Thursday 17 July 2008

Bits and bobs !


Lots of bits of stuff in the pipeline but not really a lot to show. Last weekend I made it my priority to get started ( ! ) on my Summer 4seasons quilt. The deadline is looming and because I made a mistake by using my partners least favourite colour on the original quilt I was back to square one. I have worked my socks off on this new one and I am nearly done. Just need to hand-quilt the borders and get binding. I am pleased with it but can't show pictures as I know the mystery lady reads my blog.

I have been working on a UFO too and will show pictures when it's done. I did get the baby quilt done and actually finished. Here it is - excuse the spotty sock !





This is for Jess's driving instructors first grandchild and the parents are fairly young so hopefully this will please them. More trendy than traditional colours - Jess approves.

A couple of weeks ago I was having tension issues with my machine. It has a setting for automatic tension but was not behaving well at all. I phoned my local sewing centre and it wasn't so much the price that put me off ( though it was quite a lot ) but the fact I would have to wait up to 3 weeks to get it back - gulp. I have a second machine which is great but I couldn't be without my Janome for that long. So armed with this article that I found on the net


a can of compressed air and a can of machine oil I had a fiddle with it. Don't know if it's more by accident than design but it is now sewing a treat. I am chuffed - lol !

I quilted the whole of the baby quilt without getting stressed by my threads breaking and no swearing at all. The stitches are great too. Perhaps I should set myself up a new career - lol !


Now it's a good job I'm not on a fabric diet this week. My lovely fat quarter bundle arrived from the states. I am SO in love with it you can't imagine. I have been stroking it and it has been sitting next to me all week. I don't know if I will ever undo the ribbon and actually use it - ever !! I took it to my quilting club and they were all so green with envy. I saved an absolute fortune on this. If I had bought it here in UK it would have probably cost me about 4 times as much.




Dh Jason had to go on a business course yesterday and when I dropped him off I realised that if I got on a different road on the way home I was only about 4 miles from my favourite fabric warehouse. Funny how that thought suddenly occurred to me - lol !




I know, I know but honestly it is so cheap it would be rude to leave it there. 11 metres for £18. You just can't go wrong. Just look at these cats -



I am sure there is something else I wanted to say but I can't remember and I've gone on for long enough anyway. It is cold and wet today so I have declared it a sewing day. Patrick finishes school tomorrow for 6 weeks so I'm going to do a little something for his teacher. Talk about last minute.

Have a good one xx

31 comments:

The Calico Cat said...

I "need" those kitties... They are by Partick Lose, aren't they. :o)

Ahhhh the withdrawls of not buying every cat print available. (Maybe I'll find a fat quarter at the quilt show....)

Teresa said...

Love the moda and the kitty fabric. Those mice are just too much - what fun fabric.

Toni said...

I love the spotty sock...it matches the quilt!! :) The quilt turned out very nice!!

The remaining eye candy is awsome! We just ordered those kitties for the shop along with the mices :) too cute!

Kim said...

I think we all love to "pet" our new fabrics, lol, they are all so crisply new and pretty all packed together like that HUGE stack that you ordered. Moda fabrics are delicious! The kitty fabric is very retro looking and sooo cute!

Unknown said...

Love the baby quilt, bright and fun. The moad fabrics are lovely aren't they? Mine arrived a few weeks ago and now I'm hunting for more background fabrics. Those cats are too cute, and I'm not a cat lover....lol....

Eileen said...

Oh my! I simply MUST have that kitty fabric!! It's fabulous!!

Helen in the UK said...

Your new fabrics look fantastic and great prices too!! Congrats on getting the driving instructor quilt done so quickly - looks fab too :)

Marilyn Robertson said...

If I had a fabric warehouse like you close to me I would be in big big trouble! What great fabric!

sewkalico said...

Just a little last minute *LOL*
Cute quilt!! And as always great fabric. (fun sock!)

Floss said...

I agree I could not have left that kitty fabric at the store either.
Think the new parents will approve the baby quilt looks terrific.

andsewtosleep said...

Hi Andrea
I have to confess to being a complete 'copy cat'. Late one night with a dose of insomnia(!) I read your post about your bargain fron Hancocks. I went straight to the website and bought the same bundle. Mine came last week and like you I can't bear to untie it.
Thanks for sharing.
Mary
PS I love the baby quilt

Mad about Craft said...

The fabric and the quilt are beautiful. I also particularly like the cat prints.

Unknown said...

So there is another one you have to finish in two days :) You will, you always do. The baby quilt is great.

julieQ said...

What a cute baby quilt! Love your new fabrics.

Rhonda said...

What a sweet baby quilt. I love the colors and I love the bundle you received as well. You have been busy. Take care.

mereth said...

Don't excuse the dotty sock, we love the dotty sock! The little quilt is very cute and should be a much appreciated gift, and the fabric bundle is luscious. Mmmmmn. It takes me a while for me to seperate fabrics like that, they look so special together.

Anonymous said...

The pic in the post below is BEAUTIFUL! The one of your sewing room!

I like it so much that I am using it as the desktop background on my computer monitor. I am hoping that one day my quilting area will have lots of pretty little quilts on the wall.

What is the gingerbreag man exactly?

Libby said...

I like the colors on that baby quilt - and what a delicious lot of new fabric you got!

Kieny The Dutchlady said...

Lovely babyquilt and nice picture with the complemented sock! Love,love those Moda fat quarters such great colours. The cat fabric is great too, what a find.

Colleen formerly of South Africa said...

You seem to have been up to quite a bit... loved catching up on your blog.

meggie said...

Those cats sure are such fun!
I know what you mean about not wanting to open your bundle of fat 1/4s.
I have a friend coming to stay soon, & she has become a quilter since I last had her to stay, so we plan on getting out to some quilt shops together- Gom won't say No to her!

Gina said...

Love the quilt.
What a great bargain on the fabric. We're not coming to N Wales this year so I'm going to miss my afternoon at Aberkhan. Hopefully we'll get time next year and I can stock up.

Love and hugs Gina xxx

jovaliquilts said...

I love the sock -- goes so well with the spotty fabric in the quilt! And I "heart" the kitties -- so cute!

Pam said...

That is a lovely bundle of fabric!!

I love fabric that is all tied up in a bundle like that - it is almost criminal to actually take it apart isn't it -LOL

The baby quilt is great - love the colours.

Lynda said...

Thanks for the link to the sewing machine tension site. My machine has tension issues when I'm free machine quilting, and despite having two engineers say it's fine, it still blobs and I can't stop it. I'll see if I can sort it out myself (I usually use the same thread on top and underneath, which is another solution!)

Donna said...

I just wanted you to know I have been reading your blog for a couple weeks now, and loving it. I also make the bucket tote bag, on your tutorial. I posted a pic of it on my blog. I have also added you to my Blog list, hope this is okay with you.

Fabricmom said...

Thank you for sharing the tension instructions. I am on my third machine and hate paying $50 plus dollars to have the tension adjusted.

Anonymous said...

Love the cat fabric! Can't wait to go to that warehouse. (I have the instructions safe somewhere)
The baby quilt is very pretty. I do like the effect of the nine patch and snowball to-gether.

Carline said...

I am loving your Blog. I want to blog but don't know how... I pour over your quilts and ooh and aah. They are so pretty and your kitties as well. I live in Washington State on the West Coast of the USA. I am an avid quilter but it seems once I start reading quilter's blogs, that's all I do. I will be back to your blog, so I bookmarked it. Thanks. Carline

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Love your new bundle of fabrics. I never want to open them.

Karen said...

The polka dot sock looks a lot like the polka dots in the quilt!