ALYoF for February, and other stuff!

As the end of February approaches, I am happy to report that I completed my goal for the month #49

A Lovely Year of Finishes

This is another EPP cushion using Lush Uptown and the Spring Carnival pattern.

It is similar to my January finish, except I used the deer fabric instead of the birds!

The quilting is also the same, using Aurifil #2600.

here they are together, just so you know I did do two cushions! LOL!

I really enjoyed doing these, and I must say that watching the Olympics got me through the second one!

I even had time to knit some toe up two at a time socks while watching too!

A very plain pair with no pattern to get me distracted from TV...

I also made myself an ipad holder, which is great when using it for tutorials while in my sewing room!

I used fabric given to me by a friend of a friend :-) I am told it is Liberty!

It came in the form of a skirt and a hankie!

Do you see that lovely bundle of fabric! It is AMH True Colors, and I won it from Heather at The Sewing Loft!!!

How lucky was that, considering I am on a sort of fabric fast! I did buy some backing fabric, but I needed it, truly I did!

So, it's time to link up my finish! Yay for 2 months in a row! I think I have already surpassed last years' efforts....

ALYoF February goal setting

I was pretty pleased to report that I did finish my January goal, so I'm doing another EPP cushion for my February goal!

This is the same fabrics as the first (Lush Uptown and Basic Grey Grunge). The only change is the focus fabric.

I will be quite happy to be done with hand piecing for a long while!!

Although, with the Olympics approaching, I will need something to do while glued to the TV.

I might have to get out some yarn and start another pair of socks too!

Linking up to

A Lovely Year of Finishes.

ALYoF: January is in the bag!

My progress on almost all of my projects started this year has been really slow.

I'm not feeling overly motivated by any one thing, so I seem to be doing bits and pieces of several things!

So, it was rather surprising to me that I actually finished both of my January goals.

I'm just going to show the cushion cover for the link-up.

Last year, I won a bundle of Lush Uptown from a giveaway at Fabricworm .

This is a really pretty fabric collection, with a lot of variation in the design.

There is, however, large birds and deer in the focus fabrics.

So, it was a bit of a challenge deciding what to do with it.

I am so not a fan of birds.....but I guess they are okay on fabric!

At least these ones don't crash into my windows all summer long!

I had been wanting to do more EPP after a successful first attempt, and I also wanted to make a cushion using the tutorial by Katy@ I'm A Ginger Monkey.

So, I got busy and finished it this week. 

Wow! What a lot of hand sewing!

This is a 20" cushion, and is now my favourite size!

I added some Basic Grey Grunge to the Lush, as well as some sort of Kona grey. :-)

For the quilting, it is just straight lines using Aurifil Grey #2600

For the backing, I used some Grunge with a strip of Lush for the hidden zipper closure.( can't find the photo!)

Now, I plan to do another one! There is a fabric in the collection with the deer, and woods on it.

I'm so pleased to have this one done.

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes.

I also did finish the Sew Delicious Sweet Pouch Swap, but it hasn't arrived in Australia yet, so I don't want to post the photo.

I like it alot, so I hope my partner does too!

A Lovely Year of Finishes- January goal setting

I wasn't sure I was going to join is again since I didn't do all that well with goals last year!

But, this is a great way to at least plan to meet some goals.

I have 2 projects that I want to complete for January.

The first is to make a pouch for Janine in Australia for The Sweet Pouch Swap. 

I already know what I'm going to make, so just need to pick fabrics.

The second goal is to finish the EPP cushion cover I started last month.

It's definitely taking me longer than I thought, but it should be do-able for the end of the month!

 Linking up!!

Just another day in Paradise....

Well, who wouldn't be just thrilled to be living in Saskatchewan right now??

The last couple of days have seen the temperatures plummet to -50C  with the blowing wind!!

I'm not complaining...we have heat, electricity and plenty of food.

Which is more than some parts of the country this winter!

So, I'm curling up in a comfy chair with the TV on, and some EPP to keep me occupied.

