Boomer

The blocks on the left are called Oklahoma Boomer and are for the block lotto for July - it's a cute block and actually, looks really good in r/w/b, which is not a colour scheme I'd normally really go for.

On the right, some black and white prints which arrived from eQuilter, and some great teapots/coffeepots, which came from Barbara, as a hostess thank you. Isn't that sweet?

Hope to get some work done tomorrow - I also have to (gasp) clean the house, so who knows how much. Not sure what I want to work on - I have several things I can't show which need to be done - fun for me to work on, less fun to blog about...

Around the World again

Today I did another block for the Around the World Quilt Bee - this one has a real scrapbag feel to it (and the person whose quilt it will be asked for that); I tried to work with the colours of the original block (the stars on white) as there was no way I could match all the previous blocks!

I made a few lotto blocks as well, but will save them for tomorrow to show as I won't have time to work on anything then...

Highly textured

The last two days worth of post has seen lots of textured blocks from the birthday block swap land on my doorstep. Yesterday brought me this beauty from Julie - the colour is fairly true onthe right, but a little weird on the left. Hopefully you can see some of the textures in the photo on the left - it's a bit hard to show how interesting these blocks are with mere photos (so you guys will all have to come visit my house and see them in person, I guess)...



Today brought me a block from Michelle (left) - all the point of the flying geese are actually flaps - and two blocks from Helen - the one on the right above, where I think you can see the textures fairly well (the orangey brown fabric is folded into little flags) though the colour is off again - the block is more purple and less blue than it appears here -

and the one below, which I have photographed from an angle to show you all the folds in it. This is a great block and must have taken a lot of work to get all of those folds!



They are all great blocks, really, and I'm very pleased with them all - and the others I have received this month. I think these may also end up being cushions, along with the two I've already made into cushions. It's true that I need some new cushions, but it's also true that all these blocks make great cushions because of the textural elements - you can really see them on a cushion - in a wall hanging, they might show a bit less well...

BQL Challenge

So, here's what I did today - after spending ages thinking I had plenty of time to do this in June, I realised that June is quickly running out and I really should get started. It's a small piece, maybe 15x20" and although I enjoyed the McTavishing in the border, I'm not totally thrilled with the entire finished effect -it's too puffy in the middle where there's no quilting. I wish I'd pre-quilted the central panel before adding the strips, but it's too late for that now.

Cushions

I spent a lot of time today working on a project which can't be shown at this point (I seem to have a lot of those at the moment!) but before I did that, I turned two of my birthday block swap blocks into cushions. We got new sofas recently and got rid of some of the old, battered cushions when the old sofa went. I thought these two pieces would make great cushions... The cream coloured one is not from the swap, it's just a cushion.

Cathedral Windows

No time to get into the sewing room today, but I still have something to blog - this fabulous birthday swap block from Margaret, which came in the post. As usual, Margaret's work is fabulous, and I love the colours she has chosen for this block. As it's a highly textured cathedral windows block, it really doesn't need anything further doing to it, so I have simply hung it on a wall as is - it makes a superb mini quilt that way.

Thought you might like to see the back as well, as it's also quite funky. I particularly like the b/w fabric which echoes the shape of the cathedral windows on the front. And Wil, if you are reading this, no, you can't have it - I am quite happy to share bits of my black and white stash, but this would be going way too far!

Spring Fling Round Robin

Although I did quite a bit of work today, I can't really show what I did, as the Spring Fling Round Robin is a secret this time around. However, I can show a sneak peek of some of the quilting - this is a very small segment of the whole - and I think it's safe to show the back, which shows the quilting, but not the pieced top, so it would be very difficult to form an idea of what the top looks like, with the possible exception of the person who finished off the top and sent it to me! I had fun with this - I started from the middle with the flowers, as in the sneak peek, and worked out. What you can't see from these photos is the piecing, which is really interesting and quite varied, so the quilting was fun to try to plan. I promise to come back and show more photos after it's bound, labelled, and the final recipient has it in her possession...

Block lotto blocks...

