Wonky Princess Bee

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Hello again, I decided to seize the fact that mojo was lurking in a corner and started on my wonky stars again. Stellar is the wonderful pattern some of the Sew Solids Crew Stash Club are using for the Sew Solids Quilt-Along. You can see the posts about my first stars here and here. Because I was lagging behind I had two colours to sew stars from, pink and blue. To be honest the most difficult part of this sew-along is pairing up the colours to get enough contrast between the star and the background.

Stellar Sew-AlongDon’t look too closely please. The blocks have lots of stray threads hanging off them and my floor is…. let’s just say it needs a good clean. This quilt is definitely going to be colourful and I’m not sure how much I like it yet.

Something I love, however, is the fabric that arrived today from Simply Solids. I know a lot of people prefer prints to solids but I really enjoy working with solids.

SolidsNext month it’s my turn to be the Princess Bee of the Sew-Euro-Bee-ans. For a long time I didn’t know what to ask for but then I decided to go for colour rather than block. This means that my fellow bees are allowed to make any block they like, in any size they want to make (I’m sure I’ll regret that decision later) and with any extra scraps (solids or prints)  they want/need. I’m only asking them to stick to this colour palette. I would like the blocks to be something they enjoy making and that, I suppose, therefore represents them.  Now that the fabric has arrived I’m really excited about sending it out to everyone.

It’s good to have you back, mojo.

 

 

Categories: Quilting, Sew Euro-Bee-An, Sew Solids Crew Stash Club, Sew Solids Quilt-Along2 Comments

Mojo? Mojo? Hello…..?

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I’ve been looking for it for ages but can’t seem to find it at all: my mojo.

There has been hardly any sewing done, except for some bee blocks for Sew-Euro-Bee-an that had to be finished. The first set of bee blocks were for Floh and they were really late as the fabric, which had been sent from Germany, disappeared somewhere in the post to reappear about a month later. Luckily we were asked to make wonky stars which are quick and easy. Now, I would love to show you my two blocks, one pink and one orange, but alas I forgot to take a picture before sending them off. Mojo usually reminds me to go get the camera and take some pics for this blog but with mojo missing….

The other two blocks were only a couple of days late (not bad for someone with a missing mojo) and I loved making them. Scrappy X’s with a white border and dark grey background are stunning, I think. Now my white borders didn’t match up perfectly but I hope that Celine‘s quilt will crinkle up beautifully and disguise the slight wonkiness.

Celine's Bee Blocks

I also hope that she likes the Tyrannosaurus Rex I smuggled in there.

This month we’re making lots of HSTs which I love but I gather aren’t quite as popular with some of the other bee members. Next month it’s my turn to be Princess Bee. I will show you what I’m going for soon, I just need to order some fabric first.

Mojo, I can see you….come here now! Please?

 

Categories: Musings, Sew Euro-Bee-An3 Comments

And The Winner Is…

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Big apologies, I completely forgot about my impromptu little giveaway when life took over. There has been no sewing in a very long time and I’m really starting to feel it. Tomorrow I might just send Little Miss Bossy-Boots and Master off somewhere for a couple of hours of uninterrupted sewing.

Anyway, I’m sure you’re more interested in finding out who is going to get a little something from me.

Mr RandomI let Mr Random do the honours this time and he has chosen number four, which, if my counting skills are anything to go by, is Helen! Congratulations, Helen, I’ll put your prize in the post next week.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions, I’ve loved them all. In the end, I went with something completely different: Edna.

 

Categories: Musings4 Comments

New Addition

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There’s a new addition to our family:

Hello Gorgeous!

That’s right, the cutest little sewing machine. A few weeks ago Emily from Strawberry Patch posted a picture on Instagram of her Singer Featherweight 324 which she wanted to sell. I’d been wondering if I should get a small, light sewing machine to take to the Fat Quarterly Sewing Retreat this year. I took my Bernina last year but didn’t fancy taking her again; she’s pure metal and very, very heavy. I love vintage sewing machines so I didn’t think about it long and told Emily that I was interested.

Singer Featherweight 324

To cut a long story short, the machine arrived today in her cute as a button wicker basket.   The machine wasn’t the only thing that arrived though. When I opened the basket I found a beautiful hexagon pincushion and the cutest bracelet as well! I always say that quilters are the most generous people around and I think I’ve been proven right again.

