Double finish

I've got my third finish from my 2013 Finish-A-Long list done!
My Spinning Star of London cushion!

I sewed the binding on this over the weekend and it's been in use on the armchair in the kitchen ever since. (Although the laundry room door is looking very bare since I took the block down!) And as we had gorgeous weather yesterday afternoon I ventured in the garden to get some photos. It's ended up being 18" so a good size.
We live in London and The Husband is a London Taxi Driver so the fabrics in this cushion are very relevant to our house.
It was my first go at hand quilting and hopefully will give me the kick I need to tackle the double bed size Spinning Stars quilt!?! But the middle did end up being quite puffy, which has been smoothed out by the pillow insert and I'm concerned that the quilt wont have any place to hide the bias puffiness! Argghh!

Anyhow, this week I also managed to get my NSSKal Socks finished, just in time for the last week of the Knit Along!!

I am really pleased they are finished, as even though I love the pattern and the colour of the wool, I'm just not that keen on the actual wool it's self. Also, I quite like more definite stripes like the last pair I made!
So details            

Pattern: Dead Simple Lace Socks from Socks from the toe up by Wendy D Johnson

Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl, Fortissima Color 

Duration: 4 weeks

I'm already planning on having a go at the Van Dyke sport weight socks from the book, just need to get some nice wool. 

Linking up with 

Wednesdays faffing!

I feel like I'm flitting from one project to another today, but without really getting anything really done!!
I started this morning with a delivery from Simply Solids for the Reverse Appliqué Pillow. I had ordered some Moda Cross Weave in Natural and it is gorgeous!! I'd never seen it before, but its got such a wonderful textured look and is really soft too!!

I'm so pleased I picked it over the linen. So thats the front nearly done! Just to get on with the back!
The printer was fixed yesterday (pulled out all the wires and popped them back in, followed by a swift kick), so I went mad yesterday evening printing all the templates for the paper pieced blocks I have to do (5!). I then pulled some fabrics so I was ready to go at nap time today.
Heres the waiting line.

I've finished two blocks and having a moment with one of them. It just wouldnt meet up, I'm not sure if the fabric wasn't ironed well enough or if I didn't check the printing scale.

It's not going to be a neat as it should, but I'll leave it for toady and fiddle with it tomorrow!
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Knit, knit, knit!

Thats what I have been doing a fair bit of over the last few days, but I still haven't finished my Next Step Socks!!
They are nearly there.......

But not quite!! Well, I do wear a size 7 shoe!!

Do you know how hard it is to get a decent photo when your wearing unfinished socks with very bendy needles running through them?? 

I am definitely on the home stretch!!

The next socks I start will be with slightly chunkier wool, I've already seen two patterns in the book that are Sportweight Socks and should knit up slightly quicker.
It's not that I've not enjoyed knitting them, it's just that they are such small items I feel slightly cheated that they are taking up so much of my evenings!!!

WIP Wednesday!

So, I finished my Happy-Go-Lucky quilt and you can see it in all it's glory here and I'm now busying away at finishing some cushions.
First up is my lone practise Spinning Star block. I have hand quilted it and assembled a back and now just have to get the binding sewn down.

Next, I've joined up all the green squares for the Holiday Surprise Reverse Appliqué Pillow from Pretty in Patchwork Holidays. This is for the sew along on Threadbias.

Just need to get the template enlarged, so I can attach the linen. Although I'm not too sure if the linen will fray too much? Would I be better with cotton?
A few people are making the valentine heart version and they look amazing, but I'm sticking with the tree, as I'll be early for Christmas, but late for valentines!! ha!
And last bit of progress this week is on my Woodland Sampler.

I spent some time on Saturday evening working on the February frame, it's such a cute cross stitch!!
Now that I don't have a quilt on the go I feel kind of bereft! Is this normal? I have the fabric and plans to start two new ones (but can't pick a background colours) and an idea for a Siblings Together one, but don't want to start until the boys are back at school next week.
Also, can I ask you all a technical question? I don't have any fancy quilt programs on my computer, but if I wanted to make a simple mock-up of a quilt for colour purposes, does anyone know a good easy way to do that on a Mac? Ta!
I'm off to see all the other WIP's over at

Happy-Go-Lucky ✓

It's finished!!!

