Espritpatch

I couldn't resist Amy 's call for the Table Top swap round 3 for fabric baskets based on a tutorial by Ayumi . I had wanted to try making one of her long basket for a while so it seemed a perfect excuse to sign up for the swap. The tutorial is really well explained and the basket go together quickly. Because there are small pieces, I thought they would be ideal to practice my free motion quilting with new stitches. So I headed over to the free motion bible - read Leah's blog - for inspiration. The first stitch I picked is called " Bare branches " for my first sample This is based on straight lines and is quite easy to do. I like the effect. The back is showing the quilting better:    The second stitch is based on stippling and paisley, it is my own combination I think and on the back: The third one is called "Gentle Flame" and the back Gentle flame was probably my favourite in terms of the effect. I stitched it using my walk...

The last round of the [3x6] Sampler Mini Bee finished in July and the next quarter is well underway but I had never manage to post a picture of the lovely stars I received from the other bees in my hive. One of the girl got unwell towards the end of the swap and couldn't send her blocks but a lovely angel sent us a replacement block recently. I now have a full set of stars for the second quarter: From Anna from Kim from Kira from Lisa from Laura (I cropped the picture but it is a lovely block with lovely points!) from Melody and I have already received one star from Wendy for Quarter 3! Celine

Randi at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics  is having a fun contest . You pick a fat quarter bundle in her shop, pin it to your Pinterest board and ask your friends to repin it for you. If you get as many repin as the dollar price of the bundle, you win it. But be quick, it finishes on Thursday 29. I need 40 repins to win so for someone new to pinterest, I wouldn't mind your help! You can repin my bundle to help me win it hopefully: Perfectly Perched full line fat quarter by freshsqueezedfabrics Thank you for your help! If you want some help with yours, leave me a comment with your pin and I'll repin it for you! Celine

I have been a Busy Bee... this week-end, catching up on some of my Bee blocks. I have lately signed up for a few new bees and it is of course keeping me busy! Sew Euro-Bee-an is in its first month. Helen sent us her package and said she wanted some sea glass inspired blocks using tiny 9-patch and others. I must admit that for a while I wasn't sure what to do beyond 9-patch blocks. And then on Friday during the Friday Night Sew-in, I decided to take the plunge and try to make her blocks. I opened the pack of fabric she had sent and started cutting random sizes squares and playing with them to see where that would lead me. I decided that each of my block would have 2 9-patch blocks complemented by other blocks. And my siggy block in blue EEEEP EPP BEE has started in the summer and I hadn't completed a set of blocks yet. Danielle had sent us some Kona Black fabric that she wanted us to use with some solids or almost solid fabrics in jewel tones to make her 2 Treasure...

  It seems that we only have 100 days left before this year is over. Crazy? Yes the year has flown by me, that's for sure. Now let's see what I can achieve before we reach 31 December. I have listed below (only) the projects I would really like to finish before 2013 turns up. How many will I go through?   1. Finish Maisy quilt - top pieced, need quilting and binding 2. Owl door stoppers for Christmas presents - not even started. No picture yet 3. Finish Christmas table topper - background cut 4. Re start Farmer's Wife quilt (30 blocks) - new background fabrics so back to square 1! 5. Make tote bag for the Mouthy Stitches swap - not started 6. Make an item for the Modern She Made swap - not started 7. Finish my basket for the Table Topper Swap - fabric cut finished and sent on 27 September 8. Finish my blocks for the Christmas in July-a-Thon from Free Spirit - 4 blocks completed 9. Catch up on my Rainbow Circle of Geese...

Yesterday evening was Friday Night Sew-In and I did manage some sewing... yeah! After I eventually got Miss Baby to bed and cleared the kitchen etc, I sat down after 9pm to get started. I cut all the pieces I needed for a pink Spool block for Anna in the Modern Minx Beginner Bee  and pieced my block with strips for the "thread". I can link this block to Jen linky party for Tuesday Building Blocks . I also got started on the sea glass blocks for Helen in the Sew Euro-Bee-an   but I haven't progressed very far so I haven't much to show for this block. And my faithful Super Mario quilt-along blocks are always by my sewing machine so I added a few rows to my Cloud and Flower blocks and also continue assembling my jumping Mario. Not a lot of progress but some progress anyway, which always feel good. I will soon be posting my list for the 100 day Hustle at Kelsey Sews

is tonight... Are you joining in? I am hoping I will this time. I haven't been able to play for quite a while. Maybe I can finish my little baskets for the TT3 swap and make a couple of Bee blocks. Come back tomorrow to see what I have been able to make... Celine

Earlier this week, I received those 2 gorgeous spotty flowers from Coralie. I love the fabrics she has picked for me and the flowers will be fitting very well in my dotty garden. Thanks Coralie. Celine

This week, I have mainly been "playing". I finished piecing Yoshi last night I have a fat jumping Mario that needs to go on a diet and half a fat cloud I have also just started on the flower but have ran out of black squares so it will be cutting time very soon. I am linking this to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced . And while showing Yoshi to my son tonight, he asked when/whether I was making Sonic. Well that wasn't in the original plan so maybe my quilt will be bigger than initially intended... Watch this space... And you still have time to enter my giveaway here if you like! Celine

I have been chain piecing some granny squares lately, following Katy's tutorial here . I am making 3 sets of 8 blocks in pink and yellow with Kona white, snow and charcoal backgrounds for the Not your Granny Bee! swap. These little blocks are on their way now... I can't wait to get a set of blocks back, mine will all have charcoal background but with 24 different centre combinations. That will make a nice colourful quilt... Don't forget my giveaway, there is still time to enter here . Celine

I received my Halloween See Saw from Diane a loooooong time ago (early August) but I have only finished adding my border now. Sorry Diane I am so late. Diane had added 2 gorgeous flying geese borders on her round, a green one at the top and an orange one at the bottom. I bought a lovely little Sizzix die while in Birmingham at the Festival of Quilts with 2 pumpkins. I knew I add to use it for my Halloween wall hanging. I added a plain Kona black border at the bottom of my wall hanging and cut some cute pumpkins from an all-over pumpkin fabric that I had in my stash. I added the pumpkins in a row on my plain black border and stitched over them with black thread. My witch is flying over to Diane, I wonder what she will come up with this time! Celine