Curves Not Curves - the finish line

I finally finished the Curves not Curves quilt ! 

you can see a full explanation of how I made my quilting choices and see the whole finished quilt over on the Sizzix blog here.  Please go take a look! 

A finish at least!

I have so much to catch up with for blogging

But at least I can show you a finish.  

Remember this from my FAL list?

I know, its only been on there all year!

( Know that because that fabric loaded on the long arm was the first fabric loaded up on it when it arrived back in January!)

 I first started this quilt way back, on my very first visit to Lynne's, and finished the blocks in July 2011!

Anyway, back in September, in between customer quilts and before the teaching started back, I hunted down a suitable backing and loaded it up for a little 

special me time!

look, all fancy rulers and everything! 

and this Aurifl 2026 was just perfect for those soft buttery yellows

so before I went off to the Brit Bee Retreat, I found fabric from my stash, lets face it, thats not difficult, and I may still have a good selection of Sunkissed by Moda in there, and I got this baby to the point of hand stitching the binding down.

so I could sit, listen to all the chatter, eat cake, because its never a retreat without cake!

And finished this baby off!

And I love it!

So there you have it, 2 blog posts in a row after a noticeable absence!

Lets see if I can catch up on few other things that have been happening too!

Keep your eyes peeled!

Sneaking in a last minute finish!

As is my usual habit, I'm sneaking in a last minute finish for FAL Qtr 2!

This started out as a pile of strips, squares and HSTs. 

Mid May it was pieced 

and Loaded up on the frame

The plan had been a pretty border ad then a quick all over ...

didn't quite work out that way, it didn't come off the frame until 6 June!

and I only started stitching the binding down a week ago! 

Final push today and its done!

I'm glad it stopped raining!

so much for a quick all over then! 

But I am rather pleased with it,

its now heading to the shop, Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham as a sample

so there you have it, my final finish for Qtr 2 of the FAL! 

Phew! 

Better get that review post written!

Slowly slowly

Something else that has been on my finish along list has be the Jelly Roll half Square Triangle quilt for the shop

The piecing of the blocks I had been doing slowly each time I had a few moments in classes where I could,  finally I got to a point they were ready to put together as a top. 

and then I added a wide border of background fabric, and loaded it up

my intention had been to do a quick all over on this, 

yeah, some of you know that isn't always what the quilt says it wants, 

and I have a habit of ignoring the client brief, on occasion!

I started ...

did some more, and then realized I'm gonna be here for some time! 

So Wednesday I made it to the halfway point

I did a little more last night, so slowly slowly I am chipping away at this one!

I WILL have it off the frame this weekend, 

and then I need to make the binding, I have the strips put to one side, stitch it on by machine and 

slowly, slowly hand stitch the binding down.

But that's for another day!

And Exhale!

Phew!  I am so pleased my copy of Love Patchwork and Quilting finally arrived, 

it was killing me seeing everyone get theirs, knowing some of my quilting was in this issue

another of Katy's masterpieces!

so in order to mull it over for a while, whilst I did other quilts, 

I hung it in my studio where we could eye each other up, and get acquainted

Especially when the brief is a quick all over!

You see, sometimes quilts just don't want to be given the simple all over treatment,

they call out for something else, something more!

this was the first sneak peak I sent to Katy to let her know I'd gone a bit off piste again!

and then I just went for it!

I do like to take a little inspiration from the designs in the fabrics, 

and this was no exception

Fabrics used in this quilt were Safari Moon by Frances Newcombe for Art Gallery Fabrics, 

I loved them so much I had to go out and buy myself some straight away!

In fact, I've told Katy millions of times, I love this quilt!

so now the dilemma, do I make my own version of this quilt?

back to work

So after the short interlude and the disruption of the delivery

Its back to work

so, I've been teaching a beginners course at Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham

and my students have made great progress

this is from a class I taught last July

and a Take Twenty Class

Sandra was on my first beginners course and has finished her runner and has been used all through Christmas, she has also gone on to make plenty of other things too! 

and these are some of the fabrics being used on the Contraflow class

and if you are interested, there's a new page with where you can find me, teaching, talking that sort of thing.  If you're interested in me coming to do a class for your quilting group or a talk, please let me know. 

In addition, it was back to the customer quilts

and what a difference!

I managed to get this one basted, using a water soluble thread on top and Superior Bottom Line in the bobbin, though the 4 oz poyester wadding was a nightmare, not something I will repeat

and there were 2 of these beuaties

all over feathers on both, with Superior So Fine in white, and off white bottom line in the bobbin.  

and then I loaded this pretty

I used Superior Rainbows thread in Bubble Gum Pink, 

such a perfect description of a colour!

so I'm back in the saddle, and loving every minute of it!

There have been a few more, but I'll save the ones I can show you for another day!

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!

A Sneaky Last minute Finish

Hopefully this one is just under the wire for the last Qtr of 2013 FAL

with all the excitement going on around here, I am only just getting this posted.

I finally got my Siblings Together Quilt loaded New Years Day! 

added the binding and it sat for a week

so yesterday in an attempt to get it done I sat at the machine and stitched the binding down

not my usual method,  but this will be laundered within the care system so needs to be robust

the sun was out, but the wind was having none of it!

so my first finish of the year, is my last finish for last years FAL!  

I'll get my link up and round up post written so I can scrape in with Leanne,

and after I've dealt with today's delivery, I'll review my list for 2014 FAL, which this year is being hosted by Katy :)