Q1 finish along 2020

I have joined the APQS finish along and the Jersey Modern Quilt Group finish along so everything is photographed, labelled and ready to go. I have added a couple of other projects that I would like to make if I finish the project chosen for the month.

1. Crescent tote - a great kit from Pink Door Fabrics. a perfect retreat project as it's kitted up and ready to go. I have already photocopied the pattern pieces so I don't spoil / lose any pieces.

2. TQS BOM Sedona Star from Jan 2012. No progress was made in 2019. I am thinking I need to do a little work on each project in this list every month so that it is less of a shock when a biggie is chosen.

3. Tula Pink butterfly from October 2017. I need to move a few blocks and then quilt it.

4. Carolyn Friedlander tote - just needs binding.

5. My small world from 2016 which is pieced and partly quilted. 

6. Five impossible things - partly quilted and needs re-pressing and to be quilted, trimmed and bound.

7. Tate Modern quilt which I need to start drafting again. I had made some templates but some were wrong and I might be able to use a circle ruler instead.

8. Tula Pink Hex on the beach - about 2/3 of the blocks are finished and most of the fabric I cut out and basted.

9. Hoffman Dream Big Panel - I need to load this and practise my free motion quilting. I have bought the threads and have a backing, so it's ready to go.

10. The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery Squad Ghouls. Two complete out of four

11. Bits and bob blanket - pattern by Kay Jones - about 2/3 finished and then it needs an I-cord binding

12. Mr Domestic cross body bag - at the time of taking this photo, I couldn't put my hands on the pattern and was awaiting nickel sliders which were missing from an order. However now both the sliders and pattern are in the bag.

Extras:

13. Linen dress

14. Rope basket - clothes line has already been purchased
15. Bowler bag - pattern by Mrs H which I won in a reent sewalong.
16. Scrap bag sampler bag 1
17. Scrap bag sampler bag 2
18. Libs Elliott sewalong - quilted and bound but it just needs some ends sewn in.
19. Christmas cross stitch
20. 2019 Prairie Schooler annual santa
21. 2018 Prairie Schooler annual santa
22. 1985 Prairie Schooler annual santa

Happy New Year and a final 2019 finish

My final finish of 2019 (with a day to spare) is the Quietplay 2019 Block of the Month. I have remained strong and not signed up to the 2020 pattern club as I want to finish UFOs and start new things.

The fabrics are Basic Grey wide grunge in Onyx, silver Essex dyed linen (I wished I had done a few more of the blocks with this fabric included) and all of the Alison Glass stash and scraps.

I used a Baptist fan edge to edge design as I thought that picked out the two rainbows in the pattern and used a grey thread. I have even added a hanging sleeve but will admit to machine stitching the binding to finish the project. Tomorrow I will share my plans for 2020.

Advent project - Habitation throw

I finished my habitation throw on 27 December and added a couple of extra mini skeins. It has now been washed and blocked and is ready to be entered into our local eisteddfod. I must start filling in the entry forms for this as they have to be handed in at our next guild meeting with the physical entries being handed in at our February meeting.

My main Christmas present was an evening class to learn to knit a jumper. I have several jumpers started which have stalled so I'm hoping  class will give me the skills and confidence to complete a whole jumper.

I may start a pair of socks for my hubby next as my January knitting project as he has worn his hand knit socks expensively since his op. I bought the wool in a destash so I need to find the wool and work out how many stitches to cast on.

Perfect HST BOM finished

I was thrilled to get this WIP finished in December. I did run out of a couple of fabrics near the end, but I just substituted from the same FQ stack from Moda Fabrics designed by Elizabeth Hartman.

I quilted the quilt on my Handiquilter mid arm using a swirly pattern with stars as the quilt is all about the stars in a grey thread.

I even put a hanging sleeve at the top of my quilt. I didn't have the heart to point out to my quilt model that the quilt was wrongly held. It is now five weeks since his partial knee replacement and the scar is fading quickly. He can drive as it was his left knee an he drives an automatic right hand drive. Today is his first day back at work, but he is coming home for lunch as there won't be enough work to keep him going all day.

