Feather!

It is stash bee time again. I think we are almost done with this bee, and it has been one where we gradually got slower and more relaxed about timing, but we all stuck in there, and got stuff done.

This month it was feathers. We were asked to do scrappy, and sent the pattern, and background fabric. And so, it happened.

 I think I fulfilled the brief? Certainly scrappy!  I am leaving the trimming, so Svea gets to size it right for the rest of the blocks.

I may try to remember to stick this one in for Nicky's scraptastic, next month!

It should get posted in the next couple of days.....

Bee blocks

December, January and February  seem to have come and gone before I could even blink, but bee blocks were made and sent

This is November's block, delayed until I could get to it in December. It is the 'WantaFanta' block,  It was easy to make and en masse it will be a lovely quilt. Hot pinks were added from stash, with our queen bee supplying the white.

Then our January queen requested this pineapple, as she is making a wedding quilt for her sister. It is a large block, but again, when all contributions are in, she will have the makings of a lovely quilt.

Sadly February's queen decided she needed a month off, rather than thinking what we should all make for her... I feel I owe her something, she has been right in there for everyone, and made all blocks promptly and with imagination... I shall put my thinking cap on for her, as she is a love. ( you know who you are!)

 And this is what our March queen bee has asked for. A simple but effective block that went together so easily, you just would not believe! And some very pretty fabric popped itself into the envelope beside it, to go into our stash..


Stay tuned, Karen Lewis coming up.....shortly!

Hazel,the many faceted hedgehog...

The Fat Stash Brit Bee for June had a request for a hedgehog...A selection of fabrics was sent, to which we add some of our own.. and see what we can come up with.

Hazel number 1

This is a pattern by Oh Fransson, and is a bit fiddly, but comes together fairly well. I had an issue with my machine, which seemed to think it should centre the needle two steps to the left, yesterday, and then one step to the right today. As you may imagine, this leads to a mild inconsistency with sizing... But I think it is OK!

Hazel number 2

Funky was what we were asked for, I think funky is the word?

To wonk again...

A second wonky house is born, I am not sure it has wonked as much as it should... did you know the verb 'to wonk'? It is definitely in my version of English now....

some of those lines look rather more straight and regular to me, but I did try to wonk them, honest!











































And here are the two together, very different to each other, and I trust their recipient will enjoy the wonk I have managed.

I also was lucky enough to get up earlier this week to a double rainbow. It was especially beautiful, with the brighter one displaying an extra band of colours on the inside curve. Sadly this does not come out on my inept photos, but still a rainbow is a magical thing in our all too mundane world.

madness awaits...

The Bee! the fat Stash Brit Bee has got off the ground again!
This time it is Made Barefoot, who has sent some pretty background fabrics and asked for Wonky houses... One door, one window, a chimney and then... anything goes!

In common with a few others I find a slight lack of inner wonk.. but I am making an extra house as well, and it will need to be wonky...
So here goes, House number one

Yes, it will need trimming a little, but I am leaving it a tad big, to give room for maneuver when it reaches it's destination.. It can be left slightly long or short depending whether someone else's house is a tad big or small...
 and I sort of followed the sewing chick's tutorial to get there..  She is very good and explains  about trying to keep the grain right even though we are wonking it up! If you get my drift there...

So, another one to go yet.. I shall show all when it becomes!

For fun

I have had a bag request, for a beach bag... so I have come up with this, so far..

 two pretty beach huts,




















and a towel and umbrella, to shade one from the sun...














so it is making some progress, slowly.

Pincushion winner

And we rolled a die earlier on, and there will be a pincushion to attach to the machine, coming your way Barbara!

I will message you privately.

UK bee  needs you!

If you are living in the UK, and fancy a little bee, please get in touch. The commitment is to one block per month, You send out approximately one fat quarter's worth of fabric, and give directions as to what you want made. Your bee mates will add to what you have sent, from stash, and try to fulfill ( and generally exceed) your wildest dreams...and post it back by the end of the month...

Want to see what we have done last year? have a wee look here, and you will see lots of things...

In the last 12 months these are some of the blocks I have made for the bee:










































 Please contact us if you would like to join in with us, and have some fun!

