UFO TREAT

Hello my lovelies. It’s Friday!!!! I hope you’ve all had a super week. I decided to end the week on a high note. Quite some time I started a quilt which ended up in the UFO pile. I worked on it periodically now and again when I attended the odd sewing session since the turn of the year. Wednesday I came across it and decided it was time to add the borders because I really wanted to longarm quilt it soon.

What a treat it was to load the quilt into my longarm yesterday after adding all the borders. This morning I slipped out really early to run a couple of essential errands but on my return at 8:30am I turned my quilting system on and got started. I managed to get all the different designs established and I’m really pleased with the way it looks. Here are a few shots of my progress …..

As may already be able to tell I have treated this quilt top to a custom job. All in all, I’m keeping the quilting simple and I’m loving the texture that I’m creating along the way. This quilt is a little special because it’s my design, my custom quilting and one that I will use on my bed. The quilt itself is nothing super special but it’s mine. The fabrics may not be to everyone’s taste but this project has been great for using up quite a lot of my stash. I’m already thinking about my next big hand pieced project that will use up some of my stash.

It’s been a lovely day in happy quilt maker land. The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing making it feel like a typical autumn day. I watch the leaves float off the trees. I will soon be out there raking up the evidence. I’ve got a good stout pair of work boots, a suitable jacket and my trusty work gloves to help with the job. I’m looking forward to meeting the challenge head on. I’m counting the days until Christmas. Have I told you how much I’m looking forward to Christmas this year?

I spent part of the day getting ready for my weekend guest. I made some lovely hearty soup and I planned the menus for all the meals for the next couple of days. In between the weekend meals, I have planned a couple of outings. I hope for reasonable weather in order to take some memorable photos. I have a few interesting photo frames that need filling. This weekend is as good a time to start filling those frames with good memories.

So for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be working on hexagons. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something you truly love doing, perhaps you’ll be working on Christmas projects. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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SEWING FIX OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a fab day. Mine has been full of this and that. I had a very important meeting first thing this morning but after that Sarah and I disposed of a whole lot of things that have been deemed surplus to requirement. So we visited our favourite place in all the world, the tip. And after that we went onto a much more interesting place and purchased milk and a few essentials. We’ve got the fixins for a couple of healthy tasty meals now. Eating healthy makes me feel good. Not to mention that healthy eating has helped me lose little weight over the last couple of weeks which has made me feel even better.

Once the chores were done, I decided I needed a sewing fix of a different kind. I have been working on my Sweethearts Dozen nonstop for a couple of weeks and I thought I needed a little change. I didn’t want to start a new project so I stuck my hand into a pile of UFOs and dragged out a Freemotion Quilting sample which I stitched out quite some time ago. It’s not super pretty but it will be useful. So my little sewing project for this afternoon was turning one sample into two separate smallish table toppers. I rotary cut the sample in two separate pieces, squared them off and added some binding. Here’s a little peek …..

Now this may not seem very exciting but that FMQ sample has been sitting in the pile for some time and I just couldn’t work up the courage to dispose of it because the stitching is pretty good. The larger table topper will go under my printer to absorb some of the noise and vibration. So it doesn’t matter if it isn’t super pretty because it will be covered up. I haven’t decided what to do with the little table topper yet.

It’s been a good day in my little world. The sun decided to come out to shine brightly late afternoon, and very welcome it was too. And the best part of the day was getting a sewing fix of a different kind. My Sweethearts Dozen is coming along nicely. I need to finish the stitchery work on one last block and then I can proceed to the next step. It’s looking good.

So for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious longarm quilter will be doing some stitchery work. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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TUESDAY IS TULIP DAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a brilliant day. We’ve had another super sunny day in my little corner of the northeast of England. The longest day of the year will soon be upon us. I can’t believe how time flies.

Today is tulip day. I love tulips especially these funky purple ones.

The backgrounds that I use in my appliqué quilts tends mostly to be a soft light beige. I always found white a little stark but after seeing how nice these tulips look on a white background I think I am changing my mind. The different purples on this white background looks so fresh. I think I will have to give white a go for my next appliqué project. I hope I’ve got something appropriate in my stash. Well done Christine for being brave enough to use a white background.

I have two more Sweetheart blocks to show you today. With the great progress I’m making on the Sweethearts Dozen Appliqué quilt I’m going to have to find something else to post about soon! Here’s the progress from last evening …..

It’s been a really good day in my quiet little world. I mooched about and worked at my own favourite slow and measured pace. I enjoyed every minute of what I did. When you take your time doing something you get the chance to take it all in and appreciate the results of your effort.

Before I sign off for today, I would like to thank everyone who sent me good wishes regarding my different anniversary last week. All your kind words helped me celebrate this positive occasion.

