An actual finish!

So I actually finished something today!

It's a giant 24 inch cushion that I started and very nearly finished last summer.

A couple of "design issues" have seen it languish in my WIP pile ever since. I thought I would get it finished as part of the Q1 FAL but I didn't. I'm ashamed to say I didn't even attempt to! I have made progress on the other items on my list but that's another post for another day.

Today I machine sewed down the remaining quarter of the binding and hand sewed the binding to the back. I'd already made a giant insert so it was a relatively easy and quick finish.

Stats:

Pattern from simply solids
Fabric from simply solids & pink castle fabrics
Finished size, 24 inches square

Q1 FAL Update

So, I failed.

I failed to complete anything on my FAL list. I failed to link up to the end of the Q1 FAL and I failed to link up with the Q2 FAL. Go me! Lol.

Anyway, it's not a complete disaster. My giant star quilt is sandwiched and basted and waiting to be quilted. Might need to put my big girl pants on for that.

My Katherines Wheel star quilt is basted and is being hand quilted, hoop and all. I must admit, I'm really enjoying hand quilting. I take it to my weekly sewing circle and sit happily for a couple of hours sewing and chatting with the other ladies. I can't help but think of times gone by with women sitting round a giant frame each working on a section of quilt.

And the wonky star cushion, well, we'll quickly skim over that as I've not even looked at it since, despite it being a relatively quick finish.

Obviously I've sneaked in a few other makes (see previous 2 blog posts) as well as bee blocks and a cushion for the mother but this quarter it's a "must do better" for Mrs Poppins!

It's a girl!

No, before you ask, I'm not expecting!!!

Remember my last post (from a month ago - must blog more regularly) where I said, I was waiting to hear about my other friend....... Well, later that day on the 18th March she had another wee girl.  A happy, contented little thing, who I've had lovely cuddles from.

So, in time honoured tradition, baby gifts were bought and what better receptacle to put them in than a Noodlehead divided basket? I picked colours sympathetic to the nursery so went with Essex linen in flax for the outside and grabbed some pink, blue, green floral fabric from my stash for the inside. I felt more confident doing this a second time round but I feel the outside is a bit plain as I omitted the optional outer pocket. Hey ho.

I also had to make big sister a gift and as she is being kicked out of the nursery soon, I made a cushion to go in her new Minnie mouse themed big girl room.

I made the mouse template myself and used a fancy applique stitch on my machine to attach it to the background. I also fused the back to some vilene (interfacing) as I find it stops the edges from fraying so much. The bow was added in the same way and I did a simple envelope back for quickness.

Big sister shouted Minnie when she opened her present and I enjoyed a lovely cuddle from her too!

Oh baby!

All of my friends are having babies! First ones, second ones and all at the same time it would seem. Rather selfishly they are keeping the "flavour" to themselves until the new arrival, well, arrives..... (disclaimer: some of them are, whilst others choose not to find out) ..... which means I can't do flavour specific sewing until bubba arrives ��

Anyhoo I digress. One of my school chums had her second wee girl a couple of weeks ago and I went to visit them last week. So of course the day before (nothing like a deadline to get over procraftination!) I got to sewing for the new arrival and her big sister.

I'd bought the noodlehead divided basket pattern some time ago and thought it would make a good gift when filled with muslin's, wipes and the like. The pattern was really easy apart from when it came to joining the divider to the lining. The pattern requires you to sew in a straight line towards a dot (marked on pattern piece) and then pivot with needle down on that dot. Simples! Well if I'd measured the distance from the edge of the pattern to the dot before I'd started, yes. Instead, I was relying on the pattern instructions to tell me that the seam allowance would change here from the previously required quarter inch to the now required half inch. It didn't btw.  Hey ho. We live and learn eh? And I've now written it on the pattern for future reference as the finished basket is amazing and I want to make 20 more! Just as well I have lots more preggo friends......

After dinner I started and finished the lovely owl cushion for new big sister as I didn't want her to feel left out. Thanks to Lynz for bringing the pattern (from etsy) to my attention. It was a fairly quick and easy pattern to whip up.

The photo is rubbish and doesn't do the fabric justice. The background is the pink from Sweetwater noteworthy. So a much more bright pink irl.

Both gifts have been given and I got some  awesome snuggly baby cuddles last week (aww) and as I write this I'm eagerly awaiting news from another friend who went in this morning to have her baby �� so expect to see more baby related sewing here soon!

LBQB Flickr Silence

This blog post is for the members of the Little Blog Quilt Bee but if you're not a member and want to find out more about me then feel free to read on.

I've been having a few issues with Flickr and can't at present join our little group. The lovely Vanessa is trying to rectify this for me but it means that I'm unable to post comments onto group discussions. I've seen you've all been introducing yourselves so thought would post mine here so you don't think I'm being rude and ignorant!

Hi, I'm Claire. I've been sewing for a little over 18 months now. I mainly do patchwork but also sew bags, pouches, fabric baskets, cushions and the like. I'm a member of a lovely little guild, with Sheila, and enjoy attending sewing/quilting related events.

I'm married with 2 fur babies and live on a farm in the countryside in Scotland near to St Andrews. I hail from Edinburgh originally and moved to fife 10 years ago when Edinburgh property prices got the better of us!

I trained at university to be a primary teacher but didn't go into that profession and so spent the next 12 years working in financial services, in Edinburgh, in various different roles - customer service, sales, training & compliance then 7 years in marketing. I now work part time but was fortunate enough to have over a year off in between, where I started sewing.

I started blogging to talk about my sewing achievements and disasters and enjoy reading other blogs too, although I find instagram has led to fewer blog posts (from myself and others).

Anyhoo that's enough from me for just now :-)

Buzzing!

I've joined a bee! A British bee.  For people with little blogs*

The fantastic Lou came up with the idea and is doing a cracking job of getting us all organised! 

Month's have been assigned, I'm queen in July and naturally we are kicking off in March with Lou being queen.  She has chosen the wonky star block and we are all eager to get started.

Here's a note of all my fellow hive mates and where they blog (hopefully all the links work), do pop over and say hi if you get the chance!

Louise- http://imstudiolou.wordpress.com

Alison- http://www.patchworkalley.blogspot.co.uk

Gina- http://occasionalquilter.blogspot.co.uk

Nessa- http://www.nessahux.blogspot.co.uk

Jenny- http://www.notetofollowsew.blogspot.com

Joanna- http://www.myquiltsetal.blogspot.co.uk

Natalie- http://www.lovenatalieuk.blogspot.co.uk

Celine- http://www.espritpatch.blogspot.co.uk

Rosanne- http://notafloralgirl.blogspot.co.uk

Shelia- http://www.mindfulquilter.blogspot.co.uk

Heidee- http://handmadesomethings.wordpress.com

* Just as a side note, does anyone know how we now track how many blog followers we have? I know i don't have many but with the demise of Google reader and the sudden rush to adopt Feedly or Bloglovin or A N Other reader type device, how can we actually tell?  I know that I now follow blogs using my new reader which I don't think shows up in your stats.  How annoying!

I'd certainly be interested in hearing your thoughts on this! 

Hello, Kitty!

Having had my eye on these for a while,  the perfect excuse came along earlier this week and with 40% off it would have been rude not to!!! 

Hello Kitty and Liberty, what's not to love?!