Woopsie!

Oh dear, I seem to have been awol! I have done stuff, Honest!


We had a weekend in London, as two of our children now live there. this trip included a trip to Goldhawk Road.

If any of you do not know about Goldhawk Road, and live remotely near West London, and make clothing- GO THERE! It is the home of a whole heap of fabric shops all in one place. We missed out about three or four of them, but still went into more than a dozen!

I wanted more pretty fabric for a few T-shirts. I have hunted for pretty T-shirting that is not babyish, and failed to find it locally. But in Goldhawk Road, I scored! Whoo-hoo!
Two rather William Morris-y prints, and a more amorphous print.
This last one has already transformed into a top, as you can see, below, and I am chuffed to bits, as they say!

and then a couple of wovens, the green to turn into culottes, when I get there, and the other.... well, shall we just say, it declined to be abandoned in the shop?/


 I am very happy with my buys!

There is another T-shirt fabric, in rich greens and purples... It will also happen in due course.

 I also made the bee blocks for March. made rather more promptly than posted... Clever blocks asked for by lovely Jo, who plans a Siblings Together quilt, I believe.

The blocks all together look great!











And then there is a swap... That Tote bag swap.... I have it almost together now, Black and white and One colour!




A zippy pocket,  and some slippy pockets,







Putting it together somehow those slip pockets in the lining decided to go in upside down...

 that seam ripper is facing the gap left at the bottom of the bag, for turning right sides out at the end...

Do you think it is a fashion that may catch on, given time?









and here is the bag all sewn together!I do hope my partner likes it! Do you think she will?

Ahead of myself.

February is just here, but my February bee blocks are done!

Our lovely bee mamma for February was up and at it and raring to go...so she sent out the fabric packs in the last week of January.

The brief, make 12.5" (unfinished) churn dash blocks, using her purple fabric for the actual churn dash bits, and use from stash to complete the blocks. Also do something a bit different with the blocks, something to make her smile... Anything goes, she said... well, if anything goes... I went!

 The first one came to me at work...You know I love making those pinwheel blocks, and I just thought, I could do a double pinwheel... couldn't I?   so I did! Very dramatic with the orange and green.

Then, I had thoughts, I had second thoughts, yes, and third thoughts... I was going to twine a vine around the elements of the churn dash... but when I actually came to make the block, something else entirely appeared! How does a block take on a life of it's own and do it's own thing, rather than what you plan? I do not know...





but it does! I looked at what else is going on in the group, and I had doubts... am I taking the 'anything goes' too literally? Well it is done now, and mamma for the month has seen them on Flickr- and she seems to like them! So they shall go in the post next week, but what do I do for the rest of the month?

 I shall have to dig out a UFO or something... You are sorry for me? really?

Christmas tree star!

 This block came together nicely, once I had decided what to do. I think the tree needs a star on top, but I am not quite sure what type of star on top is wanted! So, I think I shall let it's recipient decide!

And, with a bit of luck all these blocks can slide into an envelope and get themselves into the post this week!  Then Pico Sailors can decide just what she wants to do with them all!

And I can work out which urgent project gets attention next!

I can upset you, quite easily...

I have been making preparations...


the first couple of dozen of these are made... lots more to go...















and a plus sized version of my Christmas tree..

 this one will measure 4" when finished, yes, huge! not quite as fiddly as it's friend..

and an extra 3" one... . I have one more block I want to make and then these can go off in the post again...

Just now, however, I am off to watch my girls perform in those tutus!  I am excited to watch them!

Fresh sewing day...

It has been a while since I catalogued makes for the month.. but having managed, if not a wide variety, at least a lot of finishes.... 

last on the list was this collection of square in a square blues... with red. A bee block for October.. 

And I did manage a first for me- turning a scribbled drawing into a foundation paper pieced block, and then getting it drawn up on the computer, and even translating it into a pdf, which has been printed out by someone elsewhere and used! so we know it works!

But the major event was these tutus! all 32 of them... getting things done folks! though they were started in September.


and I plan to link up with Lily's quilts!

