Twit Twoo! ✓

My Hootenanny Quit is all finished!

And I think it's rather cute!

With a real twinkle in his eye!
You can really see the variegated thread here and my wonky lines. It's the first time I've quilted using a quilting guide on the machine foot and I have to say it made straight lines an awfully lot easier, but obviously a guide can only help the quilter so much!!

He's all tied up waiting to be given to Son No.2 on Christmas Eve, but I grabbed a photo of it on his bed while he was at school.

I hope it goes with his brothers Giant Star quilt, but is different enough for him?

I loved making this quilt, the simplicity of working in blocks and building the layers up, a lot like log cabins, was very relaxing. I didn't layout the fabrics too much ahead and that did worry me that I'd get pockets of great fabrics and then lots of solids towards the end, but it's balanced out well.

The details

Pattern   -    Hootenanny by Boo Davis from Dare To Be Square

Fabrics    -    Kona Medium Grey for the background

                Constellations, Mirror Dot Ball and various Stash Club Kona Solids for the owl

                Ikea Britten Nummer Fabric with Kona Peacock for the backing. 

                For the binding I used Moon Phase Night from Constellations with more Kona Peacock. 

Quilting   -    Lots of horizontal lines using Gutterman Sulky 4034

Size       -      60" x 72"

And a special label just for him.

I know it's a strange phase for an 8 year old to like, but it can apply to learning as much as military training! I hope! 
So thats it off two list! My 2013 FAL list and my Making Christmas list, so does that counts as two finishes?? Please!

I'm linking up with the lovely Brit Quilters Clare and Liz

Making Christmas - Week 7

Twas a good week for sewing this week!
I've got a few things off the list and best of all, as of this morning I haven't added anything this week!!

I've finished my Polar Bear Cushion and while I was sewing, I made a friend for her, complete with pompom!

Petal the Polar Bear and Percy the Penguin! 

And on Thursday, after spotting the Blueberry Park Advent Calendar on the BT website I got myself in gear and sewed it together. 

The backing arrived for the Swoon, so I can post that off to Trudi on Monday. 

So the list is looking good…ish!! 

Swoon Quilt for the Parents - Sending it out on Monday! 

Hootenanny Quilt for Son No.2 - Need to get some photos of this washed 

Doll's House Mat for Rose - I've started and am on week 3 of the tutorial - Not touched! 

Christmas Table Runner -Finished 

Polar Bear Cushion - Finished

Christmas Book Report Dress of Rose -  Cheesy fabric has arrived
Hudl Cover
Advent Calendar - Finished
Thermal Curtains

The link up this week is at Nat of Made in Home, she has got a brilliant knitting list for present as well as a sewing one. 

I'm off out into the arctic weather for work and it's officially cold, as the thermal long johns are out!!!!  Now where did I put that hat from last year???

Introducing Petal and Percy!

You know when you really love something that your making, so you just keep sewing away at it/them and then before you know it, they are finished!

And you have two cute cushions made in two days!

Here's Petal the Pale Polar Bear!

And this is Percy the Pompom Penguin! (yes, I am going to keep with the alliteration, humour me, I've had a hard week!!!)

As I said in yesterdays post, they are paper pieced patterns by Sonia Callaghan from the fantastic Pretty in Patchwork - Holidays 

Yes I love this book, I've made at least 8 projects from it and am still not bored of it, even if you are! 

I used mostly scraps for the piecing and my favourite snowy sky fabric Aqua Skipping Squares from Sherbet Pips, that my lqs still has a tiny bit left of!! 

They were super easy to make and I just quilted them very simply following inside the seams. I then added a quick pompom to the Christmas hat instead of the cotton circle. I am under no illusions that the pompom will last, but it does make him very cute. 

I used solids from the stash club on the envelope backing, the red is Chinese Red, but I'm unsure of the grey. The bindings were both leftover scrap bindings from other quilts, but I slimmed it down to 2¼". They have finished up at 17", which is a little smaller than Pete the Penguin.

This is because I scanned the image, then enlarged them in pages and printed them in sections! I really couldn't be asked to go to get them copied, by the Shop Man who already thinks I have too many cushions, but who has never been in my house……..

Anyway, I absolutely love them!

They have been added to the pile of Christmas quiltiness that I am just waiting to scatter across the house. I have promised the husband no Christmasness until 1st December, but I don't know if I can wait that long for these two!

So, that another thing off my Making Christmas list!
But, now I'm thinking I might unpick the white binding from the original cushion and redo it in red? Arrgghhh!!!
I'm linking up with Kristy's

Antarctic Paper Piecing

I've been quietly sewing away this week and trying to keep things going on my FAL & Making Christmas lists!
And yesterday, I felt the need to sew something that was fun and cheerful, so cracked open some paper piecing from the list.
Here is the start of my Polar Bear cushion

 and while I was there, I also started a friend for the original Pete the Penguin!

