Teashop open for Business

Well not really but my applique quilt that I called Teashop Quilt is finished.

The journey for this quilt started in the UK in 2013 when I was visiting my daughter, known as Fangirl who was living there at the time. I had 4 weeks overseas, 3 weeks in the UK with her and one week in Berlin visiting our German exchange student Lena.

FG and I had 3 glorious weeks driving around England and Scotland. A feature of most days was us finding a teashop and enjoying a Devonshire Tea, or cream tea as they are called over there.

Our first outing was a high tea (well they called it Afternoon Tea) at the Chesterfield Hotel. It was Fangirl's Mother's Day present to me. It had a Willy Wonka Theme which was appropriate as afterwards we went to see Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at the theatre. (which was her birthday present to me)

We both also love English bone china and we had great fun visiting the charity shops - selling second hand clothes, bric a brac and china. Despite the fact that I was going to have to fly home with this china I didn't resist and bought a number of pieces. The only reason I had room for any china is that I had taken a large suitcase with me in order to be able to bring back some stuff for FG. She was moving back to Australia at the end of the year and I had offered to help her shift some of her goods in my luggage. Usually when I travel I go with just one cabin sized bag.

We tried to visit fabric and craft shops but had the most amazing run of bad luck First of all they were hard to find... well at least where we visited. And then everyone we did find was shut. We would get there in the afternoon of their half day and they had closed at lunch time... or at 2 or 3 and we would be there after that. Or it was the day they didn't open at all. One we came across had closed completely. NOT good.

On my last weekend in the UK we visited the area of Kent where FG had lived when she first went to the UK. She knew where there was a patchwork shop in the district and as a surprise she took me there. It was called Puddleducks and was located in Sevenoaks in Kent

 I wasn't interested in buying fabric. The range was basically the same as we have in Australia and the same price or more expensive. However I did want something special as a keepsake ... and after all the effort Fangirl had gone to take me there I had to buy something. When I saw this pattern by Gail Penberthy, featuring a tea shop I knew that it was what I needed to buy. The perfect souveneir from my holiday.

I flew back to Australia, into Sydney where I was met by my husband. We had a wedding to attend in Sydney and then had a 3 week driving holiday planned, around NSW (it had been originally planned as being 8 weeks but husband's job situation changed) During our holiday I visited a number of quilt shop and I collected fabric for the quilt. I was looking for tea shop related fabrics - cups, plates, cakes, mugs etc, as well as some fabric to complete the design I had bought.

Back home again I got busy and when I decided to start work on the quilt I couldn't find the pattern. I had the fabric I had purchased, and even some buttons but could NOT find the pattern. I was VERY frustrated to say the least. Eventually I found the website for the shop where I had purchased it and found the name of the designer and the pattern. When I ordered the pattern they got back to me to say they no longer carried it. I searched the net and found it elsewhere. Whilst on the website I found a couple of other patterns by the same designer and ordered them too. Of course when they arrived I found the original pattern! (isn't that always the way).

 

I didn't plan to make the individual projects but to combine them into a larger wall quilt.

We were planning another 9 week camping trip Oct-Dec in 2014 and I decided that this project combining these three patterns and other appliques featuring the fabrics I had purchased the year before would be the perfect hand project to take with me. I set about prepping the blocks to take with me. I worked out a design and planned my blocks accordingly

I stitched the appliques as we travelled the coast of Australia from Sunshine Coast around to Great Ocean Road, across to Adelaide, up to the Flinders Ranges and then home the inland route. I got most of the appliques completed in this time. Once I got home I put the squares up on my design wall. Had a few goes at rearranging the squares, stitched a few more squares and finally put it together,

   

Took me a little while once I got the quilt pinned to get it quilted but last week I managed to get it done and ... well now its done. Yay.


I thought this was my done photo... but then I realised I hadn't added the embellishments. I had collected a variety of buttons as well on my travels. Things which I thought would add to the quilt. Here they are. I love them. I have more I could add... will see how I go

I had hoped to hang it at a garden party I went to on Saturday but I didn't get around to asking the organisers if they would like it so I didn't take it with me. Its not a cuddle quilt. Its a quilt to be hung. Not sure where I will hang it but I will find a space I'm sure.

So its done! 18 months after I bought the pattern I have it all finished. I'm very proud of it

This was my March project for A Lovely Year of Finishes and I am pleased that I have managed it in time

Sunday Stash Report

I am very delighted to be able to count the Tea Shop Quilt as finished. Measuring 127cm square it accounted for 3.82m of fabric

I also finished off 3 little zipper pouches to go on the Our Rainbow House stall yesterday. They were only small and so between them accounted for only .73m, not a great amount but still some usage.

