Espritpatch

I finished sewing the binding on my Macintosh Rose wall-hanging yesterday evening so it is now finished and ready to be given to my Mum for Christmas. It won't be a surprise to her because it has taken me so long doing it that she has seen it in progress. Never mind, I know she likes it! I started piecing the top in February 2010 (!) and left it until last January when I added the black bias binding and then it waited until earlier this month to be picked up again and finally finished. And it is the 24th at midnight yet, what a performance for me to finish things "almost early". It will go on her stairs wall to compliment the first one I made her about 5 years ago after her trip to Scotland.  Both wall-hanging have been made using the same focus fabric that I hand-dyed in the summer in 2006. I have all the colour wheel and have only use a few pieces for these 2 wall-hanging to date as I was too scared to cut through them! Maybe I'll use some for the Colour Challen...

I was feeling rather lazy last night and thought I couldn't find enough energy to do much so I thought I would just browse a few blogs/websites before going to bed.... until I remember it was FNSI and I had signed for it. So I gathered some energy and decided I would at least try to finish the little wall-hanging I started last Sunday. I had finished putting the top together a few days ago and yesterday during the day, I finished the embroidery. So last night, I picked up my little top to finish it. I pieced a backing and sew the 3 layers together then turned it inside out. I sew the seam back in my pieced backing and then quilted my top. I am so delighted that it is now finished, ready to hang up, and in lots of time before Christmas The pattern came for the lovely Cotton Life magazine from last Christmas and was designed by Laurraine at Patchwork Pottery . This is the actual design which got me interested in the magazine in the first place so I am very happy that I have done my ...

I recently joined a new blog: Sew It's Finished created by two talented Australian ladies Dawn and Wendy . The aim of the exercise is to tackle our pile of UFOs and post our finishes to share with others. The idea is also to encourage each others to finish items that have been waiting a little too long. Who hasn't got any of those? Well, when I first started patchwork, I couldn't understand why people would have UFOs. Why move away to a new project before finishing the current one, how naive was I then.... I guess the Internet (and temptation for new projects) were not as widespread then plus I hadn't been in any swaps yet. Anyway, a couple of years down the line, I probably have more UFOs that I would like to admit but I thought joining the group would help me keep motivated and focused. Let's see if it can work! My first project that I will post about is a Macintosh Rose I started last year for my Mum, I was vaguely hoping that it would be a Christmas gift but ...

If you stop by now and then, you might remember the Celtic Rose I started in February this year. I wasn't sure which colors bias to use and I finally opted for black. I picked up again last week-end because I decided to finish it as a birthday present for my Auntie's 40th. The birthday party was on Saturday so i just had under one week to finish it. By all mean my best way to stay focused! Anyway, I appliqued the bias on Saturday when I attended our quilting group meeting and did the quilting on Saturday. Finally on Thursday night I cut my hanging sleeve and binding and sew the binding by machine. On the way to work and on the way home on Friday I hand stitched the hanging sleeve and the binding, which I finished on Saturday morning, just in time for the party... And my Auntie loved it, always a bonus! This is also my first OPAM this month! What do you think? Celine

Long time, no blogging... I have been busy, not quite sure what with but never mind. First I finished Big Boy PE bag last week and never got around to post a picture. I think he likes it. Here he is modelling his drawstring bag for Mummy. My Mum came and stayed with us last week-end so we had quite a relaxing time and I didn't do much sewing, although she likes sewing as well. She used to make most of my clothes when I was little. On Saturday I went to LCQ for our Saturday sewing day and started a Celtic panel. I only managed to cut and fuse all the pieces but at least this is a start. I now need to decide which colour bias I will use. I am not sure yet. I am worried that black might be too strong and as for purple/burgundy, I would need to find the right colour. Or I could make my own bias... decisions, decisions... Any suggestions? Big Boy started school officially on Tuesday afternoon. Daddy and I took him there with our friend and his "adoptive" granny. Although he w...

I finished work early on Friday and went to Fabric Guild in Leicester for some retail therapy. I didn't want to miss the sales really, there is always some fabric that you need to buy for the day when... That was a nice day to end a busy week really! OK I spent a bit of money but it was of course well spent! After finishing my first OPAM for February, a lovely Caterpillar draught excluder: I did my homework for our meeting at the Log Cabin Quilters. Our session in January was cancelled dur to the snow. We were supposed to do a "Fold and Finish" cushion in January and had the instructions to cut the fabric in advance. I decided to do mine in red cream and black with some Japanese fabric that I had bought a while back. I cut all my "logs" fabric and wadding ready to go. I started my cushion on Saturday morning and managed to sew "one round" around the central block: I still have 2 rounds to add and the corner triangles but none of these are quilted ye...