Monday, September 30, 2013

A reminder to post your finishes for the end of the month….

Hi girls,

I know both Dawn and I have been rather quiet on the blog of late….I know Dawn’s been caught up with her treatment and some well-needed R & R, and I’ve just been in de-clutter mode, along with catching up on designs…two very full-on tasks for me. But we have been keeping an eye on all your finishes from the wings, and you girls just keep on inspiring us, more and more every month…the UFO’s you’re getting finished are phenomenal!!!  Well done!

And I’m pleased to say, Dawn’s doing well and I’ve managed to finish both designs for August and September.

You’ll remember that I had to modify the August block due to copyright issues that never even crossed my mind when I was drawing it up…..I thought an Aussie symbol was something that belonged to us all??….but no…..when it was checked, I was not given permission to use the rising sun badge on the stitchery……so…….note to self:  when designing, rule #1 – always consider if any part of your design could be a potential copyright issue.

060 (Medium)

But modifications were made, and now it is ‘slightly’ different…. (after restitching the whole block with some invaluable advice from a gorgeous friend)

007 (Medium)

…but still portraying the same feelings, I hope!

And September’s block is just a cutie…..

006 (Medium)

….and will get you practicing your satin stitch…..

002 (Medium)

…but I’m sure you’ll still love it, and you’ll all be experts when you’re done!

So both blocks will go out tomorrow to those that had finishes in August and/or September….a gentle reminder then…..if you want the September block (August finishes have already already  been tallied, ready to go up on the blog tomorrow), make sure you have posted at least one of your UFO finishes for the month on this blog so I can count it in the tally by 5pm tomorrow afternoon, Nth Queensland, Oz-time.

Can’t wait to see them all *wink*

Sew Many hugs xo :o)

my signature

 

September finishes - 13 & 14 for 2013

Two finishes for this month.  The first is a long term  UFo - a round robin I ran on the craft forum in 2007 I think.  I sewed the blocks to the embroidery then quilted it, will be used as a table topper for our dining table.  Finished last Friday but have been flat chat and this was my first chance to post in here.
 This felt bunting is a relatively new UFO - only from last year. was originally for fundraiser & just needed assembling.  Adult daughter will be taking this to her preschool as they love to have pretty things hanging around.
 
I am getting through my thirty plus UF's that I had at the beginning of the year and I have not started a project as yet that I have not completed....

Finally another finish!

I had to look back through the labels, it was back in April that I last posted a finish! It's not like I have done no sewing since then, but after I had gotten through lots of UFOs last year, there were less UFOs for 2013 (and at the rate I am going, there will be even fewer for 2014 - real life is intruding too much!).

I started this project a year ago, I had just resigned from a very stressful job through which a friend and colleague kept me sane. I decided I would make her a bed quilt, and somehow I deluded myself I would get it done by Christmas 2012!

Sidetracked with a few other projects, including a wallhanging that was accepted as finalist for the AQC Challenge, I finally returned to this project in June. However, my beloved Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 at just one year old gave me major troubles during fmq. The service made little difference, but with the technician, who gave it another hour of his time for free, I started to get an idea how to get it back to working order (my theory is that the machine struggled with the combination of batik on back, sheeting on front as well as Aurifil top and Signature for bobbin. Perseverance paid off and I finally got it finished this month and delivered it to the recipient today.
On my bed which is a bit larger than my friend's. Finished size is 86"square.

Detail of quilting

The same block from a different angle, now you can see the four patch

I have washed it a couple of times, I like how the cotton wrinkles up (you better don't enlarge this photo, could have done with some ironing ;D)

I pieced a disappearing four patch into the back, too :) (no matter what I couldn't get a photo in focus for the back!)


The pattern is a disappearing four patch, I need to look back through my posts from a year ago to remember on which blog I saw it I had found it on Janet's blog What comes next? here. My friend had not seen it before today, her only requests were 'bright' and to include a pillow flap. I knew she liked feathers so I definitely wanted to incorporate them. With all the bias edges, the piecing was a challenge. I was fascinated by the secondary pattern evolving while piecing, so this determined where the feathers would go:)

I am not a fan of winter, and a lot of my work on this happened during this winter so I named the finished quilt [I wish it was] Summer All Year Long. My friend was very happy, it's on her bed already - I hope you like it, too!