Gifts

Green is my favourite colour and those green hexagons sing to me.

Gifts

If I feel chatty I can always use the other side with a lovely text print and pink centre. The card is going to be hung above my sewing machine and the bracelet will, I’m sure, be shared with Little Miss Bossy-Boots (although on the inside I’m going to go “My preciousss!).

By the way, if you haven’t discovered Emily’s blog, Strawberry Patch, yet, go and have a little peek. Emily has such fabulous taste in fabrics and her Marcelle Medallion quilt is stunningly beautiful. You won’t regret it.

Now, I thought I might turn this post into a little impromptu giveaway. I would like to give this cute machine a name, but can’t think of anything suitable. If you would like to win a little something made by me especially for you, please leave a comment on this post with a suggestion for a name. I will pick a winner on Wednesday, 24th April 2013 at 8pm my time. This giveaway is open internationally.

 

Categories: Fat Quarterly Sewing Retreat, Giveaway, Sewing implements8 Comments

FAL – 2nd Quarter

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It’s that time again, the time to fess up and bring out all the WIP’s to link to Leanne of She Can Quilt‘s Finish-A-Long list. My list for the first quarter was filled with small things like a sewing kit and some cushions which I managed to finish and one quilt which I didn’t even get out of the drawer it’s been banished to. So, as you can imagine it’s going on this quarter’s list. Right, here’s my list for this quarter:

1. Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ log cabin quilt.

Pink Log CabinsI’ve got four log cabins so far and will have to make at least another sixteen, I think. I’m not sure I have enough fabric so I might have to be a little creative and add some sashing to make the quilt big enough.

2. The Spring Carnival quilt. This is quite ambitious but I really want to bring it to the Fat Quarterly Retreat in July.

Spring Carnival ProgressMy biggest problem here is that I’m fast running out of the stripy fabric I’m using for the ‘background’. I believe I have enough for two more columns, then I have to decide whether to keep it that size or choose a different fabric and add a frame around the stripes.

3. Master’s Bag

Master's Bag

I promised to make this bag last year (hangs her head in shame) and only started a very short while ago.  I know it won’t take too long to make, I just need some uninterrupted sewing time which isn’t easy with Little Miss Bossy-Boots on holiday.

4. The Spring Version and Blossom panels.

Réalt Glas, Spring and BossomI’m not sure what to make with those two. I was wondering if I should turn one of them into a small quilt for the couch by adding a few borders and maybe making a bag with the other. Or maybe another cushion? Watch this space as I’m not sure yet what to do.

5. In The Woods

In the Woods FinishedTote pocket or doll blanket? The jury’s still out.

I think I’m going to stop here as I’d really like to finish everything on the list and there’s more than enough on there to keep me busy. Also, I know myself well enough that I’m sure I will start many new projects.

 

 

 

 

Categories: Finish-A-Long, Work in Progress3 Comments

Two Birthdays

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I have two birthdays. One in October which will be my forty-fourth this year and one today which is my ninth. I like having two birthdays although I don’t get any presents for this one. However, nine years ago I got the best present ever: life. During an operation to remove some lymph nodes my heart stopped. I was lucky, though, not only did the doctors do a great job bringing me back to life (I’m not sure how dramatic it really was but I am married to an Irishman…) I was also told that all my lymph nodes were cancer free.

I’m off to celebrate this birthday with a lovely cream tea at our local garden centre with Little Miss Bossy-Boots and Master.

Parrot

I hope you have a great day whatever you’re doing!

 

Categories: Musings3 Comments

In The Woods

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I was playing around with TouchDraw, a brilliant app for the iPad that lets you draw patterns and design wonderful things. Thinking about Le Challenge (this month is ‘Geometrics’) I designed an easy geometric English Paper Pieced block, got a some lovely fabrics in muted spring-like colours and started stitching.

Tuesday was a lovely day here in Cambridgeshire so Little Miss Bossy-Boots and I spent it outside in the garden. While she was running around, climbing up and down the slide and playing with her toy kitchen (making yucky stews from leaves, flowers and some water) I took my scraps and paper pieces and got busy.

EPP in the GardenI showed my progress on Instagram that evening.

