Wordless Wednesday - Blackberry (and Plum) Pie

'Square'-ing Hexagons

It seems that once a project reaches a certain size

and needs borders or just general finishing

it just slides into the UFO pile...

Then sometimes a comment from someone

asking if I had indeed finished a particular project

is just what I need to get going on it again...

Well I would really like to finish my hexagons

and have it on our bed, but it was just getting so bulky

and I was stumped with how to 'finish' it.

Then I had a brainwave LOL.

I thought if I want to get it longarmed by Chris 

I need to put some borders on or square it up...

I love cream on cream fabrics

and so I just started putting some cream scraps

over irregular sized papers.

The papers are 3" in width, but vary in length...

I sewed a few cream pieces together

and then attached them to the hexagons

which I squared off just by folding them over...

As I was photographing the borders,

I noticed this 'rogue' fabric.

I thought it was sufficiently neutral,

but alas it sticks out to me....

Although I have almost finished one and a half sides,

I have only used it twice so far

so I think I am going to unpick it

and replace it with one of the other neutral ones...

I am planning on piecing the backing from left over rose fabrics.

I have already started cutting them, but not machine piecing yet.

I also am planning (once it's quilted)

to bind it in some red spotty fabric or something of that ilk...  

I love sewing hexagons together by hand

so I imagine I'll either be doing another one

or something else with papers

(or I may even finish my Carolina Lily

- now wouldn't that be something LOL!)

Back to School (is rainy!)

Today marks the start of 'big' school for my littlest boy.

He starts reception... and his older brother goes into Year 2.

I didn't cry, they just looked so content to be going back to school that I was just really happy for them..

I did think last night when I saw my little boy sleeping

that he was too little to be in school all day

and that I will really miss having him at home in the afternoons!

He's good fun, great company and gives the best cuddles!

But they were all set and ready for the bus.

I managed to finish their PE bags last night (in the nick of time -

never mind that I had 6 weeks to make them!)

Of course, it rained like mad this morning

when I wanted to get some 'First Day of School' photos!

And we all got soaked waitng for the bus

 which was delayed behind some cows

(the traffic around here is terrible LOL)

Somehow having the children around for 6 weeks meant I got very little done,

so although I shall miss them I shall now be able to clean, nest and sew

 without any interruptons (well, here's hoping!)

The Great Northern Crowds

Actually it's the Great Northern Quilt Show, but it was the first day and the crowds were overwhelming for the bump and me...

Trying to look at the vendor's wares was neigh on impossible, but later in the day it thinned out and I did buy a few bits. Not as much as I could have, but I had to be sensible and remember that firstly I have a lot of UFO's and secondly I am about to have a baby and sewing will be limited!

I was a very bad photographer and almost forgot to take photos.

However, I did take a few photos of this quilt made out of old ties.

I love quilts made out of old ties and would love to make one, one day!!!

Probably also in a Log Cabin design...

I met the lady who made this lovely quilt called 'Whirligig'.

It's a fun quilt:

I also bumped into Chris, my Longarmer and looked at her 3 quilts on show.

It was great catching up with Chris,

And hearing the story behind her prize-winning quilt.

I haven't got a photo of my purchases which included some cotton thread for piecing, a scrap bag, several half metre cuts of cream tone on tones and some pink and yellow gingham...

I was very restrained and now very tired :o)

The Forbidden Corner

I can't even begin to describe this place...

It's magical (even in the rain)...

It's unusual...

It's full of surprises...

It's too much to take in and do so taking photos is almost impossible...

It kept the boys entertained and excited the whole time...

It's well worth a visit!

Diapers, Dinosaurs, Lego & Lambs

With now only 9 weeks to go, I thought I had better get a nappy/diaper changing bag made. Especially if I suddenly have to make a dash for the hospital ;o)

As it's custom made for me by me, I put in 5 internal pockets for keeping all the baby junk...er... I mean stuff separate =)

And I have finally started nesting, I thought I'd work on the house first before I tackle the 'nursery'. I bought the boys dinosaur curtains and a rug to match for their room and today from 2 of their old t-shirts, I made these pictures:

Making these entailed 2 old pictures on wooden frames, my handy staple gun, interfacing on the backs of the t-shirts and camouflage fabric. And Voila! 2 DIY bedroom canvases.

