Progress on two fronts

In and amongst a very busy few weeks - auditors (we passed with flying colours - hurray), university viewings with Sarah (UWE at Bristol is favourite so far - although it didn't stop us trecking up to Sheffield and back one Sunday), trying to puzzle out the first months financial reconciliation with the new computer system (only over two months late through no fault of mine - don't ask!!!), usual ferrying kids here and there etc etc etc - there has been some creative output


Firstly the jewel box quilt has now grown to a 5 x 5 layout - the photo only shows 4 x 5 but you'll just have to trust me that the last row's been attached - Sarah has decided that she'd like to claim this one when it's finished to take away with her as a sofa throw when she goes to university in September 2010 - that gives me a little time to decide whether to add borders and then to quilt it.

I've so enjoyed putting this one together that I'm carrying on making 4patches and HSTs in neutrals and shirtings to make a second quilt with a slightly different layout - more of that next time - plus I've not got the jewel box pattern out of my system yet either and I have it in mind to do another but with 3" units instead of 4" and in batiks with a single salt wash batik fabric for the background in a beige/mushroom shade of which I have a good four or five yards in my stash. So if anyone wants to swap fabrics and send me some dark or bright batiks I'd love to trade for material of your choice or a little Bebbington original if you prefer.

Away from jewel boxes but keeping on the batiks - all the appliqued sashings are now sitting between the batik basket blocks and I'm now steeling myself for clearing enough space on my cutting table to cut a narrow 1" green border and then a wider 10" sand border around this for more applique to complete the top



However it's not just me that's been busy - oh no indeed - himself has been working like a proverbial slave in the back garden laying my beautiful courtyard patio area (well some of it anyway) in all the incredible heat and humidity we've had up to this past few days (until the weather broke with heavy rain showers on Monday anyway)

The top level is almost complete (he's added more since this photo was taken) - it just needs the pointed brick edging to finish this part - ignore the umbrella, it was an aid to keeping him cool while he worked and will actually finish up at the other end of the garden (behind the photographer)

Himself has stoically suffered the 'grand designs' aspirations of the 'design superintendent' (that's me) and put in carefully placed focal accents (you may feel this might just bear a passing resemblance to a patchwork block pattern!)

And under the windows of the conservatory the lavender bed is finished complete with recycled gate post finials to accent the corners - just waiting for the plants to grow to fill it out now.

Catching up on commitments

The Birthday block swap for which I had made the 'circles' blocks from my last post has been sitting on my shoulder like Jimminy Cricket - with good reason considering how behind I've allowed myself to become

I was acutely aware that I still owed a red, black and white block for March, a purple rose block for April and finally a NYB block for May to bring me right up to date to work on Kate's 3D block for June

Here are the completions so far to bring me right up to the present day

March

April

May

Only June to do which is current so I'm up to date - hurray! Now to think up something with a 3D element for Kate - ideas anyone?

I've also been stitching more sashings for the Batik Baskets - but as they're all much the same they're a bit boring

However I did find time to put all those hourglass squares together - a couple of borders should bring this up to Cot size

And finally I have a pot of Marguerite daisies outside both my front and back doors - I love these simple plants, they remind me of living in France, and if you deadhead them regularly they'll reward you with a wonderful succession of blooms all summer long - this little fellow was captured just minding his own business, ignoring me as I opened the front door after work the other day

Today's bag of allsorts

You know Mother Nature can always teach us a thing or two about colour combinations - just look at these rhododendrons in rich buttery cream and regal purple combined with the lovely green grass - a great starting point for a quilt. Stourhead in Wiltshire was an absolute delight last week with the variety of rhododendron colours in the gardens - pricey but well worth a visit

And talking about three colour quilts - here's where I've got to with the Batik Baskets

Still valiantly appliqueing away with the rest of the sashings to go round the edges

I've still been carrying on with some piecing too

Quite a while ago I received a Moda charm pack from another blogger - some of the charms had children and toys on them which weren't totally my scene but I passed them onto a dear friend who loved the 'Dick and Jane' fabrics and I knew she'd make excellent use of these which were similar

However I hung onto those charms from the pack that I especially liked but never found a suitable project for them. Then seeing the occasional hourglass quilt on various blogs thought that as I'd developed a newfound reasonable competence (tongue firmly in cheek there) for piecing I'd give it a go

Here we are so far - good fun but possibly not something I'd like to make every day - there should be just enough squares along with some border fabric to make a cot quilt

Finally I've been participating (I use the term loosely) in the Birthday Block swap that Kate's been running - unfortunately I've lost my way somewhat since about January - probably because I really couldn't apply myself to much stitching over that period.

Now we've got to June - the last month, and Kate's turn to receive blocks - and I've set myself the target to get all outstanding blocks out to their various recipients by the end of the month

Here's one of the RW&B Mariners Compass blocks that a fellow blogger made for me

And finally the two circle February blocks just awaiting trimming and posting out.

Keep stitching and smiling :o)

Lots of little bits and bobs

For a change this weekend's bank holiday has been blessed with wonderful weather in this part of the world

Usually the approach of a bank holiday is sufficient to send the sales of raincoats and umbrellas through the roof

But no, this time sandals and sun cream were the order of the day

Nick did manage to find a novel way to keep from getting burned - he does look uncannily like something washed up on a beach in a crime series

The sand at Bridport is a moveable feast - it seems to depend on what effect the winter tides and storms have previously had on the beach

This year the sand isn't really sand, more small pebbles which are absolute purgatory to walk on in barefeet and annoyingly want to get right into your sandals if you don't take them off

Still the type of 'sand' didn't spoil the day.