These were made from a pattern by Sonia Callaghan (a serious paper piecing master!!) in Pretty in Patchwork - Holidays book, I made Pete back in January as part of the Threadbias Sew Along and we really loved him. Then, I went and promised the children I would make the other two from the book before Christmas…. now is time to keep that promise!  
I just need to sash these and as I don't have enough of the grey scribbles that I used before, I need to pick another.

Pearl Bracelets or Flowery Grey? Or maybe one in each?
I'm linking up with the lovely Liz and Clare

Making Christmas - Week 6 !!

Including today there are just 6 Saturdays to go until Christmas!!!

Arrggghhhhh!!!!! 

It's officially time to remove my head from the sand about homemade gifts!

I am so unprepared its a joke and all I keep doing is starting new things. Thank God that my Making Christmas list keeps reminding me what I need to be doing or ignoring! And, at least this week I also finished the item that I started!

My Stripey Reversable Christmas Table Runner is complete and off the list. Phew! 

The Hootenanny Quilt is just inches of binding and a label away from being finished and popped into the washing machine. 

And I have a few things to add to the list! 

This brilliant advent calendar need to be turned into this and with gifts by the 1st. 

I'm aiming for notes to lead the children to chocolate coins, books or a Lego Mini Figure rather than stuffing the pockets for little fingers to pinch! 

I really need to commit to making a curtain for the back of the front door too! I know it's not Christmassy, but it was something last winter I said I would do and the door is still bare and whistling a draft though it. I'm thinking this Ikea fabric with a thermal lining?!? 

And the other item to be added to the list is a Hudl Cover for my sister. She's not asked for one, but I thought one in Type would be a great Christmas gift for her tablet. 

So heres the updated list

Swoon Quilt for the Parents - Quilt top is complete awaiting the backing to send it to be quilted

Hootenanny Quilt for Son No.2 - Quilted and binding going on as you read! 

Doll's House Mat for Rose - I've started and am on week 3 of the tutorial - Not touched! 

Christmas Table Runner -Finished 

Polar Bear Cushion  

Christmas Book Report Dress of Rose -  Cheesy fabric is on its way from Fat Quarter Shop
Hudl Cover
Advent Calendar
Thermal Curtains

I'm so pleased with my progress, even if the new added items take me back to the original number on the list!
The temperature has really dropped in London this week and with talk of snow next week (I really hope that is just for headline grabbing newspaper sales!!!) it is slowly starting to really feel like winter is on the way.  I'll be freezing cold at work today, but hopefully will defrost this evening catching up with everyones Making Christmas lists which are at the brilliant Fiona of Celtic Thistle Stitches this week.

Stripey Le Challenge!

When I saw the theme for this months Le Challenge, I knew just what I wanted to make.
A stripey Christmas table runner! I then completely forgot and got on with lots of other projects until Tuesday, when I realised I had to get a wriggle on with it!!
I had seen two really gorgeous runners, here and here. That I wanted to put together, so had a bit of a plotting and HST-maths half hour and came up with this.

It's double sided, so when the children spill something on it I can flip it over and the table still looks pretty. Until any guest leave and then I can get the vanish out and pop it in the machine and moan at said messy children!!!

I used insulated wadding that I had bought last year and then added an extra layer of cotton wadding to make it more insulated on the reverse. So it is very thick and sturdy and was very warm while I was binding it last night!

The striped side was slightly bigger to help line it up, but getting it all straight was a tiny bit tricky, with all those layers. A few mumbled rude words may have passed my lips!

I quilted it following the chevron pattern, as I thought to would be quick,

and add detail to the striped side.

My most favourite Christmas fabric!! I love those Reindeers! 

And for the binding I used a hoarded bit of Ruby fabric.

I'm really cross that I didn't add the lace detail on the stripe, like the one I pinned, but I just forgot.
It finished up 44"x18", which is a tiny bit bigger than my quilt maths planned, but heyho! Quilt maths is not my strong point and it is the perfect size for the table.

It's now in the cupboard with the pile of Christmas cushion covers that I am just itching to break out from last year!
Thats another thing of my Making Christmas list! It's coming around very quickly!! Also, I am so pleased that I haven't had to buy anything new to make this runner! Everything came from my stash, although I do have a very healthy stack of Christmas fabric, thanks to a win from last year! And I am determined to make a dent in them this year and not buy anymore......... whoops!

