Espritpatch

I went swimming this morning, first time I spend some time doing some physical exercise for a loooooong time. It felt so good though that I definitely need to try to go regularly. All the tensions in my back and neck have disappeared. The weather is still awful here and it is very cold despite being May. Anyway, back to the subject of this post. Early in February I found this quilt top in my stash of UFO. I made it in December 2007 during my LQS annual Mystery Night. This was the warm-up project for the night that we did between 9pm and midnight. The size of the top called for a wall-hanging, unless I made more block to have a quilt top. But although I like the design, I really wasn't planning to make more blocks. Plus because the aim was speed over accuracy, it is easy to notice that the piecing is far from perfect, many points don't meet or are cut off. So I wasn't keen to finish it as a wall-hanging to show off some bad piecing. I thought it would be great for a floo...

I finished M-11 Rickshaw while Miss Straberry Shortcake was taking her swimming lesson. She loves having her own activity and her confidence grows every time she goes. It is so nice to watch children slowly grow... I decided to use reverse applique for this block rather than piece all the diamonds. It worked well I think. I need to add the sashing on this block and then I can add it to my Row M.  2 more to do in Row M to have a complete row. Yesterday, I spent quite some time cutting out more Dear Jane blocks so I am hoping to post pictures of a few others soon. Watch this space. I just realised I haven't yet posted a picture of the framed hexie I sent to Linda in April. I draw a rose free-hand since her theme is Roses. I hope she'll like it! Celine

So it's May and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour is yellow, which is just as well since the sun has forgotten to get out and shine on our faces. We have had the wettest April for a long time and it seems to carry on in May. The light today is so bad that the fabric in my blocks look a lot more dull than they actually are... I got my stash of yellow fabric out yesterday and picked these 2 fabric that I bought because I liked, not because I had a project in mind but I had never used them to date. I had this gorgeous paisley fabric, I love paisley but find it hard to use them in a quilt so here it is: and then I had this "tea" fabric that I really like and with big strips, the words are not too cut off. And I made my 2 Bento Box blocks for my Rainbow quilt. One of my BOM Rehab project! I'll link it to Scrappy Saturday. Celine

Unit 9 will be released on Tuesday, starting at block #33 and I have only finished 11 blocks to date when I should/could have a quarter of my quilt done by now. I have done any block since early March. Well, better late than never, I got my fabrics and instructions out this week-end, deciding to make some progress on my BOM. Last block I did in March was block #13, an easy flying geese strips (24 pieces), that I did with the no-waste method. It is a great way of making geese quickly and easily. I finished block #10 that I started in March too. I only add the outside background to add but I wasn't slightly scared of the curved seam. I took the plunge on Saturday and finished the block, which has 11 pieces. Next block #11 wasn't easy either with 3 Y-seams, not something I favour either. Better finished than perfect for this one, I guess although it didn't turn out too bad I think. 23 pieces Block #14 wasn't too difficult, piecing small pinwheels blocks into a 9-...

It is always nice to have a relaxing week-end with not too many plans and no mad rush from one activity to another, even more though when it is pouring down with rain and all you feel like doing is staying in nice and cosy. This was our week-end. It also meant that I actually did find some time to sit at the sewing machine! After finishing a BQL challenge from August 2009, I thought I could have a go at the April 2012 one! This year the challenge is called "Patchwork with a Purpose" and we are making practical stuff. I hadn't participated so far until today. I choose to make a peg bag. I had these tea towels that I bought in our local supermarket a while ago to use for sewing one day... Helped by Miss Strawberry Shortcake, I draw my peg bag to the size of the hanger I had. I added a pretty little ribbon to the pocket before sewing the 3 pieces together. It took about 30 minutes or less to complete the peg bag. Cleverly using the tea towels, I was able to use the h...

The BQL group August challenge (in 2009) was to play with half square triangles. I digged into my red and black stash and came up with this zig-zag panel that had been left aside since it was pieced then. I unearthed it with other half-finished projects earlier in the month with the aim to quilt it and finish it in a cushion. When looking at the panel, I couldn't think how to quilt it to make it a bit more interesting. So I flicked through a very useful and resourceful book : Quilting Makes the Quilt by Lee Cleland for inspiration and I was very glad to find an idea. I never really think about using decorative stitches in my quilting but it can indeed be very effective. I love this "zip" stitch and how it somehow finish my cushion. One more OPAM for this month! Celine

I have now received most of my blocks for the 2 Flicker bees I was in for the first quarter of the year. Well, I have signed up for both to be in for next quarter too, but who wouldn't with such beautiful blocks? Plus I need enough blocks for a quilt so I might not stash them away in a box, waiting for one of these days... My star block for the 3x6 bee from Melissa arrived yesterday - although this one is slightly too small so I'll have to add a border. I don't know which colour I will use as yet. I will have to see when I put all the blocks together. I am only missing one more star now. But these are my blocks so far. Have you noticed that I have received the same star twice in very different colourway? My last block for the 4x5 bee from Jennifer arrived earlier this week and these are all my blocks for the first quarter Did you see the star block I have from each bee in different colourway? And I also received back from Johanna the Maisy blocks for Bee ...