WIP Wednesday - FMQ and a surprise

It's very slow going on the FMQ of my quilt, A Groovy Kind of Love

Deciding what to do is a big part of the delay.

I want to try designs I hadn't done before that didn't include stippling.

Last week I was working on Pebble Loop, a Leah Day design.

This week I decided to try Cucumber Vine, another Leah Day design.

I quite like it, even though it is taking me forever! It is a very forgiving design and the travel stitching is just in short sections, so even when I go off track it doesn't look horrible!

Still a long way to go though.

...and some of the delay I attribute to this....

Sheriti is just too cute to get mad at!

I got a huge surprise yesterday! About 3 months ago, I won a random draw during the Bloggers Quilt Festival. It was supposed to be something from Riley Blake, but nothing ever arrived.

 I just chalked it up as a lost cause.

Well, yesterday the UPS delivery truck arrived at my house with a big box from Riley Blake with these 3 FQ bundles!!!

... and a few gorgeous buttons

...and a big pile of different ric rac and ribbon!

Now, I'm not so sure I was originally meant to receive ALL of this!

Maybe it grew during the 3 month delay!!

Either way, I'm a happy quilter!

***

I'm also working on the latest blocks for our Happiness Circle @ do. Good Stitches. Nothing to share yet.

I've been stalking my secret swap partner for

Mouthy Stitches 2.

  All the bags will be made using the same pattern, so our input is in the fabric and design! 

I neglected earlier to share my swap goodies which I received from Hilary in the 

Modern Scrappy Bits Swap

This cute pencil case has a warm and cool side! Very clever!

Isn't the lining amazing? I will always remember that it came from Down Under!

The fabric bits are all new to me, so I look forward to using them.

***

Starry, Starry Night remains a WIP

I really want to finish A Groovy Kind of Love before I tackle this one.

Oops! Well, I did start cutting for one other project....forgot! This is a lovely pile of 6" equilateral triangles using up the remainder of my Chicopee bundles!
To cut the equilateral triangles I used a tutorial from Marit @ Quilt it. She has done a series of posts about making a triangle quilt. I just changed the size of the triangle from 8" to 6".

 So, I guess that's it for me this week.

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced

and Monika @ The Needle & Thread Network.

Have a great sewing week!

Stash Play and FMQ

The oh - so - talented M-R over at Quilt Matters

is starting a new linky party to encourage all of us scardy cats to make an attempt at picking fabrics from our stash and using Design Seeds.

Isn't that at fabulous idea!

So, I picked this photo from Design Seeds...

 

Then, I went off to my fabric cupboard to see what I could come up with!

Pearl Bracelet by Lizzy House;Outfoxed by Lizzy House; Echo-Florine by Lotta Jansdotter; Je Vous En Prie by Yuwa; Baby Safari by Corina Gardner
 I'm pretty pleased with my selection, and it really didn't take much time at all, especially since I have my stash so neatly organized using comic book back boards!
Linking up with MR
****
Now, on to my FMQ!!
I've had A Groovy Kind of Love basted since last week but didn't know what I wanted to do with it from there!
So, I spent quite a bit of time pouring over the videos from Leah Day and came up with a few ideas.
I decided to do the lightest colour first so the quilting might not show up as much!!
Here is Pebble Loop

 Not totally disgusting! I think I should go back and do some more echo around the loops though.
What do you think?
Or maybe a stipple?
Not sure, but at least it is a start!

Mouthy Stitches....I'm in!

I was so excited this afternoon when an e-mail arrived from Susan.

I have been invited to join Mouthy Stitches!

Having missed the sign-up, I went onto the waiting list with fingers crossed.

I went ahead and planned a mosaic "just in case"!!

So, as soon as I finished reading the e-mail, I immediately posted my mosaic to the Flickr group!
This round is all about making a tote for a secret
partner.
I had so many favourite photos saved on Flickr that it was hard to narrow it down, but I hope I gave my partner enough to go on.
It actually surprised me how many of us have similar tastes!
Everyone seems to like bright colours and modern fabric!
So, here is my mosaic!
1. Modern Scrappy Bits Swap (Explored), 2. New Block Design :: Half Moon Rising, 3. sunset mini, 4. QAYG Slivers, 5. bqs3 front, 6. New York Beauty Quilt, 7. Brioni's August block for Stash Trad by Poppyprint, 8. Rainbow Dancefloor, 9. Poinsetta Pillow - Quilt Camp!, 10. Pillow for Jules, 11. PTS7 all finished!, 12. QAYG Tote Housework Side, 13. Colour Shot 2012, 14. SAM_2160, 15. Echo Pillow, 16. 004 Created with fd's Flickr Toys
 
This should be a blast!

WIP Wednesday-Love, and other bits

Well, my whining last week paid off and my delicious fabric arrived the same day!

So why is it that I only took it out yesterday!!

The backing for A Groovy Kind of Love has me completely jumping with glee!

Melody Miller's Ruby Star Spring Records

For me it is the exact perfect fabric for this quilt!

love, love, love

Look at those records! My favourite title is

Fatal Fish Allergy!

