Sunday Summary (And The First Finish Of Q4!)

Hello!

I did it!!!  I've actually kept my promise to myself that I would blog at the weekend!  I'm going to try to write a post on either a Saturday or Sunday to try and keep up with myself.  I found that doing the Summersville posts (yes, I'm still adding stories to the page - there are 21 up at the moment) each Saturday or Sunday really helped so I'm going to try going back to that way of thinking.  Wish me luck!

This week has been one of mainly hand quilting the blue and white quilt (or the blue and white bu**er as I think of it) and, as of last night, I've quilted 58 stars (out of 127):

This is not star number 58, but as they all look the same (or I hope they do), I thought I'd share one which has my supervisor in!

I've also started putting together my pinafore version of the Kate dress (pattern by Sew Me Something, I've adapted it to be a pinafore).  I've made the pockets:

Next time, I'm going to make a cardboard template of the finished pocket and use it to gather/press both pockets to size as getting them identical takes ages!

and now they're attached to the dress front:

I also had a bit of a do with the darts, when I couldn't work out if I was making a daft mistake that afternoon or when I traced and altered the pattern.  It turned out to be the latter, as I'd raised the dart when tracing and then raised it again after.  No wonder it didn't work!  I'm going to get a copy made of the original pattern (when I find a place with an A0 photocopier) so I can make the basic alterations on that and then trace from there, rather than having to trace and alter each time I make a new version. It's now pinned together up the side seams, ready for sewing and then I can start attaching the facing.  (I have a friend helping with the technical bits, thank goodness!)

I've also made great progress with the second DK sock on my FAL list (they grow so fast!)

and last night I grafted the toe and darned in the ends.  I'll show the finished pair when the weather fairs up enough for me to get a photo outside.


And, as the title of this post states, I have my first finish from my list!  I decided to make a small Lola pouch out of the scraps of shweshwe fabric I had leftover after making a pair of pouches in the summer.  It's always nice to have an easy finish on your list, and even better when you have a finish so early in the quarter!  Here's the finished pouch:

I added a strip of Oakshott on the front because I didn't have a wide enough piece to make an unpieced pouch, and I think it gives a bit more interest.  I also added a strip in the binding because I didn't have enough of the big swirl to make that unpieced either!  The front is quilted with YLI 'royalty' (dark blue variegated) and 'reds' (dark red variegated) and I also used the latter on the back to quilt a little off-centre grid.  My hera marker was downstairs, so I (carefully!) used the top side of the unpicker blade to mark two straight lines and it worked a treat.  Before I got the hera marker, I used to use the top edge of a knife, but I didn't have one of those to hand and the unpicker was in my line of sight.  You have to be careful, but it does in a pinch!

I sent the pouch to Sheila/Budsmam as a long overdue and surprise thank you present.  She'd commented on how much she liked the fabric on the pair of pouches I made last quarter and it seemed like the perfect way to say thank you.

When it's time, I'll be linking up this post (for this Lola pouch finish, which you will find on my Q4 list as item 38) with the Finish-Along

Earlier in the week, Archie was a bit miffed at being put outside when all he wanted was to lie on his new blanket

I don't want to be out here.  Let me in.  Please?

Ahhhh, this is better!

Thanks for popping in!