Happy Sewing!

It's Christmas again this month

These three stitcheries have been in my drawer with UFO stitcheries for maybe 3-4 years.  I just had to look for frames and now I have and they are finished. Just made it this month by the hair of my chinny chin chin. I padded them out with bag felt and then laced them.  I am happy with the result.

Heirloom table runner

I have scraped in with another September finish.

When looking for something else I came across this partly completed heirloom table runner.  It is probably 9 or 10 years ago that I started it.  I remember in the 6 hour class we spent all day pinning and adjusting the lace and ribbon - and I hadnt even finished doing that. All of us in the class had to buy extra pins as we needed so many to hold it in place.  I was very fortunate that there are no rust marks from the pins after being in there all that time.

It has taken quite some time to complete it, but now it is done it looks good.  All the same I wont be rushing to make another one any time soon !!!

Another small finish....

I found this stitchery (unfinished) in the cupboard last week, so I finished it off Saturday evening ....


and framed it yesterday........small but finished.


September Finish…

This has been a UFO for a few years… I joined the "STAR quilt-A-Long" with Melissa in 2010 ????

Star quilt-a-long

As it was the first ever Quilt-A-Long I made 6 of each block… Sew ended up with heaps of Star Blocks. I have made a few baby quilts from them and at our Retreat last year put this single bed flimsy together.

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This year at retreat I sandwiched it and started quilting it, then put aside again.. Sew now I have finally finished it ready to Hang at our Quilt Show in 10 days…..

Wonky Star Quilt. 2013

Yah!!!!!! Finish No.. 16
Hugz  Maria

http://maria-lifeontheblock.blogspot.com

September's 18th, 19th. 20th and 21th Finish



My daughter made this quilt over a year ago and asked me to bind it.....the Ghastly's are finally hanging up and ready for Halloween.

I was also to make my daughter pillowcases for the seasons and even though I've missed a year or two of seasons she now has two new pillow cases.


And my last September finish is this jelly roll which was just laying around waiting to be quilted......it's now quilted, bound and washed waiting to keep us warm in winter.


I've pulled out a few more items to finish and my goal is to post in October BEFORE the end of the month!

Happy Stitching!
Danette

Thursday, September 26, 2013

September from Susan

I've finished my September project.



As usual I don't really remember when I started this though I am sure it was more than 7 years ago.  Its about 60" square, a nice size to have over you - if it cools down a bit (32 in Brisbane today).

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Smocking & Stitching finished!

Hello to all! We are moved and settling quite well in a new state...a new city...our new home.
All is pretty much in their places, except in my sewing/quilting/crafting/art room. (Which I cannot wait to get organized).

Meanwhile, I would love to share a few photos of the little smocked apron-dress for our little grandbaby. She was the flower girl to our son's wedding at the beginning of this month.


I love, love, love the Australian Smocking & Embroidery magazines! And I am sad to hear that they will no longer be publishing them. Are there any of you, who have some of these magazines they would like to sell?

This particular pattern by Kathy Dykstra, was in Issue 88, that a dear friend shipped to me when they were in Australia.

It is a little different smocking that I did, since I couldn't seem to stop! lol   And I was sooo happy that this fit our little "bunny", since she does not live near us and I had to guess on her actual size.  And the pattern was for a bigger girl, but I was able to "cut down the size".  



This is all one piece; however, it looks like a layered apron over the ruffled underdress.

On my Smocked & Stitched post on my blog, I wrote and posted more photos of our little flower girl in action (She definitely is in constant motion :o)

And for the groomsmen, I also was able to finish bow ties and hand embroider their initials on them, so they could keep "track of them"...which I was also very happy that they fit! There were 8 groomsmen, but I sewed an extra one for our son.  He loves bow ties, but just to be a little different, he wore a dark navy on navy tie.

(clockwise...first top left: 3 of the 8 groomsmen; top right: our younger daughter Girly~Whirly & her hubby; one of his best men and our son the groom; three groomsmen before their speeches; our older daughter's hubby and our grandbaby with another groomsman).

