It's the 26th..........

.............and despite getting three or four

 emails a week regarding fabric

 sales, I haven't succumbed once, 

not even so far as looking at a website!   

Only 48 1/2 weeks to go.

There is a catch!.

 

This is it .

My daughter in law liked it.  So I thought I would make it for her (don't ask me WHEN!), so I looked for the wool on line.   I thought it may suit me too.  

 

We both liked this colour:

 then I browsed the sale section.  Oh dear. 

I love random yarns especially ones with varying lengths of colour.  In cotton.

I have been hankering to do some knitting for a while (ten years ago it was my main pass-time instead of quilting).  Now I have 5 garments to knit!

Another thing to add to my 'must not buy (any more) this year' list.  

 

My son gave me an Amazon voucher for Christmas, so I spoilt myself and bought a book I had been coveting for a while.  I have read the stories associated with the blocks in the book already but the quilt will be on the back burner.  As there are so many individual blocks to cut I think I will make two of each, one in black and white and one colour. If you are going to the trouble of making 145 different blocks for the largest version then it makes sense to cut at least two!

The Big Green One returns

This is about half of my hand sewn ugly green two patches that will be made into 4 patches on the machine for 'The Big Green One', hereafter known as TBGO.  I laid them out so I could see what I had and get a good mix in the four patches.  I paired and paired and paired this evening.  Then I found a few hundred I had done on the machine in different greens, so I paired those. Then I sewed and sewed. I have done a lot but barely seemed to have scraped the surface!

You can see the hand sewing here, I just got fed up with it!  I think it was because I was sewing 2" squares to 2" squares for too long.  Yes, I ruled every one of those cream squares (and more) that you can see in the other photo to get my seam allowances right.     All four sides.  Ho hum.







The pairs have turned into The Big Green Snake......there is another one about the same size lurking in a box!


I'm going to have to take a run at this or I will loose interest in this part of the project- I have been sewing 2" squares together for what feels like weeks on the machine, in bow ties and mauve mini moths!

I may have to stop if they are not done by next weekend as I will only have two weeks to make-at least to flimsy stage- a tactile quilt top.  It will only be about 40" square and most of the fabrics are assembled, so it's achievable.

That's me set for the weekend. Back to it.  Listening to 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' on audiobook whilst I sew, 18 discs!

Part 2 from the weekend

I have been struck down. The dreaded migraine!  I won't bother you with the details but after three days I am feeling better.

So, here is the rest of the mini moth saga.......

I smoothed the top, measured the top, whoohoo, it is EXACTLY the same across the middle in both directions!  Miracle!

I measured the moth strips, it worked out OK..........but it wasn't right, the moth strip was too tight  once sewn on and whats more I didn't like it once I had laid the outer border next to it.

Now what? After making about 150 mini moths, don't use them?!

 Well, this looks OK, but its a bit boring.

I had attached the minis in the same direction as the big moths as I thought it would look too busy as it's a scrappy quilt if everything was going off in all directions.   So I tried  it another way...




Actually, that's better.

I sewed the mini moth strips on after pressing them, letting them lay as they wanted, not measuring.  No puckers!

Only trouble is......now there are odd ends-one worked out OK, two are about 1 1/2" out (half a mini moth).  I can make some odd size moths to go in there.  Hoping  the issue is with the mini moths along one side, not the quilt being out, though it WAS OK when I measured it!

The quilt will be about 104 x 104" so you won't see if it IS a bit skewed!

Now these are on I can see the light.  Three midi moths to make and the outer border to go on, then layering.

Almost a flimsy.....

Mini moths ironed and pieced into four strips..........

 

.............and about 20 bow ties made in the process.

The top is ironed and ready to smooth out and measure  to find the final cutting dimensions of the mini moth border sections: I should be layering this next week!  

Looking forward to my first machine quilting experience.

Cozy Sunday

I counted the bow ties, 270 done.  I will need about 1100 for a quilt top. 

