Family Trees Update

On the Liberated Quilters Yahoo group we have a database to record our hand quilting projects.  I've found this a great inspiration not to get downcast by the lumpy batting on this quilt (read here).

I've got 1 or 2 projects on the list which add variation and make sure I don't get bored with one project.  I'm just about to add Ab Fab in the hope it will persuade me to pick up needle and thread and get it finished!

So I've been diligently sewing away at Family Trees, smoothing out the lumpy batting as I go and am not too disheartened at the moment.

 I think the lumpy bit is where "Jane" is

A friend went up to Paris recently and got me some more white Perle Coton 8 from Tissus Reine (oh how I love that shop!) so I've got no excuse not to finish this prior to the Quilts 4 Leukaemia Challenge 2011.

TTFN

I wonder .......

.......... if this is the reason I cannot get any inspiration to sew?

Complete chaos does not inspire my muse, but I did wake up this morning planning the quilt for my niece.

The Young One starts Lycée on Wednesday afternoon.  We will take her there at about 5.00 pm, hand over a fortune for her text books for the coming year, and pick her up again on Friday evening.  The following week we shall deliver her to the door at 8.00 am on Monday morning and won't see her again until Friday evening.

Although I shall probably spend next week in floods of tears, it does mean that finally fnally finally, I may just be able to sort this mess out and start sewing.

On the other hand, I might just give up completely and give in to the mess:

See you soon.

Production Line

Been busy busy busy.

First off the production line.





A Q4L top made up of blocks donated by Wanda at Exuberant Color.









Next off the line.

 


Another Q4L top made up from squares, again donated by Wanda.  I added fabric from FQ's that people have sent with their blocks and from my red stash..  Needs a border and then it can be stored with the one above.

This is supposed to be a Disappearing 9 Patch but I got over-zealous with the reds!






Look what is nearly finished ........

and these are interspersed with Blueberry Fool (Leaders and Enders).

When the whirring of the sewing machine stops (or in other words when she's finally decided she's had enough, the bobbin runs out and there is smoke coming out of the foot pedal (only joking!)), there is always Halloween Houses.

The giant cobweb is coming along nicely.  Not exactly bang in the middle of the quilt, but that doesn't matter.

I've stopped marking (you can see where I did mark the quilt - dratted chalk!) and it is so easy.  I'm amazing myself at how much I can get done in a couple of hours, sitting at the kitchen table (this is one heavy quilt) listening to Stephen Fry reading the Harry Potter books.  Now if that isn't inspiration for this quilt I don't know what is!

Mum arrives tonight - as I type this she is sitting at Lille station waiting for the TGV to Angouleme.  I haven't seen her for 2 years and although we speak on the phone nearly every day, I'm really looking forward to her visit.

A beef daube is simmering away in the crockpot filling the house with the scent of red wine and herbs, the weather is foggy and cold and it is definitely hunker down with a quilt weather.  Which reminds me.  Where did I put all those denim strips?.  Must get them out and start piecing if it is to be ready for next September.

Catch ya later!

Juggling,

or procrastinating, or multi-tasking, got the fidgets or just plain old can't make my mind up! (I don't think the photos are clickable. I've embeded them from older posts.)

This has come to the the top of the pile telling me it needs to be up on it's proposed hanging place pretty damn soon. (I have told it it's got to wait a bit longer as I'm still not completely happy with it.)

Then this decided it needed my attention. When Lazy Gal Tonya starts quilting the Halloween Noises quilt, I want to quilt this at the same time so it needs a black border on it. I also need to start thinking of designs. The Young One suggested lots and lots of spider webs all connected. Hmmmmm!

This came down off the wall yesterday and is being tied. I've found a little girl in France to be its owner. I've been searching and searching in Blogland and finally found someone this weekend.

I wonder if this is the oldest WIP in quilting history? Two years on and it's still not finished. The other day it appeared on the back of the sofa, seeking attention too.

To round off this post. My lovely Texan friend, Brown Dirt Belinda, and I have occasional phone chats, usually lasting for about 2 hours. Last time we spoke she asked what I was looking at while I was on the phone. This is what I can see out of the window by the phone.

