February in review

So this last month I joined for the first time A lovely Year of Finishes challenge with a (too) long list, let's see how I did
1. Finish off my mini quilt and small item for the Sew Sew Modern 4 swap - all sent on time
2. Make a mini quilt for the Super Swap - sent on time
3. Catch up on my Simply Solids blocks (December and January) - January done, December still to do
4. Make my Siblings Together 2 blocks (January and February)- January done, February still to do
5. Inchy Hexie swap (finish January and February) - January and February done
6. Block for the Lotto - 0 block
7. Double chevrons blocks for Mod Mod Along - all 4 blocks done
8. Start my Once Upon a Time Sampler for the New FO challenge - started
9. Make some pillowcases for the kids -all finished and in their bed
10. Finish my hearts panel (if I can locate it again) - not found again so no progress
11. Catch up on my + and x blocks - none done
12. Make more blocks for my Cats quilt - none done

In addition to this list, I made 12 (!) birthday cakes in various shapes (2, 5 and 8 as well as Hello Kitty and Teddy bear) for the kids various birthday celebrations

I also completed 10 Farmer's Wife blocks

So quite a busy month all in all! Here is a mosaic of my makes for the month!

Linking to Fresh Sewing Day
Celine

Lonely snowflake

Only one block completed so far this week, this is my last (belated) block for the Simply Solids bee. This block was for Jo. She asked for a snowflake like the ones you make with paper that you fold and cut out. I finally got around to try and make her this block with a snowflake inspired from a charm on one bracelet I recently bought:

That's another bee which is finished and one of my goal for March (#2) completed!
If you want to try cutting out a six-pointed snowflake, visit this website for clear and detailed instructions.
Linking to Jen at Building Blocks Tuesday, Sue at Brit Thursday Sewing Linky, Kelly at Needle and Thread Thursday.

Celine

A new Linky party - a look at the past

Did you see this new Linky Party Tuesday Archives at Val's Quilting? The idea is to share all sewing/quilting post based on the theme Val's give on her blog. This first week it is about Alphabet Quilts or Album Quilts.

Now I made an Alphabet quilt for my friend's baby girl about 7-8 years ago but that was pre-blogging time. So I'll do a special post about this quilt now!

I did each of the little applique square on the train to and from work. It is all needle-turn applique. Here are a few close up of the quilt.

 Some of the squares also had some embroidery to complete the design.

 It is also a rare (maybe the only one) that I quilted by hand.

 No if some of the images don't make sense to you with the letters, it might be because it is in French.

It took about 6 months to complete it and it was made and gifted in 2006.
Linking to Val's Tuesday Archive

Celine

March goal setting

Once again, it is time to set goals for the month! and try to get things finished with so many sources of motivation with 2014 - A lovely year of finishes, as well as the OPAM and Lazy Bums

The 350 blocks challenge for March is to make 30 blocks! I was shot of 5 blocks in February so let's hope the 3 extra days this month make it easier to finish 30 blocks.
What else can I add to the list?
1. Finish off my items for the Sewing Room swap
2. Catch up on my Simply Solids blocks (December)
3. Make my Siblings Together 2 blocks (February March)
4. Inchy Hexie swap (March)
5. Block for the Lotto
6. Beads on a string blocks for Mod Mod Along
7. Start my You've got Mail wall hanging for the NewFO challenge
8. Finish my cat quilt

9. Finish Maud's bag - Lazy Bums challenge for March
10. Catch up on my + and x blocks
11. Make 10 Farmer's Wife blocks
12. Finish the central medaillon of my Midnight in the Oasis
13. I love Lucy international block (March)
14. Stash Bee crazy block (March)
15. Wonky star for the Little Blog Bee (March)
16. Bee Europa blocks (March)
17. Join the Triangle Quilt Along
OK I will stop here because it is probably already once again far too long and ambitious, although there is onely 1 birthday this month to cook for (I made 12 birthday cakes last month all together!)
The project I will pick for my March Finish is # 8, my Cat Quilt for Miss Strawberry Shortcake.

