Multi Tasking

I heard myself tell someone this week, "I used to be able to multi task,  now I just get harassed".

So I have a lot on, this week has seen a lot of admin as I launched my schedule for next year's classes. It's always a bit nail biting for me wondering if I have chosen the right projects but so far I am getting some really good comments & feedback.
When I took part last summer in the Zakka sew a long, I knew then that something similar would be fun for my classes, make a change from a big quilt.
So we are having a sew a long from August to Christmas.
After Christmas we are going to tackle a bag - there will be a bit of flexibility but I am planning on a big bag!

My current classes finish at the end of March and my Open Day is on Sunday 24th March - anyone in the vicinity of Alloway Village Hall in Ayr, would be made very welcome.
Within walking distance of the village hall, is Rozelle House and the Maclauren Gallery. On 24th March an exhibition of quilts by Ayrshire quilters goes on display so it sounds like a pretty good day out.

In the midst of all this organisation, my friend's daughter gave birth on Tuesday to a healthy, bouncing boy. I hope to see him and have a wee cuddle very soon. Although I made this a few weeks ago, I have kept it until now to show as I wanted it to be a surprise.

So, tomorrow, I am off up to Glasgow to Creative Stitches, at the SECC. My intentions are purely research of course, as I have plans for a new sewing machine this year and I am hoping to fine tune my choices.
On Sunday, a certain baby, a little closer to home , will be celebrating her 1st birthday, one day early.
It's almost impossible to believe a year has already passed. Grand-parenthood is amazing, quite amazing.
I have been working on something for her, I will share it with you all on Monday.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.x

Spreading the Word

For those of you who may have missed the news, Jo, from Bearpaw, is planning a super event in Edinburgh this August - it's a one day Modern Quilt Retreat.
You can read more about it HERE.

This is just brilliant news for those of us who are unable for one reason, or another, to attend the FQ Retreat in London this July.
Jo has organised this event bang in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival which is an exciting time to be in the Capital City.
If you think you might be at all interested in going, do pop over and register your interest.
If anyone in my classes thinks they might like to attend why don't you drop me an email and we could plan some shared transport?

Anyhow, I am definitely up for a day back in my home City - anyone join me?

Love is in the Air

The sun was shining, birds were probably singing, but inside Alloway Village Hall on Sunday, 14 ladies laboured on their Love is in the Air wall hangings.
And you thought I had gone all slushy...........

It was a super day, I really enjoy my workshops and I think everyone had a good time - but, the star of the show on Sunday, was Gordon, my Accuquilt Go!
He hasn't had an airing in a while but was enthusiastically received by all so I think I will have to put him to better use, he has been lounging around for too long...........

Here are some WIPs. The one in the centre is from last year, kindly loaned by Janet.

Finishing Along......

I managed some good, quality sewing time this week. First up was one of my finish along projects, my EPP Ferris Wheel.

I made most of this on holiday last Summer and had a notion to make it into a cushion cover for my large floor cushion. Trouble was, the finished piece was larger than my cushion in one direction and I couldn't bear the thought of cutting away what I had painstakingly stitched. Then I thought if I oriented it landscape and made a wrap around cover, it would all work out. So I catalogued most of the process as I thought both the cushion making and the dealing with finished EPP might be of interest to one or two of you out there.

I had bought 1m of solid cotton in pretty much the same shade of green that is in the patchwork.

To find out how wide my fabric should be for the wrap around, I wrapped my tape measure around the cushion.The cushion is an Ikea one, and quite squidgy, I allowed about 4" of an overlap. (But now wish I had allowed more)

I didn't want to just plonk the EPP panel onto my metre of fabric and applique all around - I am stingy like that - so I cut some strips for two of the edges to be attached to. These were about 3" wide.

I ironed the strips in half, lengthways, to give me a mark for guidance.

And then I laid the panel down along the fold line & pinned.

I then carefully stitched them together, using my trusty machine applique stitch.

So that's the top & bottom done.

I cut side pieces that would result in a finished size that would wrap around - this is a one- piece cushion cover.

Time to layer it up - I pretty much always use Hobbs 80/20 wadding and for a backing (which of course, will be hidden inside the cushion), I used an old cotton sheet. Using my beloved wiggly stitch, I decided to quilt right through the EPP following the squares and hexies, I reckoned that would be nice and simple.

But, I had a bit of a hiccup when I was quilting happily through squares and hexies and suddenly arrived at a triangle - hmm? What was happening?

