Xmas tree skirt

Quilted this today as I decided that if it was really going to be a Christmas present for my friend this year, it was probably about time I actually got to work on it. Just a simple meander, as it didn't really need more. I have since cut a hole in it to make a gap for the tree and now, just have to bind it. I suppose I will have to make bias binding rather than my usual (and easier) French Fold - but as I have to go around a quite tight circle, I've not much choice. Grumble, grumble.

A few heart blocks

For my bloggy friend Shirley in New Zealand - her group is making quilts for the families of the miners killed in the recent explosions there.

2011 Birthday ATC Swap

Over the past two years, I have hosted a (mostly) successful swap of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)* - any medium, not just fabric or even mixed media. I had a lot of fun with this (as did, I hope, many of the participants) and I intend to run another round next year. Here's how it works:



I'll take somewhere around 30 participants so that we average around 3 ATCs per month, which shouldn't be too much of a burden for anyone.



Each month, you will be expected to send one ATC (in any media, on any theme, must be your own creation, can be something you made earlier) to each of the participants whose birthday is that month (any time during the month is fine). I will send a reminder each month to help you out. Also, there is a yahoo group for the swap, which you will be expected to join in order to take part (very low volume of messages, mostly used for acknowledgements, lateness apologies and posting reminders). In turn, in your birthday month, you will receive ATCs from everyone else. Easy as that.





If you are interested, send me an email to katelnorth at yahoo dot com (or leave a comment here, but if you do that, be sure I can contact you - comments set to no-reply are hard to respond to, unless I have your email address already for some other reason). I'll need to have your full name and postal address (but don't leave that in a comment) and also, your birthday (I don't need the year!).

*ATCs are 2.5x3.5" creations; they can be made from virtually anything, the main rule is that you are not allowed to buy and sell them, but must swap with other artists to increase your collection...

Cross stitch progress

Not much to show this week, other than some progress with the garden cross-stitch. Another busy weekend, with no real sewing time - maybe next week! The cross-stitch is coming along nicely, though. Perhaps I will finish it before I get in the mood to get out something seasonal - probably not, though. Still, it will make a nice piece to come back to in January when I need something refreshing and spring-like...

Robins, red & white blocks

Here's my fifth round for the Stay at Home Robin - I added a 4x6" and 4x7" block to the bottom of this piece - I am thinking I might take the left-hand one back off and add more black, then turn it at an angle. Either that, or straighten out the right hand one - I really don't like the balance much. I'm also not that crazy about the colour of the left-hand rectangle - too close to the colour of the bottom of the flying goose above it.



And here's the addition for the Japanese taupe one - hard to see in this photo as both are very pale in colour, but they are quite different.



And these are some 8" (8.5" unfinished) red and white blocks which I made for my friend Clare, for Quilts for Leukemia. Now to get them off in the post to her for her challenge...

Finished Fern Leaf

And here it is with the binding all sewn down. Looks pretty good if I do say so myself. But I really must finding another quilting pattern besides the clamshells one which I like to do as much, as it does take ages and ages...

Canal Houses - Done!

Today I worked on the last two houses, as well as finishing up the top-stitching on the ones which hadn't been done before. So, that's it. Here's a photo of as much of them as I can show at once - the two end ones have been cut off a little because I simply can't get far enough away from it to show the whole thing (even by standing on the coffee table and holding the camera over my head). God knows where I'm going to hang it when I get all my bits and eventually attach it all together. But I'm sure I'll figure out something...

In the end, I will get two of my own houses back - not sure which two, though I think we are all getting House A back. Originally it was only going to be one of our own back, but someone had to withdraw, so now it will be too. The hostess kindly said I could specify which one if there was one I really wanted, but looking at them all again, I can't make up my mind - I like them all!



These two are today's complete additions - the others have all been shown to some degree before. It's been a fun project, but I have to say, I am very glad to have finally finished.

Mostly binding

Finished quilting the Fern Leaf quilt today, got the binding attached (needs to be flipped and sewn down, which I will do Tuesday at quilt group), and also got the binding attached on this batik quilt I got back from the longarmers a little while back. Tomorrow, it's canal houses. Two more to go, but they really really need finishing...

Pretty Garden Sampler

New cross-stitch project, which I will work on for a while - at least until I'm ready to bring out the Christmas projects. I might even finish it; it's not that big. However, I think it's more likely I'll get it about halfway finished, then finish up in January when I'm tired of Christmas stuff. Here's what the finished piece should look like...

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of stitching on Aida (or rather, I don't mind stitching on it, but I don't like the finished product so much), but actually, it suits this.