I can't seem to settle to anything recently. I have picked up one or two of my projects but haven't really made much headway and keep going from one to another - so not focused at all.
I recently bought a lace dress I saw in a sale to wear at my daughters wedding in November and have now bought material to make a coat (for church) and a short jacket (for the reception and evening). I will use an old pattern from the 70's for the coat, and a pattern from the 90's for the jacket. I have stitched out two lace motifs to add to the short sleeves of the jacket and unless looked at closely will match fairly well with the lace on the dress. Each motif took 84 minutes to stitch out onto a double layer of clear soluble polymer stuff (can't remember what it is called!), and I am now worried that the thread I used will run out before I finish the next two! We shall see. I really need to get cracking on this as time is marching on and it will be October before I know it. As I said though, I just can't seem to get motivated and keep being side tracked by other things.
I took part in a fabric postage stamp swap last year and saw that there was going to be another one - so I have spent quite a bit of time going through all my stash and cutting 5 sets of 100 different 2.5" squares ready for the next swap in October. It is quite exciting wondering what I will get in return (hopefully 500 different squares!) As I was a newbie last time I only managed to swap one set, but hopefully after this one I should have enough squares to do a version of an 'Irish Chain' quilt and every colour square will then be different!
Whilst cutting the sets of 2.5" squares I pulled out my remaining sets of 2" squares that I had cut from left overs last year and decided to make some coasters or 'mug rugs' as the American's call them. I had enough unique squares to make 8. I am using scrap fabric strips for the backing and a heat resistant wadding. I have kept them simple with stitch in the ditch quilting. I cut an 8" square of thin iron on interfacing to line up all the squares first before folding and stitching the rows of squares together. You have to then cut along the folds and press open before folding the other way and stitching - a little time consuming but it means the squares line up perfectly. I adapted this method I saw on the internet (I don't bother drawing a grid as if you cut perfect squares they line up well on the interfacing. You just have to be careful pressing them onto the interfacing to get them to stick without moving.
The quilting group started up again this week after the summer break. I have used some scraps from the group stash with some of my own to make some blocks for a charity quilt. I joined four strips of fabric together and cut the joined strips into squares. I then put a square of checked fabric on top. Then by stitching all around the edge of the square and cutting diagonally both ways across the square you end up with four blocks. I saw this method used on the internet somewhere, but now can't remember where! Here they are on the design wall ready for sewing together.
I took part in a fabric postage stamp swap last year and saw that there was going to be another one - so I have spent quite a bit of time going through all my stash and cutting 5 sets of 100 different 2.5" squares ready for the next swap in October. It is quite exciting wondering what I will get in return (hopefully 500 different squares!) As I was a newbie last time I only managed to swap one set, but hopefully after this one I should have enough squares to do a version of an 'Irish Chain' quilt and every colour square will then be different!
The quilting group started up again this week after the summer break. I have used some scraps from the group stash with some of my own to make some blocks for a charity quilt. I joined four strips of fabric together and cut the joined strips into squares. I then put a square of checked fabric on top. Then by stitching all around the edge of the square and cutting diagonally both ways across the square you end up with four blocks. I saw this method used on the internet somewhere, but now can't remember where! Here they are on the design wall ready for sewing together.