15 Minute Challenge & Maestro has his License

I have been working on lots of different projects this week.  It has been another 7 out of 7 for the challenge.

There are a few more larger sections of the top border filled in but still a long way to go.

I have basted the quilt top that I started at my sewing retreat.  Found the perfect backing fabric (white with tiny bee hives and bees on it which went with the whole bee theme of the fabric range.

I made a knot headband for Mo, she has been using one that she got in Japan which is a pigs face complete with ears and snout so she doesn't like to wear it out.  She found it didn't flatten her curls and held them out of her face. They were ridiculously easy to make, I just need to purchase some stretch needles for my sewing machine before I go into production for her.  Here is the link to the tutorial I used.

She also has been at me to buy her some cloth pad's.  They aren't cheap to purchase but I found a pattern download on Etsy so I am going to give that a go.  However by the time I've shelled out for all the components I probably won't save much but at least she can experiment with them while she is not at school over the summer.  I can't say I am totally on board with the idea but if she is happy to do the cleaning she can have a go.

I have also started a boro bag.  There is lot of stitching to go.  I have nearly finished the 1" stitches, then I have to complete 1/2" and then 1/4 for the sides of the bag and the bottom.  This is probably going to take a while as I am just doing it when I need a break from appliqué at the moment.

Maestro got his drivers licence this week.  He works 40 minutes away and my husband has been doing the lion's share of drop off and pick up so him driving has eased that burden at least though parking will become an issue as they get closer to Christmas as the restaurant he works at is in large shopping centre but we will both be on leave for when he is working the most.

We are about to start the great room shuffle.... I've been trying to put it off as long as possible but with school finishing for Mo this week with a couple of 1/2 days for exams and next year prep I can't put it off anymore.  Maestro purchased a new bed frame last week and I came home from work to find he has  assembled it in the new room which I guess means I have to purchase the new mattress to go on it.

Well that's my stitching round up.  I leave you with a picture of Coco who featured on the dog groomers facebook page last week.  Unfortunately she only looks like this for a couple of days.  I think next time we will have to give her a closer cut as we are heading into hotter weather (this week we are heading for 42C).

How'd you go this week.  Check out everyone else's challenge at Kate's

15 Minute Challenge & Sewing Retreat

Last weekend was my sewing retreat with 2 partners in crime.  We headed down the coast for some eating, drinking and sewing.  We had a ball and a much needed recharge before getting into the silly season.

I restricted myself to 3 projects, though I did end up stitching up a quilt with a layer cake that I just have to had on my last day.   There was a little progress on the borders and a couple of blocks of Green Tea & Beans finished as well as some cutting of Liberty Fabric for Sugar Plum.

We will be having a big bedroom switch around over the summer break, Maestro will be moving out to a detached room to the house which Mo currently uses as her art studio.  Mo will be moving into Maestro's bedroom and have her art studio in her old room.  The quilt is for Mo's new room.

I was a bit unsure if Mo would like her new quilt, she wants all her linen to be white, but she said the quilt was perfect, so although the girls on the retreat offered to find it a home if it wasn't liked its all systems go for quilting over my summer break.

So this is a round up for 2 weeks and I can safely say that it has been 14 out of 14.  The top border is starting to fill in I have been preping some of the bigger flowers which fill things easily but there are lots and lots of little flowers to go as well.

Head to Kate's to see how everyone is traveling stitching wise this week.  

Springtime Romance Free BOM Block 5

How are your blocks going?  We are up to block 5, though I would suggest putting in your favourite Vase block here.  Block 7 was originally going to be in this spot but I liked this block more so it got centre stage.

By the time this posts I will be packed to head down the coast for another sewing weekend with my girlfriends so I have set this post up well in advanced mainly so I don't forget.  

I'm hoping that the top and bottom border are well under way by the time this goes up.  The last couple of nights I have been back basting leaves and getting started on the book on the bottom of the quilt.  Yesterday I stitched the side borders to the quilt I think I will see how well it sits on the bed and if I can trim down the sides a couple of inches at the moment they are 10 1/2" finished but so far it looks balanced, haven't decided if I will add extra flowers flowing down or up the sides from the top and bottom border which is tempting but I may be over it by the end.

What you have been waiting for Block 5.

You will now need to purchase the block from my Esty shop

The pattern will be available until 7/11/2019.  If you have any questions, add a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible.  Otherwise enjoy and I'll catch you next time.

