monday musings

 seems like concentrating is a challenge at the moment. I know what needs to be done and I know what I want to do and can't focus on either. 

Today was my day off so I had a little rummage through my odd bits and pieces box. This includes orphaned stitcheries and blocks, ideas that didn't quite make the cut and general hide away projects.

I found some little blocks in 1930's repro fabric leftover from 'sweet nostalgia'. They had been sewn together and just looked blah so I got to unpicking, pressing and trimming. 

This gave me two little minis. I also managed to find some of the original 'white' and off white to add to these.

enough white to add a few more blocks.....

while looking for the white fabrics I thought I would have a look for some bigger metre pieces of shirting that I could use for the scrappy and red 9 patch blocks.

This treasure that I have been hanging on to popped up and it just so happened that the blocks are 3 1/2" so I auditioned the red 9 patch on the piece and I think it could be a big winner and finally give it a purpose. 

Night time stitching is reserved for must do applique as I have a deadline for that and I want to get it done.

More freedoms for Victoria and it's a great feeling. Took my mum to see her first great grandchild and she got to have a big hug. Little princess was smiling and cooing for great grandma and when I got to have a hold the chin started to quiver and she started to cry, tears and all.

Hope this isn't going to define our relationship? 

have a great week

Marina

the year that was and a new Year to come

Well it's been quite awhile since I spent much time here.... I have been lurking and making some occasional comments but there just wasn't enough time for everything and my blog missed out on some of the attention.

Last year was a big year for me on many levels and it ending up finishing well and I am looking forward to a great year ahead.

As far as crafting goes I made last year a year to finish projects. I did accomplish quite a bit and I was very happy about that.

I won't show all of my finishes in this post, as hopefully I will make another post soon to show some more finishes.

This year, as I only really have Okehampton as my major project, I am hoping to dabble in some smaller projects too for gifting, something I have been quite neglectful in doing.

So let's get started with the photos...

this live, laugh, love quilt has been completed for quite a while and it was time for some quilting to happen. I had it quilted by Jemima's and I must admit I had fallen a little out of love with it and was worried about spending the money on a project I was not longer in love with.

But that all changed when I picked it up from the quilters. They even commented on how good it looked! Needless to say I am very much in love with it again and it is hanging in my sewing room.

 

This month I managed to complete the top for my Farewell Quilt (gossip in the garden by anni Downs)

I made a few changes as I usually do and unfortunately the photo does not do it justice, it's ended up quite big and was a little difficult to photograph.  I am wanting to hand quilt this one once I can bring myself to basting it!

I bought a lovely kit for a hexagon needlebook and after making the kit up I decided to make another one up too and dragged out this project from some years ago and make it up in the same method.

The flower was made ages ago and the stitchery also, the lilypad needlebook was very daunting to it came to a screeching halt. But now it's done!

Have had some fun working on my Okehampton centre...... besides the handquilting this is my only other big project........at the moment anyway.

What's not to love about some english paper piecing and fussy cut tiny hexie flowers?

I am toying with this background (a 3 sisters fabric) and the first border fabric too.

Thankyou for sticking with the post if you're still here....and for taking the time to visit after such a long time.

I hope to get back into the gist of blog land again, slowly.

Stay tuned....

Back to work Monday so we'll see how it pans out.

I'll leave you with a furry friend pic....... Maisie decided to spend some time in my sewing room under the air con vent. 42degrees I don't blame her but it made it hard for me to sit and sew lol.

Happy days..

Marina

x

ufo update and bits and pieces

At the start of the year allpeoplequilt's.com had a ufo challenge for this year. I thought it would be great to play along from the side lines and perhaps make some progress on some ufo's.
You had to chose 12 projects, my list started in February.
Thought it was time to have a little stocktake.

1. little houses -July
2. Shirt Challenge (not really a ufo but added it to the list) started in January-top pieced borders to be done
3. Fig tree blocks 1/2 square triangles.
4. Sweet Stitches -April- no progress
5. Park Avenue Hexies June-most of quilting done, one border to do.completed in July 2015
6. stitcheries -March-2 stitcheries made up
7. hexie runner -Made up in April, completed 
8. spare park avenue hexies -May-no progress
9. Lisa Bonegan sew along -February-completed and quilted
10. second Lisa Bonegan sew along -top completed in February, some wool applique still to do, thento be quilted.
11. hexie scarves -June-finished x2
12. clamshells

So some progress done. This month it is the turn of my little houses and I am looking forward to working with these again. Fingers crossed I can tick some progress off on these by the end of the month.