Today I will be ironing mini moths and making up the border for moth in the window.  Once that is on I need to wait for son and daughter in law to choose the backing from my stash.  It may be a while, as we have a few inches of snow: those of you from the UK are familiar with the ridiculous chaos this causes!  Its not cold out, really quite pleasant: soft falling snow, no wind, perfect, if it HAS to snow.

This weeks read is my first Iris Murdoch, on Kindle.  

So, I'm set for a cozy day in. The freezer needs defrosting but somehow it's lost its urgency........

How to tie you bow ties

I made up two layouts of bow ties, to see which arrangement I like-these will form the two sides of a big cushion cover.   I'm no where near ready to put the quilt top together.

I like the grid pattern-because I have used scrappy 'knots' that don't match the bows, I think the pattern is stronger with the grid.  

Blue

This week, back to work, no endless days of sewing (:~{

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I  did some cutting in the evenings: 9 3/4" squares for the tile log cabin backing.  These are from the 'big piece' stash, some old cotton curtains (the paisley and the blue), some misfits and some from the 'very big piece stash'.  The colours blend better in real life than in the photo: it's a good 'use it up' project.

I cut a few extra green and cream 2" strips while I was in the mood, I should have enough for the whole project now. It's going into storage for the time being.  Other things need to take priority.

The parcel of texture fabrics (cotton drill, fleece, soft lining material) arrived for the tactile quilts so this weekend I'm washing and ironing.

I went Charity shopping for backing at the end of the year and found 3 quilt covers in good condition. The Mickey Mouse is cotton and perfect!   The stripey one is a double, yards of fabric there.  I will be using the cream one myself for tile log cabin squares and strips.

This weeks work will be on the 'moth in the window' and cutting for tactile quilts as well as the hand quilting.   I have to get Moth done for the end of the month and at least one tactile for early February.




No time to join the  blog Linky party for 12 finishes this year, I won't be sewing if I'm messing about with the computer.....hm......

Reading this week is escapism, part three of the Xeelee anthology.  Amazing set of eleven linked books. Definitely in my top five favorite authors.

Christmas TV project

These are the 10 blocks I completed over Christmas for the Tile log cabin. Half the blocks are white dominant, half green. I have cut up some more ugly greens and have some cream/white strips to do from poly-cotton shirts (use it up!), then it's going away for a few weeks.  It's quite relaxing to do this, as if you're not overly fussy about even stitching on the back (match the thread to the backing as it doesn't show at all on the front) all you need to do is ensure the folds line up with the diagonal lines drawn on the backing and assuming that the cutting is accurate, it works out fine. I have pretty much thrown everything in: as long as I use a strong pattern layout it will work. 

Blue footed booby

Regular readers may have noticed I'm a committed sewer/crafter  with an interest in everything.  

This causes difficulties  when you are also blessed with an enquiring mind and the practical attention span of a blue footed booby. 

 

 Earlier on the year I listed over 30 ideas and WIPs and UFOs (yes, I am making a distinction there it makes the whole mountain of things easier to comprehend!!)  The total is now at 'around' 35, with not one item finished this year.

I have used 'development as a quilter' as an excuse to 'just try this'' most of the year. I have done that twice in the space of 10 days!!!   

I started a little bit of crochet  for the tactile quilts and 'tried' out the tile  log cabin technique this week. 

I have seriously defaulted on my commitment to finish the had quilted wedding quilt.  That's really bad news.

So. Deep breath.  I will not begin another project this year.  

No wait.  That's not enough.  

With so many begun, I can faff about for the next three years and not finish anything.  'Completion' has always been an issue for me and I can never work out whats at the root of that.  

Regardless, I need to master it!

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

1. I will buy no quilting fabric for one calendar year.  IGNORE THE SALES!!!  THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BARGAINS!!  (Notice I have left an opt-out here, with regard to charity shops!)
2. I will work on on one machine project, one leaders and enders project (bow ties) and one hand pieced project at a time unit they are finished and gifted or in use. 
3. The first hand sewn project will be the wedding quilt.
4. The machine project is moth in the window.

