Monday BOGOF

 

I don't know if BOGOF (buy one get one free) is a universally understood phrase but I am feeling the love for these two projects. Whilst on holiday earlier this month, I realised I needed more light cotton summer dresses. A Jersey dress is just much warmer than I needed. 

I purchased this very light denim with stars fabric from Stitch Fabric at the Festival of Quilts 2024 and the Cassie dress from emporia Sewing Patterns at the 2023 show. I hope it's a match made in heaven. I toiled the bodice and altered my paper pattern. The fabric is cut out and ready to be sewn together.  I have not cut the third tier yet as I don't want a long skirt so will adjust the width of the tier accordingly.

Having cut out the dress, I then moved onto cutting out the pieces for my sneaker kit which was a Christmas project with my daughter in 2022. I repurposed the Fabulous! labels from my original attempt and next I need to cut the holes in the uppers and tongues ready to stitch to the base. I will use my Big Green Machine for this and then there are some eyelets to add too. Unfortunately, this is my September UFO so it needs to be finished today!

I am hoping that my October UFO will the Christmas Tiny Town cross stitch which is almost complete. I am also going to load a customer quilt onto my long arm today so I can work on it tomorrow.

Back from Holiday

We returned home a week ago from a European river cruise starting in Dusseldorf and finishing in Budapest. Continuing family crises have meant very little crafting whilst on holiday and since our return. 

The only project I've worked on over the last three weeks is Christmas Tiny Town by Heart in Hand. Having worked from the centre out to the left and right, I am now working from the left and completing all of the motifs apart from the buttons and backstitching. This is not a big piece, and I have made so many mistakes and ripped out numerous problems.

One of our first ports of call was Koblenz where we passed two quilt shops which I had to visit! Lizzie suggested this window display was a bit pants.

I did support the German economy and bought the black fabric for the borders of my Pumpkins and Potions ladder quilt and the Tabby Road fabric because I was late to the party as usual and have missed out on Tabby Road Deja Vu by Tula Pink.

Later on in our holiday, I visited a TK Maxx and was delighted to find two Rae Dunn mugs. The deep orange mug is for my daughter Lizzie, and I am keeping the neutral mug.

Our thoughts are with all of the people displaced in Europe who have been affected by the river flooding. We missed a stop in Bratislava so as to keep ahead of the flood waters and were fortunate to make it to Budapest from where we flew home. Our cases were kindly routed to our final destination by British Airways despite not having a through ticket and we were also upgraded to business class on our Budapest to London Heathrow sector which was much appreciated. Though the free drinks are wasted on me.

Pumpkins and potions

 

As I have been trying to focus on one project at a time in August, I didn't get many of the blocks finished before going on holiday, but I have made a start. I had planned to spend the day before we left for our holiday working on this project, but two family emergencies in one day, cut into any free time I might have had.

WIP Wednesday - catching up on customer quilts

 One more quilt completed for a customer before we left for our holiday. Just 43" square so a quick stitch.

Pat used some spare blocks on the back. The pantograph is Circuit by Anne Bright, and I used a medium grey Glide thread.

I have one customer quilt left to load, but it needs some extra borders added to the backing and will await our return from holiday.

 

August 2024 achievements

A few finishes for August which has been busy with a trip to the Festival of Quilts, a one day trip to London as well as family commitments.

My final finish for August was Autumn Squirrel by Barbara Ana Designs.

Sailor top to go with my Mave skirt with fabric purchased at the Festival of Quilts 2023 and 2024.

Pyjama bottoms packed for our holidays.

 Ginger's Kitchen bench pillow by Kimberbell Designs.

Caesarea Quilters Challenge quilt finished well in advance of the deadline of 21 October. I have also quilted three customer quilts and have just one waiting to be quilted.

Friday finish - Autumn squirrel

 

Autumn Squirrel by Barbara Ana Designs for Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine was one of my 2024 UFOs for our Guild challenge. I thought it was a good project to take to my Wednesday morning group as it has blocks of colour to stitch. However, I have been stitching on it every day and it is now complete.

I am stitching it on 28 count cashel in light mocha / mushroom using the called for threads.  I love those mushrooms at the bottom. I will frame the piece in the month it is chosen as our UFO challenge piece. It would be perfect if it was chosen for September.

September 2024 plans

We are away for the first two weeks of September so I need to realistic about what I can achieve! That would be a first. Our Guild UFO challenge has four months to go, and I am crossing my fingers for a cross stitch project to be chosen.

Christmas Tiny Town is one of my UFO challenge pieces that I started in August and plan to take on holiday with me, so even if it isn't chosen, it will be further along.

Another small piece that I have started and put to the side is Spring Quaker by Primrose Cottage in a pretty monochromatic lavender thread. Very portable for our holidays.

I have started the Pumpkins and Potions ladder quilt by Kimberbell Designs, but I haven't stitched many of the blocks. I should try and make good progress in September as Halloween will come and it won't be ready.

I had decided not to participate in the Jingle all the way sewalong with the Cristin Creates FB group. Imagine my horror when I was putting stuff away from finished projects, I discovered that I had already purchased the embroidery book and embellishment kit for the project. Shockingly I only purchased it in the last two months! I think I will try and arrange the blocks into a ladder quilt.

I would have liked this dress for my holiday, but I should do a toile and take my time. The fabric is already prewashed.

Packing for my holiday - the crafty edition

Do you pack crafty projects when you go on holiday? When we used to rent a villa in France and drive down from St Malo, I used to pack either my sewing machine or scrapbooking kits with photos printed. My husband isn't a morning person so I could craft for an hour before he was ready for the day. We are heading off for a two week river cruise so I need to take something to keep my hands occupied. Last time went on a river cruise, I took a quit kit with me and cut all of the pieces ready to stitch up on my return. The only project kit I have is too big and heavy for my suitcase.

So far I've packed Spring Quaker by Primrose Cottage.

And Christmas Tiny Town by Heart in Hand. Let's hope this is chosen for my September Guild UFO challenge.

I also have a knitting project planned but first of all I need to find where I put the printed instructions!! That was simpler than I thought, the pattern was in the same room as my wool stash. The skeins need to be wound into yarn cakes before being packed.