Can you see what it is yet?

Earlier this year, two of my sisters came to stay and we got onto the subject of quilts. The one made for my step-mum's 60th has gone to my youngest sister now, and the two middle sisters requested one of their own. A's is to be made of Melody Miller - and that's causing me some problems, I can tell you!! The thought of giving so much precious Ruby Star away, especially as now there is to be no more....

Anyway, as usual, I digress.... C originally asked for her quilt to be an alphabet of animals, and quite possibly fuelled by the several sloe gins we'd all drunk by that point, we picked the most obscure creatures we could for each letter. Luckily, a few weeks later that plan was rationalised to be a wall hanging to hide a crack in the wall in their rented. She had also said one of her favourite things I'd made over the years was the beach huts wall hanging - remember this?

After some discussion, we narrowed it down to a beach scene as if seen through a window. We also both liked the paintings of the Welsh artist, Helen Elliott, and so I've settled on a cross between Helen's colourful, naive style, and the beach huts mini. There's a bit of inspiration from two mini quilts in the book 'We Love Color' too.

Today I trekked to The Village Haberdashery - normally a 45 minute journey, today it took me 2 hours and 20 mins, but I was determined to take advantage of Annie's Bank Holiday Sale! Horrendous traffic, and the seasonal flash floods couldn't stop me. I was extremely and unusually disciplined and stuck to only buying what I went for. I can't tell you how hard that was, as there are an even greater array of sumptuous, temptingly gorgeous new fabrics in at the moment - I sense a few covet posts might be on the way.

So, this evening, I've drawn out the design - 45" x 36" so not exactly a mini this time - and I've laid out the colours of what will be going where. Here's what it looks like so far.....

Wish me luck?!

 

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August's been a busy month!

I feel a bit of a fraudulent Slow Blogger this month, because I have actually not only done a fair amount of sewing, but also had time to blog stuff, too!  In fact, if I look over my archive, this post makes August the joint top month in number of posts!

However, there are two very good reasons for that - distraction and convalescence!  And I can assure you this mega-activity probably won't last once I'm back to work full time!

Finishes this month include:

• Sew Stitchy and Cherry Christmas reversible sewing machine cover - see it here
• Summersville Go Anywhere bag - that's here
• Summersville wallet - that will be over here
• Yet another Summersville bag - it's turning into a bit of an addiction, as this post shows - by the way doesn't the lining photo in that post remind you of a shark mouth...?
• and lastly a project for someone that I can't show you yet as it is destined for big things, but which more than tested my sewing superpowers, but I did win out in the end!

WIP's are mainly my raw circle applique quilt, which is coming along really nicely.  Am loving the colours and enjoying hand quilting the free-style spirals (well, spiral-ish!).  I've given this a plain red backing and I'm thinking of binding it in orange magic beans, but that's yet to be decided.  And then there's my fabulous brown batik challenge that I need to get finished to show my friend Charlotte I can work with anything...

Photo bottom right courtesy of Canoe Ridge Creations

Plans in mind include something interesting to do with the Ruby Star Vinyl records, when I hopefully get some; making a start on my niece's third birthday quilt using the Sew Stitchy panel, some Heather Ross fabrics and whole load of other bits and pieces; joining in the Japanese Charm swap and working out my block and fabric requirements for my bee month in November - I want to do something similar to the block Megan showed on her blog although whether they'll turn out quite so gorgeous remains to be seen!

Lastly, a small matter of a paper pieced block to make before the next LMQG meeting on Sunday - for someone who professes to be a slow blogger, I don't half like leaving things to the last minute!

Linking up with Catherine at Knotted Cotton for the inaugural Slow Bloggers linky party & shamefully doubling up for Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day.

WIP learning how to.....

So, I'm home alone today, the other half and the dogs have gone fishing for the day, and I decided I would get started on basting my raw circles quilt and working out how to quilt it.

