WIP Wednesday

I've had a number of projects on the go this week and in the process had 8 finishes.

I worked on the 6 wall hangings and got them finished by Sunday so got to count them in my Stash report for last week.

Last Wednesday I got Ella's quilt pinned and then yesterday I was able to work on it and get it finished! I quilted it - echo quilting the sashing - very basic but it worked and looks good. I got the black binding made and machined on. Had a discussion today at patchwork with 2 older quilters who don't machine binding on - well not both sides anyway. They weren't condemning me just saying how they "couldn't do it". Although one of them said she could see the value in doing it but she couldn't do it now as she had been so ardently against it for years. Personally I think if you come around to see the value of doing something in a different way why not give it a try.

  

Today I worked on a casserole cover I had agreed to make for a friend of my daughter's. She had visited our Handmade Love Stall at the Craft Fair on the weekend and asked if we had any rectangular casserole carriers. We had circular ones but not rectangular. I had see patterns for them so said I would make her one. I checked out a variety of patterns. I didn't really want to buy a pattern if I could find a free tutorial. I asked on the Twilters group and several people recommended this pattern from 2 Little Hooligans

It took me all day but I got it made. I made a few changes - I made my handles go all the way around the carrier. I only put velcro on the top fold overs and I didn't worry about the spoon holder or the strap to hold the handles together. I made a couple of errors - I think I put the handles too far to the sides and think I made them a little long but on the whole I was happy with it.

We  actually had 3 requests for this style of casserole carrier. Only one definite order so far but the other interested women may yet be in touch so I will make a few more. I want one for myself too

I've continued to work away on my hexies. I've only got 173 full size hexies left to make and 41 half ones. I've cut up the squares for the remaining ones and have to pin the papers to them. I got a little packet during the week from my sister-in-law Christine from Bluebirds and Bumblebees It was 8 finished hexies, leftovers from one of her projects. They are perfect - much neater than mine. She put hers on cardboard whereas I used paper... maybe that is the difference. They are great and I shall include them with alacrity.

Speaking of my sister-in-law Christine, she has a great tutorial on her website for some bunting. Check it out here

   

WIP Wednesday

I made lots of progress with hexies this week. I stitched 45 on Saturday during our Going Forth Day for Emmaus and another 24 on Sunday so that's 69 for this week. Under 300 full one's still to go.

During the week I got a parcel in the mail. An internet group I am involved with lost one of our members earlier on in the year to cancer. Our group decided to make a quilt each for her 3 children. Most of the group aren't quilters and many of them aren't very crafty so making the quilt took a good bit of time and effort. Some of us made extra blocks for the super non crafters or those who were really busy or snowed under and unable to contribute. We all sent our three blocks to the one lady who was coordinating the quilts. Once in she trimmed all the blocks, bought fabric for sashing, backing and binding, plus batting and then parcelled things up and sent them out to the 3 of us who had said we would put them together and quilt. I was only asked to do this at the last minute as our coordinator was going to quilt the last one but she had an urgent call on her time and asked me to do it.

So - the parcel of my trimmed up blocks arrived and I have gotten straight down to putting the quilt together. I got the sashing and corner stones cut, and the rows assembled quickly. Had a little unpicking to do when I sewed one of the hearts in upside down.

 I didn't realise. It was only when I posted a photo of my progress to our group that 2 of the members of the group spotted it and let me know. It was easily remedied. When I sewed it together I swapped the two rows around. Didn't mean to but happy with how they ended up. The quilt came together really quickly and today at Patchwork I used the big tables up there to pin baste the quilt. Now to quilt it.

I haven't made much progress with the POD quilt this week. I got the Nimbus 2000 broomstick finished. 

I ended up unpicking the Ear of the Dobby 

  

Then when I had a look at the photo of the Dobby pattern I realised that the way I had stitched it was basically how it was supposed to go... but would you believe I had lost the bits I unpicked. So I printed out the missing pattern pieces again and then realised that the pattern was wrong... it had left out the lighter piece on the  top part of the ear. So getting it to go right took a fair bit of fiddling around and easing and muttering (but no swearing) Anyway its not perfect but good enough for me

 I've printed out a few more patterns for a few more objects to go on top of or underneath the bookshelf. Still waiting for a parcel to come from Spoonflower with some special fabrics I have ordered including the Marauders Map. Its in pieces so when you sew it back together it looks like its half folded up.

Today at Patchwork after I finished pin basting the quilt for Ella I spray basted and quilted the first two of the wall hangings I have been working on over the last few weeks. 4 more of them to go!

So what about you? How have your projects gone this week?