300

No, not really!  I got your interest though!

Three hundred bow ties with spun  centre seams.  With those I have already bagged, I recon I have about 700 done now.  More still on the machine and more sets ready to sew up. Overdoing it again!

Reading: just finished

I'm sending this off to another Bookcrosser. then I will be reading

 for the same person, both are tags for the 'Wishlist Tag Game'
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/10/488977?&page=1

So may bow ties!

Here is the first  batch of bow ties  waiting to have the seams spun, a TV job this weekend.

I like the odd mismatched ones the best, can't wait to see them in the quilt-there aren't many of them but they will add interest-here, orange bows, black knots. Sore fingers form all the smoothing!

I have kept the bow ties on the machine all week for spare moments-this is the second huge batch!  There are a lot left to do: I have had my fill of 'just sewing' this week, so the project will go back to the standard leaders and enders status for a bit when this batch is done.  Nice to have one of these projects ready to go when the 'just sew' bug catches you.

The next leaders and enders project will be Bonnie's Perkiomen Daydreams. This should keep me going for a bit. Years, in fact!

Later this weekend I'll be putting the sashings on 'orange and blue' which is still laid out in the spare room (link to previous post).  I'm going to set the blocks in the same way as the blue and red baby quilt, sashed with the orange highlight fabric.  I'll also be finishing the binding on the baby quilt-Baby Alexander has arrived!



 I don't know if I will get this done in time for a Christmas present, as there is so much else to take priority, but at least the top will be ready to go.

Linking up for the .maybushstudio brit-thursday-sewing-linky

Thank you Mark

Mark donated a box of Oakshott cottons and some ric-rac from his late wife's stash for me to make charity quilts.   

 The coloured cottons will be great for Linus quilts 

Ric-rac for tactile elements in the quilts for my colleagues sister, who works with disabled children. I'll it as crumb-catcher edging on these two flimsies....

Newsflash! Leaders and enders take over British womans weekend!

I wanted my plastic storage box back in the kitchen. Nothing for it, Those bow ties have to be sewn!

This week: free motion

This week has been filled with finishing off projects: by the end of next week I will have four finishes, once the binding is sewn down!   I have been free motion quilting into the wee hours.

VE1 series table mat quilting detail

VE1 series table mat quilting detail

Cot quilt detail, lollipop trees and border

Now its hand sewing binding for a week (I like doing this, strangely!)

Linking up for FMQ Friday 
and WIP Wednesday

Could I possibly.....

.........get a quilt done as a Christmas present, with all the other sewing commitments that I have promised?   I have been tidying up.  I found these blocks, that I was going to add to to make a bigger quilt.  The project had been temporarily shelved as non-urgent.   There are enough here for a double bed topper once the sashings are on.   This is the trial layout.  I can already see things I'm going to move! I have four favourite blocks, all of which I would like to use in a quilt on their own. The blocks will finish at 12 inches.

If I didn't use 'made' fabric in these just strips from the bins, they would  be quite quick to do.

Another four projects. Agh!

Last night I had a bit of a practice  for the baby quilt, then got frustrated and actually started it.  In the end I came up with a design I've called Lollipop trees.  I am not at all happy with my quilting, but this is my first complete quilt that I will have free motioned all over, so I mustn't expect too much of myself.  The first few were not good, I wanted to unpick them but didn't! I will finish these this evening. 

The border will be the adapted Wormholes pattern I used on the pink charity quilt border.

Then I have four things to sew sashings on!

I have one orphan block, and lots of the 'made' blue fabric left, enough to make another 'orange and blue', I think.

Which quilting design?

Dancing nine patch baby quilt

I'm fairly sure my college won't be looking to see what's going on so here is a pic of the baby quilt ready for sewing-I can't decide on  a design to sew!  Any suggestions?   

I want to sew in the blue squares fairly densely, leave the red and the yellow, and densely quilt the border. Even after looking at Leahs site I can decide!

Gingko leaves

 I was playing around trying things out last night.  I realised my travel stitching needs mere work!  Then I came up with this design for gingko leaves that I quite like (wibbly borders, no smooth curves, I can manage that!). 


I may use this as a background filler for the cream areas on 'Moth in a Window', another one that looks to be done by the end of the year.

Moth In the Window layout trial

Oh! Shedloads of ideas for free motion quilting

Have a look at Flicr (or the net) for Zentangle.    If you search 'groups' there are some that have step by step instructions for building your patterns.

I have tried this myself but lack the imagination and the will to practice with a pen, stitching interests me more!

And of course, there is Leah Day, the queen of invention!

The Insomniacs Guide to Staying Awake

10pm. Browsing quilt pics on Flickr. Hm, I have enough pre-cuts for one of those for Project Linus.....................out come the strips, blocks and bricks. 2am, still not tired, but have to force a shut down as up early to take the cat for her operation. 

This should take my mind of her for the rest of the morning........then on to that baby quilt layering.

