Summer Holiday Unwind

Cor, blimey. 

It's been a while since I posted!

I am very much here, and stitching but the blog is pretty much in its summer hibernation mode as is my website and Etsy store. That being said I thought I would give an update...

I've working on the new quilt project, called 'Gossip in the Garden' it's by Hatched & Patched. It was tea related and had bees on it, so I had to do it. This weekend I managed to get all the appliqué completed for block A, I just need to finish the small patchwork block detailing before I move onto the next block. 

What's been nice about this project is the opportunity to use up scraps, and that it's forcing me to start making some sort of dent into the rest of my fabric stash. It's also been nice to do as it's making me stop and think about colour and print combinations too. Getting the old noggin working!

Lots of fiddly needle turned appliqué. 

When I haven't been playing with fabric, I've also been making a bit of a dent on my jewellery making stash. It was high-time I broke out the Swarovski Crystals. A made a rainbow inspired bracelet, see below, a long chain necklace and updated another long chain I picked up recently in the summer sales. 

Also celebrated Hamish the Hamster's 2nd Birthday. Still going strong my little ginger furball. He's currently on vacation with my Best Friend. 

And I've taken a small break from eyelets but it's coming along rather nicely. I can't quite decide whether to go all the way round or keep it to one side of the oval shape, a crescent of eyelets. But post my break I'm sure I'd have made my decision. 

And that my friends, is where I am currently at. I'll be back in proper blogging mode in September!

Hexies Colouring In Pages

As you will have seen over the past couple of weeks, mostly on Instagram, I've got a Hexie project on the go. It's seemingly just happened after a very and so I really haven't a clue how its going to turn out. 

Rough doodle..

And this seemed to help get some clue as to where I was heading but the need to work out steps for further down line prompted me to whip up a quick colouring in page, and I have to say it's helping a treat. Whilst I still don't know what the outcome will be, at least with the colouring in pages it saves a whole lot of unpicking!

Want to play about with your own hexie design, or like me just love a spot of colouring in, you can download the templates here:

A3 Page

A4 Page

The Three F's and a T.

A hodge-podge sort of fortnight, full of threads, fabrics, flour and family. 

• A random little patchwork project for no other reason than I fancied doing it. Started as a doodle, and then ended up as a near 12" square. Rather pleased with it too. If your wondering it's a quote from the Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland. A quote I can get behind "It's Always Time for Tea". Here, here!

• More thrifty finds - Went in search of shelving units for the bathroom and instead came back with some cheap reels of Sylko thread for my aunt, a rather lovely plain white linen table cloth for £9 and a thimble rack; no I haven't started collecting I have other plans for it.

• I love, love, love Nigel's Lazy Loaf - Lives up to it's name. Second week I've made it now. I have found I had to play about with the amount of flour as Sainsbury's only sell Buttermilk in 300ml not the required 350ml. And I don't like to buy more than I need. So chopped down the flour to 175g and I think it's worked even better this week. Either way, it's super yummy....and toasts nicely too.

• More adventures into Wonderland - The quote that I featured on the little patchwork piece is back again, and this time I've decided to embroider it. Currently work in progress. 

 

Can never find my white tissue paper, so pale pink was used. I tend to find it easier stitching a rough outline on linen that can't be drawn onto, rather than using the prick, pounce and paint method. It's quicker, well for me, and less messy. If your interested in the other method, my good friend, Jen Goodwin, has an excellent tutorial. 

Of, course my favourite stitch is back, trailing for the win! And there is going to be quite a bit of it. Can't help it.

See, I told you there was going to be more! You can just make out the start of a clock, with multiple hands. 

• Giving child marriage the finger! And you can too. Let children, be children. I have recently supported this campaign, and you can too. If you can't donate, but have a social media account, a blog even. Post a link to it. Spread the word. 

Tidy Up and Exciting Adventures Booked

Tidying up and getting things in place seems to be the general theme of this weekend. From finally pulling my finger out and getting the last of the hallway decorating jobs done, it wasn't really a sudden desire more the case I actually got the carpet ordered. 

So the woodwork is sanded now (thank gawd for liquid sander), ahead of priming and painting next week. 

Trips galore booked with my best mate, because having things to look forward to is the best thing ever. Firstly, we are going to... 

HARRY POTTER WORLD

HERE WE COME....Oh yeah, I am totally excited!

