Are We Nearly There Yet ? OH YES!

Happy days, I have started to assemble the 9 patch Quilt as shown on the various tutorials that I watched. Mmm, I have made 2 changes to the method of attaching the joining strips on the back of the Quilt .Have a look and see what you think.

picture 1

All 20 blocks trimmed and ready to join.

picture 2

Front 1 inch joining strips on the left and 1 1/4 inch back joining strips on the right.

picture 3

This shows both front and back strips pinned to the edge of the first block.

picture 4

The first 3 blocks ready to sew. The last block needs no strips.

picture 5

Sewn using a scant 1/4 inch seam, if you have a fancy pants machine just move the needle 2 threads to the right. If , like me, you do not have that option eyeball it. It is a quilt not a life changing operation.

picture 6

Turn the block over and pin the other edge of the joining strip to the next block, right sides together. Remember to choose the opposite edge to where you have put the joining strips on from picture 4. Sew using the scant 1/4 inch seam.

picture 7

Open it out and this is the front, the quilt sandwich edges butt together so there is no gap.

picture 8

Turn the blocks over. This is where I make my first change. All the Tutorials that I saw said to press under 1/4 of an inch of the edge of this joining strip at this point before slip stitching into place.

Any one like to guess how many times I burnt my fingers, TOO MANY.  

On the rest of the rows I will press that edge before joining the blocks

picture 9

And here is my second change, I machined that baby down. quick and easy. If I was making this for an exhibition I would hand sew. But this to be used and the machine stitching is stronger as well as quick.

picture 10

There is a line of machining visible on the front, just, If I liked and needed to I would just sew a parallel

line down the other side.

 You would have to lie down with your nose on the quilt to see this clearly and I do not think that the recipients wife would take very kindly to that.

WOO HOO picture 11

This is the last block in the first row going through the machine for the final seam. You can see that there will only ever be 1 block in the harp space. 

I will finish all 5 rows and then join them up in exactly the same way, the seams and strips will just be longer.

All that remains is for me to make the binding. I seem to remember some deep cream in my stash, I will look at that. If it is too pale I will look for some gold/ deep yellow fabric tomorrow.

Another picture heavy post, it is a shame that the light is bad today, it is nothing to do with the fact that I am no photographer . I hope that you can see how easy this is compared with pushing and  dragging a full quilt through a machine, no matter how big the harp space is.  

I did a quick trip to see Mr S today and dropped Ben off for a haircut on the way. A side trip into B & Whoseits for wood to make a garden bench. Less than 2 hours and I can say without a doubt that with the petrol price being so low and my favourite coffee on offer plus THE bacon I am a happy little shopper.

I spotted some tasty looking sausages so it will be breakfast for dinner tomorrow, I might even make fluffy pancakes and pour some maple syrup about a bit. Might just whizz up a few hash browns or latkes.  On that thought I better take Ben out and walk it off before I eat it.

Dinner tonight is in the slow cooker. Pork steaks in a new beer flavoured with ginger, I will reduce it and add some barbecue sauce to serve with mashed potato and veg. TTFN   Pam 

Back On Line at last and A Matter of Interest.

What a day,
It started with a letter from the BS to tell me that they are dropping the interest rate on my online savings account, and the sweetener that I can close it with no loss of interest. They also sent me details of the new ISA, coincidence I wonder.

I duly get on the phone,as I am instructed, and it rings ....and it rings...and I dial 15 minutes later ...and it rings....and it rings... Rinse and repeat again and again etc.

After the umpteenth time I decide to go online and try there, oh oh no internet available  so I wait and try again, oh oh no internet...does this ring a bell?

I need to pick up a prescription for Michael's Inhalers so I tootle off to the surgery, We are sorry but we can not find the prescription when did you request it....here we go again. 12 minutes later I get what was ordered and go home, still no Internet but a massive headache is brewing.

2  tablets and a strong coffee later The BS is now closed , time to sling hash for dinner. Hash slung, eaten and washing up done and WOW we have Internet.

I also have indigestion from eating with a temper (too fast)and the tablets have fed my headache which is pounding away like a Jack Hammer on testosterone and steroids.

So in the interest.....not again......of harmony in the house I am off to soak in a bath with something soothing to smell, Lavender bath oil, something refreshing to drink,homemade lemonade, and the best cure that I know of for every ailment.........Dark Dark Chocolate.

TTFN    Pam

WOO HOO Wednesday

I am jubilant today, all the 9 patch blocks are quilted, I used nearly half a reel of top stitch thread and 8 bobbins, and a tin of 505 basting spray. That stuff has got to be way up on the list of marvelous inventions.

The last stitch in the last block.

All 20 ready to assemble.

I just  have to cut the 1 inch strips to join these up and decide on the binding.