So for this evening, this very happy and ambitious longarm quilter will be doing some more stitchery work. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly love doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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MORE CHARITY QUILT NEWS

Hello my lovelies. It’s been a super day in my little world. I spent the day doing this and that. I managed to tick everything off my To-Do List and a few other bits and pieces as well. Today I’m not going to report about any of my sewing progress but I will show you a quilt that my Sarah longarm quilted to be handed over to Quilts for Comfort.

Sarah has spent many months focusing on university work. So I think it’s quite a treat for her to be able to work on something she chooses to work on rather than university work. Today she chose to work on a charity quilt. The quilt she longarm quilted was pieced and donated by Christine. It’s a lovely scrappy quilt. I know that a young person will take great comfort from this quilt. Feast your peepers on this …..

We chose some fabric from my stash for the binding. And Sarah will be machining the binding on this evening. And because I believe in giving credit to those who have made a contribution to any given quilt, I have made a label naming the contributors, to add to the back of the quilt once the binding has been finished.

All in all, it’s been a great day in my little world. The sun was shining and everything is well with the world at the moment. I plan on spending tomorrow longarm quilting. I’m hoping the sun will be cheering me on.

So for this evening, this very happy and ambitious longarm quilter will be doing some EPP in order to progress on my Quilts on the Grow project. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly love doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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THIS AND THAT ON THURSDAY REPORT

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a super day. My day was spent doing this and that. I kicked off the day by delivering the three quilts I challenged myself to longarm quilted over the weekend for Quilts for Comfort. It’s a great feeling knowing that I played a small part in bringing three different young people a bit of comfort when they can really use it.

On my way home I popped into Ikea to purchase a couple of clear plastic storage bins. I have learned the hard way that it’s much better to pack and store stuff in clear bins than in cardboard boxes or opaque plastic bins simply because it makes it easier to find things when you’re looking for something. I seem to spend a lot of time searching for stuff so if I can make it simpler all the better.

The last task of the day was to prepare for the next meeting of the Burnopfield Belles. I spent a couple of hours planning our next lesson plan. We will be trying freemotion machine quilting. I know this technique can be daunting for some, so I’m hoping to put the Belles on the road to success. We have been learning how to use the quilt as you go method of making quilts so freemotion quilting will come in very handy. The Burnopfield Belles meet on the last Wednesday of the month and also on other Wednesdays in between at the Burnopfield Community Centre. Their main goal is to help make quilts for Quilts for Comfort all the while learning something new and making quilts as a group. And best of all we have a good time while doing it. It’s a great way to meet new like-minded people while doing something useful. 

So far today, I haven’t done any sewing but I plan on putting that right this evening by working on my Quilts on the Grow blocks. Hand piecing is always the best part of my day. So it’s not a bad thing to save it for last.

So for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious longarm quilter will be doing some EPP. 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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RISING EARLY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a very good productive day. My day has been full of this and that.

Most of you will already know that I have challenged myself to complete as many UFOs this year as I can. That doesn’t mean that I won’t start any new projects, it just means that I aim to finish as many ongoing projects as I can. I wanted to prep a new project this past weekend but I just didn’t have the time or energy to get started. However, I did add the binding to 5 different freemotion quilting samplers which I quilted last year. The fabrics used for these samplers was dyed by my Sarah and I think all the markings, the light and dark marbling effect, along with my simple freemotion quilting makes these pieces look so interesting. My goal was to get them all bound and ready to use. They are all suitably sized to use as table runners or centres. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my binding session. And now I have five lovely table runners which I have put away for a rainy day. Have you been working on UFOs lately? Do you even have UFOs???

The last couple of weeks have been fraught with spring cleaning in my little world. Sorting and tidying has taken over my life. I have been bagging and tagging things to be distributed amongst the charities. And of course the stuff that’s broken or has not been used due to its’ age must go to the tip and eventually into landfill. My house is beginning to look so different without all the clutter. I’ve got a long way to go yet but I feel that every new day brings a chance to start afresh.

It’s been a really good day in happy longarm quilter land. We had some lovely sunshine this morning. Unfortunately, it disappeared around lunch time. I enjoyed working on blue hexagons. And I even got to step out to run an errand while getting some fresh spring air. I really enjoy productive days and the sense of accomplishment I have at the end of it.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be hand piecing some double wedding ring components. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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A CHANGE OF PACE

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a great day. I stepped away from my sewing room today. A change of pace is good for the soul. I kicked off my day by running some errands and proceeded to spend the rest of the day flitting around doing this and that. I did a few household chores including refolding and stacking a few of my quilts on a purpose built shelf. Some of my quilts are hidden away in the loft but quite a lot of them are spread around the house. I have some hanging on the walls, some are on beds and some are folded, stacked and displayed for me to enjoy every day while I’m flitting around doing this or that around the house.

