The Treehouse

Ready for the weekend...

 I like having a specific project to do on a particular day of the week and tomorrow it's time for Klosjes. I've got my shapes all printed up and ready to go. I also dug out a Bluebird block which has been sitting unfinished for ages. I began making it before I learned to applique the Piece O' Cake way and I'm not happy with how it looks so I abandoned it! This weekend I'm going to fix it and finish - well, that's the intention anyway. The children have a bowling match tomorrow so I can sit and stitch my Klosjes in the sunshine (fingers crossed) while watching them and perhaps on Sunday I can set too and get something done with the pretty Bluebird block.

There's another good reason for getting this block finished - the new Quilt Aid blocks are on Helen Stubbings' blog and in spite of having decided not to do the project this year because I've got enough things going on they're so pretty that I'm extremely tempted and I suspect that I will succumb! Maybe if I finish another couple of last year's blocks I'll allow myself to indulge :grin:

Catherine's birthday is today - she has become a teenager :o Sources have told her that with teenager-dom come bad moods, grumpiness and sarcasm. I've told her there's no need for any of that and to carry on as her usual lovely self :)

 

A little update...

I seem to have been AWOL for a while :o In my spare time, I've either had my nose in a book or been stitching away like mad just lately. 

I've worked on my Tail Feathers quilt - I can see the end in sight now and am glad I didn't leave all of the log cabin blocks until the end! Not much has happened with the Bluebird quilt at all, in fact - I've decided that I'm going to concentrate on finishing Tail Feathers before I launch into anymore Bluebird blocks.

Matthew's quilt is finally all quilted. I was finding it such a chore of a job and really wished I hadn't started stippling it. However, it's all done now and does look nice...just need to sew on the binding. He keeps asking me if it's finished yet and finally I can say...almost!

 

Dear Jane has taken a bit of a back seat lately. I'm itching to sew some more of these little blocks though, I love them. I did make a triangle a couple of weeks ago but that's all the progress I've made this year :o I quite enjoy making the triangles :) I treated myself to the Dear Jane cd and have played with it a little - printing out foundation patterns. Gosh, it makes things much easier! This is TR2.

 

The latest Snowbound block was posted at the end of last week. I'm itching to get started on this - it's a skiing snowman, lol! Also, I spotted a lovely new BOM on the blog of Erin Russek - I just cannot resist hand sewing you see :) It's on my list of things to get around to.

I've done quite a bit of crosstich that last couple of weeks. I finished another Blackbird Designs stocking - I love these. This one though, I wasn't so keen on really when I started it but now it's done...I really like it! 

 

Here's the first one that I finished - it's called Winter Carnation. Once the first 3 are stitched, I'm going to have a little stocking finishing session.

 
I have started the next one which has a birthday cake on it and then stopped stitching it while I contemplated whose initials and date of birth should go on the stocking...these are serious matters after all and one must ensure not to stitch too many of one person's initials and not enough of another person's initials otherwise war may break out! While I was mulling this little dilemma over I did some surfing...big mistake! I stopped by at Annette's lovely blog and while I was perusing all her lovely stitches I spotted a link...to a SAL...with birds and hearts. Of course, I clicked upon the link and it took me here to Sylvia's blog. I visited a few times. I looked in my tiny stash of crosstitching fabric. I visited again. I looked again at my fabric and low and behold I had a piece of 28 count evenweave in cream that would do the job nicely.

 

This is how far I've got. I had thought to finish the boxes this weekend but I didn't get that far...that was Stephanie Plum's fault! Or maybe it was the Library's fault for calling up to let me know that they had a couple of Stephanie Plum books ready for me to read :cough:

I did finish off my FaLaLa a few weeks ago though :D I did a little frogging on the ladies. I had stitched them plumper than they should have been and I didn't think that was fair at all so I whipped out those extra stitches and finished them off. It's quite a big ornament but I really like it. I would have preferred braid to the pom poms really but couldn't find it in the correct shade. The pom poms are quite fun though.

 

I've taken a photo of this twice now and both times it's come out blurred but you get the general idea :)

As I mentioned, I spent a lot of quality time with Stephanie Plum this weekend. I've seen people say these books are not so good but honestly, I laughed until I cried! A very good bit of light hearted humour along with a good bit of detectiving and a few hunky chaps thrown in for good measure. Just perfect for in between some serious reads. I've read the first 5 and will be going on to read more as soon as the library can provide! Last weekend I spent some time with the new Jasper Fforde...it took a bit of getting through to be honest but I was determined to get there. There are more books to come in this series and I'm thinking that a lot of time was spent setting up the new 'world' in the book so I will definitely give the next ones a go. I also read a book by LL Bartlett yesterday - she writes the Booktown mysteries under a different name. It wasn't bad at all...a little bit 'Medium' like but with a hero as opposed to a heroine. I do have the next one in my pile to read and look forward to seeing how Jeff gets on with his new found abilities. I have rather a fine stack of books to read at the moment....I spotted the new book by Elizabeth Kostova while I was in the library the other day...that may be next to get devoured!

