12 Days - Days 9 and 10

Day 9 (Saturday) - no productive sewing done at all!  We had a lazy morning (my beau and I)  and then I spent a leisurely couple of hours down the allotment planting spring cabbage and kale.  I also lifted the onions, and came home with a bucket full of booty!  Mmmm delicious! 

Day 10 - Sunday.  Aaaah, exhale, that's better  :)  I worked on the Brit Mystery quilt along,  I was still a couple of weeks behind...

Block #6 - Clays Choice

Friendship Star variation...

add a few plaits, some fussy cut fabrics and a 'chunk' of quilt is completed ...

I thought I was all caught up, but it appears I should have made 2 of those friendship star variations, so I'll get right on top of that one in the morning  :) 

Whilst I was piecing today I used the 16 patch as leaders and enders ...

I actually got 4 blocks made today, but forgot to take pictures of the first 2 - oops

(note to self - must try harder!)

So, a good day :)

Tomorrow? Well I have a teaching session in the morning and a meeting of the Many Jeans quilt group in the afternoon. I will do my best to work productively on those Sunkissed blocks.

Happy Quilting!

 

12 Days - Day 7 and 8

Firstly, thank you all for the well wishes for my friend Jean, she remains in hospital and is likely to be there for the foreseeable ... we'll all know more after the consultants conference on Monday. 

So, day 7 (Thursday)  I finished the quilting on Jean's quilt ...

I used Superior Threads Rainbows Northern Lights ...

pretty ... (if I do say so myself) 

Day 8 (Friday) 

With Jean out of action for a while, we decided that I should square up and add the binding, fortunately I had exactly the same batik in my stash as the outside border fabric ...

it's now back with Jean so she has something to do whilst she waits for Monday and a decision form the doctors.

My poorly Juki made it to the local sewing machine repair man today too ... no more quilting for now ...

so I'm getting back to piecing ...

This is the Monster block for the Brit Mystery quilt along ...

tomorrow ...  more Mystery blocks, and whatever else I can fit in before we head out for dinner with friends

12 Days - Day 6

Well I can say that I definitely got my haircut today

And I definitely went to see Harry Potter with the Teenage Diva

but in between the two I had a call from my friend Jean with a request to take her up to the hospital, she's not been well lately and finally went to see her doctor, who sent her straight up there! 

So this evening I've been cutting for the mystery quilt, but I just feel a little flat, so I'm taking a break and having an early night of it. 

So no productive progress to report today, but  still achieved the planned activities  :)

I guess we can't have it all, all of the time :)

Tomorrow is a new day, and productive progress will be a surprise to you and me both!

12 Days - Day 5

Another early morning trip down to the allotment  ...

I noticed yesterday that the blackberries were ready ... and last year I missed out, because someone kept stripping the plants bare ...

not this morning!

that amounted to 800 grams of blackberries, added to the remainder of last years berries, they have now been made into some lovely tarte blackberry jam!  Delicious!

And there's nothing that matches the intoxicating perfume of these  ...

A quick emergency trip to the dentist for the Diva, bless her, as suspected, the offending tooth was removed.  Better out, that's for sure  :)

I made good progress on Jean's quilt, in fact I am more than half way through the quilting ...

this is a big quilt, 80" x 94" 

And I moved onto my Scatty Christmas Stars ...

you know you're tired when ...

and this was the second lot of reverse sewing!

fortunately I got it right in the end!

At least I am caught up on this one now  :)

And whilst I think about it, the postman left some really good mail today ...

but I can't show that just yet  :) 

So, tomorrow?  I think I'd really like to get Jean's quilt finished, if I can, bobbins willing  :)

and  ...  and then, time permitting, I'd like to get caught up on the Brit Mystery Quilt Along ...

or at least make a good start as I have 3 weeks worth to catch up on! 

What plans afoot?  Well, haircut, and a trip to the cinema with the Teenage Diva  :) 

Progress so far ...  another successful day  :) 

But I am tired!

12 Days - Day 4

Well, today's priority was the allotment, well no body said they all had to be quilting projects :) 

Over 100 leeks planted - Check!

And booty too!

And a big armful of rhubarb as well, delicious!

The Teenage Diva decided she wanted chocolate this afternoon, unfortunately there is non in the house!  Bad Mother!  lol 

But we did have chocolate chips ...

Mmmmmmmm, delicious!

I got caught up on my Brit Bee Blocks for Judith ...

I hope you like them Judith  :)

And that rhubarb got turned into some Rhubarb and Orange Chutney, now we just have to wait 3 months to see what it's like!

Tomorrow, it will be back to just the Diva and myself, though there is still more to be done down at the allotment, these showers and sunshine are making the weeds very happy ...

and the Diva has an emergency dentist appointment ... ouch!

So I'd like to get more quilting done on Jean's quilt ...

anything else will be a bonus  :) 

1. Day One - Borders on Jeans Quilt - Check!
2. Day 2 - Piece Kaleidoscope quilt - Check!
3. Day 3 - piece Sunkissed blocks - Check!
4. Day 4 - Leeks Planted - Check! 
5. Day 4 - Brit Bee Blocks - Check!

Happy Quilting!

12 Days - Day 3 - Oh Noooooooo!

Yes, I got to a great start, thinking I can get those cakes baked, wrap presents whilst they're in the oven, by the time that's all done, nip to shops for flowers ...  etc etc  yep I was on a mission! 

I made good progress, until crash, I smacked the mixing bowl against the plate in the microwave and took a huge chunk out of it ....

the phone rang, it's my mother, can you take me up to A & E? 