New things have been happening here too. I am chomping at the bit to start a project from Irene's book but I need to hold off just a little bit more and finish some sewing commitements,
The main one is a quilt I said I would make for a work colleague's daughter.
Friday I decided to prep the remaining blocks and get to appliqueing the remaining leaves on block 1.
A photo all together to keep me enthused......
The blocks are around 20" and I will add some sashing and borders to pad it out a bit.
The lover right block is almost complete it just needs the centres on the pink flowers.
I am machine appliqueing the blocks. The design is from a homespun magazine.
After a little sewing time yesterday I have done most of another block, minus the leaves. They will be added after I have finished the other parts of the block. Ideally I would love to finish them all these holidays. Fingers crossed.

After running out of quilting thread that activity has halted this week and I have kept my hands busy with some crocheting..
A scarf for a friend

I made a start on last months Baltimore block..
Lots and lots of leaves to applique, I better get a wriggle on! I was very happy with how my flowers turned out. They are the best I have done so far, or maybe the busy fabric just compensates a bit more? either way it's a win!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I am looking forward to catching up with some lovely crafty friends this week, gotta love the holidays!
Happy days

Marina

march ufos

This month my ufo tasks is to finish off some stitcheries.
finishing off meant making something new from a ufo.
I pulled out this gorgeous Stitchery (it is a design by Kaaren from the Painted quilt)
all the red and white strips were cut just waiting to get sewn up.
I stitched them a few years ago as I just love Raggedys. Kaaren had a free quilt pattern with lots of very sweet Raggedy stitcheries. Only ever got this one done.
Now I will have a new mini!

Mum and I had our first applique class this week at Jemima's, our local patchwork shop.
Mum wanted to learn a modern way of applique using stabiliser and I wanted to learn the traditional applique method. We are making a Baltimore block each month for 9 months. A lot of the time I just have a go at something with snippets of information. I wanted to learn needleturn from someone else to show me the correct way, it is going to make my applique easier and more precise. My sweet william blocks have been appliqued using the stabiliser method but I may be a convert to traditional. Either way it is going to be a bit easier with my new knowledge.
I wanted to make mum a block keeper as the blocks are 14" cut so a bit big for my pastry box. I will make myself one too eventually but made mum's in time for our first lesson. (the pattern is from a tutorial by Teresa -all things vintage, also some tips from Annie)
Also used up a ufo stitchery and left over hexie flower.....bonus!

Now would you like to see my baltimore block progress?

there are a few more leaves to go then it's onto buds and stems. They aren't all perfect but I am happy with their little bits of individuality. I will snap a pic of mum's progress too.
The rate we are going we will keep up and have our block done by next month's class. We are such over achievers!
I am hoping to get some more done over the weekend. Lots of domestic duties today, so need to catch up and tomorrow I am off for a doggy day out with Coffee. The curly club has a training day. I used to love these days out but haven't gone for awhile now so am looking forward to a day out with the curly boy tomorrow. Must remember to give him a bath today so he isn't so smelly in the car lol
Add that to the list!
Hope you have a great weekend
marina
little p.s.
mum popped around this afternoon and she has completed her block! What an over achiever!
Love how it has turned out. It was hard to get a good pic but this one shows the lovely fabrics (and the fuzzy shadow of my hand)
I better get a wriggle on........looks like I am behind lol

February UFO project...

February is here already and it was time to select the project for this month

My Lisa Bonegan Sew along blocks have been neglected for quite awhile.
I had every intention to keep up but I was a little intimidated by a whole pile of little flying geese that needed to be done for the 3rd instalment.
Well the number was up and out it came.. and surprisingly the piecing was easier than I thought. The instructions by Lisa were so easy to follow and there are pictures to follow as well. My kind of patterns.
this is where the blocks were left at in July last year.

This week the applique one has progressed to this..... some applique pieces all cut out for the corners. They will go on once the next borders are on and that's where I'll finish it. using one of the later patterns to finish it off.

