Orphans, thimbles and uglies

This solid silver thimble is unblemished. It came into my possession from a house clearance. I was told it was worth £25 so paid it on the spot as it is a perfect fit.

The modern S, M, L, sizes don't fit me properly.  

As  a girl needs more than one thimble, I started looking on Ebay for antique thimbles in a 16 or 17 size. 

I bought two plain thimbles in sterling silver very cheaply. 

If I had cash to spare I could really get into collecting these, but of course only in the sizes that actually fitted!

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This small quilt is now finished for Linus, about 45" square

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I finished this flimsy that will go to a small local charity

 whilst watching Bonnie on archived Quiltcam

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I cut borders and binding for the next big quilt I will be working on

 I also chopped this UGLY (what was I thinking!) for binding and some mini broken dishes blocks (cut it small says Bonnie).

 This ugly will be used as a border on a charity quilt at some point.

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The trimmings from the binding were made into mini broken dishes blocks immediately in an effort to control the crumbs.

 I trimmed them to size guided by the neutrals cut with the easy angle. Looks like you can't cut that reindeer fabric small enough!

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I found two old spiderweb trials-I tried sewing to old sheeting but the result was too thick for a quilt, even if the look was good.

 I put a border on one, cut some heavy duty fabric for a back, and turned it into a cushion cover.

 Antique buttons on the back, and the raw edge of the fabric turned out for interest on the button flap.

 In this trial I didn't like the blocks completely random, The flimsy I made has sections in colour family, this has been a UFO for about 4 years!

I have been working on the rainbow hexie in the evenings. 

Linking for Scraptatsic Tuesday

And the next handquilted project will be...........

The rainbow hexie: these are old pictures, it is in a more advanced state of completion now.

I'm moving my machine to a bedroom, then I will be working on machine quilting

four charity quilts.  

A lot to finish this year, last year I did very little sewing

Quick pictorial update from my mobile

I have done a lot of hand sewing in the last few weeks.......a whole pile of random hexie units completed

and about 20 more sewn into strip sets ready to go (yes, it's organised!).

I cut more hexies as I needed some for the rainbow hexie, one large section complete now......

 More strips ready to go.... (excuse the bare feet!)

The bins were refilled, much cutting (I did a fabric swap with a Bookcrosser friend): this is the random bin...........

Hundreds more sewn up already

This weekend I looked at all the offcuts from the hexie cutting and decided as they were all the same size they should be sewn into strips NOW for the next crumb quilt-it took about 7 hours but at least it's manageable this way, crumbs from one cutting project are the same size-last time I had a giant unmanageable bin of mixed sizes.  I like the fact that every piece is angled.

I had cut more strips for the new leader-ender project, Bonnie's Perkiomen Daydreams; I sewed these into pairs today, that took a couple of hours.  A few weeks of pressing and cutting ahead into 1 1/2" pair units. 

I tried a few out to see how bulky the seams would be on 1" finished patches-seams OK!

I have almost finished the bow ties!  There will be about 1200. This was supposed to be a leader-ender project but it didn't work out that way.  Last few pairs waiting to go......

I sewed the badly cut hexies into units of the right size, these will go into the random hexie bin.  It's going to be fun finding these in the finished quilt. I tried for contrast.

I am all nine-patched out!  I think I have enough for a double with some sashing now; I haven't decided on the setting yet.  I have hundreds more 2" squares cut, its hardly touched the surface. 

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All the black and white nine patches are complete for 'Morphie'.  I need to decide on the next block pattern and cut more black and whites, triangles this time.   No planning, this is a decide as I go project.

As this little project will NEVER get done at home, I have taken the 1/2" diamonds to work to do in my lunch break. All the chaps I work with have asked with varying levels of puzzlement, 'What....': they haven't seen paper piecing before.  When I explain it will take about 10 years and need 14,000 pieces they just shake their heads!

This weeks read

Chosen from Mount 'To Be Read' because of 'A Good Read' on Radio 4 this week.

Chilled out sewing and pondering on psychedelia.

I needed a bit of mindless to de-stress, so I sorted the 1 1/2" strip bin and did prep for sisters choice. Pressed, ready to cut to 1 1/2" pairs.

 These, will eventually become these-over a very long period!

I also trawled the sales for reds, pale blues and yellows, these are now washed and pressed ready to cut a few 1 1/2" strips from, then join the stash.

I have been pressing a few random 9 patches now and again, of the 200 or so I made, whilst browsing Pinterest for an interesting setting.  Nothing appeals yet. 

 They can always be stored until I find that perfect pattern!  Some of them will make their way into a linus quilt this year.

All the black and white nine patches are done, about 100. 

Morphine is a design as I go quilt, where the blocks sill be set on point.  I have a few ideas for other rows-all in black and white- but nothing is decided yet......

I want the effect to be a little jarring as the ceiling light cover that inspired this quilt as I was coming round from my anaesthetic was doing crazy things!

I have papered several hundred more hexies in the past month, I only need another 5 of these random sets to complete a double quilt top

 I had completed these tree tins of rosettes a few months ago (pic from a previous post) ready for sewing: I decided to split them half in the random hexie box, half in the rainbow hexie box, it seemed crazy to leave them sitting there for another few years when they were needed for something else. Believe it or not, real progress being made!

And this weeks read...

Puttering

I've been struggling with illness for a couple of weeks, and went right off sewing-the horror! I did a bit if this....

  

......then picked up on the old knitting habit.  

Don't worry, I have not gone off quilting: I discovered 

Pinterest 

and have spent  lots of immobility time looking for free motion quilting inspiration-follow me!)

I bought some yarn about 6 moths ago in a fit of enthusiasm to make tops for my daughter in law and myself,  then promptly  forgot it.  Perfect for an immobile occupation, I have almost done the vest top from this yarn in white, it was very quick to knit up. 

I was looking for my knitting needles to start,  I have around 50 pairs, mine, my mums, my aunties, I put them somewhere safe a month ago. VERY safe. 

After an hour and a half or 'tidying' to find them, no luck.  They will turn up eventually!

So, I have been knitting on circular needles.

 I found a ball of yarn that I chain crocheted about 5 years ago from (5 x 1 ply=DK) industrial yarn bin end cones in the 'tidy up':  it is too tight really and has made a rather unyielding yarn,  but in the effort to use it up I made a cowl, it came out rather well.  It only took me a day on giant  circular needles.   I'm making one as a Christmas gift with the rest of the ball.  

Now winter is here I can get out my Kaffe Fasset inspired woolies.  I would be lost without this coat. It's the second one I made in this colour way, I have had one for 20 years. It has become part of my identity. It's calf length, absolutely huge and snuggly (much bigger than ME and I'm 'generous'!)

I made a grey and blue one for my mum but she won't wear it as its too heavy, so it's my winter dressing gown now. Cozy.

I am gluten free and there are not often treats in the house for visitors as I have no willpower if left alone! I wanted some of those old fashioned recipes for biscuits where you store a roll of stiff dough in the fridge and cut rounds to bake-I found this 1970's gem in the charity shop, that also has lots of gluten free un-messed about with (i.e.  not modern and faffy!) recipes for sweet treats in.  

8000 recipes for £2!!  There will be warm fresh biscuits, cheezy and fruity, on the menu to go with tea and coffee for guests this Christmas.

There is also this surreal section-Tales from the Raj!!

Section two stripped!