September in review

September is always a month of new starts but also back to routine! School started back earlier in the month, and work has been extremely busy. I have tried to concentrate on making overdue bee blocks but I am still behind.

Hoping for finish
1. Scrappy X block quilt - only need quilting -  this will be my choice (again) in September for the One Monthly Goal with Heidi - finished

2. Book bee blocks to make into a wall-hanging -  no progress

Bee Blocks 

1. Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap (September) - done

2. Bee Hive (September) 
3. Bubble Bee (August, September) - August done, September in progress

4. I love Lucy International (August, September) 

5. Scandi Bee (July, August, September) - July, August done

6. Fat Stash Bee (July) 
7. Block lotto (3)

WIP

1. Wanta Fanta - need 8 more blocks - no progress

2. Elephant Parade - my Lazy Bums challenge for September was to make 10 blocks - no progress

3. A very merry Christmas town - no progress

4. Farmer's wife 1930 QAL and original FW - I am so behind... - no progress

5. Postcards from the World - no progress

6. 365 challenge quilt - let's try not to fall behind too much and maybe make the corners to sew the central medallion completely? - no progress

7. Town and Country quilt - I am so behind....- no progress

8. HST modern sampler quilt - 6 blocks behind, catch up time??? - no progress

9. Project 48 - let's try to catch up - no progress

10. Pumpkin Passport - completed until August, September started

11. Summer Solstice Sew Along - top done

12. Sashiko Along - last block in progress

New Project

1. Custom cushions  x 2 

2. Zodiac BOM 

3. Gipsy Wife QAL
4. Meadow Mystery

All in all I have completed 20 blocks for the 350-blocks challenge and 7 OPAM.

Celine

One less UFO, one more quilt

My X-strings quilt is finally finished! I can't believe it has taken so long, but here we are, at least it is finished and we can enjoy it for the winter!

The blocks came from Sew Euro Bee An in April 2013 (!) and I was missing a couple to finish the top. Thank you to all my lovely bee mates for the fantastic scrap blocks they made for me. I had written a tutorial for the blocks here, if you are interested.

After about 3 years of hibernation, I finally finished the last few blocks this spring to make the quilt top

and quilted it in August

All that was left was the binding. I had hoped to finish it in August but with the holidays, it didn't work out. Thankfully, with a new serie on TV (Victoria), a few Sunday evenings was all I needed to finally finished sewing the binding on.

This is a fantastic scrap buster project if you have plenty of scraps that you want to use up/

So this is one more OPAM for September, one that I can cross off my Finish Along List, and more importantly one less UFO! which was also my One Monthly Goal for September.

Linking to One Monthly Goal , Q3 FAL, Sew Cute Tuesday, Let's Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, Whoop Whoop Friday.

Celine

Overlocker love?

Yesterday I spent the day with my overlocker, to learn to love her. Well it wasn't just the 2 of us but I went to a great class with Pamela Tasker at Sew Much to Do Ely. It was a great class. I didn't make anything at all (there was opportunity for a simple tote bag). I only made samples as I felt this would be much more useful for me to understand how it all works and also, how to fix it when it all goes wrong.

So we tried seaming with all 4 spools (we used 4 different colours thread) so it was obvious which was which and also which one was the most important to match to the fabric. It also helped to identify the correct tension etc. We used different type of fabrics (cotton, jersey, knits, organza etc) to play with the differential.

We then removed one needle (left) to first play with 3 spools and then try the rolled hem. Lots of techniques, lots that can go wrong and lots to learn!

Anyway, when I got home last night, I decided that an easy first project could be to make some napkins. So I cut 3 tea towels that I had bought a long while ago in IKEA to make 3 napkins. I used the simple 3 threads stitch to finish the sides (which involved changing thread!) and I am pleased that it worked very well!

I then decided to be more adventurous and to try the rolled hems using 2 layers of fabrics for a thicker napkin. I changed thread again. Then the looper thread broke so I had to completely rethread the machine! but again, I ended up with 3 lovely napkins.

And finally I changed thread again to try a grey metallic. The thread broke again so I had to rethread the machine but unfortunately it seems something has gone horribly wrong in the machine so she will go for a little check up before I make anything else. I don't want to damage her further that she might already be.

I know it doesn't look like much but I am happy to have understood how the machine works, what is a correct stitch with correct tension, and what isn't etc.

Anyway, those 6 lovely napkins (already in use) give me 6 OPAM for September.
Linking to Sew Cute Tuesday, Let's Bee Social 
Celine

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Modern quilt

The Blogger's Quilt Festival is on again and my second entry is another quilt I gifted this summer. Another 40th birthday quilt!