The boys were very pleased.

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For Tonya and her Lego quilt:

Barely a day goes by without some new Lego creation in our house!

Roaaahhhrrr!

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And a parting shot of some local scenery.

I had to pull the car over to let these stragglers go by...

Beautiful Yorkshire!

The Finishes

I rushed to finish my New York Beauty (NYB) wallhanging and so never got a chance to take any decent photos of it in its completed state:

I took a few close-ups of the hand quilting in the borders...

Sometimes I followed the patterns in the blocks...

Sometimes, I just went with what I thought suited the quilt...

And sometimes I just had to do a few circles...

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I have also finished the doll quilt. I gave in and quilted it 'Stitch In The Ditch' (SITD), BUT I drew lines that went all the way to the edges and through the solid squares so that the quilting made up a grid.

I enjoyed the quilting and am now pondering the baby quilt, more stitch in the ditch in a grid OR free-motion hearts?? We'll have to see :o)

Basting for Baby

I have managed to quilt and bind (but not photograph) the doll quilt and thought that with less than 10 weeks to go until my due date I had better get a quilt made for baby...

So today before I took the boys down to the beck for a picnic in the cold and a dip in the water which was FREEZING (I know this as I took off my shoes and socks, rolled up my trousers and went in to help my son rebuild a bit of a dam wall for approximately 2 minutes before I lost all feeling in my lower limbs!!), I basted the baby quilt....

As usual I used the Sharon Schamber method of basting which works a treat with the bedposts that I keep on hand for just this purpose =)

I started this quilt before we found out what we were having and I am hoping it's still sufficiently neutral should the information be wrong :-)

Now to find time to quilt it, wash the baby stuff, get the baby a bed sorted, clean the house, entertain the boys for another 2 weeks before school starts.... oh and in September meet some wonderful bloggy friends in London!

Royal Armouries

Wednesday I took the boys to the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

It's a great day out and there was so much to see and do.

You would definitely have to like guns, swords, weapons, battlefields etc. a bit more than I do to get the most out of it, but I can see the bigger picture and enjoyed myself nonetheless =)

And of course I did love the costumes!

The boys had an absolute blast. My youngest son pretty much ran everywhere! He could not get enough of the place (even if he barely glimpsed in any of the cabinets!)

The views out the windows onto parts of Clarence Dock were great too!

There were some pretty spectacular displays... here the boys enjoyed watching a bullet being fired in slow motion... (I had to bribe them to look at me for a photo!)

It's a very airy building with galleries on 3 levels...

The children's play area was very well equipped with lots of dressing up kit, mini archery and a chance to decorate a paper sword, shield or crown...

Definitely a great (boy's) day out!

Seeing Yellow

I wasn't going to start anything new, but I had the instructions printed out and I had that yellow phobia I wanted to explore further and I had lots of spare florals and, and, and...

SO I did a few little blocks just to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say Bonnie's Florabunda is a very cute block!

Not cute enough with all that yellow to make a massive quilt,

but definitely cute enough to maybe make 16 blocks for a baby quilt...

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Of course the doll quilt sits on top of my other sewing machine waiting to be quilted

while my attenton is diverted, but I will do that soon...

... well as soon as I can come up with a quilting design to try out

as I think I may be all Stitch-In-The-Ditch-ed out =)

While I was taking photos I looked up and saw the printer's tray that I bought at a Village Fete for a £1.

I love it filled with threads...

I have far too many polyester threads so will be putting cotton thread on my list for the next quiltshop/quiltshow expedition! I like 100% cotton threads for quilting and polycotton threads for bag making... just one of those things...

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Abby is still using my battng/wadding as a 'nest'.

I noticed when I tidied the sewing room that she has scratched herself a cosy spot

so I will have to re-wash it and use it for stuffing toys if I am allowed to use it at all!

But how could I even contemplate ruining her special place =)