WIP wednesday No.42

I can never seem to be organised enough to take part in WIP wednesday every week, I've missed the last three weeks. Wednesday is a really sneaky day and it just seems to creep up on me each week!

This week, it's all about the Skill Builder Sampler.

First up is block seven, Virginia Star. It went together like a dream :-D

Block number eight was Breaking Out. This one was a little trickier and is a little bit squint, but just a little bit so I can live with it. I like the magic method of making the flying geese.
Block nine was Double Star, which I really love ( not as much as Arizona! but it's close) this one still needs a little tweak and it is also my smallest block to date. It measures 12 1/4" one way and only 12" the other. Oops! I used the exact piecing method, apparently I'm not that exact!

So I think that this one may well end up as a cushion cover to match the quilt, rather than a block in the quilt.

Here are all three flying geese blocks together.
And here are all nine blocks so far.

This weeks stats:

New projects 0

Completed projects 0

Currently in progress 4

There has been no progress on anything else this week, kids are back to school, and I'm back to being a glorified taxi driver :-)

Sadie x

Feelin' festive?

I was, and so I joined in with the Lizzie Kate round of the perpetual christmas exchange, over on Hooked on Exchanging.

I had Melissa to stitch for and I chose this little cutie from L*K Tiny Tidings XV.
Love the button nose :-) I'm (im)patiently waiting to see who was stitching for me and what they stitched.

Last week I was browsing through the tutorials on Lynnes blog, when I came across the Double Fat Jack. I had an afternoon to myself, so I decided to make one :-)

Here it is waving gently in the breeze on my washing line.(Waving gently in the breeze sounds lovely doesn't it, but it does not make for easy and fast picture taking! Oh no.)

I am (im)patiently waiting for some batting to arrive and then it will be a-quilting I will go!

Fabrics used were pink regular polka dot from the Red Rose Farm line by Elizabet Scott for P & B Textiles, blue floral from Happier by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake and white Kona cotton.

In other news, it was our village gala week last week. There were events held every night including a beetle drive, quiz night, guided 3 mile walk, treasure hunt, BBQ, dance and of course the actual gala on saturday afternoon.

Highlights of the week were winning a prize in the treasure hunt for bringing a pair of knickers for one of the items :-)

The hubs getting to be the official drummer in the band :-D

And spending time with my sis as we were door staff for the dance. Bee!

There was a fancy dress competition which the kids entered.

Cameron went as a set of traffic lights.
And Caitlin went as a bunch of grapes.

Cameron didn't come away with a prize (he wasn't bothered, he won in the races!) but Caitlin won first :-)

Well that's all for today folks, I'm off to spend the rest of the day catching up with the Skill Builder Sampler blocks I've not done yet.

Sadie x

Arizona on my mind

Husband Stuart had a week of work last week :-) and thankfully we had quite good weather. We spent happy, peaceful days fishing, being outside as much as possible, cooking sausages on the camping stove, eating ice-cream and not being slaves to mobiles, computers or clocks. It was bliss :-)

This week we are back to routines, but feel refreshed after the break.

Time to catch up on the blocks I was behind on the Skill Builder Sampler.

Here is block 5 - Arizona

I really, really love this block. Even though not all the points are great, and I cursed it at the time I was making it, I still love it! It is such a striking design. I chose to make this a full colour block instead of going with white to keep up the balance of full colour blocks and white blocks for my finished quilt. I've certainly had Arizona on my mind this week :-)

Block number six was the Bow Tie
This block was so nice to do after the very challenging Arizona. It went together like a dream :-) and it means that I am all caught up just in time for the next block coming out on Friday.

What wasn't a dream though, was when I cut my finger with the rotary cutter whilst cutting the fabrics for this block. I cut a chunk out of my left index finger and part of the nail too. Obviously it was too close to the edge of my ruler! It happened when I was cutting white fabric (eek) and I managed to not get a single drop of blood on it!

Silver lining and all that!

Panic not though, I'll live to stitch another day, but I'm going to be kinda slowed down for a bit, until it heals.

I also can't do any dishes.

Sigh.

Back to the sewing!

After finishing the bow tie block I had some little triangles left over from trimming the corners so I used them to make myself a pin cushion. Can you believe that despite sewing in one way or another for over ten years, I didn't have a pincushion! I know, how did that happen.

Well, now I've got one :-)
Cute as a button :-) measuring just under 3"x5" and backed with the tiny turquoise flower fabric. I stuffed it with polyester wadding, which is nice and squishy, but I feel that it could have done with a little more weight to it. What do you use for stuffing pin cushions and other smalls? Any suggestions?

Cut carefully,

Sadie x