There was no fabric in this week. I didn't buy any nor was I given any for my birthday. But that is okay... I bought myself a few other non fabric but sewing related goodies as my birthday gift... a new rotary cutter and some pens from Massdrop.

I completed two clutch bags for the ORH stall as well but as that fabric came from a lovely pile of fabric that we have been donated and I didn't count it as fabric in I can't count it as fabric out.

My darling husband, known as Fixit Guy had bought me a gift and left it on the coffee table in the loungeroom the night before my birthday. We didn't stop to open it before meeting our daughter Fangirl for breakfast on my birthday. It was a large box and I had an inkling what it might be. At breakfast our daughter arrived with an identical sized box, and some smaller gifts. She had organised with 2 of her brothers to buy a combined or at leased co-ordinated gift. The large box was a coffee machine and the smaller parcels were pods to go into it. As we were driving home Fixit Guy said to me "Don't open your present... I'm going to have to take it back" sure enough he had also bought me a coffee machine. I joked with him that whilst that is what I thought it might be I had also wondered if it could have been a very large box of fabric. No, he said that would have been way too expensive... and besides you would have to put it all on your spread sheet. (He helped refine my spreadsheet on Excel so it makes all sorts of automatic calculations for me so knows all about me having to track my fabric) He also admitted he wasn't really game to buy me fabric as he isn't sure what I like or can use.

Anyway my stats for this week

This Week (week 13)

Fabric Used                               4.55m

Fabric Added                              0.00m

Year to Date

Fabric Used                               49.33m

Fabric Added                             12.78m

Net Fabric used                         36.55m

WIP Wednesday - Making progress

At last I started quilting The Tea Shop Quilt. I started Monday afternoon and by tea time I had the quilting done. Its a long way from perfect. I possibly would have done a better job if I had planned out what I was going to do but I just don't seem to quilt that way. I start and make up my mind what I am doing as I go which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I used Aurifil thread and have to say I am really impressed. REALLY impressed. It went so smoothly and didn't seem to have any of the issues that can sometimes happen with quilting. I did find that I hadn't completed the applique on one block. Oops

I also managed to flip up the back and quilt some it down in the wrong place 

And sew the darning foot to the quilt. So much talent I have

Apart from those mishaps it went well. I even got a bit creative with the tea shop itself and stitched in the bricks on the chimney and the tiles on the room

 I got the binding made that evening.  I chose a brightly coloured stripes. There were lots of bright colours in the quilt and I think it worked well


The next questions was whether to machine it on front and back or machine the front and hand stitch the back. I don't mind hand stitching at all. Especially when there is something good to listen to - a podcast or radio play, or something worth watching on the tv. But its been SOO hot here in Central Queensland. Considering its March and there fore officially Autumn it should be cooling off but this last week we have had record temperatures across the inland part of the state. (one day last week 15 centres had their highest March temperatures ever) Here in my home town we have  had high 30s (Celsius) Its a bit cooler this week - mid 30s. Still way too hot to sit with a quilt in your lap stitching. It does mean that it won't be show quality but I don't stitch for shows. I want this done by Saturday so machining it was. I got the binding on front and back. 

There was still some hand work to be done on it.  I made a label and stitched in on and stitched the hanging sleeve down as well. There was a bit of embellishment to go on the quilt as well. I had a heap of little buttons that could go on the quilt... little cakes, tea pots, a tart. These all went in the tea shop window. Beading on the appliqued cakes in the window as well.



 I think I am done... but have heaps of buttons I could sew on if I wanted to.

But I think I get to declare it done. This was declared project for this month's A lovely Year of Finishes so that is great. It was also one of my March goals. That means I have only one goal from that list to go...

At Handmade With Love sewing day Tuesday I made 2 little pouches for the stall on Saturday. I used a pattern that the Clermont ladies had given me on Thursday last week and it was so quick and easy. They had printed it off the internet and then photocopied the pattern for me but you can find the pattern on the Better Homes and Gardens here

This is the clutch from the website. Mine isn't quite so fancy.

I managed to get two done (almost) in the morning which included a long morning tea and a meeting of our group too. I still have to stitch the press stud on the second clutch and sew on the button.

The American BHG website was a bit of a time sink. I have found several other patterns that I am keen to try out

At Patchwork today I got the blue quilt I have been putting together for our group pinned. I have bought it home to quilt. 