I've promised myself NOT to spot anymore SALs or BOMs or the like, I must surf with my eyes closed. Particularly as I'm feeling the need to make a bag...it's been a while since I did the last one, lol!

 
 

Christmassy post...

I meant to post about my lovely post arrival yesterday. I received a lovely parcel of Christmas goodies from Janey as part of the Very Quick Christmas Fabric, Buttons and Trim swap organised by Jenny - isn't it all festive and lovely? I've plans to make some Christmas tree ornaments with the fabric I think...and those cute little Santas.

 

I'm sure every crafter is the same...stuff expands to fit the space available. I have my own sewing/crafting room but yet what do we find on the sofa? A little pile of craftyness :o

 

Proof that the cardigan is ongoing although the fact that it's covered up by a Dear Jane block in progress doesn't really bode well for its completion.

Neither does this...

 

While it isn't the one that I've been having trouble with...it is the one that I've been longing to make since I bought it. It was one of the first three that I bought I think and I kept looking at all those points and thinking...Nooooooooooo, I'll mess it up. Helen does say in the pattern that you can do it with fusible web but...I wanted mine to have that needle turned edge finish and so I kept leaving it.

After yesterday's little success courtesy of the Piece of Cake dvd I'm ready to dive in and try it! I really should fix up the other block first but I want to redo the birdies on it and I've not enough blue fabric left so...if I complete a couple more blocks then I might have sufficient scraps left to give my birds a makeover :)

A Birthday, an Angel and a Postman...

Last Thursday was my birthday and DH took the day off work so that we could go on a little jaunt together. He asked me where would I like to go...I said - the quilting shop please! Quilting shops are few and far between around here the best one that I've found - Patchwork Chicks in Barrowford, is about 30-40 mins away depending on the traffic. Barrowford is a lovely little village as well, very picturesque and so perfect for a little trip out. We spent a lovely time in the shop choosing some fat quarters, had a walk in the lovely Autumny park and then a nice hot cup of coffee before returning home in time to collect the children from school (and play with the new fabric!)

While we were out...the postman had been and left me a card to collect a parcel but it was Monday before I was able to collect it. So frustrating to know there's a parcel waiting and not be able to go and get it! Anyway, it was the most lovely surprise. I joined in the Stitcher's Angel swap this year...my first time swapping anything in the sewing community actually. The parcel was the gifts from my own Stitcher's Angel who turned out to be May Britt from Norway. Goodness me what an absolute treat awaited me in the parcel...here's a picture.

 

Aren't those little bags absolutely fabulous? I already know what I'm going to be putting in them and it will be stitching related, lol! May Britt also sent me a beautiful pincushion - I love pincushions and am always admiring them and never making them for myself! Also included were a lovely little stitchery that I shall complete and hang in my sewing room and some fabulous applique pins...I have wanted some of these for simply ages and not been able to find them in the shops near here. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to May Britt for such beautifully made gifts. They could not have arrived on a better day than my birthday!

Although I have plenty of things that I should have been finishing off I was eager to have a little play with my latest Inklingo download that DH had kindly bought as part of my birthday present....this was the reason I wanted to go to the quilting shop so that I could buy some fabric to fussy cut. I was able to have a quick play on Thursday night and I'm totally hooked on these little shapes - even DH is impressed and likes them. Yesterday the postman brought the rest of my Inklingo order which was the Patchwork of the Crosses book and the Quilted Diamonds DVD. The book is lovely and it's really helpful to have all of the info in one place. The DVD is fantastic...originally, I only bought it in order to watch the hand piecing lessons so that I could make sure I was constructing the POTC blocks properly. Of course now, having watched and seen the diamonds...I am wanting to make some of those too and without doubt Linda's Quilted Diamonds 1 and 2 will be winging their way to me as soon as I've finished a few more projects.

This is my partially completed first POTC block - the fabric is just gorgeous, I bought a few fat quarters from the same range because I loved the colours and designs so much. One of the patterns had different patterned stripes on it which will be great as I can get lots of different fussy cut shapes from that one.

The rest of my birthday present has also arrived - yesterday a lovely book by Sue Daley, the next Bluebirds of Hope quilt block and a gorgeous Don't Look Now pattern and today my biscornu finally arrived.

What a fabulous post week! I'll certainly be rather busy for the forseeable future - wonderful :D

Now if only there were more hours in the day and I didn't need sleep and it wasn't half term I could be extremely productive, lol!

Bluebird Block Two

is finished :D I had a lovely day yesterday cropping/sewing with my lovely friends. Lots and lots of laughter and I got most of the blanket stitching completed on this Bluebird block. I made a mistake in my last post, the designer of this block is actually Majella Rush.

