Not much sewing since last time.....

It has been a busy couple of weeks since my last post.  I was away for just over a week visiting family and was due to travel back on Monday, 19 September but as that was announced as the day of the funeral of our late Queen, Elizabeth II I decided to stay an extra day.  I was pleased that I had as it meant I could watch the coverage of the day with my Mum.  I did think that the various services and ceremonies were entirely fitting for such a dedicated Monarch and, I think that the Royal Family can be happy in the knowledge that they did the very best for her.

Needless to say, I didn't have much time to work on any of my sewing projects but I did visit a craft fair with my sister while I was away and added a few very helpful additions to my craft room which I have since put to use on a couple of my art journal pages.

I have managed to complete three new pages since my return, which I am very happy with.

I also had a very nice day out at a Quilt Guild Regional Meeting yesterday where there were a couple of very interesting talks and lots of lovely show and tell projects to look at.

Hopefully this coming week I will have some time to work on my stitching projects and will have more to show you next time.

Until next time.... 😊 xx

A momentous week....

It is actually quite hard to comprehend the events that have taken place between my post last weekend and today.  Here in the UK we have said goodbye to one Prime Minister and welcomed his replacement and then within the space of 48 hours we were saying a final farewell to our dearly beloved Queen.  I am deeply saddened by her passing.  Like many people in this Country I have never known another Head of State.  My thoughts go out to her family and especially to King Charles III who has some very big shoes to fill.  Long live the King.

So, what have I been doing in my sewing room?  Well, at the beginning of the week when everything was 'normal' I spent most of the time I had in my sewing room auditioning the background and backing fabrics for the remaining 'tiles' in my Metro Tiles Quilt a pattern designed by The Gourmet Quilter.

I also chose the appliqués for the final tiles by pinning photocopied pictures of them to the backgrounds I had chosen.  As you can see, I did have some help!

Then I set about tracing, fusing, cutting and fusing the shapes onto the backgrounds of the tiles.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that I didn't end up with quite the same selection of appliqués as those I had originally chosen.  Neither did the layout stay quite the same.

Once I had the shapes fused onto their backgrounds the order needed to re rearranged so that the more open designs and the more solid designs were more balanced throughout the quilt top.

Then I had to decide whether I wanted to add a border or not.  I decided that I would like to if I could but I wasn't sure if I had enough of the overall background fabric that I used for the setting triangles.  I was one piece short but, I improvised, so if you look at the border very carefully you will see that one of the pieces has the fabric cut in a different direction to the rest.  This is not a mistake, just the only way I could stretch the fabric to make the border!  I am pleased that I have and I don't think it will notice too much!!

Anyway, the border appliqués were fused on Friday after we had had the news that the Queen had passed away.  It was a strange day marked by an overwhelming sense of loss.  Tracing, fusing, cutting and fusing all those tiny pieces was a tremendously calming and reflective activity on a day of great sadness.

I lived in Windsor for a number of years.  I used to walk my dogs along the Long Walk (shown above) and I remember the excitement of state occasions. It was lovely to be able to walk through the town and see the pomp and ceremony.  Here are a few photos I took of one such occasion.

The Queen was in the first carriage although you can't see her very clearly.  I know the town (like the rest of the Country) will be in mourning now but it is there in St George's Chapel that Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest, may she rest in peace.

Another week gone and a new month....

Well, here we are at the start of a new month.  I can hardly believe that we have reached September.  This year to me has gone incredibly quickly and I haven't got anywhere near all the projects I would have liked to get done completed.

I shouldn't be too hard on myself though as we do seem to have been very busy and we have moved house which is complicated at the best of times but definitely a bit more so if you are a crafter/sewer!!

This week I have been working on my Metro Tiles Quilt again.  The pattern is by The Gourmet Quilter.

I managed to finish two more blocks which has meant that I could complete another row. 

I was also able to add the completed row to the quilt top so far. I love the blocks of this quilt but I am struggling to get the construction to look as neat as I would like.

I think this is mainly because I didn't have the fusible batting that was recommended for the blocks.  I chose to use ordinary batting and just baste the block front, the ordinary batting and the backing fabric together with stitching.  This worked quite well for the shorter rows but this longer row doesn't line up as well as I would have liked, so don't look too closely at the photo.

I really like how the back of the quilt looks though as I have used different colour batik fabrics and the variation in colour is very pretty.

This row will be the longest row that I am adding and I will now work out again to the bottom righthand corner adding a row of five tiles, then three and then one.  The quilt will end up a square which will be approximately 40 inches square if I don't add any border.  I will decide about the border when the rest of the rows have been added.

I think I would like to make this quilt again but this time not use the 'quilt as you go' method but rather piece the blocks together after the appliqué has been added and then layer, baste and quilt in a more traditional way.  I'll see how I feel once this is finished.

I have also had time to finish a few more pages of my art journal.  I have really become quite addicted to these pages.

They are such a lot of fun to plan and then work on.  Very 'mindful' so a very good distraction from everyday life when you need it.

Hope you are all having a good weekend.  Until next time.... 😊xx

Another week in the craft/sewing room.....

I always find it amazing at how quickly another week passes and this week is no exception!  It is lovely to have my 'creative space' fully functional again and I have been able to get quite a lot achieved this week.

Firstly, I finished a couple more of the tiles for my Metro Tiles Quilt (pattern designed by The Gourmet Quilter) and added them to the current row.

I am hoping to work on the tiles needed to complete the row this afternoon.

I also finished another art journal page.  I have been really enjoying playing with these pages and I love watching the inspirational videos by Vicky Papaioannou of 'Clips-n-Cuts'.

I haven't only been busy in my craft room this week though as I have also been having fun hanging some of my favourite quilt/embroidery makes around the house.

I was so excited to rediscover some of these quilts that have been hidden away until we moved.

It has been great fun deciding where to hang them.  Of course there are probably still some more to be added and there may well be some rearranging but that's all part of the fun!

Hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend! 

Until next time.... 😊 xx

This week's crafting....

Since I have managed to straighten out my sewing/craft room and get the rest of the house move boxes unpacked, I have had a little time to 'play'.

Firstly, I have been trying to complete a new 'Art Journal' page most days and I am really enjoying the creativity involved as well as the fun of working with some new media.

As well as the page I showed you here, I have also created a couple more individual pages (shown above) and, have started working on a handmade journal.  Here are the pages I have completed in the journal so far.

Most of the pages have been inspired by a very talented artist called Vicky Papaioannou and you can find her blog 'Clips-n-Cuts' here.

I have to confess to it being a rather addictive new pastime!!

I have also returned to a project that I last showed you here.  I am trying to complete one tile a day from my Metro Tiles Quilt (pattern designed by The Gourmet Quilter) and add it to the row that I am working on.

I am keeping quite well on track for the moment having added three blocks this week.

Just hope that continues this coming week!

Hope you're having a great weekend and until next time..... xx