December knitting goals

My hubby had a partial knee replacement on 25 November and whilst the knee is doing really well, other bits are showing signs of age so he ended back in hospital fo ive days. This has totally thrown me off my plan and another op is being scheduled for January in Cambridge. I googled and there are at least three fabric shops in Cambridge.

I set myself a few goals for December and I have been keeping up. My advent project of the Habitation throw by Helen Stewart has ben calming and I have started most days, opening my advent calendar, sharing a photograph on Instagram and then sitting down for 90 minutes to knit the yarn into the throw. We are now at day 21 and I am keeping up but think I may need to add at least one mini skin into the mix to finish the project.

I also found the pattern for a bandana cowl on Ravelry which I knit from some stash yarn purchased in Barcelona. It was the correct yardage but I had to finish the pattern about four rows early. It will still be useful for a Midlands cold winter on a motorbike. And I don't think Matt can complain about the colour.

For the traditional Christmas Eve cast on with Danni from Little Bobbins, I plan to cast on socks for my hubby as he has used the previous pair I knit him a lot whilst in hospital.

Scrap bag sampler - sorting your scraps

Do you love a good sewalong but don’t want to commit to another large quilt, spend the £s on a pattern or buy more fabric? Then this is the sewalong for you. We are going to use the scraps that we have accumulated and make small blocks every week to make a panel for a bag. These small blocks are perfect as a leader and ender project and to try out new techniques. Think of it as a spring clean for your scraps.

The sewalong will commence on Friday 10 January, but join us on Instagram today to see how we each organize our scraps (or not).

I have had a simple system for several years which I shared at our Modern Quilt Group. My system was that I stored my scraps by colour in a plastic bag in a basket. I blame Sue (@cotefleurie) who improved on my system by pressing her scraps. Miraculously they take up half the volume when pressed so I had to follow suit. I also have separate baskets for Xmas, Alison Glass, Kona and Tula Pink scraps. For an ongoing project I store all scraps with the project. I am in the process of finishing my HST BOM using an Elizabeth Hartman FQ stack and as they are already together, I am going to use them for this project.

My system was very useful or the recent snowflake sewalong with Modern Handcraft as I could just pick out the bag of turquoise scraps and use my Accuquilt to cut the scraps into squares and triangles.

Designers include: @cotefleurie @getahashtagkim @JustSewSue @lisasew @metroquilter    @picosailors @pippaspatch @quirkyhannah @therunninghare

#scrapbagsampler

December goals

I have found it useful over the last few months to set realistic goals at the beginning of each month and also review the success of goals set for the previous month. This month's plan is:


Quilts
I have two BOM WIPs that I don't want to become UFOs. I only have the December blocks to make and then finish the quilts along with about six customer quilts waiting to be long armed.

Quietplay BOM

Perfect HST BOM

Knitting

I made up my own mini skein advent calendar and I am spending about 90 minutes each day knitting the mini skeins into the Habitation throw by Curious Handmade on Ravelry. It's a nice way to spend some time before the activity of the day. My hubby has some follow up appointments over the next two weeks at our local hospital following a partial knee replacement so I think I will take this project along with me to work on.

Cross stitch

I started a small Xmas cross stitch and making hard work of it, but thirty minutes a day and it might be finished by Christmas.

Any spare time and I would like to knit some socks for my hubby and a cowl for my son for Xmas, but that's possibly not realistic!!

Sunday stash - 1 December 2019

One very modest purchase from a destash this week and my Quilter's Planner 2020 has arrived. The rd spotted fabric is thicker than rgular quilting cotton so I think I'll use it for a bag or cushion back.

I also received the metal sliders missing from a previous order and they are in the bag for the Mr Domestic's cross body bag along with the pattern to work on in 2020. 

Less modest - I have booked for the Modern Quilt Club retreat in May 2020. Last year we were in China so I missed out, but I am now booked and will book my flights this week too. Living on an island you have to book early to get the best price and that is also a bank holiday weekend so it needs to be booked.

Scrap bag sampler coming to this blog in January 2020

Do you love a good sewalong but don’t want to commit to another large quilt, spend the £s on a pattern or buy more fabric? Then this is the sewalong for you. We are going to use the scraps that we have accumulated and make small blocks every week to make a panel for a bag. These small blocks are perfect as a leader and ender project and to try out new techniques. Think of it as a spring clean for your scraps.