I make quilts because I enjoy making quilts. Nobody needs to have as many quilts as I have. I simply love choosing fabric, cutting it up and sewing it back together. I love making scrappy quilts more than I do formal quilts. And I really enjoy formulating new designs and planning the execution of a new project. I haven’t worked on a full size quilt project in quite some time now. Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about working on smaller projects for which I will use mixed media including some freemotion quilting. Freemotion quilting is one of my favourite hobbies. And so I’m hoping to do more freemotion quilting using different grades and colours of thread producing interesting designs. I have been collecting all kinds of different threads and needles for a while and hopefully I will make a dent in my thread stash while creating something interesting and possibly even lovely. I’m looking forward to the challenge. Now if I can find a little time and energy I will start playing to my heart’s content.

It’s been a lovely day in my quiet little world. The postman delivered four new magazines this morning which I will peruse over the weekend. I did a little doodling in preparation for a bit of freemotion quilting. And the sun was shining making everything even better. There was even a bit of warmth in the sun this afternoon.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be doing some fine hand appliqué. I’m hoping to be able to finish this current appliqué work this weekend. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something that truly makes you happy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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ANOTHER HAPPY PRODUCTIVE DAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a good productive day. Mine day has as always been pretty busy. I didn’t have much time to flit around today. There was no time for many household chores as I spent all day in my sewing room sorting and tidying around.

I had a few minutes left over before it was time to make my evening meal so I spent that little bit of time layering yesterday’s creative effort. Armed with scrap paper and pen I will doodle in preparation for the freemotion quilting which I will add to this project. Doodling gives my brain a preview of what I want to stitch in the negative spaces of any project. So don’t forget to take the time to doodle my friends.

It’s been a pretty good day in my happy longarm quilter land. Somehow I managed to get more done than I thought I would accomplish. I suppose getting up early and getting on with it things helps get loads done. Have you had a productive day?

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be doing some doodling and possibly some fine hand appliqué. 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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ADDING COLOUR BLOBS

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a fabulous day. It’s been a busy one in my little world. Once again I spent the day flitting around doing one thing and another. The first task on my To-Do List was to go out and purchase some milk. One of the task on my To-Do List was be creative. I’m going to try to be creative every single day; even if it’s only a bit of doodling on days when I don’t have the energy or I have run out of time. So today I chose to add some coloured blobs to a piece of calico which I will add freemotion quilting to sometime over the next few weeks. After working on a similar UFO yesterday I decided that I should practice some more and try to perfect this new found skill. I started by cutting a piece of calico to the approximate size desired. I pressed it and added some oval guidelines as I want this piece to finish up as an oval table runner/centre.

And then the fun started. I added some odd shaped blobs using Caran D’ache water soluble wax pastels but you can use whatever you have in your art supply stash.

Once the blobs of colour were added I blended them in using some water and a stiff paint brush. I did not need any weird and wonderful supplies for this project. Even the thread I will use for the freemotion quilting will be what I have in my stash. The backing will be simple calico and the wadding will be a leftover scrap from another project. I’m not an expert at mixed media quilting but I’m willing to experiment and play until I have worked out a really good method. I’ve been wanting to learn some new skills and build upon them. And this is just the ticket as I have loads of supplies I can use up.

It’s been a brilliant day in my little corner of the northeast of England. I hid myself away from the dreary wet weather in my warm dry little house. I played to my heart’s content in between doing a few household chores. I’ve ended my day feeling quite satisfied with my accomplishments.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be doing some fine hand appliqué. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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MORE UFO NEWS

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a great day. Mine was spent flitting around doing something and nothing. I had a couple of meetings, answered several emails and returned a few phone calls. I was glad to be able to hide indoors today. It was rather cool and damp even though the sun came and went.

 

And then I decided to do something a little creative. So I dragged out this little UFO that I started last summer I think. This little quilt which was coloured using Caran D’Ache water soluble wax pastels needed some freemotion quilting. So I prepared my machine and put my machine quilting gloves on and got the job started …..

And I carried on …..

And I did some more …..

And on until the job was done …..

But the job isn’t done yet. I want to add some more embellishments. So I need to select some buttons and beads and whatever else might break up the negative spaces.

I tried to get a few more reasonable photos of my red hexagon quilt. So I took it outside thinking I might get better colours.

I’m so pleased with this quilt now that it’s finished that I feel the need to start another hexagon project but this time it will be a grandmother’s garden design.

It’s been a great day in my little world. I did a variety of tasks that made me feel like I was getting somewhere in life. It’s always nice to be able to tick all the jobs on my To-Do List. I was in contact with several people for several different reasons. Human contact is the best part of my day. I’m not a loner by any means. My Maisie spent most of her day supervising the work I did …..

Today I’m going to leave you with an interesting quote … A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim ~ Maya Angelou

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

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

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