15 minutes and a missed week

I didn't get round to doing a post last week.  Was just really lazy, by the time I remembered it was sit in front of the TV with my hubby for Xfiles reruns and I decided to just do a 2 weeks post this week.

Last week was a 7 out of 7 week
This week was a 6 out of 7 week

Work is progressing on top and bottom borders.  I transferred the pattern to the fabric and have prepared most of the leaves on both borders and started on the book on the bottom border.  I am just hoping hoping that it will look like a book when it is finished.  Last week I stitched the side borders in place.  And I have finished writing block 8 which is now in my etsy shop.

My iMac has been slowing up over the last 12 months, it only worried me when I used excel, most other programs weren't too bad though open software usually required a lot of waiting around.  DH was more impatient with it when searching the internet and start carrying on when he got the pretty spinny ball and nothing would load.  So he gave me the go ahead to get a new one and I spent half the weekend migrating my data.  I have to say the automated migration app is amazing it took a long time to migrate over our network but everything was where it was supposed to be with little effort from on my part.

This week I head off down the coast for a sewing retreat with friends.  I've restricted myself to 3 projects.  Springtime Romance Borders, Green Tea and Sweet Beans and Sugar Plum.   We will see how much gets done on the 4 days and a bit days.  Lots got done last time so I'm hoping it will be the same again this weekend.

So how did stitching go for you this week.  Head to Kate's for the linky party.  

15 Minute Challenge Side Border Nearly There

I managed 7 out of 7 this week.  The 2nd side border is nearly finished there are just flower centres to go.  I needed a bit of motivation this week as it has been a bit of hard slog stitching over the past couple of weeks so I pinned the borders and quilt up on my cupboards in my sewing room just to see how it was coming together.

I'm thinking I will trim them down to 10" finished instead of 12".  I'm undecided about the top and bottom borders, the illustration for the borders is based on 10" width so that I could fit them on an A4 sheet when printed.

It got me motivated enough and I have transferred most of the top border onto the fabric and all of the bottom border ready to start stitching.   I want the cluster of flowers to be centred and the books to be on the corner, so I will get the centre spray stitched then work out the position of the books once I am ready to put it together.

I'm also thinking of next years quilt and I've seen some appliqué quilts I like the look of on instagram this one has a white background.  I've done grey's and now black I think I'm going for a nice fresh white this time will give me something new to focus on.  Where do you get your inspiration, I usually see a quilt that I like the overall look and feel.  How the background and colours work together then try and do something that has a similar combination with my spin.

I have another sewing retreat planned at the beginning of November can't wait, I have to leave a day early as I have a Specialist appointment on the Tuesday afternoon but I think the 4 night will allow me to have a bit of a recharge with the girls and get lots of stitching done.

Have you managed some stitching every day this week.  Head to Kate's to see how everyone is getting on with the challenge.

15 Minute Challenge and Mo's Back

It was a 6 out of 7 week again this week.  My shoulder is a lot better, only one more physio treatment to see it back to new, so stitching should pick up in the next week.

Mo arrived home yesterday with extra weight in her luggage and a few stories to tell.  I don't think she has caught the travel bug though.  She liked the smaller cities with lots of parks and gardens that they visited  but Tokyo not so much to industrial.

She said the home stay was fun and the family she stayed with had lived in Australia for nearly a year so their english was really good.  She found the same with the students at the school and she had to do classes with a couple of "buddies" .   She got more than one buddy as the first one she was assigned was a bit unreliable.   Mo said the unreliable one fell asleep during class, and she poked her in the side to wake her up and the whole class laughed at them.    She said that the school days was pretty long starting at 7.30 and finishing at 3.30 but then they all went to clubs after school which didn't finish till 6 and then I guess the travel on top of that.

She slept nearly to midday today, and she did a bit of sleep walking in the night.  She was trying to get out of her room but was struggling with the door my husband had a bit of a conversation with her and she went back to bed.  She didn't remember it this morning though.  Its been a few years since she has done that.

Block 6 of Springtime Romance is up in my Etsy shop now and I am about to work on Block 7.

How has your stitching been this week.  Head to Kate's to see how everyone faired this week. 

Free BOM Springtime Romance Block 4

Here we are at Block 4.  Now this one has a lot of stitching and I left it until last to finish.  Each flower has more than one layer.  If you fussy cut you may not need all those layers as always it is up to you to make it your own.

You can now puchase this block from my Etsy shop.

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