Disaster

 Just when I thought I'd finally have a sewing corner, I walked into the office/craft room on Friday morning to find it had about 1cm of water on the floor... we had heavy rains due to a thunderstorms and it seems that water accumulated under the floor of the room and eventually passed over the brand new laminate flooring that was laid about 3 months ago... 😭

Everything that was still piled on the floor was wet and I must admit there was quite a fair bit that had not going its space yet. So we quickly got all but the furniture out to no out all up and then proceed with our work day. I spent Saturday sorting out through everything to du what needed to be and evaluate the damages... 

A few of my sewing supplies were soaked for a while so some ended stained or with colours running sadly...

I had all the cut steps for the Gipsy Wife quilt on display Sunday to dry them out and my booklet got completely soaked too...

Of course that's meant no other sewing since... thankfully my machines were not affected. We're now trying to understand what happened to avoid it happening again...

Celine

Not one but 2 finishes

 The open wide pouches that I started last weekend are finished and gifted! They were meant to be end of year gifts for my middle daughter's main teacher who has been very good at helping her settle in school in France. Her last school day was Thursday so there was no other option but to finish them on Wednesday night, which I duly did! 

A big massive pouch and a tiny one

Both with a UK-themed lining

I didn't have 2 identical zips so the smaller one is pink, the larger one is beige with tabs of assorted colour. 

I hope her teacher likes them and find a use for them! It felt very good to be seeing again and to use a little bit of this massive stash we've moved...

It has been such a long time since I didn't finish something! 2 this month feels great. 

Linking to Brag about your Beauties, Off the wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Put your foot down, Peacock Party, Patchwork and Quilt

Celine

Sewing...

It shouldn't really need a blog post in itself but... I've turned on my sewing machine! First time in over 2 months that I've finally sat down and sew on my machine. It is an event in itself really!

My sewing room is not yet fully set up but at least there was enough space to sew and just enough for cutting too.

On Sunday, I digged into my various stash (some still scattered in different place) to find some vinyl, some thicker cotton, some interfacing and quilting cotton, my plan was to make an old favourite that I haven't made for quite a while: the Open Wide Pouch by Noodlehead.

I managed to find all I needed and to cut a small one and a big one. 

Celine

June goals

 Is it even worth trying? Am I dreaming awake??? It has been quite a few weeks now since I haven't done any sewing so I'm not sure whether I'll ever find motivation again... I'll pick more or less the same list as last month, who knows... Maybe my one and only goal for this month should be to pick up a needle and stitch something or to set up my sewing space and turn my machine on...

Quilting

1. Flabellum quilt - needs binding 

2. Super Mario quilt - needs binding finished off (not even the full binding! And zillions of threads buried) - I will make this one my One monthly goal again and is also my AOQS UFO quilt for this month. Will it finally be finished?

3. Farmer's Wife quilt - about 30 blocks needed still, I doubt I'll even touch this one that i was so hoping to gift to my mum next week...

4. Storm at Sea

5. Dear Jane

6. Boho Sew Along - lots of blocks to catch up on, I finally completed a few of the applique ones

7. Impromptu quilt - needs quilting. It is a very big quilt so I went to get it professionally quilted. Maybe it will get sent this month... or maybe not still

Dressmaking

1. Utility coat - need finishing

2. Zadie jumpsuit?

3. Boxy top- pattern cut,  fabric washed and ironed...

4. T-shirt

5. Blouse

6. Kids pj

Bags

1. Moonwake bag

2. Shamballa bag

3. Teachers' presents?

Cross-stitch

1. Grimm's Tales stitch along - maybe I'll pick up this one up this month and make a few more stiches

2. The Nutcracker Parade

Celine

May in review

 Sadly, it has been another month of sewing drought more or less. My sewing space is still not organised but looks more like a dumping space. I haven't turned my sewing machine on for over one month and I have hardly stitched for the whole month. 

In turn, it has been another month of building work going on in over half of the house (still not finished sadly, even though we have finally recovered the use of most of the rooms) and of dust, dust and even more dust... I honestly can't wait for this work to be fully finished. More patience will be needed as we have another part of the house to do later in the year but we should get a little break of normality in the meantime once the painter has finally come back to finish the ceilings. 

Sometimes I wonder whether I'll be able to find time/energy/motivation to sew again... I am hoping that it is just because of the ambient chaos/mess in the house that I can't get going.

Anyway we had 2 week-ends away so I took advantage of the travelling time to make a few more blocks for the Boho Heart Sew Along... which finished this month... without me! A grand total of 6 blocks this month.

I cut a pattern for a top, washed the fabric and ironed it but didn't go any further...

I bought jersey fabric to make much needed PJs for the kids, washed the fabric but again didn't go any further...

and I managed just a little cross stitching.

Linking to May Furtle

Celine

2 more!

 The train journey this past week-end gave me the time to stitch...

I completed 2 more applique blocks for the Boho Heart Quilt Along. 

Still far from finishing but I have completed a grand total of 6 blocks this month... my only sewing time

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread

Celine

Cross stitch

Another trip this weekend, rail trip this time, has provided me with some free time! I had packed my cross stitch. Progress is hardly visible (especially as I did both some stitching and some unpicking!) 

The sparkly linen fabric is getting quite difficult to work with as my eye sight is not improving... maybe a clue to get on with it?

Linking to Design Wall Monday, Monday Making

Celine

Applique

 The lack of blogging accurately reflect the lack of sewing sadly... 

Last weekend, we went to visit grieve a few hours away. A road trip meant some quiet time sitting in the car (for me anyway). I took advantage and stitch a few appliqué blocks for the Boho Heart Sew Along, which is now over, even though I'm nowhere near finish... 3 heart appliqué blocks ready to go. 

