Friday progress

 

On the Friday of last week's retreat, I started by making two Ohio star blocks in the prescribed colours. Making two meant I could make sure the candy stripes would all be going in the same direction.

I then made two of my scrappy woven star blocks and completed most of three further blocks on the Saturday.

I now have ten blocks made but I definitely need to order some more background fabric in today's Black Friday sales. I also put them on point on my design wall and I think I prefer that setting.

Lessons learnt

Last weekend was our local retreat. I woke up on Friday morning full of a cough and cold but decided to go anyway but not sleep over. One of the projects I took to work on was the boy raglan sweater by Wardrobe by Me Patterns. I had won the fabric and pattern at the recent Modern Quilt Club retreat. My big mistake as you can see was not to check the finished body measurements of the top before choosing the size!! I could easily have made the top two sizes smaller. My daughter has described it as cosy and will be great to wear around the house.

In the end I left the retreat early on the Saturday and didn't return on the Sunday. My husband was kind enough to retrieve all of my equipment on the Sunday. I have done nothing since other than admin and keeping warm. I am starting to see a slow improvement but need to be well to visit our children in England on Sunday.

WIP Wednesday - woven star

I have been gently sewing some of these foundation paper pieced blocks using a Ruby Star Society fat quarter bundle. I won the 6" and 4" paper pads at a recent Modern Quilt Club retreat and it's the perfect project for when you have 20 minutes to spare.

My first block was matching quadrants, not very scrappy.

My second block is woven with four different fabrics. There were eight different fabrics in the first block.

Finally, I went totally scrappy and cut 2.5" strips from each fat quarter. These are the first project for this weekend's Jersey Rainbow Retreat. We are making a group quilt for a local children's charity using red, turquoise and pink so that is my next project to prep and I plan to contribute two Ohio stars.

Christmas quaker

 

I am definitely in avoidance mode and to avoid what I should be doing; I started another project! I purchased the Christmas Quaker from Peakside Needleworks along with three skeins of Candy Apple. The called for thread is Cherry Cobbler, which looks more like a burgundy so I switched it for a more Christmassy red.

I started off centre with the big star motif. I'm sure this isn't a standard cross stitching plan but I then like to work to the four edges, so I went to the left, then the top, down to the star motif on the bottom left and across the bottom to the right edge. I have motifs still to fill in, but it gives me more points of reference for making sure I've counted properly!! I have finished one skein of thread so I must be at least a third done.

Friday finish - Go big baby bear

 

Go Big Baby Bear was originally published in Make Modern. The sample used a rainbow of fabric by April Rosenthal. I plan to release the pattern later this year, so prepped a kit to make the quilt top at the Modern Quilt Club retreat at the beginning of November.

It would have been a quick make if I had cut all the correct pieces, but I hadn't! Once home it took me less than 90 minutes to find the fabrics, cut the missing pieces and piece the quilt together.

In order to quilt this project, I need to finish a customer quilt, so that needs to be my next priority. Also this is to be gifted so I'd like to finish it and pass it on before Christmas.

WIP Wednesday - Jingle all the way

I caught up with the sewalong last weekend by stitching blocks 1 to 3 together and making the four chenille tree blocks. This pattern is by Kimberbell Designs and is machine embroidery combined with traditional patchwork.

This project is great fun split into small manageable chunks over several months. Cristin also suggests setting a separate goal and over the weekend I changed my goal to spending ten minutes each day tidying paperwork. I have become totally overwhelmed with my own stuff as well as that of elderly relatives. I have however decided that I am going to give my father a box with his files and paperwork and he can file it at his own leisure. Once done, I'll take away the box until next month.

Sections 1 to 3 are complete and I have two tree blocks for section 4. 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

2 x chenille trees

November 2024 plans

It feels like we are already halfway through November as I lost three days last week due to fog at Jersey airport when I was trying to get back from Liverpool after the Modern Quilt Club retreat. Fortunately, my next retreat in two week's time is just a few miles away, but I still need to plan what I'm going to take.

I had two prizes from our retreat raffle as Lizzie didn't want her prize, so I have a sweatshirt pattern and fabric to make up as well as some foundation paper patterns from Fat Quarter Shop. The woven star will be a fun quick stitch between projects and if I only have a short amount of time in the day.

Today is the last day of the Thimble SAL with happy sew lucky, so I'd like to get a couple of the week 6 thimbles sewn up today.

I am keeping up with the Jingle all the way sewalong in the Cristin Creates Facebook group. The sewalong won't be finished this month but I plan to keep up with the schedule. The pattern is by Kimberbell.

This is my own pattern Go Big Baby Bear published in Make Modern Magazine. I kitted it up and thought it would be an easy finish at retreat. You can see I didn't cut the right amount of strips, I was so near and yet so far away from a finish.

There seem to be a lot of half finished projects around my work room at the moment and that probably reflects on my mental state at the moment. Hopefully everything will be a little more oredered by the end of the month.

October 2024 achievements

 Despite my husband being away for two weeks, I still struggled with my sewjo in October. I also spent five days in Aberdeen helping my daughter get ready for her move to Leeds, which has now happened.

I finished the Cassie dress by Emporia Sewing Patterns and wore it with my matching sneakers to last weekend's retreat where my daughter took this picture.

Christmas Tiny Town by Heart in Hand is already on display as there seemed little point in putting it away now that Halloween is over. This was also my Guild challenge for October.

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.

Retreat planning - Go Big Baby Bear

 

In November I will be going to two retreats. The first weekend in November I will be in Leeds at the Modern Quilt Club retreat with my daughter and two weeks later, we have our local retreat. As I am in Aberdeen next week, I really need to plan what projects I will be taking with me. I like to do most of the preparation at home so that I have a productive weekend.

I had wanted to make a baby quilt for a friend's daughter but navy and neutrals just didn't inspire me. Last Friday, Yvonne mentioned that pink had crept into her granddaughter's colour palette. My heart sang.

I found a great dark navy in my stash which will be the perfect background. I pulled out all of my pink and purple fabrics. There are a lot of spotted fabric in my pink fabrics. I need ten different fat quarters for this project which was originally published in Make Modern magazine but will be released as stand along pattern soon.

There's a good mix of favourite fabric designers in my final choice including two fabrics by April Rosenthal from the original rainbow sample, Elizabeth Hartman, Alison Glass, Liberty and more.

I think the result is a nice gradient from a pale pink Kona to a pink / purple fabric for the half square triangle border. Tomorrow is our guild day, so I plan to cut these out tomorrow. we have a busy meeting with a quick AGM followed by our usual sewing and PAT testing of our machines for insurance purposes.