On a continuing happy note these dropped on my door mat today.

Some fabric from my favourite designers Bonnie & camille, along with these to try out,

Binding clips, I have seen them in use on several blogs and thought that it must be better than using dozens of pins.

And quite a bit of this.

Hand Picked Daisies from Joel Dewberry.

All of this came from Pink Castle Fabrics in the US, all were on sale and I got a further 20% off.

Postage was reasonable and made for very cheap fabric.

I could not resist such a bargain,I am waiting for my Blue Bonnet fabric to arrive and I have some new fabric from nearer to home to show but these will be for another day.

The weather report that I saw in the early hours told of heavy rain today, well it was wrong, the sun is shining and it is lovely.

I am off now to put my new treasures away and make more tea so once again it is  TTFN   Pam

Frantic Fabric Phone Case Tutorial

Another gloriously sunny day, and what about yesterday!!
 Bank Holiday Monday with SUNSHINE!! all I can say is Woo Hoo.

I played with my quilt blocks and they are all basted and half are quilted, another WOO HOO
We had a quick and easy dinner, Francesca washed up and cleared the kitchen, Michael kept the dogs out of the way ( AKA a joint snooze on the sofa lol) 

I managed a quick trip to the little garden center just outside Long Sutton, as garden centers go it is not very exciting BUT they have a spinning center that gives lessons and there is a little sewing center, it was closed but looks as if they do workshops, I will be checking it out!

On the subject of sewing, Francesca has been showing off her quilted phone covers and a few of her fellow train travelers have asked how to do this, and 1 or 2 of her colleagues at work. With a little fore thought  I took a load of photos, at least Michael did so I have cobbled together a little show and tell.

I used scraps of fabric from other projects and odd bits of batting to make these although the blue patterned fabric here came from Frantic Antics and I was very reluctant to cut into it.
 Be warned this is very picture heavy.

I measured her Phone and it was just under 3 inches by 5 inches ( I cook in metric but sew in English)

So I cut outer fabric ( from Frantic), lining and batting at 4 3/4 inches by 14 3/4 inches.

I layered the batting and the outer fabric right side up and quilted simply.

I sewed straight down one long edge when I got to the end I lifted the presser foot and pulled the sandwich away from me, leaving the threads attached and turned it clockwise, I then just had to move it over ready to sew the next line of quilting. 

Just like this. I repeated this until I reached the other side, leaving the width of my presser foot at each side.

.

I am sorry but this photo will not turn round. I layered the quilted piece onto the lining fabric  and rounded off the top corners, as it was small I did it free hand. I have put the outer fabric on top here so that you can see it clearly.

To sew the parts together you need to put the lining right side down onto the outer fabric, this is when you pop in the hair elastic, put around 2/3rds  inside your sandwich ( this will be your button loop when you turn it right side out later) and pin in place.
 Sew across 1/4 of the bottom edge up the long side, ease the sandwich round the curve ( I back stitched over the hair elastic just to make it more secure) and down the other long side and then across 1/4 of the bottom. Back stitch at start and finish. trim the pointy bits off the bottom corners, not cutting the stitches and turn right sides out through the gap in the bottom edge.

The rounded edge should look like this.

This shows the gap left for turning and the clipped corners.

Push it through the gap till it is right side out and press turning the raw edges in at the gap, I then top stitched round closing the gap on the way.

Fold right sides together leaving the rounded edge to turn down,I turned the bottom edge up by  5 1/4 inches  to fit the phone length, and pin in place. Slip stitch together, only sew into the outer fabric so that no lining shows once you turn it right side out.

Sew on a button and there you are.

This photo is standing on it's head and will not go back the right way.

Hey ho some you win.

This took longer to photograph than to sew, I made 3 in different colours and it took just over an hour. I could have made them all from scraps but Francesca fell in love with the blue fabric when I unwrapped it.

Needless to say I have hidden the rest away for me.

Dinner tonight will be a pie made from the topside that I casseroled  when I made the Beef Olives, we will have what ever veg I touch first with that. I will cook some more rhubarb and make a fool with the remainder  of a tub of Greek yogurt that was reduced to 10p in the Co op yesterday. Some of it fell onto my dish of fruit for breakfast this morning  along with a few flaked toasted almonds and maybe a little drizzle of maple syrup. Whoops, clumsy me. and of course in the spirit of waste not want not I ate it .

Time for more tea.  TTFN  Pam

A Feast of Fabric

First of all a warm welcome to my new follower and an invitation to any readers to follow so that we can become acquainted

I have been procrastinating over a new sewing machine for ages now, do I go for an all singing all dancing model that embroiders, do I go for a workhorse straight stitch machine just for quilting, do I throw a wardrobe out and install a small long arm machine and last but not least do I have a purpose built log cabin in the garden and put a long arm and frame in it.

