August... gone in a flash!

Well I had a couple of update posts planned for August but it turned into such a busy month that I never got a chance to post anything.

At work I had a month of 1.30pm to 10pm shifts so that rather messed with my days a bit. I've never been a morning person and I always panic about being late to work so I spend most the mornings not doing much and waiting until it was time to go to work. That's not to say I didn't get much done.

The giant green quilt was quilted and finished off to be bound by my friend before she handed it to the lucky couple who were expecting it.

I literally had to empty most the furniture out of our rather large living room so that I could baste it. It's just huge! (Excuse the stuff on the sofas. This was done just before we went on holiday so things were all over the place)

And here it is folded a bit so that my friend could get an idea what size box to buy for it. I think she gave up on boxes in the end and just wrapped it in paper.

I've been informed that it was very much appreciated and loved by it's recipients. Now I need to get going on the quilt for my friend's wedding!

We also squeezed a weekend in the lake district into this month. We go over every year on this weekend and explore the lakes as a way to remember our mum. She loved it over there and we spent a lot of time climbing hills and mountains and wandering around lakes.

This time we went for a weekend instead of a day and it was much more relaxed (well except for some very narrow country roads)

And it was also wet. Not such a surprise in the lake district though. I did manage to forget my walking boots so had to buy some new ones when we were over there but they came in very handy on the muddy ground.

Would you believe this is the main road to one of the lakes? Just random sheep wandering along. I love it over there. So peaceful and relaxing compared to being back at home. I could happily live there with all those beautiful views. If only I could make this quilt thing pay the bills.

Skip forward a week and I was off to York races for a hen weekend. It was lovely to catch up with my friend's I've not seen for ages but it was a scary reminder of how close the wedding is and how much I still need to get done on that quilt.

Oh, and if you're wondering yes that is a horse made of vegetables (random!). It's the first time I've been to the races and my horse picking approach of putting a bet on horses with the best name did win me a whole 9 GBP (yes, I've yet to work out how to get the pound sign to work on my keyboard)

As for the hexagons... They are coming along nicely. At this rate I'll have a quilt by next winter. My problem is I want no 2 hexagons to be the same so soon I'll have to dig into the scraps to find hexagon sized scraps then I'll have to hunt eBay for scraps I think. I can't bear to cut random pieces out of all my stash fat quarters.

  

It's also been a rather sad week this week for us. We took our Uncle's dog to the vets in the middle of the month to have a lump removed from her leg. The results came back on Friday and it turns out the lump was cancerous so she's now going to have chemotherapy. Poor dog doesn't know what's doing on. We're having to wait for the insurance company to open on Monday before we can call to find out if they'll cover her. I hope they do or it'll be very expensive. Good job she has insurance.

Looking slightly confused after her operation

You'll also notice that for a change there is no photo of new fabric. Yes, I've been really good this month although this Petite Street fabric bundle from Plush addict is rather calling my name at the minute...

I do admit to buying a small amount of fabric but it's not that exciting, just plain coloured fabrics that will be useful stash builders.

What I am looking forward to this month is getting my payment for quilting the giant green quilt. My friend is very generously buying me a glamping jelly roll. the rest of the family aren't impressed that my fabric collection is growing again but never mind..

The other thing I've been doing this month, and the thing that seems to have been taking most my mornings, is geocaching. I'm fairly certain I've explained geocaching in previous posts but for those not in the know it's basically like a giant treasure hunt where you use a GPS to find a 'cache' that other people have hidden. Lots of them are boxes with log books and room for swaps of toys for children but some are very sneaky. I've seen some in shapes of rocks, some that are holes drilled into sticks so just a log can fit, some inside toys and hidden under trees and lots of other types.

This month there has been a challenge on the geocaching website to get a cache every day of the month so I've been heading out with my sister every morning before work to do that. Thank goodness that month is over.

This month 2 of my friends have also announced their engagement within days of each other. typical huh? I gained the task of organising the gifts from our friends which is like a military operations of getting 2 brides 2 different bunches of flowers and gifts and making sure I talk about the right things to the right people all whilst packing for holiday and having the green quilt to finish. I managed it somehow and both loved their gifts and flowers.

One of them has even asked me to be her bridesmaid in Cyprus when she gets married in a couple of years. 1st time I've been a bridesmaid so I'm excited. Pity I'm also terrified of flying. Something that we'll have to work on I think. The other had announced her wedding is in April next year. She better not want a quilt...

So, onto plans for September...

I love September. It's nearly Autumn (fall for you Americans) and I am finally justified in digging out my boots and wearing cosy jumpers with my jeans. I love all the colours and the crisp feeling in the air. It will be a busy month again though. We're back at Guides and I need to get the quilt made before the wedding in October.

So my list to get done this month:

1) Work out how to print photos onto fabric for the wedding quilt

2) Finish the wedding quilt (or at least just have binding to do)

3) Make a few autumnal cushions to try out some funky free motion quilting

4) Get some more hexagons made. I at least want to finish off the paper hexagons I have cut out

5) Make a start on that grey and multicoloured quilt for me

6) If feeling brave attempt to make the weekender bag so that I have something funky to take to the wedding.

At least I'm working slightly more normal hours of 9.30am - 6pm so I can eat with everyone else again and I can sew after work when I don't have the stress of needing to be somewhere at a certain time.

