Wednesday 27 May 2009

Chaos!

As I make slow progress in getting the home I want, getting there seems like such a long journey. But progress has been made, I have my new fire installed, a new floor laid through the front of the house and in the process of being laid in the back too. The down side, I have appliances in my kitchen, not necessarily connected, and that is all!

Creatively I feel stifled. I have no place to lay out the four quilts I have waiting for this process. My sewing machine has been relegated to the office, and because of this, I cannot even quilt on my frame. Patience is not something that come easily to me. But then I guess you already worked that one out for yourselves when you look at the erratic way I work on my quilts. So no sewing to report on, just lots of dreaming!

Hand work! do I hear you yelling into your screen? The kitchen contents had to go somewhere, so my makeshift kitchen is set up in the living room, along with the dining table and the contents of the kitchen cupboards. It's like squatting in a bedsit! I am Soooooooo looking forward to an end to all the chaos.

What chaos is happening in your world?

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Start Something New (SSN)

Big Busted Mistery
So when you get to a point you can't move anything on what do you do? Me, I start something new of course! I'm a member of the yahoo group 'Stashbusters' who are currently running a mystery quilt. I was late discovering it, with so much turmoil in the house, I'm really quite creatively cramped. So when all else is failing around me I take a diversion and start something new!

These are my fabrics, as soon as I saw how the mystery was progressing I knew these would be lovely, soft, and in a way, comforting. Good job it's not food, otherwise it would be a steamed syrup pudding with custard! I was already 4 clues behind on this to start with, so I'm pleased to say, that whilst I waited for the Gas Man to arrive to service the boiler I managed to catch up.

And now I eagerly await what happens next to this assortment of blocks.

I also managed to turn my pile of Yellow/Cream pieces into 80 Nine Patch blocks this afternoon. All in all a very productive day!

Monday 18 May 2009

Smokey Mountain Stars

At last, a finished quilt!
This is one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns. I loved it when I saw it on her site. Thank you Bonnie for such generosity. Other than the border fabric, this was another stash only quilt (Borders are allowed!). The creams were FQ's my friend gave me, and the other fabrics I'd had for years! They all played so nicely together, don't you think?
My Partner took it home to his cottage this morning, where it will be just perfect!

Sunday 17 May 2009

Slow Progress

But progress after all!

These are the pieces for two yellow/cream nine patch quilts for Ilene. As you can see they are still Work in Progress (WIP) but at a stage where they can become something more. I hoping later today, with luck and a cooperative DD (LOL)

The leaders and enders I was telling you about from my retreat last weekend are here.


They have been pressed, but still need trimming. At least this gives you an idea of what they look like and how they are going to be set. And as my living room, the only place big enough to lay out blocks, is down to bare concrete on the floor, this is on hold till the new floor gets laid. (Fingers crossed for the end of this coming week)

I finally got down to the LQS to get border fabric for my Basket Case quilt from last weeks retreat. I think this is going to work, its from the Fig & Plum range or one very close to it. You Like?


I also picked up the black i need to get this kit moving too. Did I tell you I'm planning on cutting a load of projects so that when I'm laid up later in the year I can do a little sewing when I feel up to it, but not have the strain of the cutting on my back.
I must of had this pattern/kit for at least 10 years. I think its about time it made it into the pile of completed quilts and off the UFO list. Well, that's the plan anyway.

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Weekend Progress Report

I thought I'd give you an idea of what I've been working on over the weekend, whilst I was away in Grimsby.


I finished piecing the stars and middle of this top two weeks ago, so on Friday afternoon I cut, pieced and added the border. So now it has been added to the tops waiting to be quilted pile. (which currently stands at about 15 - shameful!) After dinner I cut a couple more quilts out, one a Jelly Roll quilt and the other using a pattern from a kit to use as leaders and enders.
So I finished piecing the Jelly Roll quilt in this Basket Case pattern, I just need to add borders. Whilst I have the first border fabric, I was hoping to get out to the LQS to get a nice soft olive/lime border fabric to finish it off. Unfortunately I had a call from school to say DD was sick. So my plans for the afternoon have been scuppered! Still there is always Saturday!
I managed to get my leaders and enders to the point that the blocks just have to be pressed and squared up before laying them out to piece together. And, I managed to get all the strip piecing done on my yellow nine patch quilts, I'm hoping to get the last few cuts done this evening. More on these three to come.
So all in all, a productive weekend. Even I was surprised at just how much I got done. Shows what one woman on a mission can do!

Monday 11 May 2009

Afternoon Delight

I love coming home to find the postman has been. Not so great when you have to go pick up the parcel because it's got import duty and VAT added to my purchases. But, oh this one was definitely worth it! Especially when I opened up the package, this is what I found. :o)
And how beautiful it is wrapped, don't you think? I love getting packages from the States, you really know how to please your customers! So what do we have here, I hear you ask. This, my blogging friends, is White Chocolate, a pattern that appeared in McCalls Quilting at least a year ago. Fortunately Stitchin Heaven have a kit for this little beauty, which I have had my eye on for quite some time. So how could I refuse an opportunity for 40% off! Yep, that's what I just said! Thanks Ladies! All I have to do is cut it ready for quiet moment of sewing opportunity :o) Aaah, happy days!

Monday 4 May 2009

Monday

You may have noticed the pile of African fabrics from an earlier post. Well, after a little peace and quiet today, the top if finished.

Now waiting for a slot on the frame :o)

Weekend Progress

I really need to move these FIU projects on, this stack ' Whack made it from the floor to the frame, and I've even managed to start quilting! The frame is a New English Quilter frame, pop over to my friend Martha's Blog to see some very inspiring quilting on her table top frame. She is a great inspiration. :o)
A close up of some of the quilting so far, I'm trying something new, well, new to me, on this one. I'll post further pics soon. I just wanted you to know I am busy working at it! LOL