Midsummer Progress

Since my last post we have endured what might have been the coldest midsummer everr, but now fortunately we are basking in sunshine, totally appropriate for Wimbledon fortnight.

I promised a mention of my efforts at needleturn applique - it's not pretty but it will have to do - those of you who know me well, know that my hand sewing skills are not up there, but I am growing to enjoy a little gentle hand work so maybe I will improve.

So in Part 2 of My Small World there was a bit of applique, my first bits were the four little arched doorways....mine were obviously old and well worn doors with lots of dings in. I forgot the part in needleturn where it helps to clip curves - doh!!

Then there were a couple of circles and I remembered doing this quilt last year in a QAL with Sarah Fielke and remembered her cunning technique for prepping circles for applique.

It involves card and tin foil and it helps if you cut your card circle neatly & smoothly.

And here are the circles applied to MSW.

And here are parts 1 & 2 all done. Still using little orphans here and there so some of my sections look a little different from the pattern.

Unfortunately I haven't started Part 3 yet as other tasks have taken precedence.

I resumed a project started several months ago for a friend's Ruby wedding........

Then my rows for July and August in Bee a Brit Stingy arrived. They are for Di and she has requested a garden theme in bright colours. The first three rows have been completed by Di, Catherine and Lucy and I have planned my contribution and made a start.

This block is one of two but I am not sure about the amount of plain background I have showing comparing it to the three existing rows but my other plans are quite busy so it may be ok, I'll look at it again when all the blocks are done.

and finally, me and a couple of real life sewing bee buddies are combining our efforts to make a small quilt as a gift to another Bee member who is moving away from Ayr. She was actually responsible for introducing us to quilting and most of her quilts until recently have been very traditional. But she is undergoing a bit of a renaissance and has moved firmly into modern. We hope she will love our choices. The HSTs in our blocks are the same for the three of us and all un-pieced squares are from our own stashes. These are my blocks and in my next post I hope to show off the finished quilt.

Now Andy Murray and Roger Federer are just about to step out onto Centre Court, so must dash...........