In the Woods ProgressAnd then finished it yesterday evening.

In the Woods FinishedEagle-eyed people might have noticed that I had to take the centre out and tilt it by 45 degrees. Actually I tilted it quite a bit more as I fell in love with the little hedgehog and wanted him at the top. Little Miss Bossy-Boots asked me to turn it into a quilt for her dolls. I was going to use it for a pocket on a tote but might turn into ‘nice mum’ and make it into a little doll quilt.

Anyway, in the end I decided not to use it for Le Challenge. I’ve designed a different piece which I’m going to make totally out of solids. I’ll post a sneak peek once I get going.

Interested in using the templates/paper pieces I designed? Click here to download In The Woods.

 

 

 

Categories: English Paper Piecing, Le Challenge, Tutorials1 Comment

Finish-A-Long: My Finishes

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This Finish-A-Long, hosted by the lovely Leanne of She Can Quilt, has really helped me finish some WIPs that had been lying around for quite a while. My list contained five projects and I finished four; not bad going for me. Of course, the one project I didn’t finish was the biggest one, Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ log cabin quilt. I’m going to put it on the list for the next quarter and make sure I start with it.

I was really happy to finish my Hexagon Heart which I started in April and was destined to raise funds for my local cancer treatment centre.

Hexie Heart Cushion

The second finish was my Double Circle of Flying Geese, or Skein of Geese as I called it which I started at the Fat Quarterly Retreat in July. Once I got home I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to remember how to foundation paper piece so I put all the bits and pieces in a drawer. Once I got everything out and got started I realised that not only did I remember how to do it, I also thoroughly enjoyed the process. It’s now sitting on my sofa being used every day.

Double Circle of Flying Geese

Two of my finishes ended up in my sister’s house: the sewing kit I made for her and the ‘Spin Me Around’ cushion.

Kris's Things

I realise that I only finished a few small things but I’m so grateful to FAL because without it I probably only would have finished the sewing kit and started a lot more new projects.

 

Categories: Finish-A-Long2 Comments

Athea

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Here we go! I’ve finally managed to scan in the templates for my EPP pattern which I have called ‘Athea’. Réalt Glas was made with the first set of templates. It was then I realised that I would have to re-work them as I literally had to shoe horn the grey pieces between the two green stars. This has made the inside star very pouffy. As this little mini was always supposed to live here with me, I didn’t really mind. However, when a few people asked me for the templates I realised that I would have to go back to the drawing board.

Réalt Glas Finished

Enter the Spring Version. I still had a little bit of an issue with a few of the pieces not wanting to slot in without a fight so I realised I would have to make another one. Enter a long ‘sigh’ at this point.

Réalt Glas and Spring

Voilà, Blossom! I really like how different the three versions are and I do hope that some people will use the Athea Templates. If you do, please show me your version as I’d love to show it off here as well.

Réalt Glas, Spring and Bossom

These templates were drawn by hand and are therefore not totally uniform. I do apologise for that and for the rather blurry picture of the pattern. Because I didn’t design the pattern with the intention of putting it on the blog I cut up the pattern sheet to make Réalt Glas. The only thing that remains is this blurry picture. You might think that I could have redrawn the pattern and you would be right but, to be honest, I’ve already spent so much time on this and have so many new ideas I want to explore. Furthermore, I’ve bought a wonderful app called TouchDraw for the iPad with the help of which I might even be able to give you templates that are accurate and all the same size. So think of Athea as a trial run.

Having said all this, if you do decide to have a go at ‘Athea’ and run into any kind of problems, please don’t hesitate to contact me (sharksdinner [at] sunrise [dot] ch) and I will be happy to help you as best I can.

EDIT

Here are the templates I drew on Touch Draw. Click on the link to download.

Athea

Categories: English Paper Piecing, Templates and Patterns, Tutorials7 Comments

Treasure Thursday

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Today’s treasure is a tea caddy made by my lovely nephew many, many years ago.

Tea CaddyIt’s looking a little shabby now but there’s no way I’m going to get rid of it anytime soon. He knew that I liked sharks so he painted a fish and a swordfish.  The back is a bit more abstract.

Tea Caddy backI love it and I’m very lucky inasmuch that Master likes it too. So this little tea caddy is going nowhere.

 

 

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