At last!

 I decided, rather than one or two other things, which I should have been doing, I would make the lining for this bag, which has been hanging around a while.

So, I did it, more or less on auto- pilot, and made the lining, zip pocket one side, slip pocket the other side,  boxed the bottom, no problem, put together the outer, attached handles, sewed lining and bag together, turn through, topstitch, and press.

Ok, so let me take a few photos.


On the Left, the applique side,  

 On the Right, the pieced side,

 That zip went in so neatly...

 Slip pockets, fine,














Just pressing, and open zip, to take a photo.....


WHAT! I only forgot to sew the pocket together after inserting that zip!





No, I know, you would never do a thing like that, and have to unpick the seam so you could make that pocket into a pocket...

but I did!

All sorted now...

And we have a little more harvest.

I almost think this courgette requires a name!

and how do you like my odd shaped cucumbers...

Almost a duck!

A WIP wiped... or something

I joined the Lazy Bums Finishing School in the hope that the very accomplished Teachers would assist me in completing some work.

And, with a few threats of dire consequences, and a few carrots, and encouraging words, I did indeed turn a UFO into an ..... Oh, dear, I do not think I can write that.... Thinking hard, Perhaps I can say, a Completed Project!


These

assembled themselves, months ago, into, well, nearly a quilt top.
Then were put away as other, more urgent tasks came to hand, until, this month, they became my challenge for August!

And, fully confident, I got it out. And found I was quite a bit short of a top.I had some fabric, but not, in all truth, the right shaped pieces of fabric for completing the top. Let alone, finishing the quilt.

I am a wangler. I will shift things around, and change things a bit, until I get what I have to do what I want, I might add a bit of something else, here, or there, to make it work.

However, on this occasion, I had no need to wangle. Some strange Angel, or fairy Godmother came along and, Hey Presto! through the post, came a parcel... with not only the required Kona Butterscotch, but some extra remnants of gorgeous purple and hot pink Kona, too.

with a sweetie taped to the back of the delivery note...??


So, no wangling required, and between yesterday and today,

I pinned top to fleece for backing...












and quilted and bound my Salt Air very simple top.  I love those 8 pointed stars which appear!


Those middle squares are made from the HST squares left over when I made the blocks..







 I machine bound the quilt, and was quite pleased with how the corners worked..

Starched the whatever out of that binding strip before I started! It really helps.

So, I can officially tell you, Lazy Bums Finishing School does work!


Want to join?




go see these people .

They can help!


Thank You Angel- You know who you are!

If you really want to know...

Materials used

Kona Butterscotch, approx 3m
Salt Air, one Charm pack.
Fleece- 1 piece, as bought by weight...

finished size, 60" by 49"

Procrastination- again...

 this block is another from the Round the World series. Pam has asked for 'Jewels in the dark. She wanted a grey background, and the interplay of bright colours with positive and negative spaces.

It is definitely outside my comfort zone, but it works ok with other folks blocks. Unfortunately, it has ended a little oversized, but I couldn't bear to cut it, so I have left it for her to choose where to crop!
Another block in the group is a little small, perhaps, so this should make up for that one!






Then, Christine wanted Geometric interwoven blocks. I am afraid I decided to apply the KISS method. I drew this out roughly, and did the maths, and just made it. Here is progress...

and this is, Finish.

I love that black with the scroll effect.

As we already had another  block sitting waiting, when a package appeared in yesterdays post, we popped in our blocks and sent it straight out again!

That is what I like, surprise them all with unwonted efficiency!

A few finishes..

 Brown is not everyone's favourite colour. I know that. You know that. But put brown with pretty turquoisey blue, and the brown makes that blue sing!

I think this looks really pretty, and I am very pleased with the result. Just a straightforward and completely unbiased opinion, you understand. Seeing it cold and clear, and without prejudice of any kind.


And this is a lovely rich warm brown, too, and I totally love the combination.

Let us hope the mystery recipient likes it just a little bit too!

Well, I added a little extra. I made this little fabric basket, piping it above and below the panel, just do not look too close at the stitching round the piping... It is fine from the inside, perhaps because I did it from the inside. The outside is less neat.. But such is life!

And it has been posted off to pastures new!

yes I did take those threads off, and press the whatevers out of it first!

And yes, that ironing board cover is starting to look sad. again. Hmm.




And for my next trick?

Wait and see!

New babies, new projects..

 Oh, the excitement!  I had a parcel! Just that plastic one on the box, not the box itself- more on that later.