Some blocks for the block lotto - this month's theme is Quilter's Choice, using 30s reproductions and WOW - not a big 30s repro fan, so I didn't have any on hand, but I bought a few at Sandown so I could play along. Today I had a chance to make the blocks - yes, June is nearly over! But at least it's done... Another sewing day tomorrow, I hope, though my builder is starting work on the bathroom, so who knows what chaos my house will be in...

Drunkard's Path

Today I had a small window of time between dropping the kids at school and going back to collect Sarah to go to an interview at her new school (just to hand in admissions forms and ask any questions) - I was originally going to use the time to go look at flooring for the bathroom, but I just couldn't face it. So I dug my way into the sewing room (it's encumbered at the moment by a radiator and mirrored bathroom cabinet, both in large boxes, as well as other odds and ends for the bathroom (which we are having redone, starting this week, in case you missed that part!) - I guess I should be glad the tiles are downstairs rather than in there...) and did a block for the next block set of the Around the World Quilt Bee. These are Aimee's blocks - she started with a circle made of 6" DP blocks; I have decided to make mine smaller and set them more traditionally - this is solely because I had a pack of 5" charm squares, so my pieces weren't big enough for the 6" block! The colours aren't quite the same, but the fabrics are similarly retro, so I hope they will work.

Been to Sandown

Spent a few hours today at Sandown - didn't take any photos of quilts - every year I take loads of photos and then never look at them again, so this year I didn't bother but I did look at them - some very nice ones, though in total, not very many. Still, it's my local show, so I do like to go. I bought a few bits and pieces - some fabric for specific projects and a load of thread. Also bought a bag of batting, but I didn't take a photo of that!

Next week things are looking a lot calmer, vis a vis my schedule, so I may actually have some work to show...

Loveliness in the post

Here's another block for me from the birthday block swap - this one is from Anne and is just gorgeous - I've included the funky side photo to show some of the texture - the lower parts of the flowers are only attached at the spine, so there's a lot of scope for making them really pop when it's quilted.

I'm not at all sure what I will do with these blocks - something different with each one, I should think, as they really aren't the type of things which go together - but it will be great fun working out how I want to treat each one...

Finished in time!

Well, this baby quilt is now bound, and my friend has still not had her baby. I thought she might have done so a few days ago when her DH showed up on the school run instead of her, but apparently that was just a coincidence. I hope the baby will come soon, though, as it's certainly more than time!

Bird update

What I worked on today - only briefly - was attaching binding to yesterday's baby quilt, so while looking for something to show I realised it had been ages since I did a cross-stitch update. This is largely because I haven't been doing much cross-stitch, hence nothing to update! But it's been so long since I last showed it that actually, there are 3 more birds complete and I am down to the final four blocks. Yes, the end is in sight, at long last. I shall have to find another long, drawn-out piece to work on once this is finished...

Batik baby quilt

After the better part of a week of nothing happening, it's nice to finally have something to show. It would be nicer to get some of my free time back, but I don't suppose that will happen any time real soon. Anyway, this morning I did finally get a chance to quilt this baby quilt for a friend who is having a baby in about 2 weeks' time. It's a small quilt so didn't take long to do. I just used a hedgehog spiral with some wavy echoes around it - very simple and quick. Tomorrow I have a lot to get done, but hope to at least get some binding attached to work on during the week. I miss having time to sew. I miss blogging about the stuff I make! In a few weeks' time perhaps things will settle a bit and there will be more sewing!

Things received...

So, here's what I have to show today - nothing I can take any credit for, but lovely things, nonetheless. On the left is the latest house to arrive for the Textile Challenges house swap - this one is from Betty - thanks, Betty!

On the right, another birthday block, this one from Terri, who has sent the block (the Cathedral Windows in the centre), some spare 3D bowties, coordinating batik strips, plus a book about making folded flower blocks. I felt quite guilty about the book, until I saw she got a real bargain on it... Anyway, can't be sure what I will do with the blocks yet - I want to see what all I get for the swap before deciding which blocks might be used together, if any - but the windows block would certainly be a lovely little mini quilt. Thanks, Terri!

I won't force you to look at the mending!

Did a load of stuff today - most of it either secret (Exquisite Corpse) or boring (mending - yes, mending!). But there are a few things I can show - the first is this block, which is for the Around the World Quilting Bee - it actually doesn't look nearly as dark as in the photo.



