Friday Finish - Hoppy Easter

A quick update today as I am at the Modern Quilt Club retreat which starts at lunchtime today. 

On Tuesday I finished Hoppy Easter (Plaid all year) by Hands on Design. I used the called for DMC substitutions for the Cosmo threads. My finishing piece is now painted so I plan to fully finish them in April.

Next I plan to make progress on Sew Happy by Lori Holt. 

WIP Wednesday - Sewalongs

The first official week of stitching trinket blocks starts next week, but I have stitched two more blocks this week. I am looking forward to the new bonus block.

This week’s mini block sampler block from Art East Quilting was a straight forward log cabin block.

I decided to try John’s recommended techniques of pressing all of the seams open and use a starch pen on the seams before pressing. I used a water pen that I had received in a retreat goody bag some time ago and paired it with some Flatter. The block and seams are definitely flatter.

That makes thirteen blocks so far.

Monday Make - Mad for plaid

I have finished Summer - the last of four designs from the Mad for Plaid pattern by Hands on Design. The finishing piece is in the process of being painted by my husband.

I have now started on Hoppy Easter from the Plaid All Year series by Hands on Design. I am stitching this on the same fabric as the previous four designs and the colours are the same as used in those designs too. I'm using the provided DMC conversions of the Cosmo threads used in the model.

Fabric Friday - Tiny Frights

 

I was expecting four parcels this week including Tiny Frights by Ruby Star Society for Moda Fabrics. I got a message to say that it had been delivered and despite my husband being at home - it was left on the doorstep.

This is a lovely collective from Ruby Star with blacks, greys, pinks, oranges and neutrals with some neons and glow in the dark accents.

I also ordered an Accuquilt die to use to cut this collection but ordered the wrong die and the die that I wanted is not being manufactured at the moment. Back to the drawing board.

I am going to make some test blocks this weekend with scraps and then cut into the bundle to start a project at retreat next weekend.

I also ordered from Peakside Needleworks and now have one of the three polar plunge series of six from Hands on Design. The sixth design will be released on Kathy's website in aid of Special Olympics. I ordered the floss for all six designs and have pulled some fabric from stash.

I also bought the Easter Plaid All Year, I am working on the last of the Mad for Plaid Seasons this week. I succumbed to the 2023 Prairie Schooler Santa. I need to put this one aside until I've finished the last three in the series.

I am now just waiting for zips and interfacing from Purple Stitches which I know has been despatched.

WIP Wednesday - retreat plans

 

I Facebook videoed with my daughter, Lizzie, last weekend as we recently made a last minute booking for a stitchy weekend in Cleckheaton with Modern Quilt Club. We discussed what projects we were planning to make the previous weekend, but I have now kitted up both my projects and the bits that Lizzie needs me to provide. I am nervous that we will turn up and not have all of the hardware to finish our projects.

Our plans are to start a joint project first called the Sqaure Crossbody bag by Minki Kim of Sewing Illustration I am making one out of Ruby Star Society strawberry prints in pink and blue with a pink and white striped zipper, pink pleather for the back pocket and a pink strap. Lizzie is making one in green and one in black. She thinks we'll easily finish these on Friday!!

On Saturday we are making different bags - I am making the Fifth Avenue belt bag from Sallie Tomato and another free pattern which is the charm square  basket by Sew Sew Maria  Lizzie will also be sewing a pattern from Sallie Tomato - Isla Duffle.

I am using mustard with black and white accents for the belt bag as a very late Christmas present for a friend. The charm square basket is due to be made in Sweetwater fabrics for the outside. Each project is in it's own project bag and where possible I've precut the fabrics and Bosal for a quick start.

My last project is a quilt based on a mural in Spitalfields Maret and I have been waiting for an Accuquilt half rectangle die to be delivered to test out how it goes together as I only have limited experience of half square rectangles. Then I need to wait for a parcel of fabric to arrive today or tomorrow and I can then cut out all of the project ready to sew.

My experience of retreats is that I am most productive if I kit everything up ready to sew. I suggested to Lizzie that we finish kitting up the projects on the Friday morning of the retreat as she has webbing and zips for both of our projects, but she wasn't very receptive to that suggestion. 

We are looking forward to our weekend away and this time I will be flying to Manchester instead of Liverpool and a friend is giving me a lift and we're stopping at Fabworks on the way.

