DREAMING OF ENGLISH PAPER PIECING

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a fabulous day. It’s been a very productive day in my little world. I spent the bulk of my day in my sewing room longarm quilting. The quilts I worked on were both pieced by Claudia. Can you tell that Claudia loves hexagons?

Although both these quilts are both hexagons they couldn’t be more different. The first one, for which Claudia chose a quilting design called Buzz by Hermione Agee of Lorien Quilting, has a medium loft poly wadding and although it’s not super puffy there’s still a good bit of texture.

This second hexie quilt, for which Claudia chose an elephant panto, has a very puffy and much stiffer wadding. This second quilt was a bit more challenging for my system to quilt but it has a marshmallow-like texture that Claudia was hoping for. I love it when a plan comes together.

After working on a couple of hexie quilts today I really feel like working on hexies myself. I have a hexie project on the go but I have so many others that are more urgent. So I’ll have to summon all my willpower and work on something else. I love a bit of EPP; all shapes. I’m going to concentrate on a bit of hand quilting over the next couple of evenings. I have some Quilt as You Go Dresden Plate samples to hand quilt for next week. I must admit that I enjoy hand quilting just as much as EPP. I guess that might be because they’re both done by hand.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be marking some Dresden blocks in readiness for hand quilting. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you really enjoy doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

 

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MAKING TIME TO BREATHE

Hello my lovelies. I hope you all had a super day. It’s been a bit blustery in my little corner of the northeast of England. Even my little dog, Maisie, wasn’t much interested in stepping out for her morning exercise but we headed out anyway. I hope tomorrow will see a return to spring like weather.

As my Sarah doesn’t have any classes this week, I decided to step out with her this morning. We started by running essential errands and then we went sock shopping. I didn’t find any suitable socks but I did find a ginormous sketch pad which I need for some new heart themed designs. So watch this space.

The last few weeks have just been so busy that I decided I needed a couple of days to regroup and recharge my batteries; making time to breathe. So I spent the afternoon working on hexies and catching up on TV shows that I taped over the last couple of months. It was all the more fun because my Sarah sat with me. We watched three episodes of a new show called Critical. It’s an excellent show of the medical drama genre. We were glued to our seats. It was the perfect way to spend a quiet blustery afternoon. And working on hexies is like second nature to me, so I was able to do something productive as well. My hexie project has been on the go for several years but I am certainly making progress. I am currently adding hexagons to the third side squaring it off in readiness for a random red hexagon border. No matter how hard I try I cannot sit in front of the TV without keeping my hands busy somehow.

So it’s been a super day in my little world. Tomorrow I have a choice of different things to do. I will either have another quiet day while adding finishing touches to a few projects or perhaps I might do some longarm quilting. We’ll see how I feel in the morning.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be doing hexie work. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you love doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

 

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PULLING THE RIBBON

Hello my lovelies. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers. I hope you’re having a super day with your loved ones. My day has been lovely and quiet. I stepped out for a little bit this morning to run an errand. I didn’t stay out very long because it’s been dark and rather wet pretty much all day. I didn’t do any longarm quilting today. Instead I got ready for tomorrow and once that was done I went on to cutting some card template for an English Paper Piecing project. This is a personal project so I can tell you about it.

I started by picking a design. And then went on to decide how big my templates should be. I chose 2-1/2” hexagons and 2-1/2” triangles which just happen to fit perfectly. I’m not a mathematician but this was easy enough to figure out. Over the years I have used the Incompetech website for free templates. Once again I visited Incompetech for templates and managed to find exactly what I needed. So I printed and traced templates and spent some time cutting them out …..

Then it was time to choose some fabric. Have I ever told you that I have a problem with removing the ribbon from pre-cut fabric collections such as Jelly Rolls and Fat Quarter Collections …..

I decided that it was time for me to start making a dent in my Independence Trail collection. So after psyching myself out I finally pulled the ribbon …..

And I picked four fat quarters to get me started. I pressed the fat quarters and cut some strips …..

And from the strips I traced the templates and cut them up into hexagons and triangles. And by the end of the afternoon I was at this point …..

I really enjoyed planning and getting started on this project today. And I hope to bring you little snippets of my progress over the next few days. Eventually this project should turn into a bag. I don’t need another bag but I love the make bags. Perhaps it will turn into a gift for someone but if it looks really good I might even keep it for myself!