This is the Spring Carnival pattern by Katy Jones(I'm A Ginger Monkey)

The new year also brings on commitments to quilting bees!

Our Happiness Circle @ do.Good Stitches, is doing flying geese blocks for a Remixed Geese quilt using Erica's tutorial. So much fun to do these blocks!

A new quilting bee on Flickr is Canadians Quilt {bee}.

Most of us are from Simply Solids: a modern {bee}, and we had so much fun making blocks for each other, that we started another round!

One of my favourite quilts came out of the Simply Solids bee!

For January, Jaclyn asked for a star block, and I thought this would be the perfect time to try out the Confetti star block by Amy Friend on Craftsy.

Love this block, and I think it is one I'll be using again. I made 2-6.5" blocks and used a low volume fabric to make it 12.5"

My first swap of the year is

The Sew Delicious Sweet Pouch Swap.

We will make a pouch and fill it with candy, and other goodies! Woo hoo!

My swap partner is in Australia!

Not sure what treats to send her though. It needs to be something that will travel well from the cold to the heat!

Now I need to shift a cat off my lap and get stitching!

It would be this very helpful cat.......

yes......the tree is down now!

Snow and Snowflakes!

Winter has arrived with a couple dumps of snow in the past week...

Fresh snow is always so pretty, until you have to shovel it!

But, it did put me in the mood to get some bee blocks done.

First up are November's blocks for our

Happiness Circle @ do. Good Stitches.

Marika asked us to do Plus blocks using low volume background and bright colours for the Plus.

We used this tutorial.

I love doing these blocks, and I think I'll be doing one for myself in the new year!

Next up was blocks for

Simply Solids: a modern {bee}

I'm in the Carmine group, and for November Carla asked for the Circle of Squares block.

Another fun and quick block to do, and because I am doing an extra angel block, I was happy with how quickly they were made.

Which brings me to December's blocks for Sheila!

She has asked for the Snowflake block.

Such a gorgeous block, but not an easy one for me to do!

Again, I am doing an extra angel block, so it was on my mind when it came to piecing this one!

We used this tutorial.

For the first block, I used the tutorial, but I sure had difficulty with it.

I'm not sure why my brain didn't want to line things up!

So, for the second block, I thought I would try paper piecing it!

I just drew it out on paper using the 60 degree on my ruler.

Really, it didn't turn out any better, and, in fact, took way longer to do!

If I hadn't already cut the fabric for it, I would have abandoned it and gone back to the tutorial!

They didn't even finish the same size!

Anyway, they are DONE! 

Sheila will have to do some creative sashing!

Sorry Sheila!

I also finished up some socks this week!

These are Merino wool and cashmere!

So soft and yummy!

I used my favourite pattern from Wendy Johnson's book,

Socks From The Toe Up

I also used the two at a time method on my favourite 2mm, 100cm Addi circular needle.

Because I have a terrible memory, in spite of what Lumosity tells me :-) , I also keep a journal of the patterns I use, the yarn and etc.

Finally, I purchased a clamshell template for EPP. I really like watching Sue Daley's YouTube Videos on her EPP methods.

However, Kissa seems intent of giving me her own lessons on piecing those clamshells!

Not sure what I'll make with the finished product; probably another pouch!

Now I can curl up with a book this week-end......

or maybe start something new???

WIP Wednesday 27-03-2013

It's been a few weeks since I have done a WIP post, so I'll just hit the highlights!

My BIG finish is

No Name Triangle

You can read more about it in this post, if you're interested!
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A couple of do.Good Stitches blocks got done for the

Happiness Circle. 

A fun string block to do!

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We are getting down to a finish on the

Curve It Up QAL with Jenny and Helen.

Only one block left to do!

Here is what I have so far(one block missing)Bella's Curves

 I'm already making the sashing strips!
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I finished a fun EPP project ( my first!)

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I started a new quilt using Oakshott shot cottons!
Love them so much!
It's just in the beginning stages...

