I did it!

Measures approx. 60" x 70"

My Echo Quilt Top is finished & I am very pleased with it. Still plenty of my FQ stack left to make the back and some other bits and pieces too - am very much looking forward to that in the New Year

The rain finally stopped - a better "outdoors" pic

And now for the big clear up ready for our neighbours who are visiting tonight to see in 2012. My Trivial Pursuits set (from my sister & brother in law for Christmas) is at the ready, we are ordering takeaway from our fabulous local Indian Restaurant (this has become a New Years Eve tradition!!), the bubbles are on ice and the kids are super excited about having a sleepover with Penny

I hope you have a fabulous evening whatever you may be doing. Thank you to all of you who visit and those of you who take the time to comment on my little blog. I really do appreciate it. Wishing you all a healthy, prosperous New Year

With much love xxx

PS I have linked this post to Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day

The blocks are done!

Okay the blocks are now done and laid out on the lounge floor

First layout - not quite right

Getting better but too many similar blocks together on the bottom two rows

Probably what I'm settling on - having  a think!

Do any of you do this? Lay out your blocks and take pictures? I've sewn blocks together in the past and only when they are quilted have I seen how I would probably have done it a little differently. This time, I am photographing and pondering - I find a picture on my laptop screen so much easier to see glaring "errors" than looking at the blocks on the floor

Not sure if I have the energy to trim & sew together tonight but would very much like to get this stitched together before the New Year - we have friends over tomorrow night with their daughter so if it's not done tonight it will be next year

We'll see................

A Lotta Blocks

These p(f)un titles just have to stop! I have now cut everything out ready to sew blocks together. I have made a good start tonight but am shattered & it's mum & dad's anniversary tomorrow & we have a busy day planned so enough is enough

Here's the progress so far (again - crappy almost midnight pictures but they're the best I can get in this light). This is not the final layout - it was just to give me an idea how it was all going to hang together.

I've used the block designs from Fresh Lemon Squares Lemon Quilt Tutorial. This is yet another I've had in my faves "to try" but hadn't. I decided that these would be the perfect fabrics to use for it. Hope I'm right!!

Over half way and I'm liking how it's coming together...................do you?

I likey a Lotta!

When The Echo range from Lotta Jansdotter first started hitting my screen I was absolutely smitten & just knew that I had to bag me some of that. So, when the e-mail marketing from Courtney at Seamstar arrived in November, my hands were literally trembling as I purchased a fat quarter of each of the fabrics in the range (I was so pleased she decided to get them all!)

Since then I have been stroking & admiring but at a loss to know what to do with them. Tonight I decided to bite the bullet and started cutting & sewing

The more I work with these prints, the more I love them - I can't wait to get these blocks cut & stitched together!

Drawstring Bags

I can usually work out most things. But drawstring bags had me completely stumped. I botched a couple for the kids at nursery to take their PE kit in but wasn't entirely happy. Then the other day on Pinterest I came across a tutorial I thought I should try. With my sewing bug well and truly en force (and not a lot of time to feed it), it seemed like the ideal project.

It came together really easily and I cut into 3 FQ's from my stash *gulp* (I couldn't quite bring myself to use some for the handles and opted for the easier choice of twill tape). I shall keep trying little projects like this to try and get over my fear of using my stock piles. I so want to be more like Lynz who buys with a project in mind. It is just too hard for me to resist those pretties (particularly when it's sale time!!!) And I don't think I'm brave enough to pledge a New Year's Resolution to use more than I buy as Hadley did but I will certainly try that..............maybe....................!!!

A bit of playing

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas? I had itchy fingers on the eve of Christmas Eve. My father in law arrived from Northern Ireland for the Christmas break and once he and Ross had retired to their respective beds for the evening, I couldn't settle. So, I grabbed my scraps box (the blue & red of which are handily kept in a chest here in the lounge rather than next door in my craft room which is next to our spare room) and dug out this tutorial which has been sitting in my favourites for some time and had a play

And do you know, all (even the lining) is from scraps? I am rather in love with it and am sure that I will be making more - it came together rather quickly (although the seam ripper did come out once when I realised that I'd sewn one of the internal pieces upside down which meant that I couldn't put cards or lip balm in the pockets created *d'oh!*)

However,  I need to stop worrying about using little scraps of fabric and start using the fabric mountain I am disappearing under!! I fall in love with fabrics, buy them and then can't use them - does anyone else suffer from this affliction? I love it when I do use a stack of fabrics - see the Lou Lou Thi post or the Hello Kitty items I made but I simply don't do this enough! I also feel that I must save all fabrics for quilts instead of making cute little items like this and the iPad case I've been promising myself forever! Watch this space......

A Hello Kitty Christmas!

Hello Kitty Strip quilt measuring approx 44" x 60"

There are two beautiful and very important little girls in my life - my daughter and my BFF's daughter. Both of them (thanks to the latter........) are Hello Kitty obsessed. Whilst in NYC last week, we nipped into Forever 21 (one of our fave cheapy clothes shops in the States - always a clothing bargain to be had - always $24.80, it would seem!). Anyway, we noticed in Chicago in the summer that they have a fair few Kitty bits & I bought some pocket tissues there which went down well & have been in my handbag throughout the recent months. So, I stocked up again ready for a serious amount of making when I got back with the fabulous Hello Kitty half yard stack I purchased from Fabricworm a few months ago

So, I made them each a strip quilt

Oops! Hadn't noticed my foot sneaking in that picture!

I used a simple white cotton on the back with a strip of fabulous Fairy fabric I purchased in the sale (I forget where from & haven't looked at who it's by - sorry) and good ole dotty Michael Millar for the binding - can't beat a bit of polka!

To go with the quilts, I also made them each a little sock monkey (using Hello Kitty socks, of course! These were picked up from M&S)

And a little Buttercup Bag (free pattern picked up a couple of years ago from Made by Rae)

I still have enough fabric left for a pillow for them each - it was my intention to make these for their presents too but time has been against me and I am starting with another cold *joy* so those may just have to wait for their birthdays or Easter, maybe?

My sewing machine is back up and running after it's little séjourne at my local machine shop for a little TLC - turned out the bobbin case had worked it's way loose from it's screws & that was the reason it was spinning wildly if I went more than quarter speed & broke 2 packets of needles in an evening before totally giving up!

So, my needle is on fire and lots of bits & pieces are being made for Christmas - how about you? Are you more organised than me? Is everything made, wrapped & ready or are you a last minute gal? No matter how hard I try, I am always to the wire!

More HST's!!!

I really am going to have to get my head around using a different pattern. But this really is just my absolute fave at the moment and definitely a "go to" present quilt. This one is for someone very special and I really hope she likes it - time will tell!

The fabrics are another Fabricworm fat quarter bundle - Patty Young "Sanctuary" and they remind me of the sea, which is just perfect for the recipient.

Please excuse the pants pictures - the weather has been attrocious today. Hailstone showers like I have never known. I had to change ALL of my clothes this morning after walking the kids to school. Nice!

Still - NYC here we come on Thursday - Lianne & I are having our Christmas shoppping weekend there and I cannot wait!

Lots more making to do & a poorly machine with "issues" I am hoping my fabulous local sewing shop can sort for me whilst I am away. Pfaff is off to the mending shop!!

xxx