OK, I have enough time to get cakes in and out of the oven and collect her at agreed time for the emergency appointment ....

back to the cakes, weigh flour  ....  aaaaaaaah, flour mites - Oh B**%%%er!  Shops quick! 

Fastest shower on earth, just getting sorted for that and there's banging on the front door...

morning son!  Happy Birthday! 

Sorry, presents not wrapped, cake not ready,  ... you're early! AND, you can't stay I've got to get Grandma in 10 minutes!  He was great, I even had a hug, not bad  :)  And he still loved his presents, and the cake mixture  :) 

So, off to the hospital, back again, pick up more flour on way back ... and continue with baking....

Phew!  and it's only lunchtime! 

Time for some thread auditioning... I settled on this one,  Superior Rainbows called Northern Lights

Machine cleaned, oiled and set up ready to go, time for bobbin winding - 8 should do it.  Nooooooo! The bobbin winder decided after 6 it wasn't going to work again!  

the air may have changed colour by now  :)

So I start sewing, and it's not happy, then I realise after about 18" that I haven't changed to the right colour bobbin thread and there is light blue in the machine!  No, I am NOT unpicking, I'm sure Jean will understand.  Really, I'm not unpicking!

At this point I went to the shops (again) to get flowers and some new Kilner jars for the flour.  The Teenage Diva finally arrived home about 4 pm. 

time to finish those cakes ...

Cakes - Check!

We walked round to Grandma's with flowers, cake and pressies. (wrapped) 

After we were back we had a visitor in the house ...

time for tea and very little achieved, I needed some quality time with the sewing machine ...

piece Sunkissed blocks ready to lay out - check!

and a big pile of half square triangle to boot ...

Bonus! 

I did get one whole row of quilting done on Jean's quilt ...

So although I achieved my project for the day, boy, did it feel like I should have just gone back to bed and not bothered!

Tomorrow?  Priority goes to the allotment, I have leeks, spring cabbage and kale to plant,  and my beau is heading out in the afternoon, so I am going to concentrate on finishing my Brit Bee Blocks for Miss July...

as well as Pea Room Quilters blocks, after that I'm going to concentrate on these...

Mystery blocks, I think I have 2 to catch up on,  Sassy Christmas Stars, I have last months blocks to do, and I'd really like to do some more Farmers Wife blocks,  that should keep me out of trouble!

1. Day One - Borders on Jeans Quilt - Check!
2. Day 2 - Piece Kaleidoscope quilt -  Check!
3. Day 3 - piece Sunkissed blocks -  Check!

OK, I'm tired, time for bed!

 

12 Days - Day 2

Day 2 - what a day!

We successfully negotiated the traffic into town before 10 am!

and ...

mission accomplished , school uniform DONE!

I got my frame sorted back to 10' and got Jean's quilt loaded and almost ready to quilt, as you can see I'm auditioning some threads, but I need daylight for the final decision  :) 

then I had a visitation from my mother, and everything ground to a halt!

However, after she left, the Diva went out on a sleep over (party too) a swift visit to Sainsburys and a nice cup of tea with a very dear friend who is quite poorly and then home for tea and getting back at it!

and back at it I got!

The top is pieced together, I have border decisions to make on this, but as the original oriental fabric is in several pieces of varying sizes, that's going to take more brain power than I had left tonight!

But I think we can safely say this was a success  :)

and whilst I was piecing the Kaleidoscope Quilt, I was piecing more of my 36 patch blocks as leaders and enders. 

Billy Bonus!

So tomorrows project?  Well, I'd really like to get a start on the quilting of jeans quilt,

AND,

yes ....   and

I'd like to get the blocks of this project at least finished so they are ready to lay out.  Anything more than that will be another bonus  :)

Anyone recognise this? 

Obstacles for tomorrow?  Yes there are just one or two things that could seriously scupper my plan.  Mothers 70th Birthday, AND sons 18th Birthday! 

That's 2 cakes to bake (Victoria sandwich it is), presents still to wrap, and flowers to buy!

And the sunset ...

Beautiful!

1. Day 1 - Jeans quilt borders
2. Day 2 - Kaleidoscope quilt pieced

Another successful day!

12 Days - Day 1

Day 1

a beautiful start to the day   :)

but I had plans that involved a little trip in the car  ...

well it was a beautiful morning!  I went to the other side of the county to visit my beau!  A little shopping in an old fashioned hardware store, a rare thing indeed!  We were almost in Norfolk/Cambridge!

Then a spree to Springfield's, alas I left the Radley bag behind  :)  Lunch at the garden centre, and a few veg plants for next spring  :)  And home again in time for the teenager to be home from her last day at school for this academic year. 

Time to make good on my promise!

The borders on this quilt top just needed to be added and it would a finished top ...

and a finished top is what we now have!

I've even pieced the backing,

pressed and squared up ready to be loaded onto the frame!

I think we can safely say that day 1 was a complete success! 

I even managed to cut a few more strips for my 36 blocks ...

So what about day 2? 

Well, I would like to move this quilt along to be a completed top

I have all the blocks pieced and just need to lay it out and make some sashing decisions, cut and piece and hey presto!  Wish me luck! 

I have to go into town with the Teenage Diva for school uniform shopping!  A stressful event for both of us!

however, we did manage to get her hair dyed tonight, Berry Red, well it is the summer after all :) 

Progress:

1. Day #1 - Jeans's quilt bordered and ready for quilting

I'll try to be back tomorrow with another progress report :)

Happy Summer!