I hope you all had great summers and have slightly more relaxing Septembers planned.

Oh and linking up with Lily's quilts fresh sewing day and small blog meet so hello to anyone from there! I promise I don't normally post such huge posts.

It's a new day... and I'm feeling good!

Well, as Muse put it in their song *.. It's a new day and I'm feeling good! And what a good month May was. I'll actually sad to see it go! Welcome to anyone joining me from the Lily's quilts blog hop and hello to everyone else!

It was a sad month too. I run a Ranger unit which is the oldest section of Girlguiding (the UK version of Girl scouts) that girls can belong to and our oldest member is moving away to another city with her boyfriend. I've known her since she was 10 and it's been nice to see her grow into a confident 22 year old from the shy girl she once was. We had one last meeting all together and my sister made cakes for the occasion. They were burgers and she make sugar cookie chips (fries) to go with them. they went down very well.

I FINALLY finished making the starry quilt that I feel like I've been making forever for a friend. She hasn't got it yet but at least it's done. It was my first attempt at free motion quilting and although not perfect I'm rather impressed with how it looks.

I've also been joining in with a paper piecing quilt along this month. The first quilt along I've done and also my first attempt at paper piecing. Subscribers may recognise some of these pieces but the first 3 are my new ones from last week and I have another 3 to get made for this week then it's all done! Sorry the pictures are sideways. No idea why or how to turn them.

I've also been working on that quilt for my friend's wedding. It's not until October but best to get things done early. The easy bit is all done now. I've got my coloured squares all made and I now have a fair idea of just how giant this quilt will be. The centre of these squares is blank for Guests to write messages and the big gap in the middle will have pictures in of the couple when I a) get them and then b) work out how to get them on fabric! This isn't the actual layout. I promise I'll mix the colours a bit more.

This month, inspired by watching the Great British Sewing Bee on telly, I've also tried my hand at making clothing instead of quilts or random items. I've made a trial version of a dress and a top. Neither have been made in proper fabric yet because I haven't worked out which fabric to use. I'm rather impressed with myself and my invisible zip inserting skills though.

I've also been shopping for fabric. I'm a bad person. My stash really is big enough already but I can't resist the pretty fabric, especially when it's on sale!

My ebay fabric

 And then there's what's been happening in my life. In the middle of the month I went on an occupational therapy open day at the local uni. I really think that's what I'd like to do with my life so I'm looking into how to do that. I think I'm going to have to go back to college to get some recent eduction and I'm probably going to have to try and get some work experience too.

The most exciting and recent change though is that after many years of searching and saying I was going to change jobs because I hated my current one I have a new job! It all happened so fast when last Thursday I got an email asking if I was interested. I went for 1 interview and then on Tuesday I was told I had a 2nd group assessment on the Wednesday then on Thursday afternoon I found out I had the job. It's not the most glamorous in the world - it's in a call centre but the money is better and the hours are more sociable. No more getting up at 3am for me :) I handed my notice in at work today and Thursday if my last shift.

That chapter of my life is over and another one is about to begin.

Now begins to great search for a bike so I can cycle to work... 

*other versions of feeling good available.

A finish at last!

That's right. I've finally managed to finish the starry quilt! Unfortunately the weather here in Newcastle has been rather rubbish so I haven't managed to get a decent photo of it but I promise I will once/if the sun ever comes out again.

The finished quilt yay!

Finishing the quilt should of been as easy as just sewing a bit of binding on but I don't know if it was the tiredness of not having a day off work since the previous Sunday or what but I managed to make it harder than it should of been. 

It all started when I was changing back to my cream thread and I lost a tiny little screw from my bobbin. Oops. It took me about 10 minutes to find it because it is so tiny and it fell on very thick carpet.

Just to give an idea of size. look how tiny it is compared to the pin head!

Next up was the shop bought binding. I thought this would save me time but it took me forever to get the pieces joined and for the folds that were already in it to line up. Grr. 

Finally I did it although I suspect my technique of sewing the full lot on with a sewing machine could use a little practise.

My 1st attempt at free motion quilting a quilt. If you squint you may even spot some stars that look like stars and not just pointy lines.

I have also had a try at paper piecing this week in preparation of hopefully joining the sew along that Ellison lane quilts are hosting!

Flying Geese. Not bad for a first attempt. Excuse the random fabric and that I've not squared it off.

On the clothing front not much has happened. I've downloaded the pattern for a sorbetto top from Colette patterns so I may make a fake one of them this week. I love that it is American sizing because I can take 2 size of my UK size. Always a confidence booster.

My friend with a bit of dress making experience also got to see me modelling my unfinished dress mock up and has concluded that when I put the facing in it the neck should be fine although apparently I could do with more darts in the bust. She offered to attack me with pins but I politely declined.

Oh and because I've had such an awful week at work with them cutting my hours with no warning I splashed out on some fabric. It's yet to arrive but there will be pictures when it does. (Well I need something for this sew along!!)

..and finally...
This week when browsing around all the new blogs I follow (sorry - I can't remember where I found it) I came across a wonderful tool - Palette Builder 2.0. It goes without saying that I played around and some quilts may appear in these colour ways at some point! I'm a huge fan of the one with the daffodils.

Until next time when I will hopefully have fabric and decent quilt photos!
Thanks for reading