Sassy triangles, bee blessed blocks, hexie block

I cannot believe I had not written on my blog since march      well I will make up for it now.

I was thrilled when my crazy wall hanging from 2013 was shown in the crazy quilt gatherings spring magazine   fame at last!    Maybe I will put it into the Harrogate quilt show in the autumn. Here is a photo for those of you who might not have seen it.

The block for bee blessed for april was the asterisk block which we were asked to do 2 ways,  well of curse I always do as I am told so here is the pair I did. I always look forward to seeing what the next block will be,   so gald I stumbled onto this charity BOM

I also made a mini block to add to my collection of trial blocks.

I am now doing the triangle challenge with the Sassy quilter.  We had to cut out 204  60 degree triangles and last week sew them into 12 rows with 17 in each row.   Today    or maybe tomorrow I have to join all the rows together, hopefully getting most of them matching.  here are the 12 rows prior to joining.

Next week week will complete the quilt,  finished size should be 49.5" x 65"   I will be straightening the sides, having read how to bind them unstraightened realise that is just too complicated and fiddly for me.

The batting /wadding should arrive early this week for the aiming for accuracy quilt so then I will think about how to quilt it,  whether by hand or machine.

I attended the second meeting of the Leeds Modern quilters group yesterday, there were about 20 of us there,  I am sure it is going to be a great group to belong to and not far from home either. I took the aiming for accuracy quilt and they suggested I just quilted in in diagonal lines by machine,   will ponder on this as not sure if I will manage it on the machine    how I would love one with a bigger arm space. I will still go to the Yorkshire Modern quilters, it is further away but do so enjoy meeting up with the ladies.I missed it last month as I was down at the Sewing for Pleasure show and will miss May as I am going to the Malvern quilt show,  I go via London and stay with Cheryl and we then go to the  show together, returning home sunday evening,    real quality time with my great friend who is a wonderful quilter,    along with many other stitching talents.

Also finished the hexie block for april,  it is a basket, not mounted onto fabric yet, will wait till the end of the year before I decide what fabric to use.

well that will do for now,  have one or to other things to share but I do not want to send you all to sleep.

Many thanks for your encouragement and comments etc I feel I know so many of you and count you as real friends.

crazy quilt and tula

Once again it is time for 6 more Tula blocks.Only 19 to go after these and then it is all done!!

block 76

block 77,  love the colours and batiks used in this one

block 78,  the purple/yellow fabric is a bit I created with sponging silk paint onto the fabric, this is the nearest I get to dyeing fabric.

block 80

block 81   think this one is nice and fresh looking.

block 79,  this did not upload first time round and did not know how to put it where it should be!

I have now joined the CQJP blocks together.

maybe I am being overcritical but there are one or two bits I do not like.  The large yellow butterfly on the may block, is it too much in my face? and the block below may is the  july one both the centre flowers and the embellished orange flower seem to shout at me. The central flower I see I have not used any of that colour elsewhere,    what do you all feel?

Now I have to stitch over all the seams,   not sure how I go about this, do I do the same stitch all the way down from top to bottom in the same colour and use a similar stitch across the rows or maybe each block has its own stitch,  have it pinned up on the wall for the time being waiting for some inspiration.  Not thinking of adding a border just some narrow binding maybe in a tan colour.

My younger daughter Helen has asked me to do one with lots of pinks and grey for her lounge for next year so I have something to think about.  

CQJP november

Just a short blog today to show my block for november.   My how this year has flown,  it seems no time at all that I started the block for january at the beginning of january and now I have only one block to do.

  My theme for the centre block this month was the falling leaves of autumn,  I am a bit ahead of myself here as we still have most leaves on the trees, never mind.  I used PVA glue on some fabric to stiffen it and then cut tiny leaves out and stab stitched them to the block, both on the branches and the ground below,  think of worked quite well as it is my first attempt with the glue idea.  In the top panel  are fireworks!!  maybe if you squint a bit and screw your faces up you will imagine they are fireworks!

