FAL Finish 2- Paper Pieced Potholder

As I said last time, I have another finish for the FAL and once again it's something started recently, this time it's a bit of paper piecing for my kitchen.  This months fab pattern from Kristy at Quiet Play and the Sew Kitschy Sew Along was a teapot, and as I have a new kettle I figured it deserved a little pretty to sit on.  

As you probably realise by now, I'm rather partial to spots and polka dots, so I decided to include a few in the block, and here is what I came up with. 

I re-did the binding as the black bike path print I used originally (also on the back) just didn't work for me for the binding.

I will be back soon with another finish, unfortunately my thumb had a disagreement with a knike (and the thumb lost), so hand sewing down the binding is going to be a little difficult for the next few days :o(

Ange xxx

FAL- Cushion Finish

As I said last time, I have 16 things on my FAL list, and I am determined to make some good progress on the list this quarter, and with nearly a month down, I have made some great progress on 3 projects with 2 finished, and a third v nearly there (just sewing down the binding, planned for the evenings this weekend).  So first up was the cushion for Amelias Christening.

I managed to finish this at 11pm on the Saturday night before the Christening, so 12 hours before the deadline, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out, especially for a project I made up as I went along.  
I couldn't get a pillow form the size I needed so I bought a bigger one and cut it in two, for anyone else thinking of doing this, don't!  Well not without considering the number of feathers crammed inside these cushions, and ensuring you work on a smooth floor rather that a carpet, whilst wearing something they wont stick to.  I don't know what the delivery driver who turned up half way through thought, but he looked pretty surprised when I answered the door covered in feathers looking like a giant semi plucked chicken!
 

The fabulous embroidery pattern is by LiliPopo on Etsy.  She's a fab UK based artist and pattern designer, based in Cornwall, and her designs have a really magical quality (in my humble opinion), I couldn't resist purchasing one of her multi pattern packages, so I definitely have more of these in my future.  The design is called Catching Wishes, which I thought was a pretty sweet idea for a little girl.


 The name is appliqued on using bondaweb and then sewn (by machine), and her middle name was embroidered on, as was her Chrsitening date.  The cushion has been lovingly received, I got a phonecall from Amelias mum the following day thanking me, she was still blubbing, and it was lovely to have a gift so gratefully received :o)

Right, I will be back soon for finish number 2.

Ange x

FAL Q2 List

Right, for Q2 I am going to put on the 14 unfinished items from Q1, plus add on the other things I have started in the mean time, which need to be done asap, so I should see some nice progress, and be able to tick a few things off the list (who doesn't love writing lists in order to tick things off them!?!).

So, the new items are:
1. Christening Cushion for Amelia (needs finishing by Sunday, eek!).

2. Potholders, or in this case, somewhere for my new kettle to sit and to protect my new kitchen worktop, using the fab Kristy at Quiet Play's paper piecing pattern for April, and these fabrics (including the £3 Bike Path as backing from Fabric Guild).

3.Crochet Blanket
4. Hexy 2
5. The Weekender
6. Secret Squirrel
7. My Sampler Quilt
8. Siblings Together Quilt
9. Plus Quilt
10. Stitch Tease House Quilt
11. Simply Solids Quilt 12. Star/Bright Sampler Blocks
13. Improv Mini
14. Portholes blocks
15. EPP Star Embroidery Pouch
16. Hand Hoop
I've put the ones I think are most likely to get done this quarter in Italics, but we'll see how things work out!!

Ange x

FAL Q1 Success

Before I update about my list, I need to say thanks to everyone for all of the lovely comments on my last post, I do have some more thank you's for lovely hand made gifts, if I can just get a few photos and a few minutes to spare!
 
Well I started Q1 with 18 items on my Finish Along List, and despite a rather busy quarter (on a personal level) I did actually manage a few finishes, well 4 to be precise, as well as making progress on some others.

