Scraptastic Tuesday ( on Monday)

I know, I know, I haven't written a blogpost for ages. Life has been busy, some good , some bad. I spent ages in October sewing together blocks sewn by local school children on the theme of the First World War and turning them into a quilt. I don't have a picture of the finished item ( was promised them by the organiser but they haven't materialised). To say I'm peeved is a gross understatement. I spent hours and hours on this quilt, all as a volunteer and I haven't even had a mention in  any shape or form ( the teachers who organised and supervised the children to make the blocks all got paid for their services )

 

The finished quilt looked pretty good, I'm pleased to say, but I won't be doing the second one, the organiser can find another mug.

The good bit was nearly the whole of November on my hols with Mr Hare in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia. Despite the heat ( 35 degrees C) and humidity ( 80%) we managed to enjoy ourselves.

 

 

The bad bit is that my poor, demented mother fell and broke her hip at the end of October and everything has gone downhill ever since. My sister held the fort whilst I was away, but she is now living with me until I can sort out a residential home for her ( her choice). Living with someone with dementia is a trial in so many different ways and my mood vacillates between extremes. I feel guilty most of the time because she can't help it, but she is incredibly trying to live with and we have the same conversation 50 times a day. Anyway, this all has severely curbed my sewing time, much like having small children must, though I thought that I was long past that.

 

I have managed to make a couple of scrappy Christmas stockings. When I was at the Simply Solids sewing retreat in September, Shevvy was making these for sick children in St Thomas's hospital and I volunteered to make some. I didn't know then what was going to happen!

 

 

I have also managed to sew together the blocks from my month in Siblings Together quilt bee. These are perfect for using up small scraps and  it will eventually be a lovely quilt!

 





Linking up with Scraptastic Tuesday

FAL Quarter 4

This year seems to have flown by. This quarter is always a busy one, with the festive holidays and Mr Hare and I are planning a 3 week break in November. I managed 4 out of 8 of my list for quarter 3, so not too bad and realised that I am going to abandon 2 of the listed projects ( Abergavenny map quilt and a Hazel hedgehog quilt). My list for this quarter is far from comprehensive but I'm going to persist in listing too much ( why break a habit when there are no penalties!). So..

1) HST quilt

 

This is now a top and just needs quilting and binding. I was waiting for the backing to arrive which it now has.

 

2)Grace's quilt

 

This is now quilted, although very lightly and I'm not very happy with it. I managed to somehow load it incorrectly onto my longarm and didn't discover this until I'd quilted the first section. I was too lazy to undo it all, but it will make a good charity quilt. It just needs binding

 

3)Handcrafted Triangles

 



This is a slow burner which I'm enjoying but obviously has a long way to go!

4)Geese all round.

 

No further progress with this one

 

5)Map quilt

 

Although I've abandoned my plans for an Abergavenny map quilt, I started a small scale map quilt in Alicia Merrett's class at FOQ. So I would like to finish it

 

 

The batik strips are not staying in, unsurprisingly, they are just a guide to mark the roads until I've finished the houses and fields.

 

6) Retirement Quilt

 

This quilt top is my only EPP quilt so far and it took me a year. I need to quilt and bind it

 

 







7) Siblings Together Quilt

I'm Queen Bee this month, so when I get all the blocks I hope to finish this one this quarter.

 

8)It's a wonderful world

 

I really should do something with this!

 



 

9) Gnome Quilt

 

As if the above weren't  enough already, I have started another quilt for the daughter of a friend. She is obsessed by garden gnomes. I'm hoping to finish it before she finishes university!

 

 

It's a lot of fun and out of my comfort zone, which I think is good.

This is more than enough to be going on with!

 

Linking with Adrianne.

 





Pay it forward

I had a lovely surprise this week. Ages ago, I commented on Jo's blog when she had received a pay it forward gift and as a consequence she volunteered to make me a gift. I forgot all about it, until a wonderful package arrived.
Jo made me a fabulous cushion using shot cottons, in my favourite colours. It is beautifully made , including proper piping and a  covered zip on the back.

 

 

The back is equally lovely, with some skeleton fabric covering the zip. Jo also included a pretty hare charm and some yellow fabric because she knew I didn't have much yellow in my stash.

 

 

Part of the deal, to spread the love, is that the recipient of the pay it forward gift promises to make a gift for 3 other people.

 

I'm well aware that nobody reads blogs anymore in this IG age, but the first 3 people to comment on this post will receive a gift from me some time in the next year.



 

 

 

A Sew Together Bag for me

This is just a quick post, as I've made another finish in my FAL Q3  ( original list here). I've finished a sew together bag just for me ( my 7th now, so it was much easier ).
The bag looks a lot like my first, not surprising as I used the same Tula Pink fabrics on the outside.

 

The inside is different however. I used some Lizzy House and the last of my favourite hot pink dandelion fabric ( can't remember who it's by)

 

 

Perfect for the Simply Solids retreat this weekend.

 

 

 

Linking with Adrianne when the time comes.

 

 

 



 







Sparkle Punch Quilt Ta -Da

I've been busy this last month, so even though I finished this quilt 4 weeks or so ago, I haven't got round to writing about it. I started this quilt 3 and a half years ago, pieced it quickly and then stuck it in a cupboard!. Once I actually started to quilt it, it didn't take long.

 

One of the things I really like about this quilt, is that it is double-sided. The back is equally pretty.

