2015 Finish-Along Quarter 2 List

Not sure how it can be time to write my Quarter 2 list already but here goes:

It's a fairly easy one, 8 carry overs and then 2 new ones to add on the end. At the moment *touch wood* I seem to have my sew-jo well and truly back so *hopefully* they'll be some "I've finished something" posts soon.


1. Spinning Stars

Just needs quilting, binding and gifting....
Pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew.

2. Splitting Squares Quilt

Another long term WIP, mainly because it was lacking a purpose, this week I've added a border to this and it's destined for Siblings Together. Pattern by Anna at Quilting Along the Grain

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3. Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt

Another long term WIP, again already started working on it this week so it should be making it's way to Siblings Together soon.

4. Simply Solids Wonky Stars Quilt

I made progress with this in January and got the top pieced, but it's the lack of basting space that's the issue again and it got put to one side. I have plans to have a basting session on my craft room floor while it's empty so hoping this can be done and shipped soon.

                           

5. Noodlehead divided baskets

Hasn't been touched in the last quarter - after I've had my quilting binge I really should get this done, I keep moving this pile around my sewing room (well I did it's now packed in a box...)

6. Aragaon Bag

As I said in my Quarter 1 review I did make the Aragaon bag, but it isn't really finished as the way the lining is sewn in isn't good and there's a hole in the bottom - I've used it at Leeds MQG twice but it really needs some soul destroying unpicking and remaking without the sewn in lining and the hole and then some matching accessories making - I will move onto this after the quilts....

7. Sew Together Bag

Haven't touched this EPP - need to mix this in with the crochet.

8. Star EPP cushion

I did make a *tiny* bit of process with this in quarter one - think I just need to get a finished layout sorted so I know what I'm doing - I wasn't quite sure when I took it to London....

9. Home Sweet Home Quilt - Leeds MQG for Siblings Together

At our March meeting we made lots and lots of Home Sweet Home blocks, with ones we'd kindly been sent we had enough for two quilts tops there and then and started with blocks to make a third. I bought these and the leftover charm squares we'd collected home and after raiding my stash for more 'girly' fabrics to add to these leftover squares I managed to make the remaining 24 9 patches I needed. These need cutting, sewing back together as blocks, piecing into a top, basting and quilting.....

10. Pinwheel Quilt

I started this last week when I should have been finishing one of the things above, then had a change of heart so it's going on the list, not to be touched until some of the things above have been finished but don't want this becoming a long term WIP.

So 10 projects - 3 months - best get cracking... 

I'm linking up with Adrianne at On the Windy Side who is kindly hosting the 2015 Finish-Along: 

 

2015 Finish-Along Quarter 1 Review

I finished 2 projects on my Quarter 1 2015 Finish-Along list:

The HST cushion:

And my Posy Baby Quilt:

 Looking at the rest of my list:

I've made progress with my Aragon bag - in that it's now a functioning bag, however I don't like the finish and there's a hole in the bottom so I need to do some unpicking and work out how to do the lining separately to the main bag (it's sewn into the same seams which are then bound in the pattern):

 

My Simply Solids wonky Star quilt is now a quilt top and on the pile to baste.

  

I've added a few bits to this Star EPP cushion too but my EPP time was overtaken somewhat by crochet this quarter. I couldn't lay my hands on the bit I did in London this morning when I photographed this so there is slightly more than this.... 

 

Then no progress on these 5 at all - 2 of them were on my original list last July, oops!

 

 

I'm linking up with Adrianne at On the Windy Side who is kindly hosting the 2015 Finish-Along: 

 

Fresh Sewing Day - March round up

Ok so the 8th April is probably a little late to post a 'fresh sewing day' but last week I wasn't in the mood to blog or even share photos on instagram and then with the bank holiday weekend I haven't been on my desktop machine.

Although March was quieter work and volunteering wise, we spent 2 weekends away with family and had a few days away in London. Nick also went away with work so there seemed to be lots of packing and unpacking of suitcases.

I did manage a finish-along finish though, the posy quilt I blogged about, and worked on a few other crafty bits.

So sewing wise there were blocks for Jo @Rose&Dahlia and 5 more for Mary Emmens Home Sweet Home quilts to add to the 5 of those I made in February. Rounding off the Siblings Together Contributions for the month we had a Siblings Together Quilt Drive at Leeds MQG and although I didn't take any photos that day, others did here. I took home some leftover blocks, nine patches and charm squares and then cut 71  'girly' charms from my stash to fit our colour pallatte and made 24 more nine patches, these are ready to make into a quilt this week.

I also attended a Staple Dress Class at Simply Solids - I finished it but I think the neckline needs adapting to suit me better - I need to have a play with it again at some point. I also made foundation pieced stars for my contribution to the Leeds MQG Round Robin this month.

There was the Posy Quilt which I blogged about, a Lola pouch by Svetlana which was for my mum and was a great pattern to make, definitely will make more of these. Finally a pair of anitmacassars for my parents' conservatory - 35 3.5 inch squares in each, cross hatch quilting, bound - just like mini quilts.

I made some progress on my Sophie's Universe Crochet Along that's me sitting at my parents dining table working on it. It's got a bit big to take on public transport now so I took some EPP on our trip to London and did some on the tube on the way back from Kew. I also pulled out this long term WIP Granny Stripe blanket, that I made in February to April 2013 then stopped. This month I've done the top red stripe up, great for mindless TV crocheting. Annoyingly I forgot to pack any crochet or EPP for our second weekend away but I did all the driving so it would only have been a couple of hours in the hotel room anyway.