I picked the Stems and Stones pattern from Kelly Young for her and I am planning to use Kaffe Fassett fabric for it. 

Starting by making snowballs (in May!)

and then the connectors sections

At that point, I had to lay it all out on the floor to create the top as it was the easiest way to ensure the correct pieces were in the right place

And then, I added all the background pieces and started assembling by rows so as not to lose the plot! 

And this the finished top ready for quilting

I used a Flower Power pattern from The Inbox Jaunt for an all-over quilting and I really like the effect it gives to the quilt.

lots of great texture. I used quite a bright variegated thread King Tut by Superior Threads and it worked well with the multi-colour fabric. 

I fouind a lovely multicolour fabric in my stasjh for the binding amd it was finished on time to party!

I love how this has turned out. It is a beautiful pattern and while I was cutting the fabric, I was wondering if it would be too scrapy/random but it works well with the white background I think. And I am pleased that all fabric came from my stash!

Quilt stats: 

Fabric: Kaffe Fassett and Kona cotton white all from my stash!

Backing: numbers fabric from IKEA from my stash!

Binding: Paisley Parade by Linda Lum DeBono from my stash!

Quilting with Superior Threads King Tut #931

Pattern:Stems and Stones by Kelly Young

Started on 13 May 2016 and finished on 18 June 2016

Size: 62' square

Linking to Blogger's Quilt Festival.

Celine

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Scrappy quilt

The Blogger's Quilt Festival is on again and there are quite a few categories to choose for. I have picked one of the latest quilt I have finished, the one I gifted to my friend over the summer.

My chopstick quilt was made entirely of my stash, using lots of prints to make it scrappy and bright and used a pattern by Sewing Party that I found in Simply Modern. I selected a number of fabric to get the chop sticks from and used a lovely background fabric that I had kept in my stash too.

I cut strips from the fabric and putt them together before chopping them off 

 to get the quilt centre

 2 borders were added to the centre

I quilted only the triangles of background and the borders too.

My finished Chop Stick quilt

Quilt stats:
Started 25 June, finished 22 July
Fabric all from my stash
Quilted with King Tut 937 in the bobbin and 931 for the border, 902 for the inner border and 961 for the main quilt
Lap size quilt

Linking to Blogger's Quilt Festival.

Celine

Blocks catch up

More bee blocks catch up this week. First with these absolutely gorgeous log cabin for Esther. I love log cabin blocks but her twist on them is just brilliant. Her quilt will be stunning.

I also finished my bubble for Brandy that I owe her for August, black and white

And I also made 3 Barn Door blocks for the Block Lotto

Taking my total of blocks to 18 so far.
Linking to  Building Blocks Tuesday, Sew Cute Tuesday, Let's Bee Social and  Needle and Thread Thursday.

Celine

One (big) bee block

I am behind on a few of my bee blocks I have to confess.... and although I was working on the Summer Solstice QAL, I also in parallel worked on my bee blocks. And I finished one this week-end. The Jewel block is ready for Mariana, a big 18' block ready for her friendship quilt and one off my list!

And with this block my total of blocks for September is 10!
Linking to  Building Blocks Tuesday
Celine

Summer is still there...

We seem to be enjoying an Indian summer this week so it was perfect timing to play catch up with the Summer Solstice quilt-along with Melissa. All the pieces were cut and I had done the first basic units (flying geese) on time but I fell off the band wagon after that.
I had also sewn the HST but hadn't had a chance to square them up

Next on the list were the dreaded curves, which weren't as bad as I expected!

And with all the basic pieces ready. it was time to sew the block units:
a lovely star for the centre

4 side blocks

and 4 corner blocks

to be sewn into a massive 20' block

finished with a white border

I love how this has turned out. This is not my usual choice of colour but I wanted to keep it summery and it think it worked. I only planned one block because it is huge and I knew the summer would be busy (and I don't need yet another UFO either). I will eventually quilt it to make a cushion cover for a massive cushion I have in the lounge (which currently still have my snowmen cover....)
This quilt-along was great and very well explained. I love the fact that Melissa gave so many size options (all clearly presented) and her block is so original with the curves. I am glad I took part, I'll certainly watch out for Melissa's next QAL.

And these were my first 9 blocks for September for the 350-block challenge.
Linking to Happy Quilting, Sew Cute Tuesday, Let's Bee Social and  Needle and Thread Thursday,
Celine