Determined

Hi all,

I am determined not to let my problems with my blog stop me from blogging any longer!

Spring Showers Jacket

A few weeks ago I was looking at my google + account and freaked out that my photos setting was public. So I changed to the setting to private and like magic all my photos from the last 6 months of blogging have disappeared.

My first piece of Cotton + Steel

I have figured out that I need to setting to be public do that I can share the photos myself. So I have put the setting back but that hasn't restored all the photos that went walk about. I will gradually work my way through uploading them over the next few weeks.

Another Afternoon Delight block

I was so annoyed when I realised what had happened that I was ready to give up. But my blog is like my diary, even if no one else reads it I can still look back and see what I have done.

I have included some photos because it's not a post without them :) I will do another post about the jacket soon, I am making a second one now so both my boys will have one.

Bye for now, Jess :)

 

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A few things!

Hi all,

I have a few things to share since I haven't blogged for a few weeks (not counting the Bloggers Quilt Festival posts).

First up is my Embroidery Club project from my local PWS. Last month the project was a needle case. I used a font and simple design that was already in my machine for the front.

The inside has little pockets and patches of wadding for used needles to be stored so you can find them later.

I am really enjoying these little projects that Cath comes up with every month!

I am doing some procraftinating at the moment, I really should be working on sewing some clothes but I keep finding other things to do! I used some leftover triangles to make a little quilt....I am only giving sneak peeks because it is supposed to be a surprise.

And a look at the quilting. I am hoping to quilt it's much bigger friend, my V is for Violet quilt, tomorrow on the quilting machine - unless my sore throat gets worse, but at the moment I feel better than I did last night.

I pulled out a handbag that has been a WIP for a long time and did some work on it.

Still not finished as it is getting quite tricky now so I am just looking at it while I work on other things. Like putting together this little bundle for a block I drew up on EQ7 and am having a play with...do you think I need to add another colour? I have changed some of the low volumes so it is not so matchy matchy.

Oh, and lastly I finished another block for the Afternoon Delight quilt.

Bye for now,

Jess :)

 

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Getting back on the horse

Hi all,

Well, getting back on the blogging horse anyway!

It has been ages since I have really been in the blogging groove. I haven't been keeping the blog up to date with what I am working on. I have been posting a lot on Instagram and I think then I don't bother putting it on the blog too. I know everyone can't access Instagram and there are probably some that don't want to so I will try to get back into the groove. I should be finding it a lot easier to blog now that I can do it on the Ipad.

I haven't been keeping my Facebook page up to date either...I have been sharing most things on my personal page.

So what have I been doing lately?

I have been working on a commission quilt for my cousins little girl. I have called the quilt "V is for Violet", I still need to quilt it. I hope to get the wadding next week when I am at the local PWS and will wait until the holidays are over to get to the quilting.

I am slowing getting appliqué blocks done for the Afternoon Delight quilt. These are the last few blocks and I have another one nearly finished, I work on these when we watch a bit of TV after the boys are in bed.

The other major project is the Midnight at the Oasis quilt. I have started working on the 2nd last border which is lots and lots of little squares!

I think I will try to blog every Friday night and see how it works out. Thank you for reading all the way to the end if you made it!

Bye for now, Jess :)

 

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Blocks galore!

Hi all,

I have been busy catching up on bee blocks. I had September and October to do and now I am up to date!

Block 1 for September

Block 2 for September. These are both 16” blocks so nice and big!

The blocks for October.

I am really enjoying this bee, it is the Ausmod Bee. Every month is different – I wonder what next month holds!

And I have some more Afternoon Delight blocks to share.

    
Now I have a couple of swap projects to work on as well as the star burst quilt to finish!

Bye for now, Jess :)

lost that lovin’ feeling

Hi all,

I have to admit that for the last few weeks I have completely lost the “blog” loving feeling! I have had no desire to read blogs or do my own blog posts….

I can’t really explain why, maybe it is just that I have a lot going on in my life that has nothing to do with my blog and creativity. Maybe I should share more about my real life but I notice when I do posts that aren’t sewing related readers lose interest so I don’t know, I kind of feel like what is the point. If all blogs are sugar coated versions of our lives are we really inspiring each other or just putting ourselves and others under pressure to be “perfect” when that concept just doesn’t exist.

Not that I expect answers but - Do you want to know more about me, what makes me tick or should I just stick to the creative stuff?

I did get a tiny bit of sewing done this month, a skirt for a wedding that I haven’t taken a photo of and a pouch for my partner in the Sweet Pouch Swap, I will share pics of that when my partner has received it.

I will leave you with a picture of one lonely little block from the Afternoon Delight quilt.

 
Sorry for my rant….

Jess

Progress is being made

Hiya,

I have been making some progress on a few of the quilts I am working on. The first one is a long term project…I work on these while we watch TV, at the moment we are watching our way through the Star Trek Voyager series so I am getting some serious stitching time!

Block 6 of the Afternoon Delight quilt by Sue Garman.

And block 8.

Next up is the Easy As ABC QAL over at Blossom Heart Quilts.

I have made D now but E is still to be done, hopefully this afternoon I can get E finished.

And finally my quilt for Christine’s scrap challenge. She gave us a bag of scraps and we have to turn them into a mini quilt, we can use some of our own fabrics too. All I have added is the brown and red solids.

This is going to be a mini scrap vomit quilt. My squares are 1.5” cut size so 1” finished. Four blocks down only about 14 to go!

I am getting called to make Vegemite toast by my sick little guy so I better get back to my no. 1 duty!

Bye for now, Jess

Bee blocks and ponderings…

Hi all,

I am still here, just doing a lot of thinking and not a lot of sewing! Thinking or pondering really is counterproductive!