Linking to 2014 - A lovely year of finishes,
Celine

NewFO for March and report for February

My new project for February was to get started on my Once Upon a Time Sampler and I am happy to report that I have actually started it. This is how far I have stitched:

I am not caught up at all since the February and March diagrams are now out and I haven't even finished January but at least it is started! Hopefully I will be able to report more progress by the end of March, I hope I'll have finish January and started February.

I didn't make any progress at all on my January NewFO, the Midnight in the Oasis quilt sadly. I am hoping to finish the centre medaillon in March, wish me luck!

After seeing so many of these gorgeous little envelopes blocks so often on flicker, IG etc, my NewFO for March will be a lovely wall hanging from Ayumills' book Patchwork Please.

We have nowhere to store the post at the moment so I am hoping this is the answer, well when it is all finished and on the wall hopefully!
Linking to Cat Patches

Updated to add:
I have just discovered a new challenge for March at Berry Barn Designs which is perfect for the 2 above projects:

I am intending to continue my stitcherie on the train commute every morning so that will give me 30 minutes on the day I go in the office. And maybe I could dedicate 30 minutes for the project above on the day I don't travel to the office? Wish me luck!

Celine

Farmer's Wife blocks and linky party

Another month has passed, have you made any blocks? I hadn't started any until last week-end and I was unhappy about it! So this week, I have been on a drive to make 10 blocks and I am so happy to report that I finished my 10th blocks last night before bed time! So yes another 10 blocks for February taking my total of Farmer's Wife blocks to 25 blocks out of 111!
I made these blocks this month
[6] Big Dipper

[7] Birds in the Air

[11] Broken Dishes

[12] Broken Sugar Bowl

[29] Economy

[48] Homeward Bound

[56] Maple Leaf

[61] Northern Lights

[68] Postage Stamp

[111] Wrench

Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday and to Anything Goes Monday. And since these have been covering my design wall over the last week, I am linking to Judy's Design Wall.


And now the Linky party for February








Until next month!
Celine

more blocks this week

In an attempt to get 30 blocks completed by the end of the month, I have been madly chain piecing this week to make more blocks. I have mainly focused on my Farmer's Wife blocks and  I completed a grand total of 10 in a week- yeah! (but I'll do a separate post with the Linky party) but I also made various other blocks.
2 more double chevrons for my Mod Along Quilt

That's my January blocks completed, now I need to make 10 beads on a string for the February blocks (yes I am a bit behind already!)
So these 2 chevrons along with the 2 flowers and the 10 Farmer's Wife blocks gave me 24 blocks for the month. I needed 6 more to meet the 350 blocks challenge
Desperate times call for desperate measures so I started looking around my sewing room for fast and easy blocks to make before midnight! I first found a part pieced X-string block that I finished tonight:

And next I targeted my Impromptu blocks. I have all the 9-patch blocks to transform into floating 9-patch blocks. So I started on those but unfortunately, I didn't manage to finish 4 because the first one I made didn't come out very nicely so I thought it was silly to rush them through and be unhappy with the results (I hate unpicking). 

I suppose I could add the blocks I made for my mini but that would be cheating, I think! So I will finish my month with a grand total of 25 blocks for the 350 Blocks Projects: 2014 - 5 blocks short of the challenge. The goal for March is another 30 blocks, let's hope that with 3 more days in the month I can meet it!

My total this year is 57 blocks!

Linking to Needle and Thread Thursday and Brit Sewing Thursday Linky.

Celine

Hexies

I did find more time for hand sewing this week, especially yesterday courtesy of the train company which was running with huge delays thanks to an electrical problem. That made my commute far much longer than normal and gave me time to finish my February flowers for the Inchy Hexie swap. Jennifer wanted some vintage looking flowers so I hope these ones fit in her garden.

I also received those lovely stepping stones from Maree

and some from Michele too.

Linking to Building Blocks Tuesday and WOW.
Celine

Sunday sewing

Another week-end, another birthday cake! This time a delayed birthday cake for Miss Baby since she turned 2 on Christmas day. I made her a teddy bear cake and she had much fun blowing  her candles!

