May challenge for those Lazy Bums

My challenge this month was to make a T shirt, from fabric which has been lurking for over a year. What excuses can I make?

Pure idleness!
So the challenge was issued, just as I had got the fabric out and the pattern ready anyway! Lucky lucky!

I think this may be a Liberty print jersey- it is certainly William Morris inspired, with a dark blue background, and those lovely colours in the print, slightly muted, but singing to me. 

 Top-stitching round curves is not as easy as it might be...  but helps stop the facing escaping.

The facing was interfaced with iron on stretch interfacing, which is different from my last stretch interfacing, more stretchy? I think it may be better for this project. It is very light weight!

I do like a slightly longer T shirt than is currently available in the shops, so making it oneself is the sensible option. I also like the bell sleeve, which I redrafted from a straight sleeve, for a previous T shirt A little cooler than the straighter version.

And I overlocked all the seams, just hemming and topstitching with the standard machine. It went together super quick, and is very comfortable.

The hem is done with a twin needle, designed for stretch fabric. Not a ball point twin, but a stretch twin. It makes all the difference!

Hipbee quilt!

You may remember this from March last year?? No? well, I am not surprised.. It was a while ago..











My bee mates made more of these with blue or mustard backgrounds, and I finally got around to putting them all together...




























and then I stopped again. Until I found a back for it. A fleece back. It is, if you like, a lazy back, but very cosy!
So, backed, quilted and bound

A mix of Liberty prints and Kona cottons, and sent off to another home, where someone may benefit from it's cosy qualities! and enjoy how cheerful it looks.

I have joined in with Finish it up Friday, over at Crazy Mom quilts

spring is coming... slowly!

Some early signs of spring..

 Winter flowering honeysuckle,

 Berberis,


















Rhubarb starting again!












And snowdrops are out!








And, yes, I have done a little sewing too!

The February hipbee block was chosen by Di, She chose a really pretty block, and sent us all we needed, including comprehensive instructions.

Now, I have to say the instructions were extremely good, and clear. I read them twice before I started in on her beautiful fabric. I am fairly careful cutting, as I also do dressmaking, and two right sleeves when you need one left and one right really does not work. You do have to check and cut correctly.

So, can you explain why I had a brainstorm, and sewed a section wrong. Four times over?  and did not realise until I had irrevocably chopped it, and was trying to make the piecing work?


Luckily I was able to get replacement fabric, and carefully unpick the triangles on the end, and resew correctly!

You see those two pieces on the left there? Top one is correct, lower one is the wrong way round!

Thank goodness it was sortable! no, I know that is not English, but it works for me!







so once I had my four pieces like this, we were sailing!

 and I was really chuffed with those centre points.... Let us draw a veil over the earlier disaster..







and the finished block, Ok, not perfect, but I think it will have to do!