I did get these bee blocks made though -

This is called Evening Star. A great paper pieced block!

This one is Lucky Pieces. Both are for Bronwyn who was queen bee for March in the Ausmod Bee.

And I have finished another block for the Afternoon Delight quilt. It only took a month, need to get back into these!

And what have I been thinking about? Well, I am wondering if I have time to make a clutch for the engagement party this weekend – but I fear I have wasted too much time thinking about it!

I have been thinking about how to rearrange my sewing space and fit it all in, I really need to pull everything out and sort it out. But that will be a huge task, so will have to wait until I have more time LOL

I am worrying about how to help my kids so they don’t fall behind at school. My grade two-er is struggling to keep up, he is supposed to be getting some extra support but until that happens I wonder what I can do to help.

Oh, the worries of being a creative mum!

On a side note – I feel awesome today! Smokin’ hot LOL I had my hair done this morning and it is the best haircut and colour I have had in years. And she straightened it for me, something I have never done before and I love, love, love it! Tomorrow I am going to buy one of those things!

Good times

Hi all,

I feel like the excitement is back! I have had a really difficult 4 to 6 weeks with some family issues and it really made me sad, mad, stressed and tired. And it killed my enjoyment of sewing…I really didn’t do much at all.

But I really feel like the excitement is back! Yay! I am wanting to sew, to make new things and finish old things too. The pouches were the first things I have really wanted to make for a long time and it felt good to be able to run with that desire to create!

This arrived today, which definitely added to my joy. My bundle of 24 fat quarters of text fabric! This is from a swap I joined on Flickr. I love them! A great array of low volume prints and some great colourful ones in there too!

These are such happy little blocks – the last two blocks for month 1 of the Afternoon Delight quilt.

Technically this is block 1 – although it is my 4th applique block. I finished this one at sewing day on Saturday, it has taunted me for a couple of weeks so it is a relieve to have it made.

And the same story, this is block 2 although it was the 3rd applique block I made.

I am skipping around a bit but trying to do one month at a time, otherwise I will get completely confused!

Today was the meeting for the North Brisbane Modern Quilt Guild, it was lovely to sit and chat and I started one of the blocks from month 2.

I think being able to meet up with friends over the last few days has also really helped me to get back in the swing of things. To see other people being creative makes me want to create too!

Well….

Hi all,

I don’t have a lot to say for myself at the moment….not a lot is happening, I have excuses but you don’t want to hear them do you LOL sick, sore back, blah de blah blah haha

If you follow my facebook page you probably have seen this picture, but for those of you who haven’t – this is 4 of the 6 blocks that make up Month One of the Afternoon Delight quilt. I am working on block 5 at the moment. You will get sick of hearing about this quilt!

I mentioned, I think, that I am making a Wedding Ring quilt this year. I would say this quilt would be on my ‘quilting bucket list’ if I had one!

These are the fabrics I am using for the ring parts….mostly Kate Spain’s Central Park (I think) with a few ring-ins. I have done some cutting at the last sewing night but nothing since and knowing me probably nothing until the next sewing night, but I am not rushing this one!

Honestly, I feel like playing with something even newer…

But I will resist until I have more time and feel better too.

BTW Angela Yosten has featured me, well particularly the Traffic Light quilt on her blog today! How awesome is that? Very exciting! You can go and check it out here.

Wednesday again!

Hi all,

I can’t believe it is that time of the week again! So what have I been working on? not much!

I made block 2 of the And Sew On BOM, it is called Seam Ripper for obvious reasons! I deliberately put one of the fabrics the wrong side up…that is for the unpicker to work on!

I mended the block that my little helper did some work on LOL I think once the quilt is together no one will notice my seam in the corner. To me will be a reminder of my little fella!

I have been enjoying getting little parcels every now and then with blocks for me. My turn in the QCA Bee 2 was January and a couple of blocks are still to come but this the ones I have so far.

Linking up to

Little helpers!

Hi all,

A little story.

My 4 year old is sitting on the lounge watching the Lorax, I notice it only has 10 minutes or so left so I think I will let him finish the movie before bed. What should I do, Oh I know, I will do some more work on the next block for the Afternoon delight quilt, I might get the block finished tonight I think hopefully….where is it, oh it as fallen on the floor…I pick it up and gasp in horror.

Hmmm, I show it to the child, “who did this?” I say with dismay and anger in my voice.
”I did it” he sheepishly admits. I turn off the movie and do the bedtime routine early as punishment.

It is hard to stay angry when he admitted guilt straight away and has said sorry repeatedly while brushing his teeth and going to the toilet. And this is not the first time this has happened, No 1 son did the same thing at the same age to the appliquéd border of my Baltimore quilt – it now has a pieced border.

Moral of the story – don’t leave your sewing in the lounge room were little hands can try to help!

On a brighter note, I finished putting together the top of the American Beauty quilt.

It is huge - 90” x 110”. I have to admit I forced myself to finish it today…I wanted to start other things but this was in the way. I am glad I finished it because it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I have that “what will I start now?!” excited feeling!

WIP Wednesday!

Hi all,

On Saturday I went to my first sewing day for this year, it was great to sit and sew with friends, new and old. We met at Christine’s, some of us are working on the same pattern but we could also bring whatever hand sewing we wanted to work on.

I picked up my new pattern pack for the Afternoon Delight quilt and quickly got to work!

This is my first block for the quilt and I am half way through my second block. I am using needle turn appliqué, mostly Kaffe fabrics and ‘Breeze’ Bella Solids for my background.

Unfortunately though I haven’t even turned my sewing machine on for nearly a week…really! So my American Beauty top hasn’t gone anywhere yet. I seriously need a motivational kick!

I am linking up to