some more fabrics for smaller fussy cut blocks.

These are my blocks so far. I only have one block from week 4 that I haven't stitched and will take the week 5 blocks to this weekend's retreat. Though that will require some preplanning and I leave tomorrow afternoon! I need some more green backgrounds and some purples too.

 

Monday make - jingle all the way

I spent two days last week travelling to and from Aberdeen and then three days with Lizzie, getting sorted for her move tomorrow. She has a busy day today and fingers crossed all goes well tomorrow.

I am very pleased to have kept up with the Jingle All the Way sew along on the Cristin Creates Facebook group. The design is by Kimberbell Designs and I am using my own choice of fabrics from my Christmas stash.

This week we stitched two chenille stockings, one of which is for section 3 and two large flying geese units, again one is for section 3. 

Sections 1 and 2 are complete and I have two blocks for section 3. I also have the following blocks ready for later sections:

1 x jingle all the way

4 x peppermint twists

1 x candy cane

1 x Le Moyne star

1 x nine patch

1 x chenille stocking

1 x large flying geese

Friday Finish - Cassie dress

 I wore my finished Cassie dress and matching sneakers to our Jersey Modern Quilt Group meeting last weekend and Kim kindly took a couple of photos for me. The fabric was purchased from Rosenburgs at Festival of Quilts 2024 and the pattern came from the 2023 show.

Everyone was very complimentary about the dress, so I definitely need to make another. It should be a quick make as I have already traced and altered my pattern pieces.

WIP Wednesday Jingle all the Way catch up

 

Last Wednesday I needed to stitch five peppermint twist blocks and three filler blocks to catch up with Cristin Creates’ YouTube sewalong for the Kimberbell Designs - Jingle all the way quilt. After a tricky day on Thursday, it was good to focus on stitching the peppermint twist blocks.

On Saturday I stitched the three filler blocks for section 2 and pieced the section together. However, I was too hasty, and my star block was wrongly orientated and the pink trees were lying on their sides. A quick date with my unpicker and the block was complete. It is now on my design wall with section1 and I am now up to date.

I also have the following blocks ready for later sections:

1 x jingle all the way

4 x peppermint twists

1 x candy cane

1 x Le Moyne star

1 x nine patch

I would guess the next block will be the Christmas stockings with a chenille cuff.

Monday make - Thimble SAL week 3

 

I accidentally made block K above for the Thimble Sal with Happy Sew Lucky a week ago, so when I started sewing the blocks on Saturday. I am combining my Ruby Star stash with Kona solids for the background. This week's assignment is three blocks - K, L and M.

I was particularly pleased with my fussy cutting of the Ruby Star selvedge into the "SPARKLE" banner. 

I was also pleased with how the "connected" from another selvedge fit just perfectly.

Here are all of the week 3 blocks together.  I definitely need to add some red, orange and purple background blocks.