The Most Wonderful Time...

I am starting to feel a little more festive - the cold weather has most certainly helped this feeling, not to mention the fact my Christmas tree is up!

This was taken in the late afternoon sun, earlier in the week.  My husband went on the tree buying expedition on Sunday afternoon with the Big Girl who wanted a 'Norman Tree' - turns out this is a Nordman Fir.  'Norman' must be about 8 foot tall and is very, very fat :-)

I've indulged in a little more afternoon Christmas sewing this week too:

A Christmassy cushion cover, made with 2.5 inch fabric strips to fit a 12" square cushion.  I'd like to make another Christmas quilt this year but I think I might be running low on time.  What I really need is a couple of snow days ....unlikely I say. Very.

Last Week's Work

As I alluded to in yesterday's post, I did manage to complete two Farmer's Wife blocks last week!

Churn Dash

I love churn dash blocks - they are quite straightforward to make and I think they look lovely put together.  I'm really pleased with the colour combination and how the central portion stands out against the paler fabric.

Flock

I was a bit apprehensive about this one when I came to it because of all the small triangles, so I was surprised when it turned out as it did!  It could do with a good pressing (I sewed the individual square blocks together in the wrong configuration to begin with) and the Bambi prints are accidentally upside down but you live and learn and I WILL NOT take it apart again!

I'm still using a lot of red and white spots in this project - at the moment I'm blaming the festive season!

Christmas Sewing

My Christmas sewing has finally begun!  This is a Christmas gift for a very special Aussie baby and is currently on it's way Down Under. 

I found a bib tutorial at Chickpea Sewing Studio - home of lots of lovely pictures and sewing ideas.  The fabric I think is from  'Countdown to Christmas', which was one of Moda's Christmas ranges last year.  I've been saving the fat quarters for a while.  I love the reindeer print - it has the names of Father Christmas' reindeer's printed on it and is sooooo cute.  My favourite part of this bib is the fastening!  I bought the non sew variety and I think it gives it a very professional finish!

On the Farmer's Wife quilt front, I did unexpectedly manage two blocks last week.  I shall photograph them later for sharing.

Have a wonderful day!

Slightly Behind

Last week I fell behind - I only managed one block of my Farmer's Wife Quilt.  Oh dear. 

Broken Sugar Bowl

However, I do have another block to share - I guess it's ever so slightly cheating as I didn't make it last week ....but it is all my own work!!

Rainbow Flowers

I made this block in the early weeks of the project but didn't include it as I wasn't entirely happy with it.  The slightly wonky gingham pattern makes the pieces look as if they're not cut properly, and the top left corner square has certainly had some seam allowance issues along the way - well it's not quite a square is it!?

On balance I decided I do like it so I'm (naughtily) including it as the second block of last week.  Now I have to find the time, and it's Wednesday already, to make this week's contribution.  I think it is quite likely to be one block only this week as Christmas is marching up on me VERY quickly and I have sooo many lovely festive fabrics waiting to be used!

Have a Happy Wednesday!!!

Challenging Myself

I've tried to challenge myself a bit this week as regards to the Farmer's Wife Quilt.  When selecting blocks to make I tend to play safe - mainly choosing blocks that I either like the most or I know I will be able to make!  This week I decided to go for blocks that scare me a little - those ones with lots of little pieces.  I chose 'Hovering Birds' and 'Whirlpool'.  The success rate was 50 % - 'Hovering Birds' was completed, 'Whirlpool' was abandoned! 

Hovering Birds

As 'Whirlpool' remains in little bits on my sewing table, and to keep up with the two blocks a week demand, I chose another block to make:

Windmill

 A far more straightforward block!!  I think I will try and make one out of the two weekly blocks a more difficult one thus avoiding being landed with all the technically challenging ones at the end!

Birthday Cushion

We have a birthday party tomorrow afternoon - my friend's little girl, Phoebe, is turning two.  I'm finding it increasingly difficult to buy for children's birthdays these days.  It seems they all have pretty much everything and their tastes change with the wind it seems!

I decided to make something for this particular party - a more personal touch I think.  So I present the Birthday Cushion:

As is obvious, I absolutely love quilting, but I don't often embark on smaller, quicker projects which is rather silly considering the pleasure and satisfaction this little project gave me - made during naptime yesterday afternoon.

The basic assembly of the cushion, which is of the envelope backed variety, was inspired by this tutorial, although the front of the cushion is different and constructed by myself.  I had to use my brain and do the math though as my cushion pad was a different size.  To be honest I am quite impressed with myself as I find constructs in my head don't always work in practise, especially when calculations are required!

The fabrics are mainly from a Robert Kaufman line called confections - they are 2.5" strips sewn together.  The plain pink fabric is by Amy Butler and I embroidered Phoebe's name in a running stitch onto it.  A little bit of quilting completes it - just straight line quilting with my walking foot a quarter of an inch from each seam.

I loved constructing this cushion so much that I think I will make some Christmas cushions in the same way!

Dreary Days

It has been grey here - mostly wet and windy - all week.  It's dry at the moment but Radio 4 predicts a deluge at midday!  This has been the view from my sewing room most afternoons:

  Ordinarily the sea is visible above the houses, and the 'skyscraper' (ahem ...) clearly seen, but this week it is grey, grey grey, and the grey sea and the grey sky are one!

It's lucky that I had these cheery fabrics to brighten up my days:

I bought this fabulously colourful jelly roll whilst at Quilts UK in Malvern - Oh deer! by MoMo for Moda.  It is the one item I specifically had in mind to purchase when I went.  The prints are so funky!  I've just been swing the jelly roll strips together as I couldn't bear to cut them up - the plan is to create a border with the left over strips.

However, the basting and quilting is unlikely to happen anytime soon.  I'm trying to be slightly more austere as we approach Christmas so I'm limiting myself to very little fabric or batting purchasing.  Completion is therefore, to some extent, dependent on what I already have in my cupboard!