Mini Series Quilt Along

The first week of the Mini Series Quilt Along with Alison Glass and Giuseppe Ribaudo. I took part on the original one a few years back (during the pandemic?). I have sewn so little this year that I wasn't really planning to join again. But then I saw some lovely blocks popping up on Instagram including Madeline's ones using Liberty fabrics. So I got some of my Liberty fabrics out ready for the quilt along. Just before cutting in my precious stash, I also found a basket of Liberty scraps, leftover from the Halo blocks (still unfinished by the way...). I dived into those first as the pieces in the blocks are so tiny. 

For block 1, a traditional log cabin, I loosely selected a mixed of blue and pink fabric.

Block 2 is a triangular log cabin, where I alternated rounds of lighter and darker fabrics.

First 2 blocks are finished. On time too! And the scrap basket is still rather full so lots left for the remaining 10 blocks. 

I hadn't done any paper piecing for a long while and I found it quite relaxing, even in such a tiny scale. Hoping to keep the momentum and get the other blocks done on time. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread Brag about your Beauties, Off the wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Put your foot down, Peacock Party, Patchwork and Quilt, Design Wall Monday, Monday Making

Celine

September goals

 Back to school! Back to a routine or maybe time to have a new routine where there is time to do the things I love/ enjoy/ want to do, as well as the rest. Although we have more major work on the house planned so we'll need to empty 2 of the bedrooms which will create chaos again and use up a lot of free time... regardless there are a few projects I'd really like to get my teeth into this month, so let's keep trying!

Quilting

1. Flabellum quilt - needs binding, which is already cut. I'd really like this one to be ready for the colder autumn evenings. I will make this one my One monthly goal

2. Mini series SAL - starting this month

3. Super Mario quilt - needs binding finished off (not even the full binding! And gazillions of threads buried) Will it finally be finished this year?

4. Farmer's Wife quilt - about 30 blocks needed still, it would be so nice to gift it to my mum for Christmas.

5. Storm at Sea - a small one to quilt but hopefully it will be done before the end of the year. 

6. Dear Jane

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

8. 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. Charlie blouse - pattern cut, fabric washed and ironed- hopefully I can finish it to be able to wear it before summer is over...

3. T-shirt

4. Jeans - cut 1 or 2 years ago...

5. Kids pj

6. Winter coat

7. Skirt for C

Bags

1. Moonwake bag

2. Open Wide Pouch

3. Wallet for A

4. Shamballa bag

Cross-stitch

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

2. The Nutcracker Parade - maybe it's time to pick up this one again before Christmas!

Celine

August recap

 August has been a busy month but a different busy with 2 weeks away from home on a relaxing holiday. Lots of time by the pool, a little going out and about (when the heat was bearable)... holidays are over and school starts again tomorrow, back to reality!

Before we went away I managed to finish not one but 2 garnments, one top (started in June...) and one dress completed in 3 days!

I also progressed on my cross stitch while we were away. Still a long way to go of course but at least there's been good progress over the summer

And I worried  just a little on my Dear Jane, nearly finishing assembling rows A and B. 

My sewing space is still a work in progress but I've finally added this lovely sticker that I bought off Sarah over one year ago...

Linking to August Furtle.

Celine

Stitching

Many moons later... clue 4 of the Grimms Fairy Tales stitch along is finally finished!

And clue 2 that I had started a long time ago is also nearly finished

Still a lot to do of course but this is finally slowly progressing...

Linking to Off the wall Friday, Put your foot down, Patchwork and Quilt, Design Wall Monday, Monday Making, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread

Celine

Orchard dress

You know the urge to start a new project when you really shouldn't because 1) you have enough unfinished ones to keep you going for a long while and 2) you're about to go on holidays so should really concentrate on everything else but starting a new project. Surely I'm not alone?

Helen released the Orchard dress pattern as a free pattern and somehow I couldn't resist the call from it! So I downloaded the pattern and printed it while washing a gorgeous double gaze I already had in my stash. 

Next I cut the pieces ready for sewing: front and back, pockets pieces and bias binding for the armholes and  neckline. I didn't use any interfacing for the bias as recommended in the pattern. 

The dress comes together rather quickly (2-3 hours sewing time). I didn't try it on until it was all complete which was a mistake as the straps were too long for me. 

Since I didn't want to unpick it all up, I folded them up and attach them by hand at the back, not ideal but much easier than unpicking the bias binding.

The dress is very comfortable, especially in the hot weather we've just had. I've managed to finish before going away and I've worn it a few times during our holiday. 

The pattern and instryctions are well written aux easy to follow. I really like the dress and I'm so happy to have finished a second garment in the same week (!) after such a long sewing drought. 

Another finish this month all from my stash!

Linking to Off the wall Friday, Finished or Not Finished Friday, Put your foot down, Peacock Party, Patchwork and Quilt, Design Wall Monday, Monday Making, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread

Celine

A dressmaking finish

 Finally, after 1 year in this house, I've finally sewn one garment, from start to finish. Granted it's taken me 3 months but it's now wearable. I'm so happy that I've got (part of) my sew-jo back. 🙂

Back in June I selected a summer blouse pattern, the Boxy Top by Pattern Runway for Peppermint Magazine from a few years back and a piece of fabric from the anple stash I moved over a year ago. I printed and cut the pattern, washed and ironed the fabric then cut the pieces. 

They all sat there for a while and then I started sewing some pieces, which lead to using my overlocker for the first time since we moved.... and then I got stuck at the point of having to add the interfacing (a step I really don't enjoy... not sure why!)

Finally earlier this month, I picked it up again and decided it was time to finish it before the summer was over... it didn't take so long to finish really and I'm glad it's now hanging in my wardrobe!

One modification I made was to cut the top and middle pieces as one rather than two. My stripes were so thin that I worried I wouldn't be able to match them. What I forgot though was either to shorten the piece or lengthen the facing accordingly so of course it was slightly too short by the corresponding seam allowance. I managed to fix it by hand sewing pieces together for a neat finish. 

The pattern is well designed and the instructions are very clear. I like the design of the blouse. I used a very light cotton fabric so it is a perfect work wardrobe addition for hot summer days.  I found buttons in my stash too so it's all from stash!

Happy with my handmade all from my stash and for my first garment in forever! I had selected it as my One monthly goal too.

Linking to Off the wall Friday, Put your foot down, Patchwork and Quilt, Design Wall Monday, Monday Making, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Happy Needle and Thread

Celine

August goals

I'm really not sure how much time I will get to do anything but I'll list all I had planned to do in the last few months, maybe I'll pick one up...

Quilting

1. Flabellum quilt - needs binding  

2. Super Mario quilt - needs binding finished off (not even the full binding! And gazillions of threads buried) Will it finally be finished?

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... or maybe not still

Dressmaking

1. Utility coat - need finishing

2. Boxy top- pattern and fabric cut, sewing started - I will make this one my One monthly goal to hopefully be able to wear it before summer is over...

3. T-shirt

4. Blouse

5. Kids pj

Bags

1. Moonwake bag

2. Shamballa bag

Cross-stitch

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

2. The Nutcracker Parade

Celine

July in review

Another month that has flown by really! First there were all the activities linked to the end of the school year and then the start of the school holidays. We also took a week off to spend some time in the Alps.

And covid struck during that time... so I spent quite some time stitching away from the balcony. 

There was lot of car travel where I stitched some Dear Jane blocks. 

Before school broke off I managed 2 Open Wide pouches for my youngest's teacher

I also worked a little on my top but still didn't finish it. 

I even got my overlocker out!

Linking to Furtle July

Celine

Hand sewing

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

Celine