I have also been busy making a few shopping bags, some pin cushions and Christmas tree decorations and have put some cards I made in the past in the bag too in memory of a dear friend who passed away recently.  Her family are having a charity stall at the K & S show in Harrogate to raise funds for the hospice that cared so well for Ann in her last few weeks,   lets hope they raise a large sum.

crazy quilting

Here goes again,  I have just done a blog but hit some button on the keyboard and have not a clue where it has gone or if it will come back so will try again!

I realised I had not posted about the October block so here it is now.  Could not decide what to do at first then hit on the idea of doing a bock around Halloween.

I do like my catbat in the left hand corner and the spiders web has worked quite well with a tatted spider that is a little on the large size for it.    I feel it needs a bit more on it but not sure what so will leave it till all 12 are done then hopefully inspiration will come.  The orange ribbon looked rather in my face but see on the photo it has calmed down a bit. Of course I could not resit a few bits of tatting, no crochet this time though.  I also used Sharon`s stencil, these have been a great buy,  have not used them to their full potential by any means,   they are from Sharon she can be found under pintangle,  sorry have not worked out how to add as a link, have had a few instructions but still not there yet!

I have signed up for CQJP 2014 but think I will not make all 12 blocks in advance like I did this year as I want to add more lace etc and maybe do the blocks in different colours and with more patches on them  who knows i could change my mind half a dozen times between now and then

I have added a sizzix big shot machine to my collection of bits and pieces,   it was an offer to good to refuse at hobbycraft, down to £50 for a few days, normally about £75, have also bought the hexagon and tumbler dies but not worked out how to use it yet, must take the bull by the horns and have a go!!

Will put the latest Tula blocks on tomorrow when they get uploaded to the web site.

CQJP for june

I have been working on this latest block since yesterday and think I have done enough, maybe at the end of the year other bits will be added and who knows some might be removed.  I wanted to use the allium as my flower for the month as I have so many out in the garden at the moment, shame they only seem to flower in the mauve/purple range as it is not a colour I have used on the blocks!  The little 3D needle tatted  flower in the top on the right hand side I found the as a  tutorial  on another blog.
If I do this challenge next year I will make the blocks each month, it was a mistake doing them all together but that is part of the learning curve I am on at the moment.  I am unable to add lace, ribbon etc neatly, this should be added during the construction of the blocks, never mind we live and learn.

I am also taking part in a round robin with the group embroidery friends which has been set up following the closure of the Embroiderers Guild forum. This group is open to all not just members of the EG.  There are 10 of us taking part and I have chosen gardens as the theme for my 10" x 8" piece.  I have done a bird bath and can now send it on the the next person to add something,    wonder what it will look like when it arrives back, maybe someone will do a bird having a bath!   Bit concerned what is going to arrive through my letter box as we are all choosing our own theme, trust it is something I can do.  Two of those taking part are in Australia but the rest of us are UK based.  Here is the bird bath, only worked in stem stitch but think it is quite cute. 

CQJP 2013

here is my block for the CQJP challenge for the merry month of May.   Forget me knots and daisies are out in the garden so here are some of mine,  the sheep are out grazing in the fields still with their woolly coats on and the children have been dancing around the maypole,   sorry about the stick people,   not good enough to do real ones!!.  The orange tatting is from instructions for tatted lace from Suzats,   thank you Sus. Afraid the crochet butterfly is a little on the large size but that is why one of the reasons for the block being crazy!!

Thank you for all your comments on the quilt show photos, if you want me to upload more please let me know.

CQJP april

Today I am posting my block for april, I am disappointed with it but never mind I will get better. The top right hand side as you look at it is some cotton fabric I dyed but I did not like what I had stitched and when i unpicked it there were holes where the stitching had been so did a sort of botch job to cover them up with a crocheted flower and a bit of twisted chain.
I made all 12 blocks prior to any embellishing,   another regret,  I which I had put more fabrics on so the outer areas were not so big, also all blocks have been made in greens, green being my favourite colour, feel by the end I will hate the sight of green. Next year if I take part I will have a different system. I am not having a moan  at least I do not think I am , maybe you think differently.

