And some more bears...

I got a bit carried away yesterday.

I was supposed to be marking a set of books, but was easily distracted into experimenting a little instead.....

Of course this fellow still needs to be sewn up....

I took the blue one to work today - and have now been asked to make two more, to be taken to Germany in two weeks time.

And here are some more that were made at the workshop I went to.....

(I think that's probably enough bears now!!)

Fat 1/4 Bear

What a handsome chap.

Well, I thought so anyway, so I went to a workshop today organised by Nottingham Patchwork Group

As pessimistic as usual, I assumed that I wouldn't get it finished, so didn't take everything I needed with me. But I was pleasantly surprised not just to finish, but to finish with about 40 minutes to spare! So my bear isn't sporting a ribbon (and on the journey home one of his arms fell off, but I think that's due to my poor ladder stitch rather than anything else).

Here's the table of completed bears....

... and some not so completed bears.

This is my effort ...

.. and this is what it became.

He does look very unhappy - it could be because his arm is being held on by a pin in this picture, or it might be because I overstuffed the arms, so that they stick out at 90 degrees instead of dangling in a comfortable manner - or it may be because I sewed his mouth on upside down, so he isn't smiling...... but perhaps he just looks very worried...

I have to say, I actually think I will make some more of these for (un)fortunate small children of my acquaintance (once I've found out where I can get safety eyes and stuffing from).

But one of the best bits was the fact that it got finished.

I know that seems almost pathetic, but at least I was able to come home with a finished object, rather than walking in the door brandishing a collection of what quite frankly looks like a bundle of scraps, and having to describe what they might one day become.....

Progress on a WIP - underground railroad

I started this some time ago, and completed six blocks, both a 12 1/2 and 6 1/2 inch size. I'm using the book by Eleanor Burns

I know there are a lot of dedicated quilters out there who scoff at her books, dismissing them as too simplistic - but you know what? I have a busy and timeconsuming job, and when I've spent all day telling other people what to do, and making decisions, it's nice to come home and simply let someone else make them for me. At the weekend I try to be more adventurous - but during the week I simply don't have the energy to do anything creative in terms of design - making , yes, but not the design decisions.

But then I ran out of steam halfway through the quilt top (s)....

To be honest, they didn't look the way I wanted them to. Added to which, the plan had been to make it up into a single bed quilt for our spare room, and a wall hanging to echo it, but then we moved house - and now have a double bed in the spare room, thereby rendering this quilt obsolete for our house.

Anyway, I got the blocks out last week, and thought 'Well, they're not that bad - someone will like them' and manged to get a few more done.

This one is Wagon Wheel, and I found it almost impossible to get the centre circle sorted. On the larger one, I've sort of bodged it and it's nearly round. For the smaller one, I had to give up and use Bondawab to stick it on with, as the suggested way just didn't seem to work.

This one is a variation on Flying Geese. Fiddly - and it's not the right size in either the 12 1/2 or the 6 1/2 block. I need to rethink this one, and either add a narrow border around them both, or remake them. To be honest, I think remaking is the preferred option - I just can't see how it will look satisfactory in any other way.

And yes, I do know that pressing the blocks before photographing them would have been a good idea - but I'm going out in about 15 minutes, and wanted to get these up as soon as I could - just so that I could prove that I had completed something at long last!!! (and they're photographed on the new sofa...)

UFO challenge update

I have so MANY unfinished projects, so I've signed up to the challenge at Finn's website because I HAVE TO FINISH SOMETHING.

So by December I hope to have finished at least four things:

a) Hallowe'en quilt top - I started this last October, and have done about 3/4 of the top
b) Day lily lap quilt - in the same state as the Hallowe'en quilt
c) triangles lap quilt - this has been basted and I've started to quilt it - BUT progress has slowed since I realised that one block was in upside down
d) nativity wall hanging - the top is nearly done, and I've purchased the backing...

Maybe this way I'll get them finished (or at least a little further along....).

BUT

all the best laid plans go awry.

I went out yesterday with Jim to buy a new bath...

and bought two new sofas as well. Ooops.

The delivery charge was too much, so instead I hired a van this afternoon, we drove to the shop, loaded them up and then unloaded them into the only room with any space in it - which is the kitchen. Even then, not everything went smoothly - the smaller sofa was ridiculously heavy - when we tried to lift it out of the shop, we found out that it was in fact a sofa bed - but the shop told us to go ahead, take it anyway, even though it wasn't supposed to be in the deal. By the time all this was over, there was no time (or space) left to get everything out.

So much for resolutions.

Wedensday evening is my next free evening, and I've now written 'sewing time' in my diary, to make sure that I get some done.

Today's picture therefore, is another one from the Festival of quilts. I think this may have been the one that won best hand quilting, but I couldn't be certain....

Update

I know there are some (well, a few) people who do read this, and so I'd like to reassure them that no, I haven't fallen off the end of the world, although the blog hasn't been updated and emails haven't been answered.

It's been very hectic though.

So hectic in fact that very little sewing has taken place.

The new windows went in, although with my reluctance to let anything go which could come in handy later, several panels of stained glass are now in the shed 'just in case'.

But while they were going in, an awful lot of plaster came off the walls - to be fair, it's because the windows had rotted, and the damp had spread to the walls.

What that means is yet more upheaval, as we now have to peel off the wallpaper in rooms, and then arrange for a plasterer to come round and patch up the gaping holes that have appeared. I though I could do it myself - until I saw just how widespread it was....

Added to which, the new bathroom is (finally) scheduled for the start of October -

and term started again last week.

I always think that I'll be better prepared each September, but no, every year it's the same - rush, rush, rush.

So instead of showing you photos of my crumbling plaster, my lovely new windows, or the forlorn heap of fabric waiting to be transformed, I've posted a photo of a quilt I admired at the Festival of quilts instead - I liked the use of colour.