I started this 29 weeks ago (according to Instagram) and made 26 of the 80 blocks needed and then put it aside!

It wasn't that I didn't want to finish it, but our holiday and other wip's pushed it lower on the to do list.
So, I added it to my first quarters list for the 2013 Finish-A-Long and have worked on it with renewed enthusiasm. And it's my second wip ticked off the list now.

And I flipping love it!! 

The C is the initial of our surname, as it's going to live on the sofa in the kitchen to be used by all of us.  It's the first time I've ever appliquéd anything and it came out well. 

I tried to FMQ it and it was quite an education in how inadequate both my sewing machine and muscles are!!! 

I used a Summersville Jelly roll for the blocks and Kona Cotton Solids Bone for the corners and monogramed block. The sashing and borders are Kona Cotton Solids Red (big thank you to Justine at Simply Solids for helping me via Twitter by guessing what red it was as I needed more and hadn't labeled it!!! Must remember to label all solids in future!!) 

It's backed in Britten Nummer fabric from IKEA and scraps of spots from an IKEA bed cover. I used Scandi in coal from Summersville (which is on sale for £8 per metre here) to bind it, so worked out a really cheap finish!! 

The pattern is from Simplify by Camille Roskelley, I've already pre-ordered her new book Simply Retro, I think I'm a bit of a fan!! 

It's the biggest quilt I've made, pre-wash it was 63x75 and has come out of the machine at 60x72 so is nice a wrinkly!!!  

And it has already been put to good use on Sunday night. 

Next Step Socks Update

We have a heel!! And it wasn't torture to make it.

I loved knitting this short-row heel, no picking up stitches! I really am useless at that, I'm never sure which bit to pick up! Just lots of wrapping stitches, which I did have to concentrate on!
They are really growing, especially when I've just looked back to last week. And it is making me work quicker knowing that I will have a pair finished at the same time. No dreaded second sock syndrome.....

I did say last week that I was concerned they were a little big, but actually they seem to be fitting quite well!
I now just have to follow the lace pattern on both sides of the sock until they are long enough, but so far so good.
Who knows, with half term approaching I may even finish these by next week. (I have just completely jinxed myself now, and no progress will probably be made!!!)
Thankfully I survived the madness of yesterday and after a 5 mile jog/run (yes you read right! This very unfit mother of 3 has finally built up in the last 4 months with the local running club to stagger run 5 miles!!!) I sat down at 9.30pm and I indulged in a glass of wine and a little hand sewing!!!  So I'm now off to see all the other NSSKal progress, read a load of blogs and look at my emails.
Is it friday yet.............

Wednesday mess!

So, today I will be ignoring the housework until school run and will either sitting on the sofa sewing the binding on my Happy-go-lucky in Summersville quilt and catching up on a bit of Sky+.

I'm so nearly done....... just the last half of the quilt to sew on!
Or, sewing these little stacks of green goodness into rows of 7, for the February make from Pretty in Patchwork Holiday sew along over on Threadbias.

From 3.30pm I need to clone myself as we have parents evening for two children followed by swimming lessons for middle son and then running club for me! Thats without feeding the poor mites and making pancakes as last night we were at kickboxing till nearly 7pm!!! (AND BREATHE!!) Can you tell I'm ready for half term!
I finally completed the Epi-Pen pouch, so thats ticked of the list!
I'm linking up, as ever on a Wednesday to

Epi-Pen pouch ✓

At last I've pulled my finger out and got on with putting together the pouch for my son's Epi-Pens and tablets and so have finished my something of my 2013 FAL list.

He gets so embarrassed taking them out with him to friends and parties, that we though a pouch with fabrics he chose would help him to keep them hidden. I'm also hoping it helps to keep things in one place for when I'm at work and no-one can find anything!! Why do men and boy need neon signs to see things right in from of their eyes!?!
After misplacing all the cut pieces and zip in the mess that is my laundry room, he had to re-pick the fabrics and picked Type, but then I found the missing bits in a very strange safe place (Phew! I get to hoard the Type for a little longer!!). So nice quick finish!!  The pattern is the Wide Open Zipper Pouch by Anna @Noodlehead and was super quick.
He had chose one of my favourite fabrics "Where's my 'Stache" by Alexander Henry and I lined it with Weave in Coal as I think they go together so well. I used some leftover wadding and stitched around the moustaches which you can't really see in the photos, but I really pleased with how it came out.