I'm calling it
Does Anybody Hear?
Based on the brilliant song by Bruce Cockburn

The photo of these fantastic fabrics is less than stellar, as you can't see the brilliance of the shot colours.
But trust me....they are breathtaking!

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So, that's it for today!
Linking up with
Freshly Pieced
 
and
The Needle and Thread Network.
 
Have a great sewing week!
and just in case you are stressing out......!

source

A Lovely year of Finishes-March edition!

I am so happy that March is finally coming to an end!

I can sum it up in two words.....UGLY weather!

which has absolutely nothing to do with quilting, other than it kept me indoors!

Which is the point of this post!

A Lovely Year of Finishes So, I had to look back and see what my goals were for this month!

I knew that I had several planned, and actually did accomplish 2 of them.

Yay!

first up is The No Name Triangle quilt which I had to unpick the quilting and start over....

I am soooo happy that I did too..

I love the 28wt Aurifil thread, and I used a red colour so it really stands out.

I trudged through the snow during a storm to take these photos!

Here is a better view of the circular quilting with the Aurifil.

I'm pretty happy with the finish of this one!

Next on my list was to finish a project using a "ugly" fat quarter pulled out of a bag at our

MQG.

We had just learned EPP, so I decided to give it a go in a zippered pouch..

I loved doing every part of this, from the EPP, to the hand stitching with perle cotton!

The background fabric is Essex linen in a light green-not sure of the actual

colour name.

I even love the little sewing machine pull tab!

which brings me to the third project I had planned to finish....a disappearing 

9 patch.

I put this top together last year using vintage sheets.

then it went onto a hanger in the closet...

Truthfully, I had plenty of time to get this done.

I even took it off the hanger and looked at it...twice....

then put it back!

I really wasn't in the mood to finish it......so I didn't!

So, I didn't complete my goals for March, but I'm not too

upset about it.

The two that I did finish make me darn happy.
Time to link up!
 

WIP Wednesday 06-02-2013

Most of my sewing lately seems to be blocks for something or other!

Bee blocks are so much fun and for our Happiness circle @ do. Good Stitches, Marika wanted us to do the oh so popular and fun x & + blocks.

The colours she chose were blue and green with low volume triangles.

I am also doing the Lucky Stars BOM with Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy

The first block was out in January, and after I made it I changed my mind on the size I wanted to do!

That called for a re-do of the block into a 6"

These small blocks don't take very long to do, so February is also done!

Love this small size and the Kaffe Fassett fabrics, including the shot cottons!

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One of my favourite things is testing blocks for Kristy @ Quiet Play!

She does paper piecing patterns that are just so much fun, and in fact she has a BOM in progress right now called And Sew On.... all sewing themed blocks!

These blocks aren't part of the BOm but are patterns she has designed....

The cutest ever Octopus!

and the latest one is a retro oven!

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Are you doing the Triple Zip Along?

Debbie @ A Quilter's Table designed the triple zip pouch and is hosting the zip along on Flickr.

I did mine on Sunday while it was snowing!

had a lot of fun doing this, and blogged about it here.

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I am doing my first ever EPP project!!! Thanks to Benta who sent me a sample and tutorial!!

Also thanks to Patti E-R, who gave us a demonstration at our last meeting of the Saskatoon MQG.

We exchanged ugly FQ's to make anything, and I decided on a EPP rose star to make a tote bag...or something. It completely depends on how it all turns out!

I don't think FQ I pulled out of the bag is ugly at all!

My only problem with this technique, is that I need daylight to do the stitching! I just cannot do it in the evening without squinting and biting my tongue. Ouch!

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I actually do have WIP's!!!

1-I'm still planning the quilting for Starry, Starry Night

2- No name triangle top is completely pieced, and the backing is almost done too

3-Curve It Up QAL is in progress and over half way done!

Well, that sums up my last couple of weeks!

Linking up with guest host, Jenelle @ Freshly Pieced

and Monika @ The Needle and Thread Network.

Have a great sewing week!