The star pieced one has the next border on and a visit to the fabric shop is in order so that I can get some more red fabric for the geese.

In the corners it has little star blocks. I have these half sewn..
You can officially call me certifiably crazy as those little cream squares are only 1" square!!

Off to the cave to tackle those little stars..... wish me luck

Cheers

Marina

last minute inspiration...

These past weeks I have been thinking about my ufo's, the little bits and bobs that have been forgotten about when the excitement and frenzy of something new comes along and I must say I have been feeling a little guilty.
Christmas gifts have been sent and I was grateful for the stash of home mades that I have made during the year. Some I parted with, others I couldn't and then there were the unfinished....
Well, these have seen the light this past week and a bit and I am determined to start the year without the baggage of the unforgottens.. (well not too many anyway)

Last year I made three stitcheries from Michelle's gorgeous patterns and only finished two. They have both been gifted but this little fella got left behind so he is staying right here. He even got finished into a table topper.

 some big hand quilting....

 and here is his new home.. pride of place on the entry table and in good festive company with other handmades..

there were some TTS stitcheries that I made extra as I thought they would make lovely gifts, plus the fact I enjoy stitching them. The binding needs to be sewn on one more and they are done! These will be gifties.

A cross stitch waiting to be sewn up into a pincushion got finished for a gift for my boss..

 the light is very dull today as we have a foggy mist from the cool change so the colours are a little dull but they are gorgeous purples..

Last but not least these little minis got hand quilted and they just need some binding. Then they will be ready to replace the Christmas project on the mini hanger for summer. 

I have a couple other lonely forgottens that I want to finish before I throw myself back into my wisps. 

They have been a little neglected too but I have prepared some hexies for my Swan Lake and have nearly finished another border of dolly dresses.

Roll on Christmas and I hope I get that extra stitching time I asked Santa for.

I have been loving seeing all the decorations bloggers have been sharing, I hope to share some too before Christmas.

Tomorrow I will post pics of what I sent in my Christmas Angel swap. 

For now here is a decoration I didn't part with...

He wasnt quite perfect as I put him together without a pattern. A few Weeks after making him I bought Marg Low's pattern for her decorations that explained it perfectly. If only I had waited I could have done it properly. I think he still looks lovely though.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and get some crafting time in!

Marina

Happy dancing!!

Well I didn't think I would be back so soon but.....
I am happy dancing around the house! And this is the reason why.
My hexie top is officially complete. I sewed the borders on today. There were a few issues with the green thin border that has stretched a little with handling so it puckered in a few places. For now they can stay the way they are but I know they will get the better of me before long and I will have to unpick and redo. sigh

Mandatory Maisie testing the top.

I have the batting ready now I just need backing fabric and then it will be ready to quilt. It will have to wait till I have quilted my sweet nostalgia quilt. I took it to mum's today and we pressed, sandwiched, pinned and basted it together. It was lovely to have her help me. It will be a long slog handquilting it but let's go!
I was discussing with Nicki of Sew and Sew about UFO's. I don't seem to count finished tops (flimsies) as ufo's, I consider them finished awaiting quilting. Maybe this is a more optimistic view of UFO's. I may have to take off those rose coloured glasses.
While the weather was good I took some pics of my non ufo's, there are a few... but after today there is one less!

this is an old one, one of my earlier attempts at patchwork. I want fancy quilting in the white squares so it is waiting patiently. My attempt at an arty photo shot.

here is a day shot of my boys story. I am still happy dancing at this quilt!

my breast of friends quilt, relegated to the ranks of the unquilted. 

this is my 365 journal quilt. It will probably stay like this for a long time yet! It covered a big year in my life. 

my recent disappearing nine patch

The boys came and sat down in front of the quilts as I was putting them on the line. So for a change there are dogs and quilts together. The boys tease me that if anything happens to me the dogs will get my quilts for dog blankets! Don't panic I have people ready to rescue every scrap of fabric should anything happen to me. They have such a warped sense of humour- sadly I know where they get it from!
So I guess this is leading to a question.. What do you class as a UFO and how many do you guys have? If you have more than me you know I will use this to justify my own ufo's to my husband. lol

Hope you have had a happy dance today too!
 Cheers for now
Marina