A Day Off and some Major Stitching and Planning

The majority of sewing that I have done over the last couple of months has been for Seabreeze Quilt but there have been a few projects that I have been storing up of other peoples patterns that I really wanted to try.  At the beginning of the year I told the boss I wanted an extra day off in March and I planned to just sew.

Last week Maestro drops the news that he has a pupil free day on the day I chose to have off I wasn't happy to say the least, but Thursday I had a brainwave and asked him if he wanted to go to the pictures with a mate.  As I knew he would Maestro turned 2 hours into 4 hours at the shops/movies so I got my sewing time back.

I planned to start Metro Rings.  I saw a scrappy version on Pinterest which was the look I was after.  I think my version is even scrappier than the one I saw.

I headed to my MO Stash and then pulled some more fabric from the main stash, I have another pile of strip sets to cut which should allow me to add another row to the quilt in the pattern.  I've also been keeping the offcuts from the front of the strip sets which are all uniform which I plan to try and do either some kind of border or back art.

2 Weeks ago Squid had an interview with the High School to try and get into their Gifted Art Program, we found out on Thursday that she got a place.

Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler Finishing it Up

I'm hoping that you are on the way to finishing your sampler and have learnt a trick or two along the way.  It's been fun and I'm thinking about what I can do next.  I really want to an appliqué quilt but I might combine appliqué blocks with pieced blocks this time and you can choose to do both or either.

My first block is drafted ready to go, but I really want to finish some hand quilting on my medallion Appliqué Quilt before I start another hand project, I find I can't do too many hand projects at the same time as I don't get anywhere with any of them.

So on to finishing instructions.  As before you can download them here.  Like the Blocks these will be available to download for 1 month and then I will be putting the whole pattern for sale in my Etsy shop as one listing.  Who knows by that stage I may even have it quilted.

I've got some work to do tonight, doing more class samples for my class on Tuesday night.  The 2 blocks are all cut out I just have to stitch them up.  So I'd better get a move on it is getting late.

Once again I hope you have enjoyed the Sampler, please send me pictures when you are all finished and link up on Instagram.

Where do you get your inspiration from

I buy less magazines these days, its more because I lack the space to store them.  I am collecting the Homespun BOM but I have decided to tear out the pattern once I've read the mag and put it in recycling and I am buying less books though there are a few that I would love to own.

My biggest inspiration at the moment is Pinterest, I have to admit to spending quite a bit of time lately pinning this a that.  I've been concentrating on Blocks, Samplers, New York Beauty Patterns and Curved Patterns.  I also pick pins for colour combinations as well as patterns.  I also love flowers so I have a board dedicated to those as well.. you never know where embroidery inspiration may come from.


Follow Seabreeze Quilts's board block love on Pinterest.
Follow Seabreeze Quilts's board Fun with curves on Pinterest. 
Follow Seabreeze Quilts's board New York Beauty and other paper pieced quilts on Pinterest.


I found the perfect look for Metro Rings on Pinterest it was very scrappy and I knew that was the look I was after, the picture teamed it with white background but I think I've had enough white background quilts for a while and it really isn't practical so I chose a soft grey.  Really hoping to get some sewing time this weekend that isn't class related.

The Skill Builder Class started this week, and the 3 of the 4 girls from my beginners class have finished their quilts.  I have decided to do a quick run down on binding the quilt in the last lesson of the Skill Builder Class as we really don't have time to do binding in the 5 week class as they just get the quilt basted and maybe start quilting and binding is one of those things that you really have to do to get it in your head.  

I'm about to enter the final week of the IQS detox.  Its been interesting, I haven't craved and haven't really caved in.  Some of the recipes I've not had time to try and so they will just go in the recipe bank sometimes the ingredients were a bit hard to get.   I've tried a  few Paleo recipes, a few gluten free recipes just to see what its like I don't think I will be going down either of those paths but the recipes that taste ok will be going in the bank.  I had a couple of pieces of dark chocolate last night (90% kind) which has the least sugar,  that normally would have been enough to start a binge but I didn't, 2 squares was enough and I didn't think of it again till now.


Will put together the conclusion of the Chocolate Marshmallow Sampler and share over the weekend.  but now I'm off to watch a DVD and do some hand quilting.

Sometimes Others Conspire and you end up looking like an Idiot

The others being DH.  The TV was doing a few odd things this morning, I mentioned to DH that maybe it needed to be turned off completely instead of just by the remote  (which is the only option for out TV).  He must have listened for once and turned it off at the plug, left for work.

Maestro is home sick today, he's close to deaths door as you know males tend to be, and he was complaining that the TV wouldn't work by the remote or the override switch at the back.  Changed batteries did all that unplugged what I thought was the cord plugged it back in, unplugged the cord from the back of the tv still no go.

Next step ring Harvey Normans, then Samsung.  Got through quickly gave my name, etc, went through what I had done.  Then he said try another plug so followed the plug to the powerpoint at the other side of the TV and discovered that I was an IDOT because DH hadn't turned the plug back on.    Great start to the day.

So there has been more retail therapy today, of the book variety.  Yesterday I picked up a couple of pieces of fabric that I am itching to cut, however I am working on another quilt at the moment, which was going to be another beginners quilt but I think I have scrapped that idea.  So it may just be used as an alternative if some of my beginners from the last 2 classes want a refresh course in the future so I can offer them something a little different and still cover the same basics for newbies.

My Beginners Class is finished for this term.  We basted 8 quilts, and one student has already posted a photo of her finished quilt on my Facebook page.  If you have done one of classes please do the same or if you aren't on Facebook email me a photo.

Next week begins the Skill Builder Class which is 4 weeks of learning a few more techniques.  There is one spot left so if you have done my Beginners Class or are not a completely raw beginner contact (you need to be able to do a perfect ¼ seam at the very least and know how to put a quilt together by yourself) Patchwork by Sea.  In this class we will be making blocks only and I will give you the details to finish the quilt just like mine in the final class as well as some alternatives you might like to try.