Where to begin?

It's been over a month since I last visited this space and I don't know where to begin now ..... It's been a busy month with highs and lows and some really big decisions to be made.  I think we're almost through it and will soon be able to welcome December with open arms and look forward to Christmas.

One thing that came to an end this month was the Stash Bee.  2016 was the first time I had joined a Bee since 2010 and I have enjoyed it greatly.  November's Queen Bee wanted a Ribbon Star block in autumn colours ....

I had seen this block before so was really pleased to make it up.  It comes together really easily and quickly and I think could make a gorgeous quilt.

I enjoyed the Stash Bee so much that a month or so ago I put up my hand to be a Hive Mama next year.  I know that it is mostly US based but I thought I would volunteer anyway.  Diana at Red Delicious Life is taking over as the Bee Mama next year and I was delighted to hear that she would like my services!!  This is a first for me and I am going to have to be really organised but I hope it will be lots of fun getting to know everyone in my Hive.

The other blocks I made for this Bee this year are ....

January

February

March

April

May

June - my choice as Queen Bee!

July

August

September

October

I have liked making all these blocks and have learnt lots of new things throughout the year.  We had a wonderful Hive Mama in Audrey from Hot Pick Quilts and I now know lots of lovely ladies in the US who were fellow Hive members.  

We also got together to make a surprise quilt for Audrey whilst she was pregnant ....

which was gratefully, if somewhat tearfully, received!! x

Finish Along Quarter 3 No 15 :: Christmas Quilt

A quick post to show you my second completed project of my 2016FAL Q4 list, which was to quilt a Christmas top for my Mum.

She 'found' it in the cupboard recently ....

but she doesn't remember making it.

She didn't realise that it had 24 pockets in ....

but she does happen to have a box of little wooden Christmas figures in another cupboard and there just happens to be 24!

So now it is quilted and she can bind it and attach the ornaments .... that is if it's not forgotten again!

Works in progress ....

I have had my first illness of the season these last few days and, lacking in energy and with a head that hurt to move, I thought I would slowly give my studio a sort out.  I know I have lots of WIPs, a fair few made it onto my 2016FAL Q4 list, but I wasn't quite sure where I was on them all or what I needed to proceed.  So here is a summary:

My Bee Hive Quilt

I was Queen Bee earlier in the year and having seen Michelle tackling her blocks I was motivated to get mine pieced together.  

I had also asked for signature blocks so I pieced these, along with two blocks, into the backing - I love how this worked out.

All I have to do is cut the wadding and then it's ready to quilt.

New Zealand fabric Christmas Quilt - what a catchy name that is!

This quilt didn't get touched last quarter, or the quarter before, but I am determined to get it finished to use this Christmas.  I needed to make some more blocks to get it up to size and happened to have some pale green solid fabric, Kona Pond, on my cutting table whilst making them and so decided to outline several blocks in that instead of the red wickerweave.

I need to order a bit more Kona Pond to make a small border before a larger red border.  I happened to have a suitable backing in my stash.  I bought this at Quilts UK in Malvern earlier this year as a bargain so I am delighted it works with this quilt.  This quilt is proving difficult to photograph because I can't get a true reflection of the colours.

So to proceed on this one I need to order fabric, get borders attached, piece a panel in the backing, cut wadding and then it will be ready to quilt.

Feathers Quilt

This is a quilt for my daughter who chose for the backing Feathers from the new Lewis & Irene To Catch a Dream collection.  I have never ordered fabric for backing before and usually like to touch fabric before buying!  However, I am hoping this is the same quality as all the other Lewis & Irene fabric and that both my daughter and I will like it when it arrives.  There has been a delay in it arriving in the UK but it is in the country now and I am just waiting for it to be dispatched.

Once the backing has arrived I have to cut the wadding and then this will be ready to quilt.

Rainbow Rose Quilt

This is ready to quilt right now.  I know what design I am going to quilt on the grey background but still undecided on the coloured parts ..... I think I just need to load it onto the rollers and start!

 

 
Back to Front Quilt

This needs to be cut into again and have some more improv blocks placed in it.  There is a chartreuse/lime accent in a few of the fabrics and I have decided to get some solid fabric in that colour to highlight some of the areas.  I had wanted this done ready to gift next week but in reality I think I will have to deliver it myself a few weeks later.

Accent fabric needs to be ordered, some more piecing needs to be done, backing needs piecing, wadding cutting and then this will be ready to quilt!

In an effort to be more efficient and tidy I have decided to use my hanging hooks for all my quilts in progress ....

So there's the five quilts listed above plus an extra one - a customer quilt!  It is so exciting to be starting to quilt for other people and it's a real honour to be entrusted with their quilt tops.  This one is a pirate ship for the lady's grandson which should be great fun to quilt.

And, as if 6 quilts wasn't enough, I sorted out all the blocks I wanted to make into cushions or minis.  My husband kindly got me the cushion inserts on Monday, I have figured out what zips I need to purchase and I have found suitable backing fabric.

So that's me - as soon as I feel well enough I will be quilting up a storm!  It feels good to get organised and my studio now feels clearer even though nothing has actually been moved out yet.  I am hosting a sewing day in early December where 5 ladies have to be able to sew so I am slowly working towards that goal.

