Espritpatch

  This one has been a very long time coming. I started it in June and I thought it would be finished easily and quickly over the summer but that didn't quite happen... I was working on it when travelling when I realise that I had cut 2 of the yellow triangles (around the middle square) too big so the  unit with the 2 blue triangles + yellow square couldn't be attached properly. I had to unpick and recut the triangles before sewing them back. Of course, this set me back for a while (I hate unpicking!) but I finally finished the block before the end of August. And once I finished I noticed that I had sewn the external strips to be mirror image from the original block, but never mind... this is my block! And this week I finally attached the sashing before adding the block to the rest of the row. One more F block missing. This block has 37 pieces and takes my DJ numbers to 144,8,0,3071 Linking to  Midweek Makers ,  Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Needle and Thread Thurs...

Not much for sewing for quite a while but this week has been a little better. And I am happy to report that Dear Jane block F1 - Big Top - is now finished with sashing now.  And it's even attached to the rest of the row! I am now at  143,8,0,3032 - 16 more blocks to go. Now onto F8. Linking to  Design Wall Monday . Céline 

  We spent quite a lot of time in the car this weekend so I had prepared some hand sewing before we left. I had block F1 already cut and ready to go for my Dear Jane so I took this block with me.  When sewing it on the go, I realised that I had cut the outside triangles too big. So I couldn't complete this block, first I need to redraw the triangles.  I also took with me the top so far with the 4 first rows and my newly completed row E. And I'm happy that I've managed to attach row E to the top, 5 rows together now Céline 

  E13 is finished and attached to row E, finally! I had planned to sew it while on holiday over a month ago and progressed it well until I realised I had cut 60° angles instead of 45° for the last 4 pieces for each sides of the outside triangles. It took very little time to draw the correct angle and cut the pieces back but here we are, I only finished the block this morning by the pool while we stayed overnight at a spa hotel. I modified the block a little compared to the book, it has 26 pieces without the sashing.  And I managed to attach this last block to row E, which is now complete 😊 Linking to  Put your foot down ,  Off the wall Friday ,  Patchwork and Quilt , D esign  Wall Monday ,  Midweek Makers ,  Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Needle and Thread Thursday Céline 

  This block definitely felt like being in jail... so many tiny pieces and so many opportunities for issues with all the lines to align. I really tried my best but the block is not perfect...BUT "finished is better than perfect" so I will learn to live with it. It has been a long time coming since I started it during our holiday in Canada last summer and only finished it this week while on holidays. I had picked it up again at time but it was so hard to align all the pieces that I easily lost motivation. Finally this past week, I tackled it, since I was in a lovely spot, sewing with a view! Once I finished the center I noticed than one of the stripe was quite wonky. I decided to unpick it and sew it back. Well I am not sure I have made it better really, so it was time to leave it be.... This little block is 35 pieces without the sashing.  Once the sashing was added and I was ready to add it to row E, I noticed I had made a mistake when again E10 to E11...  After unpicking...

  I have been travelling with my Dear Jane again lately and after 3 attempts on attaching Row B to Row C, it is finally sewn correctly. For some reason, I couldn't seem to align B12 and C12 correctly and had to unpick twice. Happy that it is now fixed and my first 4 rows are fully assembled. I can't add row E yet as I am missing 3 blocks E5, E9 and E13. I started on E5 [Rising Sun] on our recent trip to the UK and it is now finished, with the sashing and added to the row.  With those baskets, I've spent at least 15 minutes sewing most days last week, encouraged by   Kate's challenge . Linking to  Put your foot down ,  Brag about your Beauties ,   Off the wall Friday ,  Can I get a Whoop Whoop ,  Peacock Party ,  Patchwork and Quilt ,  D esign Wall Monday ,  Midweek Makers ,  Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Happy Needle and Threa d . Céline

  I can't remember when was the last time I picked up my Dear Jane but it was a very long time ago... so I'm happy that over the course of last week I've sewn row D to the top.  I have to fix a part of the seam between row B and row C but that I have finally unpicked too. Hoping to sew it back this coming week.  Linking to  to  Put your foot down ,  Brag about your Beauties ,   Off the wall Friday ,  Can I get a Whoop Whoop ,  Peacock Party ,  Patchwork and Quilt Céline 

