They are multiplying!!!

It's an illness…

26 more made, making a total of 170 Economy Blocks.

Look at those gorgeous fabrics, perfect for fussy cutting that I got from #greatukfabricdestash, so really it's not my fault I'm still making them!

Just another 26 more to make until I'll have enough, I promise! ……Well, hopefully I will be really sick of them by then!

I'm linking up with

Pink Wonky Star Quilt ✓

Sometimes, when things are not going as easy as I like with sewing or knitting, I ignore them. I pop them in the wip pile, bury it under something and carry on with the next pretty sparkly thing.
That is what happen with this Pink Wonky Star Quilt. two blocks made their first appearance in April on my Q2 list, after having an idea of an improv fussy cut wonky stars quilt, for my daughter Rose. I though it would all piece together nice and easy like a jigsaw once the blocks were made.
How wrong was I?
It turns out making thing in an improvised way is really tricky for me, it makes me twitch and worry …… but after being put on the FAL list 4 times, it is finally DONE!!!!

And oh how I love it!

I quilted it in a spiral and used this tutorial to get me going and make sure that I was sewing the right/easy way around (clockwise….I think!!). I agreed with the majority and bound it in grey sketch, (the remix lives to see another day!)

The back was pieced with lots of leftovers.

And I made a quilt label, just so she knows it's all hers and added a scooting girl form Sherbet Pips (thanks Mary!), as she is a scooting demon!!

The details 

Pattern - Wonky Pink Star improvised randomly from my crazy head

Size - 42"x50"

Fabric Quilt Top - Out to Sea, Sherbet Pips, Pam Kitty Love, Posy, Heather Ross scraps and Kona White

Quilt Back - Out to Sea map panel, Sherbet Pips, Sketch Flannel and Chevron

Quilted - By me in a spiral

Binding - Sketch in Grey

I'm so so pleased I persevered with this quilt and I love how it's looking in Rose's room, 

Especially with the pink porthole cushion,  did I mention I don't like pink……

So that one finish of a possible six, moving on to the next one on the list!

A binding issue?

I've been a bit absent this week around here, I think I've had a #greatukfabricdestash hangover! IG was full of UK based people selling their fabric wares on Sunday night and I might have purchased a few bits! And have been enjoying stalking the postie for the last few days.

Anyway, I have been trying to fit sewing bits in around the crazy first part of this week. Tuesday consisted of.

Piecing a backing for my Pink Wonky Star quilt, then basting and starting the quilting on it.
I finished up the quilting yesterday, but that leaves the question of binding.
What do I pick?

Scrappy, grey sketch, multi-coloured remix or some Joel Dewberry honeycomb?

I may just go into shock if I actually cut into the delicious remix, I've pulled it out at least 10 times to use on different projects and every time it's been deemed too pretty to cut into and popped safely back into the stash!

I'm still ignoring putting my #economyblocks together and dare I say it, wondering if I shouldn't make a few more……..

I'm linking up for the first time this year with some lovely Brit Sewists!

Fabric heroes

I have been paper piecing over the last few evenings, thanks to the football being on tv and have finished this

I found this brilliant pattern by Clare of BeeKnee Hoonies on Fandom in Stitches, it is a fantastic website for paper pieced character patterns. (I'm already thinking of muppet pillows for a kermit mad friend!)
I just need to add another border in white, give Finn a mouth and then turn them into cushions. I've bought this brilliant Super Hero Words fabric by Minds Eye for Riley Blake to back them in.

 I just need to decide if I should bind the cushions or not?!?

bound                     unbound

I was thinking a solid blue or red to pull it together?

And my final 3 economy blocks are done! WooHoo!

I've not laid them all out again, the next time I lay all 144 blocks out it's to get a final placement and get them together! And that won't be till next week now! 

I'm linking up with the lovely Kristy's 

The hit list

Last year the FAL was great at getting me to turn my Wips' into finished usable things, but alas I kept starting new things. So the pile is still as high and I have another list to start this year!

For Q1 I would like to get finished.

Pink Wonky Stars

This need a backing to be pieced, then quilted and bound.

Woodland Sampler

This has to be finished and turned into something, be it framed or sewn into something.

HST's Cushion

These are the off cuts from my Swoon quilt that I sewed and trimmed before Christmas and then left in a project box untouched.
They need to be sewn together, quilted and assembled into a cushion cover.

Adventure Time Cushions

This 'Finn the Human' block and his soon to be finished friend 'The Ice King' need to be embroidered, quilted and assembled into cushions before a birthday on Valentines day!

