September goals

Back to school, back to work, back to reality! Business travelling again this month so I'd better curb my ambitions I guess. Although I'm really hoping to progress all my on-going quilts bordering on UFOs... I'm sure some dressmaking projects will catch my eyes and take my time away but let's try. A slightly shorter list again this month to try and help me focus... 

Quilting:
1. Continue to work on the Harry Potter sew-along 

2. Dear Jane - finish rows C & D - this will be my One monthly goal

3. HST modern sampler quilt - make the last block and finish the top 

4. Threadology quilt-along 

5. Vintage Kitchen 

6. Gipsy Wife - make more blocks 

7. Paper pieced horse from Tartan Kiwi book for my middle daughter  

8. Baby quilt 

Dressmaking

1. Summit peak top, cut and ready to be sewn 

2. Puff Shirt or another office top

3. Linden or Toaster sweater in navy  

4. Fiore skirt asymetrical

5. Bra

6. Knickers

7. Sirroco Jumpsuit, cut and ready to be sewn
8. Jeans for hubby

Accessories

1. Jangles Anchor Handbag 
2. Bucket bag
3. Passport holder
4. Large bag

Celine

August furtle

Maybe I achieve more when my list is shorter and more focused? Or maybe I get a better sense of satisfaction. Who knows? Anyway despite VERY limited sewing time and lots of travelling, I managed to cross almost all on my list for August.

My black and white quilt is finished

and although I didn't catch up on the Dear Jane blocks I completed 4, nearly 5!

I made 2 out of the 3 garments I had planned. The third one is cut ready to be sewn

And finished both accessories plus one more!

Linking to August furtle

Celine

Dear Jane blocks

I have fallen behind the Dear Jane sew along very quickly... I know,  no surprises there! Making the blocks is not the most time consuming part actually, it's preparing them (cutting the pieces) that takes time. And so many times I have found that I ran out of prep time before travelling so I didn't have anything to sew while out and about.  Finally I was able to finish a few blocks over the last few weeks.

The first one I finished was G12, Gloriae (3 pieces, mainly reverse applique). This one had been prepared years ago

The next one, also prepared years ago is I6, Voewer's Choice (6 pieces, applique)

Last week I finished C8, Hani's crown (21 pieces, hand piecing) started on my way to New York and finished in hospital in Florence

And this week, I finished C5, Eye of the Cyclone, in Ibiza with a mixture of piecing, applique and reverse applique, 17 pieces

I only need C10 to finish Row C and I started it as I was hoping to complete Row C during my holidays but I have lost a few pieces while travelling so this one is unfinished for now.

4 more Dear Jane blocks taking me to 133 out of 169, little by little I'm sure I'll get there!

Linking to Monday Making, Monday Design Wall,Moving It Forward, Wednesday Wait Loss, Midweek Makers, Let's Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine

Black and white

Finished! Finally... the black and white quilt that was on the frame in June is officially finished. And June is a little misleading since the blocks date from 2 bees that I participated in several years ago so this is a true UFO!

I used fabric from my stash, bought years ago with no real projects in mind, for the backing and also 2 leftover blocks that I couldn't fit in the top.

All I had left with this one was the binding. A return trip to France a few weekends ago gave me just the opportunity to do just that!

I must admit I am not 100% happy with the quilting but I'll go with the "finished is better than perfect" mantra and maybe I'll add more a later stage but for now, I'll class it as ready to be gifted!

Quilt stats:
Top: Bee blocks from 2012 & 2013
Backing: various black and white fabric from my stash
Quilted with Superior thread King Tut in June 2019
Finished August 2019
Size 60' x 72'

One more OPAM for August and one of my Q3 FAL list. And I'm glad I had picked this one as my One monthly goal for August or I would not have finished it yet....

Linking to Monday Making, Monday Design Wall, Moving It Forward, Wednesday Wait Loss, Midweek Makers, Free Motion MavericksNeedle and Thread Thursday, Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine

A new handbag

The last handbag I made has been used so much that it was really really worn out, especially on the vinyl handles. I have been planning to make a new one for a while and it has been on my to do list for far too long... I picked the fabric and pattern: the Carrier's Conquest a long while ago but never got around to get started. Finally I cut all the pieces in June and got started! The bag has a lot of pockets and is quite complex so there are a rather large number of pieces!

The instructions are detailed and lengthy but I must admit with so many pieces and not working on the project solidly I got lost/ confused a few times.... and had to unpick a fair number of times too.

