2016FAL - Quarter 1 in review!

At the start of the year I signed up again for the Finish Along Quarter 1.  It really motivates me to publicly announce my intentions and does help me tick some WIPs of my list .... of course others have been added to the list in the same time period!

 

So I started the year with 17 projects on my list and at the end of this first quarter I have finished 9, 1 is no longer required (hhharrumph!!!), 1 may be made for me at some stage in the future and 6 will be rolled over.  Over half done - not bad!

Finishes include:

1.  Project Linus Quilt 1, full post here

2.  Project Linus Quilt 2, full post here

3.  ATC card for swap by Very Berry Handmade, full post here

4.  Harry Potter cushion, full post here

5.  A bargello quilt for Project Linus, full post here

6.  A mini quilt for a Secret Valentine challenge, full post here

7.  A rainbow mini quilt for a swap, full post here

8.  Project Linus quilt 3, full post here

9.  An upcycled apron, full post here

The one item that is no longer required was a quilt for my daughter.  She had requested a black and white quilt and admittedly it was quite a while in the making. 

 

 

 

Well, not so much in the making - that really didn't take long using a jelly roll.  It was more actually starting it and then making the time to get it of the shelf at each stage.  She has now decided that she doesn't want a black and white room so it is sitting redundant on my shelf.  She was very apologetic about it and it took a lot for her to tell me but ultimately I would prefer to make something that she will love AND have  longevity!  I think we have that sorted now so no doubt that will go on this quarter's list and I better get to it early so she can't change her mind again! x

A week of finishes - Day 2 ....

.... my ATC for the Very Berry Handmade ATC swap.  This swap's theme was Winter Comforts.

 

I started with the label first - because I knew what I was doing!!  I recently got a new ribbon for my old typewriter (that I had for Christmas when I was 9) and labels, that won't require washing, are often typed straight onto calico.

 

I had a few ideas turning over on my head but when I had some time in the studio to start work on this I found it was a totally different idea that I started playing with.

A full bookshelf is a must for winter, in fact any time of the year!  And with a little yarn project aswell that spelt Winter Comforts for me.

Finally putting it all together and finishing off the edges ....

This is another finish on my 2016FAL Q1 list - it feels like I am powering through them ..... although this momentum has always slowed after the initial month of the FALs!

Whilst I was at it I made another one .... for me to keep!  On this one I added a little extra quilting to the background but apart from that it's the same books, although maybe different versions because the covers are different colours!

 

Also linking this post to this month's (March 2016) theme over at Le Challenge - reading!

Finish it Up Friday ...

How quickly are the weeks flying by?!!!  I have been really busy but not much to show on the sewing front this week.  A couple of little finishes and some finished articles in a larger project to share this week and to link up with Crazy Mom Quilts.

 

First up, these were some extra blocks I made for myself whilst I was making my first ever mini quilt for the Schnitzel & Boo swap over on instagram.  I finally had time to quilt and bind them into a mini which is now hanging on my studio wall!

 

 

I have not been happy with the binding on either of the minis which is strange because I can usually DO binding!  Will have to have a think about it and maybe practice before the next mini comes along.

This fabric Christmas Postcard is for another swap, this time a UK based Facebook group. 

It finished up at 7" x 5" and I have finally got to grips with how to do an edge on an ATC or postcard like this - hooray.  Just in time really because I have just signed up for the next ATC swap over at Very Berry Handmade.  The theme this time is Winter Comforts and luckily the posting deadline is not until the end of January.

 

And what has taken up most of my time are some costumes - 4 out of the 7 are now finished.  Can anyone guess what they are for?!!

 Once these are finished I can finally think about Christmas ........ advent calendars, presents, decorations and two quilts!!!!

To do is done!

A while back I had to write a to-do list whilst I was in my studio.  All the fabric and no paper ..... so I used the girls' blackboard.  And a look at it yesterday was great reading - almost everything was crossed off. 

Of course this does not mean that everything done - is it ever?!  There's a new list in my head that now needs to make it onto the blackboard ......

Yesterday I posted off my completed ATC for the Very Berry Handmade swap.  It was a blind swap so the person I sent this to is not the person who I will receive from.