And Breathe

Ok, the bulk of the tutus are with the dance school, and then I got a call... one more please! So, that is prepared, ready for fitting, and should get finished this week, and then I can relax properly.
Meanwhile, I have also done a bee block,
The Fat Stash Brit Bee last month was Square in a square blocks, with pretty geometric blue fabrics, to which we could add, any of our own blues, and one square of RED! Four small blocks, which we could assemble into a strip, or a square, or just leave so. We were sent a paper pieced pattern link, and could just get on with it.

So, that one out of the way, at the last gasp of October, I could turn the brain in other directions...  Ok, I admit it, I fell.... The other odd group I have joined, in good company, I hasten to add, is the Lazy Bums. And an idea was conceived, that we could, as many as wanted to join in, do a relaxed bee. Each of us decide what we wanted to appear, and post notes about it, colour, design, niggles and so on, and make for each other from our own stash, all at the same time. So, no turn taking, but over about a year make for everyone, and receive a block from everyone else. Make sense so far?
Not I must do for Mrs A this month, but rather, some time in the next year I shall do a block for each person, and send.
So, then you must decide what you want. It is a right mixture, some FPP blocks, some 'in house' designed blocks, and some fairly standard. And the group criterion? There MUST be flying geese somewhere in the block!

A list has been made, with everyone's details and what is required... and I made a block, and even- shock horror, did instructions! Weyhey!

I originally designed this for JoJo, about a year or so ago, It looked very different in her colours, 

but it is the same block. So, I thought, why not use it, and see what comes back. 

This time though, all in yellow and grey... 

So, you may see a few more of these popping up over the next few months!

The instructions?  for a 12" block-

Rachels Geese!

No waste method-

use a Goose square ( yellow)     5 1/4

Grey squares       2 7/8

Normal method

Yellow  4 ½” x 2 ½”

Grey 2 ½” squares

Make 12 goose units by whichever method you choose.

Also cut 4 strips 6 ½” x 2 ½” for the edges.

Please make geese in your favourite way!

You will need 12 geese in total. I do not mind if all geese are different, or all geese are the same, or you have a mixture, but, geese should be yellow, with grey skies.

I was playing, and expect to use other geese elsewhere...

So, play with your pieces!

yes, I made 16... I was not sure how I wanted to set them out, so I made spares! ok? 

  and choose your layout...

after checking out the options...

   then sew your centre geese into blocks of two  geese, and

  then sew your centre geese onto blocks of two  geese, and then sew two blocks together,

then sew two blocks together, and sew the central block of 8 geese into a square block. Press carefully!

then sew one geese unit onto each of the 4 strips. make sure it is at the correct end...

The next bit requires a partial seam.

Align the end of your strip with the top right hand edge of the centre block, and sew down to about an inch from the bottom edge of the  central geese block. Press the top half of this strip open,  (sorry for glary picture!).

Rotate the block 90◦ clockwise and the next strip should neatly fit onto the side, and you can sew the whole length. 

Press open, and rotate again. 

 Once strip 4 is attached, go back and finish the seam from the first side. 

Press and Voila! Block done!

Progress

My camera now works intermittently, and as and when it feels like it.. so I have a few pictures to share again!

 Yes, there is a person buried up to the neck in net! scramble gathering it ready for application to tutu bodices.. Beware! When you come to visit me you may well be pressed into service!

 Armband kindly modelled by my son... It requires some modification..





















And while I was awaiting verdicts on armband styles, I was able to get on with a much delayed Bee block.
I had already done this one- not photographed, due to temperamental camera action, but I had been able to make it. And then I got stuck.

I wanted to make at least one other block, but ideas were not announcing themselves with traditional gusto!


But today! I was filled with the desire- most unnatural, as I hate FPP- to FPP a tiny Christmas tree!

The block will end up 3" finished.
I planned it, I modified it, I glared and stared at it, and then.......






I decided I better just get on and do the thing!

 Of course, it refused to pose for a picture on its own!. Too bright and glary- cannot see a thing...












Too shaky, still not seeing a lot!




Strange that it was later quite content to be in a group photo! Camera shy blocks- what would you believe!



So after that, I did an applique star to complete a set!


Hope she likes them!