My third quarter proposal

Ever the optimist, I've decided to put quite a few things on my list for this quarter of the FAL - many of them are small things which somehow seem to get missed in the 'spare' time I have left once I've made the month's bee blocks (once they are finished I allow myself to machine sew things other than bee blocks but until that point, I try very hard to stick to the 'if you're using the machine, you should be using it to make bee blocks' rule that I've imposed on myself.  It (mostly) works!) and get passed over for other things.  I think that most of my list this quarter involves machine piecing so I'm going to have to make bee blocks in the first fortnight of the month to give myself even a fighting chance!!  Oh well, here goes nothing!!


1.  First up (but not necessarily the first thing I'll tackle!) is the sewing machine embroidery I completed last quarter.  (Or maybe it was the quarter before that!)  I'm going to turn it into a cushion and I've chosen the border and backing fabrics,  I just need to take my courage in both hands and cut the evenweave down to the right size!

Sewing machine embroidery which will become a cushion

2.  This stack of fabric is destined to become a cushion.  I need to find some buttons for the back and possibly some binding fabric as well as, obviously, actually making the panel!

This will become a cushion

3.  I'd really like to get going on the blue and white quilt that I'm making for my mam - I've made 225 (I think!) blocks (a combination of nine patches and snowballs) and am joining them together in sections.  The main problem with this project is that it's really tedious and the most I can manage to join in one afternoon/sewing session is ten blocks (in two rows of five) so it's going to take ages to get this to a finished top!  I'm ever hopeful, though!

Blue and white nine patch and snowball quilt.  

4.  A friend went to France on holiday earlier this year and brought me back the makings of a tote bag.  I don't think it'll take long to make, once I've worked out exactly what I want to make!

This will become a bag

5.  A friend's little one has recently got a 'mid sleeper bed' as an early 6th birthday present and it has a den-type space underneath.  She would like this to be like a tent and I have been volunteered to make curtains to tie across the front and end of the frame.  So far, I have a series of messy diagrams (mine) and some bright pink polycotton.  I'm having a sewing afternoon with my mam tomorrow (we're going to sew and listen to her Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons CDs; we've been to see The Jersey Boys (the film) twice in the last fortnight but it's not at the pictures any longer so we need to get our Frankie fix another way this week!) and I'm taking this with me.  I know it's a direct violation of the 'bee blocks first' rule but this is a tedious project so I thought that if I didn't have any alternative (other than singing along to Frankie and watching Mam sew) then I'd have to tackle it.

Curtains for H's underbed den

6.  I'd really like to spend this winter watching Christmas films while hand quilting my Christmas Cherry quilt.  So far I have all the points made and attached to the big QSTs (and the background squares for the corners cut and ready to attach) but I'm not happy with how the seam allowances are sitting at the point (next photo) as I altered the directions the seams were going to be pressed after I'd sewn and tried to fudge it.  It didn't work so I'm going to do a little bit of unpicking (just the relevant sections!) and then restitch, re-press and reattach!  I then need to decide on a couple of extra rows to add top and bottom so that the quilt becomes a rectangle, rather than a square.

Christmas Cherry so far - two star sides attached

Christmas Cherry - the bits that need unpicking!

7.  I've recently tried my hand at hardanger and discovered that I really like it!  I'd like to finish this small piece before tackling something larger.

Hardanger in a lovely bright green!

8.  Finally, I'm also about to start another Leaf Evolution shawl, this time it's for someone else and I'm using this gorgeous green yarn.  The yarn is hand dyed and there's a slight colour difference so I'm going to have to alternate the balls throughout the project, without getting in a tangle.  Please could anyone with tips on how to avoid a tangle please pipe up?

There's no rush for this project but I'd like to make a start and do half a dozen or so repeats of the body pattern.

Meanwhile, Archie will be enjoying the sunshine testing out the paving and keeping a weather eye on the plants:

I'll have you know that I'm fulfilling a very important rôle here - I'm listening to the plants growing.

as well as defending one of his favourite beds from usurpers:

Let's get one thing straight: this is my bed and you're not having it.  I'm willing to let you lie on one of my towels but not this bed.  Got it?  Flick your tail if you have any questions.  No?  Good!

Thanks for popping in!  If you're also joining the FAL this quarter then good luck.  If you're not joining in then why not?!!!



P.S.  I think I still owe a few of you replies to your comments for my last post or so.  I'm sorry I'm behind but making the Oakshott project and writing the tutorial wore me out and I've been struggling to spend much time on the computer.  I will catch up, I promise!