by special request

So I get this phone call from my son, just the day before the delivery, 

you know how the story goes,

'mum, how much would it cost for you to make a cushion for my girlfriends sister, its her birthday next week?' 

tell me I'm not the only one that gets those kind of requests?  Please!

so said recipient is 1 years old, girly girl, like pink, ...  yeah I get the picture!  

Something pretty and girly!

so I pulled a few fabrics,

I'd had some time to think about what I was going to do

but I did have a plan ...

it didn't take long to get all the cutting done

and in no time at all, I was stitching down and quilting all in one go

a bit more quilting around the outside, 

because you can never have too much quilting in my very humble opinion!

a quick zip insertion, and a cushion was born

and what better than 'girl on a swing' in pink by Aneela Hoey for the perfect back!

I had a lovely text and phone call to say how much this gift was loved!

I call that a successful make, 

I love it when a plan comes together!

My first Finish!

Yes, really!  my first finish of 2014, 

and actually, one I can tick off my FAL list too!

oh and if you are batik or fugly sensitive, 

you best look away now!

see I dug this fugly out of my stash for the back

I made this quilt way back in 2009 in a facebook QAL with Pat Sloan,

it was all about stash busting!

and now its been busted out of my UFO pile and done!

that's me off to a good start, don't ya think?

Sunday Sitrep

Well, its been a while since I did a sit rep, 

I thought it was about time for another

So since the arrival of the Long Arm, I've been playing

first up I loaded a practice piece

I went with some Superior So fine, its always a great player for thread, and the bobbin that was already loaded in the machine, and quickly moved onto some Aurifil Poly, and they both played nicely

and after about half an our and a meter of fabric, I was ready to load up a quilt 

I started off with some Superior Fantastico, but I was having issues, so after I had done one whole pass of these feathers, I changed back to So Fine and finished the job.

this isn't the best quilt I've ever done, but I did learn a lot

and so I loaded another, I was on a roll!  

I went back to the Aurifil Poly as it had played so well

and in no time at all I got this one done too!

But more on that in the next post!

In other news this week, there was a destash sale happening on Instagram,

thanks to Emily for organizing the #greatukfabricdestash

just some of the stash I dug out for the destash, 

thank you to everyone who bought from me and saved me from my overflowing addiction!

I was exceptionally good, I only bought these, and in the end, Fiona and I did a swap!

so technically, I didn't buy anything!

but I am a sucker for Art Gallery Fabrics!

and then there was a visitor to the house!

who traveled with her own hand made overnight bag!

there have been a few other things, you know what I am like, 

why do one when you can do ten things!

Exciting Times!

Well, some of you know I've been harboring a secret for a couple of months

yeah, there's been quite a few secrets happening around these parts!

and the more beady eyed of you noticed in my FAL post that there had been a change of scenery in my studio

and if you follow me on Instagram  you'll have seen the shenanigans 

first of all, this mess had to be sorted and cleared 

completely cleared!

and I took out 5, yes FIVE of these laundry baskets of fabric

(my word for the year could be Enough!)

and then I had to wait, 

and things landed on the drive

and I peaked inside the crate,

and to celebrate the arrival, and thank the troops, ie my son and my man for doing such sterling work unloading, bacon butties were served all round.

not wanting to miss the opportunity, of a captive audience, we set to with the socket set and spanners and made a start on the enormous task of giant Mechano!  aka the frame!

and this is how it had to stay until my man came back at the weekend, 

until it looked like this

Squeeeeeee!

I am now the very proud owner of an Innova 22" longarm!

and I could not be a happier bunny!

we've made friends, and are getting very well acquainted!

the quilts are flowing nicely! 

so that's my big news!

OFFICIALLY A LONGARMER!

Wake up to Kona - Blog Hop

I'm Baaaaaack!

I'm so pleased to finally be here today, if you're new to my blog, welcome, grab yourself a cuppa and stay a while if you'd like. 

There's a blog hop happening over at Sew We Quilt with the focus on Kona

and our amazing cheerleader for this hop is Carol from Just Let me Quilt

you know, this lovely stuff 

I had to move everything out of my studio and this was a years worth of monthly Kona Stash Club, but that's a whole different story!

so when Madame Samm announced this blog hop, I knew just the project, 

You see I had this bundle of Kona 

and I knew a great tutorial, and could see just how it was going to look in my minds eye

do you get that too?

So I had a play ...

just to be sure, and sure I was!

so I made a few more, and now this is how far I am with these

and given all the excitement around here, its not until I took the picture I realized I have a little reverse stitching to do!  