 

1. Hexy 2
2. Hexy Pouch
3. Alphabet Embr Quilt
4. The Weekender
5. Secret Squirrel
6. Baby Quilt
7. My Sampler Quilt
8. Siblings Together Quilt
9. Plus Quilt
10. Stitch Tease House Quilt
11. Simply Solids Quilt 12. Star/Bright Sampler Blocks
13. Improv Mini
14. Portholes blocks
15. EPP Star Embroidery Pouch
16. Hand Hoop 
17. Skill Builder BOM 2013 blocks
18.Crochet Blanket

That progress would be all the better if I hadn't started some new projects, but fortunately some are smaller and have deadlines coming up, so will have to get finished fairly swiftly, more to follow once I set my new list for Q2

Ange xxx 

And baby makes 4....

12.03.14

After what felt like the worlds longest pregnancy, our little bundle of chubby baby loveliness finally joined us on the 12th of March, 8.32am UK time, weighing in at a hefty 9lbs 12 ounces, in perfect health.  

12.03.14

 We have named her Alexandra (after much debate, and with another name picked until 2 weeks before she arrived), and after the initial shock of her arrival (her big sister was 8lbs, and I hadn't expected baby A to be quite so much bigger), she is settling in beautifully with our little family.
 

Alexandra 21.03.14

 

Thank you to everyone for all of your cheerleading and support, especially in the final few weeks, it really helped!
Ange xxx

Baby Prep...

In preparation for the impending (please let it be soon before I quite literally burst) arrival of new baby girl, I managed to make a little progress this last week on things I wanted to get made for the baby.  First up, I made a Bunny Cuddly, using the pattern from Sew Magazine this month (inspired by Cara at Pink Stitches, who made this fab Racoon from the same Simplicity Pattern).  

It was a pretty straightforward make, although I was a bit of a muppet and had to unpick and re-sew the arms as I hadn't placed them quite right (user error!), and now I would like to make some more, but as there is no Badger pattern, I might just have to amend one of the others, for daughter number one, maybe!!!

The other project I worked on this week, was a curtain for the baby room.  Yep, I know you know I hate making curtains, but this was a pretty straightforward make and I love the fun animal print fabric, so it was surprisingly quick.  On that note, the fabric was very kindly given to me by the lovely Ian from Terry's Fabrics, who contacted me last year after I commented on a blogpost by the lovely Charlotte.  At the time I was suffering big time from morning sickness, and said I might need some fabric for curtains in the new year, as I was sewjo less at the time.    

Ian diligently contacted me in January asking if I needed any fabric still, which I thought was very organised of him, and after a bit of indecision on the fabric, I decided to go for the animals. The primary colours work well with the alphabet trim on the blind, and there is plenty of time to be overwhelmed by the pink and girlie!

As it's such a small window I decided to make just the one curtain, it's backed with blackout lining (also supplied by Terry's Fabrics), and fingers crossed that will help the little one with her daytime naps, and save my sanity!  One note of caution, don't forget to pre-wash your fabric, I did get a bit of shrinkage on mine. :o)

Please note, I haven't been paid to promote Terry's Fabrics, just given the fabrics to make the curtains, but they do have a great range of fabrics, and I can definitely see myself buying more next time I need to make curtains (and by need I mean, have to!).

Ange xxx

Soy Amado... doing a little good

Alison at Little Island Quilting is having a quilt block drive to put together quilts for former Mexican Street Children- Soy Amado (You are Loved), after a recent trip to Mexico City.  You can read all about it here.  She needs lots (hundreds) of 12.5 inch (unfinished) QAYG blocks to put together into quilts, and quite frankly, I defy any quilter to tell me they haven't got AT LEAST one or two orphan blocks that couldn't be put to better use, rather than cluttering up their sewing space/drawers/life.

So, I had a look around, and decided to kill 2 birds with one stone (so to speak).  The 2 blocks from last years Skill Builder BOM are on my FAL to find a use for, so it made sense to quilt them up, and get them sent off- it's a win win situation!

So have a little think about it, and do some blocks, you know you want to- it's way way easier than making a whole quilt, and great for clearing a bit of space for your other projects.

Ange xxx