Monday Make - autumn

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is the only thing I'm working on at the moment. I have now finished my third season from Mad for Plaid by Hands on Design. It should have been finished earlier but I stitched the second pumpkin three times. Autumn is now complete and Summer has been started. Today is busy so I should get a lot of work done on it tomorrow (Tuesday) and then take Sew Happy with its bigger blocks of colour to quilting on Wednesday.

 My thoughts have moved on to finishing this project. I have a small stash of charity shop frames and wood blocks. This one is about the right size. I did a skills swap with my husband on Sunday, he is painting this with blackboard paint in exchange for me making him homemade vegetable soup for his lunches for the week.

Kathy of Hands on Design recently released three more plaid designs - Oh Canada, Easter and 4th July. And there are more in the works. I have purchased the Easter pattern and will start it in March once the Summer Design is complete.

Friday Finish - mad for plaid winter

I was undecided on what cross stitch project to pick up next once I'd finished Mad for Plaid spring by Hands on Design purchased from Peakside Needleworks. I eventually decided to continue with the Winter panel from the same pattern. This is also now complete.

I had been keeping an eye on Peakside Needleworks for the finishing piece but was searching on the name of the designer rather than the name of the piece and by the time I'd found it, they were all sold out. However, I do have a piece that would work so I just need to get out some chalkboard paint and start painting the piece.

I have now started stitching the autumn piece with just a small start. I hope to make a lot of progress on it today. Needlework Expo was held in Nashville two weeks ago and I have my eye on a few patterns, mostly by Hands on Design. I have promised myself that I need to finish and sell a few of my completed charts first and the funds from my destash can be used to pay for the new charts. Will that happen I wonder?

 

WIP Wednesday

 

It's week 11 of the 2023 mini block sampler SAL with Art East Quilting This week the block is a mini rainbow. The blue for the smallest arc is a bit dark but it still works.

Here are the blocks so far on my design wall. The design wall is covered in loose threads which I find very annoying but I'm reluctant to spend a morning cleaning it up.

Do you participate in the #IGquiltfest2023 hashtag on Instagram. One of this week's prompts was pressing. I don't have an expensive iron or even a clapper (yet) but I find putting an acrylic ruler on top of my blocks just after pressing helps to flatten the block. You may recognise this block as the Trinket SAL bonus block from 2021. I have made a few more bocks for this SAL which hasn't even officially started yet!!

Make Modern Issue 51

The newest issue was released on Friday and is full of stash busting projects and interesting articles delivered direct to your in box. If you're not yet a subscriber, here's a flavour of what's in the magazine and a link to subscribe (affiliate link).

Make Modern is a digital modern quilt magazine available worldwide. Each magazine is 100+ pages long, jam-packed with modern quilt patterns suitable for beginner quilters to advanced, and articles about modern quilting guaranteed to make you smile, inspire you to quilt outside your comfort zone, and start making modern quilts today. Our beautiful patchwork magazine is published independently by a team of quilters and delivered as a digital PDF to read on your computer, tablet, or phone, easy to take when you go fabric shopping, with the option to print if you prefer a paper copy.

Included Patterns:

• Continental Divide Quilt by Erin Nichole (@mija.handmade)
• Ziggy Cushion by Sue Bone (@justsewsue)
• Alcudia Quilt by Anke B. Calzada (@pasacana_designs)
• Crackerjack Quilt by Rachelle Craig (@rachelle_handmade)
• Thoroughfare Quilt by Kelli Marshall (@simplymackbeth)
• Mystical Quilt by Crystal Drummond (@daybrookdesigns)
• Mountain Crosses Quilt by Siobhan Fitzpatrick (@createdesignmake365)
• Woven Together Quilt by Victoria Caldwell (@victoriacaldwellcreative)
• Window Dressing Quilt by Preeti Harris (@sewpreetiquilts)
• The Pleiades Quilt by Sally Williams (@paleofish)

Featured Articles:

