SHORT AND SWEET

Not much to show today because other things are afoot in our household.

Hubby and I have been out most of the day pricing cupboards, doors, electric trunking etc. etc.

 He has made a start on his bench/storage area in his shed aka. music/ chill out room! Half of what was in there is now in my front room, kitchen and porch!!  He says it will only take him 2 days to assemble new cupboards, re-route some electrics and put a worktop on!!! AMAZING considering it takes at least 5 years to do a simple job anywhere else!!! LOL

I hope the rest doesn't take that long because it involves the kitchen re-vamp and my craft room - again!!

Anyway, my lovely friend Sylvia rang me last night after seeing my Blog post from yesterday when I showed the progress with the rag throw squares. She was concerned about the size of the base ones because usually shrinkage can occur when you quilt them together. I explained, as best I could to the very person who has started me on this patchwork journey and who is an absolute genius at it, that that wouldn't be the case as I was making this similar to the little rag bag I've just done except I would only be 'cross hatching' these squares. Isn't she a treasure to be helping me from 300 miles away. So special.

Anyway, today I've cut the grand total of 14 pieces of wadding. Wow!

That could quite possibly be it for several weeks especially if I finally get these 3 times per week hospital appointments. Watch this space..........

PATCH PAIRING

After a mommoth cleaning session this morning I decided I didn't want to cut the batting for the throw and make a mess again, so instead I got hubby to get the awning table out of the motorhome so I could sit in front of a window and get more light to work by.

I started to pair up the squares of fabric but I wanted different pieces front and back. What a job.

It worked ok but the table isn't big enough to lay all 12 rows so I took myself off to lay them on the bed. Easier than kneeling on the floor!!!

Proved an even harder task than I expected because I wanted to try and keep a different fabric on every row front and back. After about 2 hours I managed it. All 196 squares!!!

They are now nicely bundled and labelled.

Can't put off cutting the batting squares now - at least until tomorrow anyway. 

TODAYS BARGAINS

Boy 'o boy what a day of bargains.

I really only went out for paper hankies but ended up in Abakhan rummaging through the craft materials. I search for Tilda mainly. Look what I found

There is 8' of material here which I reckon to be about £40 worth @ £16 per mtr.

Then I found this

One piece is 43" the other is 51", that's about £38 worth making my haul worth approx. £78.

Look what I paid

£18.40!!!!!!!

As if that wasn't the bargain of the day, I then went to Inspirations and found these 

14 Distress re-inkers that are on my 'not got' list. They are usually £3.95 each, guess what I paid????

£14!!!!!!! for the lot.

Oh happy day.

LET THE CUTTING BEGIN

A day of cutting started off with my hair! I didn't cut it, my hairdresser did! I always feel refreshed after a session at Qube. Thanks Erica for another super style.

I got stuck into cutting the material for this rag throw.

As I mentioned, I need 192 squares which proved a back breaking job, but I did it.

However, the thought of cutting 96 squares of batting was just too much so I've packed in for today. 

Hopefully the storm which is about to hit doesn't take all the daylight away and I can get on with that task over the weekend. 

Stay safe everyone.

THROW TIME

I've pondered for 2 days now whether to get on with projects already in the making or just prepped, or to make one of the throws I have in mind for various places. 

I bought this pile of material, except the gorgeous bee one which was a present, last year with the intention of making some hexagonal patched cushions for the front room settees. However, as my hubby throws the ones we already have in a big pile, I couldn't justify all that work for nothing.

I love to snuggle into a soft throw of an evening, so I'm going to make a rag throw which is not only easy but will use all the material.

I've worked out that it will take  192 X 5" squares, that's 96 for each side making a throw approximately 32" X 48". 

Better get ironing and cutting then.

DECISIONS DECISIONS

I can't decide what to start next.

Do I continue with the patchwork throw for outside or do I start something new?? The weather today is awful, our part of storm Jonus or is it Johna, whichever, it's blowing a hooley and has poured with rain, so making something for outside isn't an enthralling thought.

I've been searching online and through books for inspiration in order to start something using one of these

Or maybe these

Or perhaps this

My Eclectic Elements stash needs some red material then I think I will make a little patched throw with some of it to cuddle up with while watching tv. 

I saw a video which showed making a quilt top in 45 minutes with a jelly roll. Seems good to me but the size would cause me problems when I come to wad and quilt it. I can get on the floor but getting up again is another story!! LOL!

I rather fancy making a hexagon 'something' with the blue material. Now that could go in my motorhome plus be something I could do when away especially if I hand sew it all.

Just need to get cracking now. 

Eeny, meeny, miney, mo........

ANOTHER CARD

No info for you,  just a few photos of the things I'm playing with today.

That's it!!

MORE BIRTHDAY CARDS

Following on from my Crazy Bird session, I had to move on to more 'pretty' cards. Last year I stamped a few flowers from Tim Holtz Flower Garden stamp set. Having only coloured a hand full of them I put them away and that was that because Christmas came. The card design I had in mind was cobbled from one of the most gorgeous cards I've ever received let alone seen. My friend Barb is super talented and this is the masterpiece I'm referring to.

It sits proudly in my work room and it's the truth when I say that I just can't stop looking at it.

I've made the first card and its A4 in size. It's also turned out really lovely.

Just a sneak look because the finished card is going to another very special friend and it wouldn't be right to show it just yet. 

The next one is about to be started,

So I'd better get on with it I guess. 

A CARD MAKING SESSION

I am so glad yesterday is over because I felt really rotten all day. No energy at all and I just wanted to curl up in a corner. Could have been the vaccination I had on Wednesday I suppose but what a difference today. I could run a marathon- in my head at least LOL!

