belated- yes I went to FoQ this year...

Well, I am sure you have seen the pictures elsewhere, so you will excuse my lack of them sooner. If you are bothered at all.
I did take some pictures of these jackets. Which I was rather beguiled by. Yes, a bit of me covets this, but I could make something like it if I wanted, but when would I wear it?  I am just not sure.


 Here is the back. so much work went into this lovely item. I love it!

And this is striking in it's red and black drama. less wearable somehow than the previous one, but still amazing. 

 I saw many, many quilts. Lots of talent, lots of imagination, almost nothing I felt I wanted to take an image of. But this one, I liked the flow, and the feel of it.

I attended a lecture by Ricky Timms. I was not sure what to expect from it, but he was excellent- a good and entertaining speaker, with some intriguing ideas to bring into play sometime... If you get the chance-go!

I took a class while I was there. Jenny Raiment was doing a twiddle workshop. It was only an hour, but you came away with a 'good start' on a patch suitable for a small cushion cover.

I came home and finished it. Quilted it some, and did a back. I also bought the bits fro a second one while there. Jenny had cut too many, and sold three spares to us, for a very reasonable fee- thanks Jenny. So I got one, and made up the front of that. 

My DD2 came for the weekend, and promptly adopted the first, so I finished the second and it also went off to hers. She has a couple of cushions, supplied with her furnished flatwhich she was not loving the covers of, so these have brightened her life a wee bit. 

The quilting on the back was just me, playing and taking whichever turn I fancied. She likes it, so that is good. I used a variegated thread, which just lifts the whole thing withouit screaming at you.
I need a LOT more practice with piping, but DD2 will excuse my inadequacy there!

Following from that, I started a belated gift, for a friend.
I used Jenny's technique for the corners, and appliqued a heart in the centre.






A simpler approach to the back

I think I got good value from that workshop? 

Who likes applique?

Well, I suspect, I do! Otherwise why would I have done so much of it? Mmmmmm.....

Anyway, hot on the heels of May it is June... yes, I know, happens like that most years...but I am queen bee for another group, so I needed a brand new idea to go with.
After sifting all sorts of ideas, I realised, I want something this group can really put their own twist on, so that a flavour of themselves comes through. if I ask for drunkards path blocks, that might happen.. but it might give them heart failure as well! Similarly, Cathedral windows ran through my thoughts... But I think the individuality would be lost... and all sorts of other ideas were played with and discarded, as not giving them a chance to show themselves.

I love the blocks which show the quirks, so I need a quirky block.

My DD2 has blocks coming from Around the World, these are flower blocks, on neutral backgrounds... Some of these are stunning, so, can I steal her idea?

YES! She is happy with that.

All these
are flowers I have done in the past...












and this one is the example I ran up for the group..

So, I thought quite hard, and had a mini brainwave... well, I thought so anyway.
We are allowed to ask for up to two 12.5" unfinished blocks.But 24 blocks all uniformly 12.5" is a bit.... staid? How about getting some blocks 12.5" and some 6.5" and perhaps even some 12.5" by 6.5"? Then I can crazy pave them, and get something a bit more exciting?? Are you with me?

So, A lovely, almost black, but just about blue, solid came from Justine, and my dear friend had a talk with me about restricted pallettes, and a selection of turquoisey blue, orange and yellow fabrics have been sorted out, with a few greens for leaves, and sent off in various directions. I have not sent all three colours to anyone, though, so I shall wait and see what they all come up with this time! I am really excited by this one.

What is exciting in your life? I have baby wrens and baby tits and baby goldfinches in my garden! How about you? Oh and a this years model robin! Can it get better?

Progressing

I have been asked to make a bag. This is to be a raffle prize as a fundraiser for commemoration for the start of the First World War. I am not sure about this whole commemoration thing, but as I believe the money will be put to good use in the community, I am going with it, and pleased to do so. The theme had to be poppies, so I have started by making three dimensional fabric origami poppies to apply to one side of the bag.

 So here is one side of the bag- I shall do a flatter second side, and then consider the insides..

 My kind next door neighbours fed the cat for the weekend, so I have made some cakes for them. There is a secret chocolate heart inside each of these... I think the children will enjoy these.

 And my daughter made some hedgehog biscuits with that lovely cutter I was given. I watched and encouraged and pretended to help! I did help with the eating!

And isn't the colour of this magnificent? A present from another friend! A second flower spike is also coming along.


