2019 Wk 0 - Noooooooo

After publishing the last post I went to trim my tiny blocks - and every single one was too small!  So it seems (seams!) that my 1/4" foot is nothing of the sort!

So I spent most of this evening watching rubbish telly with himself, unsewing - groan!

So they now look like this

and "just" need to be pressed and started again!

However I have finished the hand-sewing-at-mother-in-law's flimsy

and what's more - it's quilted!

I love the circular quilting that so many 'real' quilters have been showing, but I know my quilting isn't up to the tight accurate spiral at the start . . . but it occurred to me that Lizzie's is!  So she did the first 8 inches (her largest hoop) and I then took over - it's much easier when the spitrail is further out!!

I also played with another rope bowl.  Again an elongated shape as the start is much easier with a long line rather than a tight spiral (see the theme here?)  I copied Kathy's finished this time as I have plenty of leather left in a box.  It would have been better if it didn't pucker but I can live with it!

2019 - Wk 0 - Happy New Year

I've been playing with Lizzie!  I got an urge to design (while she was stitching badges for the local scouts who deliver local Christmas cards)

My cousin has three gorgous grandchildren, so I got their mum to send me photos of some artwork and their "signatures".

And I converted them to stitches

 Mila's drawing and my embroidery

And Matteo's

And their little brother Luka didn't do a picture but I got his name.  I think I need to re-stitch it as the colours are off.

I think a few drawstring bags are on the agenda for tomorrow then they can go off in the post!

I have also finished warping the loom for the Temperature project.  Finished warping AND prepared the threads for the lower range of temperatures

AND deciding on the threads for the warmer colours!

And I've finally finished (just need to trim to size, so OK not actually finished!) a few tiny blocks - Jackie, how are yours coming along?

2018 Wk 52 Christmas part 1

Hope you had a very . . .

We did! 

M-i-L sadly missing from the Boxing Day festivities but she was very well looked after in hospital with a visit from Santa, gifts of a scarf and a box of chocs and a card from a local school child.

With the festivities over and all the waifs and strays back at their own homes I've actually done some "me" things!

A whole load of 1½ squares have been stitched first in pairs, then in 3s

and now being stitched into 9 patches for the Tiny Blocks quilt Jackie and I are making.

 I am also warping a loom: Have you seen the temperature quilts that people made last year?

You knit or crochet a set number of stitches in a colour that represents a temperature, then you do the same every day.  You can choose whether you use the maximum or minimum or average, just pick one and stick to it.  One of my students from many years ago is a very accomplished crochetter: she blogs at https://lullabylodge.blogspot.com and is cheerleading a crocheted blanket along (!) starting here.  I really wanted to have a go but I'm already thrown by the crochet tech talk, and don't have much in the way of wool colours . . .  however I have plenty of embroidery threads and have no objection to buying any extras needed so I am doing a woven equivalent.

Warping a loom has to count as one of the most boring craft preparations though - which is why I've done half then got distracted by doing my tax return and a blog post!

 I also got very spoiled - pressie pics will follow

2018 Wk 44 - Pottering and Stuff

I forgot to blog about fiddle necklace we made for Jackie's daughter and granddaughter.  Little Leah is at an age that she wants to be holding something while she is feeding - and Sabrina would rather it wasn't part of her anatomy!  We saw 'fiddle necklaces' on Amazon at a ridiculous price so made a bead necklace for Sabrina to wear while she's feeding Leah - it looks as if it's working!

I have started on some more tiny blocks

It's not often I spend time with customers but Amanda wanted these labels done asap so she could attach them to quits before they cadged a left to the long arm quilter's - so she came to collect them to save a delay on posting.  We had a lovely afternoon sharing quilting ideas, and she seemed very happy with the three labels.

 On Friday Chertsey Museum hosted the second weaving Fun With Fabric and lots of lovely project were started, worked on and completed

I think this chunky weave is my favourite though!

I didn't show this project carrier Jackie made me - four 'pages' and each one is a really good size vinyl zippy pouch.  My La Pass project has moved in as it was out growing it's previous storage.

As La Pass and been renamed Not La Pass.  It's nothing like the original idea but it will now be put together as 6 large cogs and 10 small ones.  I'm adding the black EPP shapes in hopefully the right places

And they will fit together like this.  I think I will maintain the funky shape, and make a collar of pentagons that will be a border on the back

2018 Wk 43 - alone in my sewing room

Jackie has gone home now, just emails and Whatsapps until next year.  I should be tidying up in here but I thought I'd do another post instead!

Today's makings  . . .

Two 'pink penguin' bags

A book bag for a neighbour

 A plan for our joint postage stamp / tiny blocks quilt

(this was a close runner up, but we probably don't have enough patterned squares for this)

And a rough plan for the solid postage stamps but they will have to wait their turn

I meant to show this - a first stitch out of the village church door - the painting won't be repeated (I need to find another method of showing the stone colours), and the design needs tweaking but I'm pleased with it for a first attempt

 

 And I said goodbye to Warm Diamonds as she sold, and has gone off to a new home!

2018 Wk 43 - Quilt show and making

Today we helped run the Bric-a-Brac stall and the R&K quilt show and then came home to sew sew and sew!

We made these Melinda handbags from sotakhandmade (just waiting for lobster clasps to attach the cross body straps)

and we experimented with some 1.5" squares we bought -  we are going to make make these together - Jackie in her sewing room across the Irish sea and me here

And we have worked out the placement of my not-La-Plassacaglia blocks!

More tomorrow xxx