The Honeybee Quilt.?

The HoneyBee Quilt ? You may well ask, how is it going?

Slowly is the answer.. :0)

Two little quilts have been finished since I last did any work on it. Yep Two! the square in a square Baby quilt and a UFO.

 In the sewing room I have an old wooden towel rail on which I hang various half finished things. There was so much on it it fell over and there at the bottom was this little quilt top, just asking to be finished .

So here it is finished. It's 40" X 40" and another UFO to tick off the list, though this one I can't remember anything about it as it was started so long ago..

All the blocks are made for the Honeybee quilt, it's just the slow process of appliquéing all the little leaves on.

So I gave myself a good talking to and made up a little pile of leaves using the freezer paper method to take to my sewing group this week.

And this is the answer to how is the quilt going. Well, I guess I am getting there but still a long way to go, but being the plodder I am I will get there....

The pattern for this quilt designed by Leanna Beasley is in her Magazine Vignette issue 11 & 12. It's a two -parter.

I have been neglecting my blog recently and this photo sums up how it has been in the UK, I know just how that pigeon feels. We had 60mls of rain last Saturday here in Suffolk.

We even lit the wood burner it was so miserable.

I am now off to do some weeding, weeds grow like Billy O when it rains but they do come out easy..

Keep safe and keep stitching.......................Doti...

Owl Quilt.

This is our latest Queen Bee's group quilt.

We all made an owl or a tree, and the lovely Alison put it all together and added the squares and the border.

Then yours truly volunteered to quilt it, though I can't for the life of me remember volunteering :0).

Sorry Liz, I could not resist putting the binding on as that is my favourite part of making a quilt.

I think this one is either going to the local Hospice or the Women's refuge.

I have added the line drawings of the owl and the tree for anyone who would like to make this lovely  quilt. Or like us, make it a group project. Our quilt measures 44 1/2 X  44 1/2 inches.

Ann, another member of our group, has made the same quilt as a baby rug, omitting the trees and filling the centre with 2 1/2 inch squares. I am not sure what happened to the photo of it but it was lovely.

Other news at the Bee this week, Liz finished her baby floor rug for her new grandchild to be. Just in time Liz, baby is due on Thursday..

 I had to put this in as it made me laugh. The two most vertically challenged girls in our group, trying to hold up a rather large UFO that Alison had just finished.

Jenny and Alison with the large quilt

Alison's finished UFO.

And last, but not least, Maggie's lovely baby quilt. This pattern is called Fiona  but I can't remember who designed it.

Maggie's quilt waiting to be sandwiched.

Now back to my mending pile, buttons seem to be off everything....

Keep safe and keep stitching..............................Doti..

Square in a Square Block

My Goodness! Where does time go.? We are 12 days into July and it is nearly 3 years since I started this blog. Yes, I used to post a lot more regularly but these days time does fly.

My excuse this week is that Wimbledon  has been on, and I have to watch it every day:0)

Though I have still been doing a little sewing.

It all started with a discussion at the Bee this week. We were talking about blocks for a charity quilt and decided on the Square in a Square. which we all thought would be an easy block to do..

So I wanted to try it out and one thing led to another, and as usual for me, I was off at a 

tangent again.

Soon I had 20 blocks done, enough for a small cot quilt.

Then to add some borders.

Adding a small spacer first.

Adding a wider pieced border. 

Another off-white border was added.

Then it was time to make a quilting sandwich with Wadding/Batting and backing fabric, ready to quilt.

All quilted, with binding added. Just waiting for the binding to be hand stitched down.

Now it's the final this afternoon and if I don't get too excited I hope to sew the binding down....

Come on Federer :0)

Keep safe and keep stitching...........................Doti...

Not a UFO...

My friend Allison put me to shame at the Bee last week as she was quilting yet another UFO, and yep that was what I was going to do this year too.!

Well, I looked through my many UFO's and you know the feeling, no inspiration whatsoever. I did however, find an old quilt I made for Mr M a long time a go, which he had stuck in the washing machine and (Boiled) yes, he thought he was being helpful. :0) The silk wadding had shrunk like 

BillyO and it was a real mess.

So it was taken to pieces, (thank goodness there was not too much quilting), washed again, pressed, new wadding and backing, re quilted and just the binding to sew on.

