FAL Q4

I should only have 9 finishes on this list, but as usual I have other things half started or need to get them done this quarter, so I'm adding them on, and hoping to get 2 finishes per month this final quarter, so fingers crossed we'll be down to 6 before the end of the year :o).

Those in green are the priority list, the ones I hope/expect to get done this quarter, we will see! 

1. Hexy 2
Started: December 2013
Current Status:  From about 33% of the way through at the start of the quarter to about 80% done now
Plan: Aiming for end of year finish

 

  2. The Weekender

Started: Spring 2013
Current Status: No progress. Taken back apart.  Reduce size of the base, re-sew together and then fix the lining

Plan: Get it done so I can face making another bag (one day)

 

3. Plus Quilt

Started: Summer 2013
Current Status: Handful of blocks, plus I have added the New York Beauty to this plan, as the centre piece.  Now have an additional 100(ish) plus blocks from Stitch Tease ladies, just need to calculate how many additional blocks are needed
Plan:  Unlikely to finish this year, but would like to put together what I have so far.

 
 4 Stitch Tease House Blanket 2
Started: Nov 2013
Current Status: Top together, just need to add backing, quilt and bind.
Plan: Complete asap

5. Simply Solids Quilt
Started: August 2013
Current Status: Just blocks
Plan: Make into a quilt/picnic throw for summer in the garden. Unlikely to get done this year.

6. Star/Bright Sampler Blocks
Started: January 2013
Current Status:  Just blocks
Plan: Piece into a quilt, unlikely to get done this year.

7. Hand Hoop
Started: Early 2013
Current Status: Needs hoop finishing off
Plan: Finish and hang!

8.Crochet Blanket
Started: End of 2012
Current Status: All blocks finished, need joining and lining
Plan:Sew them together and get them made into a little blanket

9. Jumper Blanket
Started: June 2014
Current Status: A big pile of squares cut from some of my old, favourite, felted jumpers
Plan: Sew them together for a winter blanket, fabric backed

10. Georgias Christening Cushion
Started: October 2014
Plan: Get it finished asap as it's already about 3 weeks late!

11. Frozen Blanket
Started: September 2014 fabrics purchased
Plan: Finished before Christmas

And before anyone asks, I am sick of Frozen, but I'm working on my Mum of the year award, currently failing miserably ;o)

12. Christmas Quilt
Started: September 2014 fabrics pulled
Plan: Finish before Christmas Day :o)

 And yes, these are all Christmas fabrics, I didn't realise I had quite so many, maybe 2 or 3 quilts might be in order!

 I am aiming for 2 finishes this week (that's pretty hopeful but reasonably realistic), but as this is my man free week I have 4 nights free to get my sewjo on.  

Ange xxx

FAL Q3 Roundup

So, I started the last quarter with 12 items on my list, aiming to do 2 per month to get them all completed by the end of the year.  Well let us all have a big laugh at that then shall we, before I tell you what I really managed.  

Finished laughing? Ok, well the Summer holidays totally killed all hope of any serious crafting, and those 6 weeks were sewing drought territory, and that means just 3 finishes this time around, although there is some good progress on a few others which i'll include on my next quarter list.
 
1. My Sampler Quilt
Started: 2012
Current Status: DONE

2. Stitch Tease House Quilt
Started: Nov 2013
Current Status: One DONE, second one, top together, just need to add backing, quilt and bind

 

3. Portholes blocks

Started: Retreat 2013
Current Status: DONE

I have got some other finishes to share from my fantastic weekend as hanger on to the Brit Bee ladies, and their sewing Weekender.  I can't find the words just yet, but I will.

Ange xxx

Final Finish For The Quarter FAL 3, Q3

Well nearly another month has passed, and I'm only just back here, whoops!  Life has been a little busy, there has been a bit of sewing, mostly hand sewing on Hexy 2, but I did manage a finish, and it wasn't even the smallest item on the list, so 9 to complete for the final quarter, can't see that happening but I'm going to give it a whirl :o)

Last year for my favourite bee (it's also my only one now, as I decided to reduce my commitments for when the baby was coming), Stitch Tease, I requested house blocks for a quilt for the girls (eek, still feels weird saying that).  After giving a few suggested patterns, I got some fantastic blocks back, and decided to make 2 picnic blankets with them, and this is the first one.

I backed it with a bargain blanket from Primark that I bought a while back, something light weight for dragging around next Summer, as I'm a little late for this year :o)

A big thank you to my fantatic Bee buddies for their blocks, I love them all. The second blanket will hopefully follow shortly, but I seem to be juggling about 20 different things at the moment....

