The HD3QBEM and I had a day out today - she wanted clothes from her favourite shop and I wanted out of the City! We went down to Hamilton, around an hour and a half drive south of here. The weather was kind and we enjoyed our travels through the lush dairy farmland. Spring is a great time of year - calves, lambs, a thousand shades of new green on the trees, flowering cherries and we saw splendid samples of all today.
This week has been busy. I have been diligently working my way through the Spring Cleaning List (half done), the Sewing List (half done) and the Finishing List (half done). But the car is washed and I even cleaned the inside, so one job is fully complete.
Yes! Everything is only half done, even these infernal circles.
Ring O Roses needs 20 covered rings and 4 Dorset Buttons and I am only just half way. So guess what I will be doing tonight? On Thursday I went to the local quilting store to find lining for this project. The two shop assistants were deep in conversation with each other ignoring all customers, so I carefully studied all the red fabrics, ummed and aahed and eventually chose this one. As she was cutting off the piece I required, the assistant was congratulating herself on it being a wonderful match. Not that she had anything to do with the choice!!
I plan on getting this project completed in the coming week. Meanwhile I ponder what project to start next. My only current piece is the English Hexagon Runner and the top of that is done and I am putting off the next stage as I don't really know how I should quilt this. My sewing machine doesn't do quilting so it will have to be a "by hand" job and I am not sure I am ready for that. Any suggestions?
I have three projects to take with me when we go on holiday on the 18th. One is a new name tag for Guild meetings. My current one is plain - very plain. My name in capitals stitched in blue floss on white linen. Other Guild members have beautiful tags with flowers, specialty stitches etc. As I was tidying out my bookshelves I came across a Name Tag chart in one of the files and promptly selected flosses and fabric. Such a small project shouldn't take too much time??
Yesterday I sewed a silk top for the coming summer. (This photo is for Little Sister - and yes I will remember to take the tacking threads out of the hems) Style Arc patterns are made in Australia (I think) and it was the first time I had ever used one. The instructions are minimal but the pattern drafting is wonderful and I only had to adjust for my "dowagers hump", otherwise it was perfect straight from the packet. All that remains is the bias binding around the neck and a button at the top on the back. I am super pleased with this one. I really like the overlay front which makes it less like a T Shirt and ever so slightly designer?? I am hoping for some "Where did you buy that?" or even "Did you make that?" comments :-)
And I'm off to make the dinner.
![Fabric Bomb](<center><a href="http://elizabethsquarters.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="elizabethsquarters" src="http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg496/mail133/FABRICBOMBSBUTTON_zps712e564f.jpg"/></a></center>)
10 comments:
Wow beautiful stitching and the blouse is so lovely
Enjoy my dear x
Lovely top, the colours are very appealing. When I dabbled a little in patchwork, I didn't quilt anything to finish - instead I used the design to help me to place buttons I think. I am already going into envy mode about it being spring with you.
Glad you had a nice day out together. The fabric is perfect, how clever of the assistant to have it in stock LOL.
I am very interested in seeing the progress of this piece.
And your new blouse looks lovely too, I like strong colours.
It looks like your free time is agreeing with you. You are getting so much accomplished!
I am hand-quilting my hexagon quilt and am quilting "in the ditch" around the hexagons. The reason for doing it this way is that I have a line to follow (the outside of the hexagons) and if things aren't so straight or even, it doesn't show.
How nice of the clerk to take credit for your choice lol. It really is the perfect match though. I like Pamela's idea of stitching in the ditch. I've also seen some neat stencils that you can trace onto the quilt with a wash-away fabric pen and hand stitch.
Your blouse turned out beautifully! I really can't believe you made it yourself. You are such a talented lady! :)
Amazing projects...very clever of you! Love seeing the photos of your day out. Spring? So jealous, we are coming into winter brrrrrrrr
Hey--you are half done--pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments! Beautiful fabric selection
Love the blouse! Very fun colors and you picked a perfectly complementing fabric for your project.
Congrats on a lovely blouse, lovely progress, and not throttling annoying store attendants...... and on chores that can happily wait until we are done stitching. :)
the top is fabulous, well done! What do you mean your sewing machine doesn't do quilting? I'm pretty sure you can quilt on any sewing machine. Mine is a very basic machine and I quilt on it.
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