A finished project!

Following on from my last post, I am really happy that I have had the time to finish off the little house project that I have been working on. I have added a few appliqué and hand-embroidered details to the back ground pieced/quilted block.  Including the tree and it's leaves.....

A little embroidered bee flying above the appliquéd daisies.....

A group of embroidered flowers next to the trunk of the tree.....

and finally, a little bird button to the roof....

Once all the details were completed, I was in two minds whether to make the project into a cushion or a wall hanging.  I opted for making a cushion.....

by adding an envelope backing.....

I liked the cushion but it seemed to lose a few of the hand-embroidered details at the edges when I added the cushion filler to shape the cushion. So I had a think about what I could do if I wanted to use it as a wall hanging instead.

The envelope backing looked a bit like a facing would have done if you pressed the front embroidered panel flat, so I searched my sewing room to find a small, adjustable curtain pole which I was able to push up into the envelope back until it reached the top edge of the quilted panel.

As this is only a small 'quilt' it is quite possible to just hang this on the wall on a little tack by balancing it with the pole.  

So I am really pleased because now I can use it as either a wall hanging or a cushion depending on what I would like! Win - win!!

Now back to the Christmas decorating and my metro tiles quilt! 

Have a lovely week..... 😊 xx

A bit side-tracked.....

I know that I keep saying I am going to get another row added to my Metro Tiles Quilt but, I am afraid it still hasn't happened!  The blocks that I basted ready last time are still sitting in my sewing room waiting for some attention.  I have been side-tracked by the other project that I showed you.... my little house quilt.

I finished quilting the background and I have been very busy adding hand-embroidered details and I really like how it is shaping up.

The daisies to the right were added by appliquéing some fussy cut shapes from scraps of fabric and then embellishing them with some hand stitching. I have also now added a little bee above them (see last photo below).

The tree trunk was appliquéd and then quilted and now I am adding some hand-embroidered leaves.

I have also outlined the windows and doors and have embroidered some details in the lawn. As well as adding a few more flowers (next to the tree).

It's not quite finished but, I am hopeful that I will get it completed this week.  Then I'll start working on my Metro Tiles Quilt again! (If I have time after I have decorated the house for Christmas!!)

Have a lovely week! Until next time.... 😊

In my sewing room this week....

This week I have had quite a busy week in my sewing room and it has been a lot of fun!!

I didn't manage to get the next row of my Metro Tiles Quilt (designed by Susan Claire of Gourmet Quilter) completed and added to the quilt but, I have been working on it.  I layered and basted all the blocks for the next row.

In addition, I layered, basted and quilted all the setting and corner triangles that I am going to need to complete the section of the quilt that I have chosen to make (I only have enough of the fabrics I have chosen for this smaller section but I may make a bigger quilt later).

As well as working on the blocks for the Metro Tiles Quilt, on Saturday I attended a virtual workshop organised by Region 3 of the Quilters' Guild. The workshop was given by Jo Avery and was great fun.

We started the day by making a very simple 'improv house block' which had no windows and which Jo called a 'shed'.  

We then went on to make a 'house' block which was very similar to the shed but included some windows.  After a break for lunch we were given the option to make an even more complicated house block which Jo called a 'bungalow'.  I opted not to make this third block, choosing instead to layer, baste and start quilting my house block which I want to make into a small wall hanging. After the workshop Jo gave a talk about her life in textiles which was extremely interesting and which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Later still in the afternoon I joined another virtual talk this time organised by Region 10 of the Quilters' Guild given by Deborah Boschert.  As I have owned a lovely book by Deborah Boschert for a little while, I was very interested to hear her talk about her work and I was not disappointed!!  All in all a lovely, quilty day!

Since then, I have been busy working on the house block that I made in the workshop and have now nearly finished quilting it.  I have also added some appliqué for interest and intend to add some hand stitching too.  So far I am very pleased with how it is looking.

Hope you've had chance for some creativity this week! Until next time 😊 xx

More new tiles....

This week I have had a few pockets of time here and there when I have been able to prepare a couple more tiles for my version of the Metro Tiles Quilt designed by Susan Claire of Gourmet Quilter.

The first two I appliquéd this week are the block shown above and the block shown below. 