 

 

I quilted it with a sort of spiky meander, which suits the star pattern well. It is also a new to me quilting pattern, another very useful one for my repertoire. It's all very quick to do. It also gives a lovely crinkle to the finished quilt.

 

 

 



 

 

I made the binding from the trimmings off the back and just moved the colours around, to add some contrast.

 

 

 

Quilt Stats:

 

Sparkle Punch quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartmann

 

Size: 59 x 66 inches

 

Front made with Kona ash as background, stars from my stash

 

Back and binding in  Kona solids ( pomegranate, jade, purple and charcoal)

 

Wadding: Fabric Freedom 100% cotton from roll

 

Quilted with Glide in Light Grey on top, Bottom Line #622 gray in the bobbin

 

This is also another finish for Q3 in Fal with Adrianne. My original list for this quarter is here.

 

 

 







Carlton's Quilt

It's been a busy month for me so far on the sewing front, with both FOQ and a 2 day quilting course at Cottonpatch with the fabulous Angela Walters. I'll say no more, just in case I decide to do another post. I enjoyed them both immensely!!

Onto Carlton's quilt, which is now finished. This is my second finish of FAL third quarter ( original post here ). Carlton is the four year son of my niece Angharad and her partner Dan. You may remember that Angharad committed suicide last October. Carlton stays every weekend with my BIL and SIL to give Dan a break and to allow them to see their grandson. This quilt is for his bed in their house. I wanted to make a quilt that would last him for a few years but would also act as a sort of eye spy quilt, as Carlton has poor language skills for his age.

 In the end, I chose to make another trip around the world quilt, but with the middle strip of the block being white, with the surrounding strips getting progressively darker. So each block has one strip of white, pale blue, aqua, royal blue, lime and navy.

 

 

 

 

 

The back is a extra wide quilt back from Riley Blake.

 



 

 

I quilted it with zigzag lines to echo the back and to give it a more masculine look.

 

 

The binding is Kona navy blue with a small strip of lime green.

 

 

 

 

Quilt Stats:

 

Size: 6ft x 5 ft approx. ( I forgot to measure it after washing)

 

Pattern: Trip around the world by Bonnie Hunter using strips from my stash

 

Back : Extra wide zigzag in white and aqua by Riley Blake 

 

Binding: Kona navy with a strip of Kona  chartreuse

 

Wadding: 100% cotton by Fabric Freedom from roll

 

Quilted with Glide 17543 in light grey on top and bottom line #622 in gray

 

 

Linking up with Adrianne when the time comes

 

 

 



 





 

 



Second Recession Quilt-TA Da!

This is my first finish of the third quarter of FAL with Adrianne ( list here ) It is another charity quilt,  made by the Together circle of do.good stitches. I had 4 blocks left over from the original Recession Quilt and decided to make another similar quilt.

 

Svea had made me a green block whereas the others were all pink. I think I managed to incorporate it successfully into this quilt. For the back I used a piece of Dear Stella camping fabric with a scrap piece of green with white dots, left over from another quilt.

 

 

I quilted it again with flowers like the last one but adding a few daisies ( and one butterfly) this time.

 

 

 

 

I used Kona Pomegranate and Chartreuse for the binding, to pick up the colours in the quilt.

 



 

 

I have already posted it to Siblings Together ( though not heard yet that it has been received) along with 15 other quilts ( 7 of which were donated by members of my LQG).

 

 

Quilt Stats

 

Quilt size: 60 inches square

 

Blocks made by Together Circle of do.good stitches and my scraps for the borders

 

Back: Dear Stella camping fabric and scrap of green with white dots ( can't remember who this is by)

 

Binding: Kona Pomegranate and Kona Chartreuse

 

Wadding: 100% cotton by Fabric Freedom from roll

 

Quilted with Prescencia 60/3 in white on top. So Fine 401 ( white ) in bobbin

 

Linking with Adrianne

 





 

And Scraptastic Tuesday

 

 

 



FAL Quarter 3

I can't believe we are onto the third quarter FAL already. I managed five out of my ten WIP's listed in quarter 2. In my defence ( do I need defending, it's all self inflicted??), I also made the Sea Glass quilt and 5 sew together bags that I hadn't listed.
Anyway, here is my list for this quarter

1) HST quilt

I've trimmed a few more of these blocks, but otherwise, no progress

 

2)Sparkle Punch Quilt

 



 

This quilt has made it into the ironing room, prior to loading it up, but I've got no further. Needs quilting and binding this quarter.

 

3)Grace's Quilt

 

 

I didn't get any further with this one either. Needs quilting and binding

 

4)Carlton's Quilt

 

 

I've made a start on the blocks for this quilt, just got another 22 to go!

 

5)Second Recession Quilt

 

I'm waiting for one more block, then I'll decide whether to add a big border or make some more blocks

 

6) Sew Together Bag

 

I want to make one of these for myself, like the one above ( this one has long gone as an extra with my UK IG mini swap).

 

7)Geese All Round

 

 

I've made no progress with this one. I have one more block to make, which is putting me off. Just have to get on with it!

 

8)Abergavenny Quilt Map

 I'm attending Alicia Merrett's quilt map making course at FOQ and I want to make a quilt map of Abergavenny. I've got out the OS map and have some design ideas, but no more than that at the moment although I have been thinking about it a lot.

 

9) Hazel Hedgehog Quilt

I want to make one of these in solids for an ex colleagues soon to arrive baby girl. I have the background colour and enough solids to start  a couple of hogs!

 

I have a load more WIP's I could add, but realistically have no hope of getting them done.