The other thing I can mention is the UFO challenge - I decided that it was done after the beading, and put some binding on it tonight. I still can't work out which way is up, so I put tabs on all four corners and will let Deborah worry about it.

Corn & beans redux

Ta da! I have finished quilting the corn and beans quilt - and I did need the second spool of thread, though only a little. Probably if I'd started with one brand new one (I think I've used it on a few postcards, etc) it would have made it through - but that's ok, I love the colour and will gladly use it again. Tomorrow I will try to get the binding on.



I also made a couple of postcards for a batik background swap - I chose a colourful batik and threadpainted over the flowers, then added some couched fibre and sequins. Simple, but effective. On the right, a selection of neutral fabrics I got from my fabric club this month - which is nice as this area of my stash always needs boosting.

FFO...

...or, Finally Finished Object. This is the quiltie I got in the post today from Deborah (for whom I am finishing this piece) as part of the UFO Challenge swap. This top was made a long time ago as a start for a challenge piece with the theme of summer. I got as far as the beach huts and then lost steam. Deborah has kindly sorted it out for me and it looks great. There is detail that doesn't show in the photo, such as some fringe at the top of the sand and the bubbles quilted at the top of the waves. The piece really works now, and I'm delighted with it. Thank you so much, Deborah!

Happy birthday to me...

OK, strictly speaking, it's not my birthday, but it IS my birthday block swap month, so I will get some lovely goodies in the post over the next few weeks - of which this is the first. I asked for people to make blocks any size, shape or colour they liked, but with a strong 3D element in them. How they acheived this was up to them. This block is from Joy, and although there are 4 folded flowers on the block, she has only folded one out and tacked it to show what I can do with them after quilting. Clever of her, as I will certainly want to quilt around them first. The block is about 16 inches square - I haven't measured it, just guessed. And it's done in the same colour scheme as the blocks from my last year's birthday swap, so I might very well combine it with a few of those blocks to make a nice little wallhanging. It's really great and I can't wait to see the rest of the blocks!

It was nice to get this in the post because although I did do some work today, it was just the quilting on the corn and beans quilt, which, while nice to work on and to look at hasn't really changed that much since the last photo I showed of it... I will spare you that, and show it to you again when it's done. I did make good progress on it - there's about 12 inches or so left to do - all down one side, that is. Perhaps later this week, though of course, tomorrow is back to school & work...

Blame it on the sun

Not much work has happened around here lately. Friday was full of errands - orthodontist appointment for Sarah (impressions made for her braces - the removable type rather than train tracks) followed by lunch, spending pocket money, and loads of bits and pieces, both in Wimbledon and Kingston. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and a bit of shame to spend it running errands, but you do what you gotta do. And it was lovely walking around between the errands.

And luckily, that was followed by two more gorgeous days, where the time was spent doing things other than being inside - i.e. very little sewing, lots of sitting in the sunshine reading, along with paddling pools and general mucking about for the kids. And yes, I confess, a bit of housework.

Today there was a large amount of time spent in the sun, but I also did this (at top) this morning before we went swimming at the local pool. It was supposed to be for the May Challenge on Textile Challenges, which was to creat a postcard inspired by the images from the Google Alphabet and I admit, I was really uninspired for a long time (hence it being the very last day of May before I got to this challenge!). I liked the images, just couldn't think how to get started. Well, I finally did - I started with some complex cloth which looked kind of like an underwater scene, but I knew only bits of the texture would show. I then added bits of painted lutradur, which I attached with free-motion quilting, and some blue mesh shapes and some sheers and some painted bondaweb. Surprisingly enough, all these things gave me the sort of texture I was looking for - a kind of vague, could be aerial landscape feeling. And as it was supposed to be based on an alphabet, I added some letters to finish and cut it into 8 lovely ATCs.

Now, if you've been paying attention, you'll notice I said the challenge was to create a postcard based on the google alphabet. Too bad I didn't notice that myself until after I cut it up! I am waiting to hear from my partner if she minds the difference - otherwise, it's back to the drawing board...