I think I need more of this fabric just to have around!

 I had to add a strip of Paisley and Lace to one side to make it wide enough, but I like it! 

If the fabric isn't awesome enough, I received the Aurifil thread package that I won from Sukie!

 Do you see what I see?

What if I remove the blue and the variegated!

Then put them on top of the quilt!

 Oh yeah, a perfect match!

These are just small trail sizes so I won't be able to do any machine quilting with them, but maybe a bit of hand quilting somewhere!

I think the purple might be wool!

The green is 28wt, and the orange is 40wt

I'll have to check the Aurifil website. 

I seriously have absolutely NO idea how to quilt this. I would love to do something fun and funky, but I'm terrified of ruining it.

So, it goes back into the WIP pile until then. *sob*

 I haven't done anything with Starry, starry night even though I have the Kona Navy!

I was busy doing Bee blocks though...

For Happiness Circle @ do. Good Stitches I did these two wonky stars

 For Jen in the  Star of Africa Bee, I sent this paper pieced bear

Finally, I did another cushion with Chicopee!

here is 

Tickled 1.1

 I still need to do some work on  my piping corners, but I really like this one too.

I used Basic Grey Grunge again, this time with Romance.

Also a little bit of Essex Linen in Steel

Here they are playing together.

I will definitely be doing more cushions.

They are fairly quick to make, so instant gratification!

So, that's it for me this week with the same 2 WIP's, but making progress.

Linking up at Freshly Pieced with ...Lee is back!

and at The Needle and Thread Network with Monika.

Have a great sewing week!

WIP Wednesday- the waiting game

Waiting......waiting

ho hum

When will the postman bring my fabric so I can get busy and complete my

WIP's??

A Groovy Kind of Love

 yup...waiting

Starry, starry night

also waiting.

In the meantime...

I made a cushion using Chicopee, Essex linen, and Basic Grey Grunge

called it Tickled 1.0

I love it, and plan to do another.

details on this one here

That's about it for this week.

I am almost finished my block for Jen for

Star of Africa

 

Not a very productive week, but I did get caught up on the reading of my library books with only a 90 cent late fine! Woo hoo!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced with guest host, Emily!

Also with Monika at 

The Needle and Thread Network.

 

 Have a great sewing week!

Tickled 1.0

Get it?....tickled?... feathers....yeah well....it seemed kinda funny to me!

So, you probably recognize the fabric...Chicopee by Denise Schmidt.

I really love this line, even though I wasn't completely sold on it at first.

You probably also recognize the feather pattern, which is  free pattern from Anna Maria Horner.

I did have to reduce the size to 75% for this cushion.

I also used Essex linen in steel for back ground  as well as Basic Grey Grunge in Maraschino Cherry for the feather stem, stripe and piping!

I wish I had put my feathers closer together, as the left one gets kinda lost around the corner.

This is an 18" cushion and I made it just big enough to really stuff firmly!

 The back is Essex linen in steel with the zipper flap in Chicopee.

Great tutorial for making the zipper flap here.

On to the piping.

 This was my first experience with making my own piping and I use 

this tutorial, which was wonderful.

I used 1/4 inch strips of Steam a Seam to make the piping and it was amazing!! No worries about seeing the stitch line on the front side.

Also used this for putting in the zipper, and will never put in a zipper again without it! No pins!

Anyway, the piping...

I found it really hard to use my zipper foot to attach the piping to the front and back, as the fabric kept slipping and stretching.

So, I used my even feed foot and move the needle way over to the left.

Worked perfectly!

My one corner is a bit wonky, but I can live with it!

 As soon as the other bundle of Chicopee arrives ( it accidentally didn't get shipped), I will make Tickled 1.1

Hope everyone had a great week-end. It is Labour Day here, so it's a holiday.

The sun is shining, I've already gone for my walk, so I may have to do some work on 

bee blocks. I need to do 2 blocks for do.Good Stitches as well as finish up Jen's block for 

Star of Africa!

By the way, the geese are already starting to make the trip south. Every day I hear them honking overhead.  Makes me sad to know winter is on it's way.

Fresh Sewing Day - sept 1st

I don't think I have been organized enough to post a mosaic for the last couple of months, so I though I should get busy and do it!

Actually, I did it yesterday, thinking it was Sept. 1st already!

So, here are most of my projects.....at least I think so!

1 through 4 is Who's Your Granny?

 which was part of a QAL

5-  Starry,starry night- a string quilt- waiting for more Navy to finish it!

6- A Groovy Kind Of love-another QAL- waiting for backing fabric!

7-applique pink pig for Star Of Africa swap.

8- wonky Bento box blocks for do. Good Stitches Happiness Circle.

9 & 10-Cathedral window pin cushions- one of these went to my secret partner for a

Modern Scrappy Bits Swap

11 & 12- Patchwork Christmas stocking.

I also recovered my home made ironing board, which is just a wooden shelf covered with batting and sitting on top of a low dresser!

Works perfectly!

I am smitten with this Keep Calm and....fabric!

Linking up at Lily's Quilts with Lynne

for

Fresh Sewing Day.