UFO revival

Over the 2 years I made blocks for the 365 challenge, I completed January to April but started to have (big) gaps from May so I thought it would be time to try an fill some gaps (I am not holding my breath to be honest!)

And with that I managed to make 4 blocks in the last week or so, which means that I am now caught up until 8th May, 2 more to catch up until I am behind again. It was worth than a see-saw really! 

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

Celine 

Rainbow

A long while ago, I signed up for a workshop with Jacqueline de Jonge to make one of her fabulous pattern. I picked the Enchanted Stars pattern. Next step was to assemble a beautiful rainbow of fabric for this massive project!

Before the class we were advised to cut all the pieces (and there are loads!) to save time. I dutifully did and ended up with lots of pretty colourful trimmings

The workshop was on Friday and Saturday. The quilt is labour intensive and requires a lot of precision with so many points and spikes. All the peaks and flying geese are foundation pieced.

We stared off with some lovely rainbow spikes before moving on to the star. By lunch time, I had all the pieces below

and finished the first star by the end of the day. I know it doesn't look like much but it did take the day! The curved piecing was much more challenging than the paper piecing and Jacqueline gave us some very good pointers of what to pay attention too.

On the second day, we worked on the very long flying geese which I had managed to start a little the day before.

After that, we cut the black background fabric and assembled all the pieces for more curved piecing as well the border. This time it was a little easier because the curves were larger. And after making the second flying geese and attaching it to the top, I finished part A of the quilt and I must say I am in love 

Of course, there is a LOT more work left until I get a quilt top. I know it will take a WHILE until I get there but I have loved the workshop with Jacqueline. She gave us lots of tips and techniques to make her wonderful patterns, so my advice is "Catch her if you can" if you want to try one of her quilt.

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

Celine

Card wallet

Back in February I lost my wallet with my money and bank cards. Not a great idea but my cards were not used fraudulently at least! Since then I gave been using a small purse I had made a few years back, which works well for coins, not so well for notes and not at all for cards.

While looking for a new wallet pattern I came across Sara's cork wallet pattern and video.

It is such a fast project to make but also so satisfying too. I made it one evening when I was too tired to sew anything compared. And it did take 10 minutes! I used some beautiful cork that I received from my friend Cathy a few years back.

Now I have a lovely cards wallet that I love. Really satisfying sewing! I can see more of these in my future,  teacher's presents?

One OPAM for May and one of my Q2 FAL list.
Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday. 

Celine

Dear Jane - second row

Just in time! I finished B10 on Monday just before the end of April. 

My row B is complete and could be joined to Row A but I just ran out of time! Maybe this month. 

And a few close up as it is hard to take a picture of the whole row

It is also nice to see my "plan" filling up more and more...

Linking to Let's Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday

Celine

May goals

Hopefully spring will come back and stay with us this month. If you're on IG you'll know that's it is Me Made May and although I could probably participate as i have more and more handmade garments I'll just watch from the side lines as I know I won't keep up. Buy what can I make this month?

Quilting:
1. Continue to work on the Harry Potter sew-along and keep up the pace, if possible. I am really behind now

2. Scrappy Trip Along - red and green blocks needed to be able to finish the top. Ideally I'd like to gift it to my brother this month...

3. 365 challenge, so many more blocks are needed, let's see if I can make a few . This is where I left off 3 years ago...

4. Dear Jane -  Row C needs to be completed this month for the quilt-along and I need 5 blocks this month.This will be my One monthly goal  

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

6. Kingfisher Sew Along - prepare more blocks for sew on the go

7. Threadology quilt-along - make March and April  blocks - 15 to do to catch up

8. Vintage Kitchen - back on track,  let's try top keep up!

9. Gipsy Wife - make more blocks 
10. FW 1920 - make more blocks 
11. FW 1930 - make more blocks 
12. Granny Blocks -  this was my APQS challenge for March 
13. String blocks - top to be quilted

14. Project 48 quilts - blocks to be made in a top and quilted - this was my APQS challenge for April
15. Paper pieced horse from Tartan Kiwi book for my middle daughter - This will be my One monthly goal 

16. Sewing room sign (paper pieced)

Dressmaking

1. Tea dress 

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

3. Puff Shirt or another office top

4. Linden or Toaster sweater in navy  

5. Salida skirt  

6. Jasika Blazer

7. PJ for C  

8. Full PJ top for hubby  

9. Lingerie  
10. Seed combi short for the girls
11. Jumpsuit

Accessories

1. Carrier Conquest Handbag 
2. Card wallet
3. Teacher's presents

Celine

April furtle and recap

The Spring has come and gone throughout the month, we have had some gorgeous weather and some freezing time too! 2 weeks off from school for Easter and a week spent in France away from my machine so of course the list was unachievable, but who am I fooling really?