Whilst making it I also made myself a pouch to put all my Woodland Sampler stuff in, as it had been living in a HobbyCraft carrier bag!!!

I tried to FMQ a few topical word on the back!! They are very wonky but it's for me so don't really mind!!
So, thats 1 of 4 off the 2013 FAL list and the I'm very nearly finished my next one!!!  WooHoo!

Next Step Socks Progress.

So, after an hour of concentration and gallons of tea, I have managed to get my Dead Simple Lace Socks back on track and without a wonky lace in sight!! I was concerned I'd have to completely frog them and start again and was really hoping against that!! So, Phew!

They are slowly making their way up my foot, and I have to say it is a lot easier to try on socks for size using toe up and circular needles method. Last time I made socks, it was with dpns and it was a very tricky and painfull process trying them on for size!!

They are a bit big, but I'm not starting again......they can just be loose!!
I have to keep going with the pattern unitl I'm 2½" form the finished length of the sock. By using my last socks as a guide, I think I have about another 2" to knit until I start the heel.

I'm so pleased I joined up to the knit along as it gave me the push to give two at a time a go and the support on Instagram has been brilliant!!  
I can't wait to see everyone else's progress!!!

WIP Wednesday....Still quilting

My Happy-Go-Lucky quilt! It's getting there, but these children of mine keep requiring me to stop and do things for them, like feed them! And why do they have so many after school clubs and interests!!!
So it has been quite slow progress!

But, all that is left to quilt is the red borders, so I'm on the last leg of it. I hope to use Scandi in Red for the binding, I did want Weave in Coal but it's all gone!!
I even had a go at quilting a little message.

Other words were not so successful, but it was all good FMQ practise. It has used a massive amount of thread, I bought 3 reels of cream and really underestimated how many it would take, so ended up back at the shop. So far I've gone through 5 100m reels and that without the red!

The Epi-Pen Pouch is done (at last!) and I also made myself project pouch for my Woodland Sampler stuff to sit in nicely.  No photos yet!

Next on the list to tackle, is turning the lone Spinning Star practise block into a cushion and I think I might use the covered zipper method I used on the penguin cushion.

My BOM blocks are on hold at the moment, as I think a new printer might be needed. So still have those to catchup on too!
I'm linking up with

 

January was.........

Quick!!!
It flew by for me.
I made a few things, ignored quite a few too!!!

1. Lucky Stars practice block, 2. measure twice, 3. Pete the Penguin back, 4. Pete the penguin, 5. Happy-Go-Lucky in Summersville quilt , 6. January's done!!  #woodlandsampler #thefrostedpumpkinstitchery
Pete the Penguin is one of my favourite makes every!
I'm buried under that quilt top at the moment trying desperately to finish the quilting tonight!! But my sewing machine has other ideas and is not playing nicely!! And the biscuits from earlier have already had quite a dent made into them!! Send me lucky and wine..................

I'm linking this post up to

                                

A lace di-SAH-ster, dahling!!!!

I couldn't have put it any better than Craig Revel Horwood!!
This week I have been merrily knitting away at my NSSKal lace socks, only to discover I had made a mistake and the lace pattern on one of the socks was wonky!!!!
So I frogged the offending sock back to where it had all gone wrong and have left it to be dealt with when I'm not in such a grumpy mood!!

I plan on putting on DPN and working it back up to the same size as sock 2!!

Today I shall mostly be baking and sewing!!! I've been on a baking ban through January to stop too much cake in the house, but I fear this may be counter productive. As I've already made this batch of Green & Blacks Chocolate Shortbread Swirls this morning

and have a Blueberry and Soured cream loaf in the oven............... Oh dear.

I wonder how many biscuits will be left by school run time?? I'll be back later with my January makes for Fresh Sewing Day, when I get the post written..........Another biscuit anyone?!?

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