The hay was cut at 8.00 am yesterday morning. At 7.00 am this morning the farmer was back to turn it. That means that either later on today, or tomorrow, it will be baled. Unfortunately someone will be missing from the yearly photo shoot of the hay bales. I had a quiet weep yesterday evening. I still miss her - terribly. This was her favourite time of year. Right - I'm outta here. PS - I'm in the process of decorating (again) so please bear with me. Then I promise I'll stop fiddling.

Another Challenge .....

Fancy playing along?

Finn has issued a challenge.  List some of your UFO's and see if you get them finished before New Years Eve.  No pressure, no quilt police.  Just play along and have fun, which is what we like best isn't it?

Here are mine:

1. Bind Crumbs From my Table;


2. Add border to Haunted Houses, baste, quilt and bind;


3. Finish Sugar Sweet Houses - piece, baste, quilt, bind;


4. You are a Star quilt for niece to be - piece, baste, quilt, bind


5. Quilt The Blue's quilt;


6. Start my Fungly Challenge


7. Try to finish Ab Fab (as if!).

I'm not including the Q4L quilts in this, so let's see what I manage to get finished by 31st December 2008!

Quilter's Rash!

I've developed an allergy to poly batting and sweat polaires (fleeces).

I was fine until I started using the Quilter's Dream poly batting from Quilter's Quarter for Qs4L.  Then I started itching and a red rash appeared on my hands.  I didn't think anything about it.  After all, I do get eczema so I slapped on the anti itching cream and forgot about it.



I "pinched" some of the Quilter's Dream for the Lucky Day quilt and I can't touch it now without itching.  The doctor has given me some strong cream and antihistamine (sp?) pills to see if they'll work.

If they don't then I'm going to have to invest in very fine cotton gloves.

Anyone ever had this problem?  If so how did you get round it?

Have I shown this before?  I can't remember.  This is AB Fab in progress.  I've done a bit more since taking this photo.  The orange swirl is finished and I've moved over to another black bit.  I could have sworn I took a photo but obviously not cos I can't find one!

A+

WiP Wednesday - 05-12-2007

Not a lot going on - surprise is progressing well, hand quilting has come to a grinding halt and Alex is off school with a really bad bout of flu.

Yesterday DH and I went out to lunch with fellow Viveurs to a resto (Au Bien Bon) in Périgueux. Gorgeous Périgordian nosh in a lovely setting. 15 English people chatting away - goodness only knows what the French thought!

Lovely things to look at on the walls - baskets, posters ..............................

And here is Magic showing off her beautiful black pads, asleep on Alex's homework!

Got some more tinsel yesterday to replace the rather old tatty ones we've been using up until now. Alex and I are going to decorate the house sometime over the next week. We usually cut lots of conifer and bay tree branches, put them on top of the cupboards and intertwine with tinsel and other glittery bits. The smell is gorgeous when the fires are going.

Also trying to design a winter/festive header.

A+

What on earth is she doing now!

 

Do you really want to know?  Really?  Well I'm not telling.  Except to say it is 15 inches wide  and about 6 ft long and has got to be finished in 2 weeks.  Don't know what the reaction is going to be as it isn't exactly what has been requested.

 

Do you know what this is?

 

 

It weighs an ton - I can hardly lift it - but DH says he can fix it to the wall so it won't fall off and then with either a white sheet or some batting pinned to it we have A DESIGN WALL!

 

Ok - plug time.  You know we have Flickr, Photobucket, Webshots, Picasa, etc, etc, etc.  Well now we have ( big round of applause and open the champagne) Picfolio, created by Nick Cliffe of the Quilts 4 Leukaemia badge fame.  It is still being tweaked and, as far as I can see, I can't upload photos to the blogs, but it is early days.  Go over a take a look when you have a minute or two.  There are some lovely photos of Nick's little bit of Shropshire.

 

The weather has decided it is winter - yesterday was cooollllddddd ( brrrrrrrrr ) and foggy.  Today is wet, grey and miz, but not so cold.

 

I'm off to reclaim my sewing corner and see if I can persuade DH to get out the power drills!  Have a good weekend - don't do anything I wouldn't do :-)