Quilting:
1. Continue to work on the Harry Potter sew-along and keep up the pace, if possible. I am still 2 to do to be back on track - no progress

2. Scrappy Trip Along - red and green blocks needed to be able to finish the top - no progress

3. 365 challenge, so many more blocks are needed, let's see if I can make a few - no progress

4. Dear Jane -  Row B needs to be completed this month for the quilt-along.This will be my One monthly goal  - finished

5. HST modern sampler quilt - make the last block and finish the top - no progress

6. Kingfisher Sew Along - prepare more blocks for sew on the go - no progress

7. Threadology quilt-along - make March blocks - 5 to do to catch up - no progress

8. Vintage Kitchen - catch up and continue to make the blocks - 2 blocks to catch up - all caught up!

9. Gipsy Wife - make more blocks - no progress
10. FW 1920 - make more blocks - no progress
11. FW 1930 - make more blocks - no progress
12. Granny Blocks -  this was my APQS challenge for March - no progress
13. String blocks - top to be quilted - no progress

14. Project 48 quilts - blocks to be made in a top and quilted - this was my APQS challenge for April - no progress
15. Paper pieced horse from Tartan Kiwi book for my middle daughter - half way

16. Sewing room sign (paper pieced) - not started

Dressmaking

1. Blackwood cardigan - finished

2. Summit peak top, cut and ready to be sewn - no progress

3. Puff Shirt or another office top - not started

4. Linden or Toaster sweater in navy  - not started

5. Salida skirt  - not started

6. Jasika Blazer - no progress

7. PJ for C  - no progress

8. Full PJ for hubby  - not started

9. Lingerie  - not started
10. Kobe top - finished

11. Hepburn pants - finished

Accessories

1. Carrier Conquest Handbag - not started 

2. Card wallet - not started

And a few additional things that were not on the list.... like my new LBD with pockets,  meet the Karri Dress

Linking to April Furtle

Celine

Caught up in the kitchen

I thought I only had one pile of bowls to do for the Vintage Kitchenalia Adventures BOMto be caught up until Marianne posted a picture of her blocks on IG and I noticed I needed 2 piles of bowls.... they came together relatively quickly actually and I was able to complete both blocks last week. 

And with 2 blocks I'm caught up
.. until Wednesday when the new blocks will be released. 

Linking to Monday Making, Monday Design Wall, Wednesday Wait Loss, Midweek Makers

Celine

Karri Dress

Finally! Why finally, because this one has been on my list and in my head for quite a while.... I bought the pattern in October when Karri was the pattern of the month for Megan Nielsen, convinced that I was going to make it there and then. I didn't need to buy fabric as I thought I had the perfect one in my stash. Of course, that didn't happen. I had this idea at the time to maybe use some fancy piping but couldn't find what I wanted so it got nowhere, I didn't even get started. Over the last few months, I got the fabric and pattern out a few times and put it on my goal or joined a challenge with it but it never happened. That was until recently!

I finally dug the pattern out and cut it apart. I checked Megan Nielsen's post about making Karri with knit fabric since my fabric was a knitted/jersey fabric that I bought from Fabworks a while ago and off I went. I cut a straight size M from the pattern because it was a knitted fabric. My measurements fell between the M and L but I thought with the knitted fabric the smaller size would work. I completely omitted to measure the length of the top or skirt before cutting so I just had to hope for the best that it would not end up ridiculously short on me. I had added about 1' to the bottom of the skirt while cutting it.

The blogpost about making Karri with knit fabric advises to omit the invisible zipper and possibly the pockets but what is a dress without pockets, right? So I decided to go for it and keep the pockets.

I loved seeing the top come together with the panels, it was intriguing and interesting to put it together. I tried the dress without a zipper but in the end I thought having a zipper would be much more comfortable to put it on and take it off. Putting the invisible zip in wasn't too complicated and I really like the look of an invisible zip, so elegant!

After all, the dress didn't take so much time to assemble and I really like the look of it. And of course, with the paneling, the combinations are almost endless. 

I like the V-neck in the back which contrasts the rounded neckline at the front. 

My version is not lined so I had to hem the neckline and although it wasn't too bad. I used some tape to hold it in place and went slowly and it all worked out.

A new little black dress that I hope I will continue to enjoy in the weeks to come as the weather turns warmer.

One more OPAM and one of my Q2 FAL list.

Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday.

Celine

Dear Jane - Row B

Second month of the quilt along calls for the second row of the Dear Jane quilt to be completed. Row B is not as advanced as Row A for me since I am missing 4 blocks: B9, B10, B11 and B13 but being away from home and travelling gives me some time for hand sewing...

B13 is most probably the easiest block from the whole quilt and interestingly, it is rather different from the others since it is using more than one fabric and no background fabric. 
I finished this block Sunday last week with its 9 pieces.

And assembled it with block B12.

I then worked on B11, which is a lot more complex with its curved seams and very sharp points. Finished is better than perfect for this one... definitely. This one had 21 pieces!

I finished B9 on our way back yesterday, this one has 13 pieces. 

 I added B9 to my B1-B8 row and noticed that B1 was the wrong way around... so fixed that too!

Now I only need B10 with its mini tiny triangles around the central plus sign to finish Row B!

I am really hoping to complete Row B this month and possibly to sew it to Row A but at the same time, there aren't that many days left in April!

Linking to Monday Making, Monday Design Wall, Wednesday Wait Loss, Midweek Makers

Celine