Hope my partner likes it!  One of the few remaining items on the board is 'Bed Quilt'.  That is the quilt I am currently working on - Straight Line Bow.  It is now on the frame and the quilting is happening, although somewhat slowly! x

This was my guest blogger post over at Very Berry Handamde:

This was the image that got me started on Very Berry’s ATCswaps.  I saw it over on Knotted Cotton.  I had been aware of ATCs before when I helped organised a Quilt Exhibition for my local club in New Zealand.  There was an ATC category and I saw some beautiful pieces of art. 

 

They sounded fun and I wanted to join in.  I kept an eye out and then saw Ali launch the Winter Sparkle ATC swap.  I signed up immediately.  The premise for an Artist Trading Card is simple – produce a piece of fabric art which is the same size as a business card, 3.5” x 2.5”.  The majority of it must be fabric but how you make it and what stitching you do is up to you – patchwork, applique, beading, stitching, crochet, printing – anything goes!  However, the working in miniature was something I found quite challenging.

The card I received in the first swap was this one:

 And the card I made was …. Whoops I was running somewhat late for this one and did not take any photos, either in progress or as a final piece.  I was crocheting a lot at the time so I got some very fine white cotton and a very small crochet hook and crocheted a star.  I placed this on some deep blue fabric and stitched out designs in white and silver with some bead embellishment.  It was supposed to represent the night sky full of stars and frost.  I made it oversized and then trimmed.  I put it together with backing and a thin piece of wadding.  I decided I would sew it bag style and then turn out to neatly top stitch around the edge.  I’m kind of good with things like that and I thought I would get a lovely finish – that’s one of the drawbacks about working in miniature.  I ended up with quite a fat little thing that was rather bulky at the edges!

 

Onwards and upwards to my second swap - Home Sweet Home.  This was the card I received:

 

And this was the card I made (I made sure to take a fair few photos this time!):

The finishing on this one was the more common finish I had seen around and I realise why.  The backing was placed right side down, then a piece of curtain lining with the finish top piece facing up.  I then oversewed the edges with a satin stich.  Or that’s what it would have been if I had been able to do it neatly.  It turned out to be an uneven zig zag/satin stich kind of finish.

 

So for my third attempt – how will I finish it?  I am not quite sure yet.  I think I had better come up with a design and produce a finished top before I worry about the finishing.  Design may sound like I know what I am doing.  When Ali was looking for some people to write about the process she stated:

…….. contribute a blog post on their ATC progress - with maybe sketch plans, work in progress, ideas behind the planned ATC ………

and that made me laugh.  I would describe my process as organic, flexible, on a whim, totally made up …… It takes all sorts doesn’t it?  At least this time I had an idea.  I knew that I was going on an indigo dyeing workshop before the ATC needed to be sent out and blue really is my favourite colour – so I thought that could easily fit into the My Perfect theme.  Because I offered to write this post I have been thinking about it a bit more than previous swaps.  Blue to me is wonderful. Cerulean, azure, turquoise, lapis lazuli, midnight sky, sky blue, aquamarine, cornflower, forget me not, the words are so descriptive and so many shades including the innumerable colours of the sea ……

So I have the starting blocks which are the fabric bits I dyed on the day.  A variety of cotton, linen, vintage, new and yarn all dyed in the same dye bath but all resulting in different shades of indigo.

 

 

 

  

 
I have some ideas in my head but I guess once again it will evolve and grow (but not too big I hope) as I actually make it.

Indigo blues ...

Some progress shots for the ATC I am making for the ATC Swap hosted by Ali over at Very Berry Handmade.  I wrote about my previous swaps over here as a guest post.  They are really fun to make and it's wonderful to get a little surprise package through the post! x

I am linking up to Let's Bee Social over at Sew Fresh Quilts today.

This is a first for me ....

Today I am somewhere different  - over at Ali's lovely blog Very Berry Handmade.  It's all about ATC swaps - head on over for a read maybe .....

An ATC is an Artist Trading Card and a great bunch of people are making and swapping them - all organised by Ali.  Pop over here to see some made in previous swaps.

This was the one I made for the last swap ......