Sew, Sew, Secret Sew

I have actually managed to do quite a bit of sewing this last month, but as two were secret project, and the other was a bag for my niece, which I promptly gifted and forgot to photograph, I hadn't got a lot to show for it until I finished House Quilt 2! 

Apologies for the rubbish photo, but as usual getting decent weather and time to get outside seems an impossibility!  This was started towards the end of 2013, and the blocks are from my fabulous Stitch Tease buddies, a fun bee quilt.  I kept this one super lightweight like the first, as I want it to be a picnic blanket for myself and the girls when we go out and about, just like House Quilt 1 :o).  As usual I've finished it with some very lightweight quilting, and given it a light grey stripey binding- oh how I love a little stripey binding. Thanks so much for the blocks, lovely bee ladies, can't wait to get using this one too, roll on summer! :o)

Right, back to the sewing, as I am determined to get the FAL down to single figures. :o)

Ange x

FAL A New Year And Mini Roundup

Last year was still quite a productive one, considering the extra person we welcomed to our family, and my FAL dropped down to 10 by the end of the year.  I started last year at 18, and 8 of those are still outstanding, so still some work to do then, and I have managed to add a few on, over the last few weeks, so here goes with the FAL for 2015:

1. Hexy 2 Started: December 2013.
 Current Status:  Widening it slightly, just 4 rows, and the top will be finished.  
Plan: No fixed deadline for finish, but would like to finish by the summer time.

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: Just finish it, and never, ever talk about sewing another!

 

3. Plus Quilt Started: Summer 2013
Current Status: Central section completed, need to make lots more pluses!
Plan:  Keep going

4.  Stitch Tease House Quilt 2
Started: Nov 2013
Current Status: Just needs to be quilted and bound
Plan: Easy finish, get it done!

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

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

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.  Christmas Quilt 1

Started: December 2014
Current Status: All pieced, just needs basting, quilting and binding
Plan: Finish this quarter

10.  Christmas Quilt 2

Started: December 2014
Current Status: Strips pieced, need sewing together, basting, quilting and binding.
Plan: Finish this quarter.

11. Secret Squirrel Quilt

Started: January 2014

Current Status: Basted and ready to quilt (the picture is a reference to the fabrics only)

Plan: Finish before end of month. 

12. Messenger bag 1

13. Messenger bag 2

14. Messenger bag 3

Started: December 2014

Current Status: All 3 cut out

Plan: Finish this quarter.  

Well, that should keep me busy, best get back to it
Ange x

A Big Year...

http://vishava.com/happy-new-year-2015-wallpaper-hd-free-download.html

There is always a sense of excitement and trepidation when one year ends and another starts, and in our household, this has never been more true.  2014 was on the whole a very good year for us, the birth of our beautiful second daughter really set the tone as a family year, and we really enjoyed a Christmas Day, just the four of us together. And in 2015 we'll be formalising our little family, and finally getting round to getting married.  

 

Alongside that, we have plans for a single storey extension too, to make best use of the garden, and move our lounge to the back of the house, 

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/re-decorating.asp

and plans for the baby to be baptised, 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/11/12/baptismal-flushing/

all before the end of August.  So you can see, lots going on this year!

With all that in mind, you'd think I wasn't expecting to fit in much else, but I have loads of things I want to sew this year, and finish off, so I will be making a big list to start me off, and give me something to aim towards :o).

First off, I want to get my WIP's down to 5 at any one time, it's currently about 10, with a few close to finishing, so with a bit of a push, I can knock these down by 2 or 3.

Things I want to sew/techniques to try in 2015

• Sashiko/wholecloth project
• A metal framed purse
•  Moomin embroidery
• Right Round pattern
• Aviatrix Medallion Quilt
• Another Sew Together bag
• Double Goosed Pattern
• Princess And The Pea Embroidery
• Oakshotts Quilt
• Doe Fabric Quilt
• Basic understanding of EQ7

I think that may be enough to be going on with, it will be interesting to see how far along the list I am at the end of the year...

Ange x

Progress and a Christmas Tree Decoration

A few weeks back, you may remember I had a list of 5 things I needed to get done before Christmas, and I have made some definite progress on these.  
I've already shown you the quilt for A which was finished last week, 

one of the secret sewing projects is done and written up, 

and the other is close to a finish. 

And then I finished this fab cross stitch tree decoration (pattern by Satsuma Street on Etsy), and it has been on the tree for a few days.

Funnily enough, cross stitch was my first crafty love, many many years ago, and I rather enjoyed this one, despite metallic thread being an absolute bugger to work with (it all came flooding back). 

