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....

Bee-ing for August

This month's Fat Stash Brit Bee mama has asked for 'Birches'
She provided background fabric, and also some neutral scraps, to which we add, to make the block.

and she also said, we could add leaves or birds if we so desired... I guess I desired... I love those little additions.. 

The block will be squared up to 12.5", and although simple in concept, is surprisingly tricky to get the edges of the background lining up... My seam ripper did come out to play... And I experimented with some freestyle curves. 

About those freestyle curves... I signed up for another swap... It is the type of swap I never did before, where it is a disclosed swap. In this one, I have been assigned my partner, and she has been given me to make for. So, both of us know who we are dealing with, and have discussed likes and dislikes before we begin.. The theme of the swap is circles and curves... so I used this block to do some gentle 'organic' freestyle curves. 

My project, without giving away too much about it, shall involve some more of these curves, and all the practice is definitely helping, and will also involve some applique, I know what I am planning and shall be posting some sneaky peeks and hoping my partner does not hate it too much! But I have some other thoughts lurking so, if I get negative vibes, I shall start over!here is a first teaser...

There are some gentle curves to be seen there, I think... 

and then, just to make you jealous... this little sweetie has come in to my life this weekend...                                                                                                     Her name is 'shimmer' and she is the daintiest of clematis. I shall have to find a good spot for her in the garden.  

Presents..

To me!

I arrived home from work on Friday to find a package awaiting.. Inside beautiful flowers, all in shades of yellow and white. I added some Lady's mantle and some osmanthus from the garden, and filled this vessel, which now sits in my hallway, and also....





This one, which is currently cheering my living room.

These were a thank You, for having made the bridesmaids dresses for that recent wedding.

I had the joy of making, and I also got flowers! Win-win!

 Then yesterday, at work, this amazing piece arrived!



A candle tree made by an elderly gentleman, from bits in his garden, just for me!

You must excuse the background, my usual chaos reigns... 

I am impressed with the loving patience this man put in to make something just for me! He has varnished it exceedingly thoroughly, which brings out the colour of the wood.

I think it is likely to come out at Christmas, for the future. Once I have stopped smiling every time I look at it, it will go away until then!


I have had a good week! I hope your week was equally good!


Sewing?




Oh! sewing!

Only a little and sort of secret...




here is a little sneaky peek!

All will, eventually be revealed...

beeing good!

I managed to get Hazels in the post, and they have arrived with their new host! I was waiting to send my daughters Hazels along with mine..


these two are mine,




and with the addition of the other two, will make a lovely contribution to our bee queen's Hazel quilt..







 and I also managed to get going on July's bee task. We were asked for portholes.

I love doing portholes, I do not know why, but I find them most satisfying...


I was sent this fabric..


added a few pieces from my own stash...

and made a start... 

a little trimming to come, and we shall have a block!  I love how Nikki has  asked to use the same colour in the one block. She has some of us making blue, others orange, and doubtless others will be using different colours again.. I am really looking forward to seeing this one!

Updated to say, joining in with Mrs Sewandsow's scraptastic Tuesday!

Bonny bridesmaids...

Following on from yesterday, here are the girls. Sorry I have no picture with the two of them together..

 pretty bridesmaid number one!























and dress number two, before I sewed those side seams..

Two very different dresses, using the same fabrics...

wedding at the zoo?

So, my daughter is to be one of the bridesmaid, but I got to make both the dresses! Lucky me! The fabric is so pretty... now the wedding is tomorrow... so I shall not show you the whole dresses before then... But I can share a couple of details... some will have seen these already on flickr...

 Invisible zip foot works so well!

It is so good to be able to say, 'I did that!' 

Linking to Finish it up Friday, with Crazy Mom quilts

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?