Holiday crafty projects

I have prepped three projects to take with me this time. I almost took a large shawl project, but that would be ridiculous, even for me. Firstly I have 12 Hex on the Beach blocks ready to stitch. I am not taking pins and instead have a clipboard and washi tape to keep things in place.

The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery had a 20% Memorial weekend sale so I picked up this cherry blossom pattern. I used some linen that I had in stock and only ha to buy five skeins of floss. Fortunately the local shop that stocks DMC was open today.

Lastly are some DK socks from the Click and Swish Collective by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears. I might need these on the night flight from Dubai to Beijing. Fingers crossed I get some sleep. I am doing these in one colour from stash. I might try to buy an extra pair of needles in Brighton for the heels. Instead of going into London tomorrow we are heading in the opposite direction to Brighton.

Hears hoping for clear skies for our first flight so that we get off the island on time. we have never flown with Emirates so we are looking forward to seeing if they are as good as their reputation.

#theone100dayproject day 55

Not day 60 I hear you say. No, we are heading to London tomorrow and then on to China and then Japan. So this is as far as I've got this week. My extra green fabric arrived and has been cut. Good service as always from Sewhot.co.uk .  I have however continued to work on some blue units and bagged up some blocks to take on holiday.

I have fixed the incorrect hexagons too which took almost as long as making a whole 12 hexagon unit. There is lots of joining together to be done. That can wait until we return mid June.

Off now to finish packing. I will be back in a few days to share what crafty projects I've packed.

#The100dayproject day 50

Yesterday marked day 50 on the 100 day challenge and the half way point. I should have chosen a quicker project to do each day as one block take about 2 hours. Fine if I have nothing on or wake early, but on busy days I am struggling.

Here is where I was ten days ago on day 40:

I got to day 46 and realised that I was short of one colour of fabric. Hmm. I should have checked the list provided by a shop of Kona equivalents of the Tula Pink solids. So yesterday I ordered two extra greens which arrived today. I have now chosen the green that I want to use and have cut 28 hexagons. Green is not my favourite colour either.

So whilst waiting for the green Kona to arrive, I started stitching some of the blue blocks and putting some packets of hexagons ready for our holiday.

And here are my blocks so far with two random blue blocks. I have sewn a few more blocks into a bigger section and I am starting to get all of my packets of hexagons organised. Great progress has been made so far and I am hoping to make some progress whilst on holiday as we have some long flights and a train journey. It's difficult to know how many packets to take, too many and it's wasted suitcase room and too few and I won't know what to do with myself.

Flora supply case sew along

I have made two of the Flora supply case before and I joined in this sew along to make the larger version. You an purchase the pattern at Clover & Violet There has been a lot going on with family over the last few weeks and I completely missed the finish of the sewalong even though I had finished the case.

I added a personal touch to the pattern by adding a little fabric loop for attaching a key ring or similar.

I used fabric from Tula Pink's Zuma range in lovely aquas, blues and lime green. I particularly love the splashes of neon. The fabric along with the zip came from Tania's Fabric on Facebook. The foldover elastic and the grey mesh were from previous projects. I picked up more of the corduroy premade bias tape from Beyond Measure UK at the Festival of Quilts last year.

 

I really struggled with putting the zipper pull o the zipper tape and I could quite cheerfully have put it in the bin at that stage. I persevered and eventually it slid on. I quickly added the zipper end so as to secure the sipper pull so that it wouldn't be pulled off by accident.

trinket by Alison Glass

The sewalong for the Trinket pattern by Alison Glass finishes today and I am thrilled to have a finished quilt. I am looking forward to receiving the pin that Alison is awarding to everyone who has a finished quilt top on Instagram by today and has submitted their details by email.

I purchased the pdf pattern from the Alison Glass website as I am not a patient person and it was the right decision as the printed pattern wasn't printed to the correct size. I printed out a control sheet and two of each pattern. I did sew ahead as the little patterns were so addictive and the earlier patterns were a very quick make.

I joined in the sew day which coincided with the JMQG rainbow retreat and pieced four blocks on the day which were prepped ready to go and sewed together the top at about 11pm that evening. I was the last to bed which is very unusual but I was determined to finish. It wasn't pressed but it was finished. Later I added a border of the onyx grunge by Basic Grey for Moda which I also used for the backing.

 I quilted the top on my long arm with a swirly pattern in a dark blue thread as I didn't have black.

I did debate whether to add a rainbow slither between the binding and the top, but the Instagram advice was to "just bind it"

I am pleased with the quilt top but the sew day was a bit of a let down. There was no focus and perhaps the bonus block would have been better released on the day before the sew day. Once I have taken it to our group's show and tell, I will hang it on the wall.

May BOM progress

1. 2019 Perfect HST BOM Block-of-the-Month program with Freshly Pieced

This is released on the first Monday of each month and I have completed the May block.  They are looking good and each month you make extra units for following months. There ae also units for a bonus project which I am not making until I see what the project is.

2. Threadology with Fat Quarter Shop

I didn't find any more of the Metallic Ombre at the Nantes quilt how so I am jut adding more colours from my FQ stack. Block 7 as released on 1 May which is complete and the eighth and last block is released on 15 May. I will be able to complete the last block before going on holiday as ell as piecing most of the top together. The instructions for completing the top are released on 1 June so that will be a priority on our return from Japan. So this BOM should be finished this quarter.

3. Quiet Play Pattern Club

I have made a little progress on this project but as the fifth month has now been released, I am falling further behind. I have mad one more block so far this month.

I am putting a lot of effort into my Hex on the Beach project so I need to perhaps try and complete one of these blocks per week?

4. Trinket SAL

It is complete and on schedule. Happy dance. all participants who have completed the quilt top with at least one of each block, is given a pin which is exciting and I must add it to my diary as I can lose track of parcels that I'm expecting.

#The100dayproject day 40

I am still making progress on this project and I am delighted to have move on from pinks to greens. I never thought that I would ever say that as I am not lover of green or brown for that matter. Up until now I have had 10 packets ready containing the elements of one block in each packet. this system has worked well but I feel that this week I need to cut out all of the hexagons ready to glue baste as needed. Most of the plain colours are cut as it take just a few minutes to cut them on my sizzix machine but fussy cutting the pom pom fabric with the circles perfectly centred takes much longer.

I still need to sew together more sections to release the freezer paper hexagons to reuse them. I may have to cut more though as I need some packets fully prepped to take on holiday at the end of May. I will mainly sew during the long flights.

Here is where I am today. I have completed 35 blocks and they look like this on my design wall.

#the100dayproject

Progress is being made on my Hex on the Beach project by Tula Pink. I only completed one block during our trip to France but on Monday I sewed three blocks and two sections together.

My system of bagging up the pieces for each block in a paper bag is working and the cupcake tin still contains all of the tools need to complete a block along with my sewing glasses.

I am now sewing blocks of 12 hexagons together each day and the blocks line up in a straight line or as straight as you can get with hexagons. I am finishing the last of the pink hexagons and moving to yellows and oranges. I am resisting the temptation to sew up a blue block for a change of colour.

I am pleased with my progress so far, but the finish line feels a long way in the distance.