Apart from the cost I do not want to lose a chunk of garden so I have decided to explore the QAYG route.
I have read a few tutorials and watched a demonstration or 3 on U tube.

Recently a friend asked me to make a quick quilt in darker colours, I offered to get my fabrics out and let them have a look.
I dug out some blocks that I made and put way to start something new, these were intstantly chosen, both for the colours and the fact that half the work was completed already.

This is one of the 9 patch blocks with a 2 inch border to liven it up, it is loosely sandwiched waiting to be spray basted.

This is what was  selected to be the joining strips, only half an inch of this will be seen, both this and the border strips are Christmas fabrics bought in the sales, it is all about the colours not the pattern.

These 3 were left over from the blocks and will become part of the backing.

As will these fat quarters.

These are the 2 blocks ready for spray basting with yet more stray fat quarters from my stash. Once all the blocks are quilted I will lay them out so that the back has a pleasing layout making this reversible.

 I aim to get all 20 blocks spray basted today and fingers crossed quilted and assembled by this time next week.

Francesca has asked for a summer quilt and someone has asked for some bunting, lots of bright colours for me to play with.

Dinner tonight is a stir fry, quick and easy, tasty and cheap, I will use 441 grams of rump steak that was on offer for £2.64 and then reduced down to 82p, this is the last packed of 5 that I snaffled up. With that will be 2 sad carrots, 1/2 a red and 1/2 a green pepper languishing in the salad drawer a packet of bean sprouts reduced to 15p and an assortment of spices, soy sauce etc from my pantry. to make it a bit sticky I will add some of my plum, chili and garlic jam and a slug of sweet sherry.

Along with a packet of noodles that will give us a good meal for around £2 for 3 adults.

 If I needed to half of the steak could go into pasties for another meal but I am trying to get my freezer stocks down.

Right I have drunk my umpteenth cup of tea and must get off my butt and tidy up a bit, there are threads and little trimmings of fabric all over.  TTFN          Pam.

Spring Fest, A Celebration.

This post is in response to Mum's blog asking for Spring Fest posts.

A flower stall in the village, the display changes frequently.

A pretty Viola just waiting to be purchased.

Blossom on a young Pear Tree.

Tiny flowers of the Jostaberry.

A corner of a planter, the Anenome just turned up.

The wonderful red new leaves on a rose bush.

Full of flowers, the epitome of Spring.

Tulips glowing like rubies in the spring sunshine.

A tiny clump of Forget me nots with their faces gazing up to the sun.

All of these are a celebration of Spring Flora, and then there is

The firework explosion of life on a tree.

" Oh to be in England now that Spring is here"

How lucky we are to see this rebirth every year.

TTFN  Pam

Spring is Sprung in South Lincs.

The first sign of spring for me is this,

A field of gold, these daffs were planted last year and will stay in the ground for 3 years before being lifted. By the last year there will be no soil visible.

Closely followed by this.

No, I have not had too much sun. These are strawberry plants covered with an insect friendly membrane, this will protect them from frost and get the flowers opened early. The fruits under here will ripen a good 2 weeks before their uncovered neighbours. In rural areas this is THE sign that Spring is here.

A few things in the garden that are signs of spring.

Blossom on one of my Apples, just about to open fully.

Some miniature daffs that are blooming in a pot that I acquired through a bit of skip diving in February.

I just plonked it in an empty spot and waited to see what would occur.

  

The wild Lincolnshire cherry plum in full blossom, I usually get enough fruit to make all the jelly and chutney I need, last year I could count the fruit on the fingers of 1 hand, sob. good job I always make too much. I hope this year will be back to normal.

Last but not least, I picked this little sweetie up when dog walking, it had obviously been discarded as dead but with a bit of TLC it recovered and has since been popped into a little gap in the garden. This shows to me that a little water and some lovely spring sunshine can work wonders.

Dinner last night was very basic and super easy, homemade hot dogs with fried onions and lashings of sauce. Fingerlickinglipsmackingchindribblingtasteliciouslazyfood.  I used to make these for my younger brothers, served in crispy rolls they were a regular Saturday Tea enjoyed while watching Scooby Doo.

Tonight we are having meatballs from the freezer with Tagliatelle and some salad. I make stacks of these at a time and they freeze and reheat well, we all like them and I intend to indulge myself with some sewing time today.

I have done some sifting through web pages looking at QAYG methods, I am going to break out the William Morris fabric 9 patch blocks and have a little play.

I had a long session in the garden yesterday and am at work tonight so a gentle day is called for.

If you hear a loud bang and feel shock waves it could be my sewing hitting the wall as I vent my frustration. LOL.

You know what comes next.....TTFN  Pam