Sunshine and Quilt Tops!

It was a very cold and wet weekend here.  We even had a few snow flurries and the mountains that I can normally see from the window were shrouded in mist.  This morning the sun is shining and everywhere looks beautiful!

The wet weather over the weekend meant I was inside and able to work on my two 'Me and My Sister' projects.  The first project is a design called 'Bertha' from the book '3 Times the Charm'.  This great book is full of designs using a charm pack of fabric.  For my Bertha quilt I used a charm pack of the fabric 'Vintage Modern' by Bonnie and Camille.  The quilt top is all pieced and ready to be layered for quilting.  Hopefully I will get that done over the next few days.

My second project is a design called 'Ingrid' from the book '3 Times the Charm Book Two'.  So far I just have the pieces cut and pinned ready for chain piecing.  I'm hoping to get this top finished soon too!

Hope you had a good weekend and, if you have sunshine, enjoy every minute of it!

Moving into Summer?!!

Usually at this time of year here in the Northern Hemisphere thoughts are turning towards Summer.  The days have lengthened and plans for barbecues are being made.  I know that it has been a very chilly Spring and, that I still have the heating on and, even that the weather forecast predicted it but, I was still shocked to see this scene from my windows this morning!!

Luckily the roads are clear and, as the temperatures are rising during the day, the snow is melting very quickly.  Of course having to be inside all warm and cozy does give me a chance to work on two new projects that I have been promising to get started.

I am working on two quilts.  Each one is a 'Me and My Sister' design.  The first is from their book '3 times the Charm'  which was released last year (I think!) and, the second is from their newest book '3 times the Charm Book Two'.  So far I have chosen my fabrics, both Moda charm packs: the first 'Vintage Modern' by 'Bonnie and Camille' and the second 'Sunkissed' by 'Sweetwater'.  They are both older fabric collections which I have had ready to make something with for a while.  I'm off to make some coffee now and get going on the cutting out!

Hope you have a nice and warm weekend!

Poppy Stitchery Completed!

In between packing and moving to temporary accommodation whilst our house is being renovated, I have managed to finish stitching the first stitchery sampler of a project from the Girls Own Stitching Club designed by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly Designs.  The stitchery is block one of a nine block project which is called Le Jardin Quilt.  I love how the Poppy Stitchery turned out and I can't wait for the next block!

So far I haven't had chance to sew the stitchery into a quilt block but I have been auditioning fabrics and here are the ones that I think I will use.  They are all Tilda fabrics.  Hopefully I will get a chance to put the block together before the end of the week! 

 

There is nothing like some stitching to reduce the stress of moving!!

Next project ready to go!

It is raining here again today.  We have had a lot of rain this Spring which means that everywhere is looking nice and green!  One benefit of rain is that you don't feel guilty about being indoors working on your next project!!  This morning I got everything ready to start the first sampler block for the 'Girls Own Stitching Club' which is an online stitching club organised by Bronwyn Hayes of 'Red Brolly Designs'.

To transfer the design I taped the printed design to one of my windows and then taped the fabric I had cut over the top.  Using a very fine permanent marker I drew (and in some places dotted: an idea which I learned from another favourite blog I read 'Pretty By Hand') the design ready for stitching. 

I pressed it from the back and ironed on some fine fusible interfacing (this stops the threads showing through where you don't want them to).  Then I put it in my embroidery frame and it is all ready to go and I can't wait to get started!!

Finished Quilt -Ta Dah!

I had a lovely creative weekend finishing off the baby quilt I started at the end of last week.  It is just so rewarding to finish a project.

 

I am really pleased with the finished quilt and I am glad that I stuck to the neutral colours, I think they have worked really well.

I am not really very skilled at machine quilting but, I always give it a try. I was pleased with the outcome this time and, it is all good practice!  This is the back of the quilt, which shows the quilting design in more detail.  I did all the quilting using a walking foot and straight line designs. (I haven't advanced to free motion quilting on a finished project yet, that still needs a bit more work!)  Baby quilts are a really good size to work with under the machine.

It is always nice to be able to present someone with a handmade gift.  I hope that it brings the recipients (both mum and baby) some pleasure.

Quilt in progress!

The new fabrics that I bought earlier this week were just calling out to me to get started on my baby quilt project.  I loved all the fabrics that I bought and, although I really enjoy the creative process of choosing which fabrics to use for a project, I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to making a final decision.

After much deliberation, I decided that, as I don't know the gender of the baby I am making this quilt for, I'd 'play safe' and go for a very subtle, neutral look with just creams, white and green.  Decision finally made, I cut out what I needed and was about to start piecing fabrics together when I realised that I had no pins to hand (packed!) so some improvisation was called for.  I managed to find enough needles around the house to get started on the piecing and so far things are going well.  This is how the quilt top is looking so far. I am hoping to get some more done this afternoon. 

I did manage to remember to buy some pins when I went out grocery shopping this morning, which should make things a little easier!  Maybe I'll have it finished off over the weekend.  I also found these two delightful magazines (couldn't resist!) so, I'm looking forward to reading them this weekend too.

Have a lovely weekend!

Purchases and Plans!

Did I mention that I have very little will power when it comes to fabrics?  Well, I am afraid that is most definitely the case and, although I am earnestly trying to pack things away here so that renovations can start, I might just have visited a local quilt shop and bought some new fabric and sewing supplies! Ooops!

I do have a very good excuse.  I really, really need the fabric as I want to make a baby quilt as a gift and my fabric stash is currently inaccessible.  As I don't know the gender of the bump in question, I have tried to select colours and fabrics that would work for either.  Here they are!  What do you think?

I have also been drawing up plans for the prospective quilt design and I think I am going to go with an hourglass block interspersed with stripes of other fabric.  It needs to go together quickly as I haven't got much time to make it.  I think what I have in mind will work.

Hello Mr Sunshine!

How wonderful it is to see the sunshine this morning!  We have had a lot of rain here recently and one day last week we had a big storm with hail stones the size of walnuts showering down.  Needless to say, the poor Spring flowers lost all their petals and were looking very sorry for themselves!

Finally though, there are some signs of life on both the vine (which gives us shade on the terrace in the Summer) and the wisteria (which extends across the front of the house).  Both of these plants are over 150 years old and, I was worried that we may have damaged them when we had to cut them back severely last Autumn in order to decorate the outside of the house.  It has been a long and cold Winter here and I have had to wait a long time for reassurance that they have both survived!

The wet weather has given me the chance to get some more crocheted squares finished off.  I have managed to make all the pink and cream squares needed and all the brown and cream squares.

Next I just have to finished off some navy and cream squares (in progress).  Sew them all together and crochet the borders!!  I am really looking forward now to getting this project completed!

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to survive the next few weeks without doing some sewing of some sort.  So, I think perhaps a visit to the local quilt shop is in order!  Well, what's a girl to do when her fabric stash is all packed away?!  I've been inspired to have a go at English Paper Piecing after reading a blog post by Lynette Anderson this morning.  I don't think I'll need to buy too much fabric!