Can you spot the mistake?

Yep, the purple block top centre has been stitched in at "6 o'clock" instead of "ten to two"- duh, if only I had noticed in the six months or so it lay about waiting to be progressed.........ah well! I just continued, it won't really bother me too much.

When I finished the quilting, I trimmed and bound the short ends, using single fold binding. I seem to have forgotten to photograph this step.

I then centred the "quilt" onto the cushion so I knew where the fold lines should be - folded it right sides together and then all that was left was to stitch top & bottom seams. I used a wider seam allowance than usual and reinforced the stitching over the thicker parts where the layers overlap.

The finished article is just a wee bit roomy for the cushion - I might re-visit the seams (or I might not), and I need to address the overlap with maybe a bit of velcro, or if I feel really ambitious, a buttonhole or two and some posh buttons.

                                                  But for now, I claim this as an official finish!!

                                                             And now my ta dah moment!

And the wee mistake? I aint bothered........

Scrap Happy Weeks

Over the last two weeks all my classes have joined in and played the Scrap Happy Game - I read about it first on Di's blog but spared my ladies the postage stamp scale and opted for 2.5" cut squares.
I asked everyone to bring 36, 2.5" squares to class, made up of 9 different fabrics.
They laid them out in two identical piles of 18 and I scooped up one pile from each person and popped them into a carrier bag. Everyone then popped their remaining 18 squares into a little baggie.
The big bag was passed around twice and at each pass the ladies made a "blind" selection of 9 squares. The only reason one could be rejected was if it was their own.
When everyone was back to having 36 squares, all in their individual wee bags, they then selected one at a time and laid out a 6 x 6 grid. Another rule - you could only put one back into the bag if it was the same as the one just used. This is where the fun started - there were cries of "yuk", "oh no" and I am sad to say, not a little cheating went on. The words, ruler and knuckles flew from my mouth but I was reminded that we are not allowed to use corporal punishment in class these day -wink!
By Thursday, six classes had completed this wee challenge and I had to come home and lie in a darkened room.
Here are some of the blocks made...........

and here is a block made into a cushion already, by Pat,

and I joined in too at the first session and have made mine into a cushion too. In fact many of us thought that they look quite "vintage" and we might just display a table full of them at this year's Open Day.

I had 1/2m of a shot cotton in my stash that filled the bill perfectly for borders, and, enough for the back too

Joking apart, thanks ladies for joining in - I know this exercise  game surprised many of you. Some were happy to make something without making decisions, some felt uncomfortable with the randomness, and others couldn't wait to get home and look at their scraps in a new way.

 This week I managed to do a couple of blocks for Judith's Bee Blessed - these were fiddly little blighters but don't they look good together. Every month Judith posts a request for a different block. She and some friendly quilting fairies then get together and make quilts that will hopefully bring a little love into lives of others. It doesn't take long to make two blocks, why don't you have a look at her blog and think about making some too.

On Friday, I came home to an email fro the lovely Susan, telling me that I had been drawn first in her give-away , what a great way to end a week. And here is what I have won. Thanks Susan, for your generosity.

Pics from  http://canadianabroad-susan.blogspot.co.uk/

A Sit Down & A Cuppa

I have been in the company of my daughter and almost - walking grand daughter all day....they have gone home now so I thought I'd have a wee breather and a quick update on what I have been up to this week.

First up are my blocks for Siblings Together - Nicky, one of my Stingy Bee pals, kindly offered to put together and quilt a joint effort from our Bee. She suggested "boy" colours so hopefully these will be ok. The exercise certainly made me realise how little blue I have in my stash. The blocks are scrappy Trip Around the World ones that have taken blogland by storm. I have made these blocks before and actually run a Day Workshop called, A Day Trip Around the World. However, I have only done it with controlled colours, so it was fun to be more scrappy although I have to confess unpicking in the wrong place, more than once.

My other little project was a coin tray, requested by the brother of my SIL, as a gift for his wife. Colours (cream & gold) as requested, hope she likes it.

The fabric I had was a tiny bit of gold Christmas fabric, and I teamed it with some cream linen.

First thing this morning I got going on one of my UFOs and am off to do a bit more. I will be back to share my progress and explain the mechanics of my plan to make it into a big floor cushion.

Have a great weekend everyone.

January in Pictures

                              Got some stuff done, tried new blocks.........as usual am linking to Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day

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