As any regular readers will know I had surgery a week ago.... I'm supposed to be taking it easy.... I'm also a stubborn, independent and today unsupervised individual, who has just discovered the batting piece she had put aside for the raw circles is short in one corner by a 12 x 6" strip.....

Bother, I thought.... well actually it was another word beginning with B but am trying to keep this civil....

so today I am mostly learning a) how to be a good girl, ignore the screaming car keys and possibility of a short drive to my nearest LQS for a replacement piece of batting which will fit nicely and b) how to best join the batting - whether to add a small strip in the corner, or cut the piece down the middle and rejoin it with one piece turned through 90 degrees so it fits better.  

Anyone..... ??? 



Linking up with Freshly Pieced.

Great minds....

Isn't it funny how some patterns or tutorials just seem to capture the quilting community's imagination and suddenly versions are popping up everywhere?  Look at Anna's fantastic bag patterns over at Noodlehead - who hasn't tried a 241 yet?

I guess it's only natural that following on from the handbag theme would be purses and wallets - I've spent most of the summer in awe of the amazing frame purses springing up everywhere after the FQ Retreat in June.  I never plucked up the courage to try one of those, maybe one day.

However, wallets seem to be the next thing, and I very happily jumped on the bandwagon over the weekend with this tutorial from Confessions of a Fabricaholic.  I'd seen the one made by Charlotte not only on her blog but actually in the flesh as it were at our LMQG meet.  I decided it was just the thing to use some of my Summersville for, and I like a nice bright wallet.  

Charlotte's advice was to 'interface the heck out of it' and so I took her at her word and interfaced nearly every pattern piece!  I'd got some of the really stiff Pellon interfacing to use on the outside to give it some support, but I also wanted to use fusible fleece to give it a bit of a soft feel.  So I used both.... hmmm, I like the finished effect, but it meant some adaptation of the tutorial was necessary!  When I sewed around the outside and turned it through, it bowed!  Nothing was going to make it lie flat that way, so I undid it, sewed it wrong sides together and bound it instead.  It's given me a slightly bigger wallet, which I can also slip my mobile phone into when I nip into to the supermarket, almost like a mini clutch.  

This project was also my first attempt at a zip, and I'm not sure I got it entirely right, but for a first go, I'm pretty pleased!

All in all, this has already gone into daily use, and I love it.  I was going to have a got at making a folding wallet for the OH from another pattern by Angharad but I can only find images in flowery girly fabrics, not the rugged denim I was going to use for him, and so he's not keen!  No imagination, that one!

Anyway, it's a big day for me today as I go under the knife myself.  So I may be absent for a little while, depending how things go.  See you all soon.

Oh we do like to be beside the Seafoam.....

Last weekend I was very lucky to be able to pick up some lovely Summersville yardage in a closing down sale.  Very sadly, Tricolette in St John's Wood is closing it's doors, but they generously offered members of the LMQG a final discount as thanks for our support (we've been holding our monthly meetings there, and needless to say, money is spent each time!).

thank goodness for sunshine!

I decided the seafoam Weave and Street were perfect for a little bag project, and so last night I launched into a Go Anywhere bag, another pattern by Anna at Noodle-head.

I have to say, I didn't find this pattern as easy as the 241 tote, which I loved making.  However, having been in two minds last night, this morning, photographing it in the sun, I love it!  

(I quite love having the chance to get a bit artistic in the garden too!  nice to be able to walk across the grass to this tree without needing wellies!)

There were a couple of things that I did wrong, where I felt a little bit of warning in the pattern would have been useful.  Maybe we should be able to automatically realise when putting the lining over the exterior to sew them both together that we should make sure the inner pocket is at the back, or that when inserting the handles as well as making sure we don't twist them, we should also make sure the seam is on the inside...  however, I have proved that kind of thing is not necessarily intuitive to those of us relatively new to sewing, especially when there's so many other things to be concentrating on.  