I printed the next pattern for the POD. It was an owl There were 4 owls to choose from but I went with Hegwig, Harry Potter's own owl. There were so many pieces in this one. I just looked at it. I put it away and worked on all sorts of other things but today was D Day. Another pattern will come out tomorrow and I didn't want to get behind so I took it to our sewing day at patchwork. After I had finished pinning the blue quilt I made good progress on the block before coming home and then after we got  back from babysitting I worked on it some more. (Fixit Guy is teaching our friend to drive and whilst she is at the lesson I get to babysit the most gorgeous 14 month old Tish). About 6.30 tonight I got it done. Yay me. Its not perfect but its done.

I've got a few more titles stitched on the spines of the books in the bookshelf of the POD QAL. I finished one block at our sewing day in Clermont last Thursday and today whilst babysitting I got the titles written on 2 more blocks and started hand stitching them. I stuffed up ... big time. One of the blocks I had upside down when I wrote the names on in the pigma pens I write with before embroidering over them. I thought that perhaps I could just pretend those books are upside down in the shelf..... but they are around the wrong way. Sigh. I am going to have to unpick and restitch either those books in the block or applique something over them... or ignore them and see if anyone notices. So cross with myself

Once I finish the next POD pattern due out tomorrow then I will have completed ALL my goals for March. I am very proud of me.

I got my scrap basket emptied and all the fabric that had been cut into useful units put away. Since then a few scraps have been added to the basket. It never stays empty for long

I forgot to take a starting shot. This was actually midway through the process

Empty. That's a mirror in the bottom of the basket NOT a scrap of fabric

  


Linking up with  WIP Wednesday,WOW- WIPs on Wednesday and Lets Bee Social

Thursday Thoughts - a lovely year of finishes.

At last I have remembered in time to link up to A Lovely Year of Finishes. To qualify you have to link to them in the first week of each month. I manage to remember into the 2nd week but not this time. I was awake enough to do it this time. Well to try



To qualify you have to select a project to finish that month - one and only one. I could have just linked to my monthly goals but since that details a number of projects that I want to complete this month I figured I had better write a new post.

This month I want to get Tea Shop Quilt finished. I started this quilt back in .. well 2013 I think it was. That is when I bought the pattern and started collecting the fabrics. Then... I lost the pattern. It was by Gail Penberry design. 

 It was so frustrating. I found it on line and was able to order it, eventually from the UK (along with several others at the same time as I recall) Then of course - just after it arrived I found the original pattern I had bought. Grrr so frustrating. 

Never mind.

I traced off the applique blocks and got them all prepped to take with us on our trip at the end of last year. We travelled for 9 weeks, camping in lots of interesting places in our camper trailer. We travelled down the East Coast of Australia from Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast around to Adelaide and then inland to the Flinders Ranges and then home to Central Queensland via the inland route. We did venture off the coast a number of times en route to Adelaide but its simpler to say it that way! I completed all the appliques whilst we travelled and even made myself a few more. I worked out a design for my blocks although to be honest when I put it together I changed it all completely.
   


I got the top completed last month and have made the backing for it and cut the batting as well. Now I have to pin baste it, quilt it and bind it. I want to have it finished (with a hanging sleeve as well) to hang at an afternoon tea to raise funds for a school in Zambia called Our Rainbow House. 

Wish me luck!!

WIP Wednesday Day

I seem to have been buzzing from one project to another this week. I made a banner for church. It was a pretty quick project. I got my inspiration during the service (although I had been mulling over the need for another banner since I had decorated the church on Thursday) I had it largely put together on Sunday, didn't get to work on it at all on Monday due to an unexpected trip to Yeppoon to take our camper trailer down to a friend who had lost power and water due to the cyclone that went through the area on Friday. Our trailer meant she had a fridge and cooking facilities and plenty of water.
I got back to it Tuesday afternoon and got it finished up that night including a label :)

I worked on the frog from Elephant Parade. He still needs eyes.

I finished the next block in the POD. I love how the time turner came out. I stuffed up a bit on this one and had some very careful unpicking and resewing. 