There are several friend and family birthdays coming up soon so I set to and began to make a few cards. Following some amazing workshops last year with Birgit Koopsen, I already had some backgrounds in my stash so I found one which cut into 3 nice sized pieces. 

I roughed the edges and inked them. The colours are just lovely on these. I planned to use 6" X 6" cards and these backgrounds were just a tad too small to cover all the card so I decided to stick them to one side. With that done I could get on with some colouring.

Decisions, decisions. Can you tell I'm in love with my Distress Markers #timholtz.

An extremely generous and special friend bought me the Crazy Birds accessories stamps and dies and I can't get enough of them. They make me smile just looking at them and actually using them is so easy.

So, I coloured, smiled, coloured a bit more, smiled a bit more, die cut everything and then laughed my socks off because the end result was so funny.

So there you have it, 3 completed birthday cards. HAHA! You didn't think I was going to show you them before they had been sent out did you.......

I BOUGHT A TOGGLE BUTTON

The last little bit is now complete. I had a lovely button, or so I thought, for my rag bag - 

But when I came to sew it on I realised it was just a tad too small. This morning I had to go for a pneumococcal jab so while out I went in search for a better button. I found a black toggle one which, apart from the one fastened to the lid, was the only one in the tube. At 98p quite pricey but it turned out they wouldn't be re-ordering them so the assistant gave me the one from the lid. Two for the price of one, happy!

It's now stitched in place making another little project completed.

I need to make some cards next before I decide which sewing project to either start or continue with. 

I NEED A BUTTON

The little rag bag is finished except for a button. The one I put aside to use is too small so next time I go out, which will be tomorrow, I'll get one.

I left off yesterday having sewn the straps etc together.

The next task was to turn them through the right way. I HATE that job.

A little bit of almost midnight oil plus a glass of, helped get the job done.

That was as far as I got last night. This morning was a 'fit a new bathroom sink tap' morning. Hubby got the job done quite quickly but obviously he needed my help!! Glad the water is back on plus the heating.

Once everything was cleaned up and tidy once more, I set to finishing the bag. First off, I plaited the straps.

Then the awkward bit of sewing them on and covering the ends with the little material patches.

All in all, it's not looking too bad so it will do for me. 

If you want to have a go at one for yourself, I followed the instructions in a little book called ' purses bags and more by Pearl Louise Krush, www.thimblecottage.com 

NEARLY FINISHED

Only the finishing touches to do to the little rag bag now but I won't get it completed until tomorrow.

I continued clipping the seams until bed time just to get a head start today. Not finding any 1/4" cord in my stash, I made another trip to Abakahn and got some there. While I was at it, I bought a pair of snips and new Bodkins, watch me find mine now!!

The snips are really sharp and work a treat as there is no thumb hole for my ever increasing in size arthritic thumb to get stuck in.

I threaded the cord through the casing and stitched up the gap then put the bag into the washer to wash and rag the seams. It's drying as I type so I prepared the straps for sewing.

There are 4 little patches and a button loop too. These are all sewn now so I'm just about to turn them all through so they will be ready for when the bag is dry. 

Until tomorrow then......

A TRYING TIME TODAY

I've had a 'trying' time today as you can see by this photo.

The little rag bag reached some awkward sewing moments and the inevitable happened whilst I was sewing the base to the sides. Always makes me jump out of my skin when I break a needle. 

The whole thing has now become quite stiff due to each block having been quilted prior to assembly, so manoeuvring it was a challenge. I got there as I always do.

The edge around the top had to be turned over and sewn to form a casing to accommodate some 1/4" cotton cord. I suppose it's not only to neaten the edge but to give it some body. Anyway I don't have any nor can I find my Bodkin so there's another shopping list in the making.

I've just started the tedious task of clipping all the seams after which and once the cord is in place, the bag has to be washed in order to 'rag' it.

The clipping bit will take me ages so I may not be around for a while!!!!!!

NO SEWING TODAY

I had a little shopping list on the go and today decided to go looking for a few items on it.

My box of threads contains a mixture of specialised, quilting, cotton and polyester. Yesterday I had trouble finding some machine quilting thread amongst the mayhem, so decided to try and split it into a couple of boxes which meant finding one more to match the ones I already have. It turned out I already had one in my dry goods cupboard in the kitchen, so I 'snaffled' it.

Job #1 done.

Next little problem was storing spools holding different threads. I had one little spool box storing the overflow from the now full storage in my sewing machine, so I bought another one today. Just need to sort them all out now.

My specialist machine feet had no home so I bought another white box to help sort that problem.

My craft shelves are still tidy despite the change around, I just can't work in a mess.

So the rag bag had no progress made to it today apart from me clipping all the pieces together ready for sewing.

There's always tomorrow!!! 

A LITTLE RAG BAG

I prepped this bag last year along with several other projects, ready for these next few weeks sewing through the cold weather. 

I hope it works because I've used a bundle of fat quarters I bought from Hobbycraft and it means because the fabric is not full width, the straps will turn out half the size stated on the pattern I'm following. Having said that, I really think that 44" is far too long. So we'll see what happens.

These are the prepped pieces.

Each 5" square needed to be spray glued to a 4" piece of wadding making a sandwich. There are 16 of these plus a longer piece for the base.

Took a while but it was easy.

Once they were just about dry they needed to be quilted - free motion. I disassembled my walking foot from my machine and attached an open toe foot.

I've only had a go with this foot once before and it isn't an easy thing to get right. However, the sewing on this bag doesn't call for precision so I just went for it.

Phew! Glad that bit is done. I've packed in for today as the light is getting bad and I need to set my machine up differently once more ready for the next stage. Also, I must sort my quilting threads from the ordinary ones. I have a little shopping list going too for such things as a Really Useful box for my awkward shape/size sewing feet etc. so may be out tomorrow. BFN