It’s been a great day in happy longarm quilter land. It’s been quiet enabling me to work at a slow and measured pace while enjoying every minute. I’m all set for tomorrow’s Christmas Surprise class at Stitchin’ Heaven. I believe I have one more Christmas class to teach before we knock off until the New Year. And the two classes I’ve done so far have both been different but great fun because of the festive feel. I’m planning my next feet up day on Sunday. Feet up days are great for stirring the creative juices. Time spent relaxing brings great inspiration. I think when your brain isn’t full of everything you need to do the ideas come easily. I’ll be sure to sharpen my pencil and have my notebook at hand ready to take lot of notes.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be working on today’s EPP project. I hope you have a cosy evening doing something you really enjoy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

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WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

Yes folks you heard it here first. This very happy longarm quilter has had a wonderful Wednesday. After walking the dogs and doing a few chores I stepped out. I got in the car, the sun was shining brightly, and I headed north to Stitchin’ Heaven. It’s absolutely ages since I last attended a Wednesday sewing session. I packed the car with a UFO, a light lunch and Molly’s recently longarm quilted quilts. I stopped at the supermarket to buy some ginger nuts and made for the A1. The roads were relatively clear. Even on a cloudy day the journey north to Longframlington is lovely. The undulating scenery truly is something to behold.

We discussed every subject under the sun today. We solved all the problems of the world and had lots of laughs along the way. I didn’t even take my camera today so I don’t have any photos of our session. However I can show you the quilt top that my friend Anne has given me for Quilts for Comfort. It always amazes me how generous people are when it comes to worthwhile causes. Thank you Anne, I’ll make sure this quilt top is turned into a quilt and will eventually be handed over to someone who needs a bit of comfort.

I came home to quite a large pile of mail. And these magazines were part of the pile ……

So you know what I will be doing this evening!

I have been very good today. Although I fondled quite a lot of fabric I didn’t come home with any new fat quarters. Mind you I have so much fabric at the moment that I could probably keep a small group of quilt makers going for a good long while.

I usually show you what I have been working on during the day. Well one things for sure, I didn’t do any longarm quilting today. I pondered which of my many projects/UFOs to take with me today. So I decided on what is in this tin.

When in doubt I always turn to EPP projects. It’s just what I needed to work on today. English Paper Piecing is relatively simple as you don’t need a whole lot of equipment. Do you know what? I really enjoyed working on this today. The only thing is, I forgot to bring my work specs but I managed anyway.

Well I reckon I’ve had the perfect day. In order to have a proper break I must remove myself from my home. Otherwise I will migrate into the sewing room and do some longarm quilting instead of having a bit of Time Out. All work and no play makes a very happy longarm quilter boring. Tomorrow I go back to the old grind. I’ll be starting work on Nancy’s lovely quilt in the morning. I’ll make the final decision regarding block designs in the morning.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be reading some magazines and perhaps working on EPP diamonds. I hope you have a super evening doing whatever makes you happy. Perhaps you need a wee bit of Time Out, put your feet up and relax. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

 

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PERFECTING THE BALANCE

Monday and all is well. There was no sleeping in this morning. Sarah went to college to get her next assignment, hubby did some work in the garden and I disappeared into my sewing room to do some longarm quilting. I was beginning to think that the time would never come that I would start working on Helen’s stunning EPP table runner. My brief was to lightly quilt this quilt……..

So I got started by stitching in the blanks of the EPP blocks. Since taking this photo, I have sewn in all the lose threads. Tomorrow I will be trimming the quilt to size and finishing off the outer section and hopefully machining the binding on. I found this quilt quite difficult to work on this afternoon because it was black thread on black fabric. I don’t often work black on black. In fact I very rarely get anything black.

I’m really pleased with today’s progress. I hope to make as much progress tomorrow.

We enjoyed some lovely warm weather today. It was almost too good to be true. I wonder when the autumnal temperatures will be back. I almost hate to say that I’m looking forward to wearing woollies and boots. I know I’m going to live to regret having said that!

It’s been a great day in happy longarm quilter land. I got enough done that I don’t feel guilty. And I’ve still got enough energy to do a bit of hand stitching this evening. I like getting the balance of both work and play just right. I’m doing my best to work out what the perfect balance is……

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be doing some knitting. I’ve feel the need to make a bit of progress on my current knitting project to keep one step ahead of winter. I hope you have a splendid evening working on something that will keep you cosy this winter. Until your read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

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ANOTHER QUIET SUNDAY IN HAPPY LONGARM QUILTER LAND

It’s been another brilliant weekend. The weather has been behaving itself today. We had quite a lot of sunshine which permitted me to mow the front lawn. We’ve had quite a bit of rain which helps the grass to grow at a rate of knots. So the job is done and it looks tidy. My Sarah and I visited our supermarket to stock up the larder for another week. While Sarah put the groceries away I mowed the lawn. It’s really nice to get help; it certainly helps me get more done.

I seemed to have gotten quite a lot done today but nothing of any great consequence it seems. The next quilt was loaded into my longarm quilting system. And I cut another hundred fabric diamonds for my paper pieced star quilt. Now that I have worked out a little system the job gets done in no time at all. Here’s how I approach the task. My paper diamond templates are 2” so I cut strips of fabric WOF 2-1/2”. Lay the strip on the cutting mat and place a paper template at one end. The strip is still folded in half and if you feel confident you could cut two strips at a time.