For the last 2 weekends, we spent an awful lot of time in the car, travelling long distances across France. My original plan was to continue the cross stitching but my eye sight is no longer sharp enough to stitch in a moving car... I had to swap the cross-stitchinh for some hand stitching instead. I hadn't grabbed much before we left but I had my Dear Jane pouch with a few pieces to be done.  I started by adding the sashing to block G12 Only to realise that I didn't make it exactly as the original... never mind I then moved onto joining blocks together, adding G12 to G13 Then H5 to H6 Next was E11 to E12/13 And finally E1/2 to E3 and E4 Next step was to sew K11 And finally I worked on a triangle but it's not finished yet Linking  to  Design Wall Monday,   Monday Making ,  Midweek Makers ,  Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Happy Needle and Threa d ,  Brag about your Beauties ,   Off the wall Friday ,   Finished or Not Finished Friday ,   Put ...

  I thought that I might spend lots of time sewing last week while on holidays but in the end I made the most of the snow and the beautiful weather and enjoyed some skiing and relaxing. Getting there and back took quite some time so the car journey was a good opportunity to work on my Dear Jane. The assembling of rows A & B is now half completed. Not the most exciting but I don't want to leave it all to the end.      G11 decisions, decisions (13 pieces + sashing) I worked on this block in the last car journey at Christmas but lost one of the diamond to applique. The block is now finished and sashed, I realised one of the square fabric was not in the same direction but eventually decided to keep it as it was.      E3 Paddle Wheels (20 pieces + sashing) One block entirely completed during the return journey RS9 Danish Delight (23 pieces) I started this triangle in May... 2010 (!). Why did it take so long to finish it when most of it was assembled but...

Once again, my Dear Jane has been set aside for far too long... I worked on a block (G11) in December while we were travelling but I think these were the only stitches for the whole of 2021. And that block is not even finished because I lost one of the applique pieces... So this week I pulled out my drawer and started digging into it to find out where I was at with very old UFO. The positive news is that the first 4 rows are complete and could be assembled... and that's an encouraging view really! The second good news is that I have a few blocks already prepared that I can take with me whenever I travel next time... G11 is nearly done and I now have all the pieces for the applique so this one should be a quick win! I also have E3 ready to be sewn and 2 triangles TR1 and RS9. Other blocks are partially cut so should be ready soon... Let's see how long it will take to get those blocks done. So I guess this is not actual sewing but it still counts since I spent a whole evening fig...

My poor Dear Jane must feel abandoned again. I had blocks with me on every one of my work trip but I did stitch one thread at all. No time on the way in or while away and no energy left after the business meetings so no sewing on the way back either. Finally I managed to pick it up again during the Christmas break and finished D2 Mouse in the Mirror. This one was started in October during our last holidays. We had so many hours in the car that I also managed to complete D12 Crossed Swords And with these 2 blocks finally done, I was able to stitch Row D together. Linking to  Monday Design Wall ,    Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Midweek Makers ,    Needle and Thread Thursday ,  Whoop Whoop Friday Celine

We were travelling this weekend so I finally managed to finish C10 -  Patriots Lantern It was the last missing piece to finish Row C 1 more block and 1 more Row for my Dear Jane quilt! Baby steps for sure but progress is progress Linking  to   Monday Design Wall ,  We dnesday Wait Loss ,  Midweek Makers . Celine

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, Viewer'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 b...

I started well on the new quilt along for the Dear Jane blocks but I already fell behind in May and I still haven't caught up. I completed 2 blocks this month, both from Row C First one was  C-6, Ashley’s Aura  that I h ad cut years ago and I did all with applique Second one is C-11, Soldiers and Sailors Monument which I pieced (despite the curves) but maybe it would have been nicer to applique it.... I still need 3 more blocks to finish Row C and 2 for Row D and already on Monday we are supposed to start Row E.... And I think these are my only 2 blocks for the whole of June! Linking to  Monday Making ,  Monday Design Wall ,  We dnesday Wait Loss ,  Midweek Makers ,  Let's Bee Social ,  Needle and Thread Thursday ,  Celine

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 t o  Let's Bee Social ,  Needle and Thread Thursday Celine