Wednesday 13 May 2009

I'm Getting Behind

with blogging! I've had a very busy weekend and start to the week and the weekend already seems too long ago to blog about, not that anything wonderfully exciting happened after our day out to Lincoln.
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First things first! My floor in the studio is fixed! Yay!!!!!!
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Look at that! What a wonderful sight! My friend came round on Monday and after a couple of hours I had a complete floor and ventilation holes drilled all round the plinth to let some air in underneath, hopefully without letting any mice in too! All I have to do now is get everything put back. "Simples!" I've now got three of the lovely shelving units to play with so hopefully I shall eventually be more organised. Can't wait to get my dyes sorted out!
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I was going to show you the fabric I had bought for the children's quilt for Italy but I've already started making the quilt so here's your glimpse at my first efforts of piecing the top (with copious use of bondaweb! * under the top and bottom panels and the 3 cutout motifs at each corner) :
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I spent lots of time sorting out the design based on the fabric I had bought, not the best idea trying to make the design fit the fabric! At the last minute I had to change the design because I thought I had got my measurements wrong only to find, having cut it all outt o the new design, that they were right in the first place! Doh! There should have been much more piecing instead of the large blocks but never mind, I have to live with it. I have started stitching in the ditch and and quilting along the horizontal lines on the top and bottom panels. As experienced quilters will probably have realised, I am having problems with the material creeping and bunching up. I have tried to turn the quilt and machine in opposing directions to ease things out but it's not working 100%, partly because of the bulk of the fabric and the short throat of my machine. I am now at the point of wondering wether I should hand quilt the small motifs as I don't know how I can machine round them on an ordinary sewing machine. I'm not sure that my free machining is up to it! Watch this space!
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I've finished the next two pages for the Flower Book Swap at MixedMediaATC_UK. I'm sure Kate will spot that I have used some orphan blocks that she sent me (cheating a little) and have handstitched and added buttons. I am really enjoying these little 6" square flower pages, they are easy to pick up in a spare moment.
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So, I now have to finish the animal quilt, do my May Journal Quilt and make the quilt for Kate's ALQS. Oh, and finish a Ruby Doll for Mags for the end of the month. Not to mention Seth's Disintegration challenge, which I won't cos my head's already spinning!

12 comments:

Genie said...

Hi Julie,
glad your hole is fixed, love the flower book pages, and good luck with the quilt

Heather said...

Great to have your floor fixed and I love the child's quilt - good luck with the quilting - it's not easy is it? The Flower Book swap pages are lovely and I like the way your stitching has been integrated into the fabric patterns.

Gina said...

Love those little flower pages - so bright and cheerful.

The WestCountryBuddha said...

I always think it's good to have one's underpinning all secure. The flowers are fab and I love the mix of flowery fabrics with the stitch.

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

"Simples" -hehehe! Like on Compare the Meerkat! Hehehe!!!

Sharne Gregory said...

I am so glad that your floor had been sorted, I am looking forward to seeing it up and running. Are you using a walking foot for quilting in the ditch and thestraight areas?

sharon young said...

Lovely job on the floor, I'd be more worried about the
spiders than the mice, although they don't do as much damage.
Your quilt is looking great, I think the creeping problem was why I resorted to hand stitch, but I did enjoy it, there's a very satisfying rhythm to hand quilting, makes me feel calm just thinking about it.
Your 6" pages are just wonderful, all that gorgeous hand stitch.
Thanks for dropping by my blog, those CG's are so clever :-)
I'm so excited about about Norwich, as you must be about your trip.

Julie said...

Hi Sharne, I don't think I have a walking foot. I am using the ordinary general purpose foot except for the free machining which I have a special foot for. (It's sprung loaded but I can't remember which foot it is).

Kate North said...

I did spot that :) They look great.

Unknown said...

my head's spinning just reading about all you're doing! love the flower book pages - and I hope you win your battle with the quilt!

Julie said...

You and me both, Fiona! :o) I'm almost ready to trim the quilt and pin the binding so I'm getting there.

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

Congratulations on getting the floor fixed. It looks good! No stopping you now! xx