Now, I had been having a couple of emails about this parcel, but it arrived so quickly! It is here! and I was only discussing it with the lovely sender on Thursday, and here it is!

Lovely Ian has helped me choose, so these pretties have appeared for me to play with.

First, these lovely ducks and geese in green and black. There are eight different colours of these, but- you know I love green, ( and blue, and red, and .. and... ) so, what to put with these for a project?

 How about a lovely co-ordinating stripe? 

Yes, we can do that, too..

(also in a range of delicious colours, in case not everyone is as much a fan of green, as I am)


and then a couple of plains? just to go with the others? and make some really fun stuff? yes, we can cope with that as well!

So, some lime green and black appeared like magic too!

I cannot tell you how helpful Ian has been. 

And, guess what?  These have appeared, a lovely little collection!
These are all 100% cotton, and I have a very good idea of what I plan to do with them- but you will have to wait and see- this is just the tease.

Now- I do suggest you go and look at some of the stuff over here- I was very hard put to choose, as they have some gorgeous fabric- the ever popular scotties,  and their friends the cats, ( at the best price I have seen- do not tempt me further!- and no, they are not paying me to say this!)

and some really lovely childrens fabric, too- I nearly chose this



and I was very tempted by this

but, I finally chose the fabrics I have, and you will just have to wait and see what I get up to!

( I have borrowed those images from Terrys)

Now- that box!

It contained a very special gift for my youngest. She will be 21 in 2 months time, and so a very special birthday present was in order. Following on from her sister, a sewing machine was the item to be purchased, and so, we trotted off to Bambers. The lovely Maggie let her play among the machines, and try several out, and this is what she is getting...

Again- she is on break from her studies, so it seemed sensible to allow her to play with the new baby, while she has time. So, until your actual birthday, dear- PLAY WITH IT WITH YOUR EYES SHUT!

Wednesday works..

 Managed to finish this side of a bag, which has been planned for sooo long, I have another in the planning, too- more of that when I get there.. eventually.

And then, the Stash bee block for August also happened. The brief was, to make a churn dash block, with blue as the 'dash' , and 'low volume ' for the rest.











 Of course, I made a fundamental error, and sewed the wrong side to the right side... so the seam ripper came out to play. More than once.

And having decided to use a light blue, rather than a deeper blue, I was a bit hard put to get a good contrast. This will have to do.









On the plus side, we ( I ) made the first batch of damson jam last night.
 our own damsons.
I counted them in.    90.

I counted the stones out.  91.   where did the extra one come from??

So the tally so far this year is,
Raspberry, tayberry, gooseberry, damson, courgette and ginger, and redcurrant jelly!

The first flowers are on the 'vine' tomatoes, and the cucumbers are swelling nicely. And... I picked ( and ate) the very first of our own raspberries for this year.

 

A full cupboard of preserves, and enough to give a few away. Very satisfactory!

So how is your harvest?

 

Cathedral window

This is what you get when you decide to do your first Cathedral window, but find one of your squares is about 3/8" too short in one direction... That orange widow has two untidier sides!

This was just playtime- I have no more of that blue, and cannot recall which blue it is, so it will stay a random sample...

But I suspect more windows may appear in the future..


What was that about not starting more projects until some of the ongoing get finished?   No, I am not hearing you,

Don't shout, I cannot listen..


Oh but Reene is having a mega giveaway- don't tell her I sent you over! And don't you go and win either!

Harvest begins

First lot boiling

about half the crop..

dripping through

 We have one redcurrant bush. That is all. Just the one.
I love redcurrant jelly. I would eat it with sweet or savoury, on rice pudding, in yogurt, with lamb, or chicken, or spread on bread. Love it. So, how much redcurrant jelly can you get from just one bush?

I do not yet know. We picked 6lb 12 oz. From one bush.

I have boiled up 3lb, and it is dripping through the jelly bag. I have boiled up the remaining 3lb 12 oz, but that will have to wait until I have sorted the first lot, so I can use the jelly bag again.

next lot on the boil

So, in the next few days, we shall have new red jewel like jelly. That's good!





  and we have started picking damsons. Sweet and delicious and just gettiong on with themselves, with very little attention from me.
There is about 1lb 12 oz here, we should double that in the next day or two- any that evade eating raw- they will become jam too. You cannot beat home made jam!



And DD2 has been busy too. She and her Dad went picking raspberries at the PYO this morning.
Result?

All this jam.

And himself has gone in quest of jam sugar and lemons and ginger for making our delicious courgette and ginger jam. I love getting that store cupboard stocked with home made goodness.

Yes, I am trying to make you jealous!