Espritpatch

 I was lucky to have the full month off work! Well, technically this is not true, I am in reality out of work since I finished my last job at the end of August. But since I am lucky enough to have another exciting job lined up for October, it feels like a rest, a break in between the two, to recover from the mad last few months. With September also came the return to school, which of course this year was so particular. I am glad and pleased to say that all 3 were happy to go back, even if there was some anxiety and seems to have mostly settled back in well. We even took advantage of the lovely weather to enjoy a week-end away, visiting Stonehenge and Bath. It was really good to be somewhere else for a short time. A month off could have meant hours and hours of sewing but not quite. I have been torn between enjoying my "me" time with my sewing machine and using my spare time to whizz through the house to tidy/sort out/clean etc. Unfortunately, the latter won more often. Funny ...

  Another one? I know, I know... I spend months without joining anything and suddenly I am tempted by everything. So yes I joined another quilt-along. This time it is the Tinsel Tree Quilt Along with Everyday Stitches . It started 2 weeks ago and I have completed both, almost in time! The first week was all about fabric selection, so I got ALL my Christmas fabric out with a view of using my stash only.  L ast week was all about cutting the triangles, all 170 of them! That's when I ran my running play list to keep going... I picked quite a lot of fabric that I have had in my stash for a very long time (15+ years) and that I bought in Birmingham when we lived there to make Christmas cards (never happened and I didn't need meters of material for those!). It feels so good to finally lighten my stash. This week, we are assembling the triangles of the 3 bottom sections. Well I am pleased to say that I took a sewing today and completed them all. Linking to  Wednesday Wait Loss ...

The mini maker sew-along started on Monday. I had all intention to join in and even cut my fabric ahead.  I hate fusing interfacing (I know this doesn't take that long and is quite a stupid excuse), so I procrastinated about it all week.  Equally I didn't want my project pieces to sit there for... ever, which is often the case once the sew-along is over. The motivation is much harder to find once the party is over 🙂 The construction is not too difficult, even if the rounded corners are a little tricky.  The exposed seams are neaten up with bias binding. I had some in my stash, quite narrow, maybe too narrow... that I used instead of making some.   The finishing touches of sewing the bits binding by hand was tricky but that's because my binding was very narrow.  All material came from my stash apart from the beautiful rainbow zip that I ordered from serial bagmaker earlier this month. I bought the fabric years ago to make sewing accessories that I have nev...

  This week we are making 3 more blocks for the quilt, blocks 9, 10 and 11. With these additional 3 blocks, the snowflake is really starting to show now. I love where this is going. With these additional 3 blocks done, I have sewn 14 blocks in September, I think this is a long time since I have done so much patchwork and it feels good. So good that I might have started on other quilt-along.... Watch this space! Linking to   Needle and Thread Thursday Celine

These last few days, I finished 2 more blocks that had been started 8 years ago...  Now I have the question mark box And the Venus fly trap block, this one is self-drafted from a google image I have no more half prepared blocks now. I'll ask my daughter to pick the next one for me since she has claimed the quilt.... when it will be finished. Who knows how long that will be... Linking to  Monday Design Wall ,  Monday Making ,  Wednesday Wait Loss ,  Midweek Makers Celine

Last summer dress? I don't know really but I cut this dress late August while it was pouring down with rain, not very promising weather for a summer dress.  I had bought the pattern from New Horizons Design last summer and the fabric is from Fabrics Galore London, I bought it last November. The fabric is a lovely floaty viscose, very soft and comfortable. I cut it straight from the packet with no alteration. The pattern is very versatile with a variety of sleeves, length (front and back) to play with. And a always, the instructions are really clear and detailed, including if you need to make bust adjustments.  September started quite cold but we've had a heatwave earlier this week so I decided it was now and never to make this dress. I set myself a goal to finish it on Monday so I could wear it on Tuesday and it totally worked. I was so happy to finish it ready for a hot summery day.  Because it is a loose fit, it is easy to swish around in it. The print/colour is quite ...

  It was probably the easiest block to make since it was already over half done but at least I completed one more block!  Meet Fire Flower: When I picked it up, I thought I was ready to go, only to realise that I didn't have any background or black squares cut out. So that was the first step before sewing. I cut quite a stash hoping they will last me for the most of the other blocks too. The next block will be the question mark which is hardly started. Linking to  Wednesday Wait Loss Celine

For week 2 of the quilt-along, we are sewing blocks 6 to 8. 6 and 8 are mainly background fabric with a little white, whereas block 7 has one tip of the snowflake. With all the squares cut off and the HST assembled and trimmed, it goes quite quickly to make the blocks. I am happy that all the fabric comes from stash. The final week of the quilt along will be the assembly of the quilt blocks but I went a little ahead of myself with all the blocks I have made so far. Linking to  Midweek Makers ,  Peacock Party   Celine

Sometimes projects, particularly dressmaking ones, are done quickly, sometimes they take me ages, and for no real reasons... This last one definitely falls in the latter category. I made my first Sirroco by Deer and Doe Pattern in June last year and it was assembled from start to finish in about 3 hours. Happy with the pattern and enthused by the arrival of beautiful new Italian matte lycra at Fabworks online , I duly ordered some aubergine fabric and cut a new one last September (yes I know, that was a year ago). I am tall so learning from my first Sirroco, I added 2.5'' to the bodice when I cut the pattern and 1'' to the waistband.  I started sewing it last year. The fabric is plain and doesn't seem to have a wrong/right side, so I ended up sewing one of the front panel the wrong way. So I left it to be unpicked... for later.  Well later took a very long time, I finally digged the project out last  June . I unpicked and finished the top part of the jumpsuit. And ...

So if I get an old abandoned project out of the cupboard, surely I can start a new one? 😄🙃😉 anyway I did start a new one! I really like the Snowflake quilt designed by Nicole Daksiewicz so I decided to join her quilt-along (there are a few quilt along that have caught my eye recently, not sure how many I'll join...) The quilt along started on Monday and I am happy that I have managed to cut all the squares this week. I am doing the scrappy option with a lightish blue background. I've also made the HST but haven't yet finished to trim them to size.  And I made the first 5 blocks, phew, I'm on track for week 1 ! Linking to  Monday Design Wall ,    Monday Making ,  Midweek Makers Celine

With some free time on my hand, I have been trying to sort out some parts of the house. I have attacked different places like the office/sewing room, the living room, the storage room but also the loft! There is so much "stuff" everywhere and so much that we will realistically never use again. I have already filled 2 big recycling bin with some very old paperwork, sold a few things on that we will not reuse and pass some things of for others to love and enjoy. Of course, there is plenty more to go through but at least it is a few steps in the right direction. What has all this to do with this blog post?  Well, while going through a few boxes in the storage room, I got my Super Mario pieces out. They have been patiently waiting since I started the quilt-along with Angela in 2012... I have all the squares cut out (or at least I think so!)  and as I found out this week, I have pieced 5 blocks: Mario, Luigi, Cloud, Goomba and Yoshi (this one was self-drafted) The original patter...