Am I pleased? I sure am and also Mr M was.

Not sure this was a UFO as it had been finished once. So now it is a WIP
Work In Progress.

Things are progressing on the textile front, I made a little note book cover on the water theme.

  

Also played about with last weeks lesson, which was mono printing on cotton fabric.

Machine embroidered and quilted.

Don't ask what is below, I am not sure myself or what the dickens I am going to do with it. 

Just playing with fabric...

This is for my Doggie friends and family, Gladdie our Deerhound trying to tell me she has not been eating the flowers again..

 On that note,

Keep safe and keep stitching.....................Doti...

Honeybee Quilt

This is another quilt from my favourite quilting magazine Vignette. It has been on my "to do" list since I first saw it. I finally thought I would give it a go. With the white and all those lovely greens it looks so fresh.

It is very aptly named, as you know the quilting group I belong to meets at the Bee Hive in Wickham Market every Wednesday. I have made up 20 of the 37 blocks needed and am now in the process of adding the little oval leaves. 444 in total are needed for that, and yes I know, I did say I would not do any more needle turned appliqué and I did try machine stitching them but I think they look better needle turned.So I shall have plenty to do at the Bee for the forthcoming weeks.:0)

My textile course is keeping me busy so here is a little look at my sketch book. Yep it is like being back at Art College

Painted B Web fused to cotton on felted wool with added threads.

I told you last blog we were painting on Bonda Web/ Wonder under. Well it's great fun, though not sure how to incorporate it into a quilting project as yet.

Painted BW fused to felt.

Free motion on cotton and silk from original photo of reflections.

Last week, we were being taught dyeing fabric in a microwave and I hope to have a go this week. If nothing else I am learning lots of new techniques and at 72 years young that is not a bad thing.

Got to get back to my appliqué. Only 411 little green leaves to go now Ha! Ha!

keep safe and keep stitching...........................Doti...

Water

What have I been up too..... ? you may well ask..

I have been going to a textile art group, which at the beginning completely overwhelmed me.

You know the scenario ( thinks to oneself what the dickens am I doing here ) :0)

We are working from an A level Textiles course, and we were given Water as our theme.

So water was duly brainstormed. Water ie: running water, sea water, puddles, reflections etc etc.

I decided on reflections and not venturing very far, just into the garden to one of the bird baths and this was my starting point.

Trees and srubs reflected in the water.

 After this we painted with water colours,( no photos of my paintings as yet ) but

this is it so far, my piece of felted fabric. A long way to go but it's getting there.

Wool from the scrap bag was sewn on to Solufleece and then felted with a hand needle felting tool and block( this takes for ever)!.

Yesterday in class, we were painting Bondaweb/wonder under with acrylic paint so watch this space!!!!!

Getting back to something approaching normality, I have finished block three of  of Mrs Beasley's Mystery sampler quilt. So now I have to wait for issue 13 of Vignette to come.

Back to sock production, my year is getting shorter as I'm now doing Augusts pair.







Keep safe and keep stitching.......................Doti...

Round up at the quilting Bee

Yesterday it was Quilting at the Bee and I thought you might like to see a little round up of what some of the girls were doing.

Ann was doing lots of different things, one of which was sandwiching her Quilt top. This one was designed by Lynne Edwards and was in Popular Patchwork some time back.

This quilt is also on my to do list, though I am not sure when I will get around to doing it.

Maggie was also making this quilt, though slightly smaller, and in a different colour way.

She is hand quilting hers.  

Jenny was putting borders on her place mats. I do like this fabric range, it is called Field fare,and I have some in the my current project.

This was another of Maggie's quilts. She had just finished the binding and it's to be a charity Quilt.

 

Allison was putting the finishing touches to her two owls for the Bee's Charity Quilt.

   

Ann was also sorting owls out. This is to be a Quilt for her great grandson due soon.

 All in all every one was quite busy, those not stitching were Knitting.

It seemed to be all critters and flowers.

Me,well nothing to show as yet. I have just started doing the stitchery on my mystery block 3.

Though I have finished my my two blocks for Helen (Magpie Cat) who is the Mama of the month in the Siblings together 2 group.