At patchwork today I worked on the blue quilt our group is putting together. These blocks were made back in October. As well as the 8.5" block we were supposed to make there were a heap of little pinwheels made from the scraps. It was pretty tricky trying to assemble it as the blocks came out in a few different sizes and some were too small to be included in the front. (someone had trimmed her blocks back to 8") I had worked out a design a couple of weeks ago and thought that today I would be able to sew it up... huh. Found that with the blocks that ended up too small we needed to make another 4 blocks (we were one short anyway) Lindy had fabric with her and she cut and I sewed and she pressed. We got the 4 new blocks made and I started to put it together. But it was fairly slow progress. I had to sew a heap of the little half square triangles that were left over from the blocks into pinwheels but that involved pressing and trimming and sewing and trimming... all rather painstaking. I didn't take any photos of what I was doing... oops.

I got the Tea Shop quilt put together having finished off the applique on a few of the blocks. I thought I was done. I started to cut the border fabric... and then I realised that I haven't completed the embroidery on the main centre block... and now its in the centre of the quilt and I am going to have to stitch the last bits of it in situ. Much more awkward that stitching the block on its own. Sigh. I think this quilt is never going to be ready to be finished off.  I also found the buttons I bought to decorate blocks with. They won't go on till the end though, after its quilted so that is okay.

I have to stitch over all the lines in the windows. After its been quilted I will add some button cakes and pies.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday,  at Freshly Pieced, WIPS on Wednesday and Lets Bee Social

WIP Wednesday

Very excited to announce that Vanishing Hours is finished. Yes! I worked on getting the binding on yesterday. It didn't take me very long at all. All that procrastinating. I had some binding that I had made for another quilt which I forgot I had made and made different stuff. I wasn't sure that it would work on this quilt and I knew I would have enough. I found a piece of the same scrap basket that had come off the backing which the long armer had trimmed off and sent back to me. There was just enough to make the binding... so I made some more binding and got it sewn on. I machined it front and back for a couple of reasons. The most pressing one was that whilst it was piled up on the sofa waiting for me to bind it the cats had peed on it. I debated washing it first but decided I didn't want to risk washing it before I had bound it so I put my big girl pants on, held my nose and got the binding on as quickly as I could and then washed my hands well afterwards. The other reason I bound it by machine front and back is that this is going to be on our bed and this is not the first time (or second or even third) time one of the cats has piddled on a quilt that is either on the bed or on the floor. So it is going to be washed regularly and machine binding is more secure.

So I got it bound and into the washing machine and out on the line in quick succession (for my American readers - whilst most Australian homes do own a dryer we don't use them routinely. They are usually used for emergencies or in wet weather. We all have lines in our backyards. In general our dryers wouldn't be as large as yours either since they aren't used regularly for the family wash) We no longer have a rotary hoist - an Australian invention, found in most backyards in Australia and New Zealand since the 1940s see here for its history because it broke just last year. We have a line on our patio that I use. It is under shelter so protected from the weather - sun and rain - but has a good through breeze so things dry quickly. I have however lost my mainstay for displaying and photographing my quilts. I could wind it up high and get the full drop of my quilts, even the huge ones. I did snap a few photos of it on the line yesterday but its in the shade and folded over so no where near as picturesque. I worked today so didn't get a chance to photograph it once it was dry. Tomorrow hopefully... you can come back for a peek at it in its full glory.(Ed I then took a photo of it on the bed... that worked. Still need to take one of the back of the quilt)

This week I have also completed clue 2 of the Scrapitude 2015- Scrap in a Box Mystery quilt.

I completed Week 6 in the POD challenge. I also started to stitch titles on the books in the blocks. I have completed 3 of the 6 blocks I have already made. I took them with me when we went to Brisbane for the weekend. They were my hand project. Unfortunately I was rushing to get the names of the books written on the books and didn't take as much care as I should have so not really happy with how some of them have turned out BUT not going to let it worry me.

I also did two blocks from Elephant Parade sew along. The new block will be released today as will the next block in the POD Challenge.

  

I thought I had finished all the applique blocks in The Tea Shop Quilt so started to sew them together. I have found one block I hadn't finished and another I haven't started. I also have to do a bit of extra work on the milk jugs and sugar bowls. Because the background is creamy white the sugar and milk which are also white aren't really showing up. I am going to stitch around them in the colour I used on the rest of the bowl or jug to give it some definition.

  

It will look like the other side of the bowl or jug. I have done it to one and it worked out well so will do it on the rest. Meantime I have sewn a lot of the blocks together - chunking them into sections. One strip is complete. This is going to make the remaining embroidery a bit harder to do but I will cope. I've rearranged yet again. I keep tweaking the layout. Untill its all sewn down nothing is decided.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday, WIPS on Wednesday and Lets Bee Social