Finished!

All done, including binding, ready to go to its new home.

Eek!

Perhaps not quite as much progress as I'd hoped on this, this week - but that's ok, I'm going to make an exception to my usual swapping back and forth rule and carry on working on this one - that way, I might actually have it finished by Hallowe'en...

Pile of scraps...

or not. These are what will be the last of the string hearts I have been making all year to thin out my strip stash (and actually, it's worked - strip stash is noticeably thinner, unlike lots of other scraps). There is orange, which is the colour for October, and brown, which I anticipate will be the colour for November. And even if it isn't, I had a lot of brown scraps I needed to use. (I'm anticipating the colour for December might be red & green in combo - if so, I won't do hearts as they are monochromatic - just as I didn't do red, white and blue in July).

Oh My Stars

Well, I've finally made a star on the September installment for the Oh My Stars Block of the Month - yes, I know October is nearly done, but it's been a busy month. Or two. I'll get there, but it may take another week to finish the rest of this installment...

Tic-tac-toe baby quilt

Number 6 of the 7 baby quilts I needed before Christms. The last one, I don't need until Christmas itself, more or less (baby is due at Christmas - which would be funny as they already have one Christmas baby!). And so far, no one new has been added to the baby quilt list later than Christmas. the binding is only half sewn down on this, but I imagine I'll finish it in the next day or two (well, I have to, really, as I need to give it as a gift on Friday!). I just did a very simple loop meander on this one - all it really needed was something to hold it together - it's striking enough in design without worrying about fancy quilting.

Little charity top

Here's a little top I put together from some blocks which have been lurking in my block stash. There are more, but I wanted something quick and simple. I still have a ton of these batik blocks, though. Will have to do something else with them, too...

Free to a good home

Yep, some more clearing out. First up, a number (somewhere around 50, I think - I couldn't bother to count them all) batik arcs, handsewn onto calico, which would make a double wedding ring, given the right background. There might not be enough to do much with, mind you, but it's something.

And then, a very miscellaneous selection of orphan blocks, which might be good to someone for something. The purple and green Buckeye Beauties are actually a whole row I took off a recent baby quilt top because I thought it was too big, so there are 12 blocks in total (sewn together in an unhelpful configuration). The rest is just miscellany.

Let me know if either would be good for charity work or as stash enchancers, and I'll draw some names in a week or so.

Under the Sea

A set of ATCs, similar to this one, for an Under the Sea theme in a recent swap. I used a variety of papers for the seaweed, but the style of cards was similar throughout, so I am only showing one!

Cross stitch update

A reasonable amount of progress this week - the chimney at the top of the house is done, with lots of sky finished around it (the sky is quite patchy in the finished piece), and I've even started the roofline of the central house. Not bad!

Orange for October

A couple of cards made for a swap with an orange theme. There were actually four, but as they were all variations on the same theme, I didn't bother to upload them all...

Another Little Quilt Swap

Round 6 of the Another Little Quilt Swap has now closed for entries - why not pop over and see the lovely quilts submitted for this round...

Some more block lotto blocks

More 8" block for this month's block lotto - in blues and creams (with optional tans and/or browns).

This one is actually dark blue, even though it looks black!

And this one is less wonky than it appears - obviously wasn't lying flat on the floor.

I like how this one blends into the floor...

October Block Lotto...

The block lotto for October asks for "quilter's choice" blocks, to finish at 8", in blues and creams (with tans and/or browns as optional). I made a couple today, although as it happens, only one of these will actually work - the star above. The below block is one of those annoying blocks which wants you to stitch a scant 1/4" seam the whole way through. I should have known I'd not be able to make it be whatever size that's supposed to be, and yes, it's almost a 1/4" too big all around, so it won't be going for the block lotto, just going on the surplus block pile to go to a good home someday. And I'll pick something easier for the lotto!

Finished!

Black string hearts

More hearts to go with the scrappy string hearts - September's colour was black, and although I haven't finished them yet, at least I have a few done. And many more partly done. The time will soon come when I have to decide what I'm going to do with all the hearts I have - now that will be a real challenge!

Cross-stitch Wednesday

The advantage to stitching small pieces is that they are easy to finish! Here's my little ghost, all finished now, despite where it was last time I worked on it...

And here's another one I started and will finish before Hallowe'en, when I come back to this piece in the cycle - it will say "eek" and feature a frog on it.

Couple of cross-stitch patterns to go...

Here are a few I'm done with - anyone interested in the pattern, leave a comment, as usual & I'll choose some winners in a week or so. The Hallowe'en pattern is small (finished design about 2.5x5") but there are two patterns - ghost and the Hallowe'en one you see lurking in the corner.

And then, there's the beach huts.

Both fun patterns to stitch, but I won't do either of them again, as I rarely stitch things twice.

Finished quilting

This photo doesn't really show the quilting, but you've had closeups of the colours (mostly) and the background is only meandered in black. Now it just needs a good pressing (with steam) and some binding and it will be done!

More quilty goodness

Goal roundup

Not quite sure where September went, but there you have it - it's gone, and there's nothing we can do about it. How'd I do with my goals?

September Goals:

• 5 Farmer's Wife Blocks - hmm. Not so good. Got two done, though I did have to make one of them three times - does that count? No 64: Peace and Plenty, No 53: Jack Knife
• Blocks for September block lotto - done - actually did these in August during the sneak peek window
• September blocks for Oh My Stars BOM - nope, not done yet.
• birthday ATCs - done, sent.
• nos 4 and 5 of 7 baby quilts - both finished, both gifted, both well received (r/w/b log cabin corners, green & purple Buckeye Beauty).
• at least one charity baby quilt top - yes, two: black and white scrappy, End of Day blue and cream
• Lynne's quilt - top made, just needs quilting

Not too bad - some of the things I didn't do were conscious decisions as I've just been so busy. We'll see how October goes - might be a little less frantic.

October goals:

• 5 Farmer's Wife blocks
• Block for October block lotto (maybe - might not make any this month)
• Sept & Oct blocks for Oh My Stars block of the month
• finish quilt for ALQS6
• no 6 of 7 baby quilts (top made, needs quilting and binding)
• birthday ATCs
• at least one charity baby quilt
• Lynne's quilt top made, just needs quilting

A long list, but hopefully not prohibitively so. Especially if I actually get some time to sew in the afternoons now that I'm supposedly not working all day every day...