Still waiting for spring here, today we were promised warmth and sunshine but it is dull, windy, drizzly and cold!Not sure when spring will come, I do have daffodils  and crocus out but the trees are showing very litle sign of life, never known spring be so late before. Did read somewhere the gardens are 6 weeks behind where they should be

CQJP march

Here is my latest block for the CQJP challenge.    Bit of a mish mash this time,    started with a tree in the centre, spring time here in England and the trees in the garden are beginning to form buds.
I then went on an Easter theme,   He is Risen and the Cross to proclaim our risen Lord.

The Easter bunny and the chick came next along with some seam treatments and some tatting and a little beading.  The corner in the bottom left hand side is a little bare but I will add to this at a later date.

once again the colours are not too good.                                                                                                         

On friday I am off to a show in Birmingham,    Sewing for pleasure,hobbycrafts and fashion, embroidery and stitch. . Looking forward to it, there for 3 days and staying with some friends who are exhibitors, and who I used to work the shows with. Hopefully there will be lots of inspiration but looking at the list of exhibitors there is far more in the paper craft side than the stitching.Paper craft seems to have taken over everywhere.

CQJP february

this last week I have been working on the february block,   have kept a flower in the centre block, a snowdrop as I have one out in the garden.
I have also gone with the valentine theme and put a cherub and couple of hearts on it.
I have used assorted stitches,  stem, straight, detached chain, oyster, knotted feather, spine chain, wheatear with beads and blanket with some straight stitches.
Another piece of tatting in orange. This month the block seems to be quite orange but I do like it with the green.

There are one or two areas that look a little bare but these I can add to when the other 10 blocks are completed and I decide what to do with them.

 
This did not photo well, the colours are not true and although have tried again it still comes out this colour

I have also done the tast stitch 51 today,  raised herringbone band.  4 samples of the stitch, the first 3 rows were counted out geometrically but row 4 was stitched in a random manner.

january CQJP entry

I think I have finished the block now,  the stump work bee did not materialise       could not find the book where I did it from in the past so added a bullion bee, some baby bees in french knots, and one charm bee.. Feel it still looks a bit bare in the top left hand corner but have submitted it as it is now.

CQJP and tast 2013

Today I have done a bit more on the january block.  The tatting is now tacked in place above my initials, think it looks okay here, I did not like it where it was before, only tacked on as waiting for your opinions. Have also put some green ribbon through the red stem stitch seam and added some beads. In the bottom left hand corner have added more stitching and think this area does not need any more work.  A second row of knotted cretan stitch and above the flower centre block I have sat a watering can,   do you think this looks okay, will stitch on if I get the go ahead, thought I could do some running stitches in a silvery thread from the can onto the flower to make it look like water.  The ochre block still empty as not come up with anything for this yet any ideas? and not sure what I can do above the cretan stitch.

  Been very busy today,  was watching the semi final tennis between Federer and Murray so managed to do my knotted feather stitch piece too for the tast 2013 challenge.
Have included along with the knotted feather stitch  stem,french knots straight stitch and the pot is long straight stitches that I have then weaved through.

CQJP project

Toady I am posting the photos of my 12 blocks for the CQJP 2013 challenge.   I have made all 12 not sure if this was the right thing to do but have more fabric so can replace some if I do not like them. I was surprised how much fabric I had in my stash,  both bought fat quarters and fabric I had coloured myself with silk paints sponged onto the fabric, some were also sprinkled with rock salt to make the colours run.  I had bought some Egyptian cotton at the K & S show in 2011 and it coloured beautifully so the other day when I got the news email from Empress Mills and they had the cotton reduced from £12.50 to £8.50 a metre thought it was too good an offer to refuse and now waiting for a metre to pop through the letter box, it really is lovely quality.

The blocks have all been made with an assortment of greens and I plan to introduce other colours in the embellishment,   originally thought yellow and orange, maybe a bit of purple and red,   not sure will ponder some more.All suggestions greatly received.  Suppose I should start embellishing ,    maybe after the weekend.

The one below is the first one I am going to use.

 now I look at it again not so sure I like the colours, will have a go embellishing and see what happens,   maybe practise will make perfect.

Thought I would post a photo of my mahonia in flower, it is lovely to see a bit of colour in the garden at this time of year.