Espritpatch

So September has come and is nearly gone, Kids are back at school, the days are much shorter but lately the sun has been back a little. I had a lot (too much on my list) but somehow, I feel happy about what I have been able to cross off, and most importantly, my daughter's new school bag that she loves! Let's have a look at the long- too long list. Hoping for Finishes! 1. Zodiac swap mini - sent 2. Paris swap - sent Bee Blocks  1.  I love Lucy international  block (August and September) - August nearly finished 2.  Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap ( September )  - one flower 3.  Bee Europa ( September ) - sent 4.  Book Bee ( September )  5.  Flying geese Bee  6. Fat Stash Bee (September) - sent 7. Bee Hive (July, August and September) - July and September sent 8.  Block Lotto blocks - lovely tulip blocks - none sadly 9. Bubble Bee ( August and September ) - August sent WIP 1

Where to start? Of course as usual I have many irons in the fire. This week-end, I started 2 new projects, one which is more in the "secret sewing" domain, but more will be revealed soon and one which is a "I-have-a-deadline-of-2-weeks-to-make-this-quilt". Crazy me? Yes maybe but I only seem to focus if I need to finish tomorrow, otherwise I am a real butterfly. Anyway, I will show you some of the secret sewing, lovely diamonds in batiks and an old stashed fabric, that I have "rediscovered" when shopping my stash for a background and fell in love with again. So here they are 10 little diamonds. And now for the quilt for my friends' 40th birthday, well I am making the Castles on the Horizon quilt designed by Michele , as a quilt-along with a group of friends. I bought 2 layer cakes for the quilt so I have spent a while this week-end sewing HST, 8 at a time. I am nearly there with the triangles, next stop: the quilt top. And I better get goin

As usual at the moment I had lots of bee blocks to catch up with so last week-end, I sat at the machine with a goal to finish a few and post them on, I like ticking things of my to-do list :-) I first made a log cabin block for the Fat Stash Bee It is funny that the log cabin is one of the simplest block and also one of my favorite, yet I haven't got a log cabin quilt! I made one for my Grand-Ma over 10 years ago but that's the only time I used that versatile block. Next on my list was a Great Granny Block for my great friend Betti. Betti's daughter is off to uni soon and Betti is making her a quilt, I am priviledged to have a block in her special quilt :-) and I also finally finished my bubble for August... I love those blocks but they have lots and lots of pieces! All paper pieced of course! A lovely log cabin inspiration Nearly caught up with my Bee Hive blocks (July... and September), I still have August to make but didn't have the correct solid. I orde

I am always amazed and tempted by the variety of swaps available on IG and Flicker, and I sign up for (far too) many! The last one I had to finish was the Zodiac swap that was due this month too. And I have been on swap-diet recently because I end up only having time to sew for swaps or bees. Anyway, I posted my Zodiac mini last week but never had time to post about it until now. My partner for the swap was Cancer so while on holidays, I made about 30 mini hexies (3/4' in size) to draw the Cancer sign. Now some saw other things apparently.... I found a lovely night blue background for the mini that I quilted with a constellation And applique the hexies on top. For the back, I added some music I hope my partner likes it! This is another OPAM for September and one more of my Q3 FAL list. Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday . Celine

A long while ago I signed up for the Paris Swap on IG that Deanna was organising. I went to Paris the following month so picked up some goodies then. But of course as usual I left it to the last minute to complete the swap. I started just before I went away on holidays but didn't manage to finish it then. And I had an idea but it was vague and changed over time. Anyway I decided on a paper pieced Eiffel Tower from a pattern by quietplay. I then decided on some French flags and thought that it would be good to make a tote bag from my blocks. So I went for the no-pattern tote bag and loved how it turned out (if I can say so myself!) I sent it off at the week-end to my partner with a few goodies. \One more OPAM this month as well as one to cross off Q3 Finish Along my Celine

The Tokyo Subway Map Quilt-Along over at  Nina's blog  has already started last week but I hadn't so last night I grabbed my first basket of scraps (the pink one) and starting cutting. I have decided to go for 2.5' squares because I can cut them quickly and easily with my Sizzix so here are my first few squares of pink, all 35 of them, still need a few before moving to the next colour.... I am thinking about all the white and I am not sure whether to cut all the 800+ white squares or whether to cheat and use some bigger squares or reactangles for some of the sections where possible. I wonder if anyone has tried that and what it would look like. I still have time to decide of course. Linking to WIP Wednesday . Celine

School started again on Monday in our little town. All 3 kids are back in the routine now, and so are we! Miss C had the same book bag since she started pre-school a few years ago and it was starting to show marks of wear and tear so I had promised her a new bag at the end of last year. Of course, I had bought the fabric a while ago (in March) and picked the pattern in March too but I left it until the end of last week to get started. Not that she didn't pester me to get it done! She loves horses so of course the new Derby collection from Riley Blake was perfect for her. For the pattern I used the Camp Fire Messenger bag by Noodlehead which was part of the Bag Club earlier in the year (the only pattern of the 6 I have tried so far I must admit). And I used Superior Thread King Tut 903 and 926 for the top stitch as well as the construction of the bag. And for the interfacing I used Decovil which I like to give some body to the bag and make it more sturdy, perfect for school.

Last year, I got back into cross-stitch with the Once Upon a Time sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery , which was a monthly sampler revealed throughout 2014. I didn't quite finish it in 2014 but I did the last few stitches earlier this year. Over the summer, I handed it over to the framer and I finally picked it up last week and here it is in all its glory! I love how the frame finishes the lovely cross stitch and I am so happy to finally be able to hang this frame up. Linking to Needle and Thread Thursday . Celine

Hoping for Finishes! 1. Zodiac swap mini 2. Paris swap Bee Blocks  1.  I love Lucy international  block (August and September) 2.  Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap ( September )   3.    Bee Europa ( September ) 4.  Book Bee ( September )  5.    Flying geese Bee  6. Fat Stash Bee (September)  7. Bee Hive (July, August and September)  8.  Block Lotto blocks - lovely tulip blocks 9. Bubble Bee ( August and September )  WIP 1.  M r Snowmen cushion - quilted! need embroidery, buttons and finishing  2.    Quilt for M  3. September in the Hexagon -  my  Lazy Bums  challenge for February - only needs binding now 4.  Elephant Parade  5.   Scrappy X block quilt  - 2 last blocks in progress 6.  Farm Vintage Quilt-Along, catch up and continue the quilt-along  7.  A very merry Christmas town New Project 1.  Custom cushions    x 2  2. Quilt for A 3.  My Small World quilt-along  4. Pencil