Ange x

August All Gone.... FAL Finish 2, Q3

Well almost, and I am just sneaking in on the final day with a blog post after a near 6 week break.  No surprise this pretty much exactly coincided with the kids summer holidays, which ended on Thursday when C went back to school *hooray*, although Mr HOC has been off since then so normal service hasn't entirely resumed.  

I have managed to sneak in a bit of sewing during those few weeks, but haven't exactly conquered my FAL at two per month as hoped, oh well, the top of Hexy 2 is now about 75% finished :

Both House quilts have been planned in terms of layout (and some of the sewing is completed), and I've received lots more of my plus blocks for the NYBCFG quilt from my fabulous Stitch Tease Bee sisters :o).  

Which means all of the quilts are moving forward at the same time, all good stuff.

I have (started and) finished one of the items from my FAL today, a nice simple upscale version of a peg bag to make it into a laundry bag for the nursery, using up my orphan block from FQR 2013 made during Lu's Portholes Class.  I cannot for the life of me find the other block, v annoying, but when/if I do, it will probably end up as another one for eldest daughter :o)

It's not wonky despite this dodgy photo :o)

A couple of other starts and finishes this month, firstly, I did a little pattern testing for Sara of Sew Sweetness, as she has a series of embroidery patterns awaiting release, and as it was unicorns, I couldn't resist.

I originally intended to make this up into a gift for my niece who is unicorn mad, but my eldest daughter dropped so many unsubtle hints that she wanted it, so I made it into a nameplate for her bedroom.  I added the phrase "Live Yours Dreams" underneath, which seemed appropriate given the embroidery subject.

And the other finish for the month, was a bag for eldest daughter to go back to school with.  Despite me considering the fabric incredibly ugly, she absolutely adores it, and very proudly sported it on her first day back on Thursday.  

Using this tutorial as a guideline http://ocd-obsessivecraftingdisorder.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/bag-lady-week-messenger-bag-tutorial.html

For those not "up" with little girl trends, the fabric features the 2 sisters from the film Frozen, so I have been told I am "the best mummy in the world", which lasted all of five minutes ;o).

Hopefully I will be blogging more regularly now school is back, and making some more progress on the FAL mountain I have to climb, we'll see!

Ange x

FAL Q3 1st Finish & Combining WIP's

Well, after 2 and a half years I have finally finished up my Sampler Quilt!  

This was one of the projects I started before I found all of the fab online shops, so a few of the fabric choices are not necessarily to my current tastes, but now it's finished with a riot of polka dots (my faves as I may well have mentioned before!) and stripes, I rather like it.  The blocks are from the 2012 Craftsy block of the month, and I think there are a couple of months missing, when I ran out of steam towards the end of the year!

This was always intended to be a sofa quilt for me, so finally after 3 and a half years of quilting I have my own quilt- not that I need it at the moment as it has been sweltering in the UK for the past few weeks and I feel like I am about to melt!

For quilting, I have added my trademark "light touch quilting" (anyone who suggests I'm a lazy quilter who doesn't like the actual quilting process may well have a point, but I can't guarantee I wont smother them!!!)  with a cross hatch across the blocks both ways, and then a little straight lining around the blocks.  Overall it's come up as a respectable 55 inches/140cm square, just perfect for me to snuggle under this winter.

This is the first quilt I've actually backed with the Britten Nummers fabric from Ikea, but I rather like it, and it seems just perfect for this Monochrome Sample quilt, first tick off of the list, yay!

*

I am now turning my attention to some of my other WIP's, and decided rather cleverly (in my humble opinion) to combine a couple, and to get some of the additional blocks made up for my month (August) as Queen Bee for Stitch Tease.  Those with a long memory, may remember the plus blocks I started last year, with the aim of making a Super King Size quilt (apologies for the murky pic).

Well I was contemplating how to increase their numbers significantly, when I remembered the New York Beauty Circle of Flying Geese block I made recently, and decided it could be the centrepiece of the quilt, genius!

I adore this block, it's a fab pattern and I think it will make an amazing centrepiece for a quilt, and with the help of my Bee buddies I can move it closer to being a quilt, and further away from a WIP.  Just to clarify, I am only asking my fellow Stitch Teasers to make plus blocks, not more of these NYB blocks (can someone please resuscitate Susan, we know her feelings on foundation paper piecing!)

