Plan B and beyond

The disappearing 9 patch can yield numerous variations. These ones are better than my first try.

I'm going to choose just one design block and make a repeating pattern. The finished quilt or table runner (choices, choices) will be for a friend. Perhaps I'd better ask her which she wants before I start sewing the blocks together. (She might not want anything at all as the colours are rather 'loud'. The fabric was once 3 fancy dress fifties dresses which she made herself. When she was having a de-cluttering session she gave them to me to recycle.)

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Success and failure

Success - cutting out squares from a friend's thrown out clothing.

Aren't I good - lots of squares for patch-working. I don't know what I'm going to make yet.

Failure - not the best of patterns to make for your first block!

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Piles!

I think it's time that I showed you my piles!

First of all my pile of books. Gill, I don't review books for anyone in particular. These books were given to me by friends. There's books behind the books in the pictures ...

and more piles of books elsewhere. I'm slowly wading my way through. I aim eventually to wade my way through all the books in the house and give away most of them. One of my NewYear Resolutions was to read at least one book per month.

I've got piles of wool in drawers scattered around the house.

There are more piles of wool elsewhere! Most of it is from CSs or car boots. I'm slowly crocheting and knitting my way through them.

Here is a pile of photographs. I've got photo albums to put them in but I've not got round to that job yet. Perhaps it should be at the top of my list or this pile will hang around getting in the way. I've already had the family videos put on to CD. Now do I bin the videos? Decisions, decisions. I need to get rid of these piles.

Here are piles of fabric which 'may come in handy sometime'. There are more piles elsewhere - oh dear.  How many quilts do I need? Should I start making my own dresses? I've already got piles of those for my dancing.

Here is a pile of garments that have seen better days. They are waiting in a pile to be cut into patchwork pieces with each square a reminder of who wore the garment and where.

And last here, but not my last lot of piles, are the final middles for my 2012 blanket. My pile of wool for this blanket has gone down considerably, with 2 blankets 'done' already for the 'daughters' and 1 blanket left to finish for me.

It will be quite a while before I get rid of all my piles. I'll just have to live with them for a while longer!

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Whoo!

It's Christmas here today with a present coming my way from Pam over at A Good Life in Tydd who hosted a giveaway a while ago. Thank you, Pam for the book, which I shall enjoy reading.

Pam lives in a small village in a 300 year old cottage, with a large garden that gives her food, flowers and inspiration for her sewing which is superb. If you like quilting do pop over there to say hello.

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Charity Shop Chatter

De-cluttering is going well this year with quite a few bags taken to the CS containing clothes, rags and books. I couldn't resist these colourful pegs to brighten up the washing line.

One rag that didn't end up in the bag was my 'dossing about' dress which had seen better days. It was my favourite lounge about dress but it had to go ...

... not to the rag bag but to the 'squares' pile for future quilting.

I also kept back some buttons from and old cardie - never know when they will come in handy. (Never, I know, but they went in the button tin.)

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Mum's Advent Calendar 12, Days Left 13

Christmas Coaster Tutorial

Cut out 2 squares of Christmas fabric and one square of batting - mine was a bit thick but squashed down with some persuasion. Put right sides of fabric together with the batting on top. Starting on one side sew round all sides leaving a small gap on the first side for turning.

Cut the corners and turn right sides out.

Hand sew the turning hole closed with small slip stitches.

Quilt the top by sewing consecutive squares.

Put your favourite mug on top, containing your drink of choice.

Hot lemon for me please.

The tree is there - look very closely.

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Move

"Move off the table runner while I take a picture, please."

"Nope."

"At last, thank you."

Finally finished. Padding a little too thick, stitching a little too wonky, binding not wide enough and too thick so I had a bit of a wrestling bout sewing it into place - but made from scrap materials (except wadding). It will certainly protect the table from hot dishes ...

... and provide a suitable resting place for puss cats!

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It's hard work

I'm currently wrestling with putting a binding on my quilted table runner. I think my wadding is too bulky, my edges too wobbly and my machine too temperamental. It's certainly a challenge. There's bits everywhere, the ironing board is up, I'm running up and downstairs, pins all over the floor. It's not a small space hobby this. I'll keep you posted. And I've had a beer. Oh dear.

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It's an addiction

Here's the second table runner made out of scraps of scraps.

There were 3 lots of different blocks of different sizes and not cut square (hadn't got my rotary cutter, ruler or mat) so I decided to quilt with lines close together to mask the blocks. I also used up lots of ends of different coloured threads.

It's guaranteed to start a migraine if you look at it too long!

But it's colourful, my own work (I think wobbly lines are my forte!) and part of my learning curve to better quilting. The next one may show a bit of progress.

Maybe, maybe not.

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Oh deary me!

Here's the finished runner.

It nearly lines up ...

... and the border 'could do better' 

... but I'm well chuffed with my first attempt. I even made a second runner out of all the leftover bits.

The cutter, board and ruler have arrived and I've just tested them before I put them away for Christmas so the third runner is in the process of being cut out - aren't rotary cutters great!

Greetings, new followers, so glad you can call in.

xx

Close, very close

Layout patches, batting and backing. Just a practice table runner, not a bed quilt just yet.

Practise quilting a little sample piece - to zig zag or not to zig zag was my question.

I decided on zig zag because quite a few of my squares didn't line up!

Put edge strips on - not quite got into corners yet.

Pin in place.

Can you see the stitches on the back?

All will be revealed soon. I've already started making blocks out of the scraps of scraps and ordered a mat, cutter and ruler from Amazon. I think I'm hooked. Oh dear!

Rate this

Goal - make a quilt using the material samples from the CS.

Drawing round squares - 3/10 - very boring. Need a proper cutting board.

Cutting out squares - 3/10 - extremely boring. I know what I want for Christmas (rotary cutter plus cutting board).

Putting strips into piles - 6/10 - I like sorting and thinking smaller squares for more quilting and edging.

Making a pile of squares - 8/10 - quite satisfying - I'm beginning to think colour and pattern at this stage, even thinking jelly rolls, log cabin, pinwheels and spiders' webs.

Laying out of squares - 9/10 - I'm beginning to think 'progress'.

I just need to keep the momentum going now. If I had a 101 list I could start crossing this one off!

Welcome new follower. Thank you for popping by.