5. I will complete a tactile quilt by February 13th as I have bagged a Linus fund raising day at work for 14th (UK Valentines day).
6. A colleague at work encouraged me to commit to three finishes by the end of March.  That's my first target. On my birthday I will re-asses.
7. I'm going to add to the list: I will not buy any books for one year, charity shops or otherwise!

Just has a skype call with my son in the far east and I told him if he catches me buying fabric this year I'll give him £50  .His response?  I'm quids in then!  I thought you were supposed to support addicts, not tell them they will fail!

Dominance

Tile log cabin blocks: one light, one dark dominant. I think I'm going with the dark dominant, to use up more of the murk green uglies.

 Spiral stitching on the back........

The Quilters Apprentice

Here is my read for this week-not much of a challenge, but it's ticking along. It's a Bookcrossing ring-it started its journey in the US, and has been to Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, and now the UK, I'm the 8th reader so far.

I couldn't resist

It will only take a couple of hours........

9 1/2" background square  and a pre-cut 3 1/2" square, wrong sides together and centred.

A rummage in the 2" strip bin......and a bit of hand stitching....I have pulled out browns for the backing squares, from tan to dark brown

with some judicious folding...

Each strip is folded so the first third matches the 2nd third, leaving the last third to be sewn down on the next round. It's stitched in a spiral, through all thicknesses.  I used thread that matched the back so you can't see the stitches-it's difficult to get them even as you stitch through three thicknesses, five layers on the corners.

The finished block, using up some uglies.  These blocks will be mixed fabrics, using up some poly-cotton light coloured shirts that I had donated from a colleague.  I'll slip a few other fabrics in there too, I have some silk and lining and curtain fabric to use up. 

There are three green shirting strips in here. I'll also get to use up that hideous bear paw print fabric (the picture was misleading, I bought 3 bargain metres!!). It looks like cut off paws, not prints!

The backing is a smidgen too small for comfort for when the blocks are joined, so I have cut the next four at 9 3/4"-another dodgy buy, the pattern was much bigger than I thought it would be!

I worked out the finished quilt will weigh about 5 1/2 lb, not as much as I thought. 

One more block, then its going away!

Dissolving Resolve

Having outed myself on a previous post about all I am going to get done in the next few weeks-it's my birthday at the end of march so there is a TARGET date-I didn't  get off to the most the most industrious start! To be fair, visiting took up time over Christmas (excuse!) and I was really tired yesterday (pathetic!).  Hopefully by the end of today I will have organised everything I need to in order to have a clear conscience and proceed forthwith with the sewing tasks! 

I needed something to occupy those spare moments over the festivities so I played with some crochet cotton from a charity shop that I had had in the stash for years (not enough of it to make a garment and too nice a colour for dishcloths) and made texture effects for the tactile quilts-enough for several dozen! I got a bit carried away as I haven't done crochet for years, I had forgotten how relaxing it was and how quickly things grow...............

I have been thinking about the tactile quilts non-stop as it's going to give me a chance to practice texture effects, which have long been on the list of things I want to master.  Must finish Moth in the Window first, before I do a single tactile-orientated sewing stitch!  I think I may end up doing far too complicated a job for what is required, but as I will only make one to start with there will be time for feedback. I will be setting aside practice blocks for my own quilt along the way.

Oh, and I also told my son I would loose 14lb by the time he got back from the Far East at the start of March.  Hmmmmm....... it should me me that's dissolving, not my resolve!

Excited!

I work as a purchaser for a sign company.  

 One of my key suppliers, a metalwork company, that I have spoken to every day for 7 years has made me a quilting frame for Christmas!!!

 

I sent him a design sketch 18 months ago and it fizzled as an idea, but he's done it now as a gift!!   I supply him and his small workforce with cakes on a fairly regular basis as I am often harassing him several times a day, poor man, to do-this-do-that NOW pretty please.

