Some descrapping

Amidst work on some blocks for the August Block Lotto, which I can't show yet (not being August yet), I worked on shifting through the scraps in my scrap basket. I'm taking a different approach this time to my usual (making square blocks) and am putting them together in strips. Here are some of those different width strips, waiting to be sewn into longer strips.  And the scrap basket? Well... it won't stay this way for long!

Cross stitch update

Not a lot of stitching this week, as we were out several evenings, and my mother has been visiting, and there was a jigsaw puzzle going. But I did dig this piece out and work on it a little. I don't have any more of the darker green I need for the swirly bits on the left (and there's a watermelon which needs to be worked in that colour as well) so I will have to get some more before I can totally finish. But that's ok, I can keep going for now without it...

Still red, but less wonky...

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And here's the little top made from wonky blocks stitched together - I definitely want to try this one again, but with only 4 fabrics, so that the secondary matches work as well as the primary ones. Maybe I will dig into my larger piece stash for this, instead of going from the FQ boxes!

Orphans

Not a large collection of orphans at the moment, but I'm sure more will come along before too long to keep these company...

Yarnbombing!

At Kew Gardens...

I particularly liked this branch, which I thought really delicate and interesting.

Wonky...

Step two - in which I trim the red quarter square triangle units to lean left and right. You can begin to see the pattern which will be created when I stitch them together.  The two darker reds are the same in all the blocks, but the lighter reds are compose of 4 diffeerent fabrics, so it will be interesting to see how they come out, when I have a chance to stitch them together.

ATC Friday

Some more round robins on which I made the starter and two others worked on it.  This one came out as a particularly good example of how these cards can change direction and work really well - this card started out oriental in feel, but ended up quite western - but it works!

These were simpler, but still effective. 

And these work very well, but no direction change, as in the first one.  It's always fun to watch how these grow!

A red beginning

The beginnings of some more blocks from the wonky one block book - these are only the starting units - the haven't been trimmed in a wonky way, yet.  As it's red month for the rainbow scrap challenge, I chose some small red pieces to work with. And neutrals with red in. Should be a cheerful set of blocks when finished... [Project for this summer - turn block sets into quilt tops!]

Cross Stitch Update

A busy week, so not as much time to stitch as some weeks. But it's coming along, albeit slowly. I probably should do some more on the other two I have on the go as well... All in due course!

Scrapbasket

Well, I know it's not quite the same as the old, wicker basket, but nonetheless, I thought it was time for an update of the scrap basket. The problem I foresee with this basket (or perhaps it's a blessing in disguise?) is that it's A LOT smaller than the old scrap basket, so it will need clearing out much more frequently. As I said, perhaps a blessing in disguise!

Fame & Fortune (or maybe not)

You may well wonder what a photo of my son playing Mr Banks in his Year 6 production of Mary Poppins is doing on my quilty blog rather than my family blog...  well, it's not just a proud parent bragging moment, it's that I spotted this on Mary Poppins' bed during the production:

I am one of those annoying quilt spotters, who watches for them on telly and in films, but in this case, it's more than that - this is a quilt which I gave to our school nursery when Alex left the nursery to go to "big school" (the nursery is part of school).  So it seems doubly fitting that the quilt has a starring role (or perhaps maybe only a supporting role!) in the production as well...

Red and White Spokes Blocks

And inspired by the monochromatic lotto blocks, which were fun to make (and easy), I decided to make some red blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, using up small pieces of red. These, probably sashed with WOW, which is what was used for the strips, will make a cute small quilt. Of course, for the moment, they've just been added to my Big Pile O' Blocks...

Spokes Blocks

This month's block lotto block is the Spokes block, made at 7" (finished) and in monochrome colours. I made three; I probably won't make any more as postage can be very high if you don't win, which most of the time, I don't...

ATC Friday

These Round Robin ATCs were ones where I was the second player - these are my favourite to show, because I have pictures of all three stages (provided I have remembered to take photos before and after I work on them, of course!).  Above is the finished card, 

working backwards, this is what they looked like when I finished with them, and below, what they looked like when I received them.

And another set - the finished product, 

after my additions, 

and what I got in the post!

Charity Quilt for Marei's Guild, no 2

...and here is the second of the tops which was sent to Marei to finish off and donate to her guild for their charity programs. Both fantastic finishes, hoorah!

Cross Stitch Update

Progress.  Hurrah!

Charity Top for Marei's Guild, no 1

A while back, I gave away a load of quilt tops to those interested in doing them up for charity - here's the latest in photos to come back to me - and a photo below of the top with it's backing showing. Great work, Marei - hope the guild appreciates it!

California Courthouse

...so called because the fabrics were purchased in California, when I went for my dad's funeral (more than 5 years ago, now). And it's a Courthouse Steps pattern, of course. 

quilted by my friendly longarmer, Lana Dragicevich, in a lovely gold metallic thread, which doesn't show nearly as well here as it does in person. Someday, it may even get a binding. Ha.

ATC Backgrounds

Some ATC backgrounds for a swap - I sent in three sets of four backgrounds - and will receive 10 background back (2 were for a hostess gift). These blue ones were made from some really interesting crumpled paper that I acquired somewhere (wish I knew where; I'd love some more) - I used some treasure gold on it (in bronze colour) to pick out some of the high points.  These are my favourite of the sets I sent in (one didn't have to work in sets, but I tend to do that as then I don't have to come up with quite as many ideas), which also included: 

thes floral ones, which are made from some wrapping paper and a doily.

And these layered ones, made from a magazine ad, some book text and a bit of washi tape. 

Novelty squares

Digging through my stash, I found a half metre of this dragon fabric on black - not my sort of thing at all, so it either came from one of the kids' stashes, or it was given to me by someone else. But I decided it would make a nice little set of blocks, so dug out some coordinating tonal fabrics and knocked up a dozen small blocks. To put in my stash of blocks (which we won't talk about)...

Cross Stitch Update

I know, I know - I missed the usual Wednesday update, but that's because I was busy showing the results of the Cotton Robin, and I wanted to keep them all together. So you get a Saturday update instead (well, except I haven't yet stitched on it today, so it doesn't include Saturday stitching. For what that's worth.)  Definitely some progress, though!

ATC Friday

Another set of cards on which I was the third player - i.e. finishing off the cards. This one, I added some brads to the centres of the paper flowers and a metal charm.

On these, a word, and a couple of little square sequins - they didn't need much, and that brown box just cried out for a word of some sort. 

And these, the girl and her balloon definitely needed a pet cat.