February 2022 achievements

 My plans for February included:

1. A second multi cooker cover for my friend Chris. Completed.

2. 2015 Prairie Schooler Santa. Completed

3. My retreat project for February was to be the Casserole Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman.I had to buy more background fabric but it is now complete.

4. I finished stitching a second branch on The Tree by Barbara Ana for Nitka Moscow. And have mostly unpicked the bottom row of the tree.

5. Clover and Violet Stitch Club pattern for February was a needle book.

6. Hoody test stitch. I completed it and took a few poor photos and then promptly dropped my lunch down it!! But I'm delighted that it's finished. The pattern is from ByGraziela and should be released this week. I am so pleased to have finished this project as it was always in my mind when sewing other things.

7. My UFO challenge project was 2011 Prairie Schooler sampler. I will need to start fully finishing them so they can be hung on a tree this Christmas.

Carrying forward to March 2022:

1. I've now received the UFO from Youtuber, Bumblestitches so only a little progress was made on that project. The project is Christmas wishes by Little Dove Designs and Nicola has stitched three out of six blocks. This is going to be my Wednesday morning project. However I have had to order in most of the flosses so am just waiting for those.

2. Feathers SAL. The top was completed at retreat but still needs to be quilted and bound.

Friday finish - needle case

I was immediately attracted to the first project of the  Clover and violet sew club. I dislike the needle case that I have so I opened my fat quarter stack of linework to make the case. Felt was delivered last week so it was a quick finish to add the poppers instead of velcro and add the felt to the middle.

Materials used:

Aurifil thread colour 2749

Fabrics by Tula Pink from linework and earlier ranges

Felt in the colour wisteria from Sew Hot UK

Cam snaps from Amazon.

The only thing I'd change next time is I would use interfacing and not fleece on the front cover so as not to loose my points.

WIP Wednesday Christmas Tree

 

I am working on the Christmas tree by Barbara Ana, at a rate of one branch per month. This is my second month being February and I have finished the fireplace, snowman and snowflakes. The third branch on the left has large poinsettias which I am hoping will be quicker to stitch than small figures.

I have also unpicked most of the fifth branch where I had made a counting mistake and will get to that branch in May or June. For now this piece will go away until March to do branch number three. 

Monday make - 2011 Prairie Schooler Santa

 I have finished the 2011 Santa by Prairie Schooler on 32 count Belfast in vintage stormy night from Peakside Needlecrafts. By my calculation I have 21 done out of a total of 38, leaving 17 to stitch. If I stitch at a rate of two per month, they could all be done for Christmas 2022. I have a few more that I need to purchase / source so if anyone has 1997 or 2010 to swap or sell, I would be interested.

I have prepped the 1999 Santa for March but first I need to work on Christmas Tree by Barbara Ana.

Sunday stash - Sew Hot

 We haven't had Saturday postal deliveries for probably five years apart from at Christmas and our local newspaper is now delivered by the post office. Imagine my surprise when I returned from Jersey Modern Quilt Group yesterday to find two parcels on the doorstep.

All of my prucahses are for projects in progress or to be started in March:

1. Essex Yarn dyed linen with silver metallic in the colour fog is to finish my Casserole quilt this week.

2. Essex speckle yarn dyed line in aqua is for an applique project which needs to be started and completed by 5 March.

3. Art Theory by Alison Glass is binding for my Feathers Quilt, I would have preferred the feathers fabric but Sew Hot only had a remnant left (also purchased)

4. Wool felt for my Clover and Violet sew club needle book. I appreciate that the felts are labelled but do wish they'd reduce their plastic usage as this order came in three plastic bags inside a plastic mailer.

Friday finish - small multi cooker cover

 

I made a second multi cooker cover for my friend Chris from another panel from a retreat goodie bag. Ironically we were going to have shakshuka at a retreat but some attendees were misinformed and thought that the eggs would be undercooked. However if they had seen this panel they would have known what it was and how it was cooked. The cover was requested as 34 inches round and 12 inches tall. Fortunately the linen panel was almost exactly 34 inches wide and 12 1/2 inches tall.

I quilted it on my long arm using the same pattern as I had used for the larger version. Then I bound it in the yellow to match the first cover as I thought it would be easier to bind the bottom first then I used my school girl maths to work out that I needed an 11 inch circle for the top. It fit perfectly.

I pinned it extensively and after having sewn the seam on my Atelier 7 ( Janome) I zigzagged the edge and turned inside out. Job done. I will be able to give this to Chris when she comes back from her three week holiday in Tenerife.

It is blowing a gale outside so today is the perfect day to stay at home however my husband offered to take me out to lunch so who am I to do refuse.

I was hoping my Sew Hot order would arrive today but I think not with boats cancelled. I had hoped to finish the casserole quilt by Elizabeth Hartman ready to bind at our Group sewing day tomorrow. I think instead I will cut out the pieces for the Hoody test which I hope to site together on Sunday and do some cross stitch.

WIP Wednesday - 2011 Santa

The 2011 Santa by Prairie Schooler is my February UFO challenge piece and is moving on at a slow pace. As we're now half way through February, I need to finish it ASAP so I can then work on branch 2 of Christmas Tree.