With your rotary cutter and a small ruler cut along the right hand side leaving a generous ¼” allowance.

Then line up your ruler along the left hand side and eye up ¼” allowance and rotary cut.

 

Now move the template along and repeat the process. This method works really well for me. I feel quite comfortable working with a rotary cutter. I’m already enjoying this paper pieced diamond project. I usually choose to do hexagons when I turn to paper piecing so diamonds are a nice change. Perhaps after the stars I might decide to do some tumbling blocks…….

Last evening I started hand tying a little quilt. For the benefit of the beginners who read my posts I thought I would describe the process of tying a quilt. Click here to view the How-To description. And don’t forget that you can add buttons and yo-yos for tying your quilt if you wish to make it a little more interesting. As my little quilt is intended for a baby I did not add anything but thread in the interest of safety.

I have another “A” is for Applique block to show you today. This block was pieced by Donna. And once again she has produced a masterpiece. Feast your eyes on this ……

All the participants of the “A” is for Applique monthly challenge have surpassed my expectations. I wonder what they will pull out of their magic hats for June ……..

Well it’s been a lovely day. I got plenty accomplished which always leaves me feeling pleased with myself. I will spend the rest of the day relaxing in readiness for another busy week ahead.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will do a little more work on the little hand tied quilt. Whatever you decide to do this evening, I hope you’ve had the chance to enjoy some lovely sunshine. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

 

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HAPPY LONGARM QUILTER STEPS OUT AGAIN

Can you believe the month of May is finished already? I know I say this all the time but where does the time go?

It’s been an interesting day away from happy longarm quilter land. I stepped out today to have a sewing session away from my sewing room. I joined the Wishful Thinkers at the Quilters Cupboard for the day. I left my Sarah in charge at home while I went out to work on some English paper pieced diamond stars.

There were eight very productive ladies today. I got to fondle fabric which is always a joy for me. I walk around and imagine what I could make with the different prints. I did buy some fabric; I just couldn’t help myself. I really enjoyed working on my diamonds today. The purple fabric is leftover from another project and there’s quite a lot of it leftover. So I’m sure I can get a throw size project done. There’s no rush to complete my Diamond Star project. It’s a very portable project so I can take it along whenever I wish. I worked out a really good way of cutting the fabric diamonds with a rotary cutter and a ruler. I cut a hundred diamonds yesterday in no time. I always think that cutting the fabric shapes is the worse part of paper piecing but now that I have worked out an easy way it will be a breeze. It’s great to Use up Your Scraps even if I did add fabric to my stash today.

Tomorrow I hope to bring you a progress report on my hand tied quilt for which I started the preliminary work yesterday. I’m already pleased with it and it’s nowhere near finished. I hope I can say the same tomorrow. I look forward to crossing this project off my UFO list.

Well I guess that’s my little report for today. So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be hand tying the quilt I just mentioned. Whatever you might be doing this evening, I hope you’re reducing your UFO numbers. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥

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WEEKEND FAVOURITE

I love the weekend. I’m not sure why I love the weekend. Perhaps it’s because in my house we don’t work to the weekday clock on Saturdays and Sunday. It’s all more relaxed than it is thru the week. This morning I walked the dogs a little later than I usually do even though I didn’t wake up any later but I didn’t have to rush around like I do during the week.

After going to WH Smith to collect some magazines I decided to disappear into the sewing room to longarm quilt this:

I worked until the job was complete. It’s a lovely quilt. Some young lady will be very happy with this quilt. Now I used the longarm quilting system to work on this quilt but you could get the same effect by using your domestic sewing machine using your Free Motion Quilting skills. This quilt measures 60” X 72” which is a manageable size to quilt on your machine.

The postman delivered a parcel this morning. I pre-ordered this particular book some months ago after reading a description in one of my magazines.

English Paper Piecing by Vicki Bellino is a great book. All the designs have a fresh twist to them. If you’re new to English paper piecing technique this is the book for you. I’m not new to this traditional technique and I know I’m going to base some of my quilts on the ideas in this book. I can see my scrap bins will be raided to make some of the designs in this book.

If you haven’t registered for the competition on the Crafts House website yet you’d better hurry because it closes soon. All you have to do is guess how bunting in the bag to win a Welcome Bunting Kit. Just click here to register your guess. Good luck to everyone.

It’s been another productive day. I feel like I have accomplished something good this week. I hope the coming week is as successful. So for this evening, this happy longarm quilter will be working on red hexagons once again and perhaps planning another project from my new book. Whatever you may be doing this evening, enjoy it. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching.

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