Oh...that little project in the top right hand corner is one I forgot to mention in my last of ongoing projects - its the centre medallion from Stars for a New Day, the Quilt Show BOM. Lots of foundations pieced parts all ready to be sewn up into the medallion. Sadly, my sewing machine needs to work on shortening some trousers today so I doubt it will get finished until next week.

 

What sort of crafter are you?

Are you the sort that starts and finishes a project before moving on to another one? Or are you the type that has a gazillion things on the go at once?

I am type 2!

I think the only crafting area that I cover where there is currently no activity whatsoever is scrapping...and cardmaking but maybe cards don't count as I've currently been pondering over a Christmas card design!

In knitting - I have the stripey cardigan on the go and of course, my Fair Isle type socks. The cardigan was flourishing due to the great error on the socks. Last Sunday night I took the sock and ripped it right back and now it's grown tremendously :D

In crochet - there is a granny square blanket on the go, and I'm contemplating a ripple blanket

In patchwork - the lovely Tail Feathers is on the go, the Quilt Aid quilt is on the go, Matthew's quilt needs its quilting finishing off and Catherine's quilt needs putting together. I'm starting my Dear Jane quilt this month :blush: and I've just commenced some place mats :double blush: I'm sure there's more but I'm embarrassed enough already!

In needlework - well, countless applique projects plus a lovely little pattern called Geranium Cottage - couldn't resist that, I love Geraniums you see.

Here's this week's progress anyway - as you can see, the sock is nearly done, the cardigan is getting there...almost up to the arms and that's my second Quilt Aid block being blanket stitched.

Now...if I could just locate my tape measure I would know for sure how much more sock and cardigan I need to knit!

Bluebird Block One

I finished my first block for the Bluebird of Happiness quilt last night - I'm rather pleased with it, it turned out better than I thought I would make it! Those bullion knots for the berries got to be little tedious but...they were well worth the effort.

No knitting yet this weekend - I was determined to finish the Bluebird block. I may fit in a few rows tonight though...to get me closer to that lime green wool :wub:

Tail Feathers block 4 and a bit of Bluebirds...

Finished off the fourth Tail Feathers block yesterday so I'm all up to date with the stitcheries for that - just need to make a few log cabins next week. I love these blocks, I think my favourite so far was last month's with the treehouse on it, lol!

Another quilt that I have on the go is the Quilt Aid quilt which is called Bluebirds of Hope - I couldn't resist it. I started preparing blocks in August and have one waiting for the stitchery completing, one waiting for me to complete all the lovely blanket stitch on the applique and this one which is applique with a bit of embroidery - it's not complete yet of course but it's progressing. I'm stitching the cute little basket down at the moment - this was made using English Paper Piecing and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. It was my first time doing EPP and I enjoyed it...that is a good thing as the finishing kit also makes use of this technique. Both this block and the finishing kit were designed by Sue Daley.

Stitching catch up...

Just as we were about to leave for our holiday I grabbed my bag of crochet stuff...just in case I ran out of sewing and reading to do - there was of course no chance of that as I'd prepared quite a lot of stitchy stuff to do on holiday, lol! As I mentioned in my previous post, I got a little carried away with the crocheting and in fact - never touched the stitching at all :o I made a multitude of little granny squares for a baby blanket and finished off this bag...

I photographed it outside this morning as it's lovely sunny here today so the colours are a bit washed out - it's a lovely blue/green/cream yarn. I thoroughly enjoyed making this and it was really fairly quick once I got over the problem with how to start off.

Before we went away, I finished of the second of the Tail Feathers blocks - I love these quilt blocks fulll of little birds.

More outdoors photography this morning! See the little pods in the bottom block - all blanket stitch...yum yum! I think I mentioned that I'm a little behind on this project - still finishing off block 3 and block 4 has arrived :o That's this week's task to complete and I'm getting there. 

I also have some Quilt Aid blocks in progress - one a stitchery similar to the Tail Feathers and also by Natalie Lymer, another one is all raw edge applique finished with more yummy blanket stitch and the third one, by Sue Daley, has some English paper piecing on it. I was really excited to do that one as I've not tried EPP before. Unfortunately though, when the kit arrived there was a piece of fabric missing and the background fabric piece was too small. I contacted the shop to let them know and when we returned from our hols the replacements were waiting for me - I'm hoping to get playing with those again either tonight or this weekend. I did start doing the EPP but had to stop because of the missing fabric...I'm eager to get going again and even more excited that the finishing kit that I bought, also designed by Sue Daley, has more English paper piecing in it.

Last week I went to the Great Northern Quilt Show...dutifully chaffeured by the dh bless him. I have photos to share of some of the quilts that were on display there tomorrow.