Shameful Confession

I need to 'fess up 

you see I've been part of a group of quilters who have been doing a round robin, 

in fact, they are now into their second round!  

(lets be clear here, I am not participating in round 2)

to one particular person, I owe a huge apology 

for taking so long over the last round on her top

and lets not beat about the bush here, 6 whole months!

so you can understand why this was on my FAL for Q1 right? 

yes, we are talking the Old Red Barn Ab Fab Free Bees round robin, 

and with Q1 end fast approaching I needed, for my own sanity,

to get this one done!

this has had me stumped for a while, then intimidated by all the other amazing piecing that has gone before me, and then when inspiration struck, I was just so overwhelmed with the tardiness of my timekeeping!  Shamed!

so I started off with an idea of sort of a forest, and a little improv piecing later ... 

managed a whole panel ... I'd toyed with the idea of log cabins, but you know what, 

I just couldn't manage them at the moment and decided to just keep it simple ...

hey presto, a few stylised trees later and my forest is complete!

Now, I've written my confession in the journal, and made my siggy block, and this not so little baby is now ready for posting on Tuesday morning :) 

one last word on this,  I am humbled at Lynz's patience in me completing her top, she did offer to accept it back without my adding anything, and frankly I think I'd have felt worse than I do for taking so long. And trust me, I feel sick to the core over this little escapade!

Thank you Lynz, valuable lessons have been learnt!

so I know declare that as a complete finish for one of my Q1 FAL projects 

YES!  What relief!

ps.  Thank you all for your get well wishes, I am feeling a little better each day, and less deathlike, and clearly more able to function at a basic sewing level. very important.  So thank you, I really appreciate your concerns and well wishes x

Absent

... through no fault of my own, I've been a little absent,

you see I've had this lurgie, you know the one, flu like symptoms, cough, head from hell, bedridden, 

but I persevered and went to work, like a stupid woman that I am!

I tried quilting, but I only have to go and unpick that now, 

so yesterday I felt like I just had a head cold, so I ventured out to the bottom of the garden

if only to stroke fabric,

and in my search for just the right Amy Butler fabric for a friend  I happened upon a UFO languishing in a box, all ready to play with!

and what do you know ... behold ... another top now ready for quilting!

and look closely, you see one empty box too!

and a book ready to return to the shelf!

well, lets face it, when you still feel crap after a whole week of it, a little mindless sewing of 16 blocks and a border is just the ticket!  

Actually I'm thrilled I could even sew!

and then I decided I should catch up on some of the Quick Curve Ruler blocks too ...

#

I was challenged, to say the least, these rail fences did not want to play nicely!

and the prospect of more curves today was just too much.

so I opted for some simple Broken dishes blocks as a trial run for a commission I really must finish soon!

I really rather like these!

today the postman called, with the centre fabric that is supposed to be for my Christmas quilt that is on my FAL Q1 list, 

sadly, it is not what I thought, but I have decided to go ahead and use it anyway in the interest of getting the damn thing done, so the rest of the cutting is now complete at least = progress

but, as the lurgie still insists on being a body snatcher, I.m back under 3 quilts and the duvet 

in the vein hope it will be gone and I can feel human again, with a little more energy,

after all, it cant stay here forever, surely!

And I do need to get on with 'the list' rather than just fannying about stroking and playing with fabric!

making more stuff

.. well, because that's how I roll!

anyhow, back to the FAL list,  yeah, it may have been a little ambitious!

so, My Brit Bee quilt (round One) was a pile of blocks ...

and I made some more ...

and have the top pieced - yayyyyyyy me!

now, i have a few customer quilts to get out the way, so this baby is going to have to take a back seat for now in the quilting list .... so not quite a finished quilt, but a complete top!

I consider that a success!

and of course there was these pile of fabric to make a big blocks quilt ...

so I added a few more ...

well, they looked a little lonely ... I had to!

but they make great Big Blocks!

and four blocks ...

you soon have a quilt!  might persevere and try and sneak this one in soon!

Big Blocks all Art Gallery Fabrics - gorgeous!

currently 72 x72"

so, 2 more on my FAL Q1 list, not exactly finished, but getting close enough to call it done imho!

Finally a finish!

I know, taken me long enough,

but to be fair, I had to wait for it to be dry before I could take any pics of this wee one!

so finally, those Big Stars!

oh and the back? 

I got on sale from Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics

As you know this was a tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Company,

and I love it so much, I may have to make another one!  

This measures about 92" square

fabrics Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille for Moda

with a bit of Ruby in the borders

pieced and machine quilted by me!

and this is one of my Finish along Q1 finishes,

hmm, 2 out of 6 is not doing great really! 

I better work on that!  

Way too much fun!

... so you remember I was playing with these, right? 

Well, I cut into those precious Art Gallery Fabrics, just a little, and the Moda Crossweave is a perfect partner ... 

and started piecing, and the results were really rather pleasing!

those little babies are 3" finished in size ...

and then I quilted ...

now, lets just say this is a birthday present, and for some time I have been stumped, but inspiration struck when I thought about this quilt!  And then I was inspired!

and I was having so much fun, I carried onto the back!

close up, just so you know ...

another gratuitous shot ...

I love this cushion!  and it was only because it was made specifically for this inspirational Lovely, that I was able to part with it!  After all, she has a quilt and a multitude of cushions that match, and its a privilege to call her a friend, Happy Birthday Katy!   

Blimey ... did I miss the memo?

you know, the one that said time is marching on!

I better tell you what I've been up to then!

Well, along with a few Bee friends I was Here! 

and you can see more here too!

a fab time was had by all ! Truly a special day to be cherished 

and if you didn't notice, I took my Brit Bee quilt with me

I got the borders on, and tonight I started piecing up the back :)  

and there has been much hand stitching down of this ...

one more side to go!

there has been happy mail ...

thank you Karen!

and tonight I pulled out these ...

for which I have plans ... happy plans :) 

there have been 3 customer quilts too, so its been all go here

lots of quilting prolifically going on!

Marching along

seems March has started without me ...

so I better look back at February which flew by ...

I got caught up with Bee Blocks, some of which still have to make their way very north, others have been hand delivered

as always fabric, and baking. pouches, a bag (are you shocked!)

a customer quilt, shop samples, and I even managed to quilt one of my own quilts 

I'm linking this up to Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day

(a little late, but there all the same!)

phew, and its already a week into March, and what a week its been!

but that's for next time!