With all the pockets, the vinyl, the interfacing it gets rather bulky too and can be difficult to sew sometimes. I had to change the pattern a little by not sewing the handles to the bag or I could not sew the zip.

I was so happy to finally have my 2 half bags constructed!

Finally it was time to put the bag together. That part was not so difficult but the turning it out was tricky and knocked one of the rivets on the side, which I had to glue on instead. 

The bag is really roomy and practical with all its pockets

I used those sparkly zips for the zippered pockets. They add a bit of bling but are so hard to open and shut....

This bag was definitely a candidate for "Made with love and swear words" but I love the final product. 

One of the drawback is it's weight even empty! 

And also that it doesn't have a shoulder strap. But I've been using it since I finished it and find it beautiful and practical. 

Another OPAM and another one of my Q3 FAL list too.

Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine

Fiore skirt

Closet case's new patterns from the Rome collection are so beautiful, I bought the whole collection and picked the skirt first. I was planning the asymmetrical one first but I didn't have enough of the fabric I wanted to use so I settled on the most simple one from the pattern which I made with a lovely black linen fabric.

The skirt construction was not very difficult with 4 panels and one waistband.  I started at a weekend but didn't have an invisible zip, which I thought was worth waiting for, it is so much nicer.

I also took a little more time to make the inside waistband pretty with a red bias.

Putting the zip in required a little prep to ensure everything lined up exactly at the back: the top and bottom of the waistband.

And after that step,  all I had to do was to sew the hem to finish the skirt.

And I've been able to wear my new black skirt for work this week.

This is another OPAM and another one of my Q3 FAL list.

Celine

Laptop sleeve - version 2!

I know I know,  it looks like I'm repeating myself.... but I'm not actually! I made a laptop sleeve last month and used it once but I decided I didn't really like it. I didn't want to make drastic changes but it needed a few tweaks here send there.... so I took it all apart and started again more or less!

The main 2 things that bothered me was that it was too wide compared to my laptop and that the flap should have been a little narrower than the sleeve. So I cut a strip of both sides and made the flap smaller and cut the corners off.

The other thing I wanted to do was to fold the side of the lining and sew the lining against the front (wrong side together) rather than trying to assemble right sides together and try to turn the whole sleeve out. It gets quite difficult send bulky with the faux leather.

So I serged the lining and folded the seam allowance.

And this time I assembled the main sleeve on the outside with an external visible seam since the lining was sewn independently.

I also added a tiny pocket for business cards

And a piece of black elastic as a pen holder

And here it is, a much nicer laptop sleeve!

 Fitting my laptop so much better

Another OPAM for August and another one of my Q3 FAL list since I made it in full a second time!

Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine

A fast little project

I have lost my coin purse about a week ago.... I think it's in the house somewhere but can't locate it... anyway in the meantime I'm left with nowhere to keep my coins so the best thing to do was to make over quickly, right?

And of course,  there's enough material in my stash to do just that! I retrieved a lovely deep red textured faux leather and a pretty lace zip to do so.

I attached the pretty zip to the outside for maximum effect.

Finished the bottom sides

Et voila!

Another OPAM for August!
Linking to Monday Making, Monday Design Wall, Midweek Makers

Celine

Boardwalk dress

At the beginning of the summer, I was dreaming of a lovely swish summer dress that would be perfect in the sun. I found the pattern for the Boardwalk Wrap Dress by New Horizons Designs and thought it would be worth a try. Like so many of her patterns, they are plenty of options to choose from. I settled on the open rounded front for the skirt and the lovely open seams for the top. found a lovely bright an colourful fabric at Godhawk Road early July and was hoping to make the dress at the beginning of the summer. With all the teachers' presents etc, it didn't quite work that way and I ended up not even starting it in July.... But finally I managed to cut the dress earlier this month. From that point I was on a mission, to stay focus and finish the dress!

The fabric looks really transparent in the sun and I was worried the dress might be see- through but it seems OK once I wear it!

The dress construction is not very difficult so it comes together rather quickly.

With the bias binding, I had originally sewn it all by machine but I didn't like how it look on the front so I unpicked it and finished it by hand for a much neater finish. And then it was time for the label!

So that meant a finished summery dress

I haven't had a chance to enjoy it yet as the summer seems to have deserted the UK

But I keep hope that I can wear it later when I'm travelling to warmer destinations. 

And this is one OPAM for August and one off my Q3 FAL list. 

Celine