Sunday 30 September 2012

Husband away - Sew all day..

 I have had the last 10 days to myself and have been getting productive in the sewing room.... I love having the house to myself... Don't get me wrong, this can't go on for too long because I am a complete slut during these times and the house descends into CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)
I love to lock myself in my room and get lost in my sewing.. This is the result of a late, late sew-in...
My Jack Attack 2/3rds quilt from the Sew along at Lily's Quilts

3.30am....  I must put a clock in my room.......


I could have gone on later but I ran out of white fabric and it had to go on hold as I was off on a little golf trip to Derbyshire......
Sadly we didn't get a break on the weather front and only played 1 out of 3 days - getting soaked in the process....
Luckily we had back up plans in our group entertainment....

Our room was turned into a Laboratory for a Horror themed event......



And we did have to speak to housekeeping about the standard of their work.

So all was not lost.... although my waistline may have suffered
a bit due to more time around the drinks & nibbles....

Back home I had the house to myself still and I got down to finishing up on a project started at the Fat Quarterly Retreat back in June..  This was in a class on EPP with Tacha Bruecher, if I started it again I may have switched the red squares with the grey diamonds... it is difficult to visualize how the finished project is going to look... but I am happy with it as it is.....


I like the look of handmade cushions but hate finishing the backs.... a flap over never works for me... it bulges with a nice plump cushion in even if I put a button on the back.... (ugh - buttonholes..)
So this time I have tried out a new technique (for me) in putting a zip in the back of the cover.... it went together so easliy I will never do any other method.....
A great tutorial for this can be found here

The only change I made was to back my fabric with some fusible vilene to give it a bit more body.

This is now on display at work near Aneela's fabrics, it makes such a difference to see samples make up..

Back to Big Jack.....
I have restocked with white fabric and have finished the top of my Jack Attack Quilt..

I am really pleased with how it is turning out.... it is bigger than I first thought... that's a King size bed it is covering .... Now to make the back up.... 

and my Honey is home tomorrow so I had better do some tidying up!


Thursday 20 September 2012

Avast behind.....

Well thats enough about me and my body shape.... Actually it was my very weak attempt at linking to a photo....
Yesterday was Talk like a Pirate day... and it gives me a good excuse to introduce you to a member of my sewing team...
Meet... Pirate Pete the Unpicker.... and his new girlfriend... Needle Nancy....


Pete and Nancy have only just become an 'item'... by a curious case of Serendipity...I already had Pete as in 2011 I helped Lynette Anderson at the Festival of Quilts and she had these made by a local craftsperson..... Nancy was sent to me by Amy as part of the 'booty' she sent with my BritQuiltSwap3 quilt...


Here it is.... Lovely isn't it?  Amy stalked me well and if I am honest - I had a sneaking suspicion that this was heading my way as she gave a few too many clues away.... My love of Aqua & Red, plus the fact that I am a fan of Camille Roskelley's work among others... the detail on the quilt is lovely.. there is even a loose thread running from the needle to the stitches.. and that little bird in the corner is a gift card but he sits there so happily chatting to the bird on the spool that I may just leave him there. Amy also sent me a sweet notebood and the spool up there is a lovely fridge magnet and then there was Nancy in a little bag made from London fabrics... the corner of London where the Fat Quarterly Retreat was held..( Got that date for next year in my diary)..   Amy & I met up at the Festival of Quilts so it is extra special to have actually met the maker of my quilt... All in all I was a very lucky girl..... 

I am busy getting ready to teach a Jelly Roll class this weekend.. but I can't find my sample quilt top... I think it might have gone to the USA with a friend to be quilted... or else it is buried in my sewing room.. which is going to get a BIG sort out while my beloved is away for 10 days.... In the meantime I have to make a new set of samples for Saturday which I think I will make into a table runner for my parents..

I have also been busy sorting fabrics for my Jack Attack Quilt-along with Lynne at Lily's Quilts she is onto the sashing and I haven't started my Jacks yet.... Wait for meeeeeeeeeee.......!!