I've managed to work it to my advantage though - initially I didn't top stitch the handles down the middle - having lined them with fusible fleece I wanted to keep some of the squidginess and thought this stitching might spoil that.  Having tried unpicking the topstitching (yes it was finished before I realised what I'd done wrong!!) I decided those handles really needed topstitching down the middle after all.... as it neatly hid the visible seam!  As for that pesky inner pocket?  Well, I don't know about you, but I think it's easier to have the pocket at the front so when you hold the bag open to rummage inside, it's more easily available.  Brilliant, eh?!  

I also did the front 'baggy' pocket slightly differently, and just stitched it once down the centre, rather than the two angled sewing lines, as I thought this way the pocket would sit more neatly.  And all in all, I think it turned out OK.  I would say next time I'll get it right, but I'm not sure I need another Go Anywhere for now.....

Is it just me....

...or has this now become a quilt of two halves?  I made this little beauty a bit bigger, which meant adding in some new blocks made with fabrics I didn't have when I made the first lot.  


So of course that meant weaving them into those already laid out and doing some significant rearranging. then I decided I didn't actually like some of the new 'filler' fabrics, so I took those out.... 


then I decided I'd made it a row too long, so I took that off.....


then I decided I'd tried to make it too matchy when the first part went out of it's way to have every quarter block different colours and patterns. So I did some more rearranging.  


And this is what I have now, along with an absolutely stonking headache!

probably should have moved the ironing from behind the door BEFORE taking the photo!

It just feels to me that the top part which is laid out on a piece of wadding and so lying nicely with no gaps, looks like it has stronger warmer colours than the bottom part, which isn't on wadding and so not sitting so well together.  Could it just be because the bottom is nearer the window and so in brighter light which makes the colours look lighter?

I've put some of the stronger reds back in before taking this photo which did make the balance better, but does it look balanced to you, much more experienced quilters?

Let me know, 'cos I really want to start stitching it together!

FQ Retreat

..... and a GREAT time was had by all!

Firstly, before I say anything else, a huge thanks has to go to the Fat Quarterly team, for the fantastic job they did this weekend.  Not only was it superbly organised, the team were soooo friendly and approachable and it really felt like we'd known them for ever. 

I nearly hyperventilated on arrival, coming face to face with John Adams, or QuiltDad as he may be better known!  John is the reason I signed up for the retreat - one of my first 'modern' attempts at quilting was a wonky log cabin cushion cover from John's tutorial.  It was the first thing I ever posted on flickr, and I think John's was one of the first comments - my first feedback from a professional!  

John's welcoming speech

Lucie Summers, designer of the fantastic Summersville range, Katy 'I'magingermonkey' Jones and Tacha Breucher were also on the reception desk with Lynne of Lily's Quilts and Brioni Greenberg loitering nearby. There were also some truly stunning quilts which had been made by the team decorating the area, but I have to confess to being so overwhelmed I didn't actually notice them till later! Somewhere amongst the throng was Kerry who was also teaching a class, and Aneela joined us later for her embroidery lesson.  

(I think I've mentioned everyone, but if I missed anyone, I'm so sorry!  And thank you, too!)

Anyway, after a quick game of people bingo which got the ice well and truly broken - 100+ women & 2 guys wandering round staring at each other's boobs in an effort to match name tags to lists...! - John opened proceedings with his welcoming speech and away we went.

Now, at this point, my brain pretty much went into shock.  I completely forgot I had a camera except at one point in the afternoon when someone reminded me to take a picture of my embroidery efforts.  And so because there was so much going on.... and there's so much to tell you ..... and I can take retrospective photos at home this evening.... I'm going to blog about the classes, the goody bag, the ironman challenge, the real pleasure of meeting other bloggers etc etc etc..... later!

I'm sorry - I hate it when bloggers do that - they've been to a brilliant event and then come back and tell you NOTHING!  But honestly?  It was fantastic, it was stimulating, it was inspirational, and if you didn't go, book next year's as soon as it becomes available.... and it was exhausting!  There was just so much to take in, and process, and enjoy, and I will share it with you..... tomorrow.