Meantime, these crocus have appeared in the garden while I wasn't looking, and more mini daffs are out!

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!

fishy thing

I decided to turn my last Applique block into a cushion cover, A friend of mine will appreciate it, and I think it looks wonderful. ' Even if I do say so as shouldn't'.

I mounted it with a border in deep green, and put it on a skinny layer of batting, and that backed with white cotton I had in stock, Stitched at the inner and outer edges of the green, and then did a rambling set of wavy lines on the green by way of free quilting, to fit the watery theme. Then piped the edge with gold scroll fabric ( another first- never done piping before) and used furnishing suede, left over from DD2's Christmas bag, for the reverse of the cushion.
 The piping was surprisingly easy, using a zip foot, and 1" wide strips of fabric to cover the cord. I would definitely do it again, it produces a really professional result.

I was pleased with the way the Green mitred neatly at the corners, Thank you, I adapted this to do the mitred bit. and when I trialed it with a cushion pad it looked better than I had expected.
I debated doing a bit of quilting on the face of the picture, but decided, less was more, and I could ruin the whole thing if I got too enthusiastic.

I did an envelope back, which has a big overlap, and should be tidy and secure.
Hopefully, she should receive this at the weekend.

My daughter tells me I now need labels to put in projects, as this will finish it off even better. I am giving this consideration. What do other folk do? I am not at all sure. 

Now, I have a little list, of definite projects I wish to work on in the next few months. I do  not know how time and energy are going to run, but this is the brief list. I am sure other things will add themselves. These before April, I hope. 

1. Book bag- Son no. 1

2. Imogens cover-DD1

3. Cushion- Elizabeth--Done, Hurrah

4. Throw-Gill

5. Throw no 3-Living room. (for me!)

6. Finish quilt that began all this

7. Join a bee

Now one of those has already been finished, other than gifting, and one is, I trust, on its way. Sunni from Love affair with my brother is hosting a stash bee, the first hive is complete, but she is happy to do another to start in February, so I have signed up, with trepidation, as I have never done the like before, so I just hope enough other folk will join in, that it will run. She has several links on her page, to tell us how it is meant to work, and giving ideas of rules. 

Fingers firmly crossed, how about it?
Now, the lovely Lucy from Charm about you is having a birthday, and wants us to help her celebrate, by giving us a charm pack-well, she is giving two packs away, so go and visit her, and put your ha'porth in for that. They are lovely Kate Spain charm packs, and would go well in any stash!

Applique as fun?

I have had a wonderful time. I was getting withdrawal symptoms, too long with my machine away, so my favourite husband brought her down for me and I got on with block 21.
A lot of thought went into this one. We were told to use whichever method we fancied, and produce a piece of applique, but it must have an inward point, and an outward point. Obvious example being a heart, or petals on certain flowers, but there is a lot of choice, as you can go in any direction. So I looked at all sorts. There were the free patterns online. A lovely tutorial here, and several books at home. I was absolutely into floral. Pretty tulips, or perhaps poppies, but shortage of red fabrics kind of put me off. So where does one go after that?

Well, this is where I went.

and then here, and I ended up with something quite
different from what I had thought.

Something a bit like this, with beads added for eyes, and some finishing embroidery to mark out the gill covers. I think it still needs a little something, but I am thinking about that one too.

And now I have to tidy up again. Back to real life tomorrow, full day at work, and I need the house tidy for the weekend.






Sadly, DD2 has now gone down with the sicky bug that is doing the rounds, and is lying poorly in bed, my parents oven has gone pop, so they cannot cook, so the resupply team is heading over tonight, though I cannot abandon DD2, so I am not sure who is staying to look after her. One of us will, (and happily) but my parents will be disappointed.
I am waiting for the third disaster. Hmm.

Block 21

I hope everyone had a lovely and reasonably peaceful Christmas Day, whatever your affiliations. It was a quietand comfortab;e day here, with all three of my children , now of course, really young adults, saying they have been thoroughly spoilt, I got a few things I wanted as well- have you seen Ginger Giraffe, half way down the page, I know she is a cheat make, but I love her- a new cutting mat appeared, my current one is 20 years old and has the scars to prove it, the markings are disappearing, so a new one was in order. a lovely bookfor applique and folded flowers, oh you know the score.