 I can see some other cross stitch projects in my future, including the rest of the Christmas patterns as part of this purchase, just not right now, as I need to get those other key items made up.

If I'm not back before th big day, Merry Christmas to you and yours :o)

Ange x

More Than A Quilt...

Without getting overly sentimental and emotional, sometimes it is possible to do something more than just sew a quilt.  That is, a quilt becomes more than the sum of it's parts, more than a few pieces of fabric, and in this instance, the aim is that it becomes a message from a grandmother to her grandson, that he was and is loved, despite being gifted to a new family to love and raise him.

On a personal note, I've rather enjoyed making this quilt, it's a simple 6 patch design, and the soft, muted colours make for a calming effect.  On the back I have used the soft, solid blue you also see on the front (and for the binding), and I've cut out the recipients name and appliqued it on, then stitched round in a cream perle, and added his date of birth above it, and even if I do say myself, it looks beautiful (this picture is awful- forgive my late in the day photo).  The whole thing is all wrinkly as it had the washing and tumble dryer treatment, just like a kids quilt should have!  I hope it acts as a comfort for little A in his future, a reassuring constant in his life.

Anyway, enough of the sentimentality, I am making good progress on my "must do" list, and a little on my "like to do" list.  But Christmas is fast approaching, and time is running short, I'm not entirely sure how much will get finished...

Ange x

The Great Demotivator!

My head is full.  Full of lots of things I need, want or have to get done by the end of the year, and it's affecting my creativity.  So, you'll have to bear with me while I get my head around it all, and work out my priorities for the next 6 weeks, before my head explodes!!


Lets start with what I have been up to.  Firstly, Hexy 2 has had a lot of attention, it's been the perfect sofa project when I couldn't get to my machine.  It's fully squared off, but I want to add about 4 rows to the width now, just so it covers a single bed a bit better, oh well back to it then.  

I have also decided to hand quilt it, so I can't see it being finished before the end of the year, but will hopefully be finished early next year, it's a good winter project.

Secondly, I have started to construct this, as I wanted to see how it looked, and if it was going to live up to my hopes/expectations. 

It most definitely does.  I need to make quite a lot of blocks for it though, so it may well go on the back burner until the new year, unfortunately.

So, here goes with the lists, to help clear my head a bit.  First up, the Must Do list:
1. Quilt for Archie.  This is for a friend of mine, whose Grandson is being adopted into a new family in the very near future, so I need to get this completed asap.

2. Secret squirrel project.  No specific deadline but I need to get my bum in gear, as it should have been finished already

3. another secret squirrel project, like above, and now it's bothering me!

4. Bags or something similar made out of the other sparkly Frozen fabric I have, 1 for eldest daughter, and 1 for each of my nieces, deadline, Christmas.

5. Ornament for the tree for 2014, I have these fab cross stitch patterns from Satsuma Street on Etsy, and would love to get them made up.

 Like to do:

1. Christmas Quilt- I really want to get one made, but with the big list of must do's might not be feasible :o(

2. Hand Hoop framed and put up, need to add 2013 to it too, as baby hand is obviously missing :o)

 

3. The second House Quilt from Stitch Tease, all it needs is a little quilting and binding and it will be done, it's an easy finish :o)

4. At least one other from my FAL list, it's currently at 10, so if I can knock a couple off the list i'll be firmly in single figures, which would be major progress since the start of the year :o)

I'm going to get firmly focused on the must do list, so I can get to the "like to do's", and hopefully start 2015 with a clearer WIP pile, as it's planned on being another very busy year!

So, what's on your must do list before the end of the year?
Ange x

FAL Q4 Finish 2 Frozen Blanket

Well I hadn't actually intended to finish this next as I was very close to finishing the second Stitch Tease blanket, but after a lot of hand sewing on Hexy 2, I thought I would have a look at the Frozen panel, and see what it needed, and before I knew it I was sewing on a white border, quilting it and adding the binding, job done!

This is planned as a Christmas present for my eldest daughter who adores Frozen, so I figured it would be fun to give her something she will adore, even if it makes me ever so slightly sick into my mouth!!! 

 The backing is a cuddly soft fleece I got from Plush Addict  and it is really lovely to touch, so I decided to bind it in the same fabric, I'll definitely be backing more quilts in this kind of fabric, especially for winter quilts.

All in all it was a good, quick project, and great to have another off the list, I'm down to 10 now, which is fab, can't wait to get to single figures on my WIP's!

Happy Hallowe'en and enjoy the weekend, I can't believe tomorrow is November already, now that's scary!!! 

 Ange x