Helen has written a great Tutorial for this block over on her blog

themagpiecat.blogspot.co.uk

The block comes out at 15 1/2 inches and is very quick and easy to make, it looks complicated but is very simple to do.

Hope you give it a try :0)

Off now to sort out tea.

Keep safe and keep stitching..........................Doti...

Mojo gone walkabout..

Been a little under the weather for the last week or two, so not much knitting or sewing done. 

So after a little sort out of the sewing room, trying to find projects to kick start my Mojo.

The sock stock is well on target for twelve pairs this year, April's has already been gifted so I am one pair short in this photo.

Block two of Mrs Beasley's Sampler Quilt is now finished. I am not sure how they join up as yet as it is a mystery Quilt and I reckon I will have to wait until block four to find out.

  I am pleased with how it is going as each block is 15inches and has such a lot of work in each block, appliqué, stitchery and that's after the block has been pieced.

 Block three has 39 pieces before the appliqué and stitchery. This pattern is from the Aussie Magazine Vignette and started with issue No 10. 

It can be bought here in the UK. from Coast and Country Crafts. It is rather expensive but has lots in it including nice recipes.

I am using fabric from my stash as 21 different fabrics were needed, though lots are small pieces which is fun as I am using up lots of scraps I have had for years :0))

Block 3 looks rather bare, so off to sit quietly and do some needle turn appliqué with a nice cup of tea.

Other projects will have to wait a little longer...

Keep Safe and keep stitching.......................Doti...

Time Flies.

It does indeed fly as it's 14 days since I wrote a post and yes, a lot has been going on but I don't seem to have time to write about it. Let alone photograph it.

I took a class with the lovely Lynne Edwards. I book in on her class every year at Sew & So's if I can. All I knew was we were doing something called a Curvy Hen. 

Well this was it, a very cute wall hanging.

 I did manage to make two Curvy Hens at the class out of some scrap fabric that I had taken with me, which would possibly make a cushion. The intention is to choose some more neutral fabric from my stash to make the wall hanging, so watch this space.

Lynne did say she hopes to make the pattern available for sale.

My 2 Curvy Hens done in class.

A long time ago, I made a lot of my own clothes and the children's when they were younger.

So I thought it was high time I started again. 

This pattern was bought from Merchant & Mills Drapers on line and this is my first attempt at a work top (Top 64) though I just  might dress it up a bit with a pretty scarf or beads and wear it out.

My second attempt at top 64 is on the cutting table, fancier fabric this time, not enough done yet to take a photo.

In the evenings I have been sitting and knitting or a little embroidery but also nothing yet finished.

Looking out of one of the bedroom windows this morning, the Wisteria is out in all its glory along with the honeysuckle, what a lovely picture... 

 

So it's back to the garden as the sun is out to plant up some of my cosmos seedlings and keep my fingers crossed the slugs and snails don't get this lot.

Keep safe and keep stitching...................Doti.....

This time it's a Rainy Day..

The weather has changed for the worse so it's a day to light the wood burner and sit and hand sew.

I have been working on a mystery four part quilt, Mrs Beasley's Sampler Quilt  by Leanne Beasley.

Block one is finished and I have started on Block two.

Block 1.

 I am well pleased, and using up lots of fabric from my stash as the quilt calls for 21 different fabrics. Though some are very small pieces, and some of my treasured Oakshott fabric left over from the Floral Impressions quilt.

Block 2 work in progress. 

I know, I can hear you saying she was never going to do any more hand turned appliqué :0)

Well there is only a little on this quilt, and it does look nice with the stitchery..

Patshyn Catrin is the mama for May in our Siblings Together group and she has chosen a block that I have never done before, its a Double Heart Block. A tutorial can be found over on her blog.

patshyncatrin.blogspot.co.uk

It was fun to make and is rather effective, it looks paper pieced but it's not and very quick to make.

I have not posted a view from my back door for a long while, the daffodils are all finished now and I have quite forgotten what else flowers in that bed. We will have to wait and see. 

Hopefully Mr M will have put his ladders away too..

View from the back door.

I had thought there were tulips but looking out of another window I now see where the tulips are.

Sorry about the reflection from the window, but much to wet to venture out today..

Now to sit and work on block 2 of the mystery Quilt.

Keep safe and keep stitching....................Doti...