You can make a bag of your choice or the bucket bag that @justsewsue has designed for this project which is 8” tall with a diameter of 9.5”. This design needs a panel 30” by 8” (finished) or use your favourite bag pattern and customize it with a patchwork panel. Do you already have some small blocks which are unloved? Incorporate them into your design.

The sewalong will commence on Friday 10 January, but join us on Instagram next Friday to see how we each organize our scraps (or not).

Designers include: @cotefleurie @getahashtagkim @JustSewSue @lisasew @metroquilter    @picosailors @pippaspatch @quirkyhannah @therunninghare

#scrapbagsampler

Homebody socks

I purchased the pack of patterns by Curious Handmade on Ravelry for Knitvent 2019. The first pattern to be released was a shawl for which I didn't have suitable yarn. I tried combining a sport weight and a mohair but it just wasn't knitting up large enough, so I unravelled the project. 

This week pattern 2 is a throw suitable for an advent calendar of mini skeins. I have made up my own yarn advent calendar with two sets of mini skeins from Kate Selene and a destash set of Christmas skeins by Norah George. Then I arranged them in a pleasing rainbow fade and put them into my Opal yarn advent calendar box from a few years ago. The pattern for the throw is printed and ready for 1 December.

Pattern 3 was the homebody socks knit in DK and was exactly what I was hoping for. A cosy pair of socks for cold weekend days or when I'm not planning to leave the house. Too thick to wear with shoes but perfect for staying at home. I couldn't find my new yarn swift to wind up a DK skein so instead crossed my fingers and used a Rowan worsted yarn which worked out beautifully. The thicker yarn makes them a quicker knit than 4 ply or sock yarn.

I need to add my yarn swift to my list of items to find. If I haven't found them by the end of the month, then I have to make a concerted effort to find all of my missing items. This little system works for me as often I come across the items but if I don't then I have to put some effort into finding them. I was looking for a large box but have since remembered the yarn swift was in a slim packet.

WIP Wednesday - Quietplay BOM

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it …..  I have all of the rows and blocks completed so far with just the December blocks to make. I am hoping they're released early so I can finish this in 2019.

I think my choice of fabrics - Alison Glass on a background of Basic Grey grunge in Onyx has worked well. I just wish Alison would include more true reds in her ranges and include a rainbow stripe just for me. :)

November finish 1

Yes, I know this wasn't on my list, but I saw this hat on Instagram and fell in love with the cables. a rifle through my yarn stash and I found Big Bertha by Dirty Water Dye Works from Fig Tree Yarns. I purchased this yarn for a pair of gloves which were unpicked last year.

This is the third beanie that I have knit in the last month.The pattern is the Manel Hat by Lucia Ruiz de Aguirre. I used 3.5mm needles as per the pattern. I also made a cardboard blocker to make the hat look better as all that ribbing and cables, pulls in the hat. I might cut one out of Perspex at our local library on their laser cutter now that I have worked out the dimensions of the blocker. This will be a Christmas present for my daughter Lizzie.

BOM progress - November

I think that I forgot to share with you the October blocks for the Quietplay Block of the Month that I completed at the Modern Quilt Club retreat in October. I am still waiting for my long arm bobbins to arrive and this pattern arrived a few days earlier than epected, so I decided to get the blocks sewn so that I am up to date.

I think that this feather block might just be my favourite block in the series so far. It is easier than it looks and has just three sections. I love the silver Essex dyed linen that I used for the rachis (yes I had to google the name of the stem of a feather).

I also love the rainbow of flying geese in ths block. I think I should probably have chosen a brighter turquoise for the lettering, but I am not redoing it!

And this is how it looks so far. The top two rows are sewn together and this week I plan to:

1. Stitch rows 2 and 3 together

2. Border the bobbin block

3. Complete row 5

4. Border the LOVE block

5. Stitch rows 5 and 6 together

Then once the December blocks are released, I will be much close to being finished. Can I finish it in 2019, I do hope so. I will have two BOM quilts to finish in December.

To celebrate being up to date, I bought the Christmas Joy wreath by The Crafty Nomad. More about that make next week.