Thank you gift

 I went to Bonn at Whit bank holiday. Well, you see I have a friend over there, who puts up with me going, taking over her sewing machine, using her fabrics and generally making a nuisance of myself...
And while I was there she was involved in a workshop on Flying Geese.. 
and I was allowed to join these wonderful ladies. Everyone made their own take on the geese, and what they would do with their geese... But, of course, everyone brought their own sewing machine... except this strange visitor from overseas.

 She could not quite manage a machine in the hand luggage only.

But one lovely lady brought a spare, so I could also sew. I think what she did was, she brought her old and her new machine, and she used her old one and gave me the use of her new one! The kindness I received in Germany, I just do not know how to express it! it is just incredible.

So, a small thank you seemed appropriate.
If you pop across to her blog, you will see that she is quite a fan of neutrals, and does amazing things with her neutrals, so I felt a pincusion to attach to her machine was a half an idea- well I looked at her pile of pins next to her machine, and just, well it felt like the thing to do... So, I dug in my neutrals and produced this one, which she has now received. I think it may see some use.

Thank you lovely ladies for making me feel so welcome.

Barefoot sewing

I thought it was time I got some overdue stuff out of the way. so, these came off the machine today

 Angel block to head off to the States

Angel block to go to Ireland

Added to the link for Nicky's scaptastic Tuesday!

And we had a repeat visit from a little friend, I think she is perhaps feeding babies... She seems fit and well, trundling about her business... 

Delayed thanks...

There was this little tiny swap... well just a wee pouch swap... and, yes, I fell into it. Who can resist a pouch swap? Not this one, clearly...
A direct swap, this one. She sends to me, I send to her.... Keep it simple, no great mystery, but great fun.

Her preferences? simple bright cheerful colours. Happy and bright. Other than that, anything I like.

Now swap guidelines are maximum measurement, 9". Must have a fastening of some description. And a surprise.

So I did a teensy bit of stalking, and decided I had some really cheery red linen that would be perfect. But you cannot leave it there, now, can you? so...

 

 a set of lined pleats... what would you line them with? Green, of course!

 I had seen geese trailing off centre somewhere... how to do them... Oh, easy once you do the maths! not that they came out quite as well as I wanted... but...
And a few lines of stitching with my Sulky,

 And those pleats just caght back to show how pretty the green linings are...

And we have a pouch. Simple, but, I hope, sweet. 

And the surprise? 

a dumpling pouch, they are sweet, useful ( I keep sewing machine needles stashed in one of these, then I know where to find a new one... ) and fun to put together. 

And I made a pincushion to put on her machine.but somehow, no pictures of that... 

And I received, a beautiful linen pouch in return!

 Simple, with accents that work! And the little cotton reel zip pull...

And a small notebook included, for the surprise. 

Thank you Karin! It is perfect. 

Flying to a finish...

My last flying geese managed to come through for the 'take your time' swap with those Lazy Bums...


It is obligatory to get something wrong, isn't it?

so I obliged here, attempting to sew the background on wrong side to right side...


Luckily I spotted it pretty quickly, and was able to put measures in place to remedy the situation...Ok, ok, I got the stitch ripper out and sewed it on correctly!

Which gives me this block...

 And then this one flew in to land,

the fourth block.. 

closely followed by the fourth one, here...

I used freezer paper piecing, and was able to reuse the same papers as I had used for Lizzie's blocks and May's blocks...

I did make one fresh one, as it had lost a lot of it's sticky properties... But I would choose freezer paper again, as it is reusable., And I like the crisp result with FPP, it is the waste that upsets my natural frugality... Ok, natural meanness!  No dressing it up for you!



So, all these are to wing their way across the pond, to a new home in USA.. soon...

 Editing to join with Scraptastic Tuesday- handicapped by lack of easy access to putting photos onto the computer just now...

Bank holiday sewing...

Yes, I have been sewing... but as so often happens, just too busy, and some secret bits, so it does not get itself up here!

 The last of my Lazy Bums Flying geese has got itself started... This is for Laurie, and will need a few more to go with it.  She asked for a grey, low volume background and bright colours against it.  So, here is the first of four 6" blocks.

Then, we have the fat Stash Brit Bee. It is DD1's month this time, and she has kept it simple. Log cabins, with a good red centre, and low volume on two sides, and cheery brights on the other two sides. Some low volume strips were sent, and one bright, and the centre square, the rest to come from stash.

 A second block whizzed up in next to no time..











 It will be a bright and cheery quilt when she gets it all together.





