Go and see the other stripy creations at

I'm also linking this up with the lovely Liz and Clare for Brit Sewing Thursday! 

Making Christmas - Week 5

This weeks progress has all happened in the last few days, as I have been waiting for bits to arrive to carry on or finish things up.

The biggest finish for this week is my Swoon Top!

I'm am jumping up and down happy with this quilt top! It is a mahousive 96"x96" and definitely the biggest quilt I will ever make! My back is still suffering from that last border. I need to order the backing and get this off to a longarm quilter! There is no way I'm even going to attempt to tackle this beast.
Any UK people got any experience with an England based longarmer, who will offer quilting advice and a good price??

The next bit of progress from the list, is that I've got the backing together for the Hootnanny Quilt and the wadding finally arrived yesterday.

So this afternoons task is to get that basted.

And lastly, I've finally sterted on the Dolls House Mat. it's all cut and I've got all the windows assembled, I just need to start putting them onto the door panels and adding the details.

And make the storage boxes for the roof, but this needs brown thread and I'm rather lacking in brown, so I'm off to Hobbycraft in the morning.

The list is looking ............

Swoon Quilt for the Parents - Quilt top is complete 

Hootenanny Quilt for Son No.2 - Basting it 

Doll's House Mat for Rose - I've started and am on week 3 of the tutorial

Christmas Table Runner - I'm going with stripe and chevrons. 

Polar Bear Cushion  

Christmas Dress of Rose - I now know I'm going to make another Book Report Dress in Christmassy Cheesy fabric! 

Like a work in progress!!
I'm off to Whims and Fancies to link up my makes and see other peoples progress, you should see the brilliant festive Pencil Case Tutorial that Soma has shared.

Filling the time!

I have ran out of Kona White! My local quilt shop only sells Makower white and you can really see the difference in them, so I have to wait! I don't like waiting!
So, what do you do when you are waiting for the deliveries, to finish things from your list of wip's?
Start another one!

Please tell me it's not just me!!
But, I had sewing time and couldn't do anything...honest Miss!!!
So I attacked a a pile of 5" squares and made a baby girl quilt top!
My old school friend is pregnant, with only 5 weeks left and doesn't want to know what she is having, so I'm going to make one of each!
I need the Kona white to get the Swoon blocks sashed together and for my wonky stars. I'm also waiting for wadding (my LQS only does polyester wadding too!) to get my Hootenanny Quilt together, I did piece the backing for that as well to help fill the time!! Yes, more Ikea Britten Nummer, with a strip of Kona Peacock.

I'm off to stalk the postman, start on this amazing dolls house mat and maybe cut some more charm squares.....
Watch this space for a pile of blue and green fabrics to be picked and attacked!
I'm linking up with the lovely Liz and Clare.

Making Christmas - Week 4

Week 4!!...... where did the last one go to! They are coming around very quickly!
This week I have finished off all of the Swoon blocks for my parents quilt, but I now have a Swoon Dilemma!

My parents bed is King Size so I need to make the quilt bigger than the 80"x80" it should end up.
SO, should I make another 3 blocks, taking it to 12 and increase the sashing to 3.5" making it ......108"x85"ish!

or 

keep it at 9 blocks and increase the sashing to 3.5", add cornerstones and an extra border in one of the Happy-go-Lucky fabrics

or 

Still keeping it a 9 blocks but add 3 skinnier borders

I would probably use the blue or aqua dot for the border and cornerstones.
But, I'm at a loss!
Suggestions on a postcard please!

The list is looking not very changed!

Swoon Quilt for the Parents - Possibly all the blocks done 

Hootenanny Quilt for Son No.2 - Quilt Top is complete 

Doll's House Mat for Rose, I want it to go on the wall!?!

Christmas Table Runner - I keep getting distracted searching for ideas on Pinterest! 

Polar Bear Cushion  

Christmas Dress of Rose - I now know I'm going to make another Book Report Dress in Christmassy Cheesy fabric! 

With October flying by like it did, I really need to get a shift on!

Go and have a peek at the other Making Christmas posts at Janine's! (Can't link it as posting from my phone!!) 

So long, October!

Yet another month has whizzed me by! And that Christmas time of the year is fast approaching! You can't ignore it, I know, I was trying!

So, my makes for October were.

Astonishing!
I've shocked myself!!
I think the lure of the new sewing machine got me sewing a lot more than I normally do!
Well I have to make the cost worth it!

minutes sewing ÷ cost of machine = money well spent! 

But, I genuinely didn't think I'd churned out as much!
I'm off to lie in a darkened room and then have a browse at everyone else's makes!

I'm linking up with the lovely Lynne's