So that's a belated round up of March - certainly a lot of variety in what I've made and a Finish-Along finish too.

Linking up with:

A Finish-Along Finish - Posy Baby Quilt

Last June Nick's cousin had a baby girl - as soon as I found out (on holiday in Devon) I knew I wanted to make a quilt for her, and as I'd been looking at Lynne's really effective quilt for Dashwood Studios on instagram as I found out I got thinking about a quilt using squares and sashing.

Once home I raided my stash and found a charm pack and a mini charm pack in Aneela Hoey's Posy range which was just perfect for this quilt - it's such a gorgeous, gentle, girly range - perfect for a baby quilt. I combined it with some Kona Snow (all fabrics from Simply Solids) and set about working out the quilt design and what pieces I needed to cut from the Kona:

Then I started sewing, firstly at Leeds MQG after we'd done our Siblings Together blocks last June:

Then at my temporary home, my dressing table in our dining room, in the middle of our bedroom redecoration: 

By the time I did my first Finish-Along list on 14th July the middle bit of the quilt and the first borders were on, and by the following week I had a finished quilt top, about 48 inches square:

I selected Ikea Rosalie in pink with red dots from the backing and tracked down some Posy yardage for the binding, did I finish it? no of course I didn't.... It sat around, took a trip to Southwold and back in October but never left the bag (I did finish 2 other quilts that week though) and sat at home waiting to be quilted, I thought I can't gift this now, it's far too late. 

Then in January we were invited to the baby's christening, which was yesterday, so I decided to finish it for that. Only being me I only pulled it out on Wednesday evening. Nick wasn't in the mood to help but I got it basted eventually and quilted very quickly on my new machine:

All quilted in Aurifil 2423, a lovely baby pink that melted into both the front and back of the quilt. 

After Guides on Thursday I made the binding but I was way too tired to try attaching it, so left that for my flexi day on Friday. I got it done, after several attempts, on my machine, and I'm pretty pleased with the result, but too late to wash.

After double checking with the lovely people of instagram, when I got my parents house on Saturday afternoon (they live about 35 minutes away from Nick's cousin and the christening location so we stayed with them) I washed and tumble dried the quilt, the tumble drying bit flooded the kitchen floor but my parents were brilliant, didn't complain, get stressed, or let us mop it up ourselves. 

So here it is - one finished quilt: Nick was rushing to get ready so no great photos, my mum didn't seem to get the 'hold it over your face' bit but never mind. 

Here are some close ups, I forgot to photograph the back so had to do a quick opening up of the wrapping to get a snap before gifting!

Gifts weren't opened at the christening so I don't know how the quilt was received, but I'm glad I made it, she's a lovely little girl (yesterday was the first time I met her) and I hope she enjoys this quilt for years to come.  Now onto the next WIP...

So two down eight to go. My list can be found here: 2015 Finish-Along Quarter 1

Linking up with Adrianne for:

So long February Fresh Sewing Day

On Sunday we had a rare day where neither of us had any plans - no work, theatre, Guiding, social, family commitments or anything else we had to do. Part of me saw a day of sewing ahead, but Nick wanted to go to the Spring Gala on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, and since he's just spent 2 weeks putting in a huge number of hours at the theatre who was I to argue. It was a lovely but long day and meant no sewing to start the month. I did take my crochet though and ploughed on with that when I could, much to the amusement of some older gentlemen on one of the trains...

Turns out in February I was not only bad at making things I was also bad at taking photos of what I had made so I had to do some snapping last night.

I did make an infinity scarf using some of Katy Jones' Priory Square Knit in Clover. Really nice to wear and got some lovely comments at work wearing it too.

I also finished this quilt top, my Leeds MQG Round Robin round 1 (it's a secret but it's in the bag I promise!) This was my first time foundation paper piecing and I see more in my future for sure.

My sewing at the Leeds MQG February meeting was rather more unplanned than I'd hoped - as in dashing round that morning before driving over to Leeds grabbing stuff from my sewing room - so I didn't achieve anything on my finish-along list. However I took a little pile of hst squares and made them into windmills (I think I'm going to mix these up with some red squares and make into something on my next finish-along list), finished one little dumpling bag that had been half done for over a year and started another.

  

Our March Leeds MQG meeting is all about making more quilts for Siblings Together and I made a start after the last meeting doing lots of fabric cutting using fabrics kindly donated by members. Looking forward to these turning into quilts in a couple of weeks.

I also made 5 blocks for Mary Emmen's quilts for Siblings Together too, I couldn't believe I found 43 different blue/green/grey/black boyish fabrics so easily in my stash - it's lovely to be able to contribute something to a project like this and why I love the online quilting community so much.

Crochet also featured heavily in February, I had to remake my square for The Patchwork Heart's community crochet blanket at Royal Mail delivered an empty envelope the first time.

Then I worked on more and more rounds of my Sophie's Universe Crochet Along I'm a little behind but loving doing something out of my comfort zone and seeing all the different stitches turn into something beautiful.

So that was February - not too shabby as it turns out. This week I need to finally get on with some quilting so I *hope* to have some big finishes to share soon.

Linking up with: