One a Day hexagons

It was a quiet weekend here, due to the fact I had a self inflicted headache!! But this meant that we all stayed in and I managed to get cracking with my hexagons. I have completed two a day and have now got a grand total of 133 colourful hexagons.

I spoke last week about it maybe going on the bed, so I decided to try it for size......

If I decided to make it for there I will have to add to the width, as well as the length. But it's not as far off as I thought it would be, we do only have a double bed though.
I always planned on this being a blanket for the sofa but I could be persuaded to keep it on the bed.

I'm off to ponder what to do, and whilst I do I'll be hopping over to Carole at Gingerbread Girl to see all the progress of the other One a Dayers.

I'm sew happy.....

I have caught up with the blocks in the Sew.Happy.Quilt Along. (until tomorrow!!!)
I have knuckled down this afternoon and have made

Template Star block

And Fireflies block

I can really see the difference in how I have lined these blocks up, compared to the first two. Nothing beats a bit of practice!
Here they are all laid out together

The tutorials have been so great and easy for a newbie like me to follow.
There are some fantastic blocks over in the Flickr group, please go and have a peek if you get the chance.
Now, I'm off to finish my one a day hexagons for tomorrows post.

Monthly Make for January

This year I have made a pledged over at The Felt Fairy to make something each and every month. I have done this in the hope that it will make me finish projects within a short time frame. I have been known to get so swept up with a new craft or project that I overload my time and things get forgotten and put to the side. Also with the arrival of my own sewing machine I thought this would be a good motivator to make something that does not involve knitting or crochet.
So for my make this month I dusted off the kit that came with my Cath Kidston Sew! book, that I bought ages ago!!! I shut myself in the kitchen with my machine and with the provided material and instructions.

 And this is what I have made.

It is being used to store my one-a-day wool at the moment, but as my model was quite taken with it I might have to add another buttonhole to shorten the strap so she can play with it.  I am so impressed that it came together. I have to say the instructions were a bit general and I'm glad I wasn't a complete beginner as I may well still be sitting there now!!! But I managed button holes, nearly straight sewing and a rouleau loop?!

But as it was a provided kit I did feel like I was cheating a bit, so I cast on a cardigan I had been planning to make for Rose and over the last 3 weeks I have knitted it up. It's from Debbie Bliss Eco Family and is called Saskia's lace detail cardigan but I did used a different wool than was recomended. I managed to get some Rowan Cashsoft Baby dk in John Lewis clearance after Christmas so decided to use this. I loved that the colour is called Pixie!!!

It's a bit big for her as the last one I made just fitted and didn't really get much wear, so I decided to make it for the summer. I've not made my mind up about the buttons, I was hoping to use these great spotty ones but I might have a look around before I sew them on.

All of the other January Monthly Makes are in the Flickr group, please go and have a look as there are lots of wonderful different things that people have posted. I'm not sure what I've got planned for next month, but hopefully I will be inspired in the next week.......... so it gives me plenty of time to get it finished.

One A Day....Tuesday's Tallies

We've had a busy week at home, but somehow I have managed to keep on track with my hexagons. 
I have added 14 hexagons to my blanket and now have a total of 119. It really feels like it is growing at a great pace, I'm not sure how big I want it to be, but I thought I could be approaching the half way mark. 

Although my husband has commented that it would look great on our bed!!!! So I would only be at the quarter stage......we will have to see. 


I love that having this blog allows me to look back and see the progress. I know I would never have taken pictures if they wouldn't have been to post on here. 

                 

                                             

I'm off over to Gingerbread Girls to see the updates from the other One A Dayers, please do go and have a look here to see them all. 

Starting my to do list....I will sew a quilt!!!

Like many people I'm sure, I have a list of crafty things I would love to learn. Through blogging and Pinterest that list has gotten increasingly long, so I decided this year I need to tackle some sewing goals. One of my aims of this year is to learn quilting and to have a quilt by Christmas.

I have been longingly following bloggers that have the most wonderful quilting expertise and also access to the most fantastic fabrics and I dream of making quilts like this.  But first I need to start with the basics and as I showed you back here I have taken the leap and bought some fabric. I have also been reading books from the library to learn any tricks and must do's.

I have seen many Quilt-A-Longs that had great squares each week, but as a complete beginner I was worried about joining, incase the squares or tutorials were too tricky for a novice. Until  before Christmas, when I saw Sew Happy Geeks QAL, what drew me in was Jenna's statement that a beginner could join up as things would be taken slowly and would build up to more difficult squares. 