It's still in the car at the moment, so no pictures yet...........yes, I *really* want to try it out, but I had an accident last Sunday-I was steam cleaning the living room carpet and knocked over the machine, spilling 4 litres of water!!!  I have been sitting hand quilting with a fan heater on full blast pointing at the carpet for a week that I scrounged from work, trying to dry it out.  Took a while to figure out how to point it downwards without it scorching the carpet..............

I think were OK now, so I will be able to finish the other half of the carpet later today and re-assemble the living room into some sort of normality!

I was talking to a colleague at work about my UFOs, and have made a commitment to finish three by the end of March....erm!

Her sister works with severely disabled children and receives quilts from project Linus in the UK (I have previously donated fabric and wadding but not sewn). 

Well, they are in need of specialist sensory quilts, so I have at least one to make by 14th February (UK Valentines day) as I have bagged a fundraiser day at work and I need an example of around 40 x 40 inches to show everyone. 

I will be doing red, yellow, blue, black and white, bold colours. I found some cheap fur fabric and silky lining on the internet, so now to practice my texturing- I have this lovely book for ideas......

So, actually, that's FOUR by the end of March.  

I'd better get on with it!

Handiwork

At the weekend I wanted a bit of non-thinking hand sewing so I  put the last few hexies onto five of these 'random hexie' blocks and sewed a few more papers in whist watching catch-up TV.  

I need to press ahead with the hand quilting project for the next month and get it finished. I did a bit last night and should get  a lot done over Christmas.

A rather fuzzy photo-as this is my first go at hand quilting, I wisely chose a 'camouflage' backing so you can't see the beginners uneven stitching on the back!  Love it!

Ah! A use for the non-cotton clothing items that I currently throw out!

Oh, ANOTHER long term WIP!

I have just watched an episode from season 10 on The Quilt show, where Pepper Cory demonstrates an early log cabin technique from the Isle of Man in the UK, called locally a 'tile' log cabin.   I  don't like throwing out poly-cottons, or other fabrics when the clothing has passed it's best so here is what I'll be using them for!





I found machine instructions on the ludlowquiltandsew.blogspot.co.uk.   

I think I will be using Pepper's hand technique as its portable and I like the idea of traditional handwork.   There is some more information on her blog.   Now to beg for castoffs on Facebook.......

Good job there's no one to say stop! 

Cod

I often hear on the news information on the state of the fish stocks and there is a good series, Trawlermen, on the North Sea fleets-such as they are these days.  Fresh fish from the supermarket is prohibitively expensive most of the time.  And I only live 30 miles from the coast.

So I thought I would 'Kindle' this. Looks uninspiring, doesn't it?   Its actually quite a good read, I'm 1/4 way through.  History, politics through the ages, the state of current fish stocks; the text is engaging me.  Cod=cash=international trade, in times past.

Kurlansky has written other books on related subjects (salt, the Basques) that I may read too, as I like his style of writing.

There is a wonderful quilt by Ruth  B McDowell, featuring a school of cod, that I love.  I wish I had the time to acquire and practice her techniques.

A little exercise to clear the cobwebs....

...in two respects!


I have been feeling distinctly under the weather for the last couple of days, haven't been to work.  Yesterday I slept ALL day. And I slept late this morning until 10am.  Not like me at all.  I could have stayed there longer but my back was aching from all the laying around!  I had the fidgets this evening, no doubt from feeling thoroughly rested so I started moving a few things into my sons room while he is away to decorate....I'm going to email him this picture!  The double bed is buried, all the floor space is taken up with fabric in storage, wool in storage, UFOs, two huge rolls of wadding, FOUR giant bags of polystyrene beads to make bean bags (I've had those over 5 years), boxes of strings and more. I'm not sure this will fit in the little bedroom!  Good job I got my son to put his fishing gear in the loft before he went.

I will be taking up the old carpet and maybe prepping the paintwork this weekend.  I have hoovered away the cobwebs already.

I will have to work round this unit, there is nowhere to move it to..............

..........it has my browns and larger pieces/backing in.  I can never resist good quality fabric at silly prices for backing!   I almost weakened today and bought 8 metres of Makower strawberry fabric for backing, but I stopped myself!  Whew!