I want to make this into a 4 x 4 size and I may put a wider border on it too, I'm thinking flying geese, 

just a few flying here and there!

so, you see, those Kona solids can inspire all sorts of pretty!

and as for the quilting - I can't wait!

so thats my little offering, please do go check out what everyone else has been up to as well, there's some very talented ladies on the hop today ...

Thimblemouse & Spouse

Daisy Days

My Addiction to Quilting

Mountain Mist Designs

Hill Valley Quilter

Malini’s Quilts

Englating

Quilting Prolifically (me)

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon

Happy Quilting!

A short intermission

Today I should be here

for the Wake Up to Kona Blog Hop

but due to a heavy delivery and building schedule I'm there tomorrow now

I Hope you'll come back to see what I've been up to

in he mean time, go check out today's posts

Sew Me Something Good ( technical difficulties)

Sew Peace to Peace 

Linda D. (shown on Just Let Me Quilt)

In The Boon Docks

The Cosmic Quilter

sorry for the inconvenience

FAL Qtr 1

Its that time already, 

so I better get my very long list sorted now ...

#1  Swoon Quilt - only need to quilt and bind it, only! 

#2  The big star I pieced back at the Kitchen Guild Weekend Retreat -  so quilted and bound, again.

#3 This is a Schnibles quilt I made at least ... ooh, well I cant remember now!  but, quilted and bound is all its gonna take to finish this pretty.

Can you see a theme yet?

#4 And this Kaffe/batik (yes, I have more to come avert your eyes now!) -  again quilting and binding to finish.

#5 Oriental wall hanging type thingy -  quilted and bound!

#6  Cute Linus quilt - quilting and binding for the finish

#7 batik stash buster quilt, at least 2009 I made this!  Another to be quilted and bound

#8  PB&J Kaleidoscope quilt -  oooh, some piecing, all the blocks are made, all 58 of them, they just need to be put together, borders added, oh and quilted and bound.  

#9  so this little lovely is waiting for the Art Gallery Fabric Pure Elements in Snow to turn up, (tomorrows the day!) so that it can be turned into something along the lines of them there disappearing pinwheels below that I already started.  

So one layer cake to miraculously be turned into a finished quilt, much like this below

#10  Layer Cake Lemonade top, to be quilted and bound

#11  the Secret project, still need to have the binding stitched down and a label sewn on!

and then there's all those others I didn't get finished last year!

but there is always next quarter for them!

so 8 tops and few other bits!  madness I know, but my new toy needs a bit of a work out, and I have been saving them for this day to come!

so, that's my bonkers list I'm linking up with Katy!

Have you made yours yet?

seems there's a cat out the bag!

I've been holding onto this one for quite some time, but for now

have you seen this?

Tell you more when its out!

I can't wait to see what other beauties there are inside!

Disappearing Pinwheels ...

who knew!  

so at the weekend, I had a little play

I spotted a new pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Company on You Tube

and I'm kind hooked on Jenny's great Tutes

I grabbed some left overs ... so I made one ..

and then there were 4!

and that Baby Jane layer Cake right there, 

I've got big plans for that little baby!

I made a couple of other tops too, but more on those another day eh?

especially as I am still busy 'making' that other thing!

2013 Qtr 4 FAL - the round up

Oh dear!  I knew my list was ambitious

and I didn't realize I would get quite so busy with customer quilts and teaching

so here goes ... 

Qtr 4 - the List!

#1.  Siblings Together - carried over from last month, this is a top that now needs to be quilted and bound.  - DONE!  Blogged here :)

#2  12th Street - another top, (pattern testing) and just needs quilting and binding - DONE , blog post here

#3  Merry Go Round Quilt - yes, another top that just needs quilting and binding, this one is now a class sample so I better pull my skates on! - Nope, didn't happen!

#4  Patch Fabrics project - I need to finish piecing the project and produce the finished article and write a blog post/tutorial - Sadly not, this has to be first on my list for 2014 !

#5  Chevron Quilt -  I have quite some way to go on this one, piecing to finish off, quilted and bound - didn't happen

#6   Christmas quilt -  carried over from earlier in the year, piecing to finish, quilt and bind - ha ha, didn't happen!

#7  Kaleidoscope quilt -I have half  blocks, so again piecing, quilting and binding - Still not done

#8  Black and White 2 for one - piecing started, so finish piecing, quilt and bind. - No, not done either!

so that's  just 2/8,  which in the big scheme of things is 2 more finishes that there might have been without the FAL! 

I've linked up with Leanne, and will now make my list for 2014 . 

It could be a long one again!