So over the last week I have cut the fabric and followed Jenna's very clear and precise tutorials and produced these. 

Woven block

Snowball block

Friendship Star block

and QST Pinwheel block

They are not all perfect and some may(!!) have been ripped out and re-sewn, but I am jump up and down happy with myself that I've done them. I'm also not sure of the colours in the snowball block, but that will have to be left until I have more time or get used to it.
I still have one more block to complete until I'm up to date , but it looks a bit tricky and will have to be done when I have silence and uninterrupted time (when the boys are at school and Rose is having a nap).
Also thank you to Jenna at Sew Happy Geek for the most wonderful clear and free tutorials any mistakes are my own and have nothing to do with her!!!!

This post is my Resolved to Sew 2012 and I hope to be able to create more quilts if I could every win a prize from the most amazing giveaway over at Very Berry Handmade. The prizes would make any fabric lover do a jig!!! (I did)
I hope you have had a wonderful weekend, I'm off to have a celebratory glass of wine and I leave you with one last picture of them all together.

Tuesday's Tallies

I am pleased to say this week I have got my two hexagons a day finished!
This takes me to the grand total of 105 gorgeous hexagons now in my blanket. I so pleased to have reached 100 and think I will try to keep up with the two a day.

My photos are not the greatest even though I took them this morning and it is quite bright, but I did have an assistant......

I have used most colour combinations now so it back to the beginning with my chart! I must say it has been so useful as I know I would have favored colour groups by now. I still have far too many purple and yellow combinations even with the chart.

Well, I'm off to catch up with everyones progress over at Gingerbread Girls. Please do take a look there are the most wonderful projects being worked on. xx

NO more excuses

            
                                Delighted! Riley Blake fabric, a photo by RoseDahlia on Flickr.

The postman has delivered some fabric that I have been ordering over the last few days. It's from a range called Delighted! and is a Riley Blake fabric. I am hoping this will be going into my first quilt!!
I have really been wanting to start a quilt but have been making loads of excuses... no sewing machine.....I will get it wrong....Im a beginner... and loads more like this.
My mum has ended one excuse, by buying me my own machine. So now I just have to get on with it.
I am hope to join in with a Quilt ALong, which has already started over at SewHappyGeek. She assures us that beginners should find it fairly easy!!
So as soon as the last few solid colours arrive I will be starting. With NO MORE EXCUSES ;-)
Wish me luck.....please

First of the year for Tuesday's Tallies

One a Day is back..... Hurrah.... I finished my temporary One a Day, which was the Custard Scarf for my mum for Christmas and you can see it here.
My hexagon One a Day was put on hold back in mid November, so I could get some crafty presents finished.  I am really pleased I set it aside, as it let me have a good rest from the blanket. I really do love this blanket, but wrestling with the colours every week can become boring. But now this break has made me look forward to getting back to it.

This week I got my seven hexagons done and am now at the grand total of 91. I can't wait to hit the 100 mark and hope to get 2 finished each day this week. 
If I don't get a wiggle on this blanket could take forever!!


Here it is, all 91 hexagons of colour. 

I can't wait to see everyones One a Day and hope you will all hop over to Carole at Gingerbread Girls to see all the wonderfully woollie projects and progress.  

Shhhhh......can you hear that?

No. Nothing......It's bliss!!
For the first time since the 17th December the house is quiet. My little Pickle is having her nap and the boys went back to school this morning.
I have to say I am missing having the boys chattering around, but we were all desperate for normal routines to resume. Also I think they wanted to get back to school to see their friends, they must have had enough of me by now.

So this morning has given me the chance to peek at some of the Christmas present I was very lucky to receive. I was very spoilt this year, although I believe my mum may have had her own motives!!
After nearly a year of 'borrowing' her sewing machine my mum bought me this little beauty.

I am so excited, I can't wait to get using it. She also got me this sewing box to go with it.

I am quite ashamed to say I had been using an old shoe box until now. I feel very special indeed and my mum now has her own machine back with her! 

So, with these as inspiration I have pledged to do a make a month with the Felt Fairy. You can see the link in my sidebar.  I have been looking though some of my books to pick a project and think as a complete Cath Kidston addict I might make something from here. 

I hope you had a wonderful new year, full of love, laughter and fun. 

I am looking forward to all the things that I can make and enjoy in 2012. I feel really pleased that 2011 was the year I took the plunge and joined the wonderful blogland. I am stunned by the comments, ideas and encouragement that is shared by everyone and feel honored that people listen to my ramblings and take the time to leave me a comment. xx