blogging break...

Seems so dramatic to announce a blogging break when I've been gone for too long anyway.  

But I think it's only polite.

Life is kicking my backside currently (not in a bad way - just can't quite keep all my balls in the air at the same time) and most of the other balls are Have To.  Much as I love this blog, it's not Have To and the Have To's need to come first, at least till the dust settles.

So I'll be back when I can, lovely readers.  Please check back on me, won't you?

Lucy Boston update

Another two blocks done.

I had to spend long hours waiting at dance this week.  The studio is too far for me to drive home and normally I share the load with other mums, but this week it was me and me alone who had to wait.  So I used my time very productively!

I can get one done in a few hours.  And now that they are prepped, I barely have to think about it.  Travel packs for the car are totally the way to go!

Hope your weekend turns out well!

Another Flimsy - or what you can do with 'cheap' fabrics

I seem to be in a routine of posting once a week.  I do aim for more but as with the rest of the universe, time slips away...

I have been UFO'ing!

Some time ago last year I brought some fabric from Aldi.  It was cheap, as in not expensive but it feels lovely.  Nice and sturdy, and so I put it in my trolley and came home. 

(I am still on my non buying challenge and despite feeling a little jumpy around a craft shop, I'm doing well!).

I made a whole other quilt with this fabric that I will show you soon, but with the remaining squares (I cut too many - I always do) I made this:

I broke my 'don't machine applique' rule and machine appliqued it, and it looks very nice!

I'm off to Mum's house to use her long arm again (always learning, always learning!) and when that's done I shall bind it and call it finished!  I'll show you those photos soon!

Lucy Boston update

Everyone is a little flat here this morning - every time you open your news there's more depressing/awful/horrifying crap happening.

So I've chosen to sew, which is what I do when times are rough.

I managed to finish another Lucy Boston yesterday - they take so little time now they are prepped, I've decided that this is the next quilt to be finished.  This is the one that I will devote my energy on in the next few months.

This is the most recent one.  It's not perfect but if I aim for perfect I'll never get anything done.  I can only try to do better.

And here are the rest of them:

Slowly but surely they are getting there.  Then I have the mammoth task of doing all the surrounding parts.  I'll worry about that later.

See you soon.

Suzie

Show and Tell - Completely Finished, Quilted, Bound and Labelled!

One down, goodness only knows how many more left.

This is the second quilt I've ever long armed, and I think it turned out okay.

So it's only a small quilt, but it might bring some colour to someone, maybe?

Hope your day is going to be a good one!

More sewing to show you

I've been lucky enough to be able to squeeze in a few days of all day sewing over the last months at our quilting rooms.  I have another one on Tuesday which I'm looking forward to, but I thought I might show you my latest endeavour.

Longer readers may remember my Rachelle Denneny class I took?  Back here?  I'm embarrassed to tell you that class was three years ago. 

Well, I've been finishing!

It took me a long time to finish the applique, then another long time to decide to do the quilting.  And then a further long time to actually do the quilting, which I managed on my last all day sewing.

And this is where it stands now.  Hanging on my wall.

Certainly far from my best quilting but it's done. 

I was toying with the idea of binding it in two different colours but I can't find the matching fabric, so I'm going to bite the bullet and have a go at facing it.  That's Tuesday's job - I figure there'll be better sewers than me there to ask. 

So that will be one more job off my (very very very long) list.  It's slow going but it is getting there.

Hope you have a lovely quilty weekend, and I'll see you soon!

Popping in to say hi....

Guess where I've been?

On retreat!

Admittedly only for the day, and the rest of then were there for the whole long weekend, but it's a start!  And I got lots of sewing done!  

I don't have any photos of that yet but I haven't been idle!  

A few weeks ago I made a choice to go to my mother's house and learn how to use her long arm.  God forbid something happen to her, but I should know how to use it, shouldn't I?  That's our logic.

I dug out an old flimsy (I only have a couple *cough*) and after a devil of a long time 'loading it up', I got going.

And I did okay really.  It took about four hours from start to finish which was quite long, I think considering the size of the quilt.  But I'm hoping I'll get quicker as I get better.

I did this one a week ago - I did okay...ish...but I must admit I need some work on my inner curves.

The most recent one I did this week, I chose a panel from the cupboard (I found a whole bag I'd not even known was in there filled with panels!) and a different pantograph and armed with my notes and the videos I'd taken I was more of less left to my own devices.

And you'll be pleased to know I did much better and my curves worked well too!

Not too shabby really.  

This one only took me two hours this time, it was much quicker.  I'd still like to get my 'loading' time down, that's the part that takes so long.  But I shall get there!

That's my update.  I'll hopefully pop back in to show you some actual piecing I have done, but until then, happy sewing!

The monsters are done!

That's it!  No more!

Monsters all done!  Now just to quilt them and get rid of them to someone more deserving.

I've been trying very hard not to buy new stuff for a whole year, and so far so good in regards to quilting products.  I was going to buy plain homespun for the back, but I have decided to spend today piecing two backs from various fabrics that will work, so that will be a good thing!  A good thing.

Hope you're all doing well, glorious day today.  Still no rain.  Never any rain.  Forgotten what rain feels like.  But it's not 48 degrees anymore, so for that I am thankful.

Take care, my lovely friends.

more flaming monsters

I am well and truly over these monsters.  I originally made one quilt, then with some left over made another quilt, and so on and so on and now I have lost count.

The plan with this final one was to make one big quilt, but halfway through I decided it was far too big, so I've split it into two.

I finished one (well, I topped one) today.  Looks okay really.  I'm planning on quilting it up and giving it away to Ronald Mcdonald House.

On the right is the finished one.

On the left is the second one, still to be stitched up.

And this is a leftover block, all set to be a label on the back.

Happy quilting!