1 hexie block appliqué

And 1 hexie rosette ready for appliqué. 

Very little progress but progress all the same...

Linking to Brag about your Beauties, Off the wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Put your foot down, Peacock Party, Patchwork and Quilt

Celine

April in review

 Well, I anticipated that I wouldn't have much time to sew, I didn't anticipate that I'd have no energy when some time was free. I guess there is far too much going on in the house really. Firstly hubby and our middle daughter caught Covid, that dampened our plans for the school holidays, and our friends could no longer visit. We had plan a birthday party and an Easter meal too and until the last minute, which modified our plans for Easter and having friends around. We had a dinner party and Easter here but until the last minute, we weren't sure whether it would happen or not. It finally happened and the weather was glorious too!

Our office/sewing room was finished just before the school holiday started so we "moved" in. Sadly after 3 weeks my sewing corner is not yet set up, it is just piles of stuff everywhere that I need to organise.

As soon as we freed the space we had used to work, we filled it with the content of 2 of the kids' bedrooms as we started getting the roof insulated from the inside. They are knocking down the ceiling and replacing the old, virtually inexistant insulation with some thick new one. 

We have chosen cotton wool made of recycled clothing or fabric for the insulation. Now all these jokes about buying fabric being a good way to insulate the loft/roof are coming to life! 

Of course, on top of having to store stuff everywhere, the house is very messy with dust absolutely everywhere and most of the rooms out of action. I can't wait for this building sorti to be over really and I hope that we will feel the difference, both in the comfort and in the electricity bills. 

View of our lounge with all crammed in and lovely black plastic curtains...

On the sewing front, not much happened really, I made 2 Farmer's Wife blocks for and 2 Boho Heart applique blocks, only 4 little blocks...

I sewed a little of the border of the Super Mario quilt that I was hoping to finish this month, it has been quilted for nearly a year I think. But there are also so many threads to bury in that one that it seems to take forever... Nothing much really and not much energy to sew either. I don't know how long my sew-jo will be gone for, but I hope to find it somewhere as we move things around in the house...

Linking to April Furtle

Celine

May goals

 Well, is it even worth trying, or planning? Will I find some time/energy/motivation as the house is in a right mess with all the work going on and everything is stacked wherever there is space. In my head, I am ready to do stuff but when it comes to it, I can't get going...  Maybe I'll list a few projects, hoping that at least one will take my fancy?

Quilting

1. Flabellum quilt - needs binding 

2. Super Mario quilt - needs binding finished off - I will make this one my One monthly goal again 

3. Farmer's Wife quilt - about 30 blocks needed still

4. Storm at Sea

5. Dear Jane

6. Boho Sew Along - lots of blocks to catch up on

7. Impromptu quilt - needs quilting. It is a very big quilt so I went to get it professionally quilted. Maybe it will get sent this month.

Dressmaking

1. Utility coat - need finishing

2. Zadie jumpsuit?

3. Sweatshirt - not sure which model yet

4. T-shirt

5. Blouse

Bags

1. Moonwake bag

2. Shamballa bag

Cross-stitch

1. Grimm's Tales stitch along - maybe I'll pick up this one up this month?

2. The Nutcracker Parade

Celine

2 blocks

 These 2 were partially cut already a wrote ago but it's only this par weekend that I finally sat and completed them. 

Block 46 [Hill and Valley]

Block 80 [Single Wedding Star]

2 more blocks for my Farmer's Wife quilt and my first 2 blocks of April. I still need about 30 blocks, I can't see this one finished by June sadly...

Linking to Design Wall Monday, Monday Making,  Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread

Celine

April goals

 This month is likely to be VERY busy with little to no time for any sewing I fear. I have a business trip scheduled for the first week - will I have some hand sewing ready to take with me??? The kids will be on school holidays for 2 weeks, one of which we will have visitors. So there will be no time for sewing then when we will have friends and family to enjoy! The office/craft room should finally be finished (I really hope so), which means that we will need to move everything 2 storeys down. And once that transfer is done, we will need to fully empty 2 of the kids bedrooms to have the roof isolated from the inside. So that's an another transfer of stuff coming up. Not looking forward to playing musical chairs with full room's contents but it will have to be done. No doubt the kids will help... NOT! Anyway, who knows maybe I'll sneak a few minutes here and there??? I'll keep my list VERY restricted this month.

Quilting

1. Super Mario quilt - needs binding finished off -I will make this one my One monthly goal

2. Farmer's Wife quilt - about 30 blocks needed still

3. Dear Jane

4. Boho Sew Along - hopefully I can make more blocks

Dressmaking

1. Utility coat - need finishing

2. T-shirt

3. Kids PJ

Cross-stitch

1. Grimm's Tales stitch along - maybe I'll pick up this one in April?

2. The Nutcracker Parade

Celine

March in review

 This month, I have tried to pick up the Boho Heart sew-along mainly. I have managed to finish 16 blocks and of course I am behind still but at least, I have made some progress! I still have a few blocks cut or partially cut so hopefully I will be able to sew them soon....

I also tried to catch up with my Farmer's Wife quilt but I haven't been further than selecting a few blocks and partially cutting them... not much really. The good news is that I thought I needed the 111 blocks to make my quilt but actually 83 will be enough... only another 30 or so!

I retrieved my Impromptu quilt top that needs quilting and investigated where to send it. It is not yet gone to the longarm quilter but hopefully soon...

And the BIG news is that I finished my Persephone Purse, finally! One less UFO and one of my PhD for 2022

Linking to March Furtle

Celine