And the big event happened yesterday. We had a tutu bodice sew-in.
Our lovely teacher had some tutu bases to use, but wanted pretty bodices to make the girls feel special and different. There were three of us, but four tutus, so, as it was a learning day as much as anything we played with fabric and selected what seemed suitable for three of them, and we each made one. Some fabric was brought, some came from my stash. And the effect of some fabrics is very different depending what lies below...

so this red organza looks delicate and pretty over white, but quite different over a red backing. Quite solid, really.

and is a pig to sew... but enough of that! we did not use that one this time.

 This delicate printed sheer fabric was mounted over a pink, and again, is a bit of a trial to sew, as it stretches in it's own fashion, and slips, but can be tamed with a wee bit of patience and an overlocker!
 
 My poor old overlocker is seeing plenty of use, and I trust it will go on providing its great, if temperamental, service...

 Elaine was an overlocker newbie, but within seconds she was confident, and got all her pieces neat and ready to go in short order.


between the three of us we used four machines... including my elderly Singer, which came out of retirement to fill that gap...

And she sewed the gold ribbon at the bottom of the net...

She has made a beautiful job there... Just hope these actually come near fitting- Having no child to fit on is a problem, as I do not finish edges before fitting usually. but hey, It was as much an exercise in how as anything else...

'I really made it!'

Yes, it will need trimming yet, but, the basic is there!


and both new to boning as well!

And, yes, I made this one. But then, I have done a few before...

In the middle of all this we had lunch- just quiche and salad, and then stopped for tea and cream cakes in the afternoon.... I had fun, and I hope the other two did as well, .... and, just perhaps, next time, I may have someone else doing tutus with me....

getting there

A little bit of this

became some of this... 

a week ago, I think.. 

and then some more sewing happened today

 a new kindle cover- but not for me...

a simplified version for someone... say no more until they get it!

and I have done some sewing for someone else, too... 

 sneaky peek one!























sneaky peek 2

They know all about it, but I do not wish to show the whole thing until they have had some fun with it!

Okay dear??

Flocks of Geese!

For Leonie

 We are making geese.. Well, when I say we, what I mean is some of that group calling themselves Lazy Bums.
You see, we have agreed an internal bee, running fairly randomly- well we are the Lazy Bums- between November last year, and October-ish this year. The idea is that we shall each make 10 blocks in total for other members of the group, but we all know what is to be made already, and can do it as the humour strikes. No sitting around wondering when we shall be told, and actually, if we want to wait until September is disappearing, and then do all in a rush and flurry, fair do, we can do that.

But I quite like to be ahead if I can, if I have a deadline- it is when there is no deadline that I am in trouble...

For Gi

 Some of us, like Leonie up there, designed their own blocks,
some of us, like Gi sitting off to my Left, took a pattern and just specified certain parameters.. light star, darker ground...







Some others also took an established pattern and said 'NO SPIDERS' - Kathinca, I think you have a secret yen for a spider or two...

Can I find a spider here for you? Sadly, no

and these spiders are all owls... and dinosaurs

For Annaliese

 These would not print correctly for me, from the document sent, but I also got measurements and was able to draw the diagram. I love these, they are very pretty. Love your choice, Annaliese.

And these pretties for my good friend May.


So, you see I have been quietly busy here.












In the garden I am delighted to report that I have actually seen my winter flowering clematis winterly flowering!

I tried to get proof...

 Those white blobs are buds. The wind is up and they were not prepared to sit still even long enough to get a focus....

 I tried again...

If you look carefully you can see the flowers out, white and printed inside with red.. But at least I have seen them this year, last year I blinked and missed them!

In case you are wondering I am standing beneath them, head bent back on my neck, arms upstretched and hoping they do not escape as the shutter goes..


Happy flowers everyone.

Freeze your Bees?

We have a select group making flying geese blocks to swap.. different ones want different blocks in different colours...

I have started!


You know me. I am not a fan of FPP. But this block, and several others this time, are FPP.

So, there is a method out there, for doing these using freezer paper.. and NOT sewing through the paper, therefore, not needing to rip it off, and not needing to throw reams of paper in the bin. So, I gave it a go.

Shades of blue with light neutrals for background, and scrappy..

This is the first one. For lovely Lizzie. I await her verdict.

so, then I can use the backing paper again! so I did.

Stitching slowly, to keep the needle right next to that sewing line, without sewing the paper..

and producing the same block again, but this time in colours for May! Rich jewel colours have been requested. and a variety of neutral backgrounds. 

 I think I can use that piece of paper again...

So, what tips can I give you, on freezer paper FPP?

If your printer heats up the paper will jam inside your printer and you will print maybe half the page.

wait until it has cooled down before you attempt to unstick it.
No, do not ask me how I found that out. Use your imagination.
so, if your printer is like mine, print on normal paper, and trace the design!
and be patient with yourself. There is still the same issue with placements of fabrics to get the right coverage while minimising waste..

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!