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

Finish Along Quarter 3 No 1 :: Dachshund Cushion

Both my girls are majorly into dachshunds at the moment so, as we won't be getting a real life one, I thought they might like fabric ones.  I bought two patterns from Tartan Kiwi and set to making the first one for my daughter's birthday at the beginning of September.

If you look at the scale of the cutting mat you can see exactly how tine some of those pieces are ....

I was running a little late so all she got was this little block in an envelope with the option of it becoming a mini wall hanging or a cushion cover!!  This block measures 6 1/2" x 8 1/2".

She chose a cushion cover and I happened to have a rectangle cushion inner, but it still took a few weeks to finish!

Making do with what fabrics I had, and also not really knowing what I was going to make with it when I started, meant that it truly became patchwork as I made it up to size!  It was finished a week ago but I only had indoor shots ....

The sun was shining today so I took him outside!  And I had the realisation that, in my hurry to get him finished, I made the cushion cover without giving the front any quilting - can't believe I've only just realised.

However, I still think he looks pretty good.  I make my covers a couple of inches smaller than the cushion inner and that way they are plumped up well.  I think that's a saving grace for this one with no quilting.

I made a zippered opening on the back with some white and orange fabric I had in my stash.  I have to admit that I forgot how to put in a zip so some unpicking ensued but I got there in the end.  However, I used a zip I already had because I didn't want to wait any longer.  It was smaller than it should have been and I was lucky to be able to get the cushion inner in there ..... I certainly have learnt my lesson and will wait next time until I have the right zip for the job.

And in its final resting place!

Dachshund No 2 is in the works - again the piecing was finished in time for my other daughter's birthday but I didn't have a cushion inner the right size to finish it.

This is my first finish for Quarter 4 and is No 1 on my 2016FAL Q4 list.

Finish-Along 2016 - Quarter 4 :: Another epic list ....

Having such a miserable completion percentage for Quarter 3 you might have thought I would have gone small for Quarter 4 ...... of course I haven't!!  I have taken off some items but others have been added and I really like all of these things and I really want to FINISH them.  I am going to try to complete some each month, rather than leave it to the last week of the quarter like I did in September!

1.  I made this panel for my daughter's birthday and I need to get it made into a cushion  UPDATED 16/10/2016 - this is now finished.  Click here to read more about it.

2.  Another birthday present that isn't finished!!  I have now pieced all the feathers and this needs to be quilted and bound.  Just waiting for the backing fabric.

3.  My quilt top from the Rainbow Rose QAL needs to be quilted and bound.  UPDATED 16/12/2016 This is now complete - click here

4.  My Christmas quilt needs some more blocks making, pieced, quilted and bound for Christmas 2016!!

5.  Dachshund project No 2 for my other daughter's birthday.  UPDATED 27/12/2016 This is now finished - click here

6.  I need to hand sew the binding for this mini quilt that I have made for a swap.  UPDATED 13/10/2016 This is finished and sent - click here

7.  I want to turn this test block into a mini quilt.

8.  And another mini quilt in the making!

 9.  This only needs a closure of some type to finish it.

10.  This is going to be a Christmas wall hanging.  I have all the pieces ready and the backing chosen.

11.  A Crayola Challenge entitled My Perfect Day issued by my local quilting club.  The Cloud9 Cirrus Fabric in iris fabric is the perfect colour.

12.  Back to Front quilt needs the top finishing and then to be quilted and bound.

13.  Studio window blind - an alteration on an existing blind to make it larger and turn it into a Roman Blind.

14.  A project, large or small, from Welcome to the North Pole.  I have already cut shapes ready when I made a couple of blocks for a swap earlier in the year.

15.  This is a quilt top with pockets for an advent calendar that my Mum found in her cupboard.  I am going to quilt and bind to finish it.  UPDATED 23/10/2016 - this is now quilted and a post about it can be found here

16.  Rope bowls - they were on my present list last year but never got made.  They are on my present list again this year so fingers crossed!!  UPDATED 22 November 2016  made and gifted - only one photo taken which you can see here

17. Black & White + 1 challenge quilt - I already started and discarded on project so I really need to get a move on with this if I am going to meet the deadline.

18.  Pears needs to be quilted and edged

19.  My quilt from The Bee Hive needs to be pieced, quilted and bound.

20.  This is for me!!!  Start and finish a Caravan Tote by noodlehead.

21.  This has been on my list for waaaaaay too long. I know what I am making with it and I bought the materials  last quarter so here's hoping I can cross this one off!

22.  Yet again a really old project - I need to turn it into something, probably a cushion, or pass it on this quarter.

23.  I need to finish this Italian Houses wall hanging.  I've just realised that I did this workshop a year ago and this has been sat there all this time.

24.  Lighting the Town houses from Anne Hellyer workshop

25.  A Christmas Tree skirt.  I have wanted to make one of these for a couple of years now.  I have a template skirt in the shipping that arrived from NZ and I have plenty of Christmas fabric.  I would love to make one of these instead of draping red fabric around the tree as usual.

Linking up to the Finish-Along over at Mrs Sew and Sow.