Want to sew...

Today I do not want to fold fabric, iron fabric, or organize fabric...I just want to sew!

A box of orphan 9-patches....

I am tired and between workshops, meetings, and the setting up the new sewing space I have way overdone it.  Today is a day of "rest!"...well maybe not rest...maybe just sit down and sew!

I plan to make the binding for my pink spider (my Miss Muffet quilt!) and get the first part sewn on by machine so I have some handwork while watching the final episode of Wolf Hall!  The second photo shows the fabrics I'm auditioning for the binding...I may use a bit of each...it will be a thin binding...

I have to be careful sewing however...this is why I don't work on mitered borders when I am tired!

I can do mitered borders...

well, maybe not today....

This small disaster happened last week...of course it was the last of that fabric so now all the borders come off!

Maybe I should drink a few more cups of coffee before I head into the sewing room....

Mini quilts in the UFO pile

The title should read "many mini quilts" in the UFO pile!

A small scale quilt inspired by an antique quilt in my collection

Making these tops are a fun way of trying new colors or new techniques but tend to pile up after a few years.

They are also good for putting up on the wall

This was a blog quilt along...

or on a table top (when finished that is)

Left over half square triangle blocks...

and showing your love of fabric or quilting

(this one is "finished" as I gave the top to my friend Paula!)

thes were leftover pieces that spent a few years in a bowl on top the sewing room cabinet!

I need to make a concerted effort to finish up a few of these or move them along...one way or another!

A chinese coins that used up scraps from my log cabin quilt

some liberated piecing with tiny baptist fans!  this may take awhile!

Just to show I do finish some this Drunkards Path is 14 years old and is less than 10 inches square!

This tiny wedding ring quilt was made by my friend Linda.

So many more...need to put them out where I can finish them and then enjoy them!

Room Box almost done

The fog is so dense this morning I could barely see MacBeth at the end of the leash! A good day to stay in and finish a quilt or make another table for my mini Tudor kitchen. Yes, the walls are up and the "historically accurate" electricity is working! I've finished a chair, bench and table. It is starting to look lived in. Since I took the class near Stratford-on0Avon I am going to make a couple of actors to hang out there (note the tiny tankards are already there waiting for them.) I love the aging process for these minis - lots of "mucky water." A far cry from keeping my hands and workspace clean while sewing!


I've started pulling out my Halloween decorations. My pumpkins are on the steps already...I'm the first in the village but that is OK with me. I put out a bowl of chocolate eyes and fingers on the sideboard (very popular with little boys! Also popular with some big-boys...my DH grabbed a handful on his way out the door this morning!)

Tonya is a bit Halloween-sick. Not a lot of decorations up for this holiday in Paris so I am going to post lots of Halloween photos the next few weeks. Maybe I will even pull out the half made Quilt witch I started a decade or so ago and finish her! Now that would be magic!

I have a niece and nephew who have birthdays on either side of Halloween. I made one Halloween quilt for them but feel like I should make another (sharing a quilt isn't much fun.) The quilt is in the photo below. It was a really quick one to make. I need to start another project well...I can't think of an appropriate finish to that sentence but you know what I mean! I just don't need to right now. I need a finish...mainly I need to finish a baby quilt for a shower this weekend (I work best under deadlines - for that read pressure!) I also need to get my hair cut today...I'd much rather stay home and sew...ah, well what we do for fashion....

This and That

The past few weeks have flown by! Dh has been sick which makes everything more complicated...he is doing better and went to work today so I can take a breather! Also we have been having problems with out internet connection...this morning we finally get a call back from BT broadband and of course the computer is working fine and the tech help barely speaks English and I don't speak "Edward's" language so I can't explain the problem....uggggh.

First, the "E" Quilt blocks belong to one of the members of my Fairford group. They were made by members of her family for her father when he was born! (His initials were EE!) She was home last month and a relative gave them to her to finish. I know I just saw this pattern somewhere on the ring but can't remember. Funny how you don't see a pattern for years and suddenly - there are two within a few weeks on opposite sides of the world!

Next, I have almost finished my Tudor mini-room. Here is the fireplace and the walls drying out. I've already sketched out a second floor. We visited Shrewsbury this weekend (finally) and I found myself taking lots of photos of timber buildings for inspiration. (Shrewsbury is a great shopping town! Lots of fun, funky stores. I need to go back without my DH!) Since I am a huge Cadfael fan we visited the Abbey. Not what I had pictured in my mind but still beautiful. While we were there the organist started practicing which made me feel like my Dad was with me (he was our church's organist.)

Part of our trip to Shrewsbury was for me to play with my new camera! DH gave me my Christmas present early...a Nikon D40. It is a lot of fun but also a lot to learn. Exciting though!

On the quilting front...I finished a baby quilt top this week and am trying to finish another. I feel very behind right now....what is that saying "the faster I go the behinder I get."

Miniature Class...

I spent the last three days in a miniature class with the folks from Gandads Playroom. They are retiring this year so this was their last class. I made a Tudor kitchen roombox with a large "working" fireplace. I learned a lot. I'll post a photo soon.

The cottage the classes were held at is beautiful. Close to Stratford-on-Avon the houses on the drive there gave me lots of inspiration for the work each day. The photo on the left is of one of the "traffic" jams I got into on the way home! I love pheasants but boy are they stupid! I had to get out of the car and chase them off the road! Since they don't have flight feathers yet they would have just continued walking in front of the car for I don't know how long!

I have continued working on my Mile a Minute...that has become more like the Big Dig in Boston (maybe I could blame it on the pheasants?) Anyway, I took some advice and added some larger strips to the off-size blocks. I also added the large half square trianges to make a sort of medallion center to give it a bit of structure. It is now about 32 inches across. I think I like it. I've started the next row...not sure how big I will really make this...it is getting heavy quickly! It is continuing to be fun and I guess that is the important thing!

My Dh is back from his extended business trip. I was able to get most of the house in order before he walked through the door...not a minor feat (the cleaning not the walking!)