We also had Miss Strawberry Shortcake first dance show, we were so proud to watch her perform on stage for the first time ever!
And today I completed 2 pillow cases. This is not even UFOs since it wasn't started. I bought the fabric a few years ago and it was just sitting there. So we now have hers

and his!

2 more OPAMs and of course this was my challenge for February for a Lovely Year of Finishes. I must admit the only reason I did those today was because they were on that exact list. The power of committing in writing! Linking to the February Finishes Party
Celine

Lots of blocks - but not 30 yet!

So in between baking cakes, cakes and more cakes and travelling (or while travelling actually), I did finish a few blocks this month even if I haven't reach the magic 30 number for the February 350 blocks challenge.
First I finished my Lucy block for Susan with pink, green, yellow and orange and it has gone all the way to her

Then I finished Hannah's EPP block for Bee Europa

and also Alia's block for Get Your Hex on

as well as 2 sets of hexies for Janet for the Inchy Hexie Swap

All these were on-the-go blocks because they are all hand-stitched, which goes to show that i have spent a fair amount of time on the road this month!

I also finished my block for Lucy for Simply Solids

and 2 slab blocks for Dorothy for Siblings Together 2

and also 2 double chevrons for myself for the Mod Mod Along

So that's 10 blocks completed so far, I need another 20 by the end of the month, this might be tricky! I will need to go for some quick wins!
Linking to Building Blocks Tuesday.
Celine

Mini quilts

I can't believe it is over a week since my last post. I must say it has been very busy with a big birthday party for the kids at the week-end in France and me doing 2 return trips to France in less than a week. Lots of baking, lots of travelling and very little sewing. 

I did finish my mini for the Super Swap, that I showed you in-progress last week 

and sent it off on Monday all the way to Sweden. And of course, this is another OPAM for February and one item of my list for February.

And today I received my mini for the Super Swap from Jan. My first thought when I opened it was that I had hit the jackpot. This is Jan's second mini with that design and I had put her first one in my inspiration mosaic but of course I never thought I'd get the exact same quilt! And I love the fabric she has chosen for me, lots of text prints.

Linking to Needle and Thread Thursday, Brit Thursday Sewing Linky and Whoop Whoop Friday.
Celine

Lovely goodies and WIP

So we have hit the birthday season in our house - again. Of course, it is a nice time of the year for the kids and it brightens the terrible weather we are enduring at the moment. But it also means I get to spend loooots of time in the kitchen baking cakes and more cakes. I have already 5 for Miss Strawberry Shortcake's 5th birthday this week, so I haven't had that much time for sewing really

But I did manage a few things. I made good progress on my mini for my Super Swaps partner (I only have the binding to hand sew now). I used a pattern from the Pretty Patchwork Holidays book for the Harvest Wine table runner. Well, one word of caution if you want to make this pattern, the templates printed in the book are wrong, you need to print the updated templates from the website here. I had already cut all my fabric when I realised so I used what I had cut but it did require some fiddling around with the curves! Anyway, I finished the quilt top last week-end but didn't get around to quilt it until yesterday. I used a leaf pattern to quilt it and a cream variegated thread. I like the effect, I hope my partner will too! I only have to sew the binding on the back and it can leave me to go and live with its new owner!

My other work in progress, which I am a little bit obsessed with is my NewFO for February: Once Upon a Time cross-stitch sampler. I am slowly catching up with the January box. I love it!

And I hadn't had time to post any pictures yet but last week, I received a gorgeous package from Susi for the Sew Sew Modern Swap.

Susi made a lovely sewing machine mat with hexagons and you know I love love hexagons so I am in love with it really! She also sent me some lovely baskets and a cute mini hoop with a owl, absolute gorgeous ornament.

Look at those stars too!

I feel really spoiled and so does my machine! Doesn't she look very cosy now?

Linking to WOW, Needle and Thread Thursday, Brit Thursday Sewing Linky.
Celine