And, in July we are on a quilting trail which involves visiting three stores, with demos, goodie bags and cake. I will admit the latter swung it for me.

And, other than that it's working on projects again, picked up the little quilting patchwork panel, and have begun adding small details and tidying up. I am feeling that there is going to be a few embroidered details dotted about using the colours and the patterns from the fabric as inspiration. So probably cute little dots, flowers and simple shapes.

The compass piece I started is still about, just been musing on what I want to do with it still. But it will be making a return as soon as I get this blasted hallway finished....

So come on then, do you have any fab trips or adventures planned? Projects working on at the moment. 

Patchwork WIP and 2015 Projects

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all made it in one piece. 

I thought I would skip over a review of 2014 and just crack straight into what I've been stitching, cause frankly getting back to stitching and mucking about with fabric has really gone me into a happy place and got me in the zone for looking forward to 2015.

It feels so good to get back to stitching and working on projects that have had to put aside for months in order to concentrate on deadlines and so forth. The quilt I started last Christmas was brought out once more and I cracked on with putting together the last four blocks, tidied up the size so they were all an even 12" square, and then..finally started to add sashing! It really is satisfying that before I return to work next week that the major part of the quilt is finally, finally complete!

Working out the placement of the blocks...but changed it again before I machined the sashing on.

And as you can see the border is now on! Love, love it! It's not an overly complicated design but it's tested me for the first proper patchwork quilt I've put together. Really looking forward to sorting out the backing fabric, as I have so much of Petite Street Fabric and white left over there might be another larger patchworking on the back. Then I can get the wadding and then...then I can do some quilting. So excited. Okay, I know I wanted to get it done before this Christmas just gone, but still I feel fairly accomplished that I've got at least this far and from here on it's at least likely to get done by winter 2015 now.

It's not the only patchwork piece I've been turning my hand to, because I have a stupidly large stash of scrap fabric from the embroidery work last year, the quilt and so forth I like to every now and then just do a little hand sewn scrap quilt. No plan to it just going with the flow. In fact what started as a small square is now looking likely to be a long panel which I think might go in the bedroom to compliment the quilt. You can follow the progress of this here and over on instagram. 

I've also decided as this is the year to being creative as possible. Being creative makes me happy, and keeps me focused on that. So one thing I signed myself up for as a bit of a mini year long challenge is a project my friend Nini of Made By Nini has set up 12 page in 2015. I didn't stop and think as to whether or not to do it I just signed myself up and so not to backtrack on it I set about making my little 12 page journal. Rather cute if I do say my self and made completely from one box. The first prompt has been announced, 'New Beginnings, Friends and with a bonus of Washi Tape. I look forward to spending an afternoon working on my page. Again keep an eye on instagram. Oh, and if you are interested in participating, not to late to join, lots of folks from around the world are taken part.

Got a project your working on or planning to start?

I have some doodles in mind for future embroidery projects, as I am nearly ready to get back to doing some more intricate stitching.

Oh, and one final thing I have the sale still going on!

Home Sweet Home

Last week I talked about getting back to using mood boards, and that I spent some very happy hours putting my two boards together, well when I wasn't cutting out paper I was also mucking about with fabric. Sometimes when I can't focus I just grab out my fabrics, usually the scraps I've got stowed away and just play about. No clear goal in mind just see what happens. Which was what I did in between watching the Tin Man on DVD, and in the evenings after work. 

Most of the fabrics chosen are scraps from the quilt I am working on for my bedroom, which post holiday break I'll be getting back too. That's the plan anyway! The fabrics you might recognise were from the Petite Street collection, by Dashwood Studios. I don't like to waste pretty fabric so the worthwhile sized scraps were kept for a rainy day. 

So I cut and placed...

and I pinned...

and I hand sewed the pieces together.

 Cracked out the threads and stitched lettering, flowers and a teeny, tiny house.. (you might recall the house from past work. Might have to do some more soon!)

...and I kept going till I was happy with the final result.

Then I trimmed and added bias binding. On the back I stitched on a couple of brass rings and stamped my little bee. I loved every minute of it. There was no pressure for what the result might be like as I hadn't a clue what I wanted it to be when I started. I really do like improv patchwork. I really recommend it if, like me, your feeling a bit 'argh' get out your stash of scraps, come now I know you have some! And just piece them together. I didn't do any quilting on this one but I am already itching to make another, how else am I to get through my scrap bag!