• DIY Design by Tara Glastonbury (@stitchandyarn): Making Time for Play
• Quilt Alongs by Sarah Hunter (@lazycozyquilts)
• Tackling Big Quilts (without losing your patience!) by Jane Kelly (@janekellyquilts)
• Cloth Confidential by Wendy Wild (@thenextstitch): Squee! It’s Fabric Season!
• Quilt Like a Rock Star by HollyAnne Knight (@stringandstory): Look to Learn – Dive Deeper at Your Next Quilting Event
• Applying Interior Decorating Principles to Quilt Design by Jane Kelly (@janekellyquilts)
• Meet the Maker: Karlee Porter (@karleeporterdesign)
• Meet the Maker: Kitty Wilkin (@nightquilter)
• Meet the Maker: Kat Gray (@craftaholickat)
• Gallery: Star Quilts by Kristy Lea (@quietplay)
• 
  
  

Friday finish - mad for plaid

 

I have finished the spring pattern from Mad for Plaid by Hads on design. Chantelle's 141 Design Company has been running a stitch along and the finishing piece is from her shop. Unfortunately Chantelle doesn't ship outside North America so I will be stalking the UK shops this week who went to Nashville and hope that they will stock them.

I used the DMC conversion of the Cosmo threads on 32 count Belfast charcoal / slate grey. This should have been a fairly quick stitch due to its size, but I miscounted in so many places and had to redo. Hopefully Winter, which is the next piece that I'll stitch, will be more straight forward for me.

WIP Wednesday - SALs

I am participating in two Sewalongs (SALs) at the moment. I am using all Ruby Star Society fabrics for both projects. The weekly block for the Mini block sampler with Art East Quilting arrives every Monday morning. I print off the instructions and it's the first thing I do after breakfast. It's a good start to the week. I was a bit disappointed by this week's SOCKET block as it is a North American socket. However, I've accepted that it looks like a cute face too.

The radiating shades of white to dark grey don't show up yet in a small group of ten blocks but that will develop over the coming months.

The second SAL doesn't start for some weeks but I had already printed off the Foundation Piecing patterns onto my preferred Carol Doak foundation paper. I stitching a few blocks a week along with the Mini block sampler on a Monday so I have already stitched 11 of the 41 blocks.

I was pleased to find a pack of Ruby Star Society scrap charms last week so I have used those in three blocks this week to add more variety to the fabrics I'm using.

I also made an effort to put all of my Ruby Star Society fabrics into one box, so my sewing room is looking a little tidier. All of the scraps have been put into one Ziplock bag and I try to work from those first.

Monday mail

 I had two craft deliveries last week. One I was expecting and the other I’d forgotten about.

The first to arrive was my participation patch from Alison Glass. I think the finisher pin is due to arrive later.

The next delivery arrived very promptly and was two patterns, threads and fabric from Peakside Needleworks. The first pattern is Mend by Hands on Design and is a Sewalong (SAL) with 141 Designs, I think. I bought the pattern and threads but I need to look for 28 count fabric in  my stash.

The second pattern, also by Hands on Design is the seasonal Mad for Plaid, and it is also a SAL. It looks like a nice small size. I am hoping Peakside get in the finishing piece for a quick finish. The threads used are by Cosmo, of which I have a small stash but none of them match the required colours. I have extracted some DMC instead from my stash and ordered the rest from Ebay to be delivered later this week.

I am continuing to document my kitted-up projects  in my Lori Holt Cross Stitch journal. My buying is getting out of hand and I think I will have to commit to finishing three projects before purchasing one pattern. However, I have been very successful in destashing charts that I've stitched or have fallen out of love with.

March 2023 plans

As well as working on my two Blocks of the month - mini block sampler and trinket quilt this month, I plan to work on three cross stitch WIPs. I don’t have a UFO challenge to work on as it’s the project that I completed in February by mistake. How fortuitous.

Nine blocks have been released so far for the mini block sampler with the acorn being the latest block.

I am stitching at least two of the trinket blocks along with my mini block sampler blocks. 

The Mend block party pattern by Hands on Design is a stitchalong starting on 1 March with Sweetwater Stitcher. I also have the Halloween version to stitch too.

There are four patterns in the Mad for Plaid pattern by Hands on design and I am starting with spring. Hopefully the missing threads will arrive today. I am using the DMC conversion.

Sew Happy by Lori Holt is my largest project for my guild's UFO challenge so I'd like to make some more progress on this in March.

February 2023 achievements

 

My achievements this month have been few due to a week in hospital for tests and then returning home with Covid. Both finished projects are from PNPS magazine and are designed by Barbara Ana.

Also both are UFO challenge projects so I am ahead as I stitched the wrong project first. The frames for both of these pieces are also from a charity shop which is very satisfying.