These have joined the two that I had already prepared and showed you last time. 

Above is a photo of the four of them together.

Since then I have managed to add another four blocks to the pile of blocks waiting to be basted and quilted.

It has been so enjoyable choosing the fabrics and then fusing these appliqué designs to the backgrounds.

I am looking forward to having time this week to baste them to their batting and background fabrics and then to quilting each block.

I am hoping that by the end of the week I will have another row finished but we shall see!

Hope you're all having a creative week! Until next time..... 😊

Since my last post....

Just popping by to show you what I have been working on since my last post.  Firstly, I have managed to add some more of the 'grouting' between the tiles of my 'Metro Tiles' project designed by Susan Claire of Gourmet Quilter.

I have also prepared and fused onto the background two more tiles ready for basting and quilting.

As I was away a few days this past week, I took some hand work with me to work on.  I finally finished the back of the 'Trio of Alliums' embroidery designed by Anne Brooke of HanneMade and now have it hanging on the wall.

I also started a new embroidery project.  This is called 'Sea Hollies' and is a kit from Beaks and Bobbins.

I am hoping that I will have some more time over the next few days to work on both my quilt and embroidery projects but I have a mountain of washing to do first!!

Have a lovely week and until next time .....😊

Happy November and a new project.....

I am finding it hard to believe that we are in November but, it seems that we are.  Over the weekend we had dreadful weather where I live but that gave me the opportunity to start a new project!

I bought and downloaded a QAYG pattern for a quilt called 'Metro Tiles' which was designed by Susan Claire of Gourmet Quilter.

It is a different type of quilt as you go pattern in as much as not only do you quilt the blocks as you go but, you also construct the quilt top as you go too as the sashing is also appliquéd to the quilt top.  

It is an appliqué quilt which uses the fusible appliqué method.  The pattern suggests a free motion raw edge finish to the appliqué but I have decided to finish the appliqué pieces with a narrow zig zag stitch. (Given the complexity of some of the appliqué designs, I might be regretting this decision but we will see how I get on!)

The pattern doesn't call for any quilting in the setting triangles at the end of each diagonal row of blocks but I decided that I would add some straight line quilting to them.

This decision was partly made because the pattern uses fusible batting (wadding) but I didn't have any so I have been basting the block fronts to the batting and backing before quilting instead.

I thought some quilting in the triangles would help stabilise them as I put the blocks together.

So far I have completed the first block and put it together with the side setting triangles and corner triangle.

I have fused the next three appliqués to their background fabrics and basted them to the batting and backing ready to be quilted.

I am hoping to get to work on this next row this afternoon.

Hope you all have time for some creativity this week.  Until next time..... 😊

Not much to show this week....

I don't really have much to show this week in terms of stitching but, I did manage to put a facing onto the miniature quilt that I showed you I had started in this post.

The pattern was designed by Deborah O'Hare of Quilt Routes and I used a facing to finish it using a method that is taught by Philippa Naylor in her Quilter's Question Time online classes. 

I was very pleased with the nice neat corners.

Until next time wishing you a very creative week! 

A busy week....

It has been quite a busy week this week but I am pleased to say that I was able to finish the stitching on my version of 'Trio of Alliums' designed by Anne Brook of HanneMade.  

Now I just need to get the back trimmed and finished off so that I can hang it somewhere!

Here are a couple of closer pictures.  (Hope they're not too blurry!)

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a regional day organised by the Quilt Guild I belong to.  It was the first time everyone had been able to meet up for some time and things were still very carefully monitored so that not too many people were there and so that all the guidelines were followed.

There were two guest speakers.  The first was a local textile artist called Alison Hulme.  I hadn't heard of her before so it was nice to hear her story and to be introduced to her work. 

The second was a quilter that I had heard of before, Carolyn Forster and it was lovely to see her quilts at close range and to be able to ask her some questions.  Of course I couldn't resist buying a couple of her latest books to add to my collection!

I was also lucky enough to win a prize in the raffle.  My prize was a Quilter's Multi Mat which is going to be really useful to take to workshops as it has surfaces for cutting, designing, drawing and ironing!

All in all a lovely day!

Hope you have all had a lovely week.  Until next time....