The Economy Addiction

I need to make 3 more blocks and then stop procrastinating and get them together, quilted, bound and in use.

Baby Girl Quilt 

I don't have a baby to give this to, as it was made incase my friend had a girl, she had the boy and that quilt was gifted. But, I would still like to get this quilted, bound and ready for if one does pop out! (NOT from me!!! Just any random friend who might!)

And I think that is it……. 3 cushions, 2 quilts, 1 small lap/baby quilt and a cross stitch.

I'm sure the Finish A Long taskmaster, that is Ms Katy this year, will ensure that we keep on track, well I hope she does! I think I need a big kick to get these all finished.

Economy Update!

I've made 141 economy blocks and I am a little sick of trimming them!

I don't know how I ended up with 1 extra, but that is definitely my favourite one…
But, now that I've laid them out, I need to make another 3!

As I like the 12x12 block layout, why can I not like the 10x14!!!

That will give me a 60"x60" quilt, which I think would be quite a good size for me to use on the sofa.
I have to show you my other 3 favourite blocks for today,

tomorrow it might be a different 3, but I am definitely in love with Catnap!
I think you can tell, I got fed up of just scraps and might have cut into some precious fq's.

But to get scraps you need to use the fq's right?
This has helped me realise I really need to concentrate on buying greens, I have so little green and I really didn't know I had hoarded such cute fussy cutting fabric. Although I did get some great scraps from the I'm a Ginger Monkey scrap bundle I bought before Fat Quarterly Retreat! So thanks Katy for using great fabrics…...

Adventures in paper pieced pattern drafting!

Resolutions are normally made to be ignored in this house! Which is why I started the Economy Block Along just a day after saying I wouldn't start anything new!!
But, so far I've stuck to the dryathlon, even if I think it was thought up by an angry teetotaller and I've ran three times this week, which has added up to 12 miles. I know this won't last more than two weeks, I'll be a drunk heap without a run under my belt by the last week of January!

Anyway…… one of my sewing resolutions was to get an idea out of my head and onto paper/fabric. My sons friend is obsessed with a cartoon character and I have really been searching for a pattern for it, but have only been able to find two other characters from the series.
Before Christmas with my sons and Google Images help (having never watched it myself) I drew an outline of him.

Yesterday, whilst feeling in a clever/mad mood I sat down and drew, redrafted and threw away a rough paper pieced pattern. 

Then once the children were in bed, I went back to it and when I could finally find no other reason to delay actually sewing it, I made this!

The question is, does he look like he should?
Do you know who he is?
If not, heres what he should look like!

ps. I've also finished all 141 (I don't know how I ended up with the 1!) economy blocks, but after laying them out realise I need 3 more for the 12x12 layout I like! So, I'm off to lie in a dark room to contemplate making more when I thought I was done……..

I'm linking up with the amazing Queen of paper piecing

Just keep sewing…….

The obsession continues.

Another 35 blocks means

I'm now at 70 economy blocks!!

With another 70 cut!

Don't judge my mess! I'm seriously addicted to making these!

Some I LOVE and some I really do NOT!!! But at the minute, they are all staying.

Please send something to make me stop!
The nagging from the children and husband is not working and it's all this lady's fault for sharing her stunning quilts!

It is also becoming dangerous to photograph!

The things I do for blogging a sewing addiction……..

ps And now there is a Flickr to group for the addicts to share photos and they are just amazing!

I'm linking up with

2013 FAL - How did I do?

It's the time to see if my  Q4 list was a hit, a miss or a maybe.

Back in October I set myself a task of six finishes, four of them being quilts.

Spinning Stars - DONE!

So pleased to have gotten his done!

Wonky Pink Stars - Not finished!

Not that is counts, but it has gone from a few blocks into a rather random quilt top.

Happy GO Lucky Swoon - DONE!

This is the best photo I have of it at the moment and it's already living on my parents bed. Proper photos to come of Trudi's amazing quilting. 

Hootenanny Quilt - Done! 

One of my favourite makes of the year. 

Frosted Pumpkin Sampler - Not finished! 

Definitely still a wip! 

And lastly

And Sew on BoM - DONE! 

I'm still amazed at the last two blocks and I completely LOVE this mini! It really shows how easy complex blocks can be when they are paper pieced.

So, I'm calling four finishes out of six a success, the other two have at least has some progress on them and that means I've got at least two for this years list…... 

Thank you to the amazing Leanne for hosting this year and for encouraging us all to get things of the wip list and in use! She is handing the baton over to Katy for 2014, who is going to be brilliant at moving us along.