And the handbags went down a treat, both girls seem very pleased, elder daughter tells me she will blog about hers, so I think she must be very pleased, and I know younger daughter is pleased, even though she saw them being made. here is the first one, with not a very clear shot, but a slip pocket and a phone pocket, and I put in a key tag, but couldn't get a swivel clip to attach. Now I know what it is called, thank you, Hadley, for the information!So I shall have to acquire some and add this on as an extra, late.


The other bag was the third one I have made, The first was for a PIF  back in September. Only one person actually volunteered to join in, and they have been poorly, so not said anything bloggy about their stuff for a while, hopefully they are getting a bit better, so after the fuss dies down, I will show what I sent, but, there are still a couple of possible places if anyone can be bothered. (no, don't be offended, Cayt, I didn't think you wanted to join, you have enough on your plate, and just wanted to comment on the cows!)

My younger daughters bag, in among the dross of sewing frantically, is this lovely sagey green. The zip pocket in the back worked beautifully due to a tutorial here, and I made basically the same bag for each of them, but DD2's bag is deeper and less wide than DD1. The shoulder straps are a good length for putting over your shoulder and clutching the bag under your arm. both bags are made with a furniture suede outer, and lined in a variety of 'craft cotton' all bought by weight from that money sink, Abakhan. I could always spend a fortune when I go there.


here is a construction image, showing where not to place your magnetic closure, if placed here, the flap does not cover the opening...
 However, if you move the flap you can add a cute little motif,to cover your mistake. It would have been easier to accomplish this, had I realised before I finished the top edge of the bag, but perhaps a better lesson learned this way?

And there is one divider in this bag, with a zip closure. NowI have to make one for me too!
And my Dad didn't believe I had made them!
And my son has requested a male version, for carrying his book on the tube, so I will have to discuss that with him.

Question. If you make a Kindle cover, will the magnetic closure upset it? would Velcro be more suitable?

I am sure some of you remember Alice happening? I have been given this lovely picture of my little stars, and they have all written messages on the back. The March Hare was made for my own daughter some years ago, and it was good that it came back into use this time.






And I finally got to finishing my hand sewn applique block for Leila's skill builder. I think it looks unloved. This is probably because I did not love doing it.

Next time I am machining! Promise.

The spotty circle was done by the gathering round a template method, and the fourth method, sewing interfacing onto the right side and making a hole to turn through, I thought the worst method for me, as the circles ended up very wonky, and had to be carefully positioned, to hide the wonks.  so that was the two smallest circles, and the overlapping flower was another needle turn version. So that is my finished block.

And I am starting to think about the next block, another applique, but we can do whichever system we choose.

I will try to take a photo of my sewing room, clean and tidy, as it's alternative disguise of a dining room, and very little evidence of sewing there. Machines are away, as we are entertaining my brother and his wife, and my parents later this week, and we always have friends round for New Year, and pull crackers at midnight, because they are TT. It is normally a fun evening, but some extras may be in the mix this year, so I am crossed fingers for that. I am missing the machine already, but needs must.

All for now, the bread is about to beep, and must be dealt with.

block number 20

Ok so now we are starting to get into 'real applique'. The stuff where you pin and sew, and do not get the Bondaweb out. Mostly hand sewing. For the record, I do not enjoy hand sewing. At times I have done enough of it to cause calluses on my finger tips, but I do not like it. I cannot get on with thimbles either. They are too big and manage to make my finger sweaty at the same time.
We are just doing circles this time, and Leila says we can machine or hand sew, but really, if it is done by these techniques, hand sewing it is. And, in for a penny...

 I have a neat little circle cutter that I used to make template circles out of craft paper, and then used these as patterns for my circles.




So first technique, needle turn applique. This is as simple as it sounds, and produces a really good result, where you can scarcely see the stitches. I was quite pleased with the result.

not quite a circle, in places, but not too bad for the first attempt.
Next up, a freezer paper method, cut out the shape in freezer paper(bought by the metre, or by A4 sheets at certain shops, or available on the inter-thingy, if you are so inclined- not the same as our baking parchment, though I am tempted to see what that does in like circumstances- anyone tried it? So you cut out your shape, spray starch, and iron the seam allowance over. Remove freezer paper, and pin and sew in place.

So the larger circle  was freezer papered, a little easier than needle turn, but very similar in the end.


I have several circles cut and ready to go, but Am not sure if I will use all of them, depends how it looks when I get there.
The other two methods Leila wants us to try are yet to come, but I shall get there!