  

Sorry, I couldn't help myself, I had to throw a few more photos in, I adore this block, can you tell?
Ange x

FAL Q3- The Usual Suspects Plus A Couple of Newbies

So, there are 12 items left on the list for this quarter, and with the previous pattern/aim of 2 items per month my goal is to have all of these finished by the end of the year.  Yes, i know that's ambitious, but you don't get anywhere without aiming high, and I need to focus on getting them done.  It's clear from previous quarters that there is enough space in my month to fit in a few other projects too, so I can still start some other smaller things, but no more quilts until a few of these are done!

And here it is, in all it's glory:
1. Hexy 2
Started: December
Current Status:  About 1/3 of the way through this, need to cut and prep a load more hexies.
Plan: Aiming for end of year finish

 

  2. The Weekender

Started: Spring 2013
Current Status: Taken back apart.  Reduce size of the base, re-sew together and then fix the lining

Plan: Get it done so I can face making another bag (one day)

  

3. My Sampler Quilt
Started: 2012
Current Status: Half quilted yesterday (hooray)
Plan: Finished July 2014

4. Plus Quilt
Started: Summer 2013
Current Status: Handful of blocks, plus I have added the New York Beauty to this plan, as the centre piece, still need around 200 pluses.
Plan:  Have the pluses as my Stitch Tease block (next month), so my Bee sisters can help me get this one finished!

 
5 & 6.  Stitch Tease House Quilt
Started: Nov 2013
Current Status: Enough for 2 I think, will decide once I get to it!
Plan: Make into a quilt/picnic throw for summer in the garden

7. Simply Solids Quilt
Started: August 2013
Current Status: Just blocks
Plan: Make into a quilt/picnic throw for summer in the garden

8. Star/Bright Sampler Blocks
Started: January 2013
Current Status:  Just blocks
Plan: Piece into a quilt!

9. Portholes blocks
Started: Retreat 2013
Current Status: Just 2 blocks
Plan:Find a use for them I can only find the top one at the moment, vague idea of hanging laundry bags.

10. Hand Hoop
Started: Early 2013
Current Status: Needs hoop finishing off
Plan: Finish and hang!

11.Crochet Blanket
Started: End of 2012
Current Status: All blocks finished, need joining and lining
Plan:Sew them together and get them made into a little blanket

12. Jumper Blanket
Started: June 2014
Current Status: A big pile of squares cut from some of my old, favourite, felted jumpers
Plan: Sew them together for a winter blanket, fabric backed

Should keep me quite busy, and I'd better get a few of these done as I have ideas hovering in my brain for a Christmas Quilt, Single Girl Quilt, something Polka Dotty, an Oakshott Quilt, and a day to day bag as mine is falling apart after 5 years, how inconvenient! :o)

Ange xxx

Q2 FAL Success- 6 finishes

Well it's finally time to stand up and be counted with the FAL, and it's been a busy 3 months.  I had 16 items on my original list (see below), and managed to finish 6 of them, and make progress on a couple of others. I think it is pretty reasonable considering there is a small baby in the house (excuses, excuses), and it was my aim to get a minimum of 2 off the list per month, which I managed. 

So here are the details:
1. Christening Cushion for Amelia- DONE

2. Potholder- DONE

 

3.Crochet Blanket- fail
4. Hexy 2- quite a bit of progress
5. The Weekender- fail
6. Secret Squirrel- DONE

My 5 craft it forward gifts were finally completed, posted, and at least 2 of them have already been received (check out Duck Egg Threads on IG or Lias Handmade on Flickr- just trying not to completely ruin the surprise for my other recipients).
7. My Sampler Quilt - fail
8. Siblings Together Quilt- DONE

Ignore Jerry the Giraffe trying to photobomb hanging off the fridge!

9. Plus Quilt- fail, but progress made :o)
10. Stitch Tease House Quilt- fail
11. Simply Solids Quilt- fail
12. Star/Bright Sampler Blocks- fail
13. Improv Mini- DONE

14. Portholes blocks
15. EPP Star Embroidery- DONE


16. Hand Hoop- fail

Aside from these, I also completed 20 fabric party bags, 5 bee blocks, 2 peg bags, a New York Beauty Circle of Flying Geese block, and a hexy pushchair pouch, and no-one starved to death, drowned in a sea of dust, or ate cereals for tea (except me, but it doesn't count when i'm flying solo!!), so counts as success right?!?!

Now off to start compiling next quarters list...

Ange x