summer making

Really enjoying having August off work
Making something  everyday when I should  be perhaps doing the odd bit of housework, but I think I am a fully paid up member of  the domestic sluts brigade.

Had to clean up the flat a bit so R could have a friend  over, made them both pencil cases for the new term. R had chosen the grey prints.

However, was told by R in no uncertain terms , NOT to give one to her friend as its just not cool to have matching pencil cases, silly me.

Somewhat bruised by this encounter, I  found an unfinished quilt top and decided to  quilt it up...and thats what I have done  today

Also  planning to make 80 cupcakes for my niece's 21st. Thinking of doing super hero cases with multicolour iced cupcakes with love hearts decorations;   a retro vibe I think. Quite a responsibility to get it right!

Missing R who is at camp this week, flat seems too quiet without her.

fabric taming

Yeah, after 5 days, the fabric is SORTED

except I don't seem to have a 'reds' box, only a few pathetic pieces which seem to have found their way into the orange/yellow box.
I have far  too much purple/pink..............., hence the oven gloves I made yesterday

Scrap coasters ++

Mad block for simply solids bee, still having trouble swirling the middle seam with the paper foundation on.....

What's even more exciting  I found:
A new A2 cutting board
Crochet and knitting needles, fancy wool for projects
Loads of fusible batting
4 quilt sleeves

And a quilt top that I had completely forgotten about,
 hey hey!

Just going for a lie down now ......
Dear teen daughter on good form complaining that she doesn't have a mac air laptop and I have all the good things, well if she got a job she could have nice things too..grrr, must keep CALM

experiments and scraps

Learned how to make a fabric scraps bowl at FOQ,using soluble stabiliser and free motion stitching;  first one came out a but wonky,  creased and gothic,  the colours of a bruise

Second attempt used matching thread and less material

Now, this bowl looks best displayed like a plate , with light shining through it; but if you put it on a plate stand, it sort of starts to sag down with gravity...it needs a wee support behind it to hold it up. Have to think on that one.

Finally, now I have retired from NHS job, needed to sort out my fabric ( GASP )

4 days later, and I am about 50% of the way through
Generated big bin bag of scraps I am never going to use, off for recycling: and one I need to use for scrap projects to keep its volume down!

Coasters and  baubles I think

finished a quilt top for my friend Meilings wedding, off to Debbie's for basting tomorrow

Visited by mother today..she had bought this quilt from a charity shop in Cornwall for £6.50...it is 7' square . Methinks the charity shop does not know much about value of quilts! It looks as if its been done on a domestic machine to me, wow.

festival of quilts 2013

Fantastic time
This year, when I dropped of my daughter at camp, she couldn't wait to get in, so felt much happpier buzzing off  to Birmingham.Met up with Debbie H for dinner one night which was fun too.

This year tried the quick and easy workshops
Made a razzle dazzle bowl with soluble stabiliser ...well, I stitched it, it has  come home to be dunked and draped over a bowl, so tomorrow morning it should be ready for its reveal

Did one on the  basics of hand quilting with Anne Jermey, brilliant, not so scared or put off to give this a go now .
However not so sure about the advice to wear your thimble all day , so it becomes part of you...this may add to my strange appearance I think

Last one today was on  trapunto, made 2 stuffed hearts, very proud, thought the fishtail closure of the slit on reverse was a very cute

Finished with Kaffe and Brandon, lecture on colour.........such fun, Kaffe has all the ladies oooh and ahhing , and you feel blasted with colour inspiration when you come out, YES!

This little piece caught my eye...princess and the pea, what a brilliant excuse to make loads of tiny quilts!

Oh, and I bought a few bits and bobs