Off topic

Not much sewing done in the last two weeks. Life has conspired.   I have been taking stock of where I am and where I'm headed. I am Rubenesque girl, I have been for along while now anyway, since I stopped competitive sport.  My dad was a big  chap, I take after him in a lot of ways. These days, a lot of my interests are sedentary, which isn't doing me any favours  as I approach middle age, I can see me having similar health issues in 20 years. A lot of things have come together recently to make a reality check necessary in all areas of my life.  I have listened to other peoples life experiences, taken advice on board.   Time to stop struggling and change my health status along with a lot of other things.   I have a week off work this week, to look at jobs that need doing and put a different regime in place-literally getting my house in order!     

Happy to say that lots of quilty projects will have come together by the end of the year, as I have overcome my doubts about free motion quilting and stopped striving for immediate perfection (a character fault that often stops me trying something as I know I can't achieve it immediately!)  

This week I have to finish the baby quilt, before Master Gurr is actually here in the middle of next month! I can show you that once its completed and handed over. 

Then  this charity quilt to be bound, along with two more VE1 series table mats.  Then, four more charity quilts that are already pieced are ready for my free motion practice.  Lets face it, children aren't the quilt police!  

I have been reading a lot: losing myself in a book separates me from reality a little and gives my mind a space to ponder. I struggled getting through Moby Dick by Herman Melville for a month- it was a fascinating historical document of life on board a whaling ship, so I'm not sure why I found it so much hard work!

This weeks read is a RABCK (random act of Bookcrossing kindness)  for fellow Bookcrosser 3vie, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurrier.  I have a lot of books bought form charity shops to read. Literally hundreds!  As a way of choosing my next read I ask Bookcrossers to pick one for me, I read it and send it to them.  On the 'to be read and sent' pile are Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Difference Engine by William Gibson, Creatures of the Earth by John McGahern, Treasure Island by RL Stevenson and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.  That will keep me busy for the next 6 weeks or so!  Sadly, I can only send within the UK now s its often more expensive to post a book abroad than it is to buy a new one!
 

I had a couple of days on Brighton this weekend house sitting for my son. Saturday was rainy and dreary, no one about at all in the morning,  sad to see my home town like that on a bank holiday weekend.  There were eldery ladies out for the day on the pier prepared with wooly blankets!  In August! I took lots of photos for the Flickr 'empty seats' group-thankfully Sunday and Monday were warm, otherwise it could have been another financial disaster for local businesses, on the tail of last years bank holiday washouts.


Off to move furniture, I need a third coat of white on my bedroom walls, the streakiness is disturbing me! 

A thank you to Jane

I haven't spoken to Jane for nearly 30 years, though I think about her. She is settled in America now.  Jane hand pieced me a duvet cover as a wedding present when I was first married, from scrap fabrics, something like this one.......in the days when there were no templates to be bought and everything was cut with scissors. Now I understand the work involved, whilst she was raising a young family I am still touched by that gift.    

My mum was a seamstress so I learnt to sew, it was part of my DNA. Now, I pretty much only sew patchwork.  That is, due to the influence of these two women.  Mum, thanks for passing on your skills.  Jane, thank you for the gift all those years ago, thank you for those hours of hand stitching. Sadly, it's long gone.  If I had known better then, I would have patched it up and kept it living somehow.  xxx

Free motion phobia

I have a Bernina 440QE and lots of quilt tops.  And no talent for free motion quilting.  Then I found http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.co.uk/.  In one of Leah Days posts she said 'pick a pattern and quilt three tops with it'.  I had been practicing over the last month, but every time I tried sewing on one of the charity quilts I ended up unpicking it (tedious).  
Having spoilt  myself by buying the 440 QE it's crazy not to use it. So, I picked a pattern with a rhythm, rather than trying to plug away at stippling and it all looking uneven.  So many to choose from on this site! I picked one called wormhole (appeals to a sci-fi fan), practiced and adapted a little.  The front is OK, pale on pale, but the back! Not so cool in closeup!

I started quilting a border in a dark variegated pink: that came out as  it was too noticeable! I left that pink in on the bobbin as its closer to the backing and found something paler. Better!  I'm starting to get the hang of the foot control.  It's actually better now I have sped the stitching up.  This is something I want to be really good at.  I will have plenty of practice, I have six charity quilts, a baby quilt and four double tops to do! 

The centre is lightly quilted with the walking foot, the border will be a contrasting texture. 

One side down, three to go on this charity quilt.  Then it's on to the baby quilt for a work colleague, same pattern but all over and in a slightly larger scale.

Roundup

I haven't been able to settle to much sewing.  Last weekend I went to London and visited the Victoria and Albert museum, I took lots of very poor quality photos for inspiration.  This one is from the top floor, the lighting was OK as it was outdoors!








I took some 1/2" diamonds to do on the train. I did a few in my lunch break at work this week too.  I worked out I do about one a minute, 100 done.










I also did a little machine work every evening, 64 bow ties done. Mostly uglies, but they will be fine when mixed in.









We have been looking after a lost kitty for two weeks.  She is definitely lost and not a wild cat, loves her food, home comforts, knows how a household works. As its warm she's living out doors because of our own aged cat and territorial issues.  We have put up posters, but no luck. I think a work colleague will take her next week. She really wants a home, she sneaked in a while ago and has discovered the joys of quilting. I don't have the heart to turf her out. She has been asleep and relaxed for about an hour, my cat hasn't noticed, thank goodness!