Thank you Wendy and Dawn for this wonderful blog of Sew Its Finished! And thank you to all of you with your inspiring finishes! I hope to get to more piecing of some quilt tops...

Blessings & Aloha!



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Such a little finish

This is such a small finish that I am not sure I should even put it here, but it may be the only finish for the month so it is going up.
I had these 4 small blocks (about 4 inches square) left over from a Christmas table topper I made a couple of years ago - though the blocks were made way before then.  To move them from my UFO storage I decided I could stitch them together and now have reversible coasters.



Sunday, September 22, 2013

Ghosts!

Hi everyone!  I am leaving to visit a friend for a week and thought I better get this posted before I leave! 

This quilt is about 4 years old I think.  My friend Vicki and I saw this somewhere and this is our interpretation of that quilt.  so I can't give you  any other info.  Oh wait. I remember the haunted house  - we got that from a Patrick Loose table runner book we both had.  The ghosts were  clip art on the internet. 



Its lap size.  some of the fabric glows in the dark.  And it's done!!!  finished!!!  Yeah!!! 

thanks and hugs.....

Saturday, September 21, 2013

It's a FINISH :)

I've been working on this off and on for over a year, I finally can call it FINISHED :)


Friday, September 20, 2013

Starry cabins

This is the name that I have given to this sweet little table topper or lap rug. Made from star and log cabin blocks that I have received from Christmas quilting block swaps Australia. It's lovely how they all tie in together.

I started collecting the log cabins in 2011 and the stars in 2012 so it was definitely a UFO in the pipeline.




Post or Pre Election

Considering I had started this quilt to have hanging during the last election season here in the states, I am late.  BUT ... if I want to consider it for upcoming elections, I am plenty early.  It's all about the way you look at it.  Right?

At any rate, it is now quilted and bound.  I really like the way it ended up too.  I am glad to put it in the "finished" pile.



Wednesday, September 18, 2013

It's a hoot

I have just made this owl quilt, this is the fourth version of this quilt that I have made, the first for my grandson, every one loves owls.

It's backed in this super spot fabric that reminds me of smarties

 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Market Bag #39...

I drew out this stitchery long ago when it first came out in Homespun Vol 11 No.5 ...... A design by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches ...

In the last couple of months I have done the stitchery having planned to make a little wallhanging ....



... but then I found spare 5" blocks of my Little Apples fabrics and they just seemed perfect for a fresh market theme.....

 so I cut them into smaller blocks and sewed them back together....


and found some olive green for straps and lining 


It's about 14" by 16" so enough to carry some yummy market fruit and veges


I put a little pocket inside...enough for a purse and a phone
... and a little doohicky to hang your keys on....


Righto, Gotto Go..... 
 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Christmas Ornies # 38



I had a panel with a whole lot of these little squares which I backed with felt and sewed around the edge and pinked the sides... that was sometime last year ....




..... now I have added a ribbon to the top and a bell to the bottom (on some of them)

They have been made them up into these decorations... there are quite a lot of them - this is a selection and I think they will be quite sweet hanging on a branch later this year ... or being put in an envelope for a 'Christmas Card' ornie

.... whatever I do I'm glad to have that box emptied and out the cupboard ...

.... only a few months till Christmas... so it's time to get them done!!

Monday, September 2, 2013

UFO tick....KARTS tick....


This table topper is from 2005 . See it doesn't sound so bad when it is in tiny print. The top was made and most of the quilting was finished. I wanted to wait until I could do free motion quilting before finishing the border. Well that still hasn't happen, has it! So some very simple lines around the border, then the binding and it was all done.



This was a KARTS - kitted and ready to start - from 2011, I think. It is for my nephew's 30th birthday (last January). I don't always run this late, thank heavens. The quilt is called 'Head Over Heels' and was designed and kitted-up by Liisa Dawson of The Quilter's Corner. I added a bit of extra fabric as my nephew is very tall. Let's hope he likes it.
I am really pleased to be able to cross these 2 off my UFO list. Now to tackle the rest of the list!

Kayly