Apart from Sunday's excursion to the coast we've stayed around home

Nigel has made a really good start on the back garden (so far, no pipes!)

And I've done a little bit of this..................

to continue the jewel box quilt

And a little bit of this..............

And this...................

which has completed these

Ready for some of this.............

and more of this.............

Giving me one of these - I need another eleven to sash between the basket blocks

I'm still pondering over the cornerstones between these sashings - I'm leaning towards some sort of nine-patch but I'm not sure on the colour placement yet - mind you the other eleven sashings will give me plenty of time to make up my mind

And finally a little treat in the post

A bag from Nancy Near Philadelphia with some lovely fabrics as well - thank you Nancy, they're lovely

Right must dash - off to measure up how many paving slabs we need for the back garden

And then there were three............

How wonderful.....................

Here in Somerset the sun is shining - and even better.............

Today is an extra day off for me.

Throughout the school year there are usually five days selected by the school to use for teacher training days. The children do not attend and in my case my contract doesn't require me to either.

Because of the variety of training options around, each school sets their own training or 'Inset' days and seldom do different schools have them on the same dates.

This usually means that I get the day off and my kids go to school.

Bliss!

I do love inset days.

Nigel seems to think that I should be making good use of this bonus day by tidying the sewing room.

The sewing room is crying out for a bit of TLC.

But.............

I'm on a roll.................

Three basket blocks completed

And three columns of four jewel box blocks all joined together.

When I looked at this last night it seemed to be all reds (artificial light probably to blame), this morning in the cool morning light of the conservatory it's much more random, the greens seem to dominate more today.

I just love how this pattern jumps out to hit you so much more strongly in the photograph than in the flesh.

Now, do I add another three blocks to the bottom for a single quilt or do I add two columns to the side for a double quilt - decisions, decisions, decisions..........

No, a day off is not a day for having to make decisions so.............

I think, this morning, I shall return to the other project and get the fourth basket block done ready to work out the next stage.

Can't see the tidying happening somehow.

What a shame.

Triangles, triangles everywhere

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while will no doubt reel with shock when you realise that I've not only been piecing but piecing triangles at that.

As a rule I just don't do triangles in any shape or form

However it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and our local fabric shop has mottled batiks at £4.97 per metre - a real bargain - these can often cost £10 to £12 per metre on this side of the pond

So I went in to spend my birthday money and came home with this gorgeous assortment - two metres of the end sand and beige ones and a metre each of the others

Imagine my surprise when I was surfing around blogland later that day to find Libby's lovely quilt in just the same colours as my three left hand choices

Must have been meant to be

I had also been inspired by Nancy's Jewel Box quilt - I've long thought I'd like to make one of these - and so I was already lowering myself gently into the uncharted waters of HST construction en masse.

Lots of strips

Cut up to use as leaders and enders (a la Bonnie at Quiltville)

To join together with the HSTs

To make Jewel Box Blocks

Nice and scrappy

Joining together to form the greater pattern - sorry forgot to turn this photo before loading it - just stand on your head or something to view it properly please :o))) Nancy was right these little babies just make themselve up

So once I was in the swing of the jewel box components my courage got the better of me and I decided to cut up the bits for the batik blocks - amazing how the colour changes under artificial lighting

And eventually the first of the four big blocks was born

A few days further down the line and here are two of the four - half way there. Believe it or not the greens all came from the same piece of fabric, don't you just love the variations in batiks

Just had to nip back to the shop this morning to secure additional yardage in these three colours - it would be such a shame to run out half way through such an enthusiastic project once I'm on a roll

Now I have two more blocks to stitch up (the HST's are already trimmed and waiting) and then the big decision about how to put it all together - after all those triangles I've a feeling there might be some applique on the horizon

Thank you blogging friends for inspiring me and giving me the courage to have a go

Finishes.............

The first finish - the rugby playing season is over for another year - thank goodness in the main - it will be nice for the whole family to have some respite from it, but most of all Sarah's body needs the rest and recuperation after a very hefty season

This knee - which her friends told her reminded them of a Beano comic book character's - definitely needs the rest - the only remedy for bursitis, (caused by several incidences of impact with the hard ground) is REST!

And after a very intensive and physically punishing final match (the return fixture against the Welsh Colleges which we lost 10 - 22) one disappointed and very sore girl (the tears had just been wiped away for the photo) really needs a rest too - we spent the following afternoon at A & E with suspected liver/gall bladder pain - fortunately the tests came back clear - but there were some very hard tackles in this last match

You can see here that, although I managed to get the shorts back to sparkling white, the coach had less luck with the shirts and the girls ended up playing in the blue 'away' strip - not quite the same somehow

Of course Sarah's focus now has to change from rugby to AS exams over the next four weeks - but at least the knee won't get a pounding for now.

Back to stitching I've also had a finish

For months I've not really been at all focussed on my quilting

However there's nothing quite like the deadline of a colleague's imminent maternity leave to spur me into action

She told me she'd decorated the nursery in yellow with a lime green carpet

A good enough match I'd say - and she was absolutely delighted - such a simple pattern but so effective in the right fabrics - these batiks and tone on tone fabrics were a delight to work with

Amazing what one little finish can do to waken up the creative urges

Inspiration has been forthcoming all around blogland - a gorgeous jewel box quilt courtesy of Nancy and a fabulous basket quilt rustled up by Libby

So I dug out an assortment of neutrals to contrast with colourful scraps

Rustled up a pile of HSTs to press and trim to size - me - piecing? - never!!! (I know I'm as surprised as you are)

A new stitchery design ready for embroidering

The sewing machine and iron working overtime

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Watch this space for a progress report - if I can drag myself away from the sweat shop that is ...................................