How time flies

Can't believe it's so long since I last blogged and I know it will be over 2 weeks before I can blog again!!
Not really been so busy on the sewing front but did manage to have a sewing table that looked like this-- yes I've been getting to grips with some of my scraps I seem to cut loads but I've still got a bagful

You can see the bag of scraps on the right.
I've also had to make creative mend to my DH 's hoodie that he wears for hound walking and keeps biccies in the pockets and Polly greyhound decieded it was too easy to go in through the opening and chewed a hole to get at them when he left it on the chair. so the legs of an old pair of jeans and about 15mins of my time and we have "designer hoodie"!!

Linus projects

Here are the two Linus Projects I mentioned last post and I am pleased to report I've found a piece of fleece that will fit the purple quilt and even co-ordinate with the colour-----It's amazing what you find when you delve to the very back of the cupboard!!! now to see if I can find something to go with the blue!!

These should be finished by next weekend, now off to celebrate our DD finishing the London Marathon it took her over 6 hours.---Well done dear Zahra.

Linus Project Progress

At last I'm making some progress on a couple of Linus quilts, these have been made with orphan blocks from various sources I now need some fleece for backing as I have run out of usable pieces so may I will be able to get some next week and then I'll post a picture.

I also knit (a bit)

A blanket for Linus Project knitted using a pattern drafted by Dot the current chair of a group I belong to. It was so easy and the perfect pattern for knitting while watching TV, I think it took longer to sew together than to knit so sat in a bag for a few weeks but now at last a finish!!

I think you can just see the little owls in the centre of each square.

Quilt gifted--at last

The Pink baby quilt was delivered today (at last) and I got time for baby cuddles as well. Mum loves it so all is well.

Didn't add a border but used a wide binding to finish --- good job I added a couple of colour catchers to the wash (I always wash baby quilts before gifting) as I hadn't washed the binding and they turned a very strong pink!! I also hand over washing instructions as a baby quilt that you can't wash isn't going to be much good!
Now onto the next couple of projects which are at various stages so probably next week before a finish especially as I will be glued to the TV on Sunday trying to get a sighting of our DD as she takes part in her first London Marathon -- she is running for Juvenile Diabetes Research as our middle grand daughter is a Type1 diabetic and has been since she was 20 months old, she is now 11years old.

Linky Party

I've just linked to Lily's Quilts linky party for small bogs.

What am I working on?

Simple answer nothing!!!
This week everything has been outside the home----Docs appointments baby sitting and general home servicing stuff.
All this is so boring so tomorrow will be a sewing day come what may!! and I really do have to finish the pink baby/toddler quilt, after all the baby is nearly a month old already and also I have at least 2 projects in the pipeline which I want to finish asap.

Goodies

I was taken on a trip to one of our local fabric shops by my dear DIL and eldest GD, GD needed a dress pattern for her textile class and I had an IOU to redeem for Xmas and my birthday ( they are very close together) . This was my haul there was so much more I could have got but didn't want to overspend my DIL's bank balance even though she said to go ahead and get as much as I wanted!!!! OOOH the temptation!!!

The bottom piece is a nice big piece of fleece which will be used to back a new TV cuddle quilt for the GDs which I know will be needed next winter as one of the pile on the sofa is getting so close to being relegated to the Basset it has done it's time as a comfort quilt for the girls and will now give comfort to the hound --- see all my quilts have a double life.  

Still quilting

Nothing much to report just a little quilting but lots of gardening as the sun has been shining and the job of getting the veg garden ready will not wait.

Lets retire these!!

My DH retired over 5 years ago and I have just persuaded him to retire some, not almost all you will note but at least some of his office shirts. They are beautiful and soft but are mostly blue so will have to mix them with my son's caste offs witch have a greater mix of colours. They are going into stash at the moment as I don't have a project for them--but I will!! so this

this in a few hours

 

layering

layering the latest baby quilt--decided against borders as this would have made the quilt almost 60" square and even for me that's too big for a baby quilt so some uncomplicated quilting and a generous binding and that will be a finish and then I'll post a picture.
This picture is the finished blocks for my take on Bonnie Hunter's Wonky Stars -- I used 3 1/2 " squares and made the points from 2 1/2"squares so cleared a little space in both those boxes I think I will sash with 2 1/2" neutral and scrappy corner stones and then think about a border!

Sorry thought I had a picture of the finished number (20) but this give a good idea of the blocks.

Finished.

What you might ask is finally finished --- My Scrappy trip made to Bonnie Hunter's instructions. This quilt is 122" x 98" and has been made to fit our super king size Victorian bed reaching to the floor at the sides. I was going to quilt it on my Jamone 6600 as I wanted straight lines to emphasise the pattern then I realised how was I going to manage with my wonky shoulder so opened the piggy bank and had it beautifully long armed quilted by the lovely Emma at Quilter's Quarters, and now it's back home and finally on the bed.

It looks great as our room is very neutral and this is a happy splash of colour and contains many fabrics from past projects which bring back such happy memories

Sunshine--Yeh!!

Today sunshine all day and that means a massive increase in my creativity, so I managed to finish all the blocks for the next baby quilt -- I think it will come out about 48" square so will last past babyhood-- I really like to make them about this size if I can, pics when it's all together have to crack on the baby is due in a couple of weeks or so.
A picture of a quilt I finished last week for a friend, she had made the centre and the inner border and then her arthritis got the better of her and she needed it as a comfort gift for her sister.

Gave it a blue binding and a bit of free motion quilting and it's ready to be gifted and my friend has been relieved of the worry of trying to finish and cope with the pain in her hands and shoulders at the same time.

back on track

I have been very slow both in quilting and blogging in the past few weeks, the dreadful storms and flooding (thankfully we were nor flooded) seem to have stopped me dead in my tracks so nothing to report---but am now up and running and will have some pics and news in the next few days!

Progress

Yes progress is being made slowly but at least progress!! after all it was my 70th birthday yesterday so I THINK I'm entitled to take things a little slower for this week!! The pink stars baby quilt is now layered and I'm practising the quilting design on a quilt that may be given to the Linus project if it works out if not it will be used by the patchwork hounds on the sofa.

The pattern is a variation on Bonnie Hunter's wonky star block but I used 31/2" squares for the background and 21/2" squares for the star points and I made 2 blocks in each colourway i.e. a positive and a negative. It went together really quickly and is for baby Edie born to some very good friends of my son and DIL infact they are god parents to granddaughter no2 and she is a very special daughter born after many episodes of IVF, so has to be finished asap and with lots of love in every stitch.

What's happened

Maybe it's the rotten weather--rain,rain,rain I think I need to move into an ark!!! but the sewing machine has been much neglected but the arrival of a beautiful baby girl to the god-parents of one of our GD means I 've had to get busy so I've just finished a pink and white star top and will move to layering and machine quilting  over the next week so a photo to come when it's finished.
On another note a feeling well known to all quilters the dreaded UFO list. I've managed to identify 10 to finish this year but I'm sure there are more lurking around just waiting to catch me unawares!!! Actually I've pulled out the 2 that need the least work so I can make January look good and get in 2 finishes by the month end, I think we will be eating out of the freezer a few times next week!!
So on with the good work (umph) and stop messing on the internet!!