2014 May (first half)

Odds and Sods

Nothing really to report in the way of sewing, but Helen (from Archie the Wonder Dog) and I had a chat about tiny blocks (unnecessarily tiny some might say *).I mentioned a tiny hexi piece that I'd started, but when she asked if it was on the blog I realised it might not be, so here is ha"penny hexi: each flower is about the size of an old English halfpenny (ha'penny) coin

(* the discussion started because Helen made some *tiny* leaf blocks where the blocks were an insane 3/4 inch! Click here to look)
While I was looking for the ha'penny hexi piece, I also found my Aussie Hexies: 79 of them joined to two triangles, and I don't think I've shown these for ages:

These diamonds are waiting to become stars:

Annoyingly I have no solid red fabric left for border or binding, and have no idea whose it was or where i got it, so there will have to be some creative finishing!
I did make some bunting a few days ago:

And Lisa has met up with Brendan and by now they should be on the road to Colorado!

How I Bury Short threads

A few weeks ago Jen wrote a post about how she got rid of thread tails [Click here for the post].  She uses a self threading needle, but I don't have one of those.

She also linked to Heidi who posted another method, [Click here for her post] but again it needs a self threading needle, which I still don't have.  My sewing machine cuts threads really short, so there are times when I need to hide the tails, but threading them into a needle is a real pain.

So I thought I'd post *my* how-I-bury-short-threads post, and link up (albeit a bit late) with Jen and Heidi

I use a short length of thick thread, about 5" of 40 weight, and thread bother ends through a large eye needle.

I push the needle in at the final exit point of the thread, and travel between the layers for about an inch

I pull gently until just a small loop is left outside the fabric

Then poke the tail through the loop

then pull the needle out and the tail comes with the loop

Unexpected Experience

Husband and I had a day in London today, but first I'll show you a bit of sewing from late last night!

I stitched the blue zigzag blocks into strips, so they are ready to be assembled and basted:

So: London: I was surprised at what went well, and what wasn't so good.  We went to the British Museum to see the Viking Exhibition, then to the Building Centre in Tottenham Court Road, followed by the Fabric & Textile museum in Bermondsey Road, and finally we popped into the London Glass Blowing centre in the same road

We had vouchers for  the two museums: two for the price of one, and the glass blowing and the Building Centre were free - and they were the better places!!!!!

The Viking exhibition was packed, they allowed (I think) too many in at a time and the initial room was small with no indication how big the collection was, so we were all trying to see and read everything.  Some exhibits had the words twice: once low down and the other on the glass at eye height, but other just had the low level words so you couldn't read it unless you were *the* person in front of the exhibit!  We did spend 90 minutes in there, but I'd say close to half was waiting  for someone to move out of the way!

In contrast the (free) Building Centre was really well laid out with lots of information.  We especially liked the 'liquid' floor tiles. (Sorry video not great :-(

Then on to the F&TM - it was small, and unless you wanted to see Andy Warhol or Picasso screen printed fabrics there wasn't much to look at!

And finally we watch a glass blower - it was great to watch but I have to say that although it was free to watch, the prices were out of my price range - I think this (above) was £3000!!!

Lovely day, but I'm looking forward to a sewing day tomorrow!

Sunday Strings

I'm meeting the ladies from our House Group tonight so I thought I'd better attach the latest finished string blocks to the others, so they can see what they've achieved - they just need to finish the last five blocks and this one will be ready for binding. 

 

I wonder if they are up for doing another one?  I can probably find enough fabric!!!

I have also dug out another strings project: Last (hangs head in shame) April Jen sent me some strings that she had, telling me that "it would be a LONG while before I use them" 

Well I think 13 months may be an even longer time than Jen anticipated, but after making another six blocks in November,this pile has sat waiting for a purpose.

My lovely little Miss M at school is being attacked by chemo, and infections, and hair loss and all the general horribleness of being in hospital rather than at home, so lots of mum's friends are fund raising for M, Mum and little sister L to go to Euro Disney when she's feeling up to it.

Jen has daughters herself of the same sort of ages, and has recently posted about going to Disney with them (California rather than Paris!) so I am sure she will be happy for me to finish this quilt, and donate it from the two of us as a fund raising item: it's so bright and cheerful - I'm sure it will help raise money for their trip!

All 20 stitched in pairs today: maybe I'll get a bit done tomorrow.

And a bit off topic:  My lovely bestie Jackie is a GRANDMA!!!!!  The long awaited grandson finally arrived today - mother and baby fine; grandmother exhausted after the longest day of her life!  Love you Jackie!

And the latest photos from Lisa's road trip

(Bless, Geography wasn't her strong point!)

 

Manic Moday and Lisa's Latest

When a baby arrives, I need to make a quilt, its kind of a Pavlovian thing.  There may (or may not) be a quilt finished for Jackie's grandchildson, but if there is it isn't going to Ireland yet, which means something else has to take its place for now.

So a pile of 8" squares became this today, and I'm now frantically stitching down the binding so I can get it in the post.

And Lisa?

Before she went I watched a documentary about the Grand Canyon - it's so deep that if you fall from the top it's 40 seconds until you reach the bottom . . .

Now you may understand today's photo via Brendon's Facebook!

Finished and Posted

Baby Aiden's quilt has been finished

And posted

So soon this little cutie will be wrapped in a hug from me!

Pretty Perfect Pockets

I bought a very basic tunic top from Primark in the week (for those of you not living in the UK, Primark = Walmart type prices).  I was really pleased with it, but I'll probably wear it with leggings* so there was a pocket problem - ie there wasn't one, and I do like to have somewhere to at least put my phone and keys if I'm going out.

(*why do some people wear leggings as trousers?  Do they know we can see their knickers and the leggings label through the stretched knitted leggings?  I'm sure they were designed to replace tights, not trousers!  Anyway, rant over, rest assured I only wear them with a tunic top that would be decent even if I had bare legs!)

I googled "How do I add a side seam pocket?" (I love Google) and it took me to a Craftsy page called "how to sew pockets"

And now this

Looks like this

(I do plan to wear it outside out, but thought it might help to photograph it inside out!!!)

Mending in May

I don't do much mending, but niece asked me to mend a jumper for her , and I said I would.  She has recently gone back to working in an office after sometime out, so has gone back to smart clothes - well the washing machine sulked and took a chunk out of a sleeve:

 I quite enjoyed this mend - I cut 4" off each sleeve, turned them up inside, and then hand stitched using backstitch to (a) echo the detail around the neck, and (b) allow the sleeve to stretch.

Anna I hope you like it

Lovely Lady and Bunting and Darling Daughters

When I posted about burying threads I mentioned that I used this method as the other methods I'd read needed a self threading needle, and I didn't have one.  the lovely Nessa commented that she'd happily send me one to try - and she did

A lovely hand made card arrived

With the fancy easy threading needle attached

 And even instructions on how to thread it

Thank you Nessa!


After teaching bunting, and making some bunting for me, I was happy to make some more when a friend asked if I'd make some for her granddaughter - the making is much easier than the photographing!

This took several attempts to rig up the bunting, and some contorted efforts to hold the camera to get photos without showing too much very untidy bedroom!

This probably gives a better idea: she asked for black and white and a bit of shocking pink!

And for those who would like up update on the daughters:  Lisa has reached Las Vegas, and has 'done' Disney

And Niki is on holiday in Mexico, and send pictures of her bathroom and the beach!

Oldest UFO?

I think I have finished my oldest UFO! The earliest blog reference I can find was in January 2012. And even then I refer to it as being ancient!

A few days ago I found it in a box, and thought it just needed binding, so thought I could do that quickly and then call it a finish. Once I'd machine the binding to the front I realised that it hadn't been constructed in my usual method, and therefore hadn't been quilted AT ALL!!

So how to quilt after binding? It's not brilliantly made, so there are some chunky joints, so in the ditch or echoing wasn't going to be brilliant - then I looked at the embroidery machine and inspiration struck. There were three actions to make this quilt : cut, sew, quilt, - so I stitched these words over and over again

  

  

Not very legible in the photos, but I love it!  The letters are about 3" high, 1.5" wide.
I have now finished the binding, despite the 'help' of the hardest-to-photograph cat in the world!

So: a finish

Can I start something new?

Bundles of Bunting

Friends came over yesterday, wanting to make bunting - and we made plenty!
 Lizzie brought some really pretty fabrics:

And made this

Katherine made this lovely bunting - pretty good for a just-turned-twelve year old!

You'll have to believe they look fab as I can't photograph them decently!

Essential Irish

Having actually cleared the dining table for bunting at the weekend, I took advantage of the space to start on the assembly / basting / basic quilting stage of my Essential Irish quilt.

For those who don't know, I was making patchwork quilts for at least a dozen years before I even read a book about them, let alone attended a class or saw a blog.  This means I made it all up as I went along - I didn't know about flimsies or basting but made up my own way - and my way works fine for me so I stick with it: Even though I teach students the "right" way, I do show them my way too!

So my Essential Irish blocks have been arranged, and stitched into strips- which are numbered.

I take the middle strip (#5 in this case) and spray baste it, right side up, down the middle of my fleece.  I take strip 4 and pin it in place, and also strip 6

I then stitch these two pinned lines - so I'm stitching through #6, #5 and the fleece, then I'm stitching through #4, #5 and the fleece

Once I've pressed these seams open and spray basted them onto the fleece I can repeat with strips 7 and 3, then 8 and 2, then finally  9 and 1.

I may quilt this one, at least through the chains, but I don't need to; the fabric won't be moving at all, so in the same amount of stitching that would make a conventional flimsey, I could instead have a quilt that is ready for binding!   (ooops, that should be "coverlet" as it's only two layers not three) 

That was it for today, and the girls come home tomorrow (Lisa) and Thursday. (Niki) so I might not get much sewing done for a few days!

Night night xxx

Random Ramble, and Fab Fabric

A brief update on some of the lovely people in my life

M has been operated on and it looks as if they got all the cancer. She still months of chemotherapy and possibly radiotherapy ahead of her, and only has one kidney, but the doctors expect full recovery. So pleased for her and her family

Aidan's quilt arrived, and he looks quite at home on it (edit - drat - I spelled his name wrong!)

Niki is on her way home 

And Lisa is home - and full of tales about her trip! She was so hyped up before she went, so I didn't mention the "F" word to her, but she knows her mummy! She only had a short time in Walmart, but achieved great results!

Thank you sweetie xxxx