The morning after retreat

Three days of sewing, chatter and good food, it can't be beaten. Just what I needed. Our friend and chef for the weekend, Lara, did a LFT on Thursdya evening, Friday morning and Friday before leaving work to join us. Unfortunately the last test was positive. Sarah led some of the girls in a kitchen team but Laura's partner delivered the shopping and much had been prepared so the main decisions were how to change shakshuka into something else and what to have for breakfast.

My weekend projects were:

1. Alison Glass feathers.

2. Elizabeth Hartman casserole quilt. 

3. Clover and Violet Sew Club needle case

4. Back up was to prep  a Sew Quirky otter.

How did I do?

The Alison Glass feathers are now a completed quilt top. By Sunday morning I had run out of projects so I also removed all of the foundation papers.

The Elizabeth Hartman Casserole Quilt is now four large blocks, the top right block needs one row unpicked and rotated but it is almost complete. I cut a lot of 8" squares which I found that I had already cut which meant I didn't have enough fabric for the sashing, so I need to order more of the Essex Dyed linen in Fog today.

The Clover and Violet Sew Club needle case is complete apart from some poppers as I took the wrong tool to set them and I need to order wool felt to complete the case. If I made the case again I would just use interfacing inside the case as I lost my points on the outside.

I also started prepping the Sew Quirky otter, but ran out of sewing at about 12.30 so tidied up my gear early. We then had the raffle and I won the Vislene wadding. The Vislene was the only sponsored prize this year but we had donations and leftovers from previous years. We then had a slap up sausage sandwich lunch and headed home to sleep in our own beds.

What to work on today? we are half way through the month and I only have one finished item. I think today I will cross stitch before celebrating my father's 94th birthday (again) with lunch out and then tomorrow I will make the one pot cover for my friend as that should be a quick make.

Retreat Friday

 My bags are packed and ready to load into my hubby’s car ready for retreat. My arm is a little sore after my fourth Covid vaccination yesterday. I've also done a lateral flow test to make sure I'm clear.

I'm taking three projects with me to work on this weekend, with one back up project to prep.

1. Alison Glass feathers. I need to cut sashing strips, join some of the blocks to make the vertical strips and then put it together.

2. Elizabeth Hartman casserole quilt. I need to fix one flower and then start making corner units and put it all together

3. Clover and Violet Sew Club needle case - needs making in its entirety and I don't have a large enough piece of felt for the inner, but hopefully I can get it to a stage where just the felt needs adding.

Back up is to prep for a Sew Quirky otter.

Hubby just needs to finish his breakfast and we'll be off. Every time I go to our local retreat, I can't help but wonder how I manage to pack everything in one suitcase for a Modern Quilt Club retreat in Leeds which I fly to.

WIP Wednesday - feathers

This week is the last week to stitch blocks for the sewalong. I  am using Alison Glass fabrics from my stash on a background of Kona bone. The Kona fabric was leftover from my tattoo quilt. 

I now need to cut the vertical sashing strips, piece the strips of feathers, which is already half done and add the sashing strips. I may pack this ready for our local retreat next weekend.

Monday make- another Santa

 I finished the 2015 Prairie Schooler Santa yesterday. Next to be stitched is my February UFO challenge piece which is the 2011 Santa with a cardinal and snow shoes.

Friday finish - Portsmouth dress

 

No 3 was selected for our group UFO challenge for January, not the quick finish that I'd hoped for. It didn't help that I didn't have a pattern in mind. I have loved wearing my denim pinafore from Seasalt so went looking for something similar. My friend, Lorraine, suggested the Portsmouth dress by The Sussex Seamstress, which also has a Youtube video you can follow along with.

I didn't want to waste my fabric so I did make a Toile which fit!!  It's a tie dyed sheet so is definitely not a wearable toile! I cut out my pattern and used a contrasting fabric for the facings to reduce the bulk.

I started stitching it together on Monday and got out my ne Janome overlocker.  fortunately the Janome agent is only five minutes drive from home an has parking so she soon put me on the right track, I'd forgotten to flip the switch!! That instruction is now highlighted in my manual.  I also took to Youtube for help to sew the buttonholes on my new Janome Atelier 7. I finished it Monday afternoon, buttonholes and all, just under the wire for a January finish.

January 2022 achievements

January went by in a flash. I spent the last weekend of the month teaching for one of my local quilt groups. Fun but exhausting.

I finished the 2009 Prairie Schooler Santa and also started a second Santa for January which I also finished.

The number three was pulled for the UFO challenge which is the blue corduroy purchased in York. I finished the dress just in time and it fits.

I finished the multi cooker cover for my friend's Xmas present and I now need to add a smaller version to my February to do list. A friend has given me another of these linen panels so they will look like a pair.

Christmas Mystery SAL by Barbara Ana is stitched but now needs framing.

The group penguin quilt is being bound by Kim now that I've quilted it.

I planned to cut out the Casserole quilt by Elizabeth Hartman ready for our February retreat but I have been working on it for 30 minutes a day and I have finished some flower units. This should be finished in February.

Alison Glass Feather SAL - I have stitched those blocks scheduled for January. I have also stitched some of the bigger blocks with 17 pieces and sewn some of the blocks together so it's not such a big job to stitch it together in February.

One row of Christmas Tree cross stitch by Barbara Ana has been stitched and I am going to work on the left hand row 2 in February.

I am pleased with January's progress. I wrote down weekly objectives in my Quilter's Planner and that worked for me. The only project not finished in January as scheduled was the hoody test stitch.