Monday Morning star count - 21st July 2014

This week's progress has been sponsored by Spooks  and cherry liqueur chocolates (yummy)

Progress is steady. 2 flowers and 16 hexies.

I've been a little distracted by another project and this week have been learning the art of rotary cutting, measuring and quilting.  I have all fingers intact, I can't count and apparently like to add a random inch on to measurements and quilting is not natural for me but I'm trying.  I will find the best needle/wadding combination.

All will be revealed soon on the next project but it's not EPP :(

I also have a quick question - has anyone used tweed?  I think it is probably too thick for EPP but has anyone tried using it in scrappy quilts?  I have an assortment of Harris tweed bits that I picked up while on holiday and would like to do something with them that is not just sewing them onto something else.  I'm thinking a memory quilt perhaps. any advice is welcome....

As always, linking up with Jessica at http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/monday-morning-star-count-201429.html

Axx

Monday morning star count 14/07/2014

This week's work has been sponsored by olives, The West Wing and Spartacus (hubba hubba!)

This week I have made 4 flowers and basted 6 hexies.

I need to cut up some more blue fabric but wanted to get a good lot of flowers done first then can spend a couple weeks joining up.  I've also started thinking about quilting.....doodling on post its at work.  That will be a whole new ball game and I'm going to make a spare flower surrounded by blue to practice on.  It may not be traditional but I thinking about a small hexagon in the centre of each flower in blue (essentially following the shape), around the centre of the petals in red (again a hexagon shape) and then around the blue again a giant hexagon (blue or maybe red to be a shadow of the red petals?).  I've seen lots of quilts with straight lines and curvy feathers but I want to hand quilt and I'm not too sure I can pull off straight lines without getting really bored.  However, my practice flower will help when I am near this stage. I foresee a few attempts before I am happy.

I have also been thinking about where I sew. I see blogs and people have lovely sewing rooms, or they have bags/boxes which look suspiciously tidy to me.

I don't have that.  Here is my main sewing area:

 

 

My sofa and the coffee table.  Notice my harris tweed blanky in the left corner and the cat's cushion at the other end.  Now to the hub of the area:

 

 

This contains all my essentials and some random items.  Just a few are: EPP kit (you can see hexie papers, pin cushion and scissors), the cat's brush, stationary, bubblewrap (from a parcel), coffee (essential), dried spicy chickpeas (snacking on) and dvd remote, quilt book (notes on quilts, 1 page so far but will have more soon), the finished hexy/flower box (shape seems suited to hexies and I like the colour) and in the middle the scrap bag and my blue fabric.

Every Sunday, after I have taken my progress photos, I tidy this up and tidy my boxes but usually a few hours later I make them messy again.  I'm just not a neat person! Despite this I like to be organised which my table is - everything is where I need it.  The only thing missing was the cat who was sulking in the kitchen after walking over the quilt and getting removed.

Who else works like this? You can't all be neat freaks?
Axx

As always, linking up with Jessica at http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/monday-morning-star-count-201428.html

monday morning star count 7th July 2014

This weeks progress was sponsored by a rather nice sauvignon blanc and House of Cards.

I spent the weekend dogsitting and as a result basted a whopping 75 hexies....

When I was at a more capable stage of sewing i.e. before half a glass of wine was drunk (as I am a lightweight), I pieced more of the quilt.....

This has been a good week.

I've also just done a little shopping for some more fabrics and wadding.  I've decided to branch out and try a non-pieced quilt.  I'm starting slowly and making the cat something to lie on so I can practice techniques, he won't mind if things are squint, mismatched or lumpy (actually he is fussy so lumps may put him off).  I'll be hopefully updating on that in a few weeks as I read more and get stuff organised i.e. where exactly is my iron and does it still work?

As always, linking up with Jessica at life under quilts: http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/monday-morning-star-count_7.html


Happy sewing!

Axx

Monday morning star count 30th june 2014

It's been a while for various reasons.  Yesterday I made time and started on my EPP again.  I basted 3 hexies and then decided to join everything up.

I laid it out and lined it up (looking back, this should have been done on a table and not using the sofa and the cat).

I then spent a couple of hours sewing it all together and here we g (a bit blurry and with cat still sleeping).

It's not as big as I thought but it's nice to see it all coming together and I have got my sewing mojo back.  I can see where I need to fill bits in and where the next sections will add on.

Now that I am feeling more enthused I will also keep the blog more updated. Over the past few months I have been on holiday and picked up some Harris Tweed scraps, formulated a career plan (hence why I have been missing), got my exercise mojo back (along with some bruises) and am saving for a sewing machine.

Yay!!!

Happy sewing everyone

As always linking up with life under quilts

Axx

Monday morning star count 21 April 2014

Time is just running away but more progress this week.

2 more stars bordered and joined up!  However, I am running out of blue material and need to wait til pay day to order more :(

In the meantime, I am going to join up my two strips and make some basic flowers.

As always, linking up with Jessica at life under quilts

Cambridge

So I had to go to Cambridge for a couple of days.  I got up at 4am and after a short flight was down there by 10amish on a gorgeous day.  Although not staying in an old college, we still had a courtyard that the rooms overlooked

The conference was OK, small with a fair bit of discussion.  I had no free time due to BF being asked to speak at last min so he was working on his presentation while I caught up on sleep.  We did venture out for food and passed a lovely little shop with a pretty dress in window. Green and with a print of trapeze artists all over.

Next day, BF gave a stunning talk and after 9 hours of talks it was time for the conference dinner in the old college hall.  I couldn't really take photos but think of Harry potter and a candlelit  hall.  Here are some I sneaked

It was a lovely night with good food and wine.  A few talks the next day then it was home via the dress shop where BF treated me to the dress! I tried it on and while changing he bought it!  Pic below of dress - l love it


Anyway, off to catch next flight now

Ax

Monday morning star count 14 April

I'm currently sitting in an airport writing on my nexus.  Last week it was Cambridge, now I'm heading to London for a day and back up tomorrow night.
EPP is in my handbag so after this I will do a little.

This week I bordered a flower and started on another

Yes that is as giant box of chocs that I got on my birthday and not only rationing but using as a tray to lean on.

I've also learnt that sewing kits can go in hand luggage with tiny scissors (although I packed mine) and that sewing during take off can result in stab wounds!

As as always linking up with Jessica at life under quilts http://www.lifeunderquilts.blogspot.co.uk

Ax