Eleanor's Quilt - Home Straight!

I did the label for Eleanor's Quilts yesterday evening, and got the binding ready to go - hopefully I can get that done and the tails buried tonight.

Which leaves tomorrow for it to go in the wash, then air, then ready to be delivered on Saturday - phew!

Eleanor's Quilt Marathon Session!

From having quilted fewer than half of the blocks on Eleanor's Quilt on Sunday evening, I have now (with the exception of one measly border run) done the whole darn lot.

That's a medium size stipple in cream in the blocks, and small stipple in cream on the background areas, and small stipple in variegated orange on the borders.

I'll do the final border tomorrow, then a huge cheat - I'm going to machine the binding on and not hand-stitch it down.  Then a label and a million tails to bury.

This is all a rush of my own making (I think we'll be seeing Godmother on Saturday, who has commissioned the quilt, and will take it with us), which I'm cross about, as I know that stitching in the ditch around the orange sashing would make the quilt absolutely pop - but I am out of time.

Well - perhaps not - let's see how quickly that binding goes on....

Christmas QAL - September pt7 - Knowing When to Stop!

I decided that rather than completing my flames for the Challenge runner, I'd better press on with Eleanor's Quilt as I have a deadline to get it finished.

I've nearly quilted four of the eight centre blocks, but I'm having a few problems with thread breakages.  I tried to press on in order to at least get the block finished, but Oliver cat quite sensibly told me it was time to pack it in, and come back to it fresh tomorrow.

So that's your lot for this month's quiltalong!  I have a little something for QuiltSue who got most answers right in the Christmas quiz, and also for Lesley who was the first to spot my naughty gingerbread boy and girl, so email me your addresses, girls, and I'll sort that out.

Thank you so much for coming to my party this month - I've enjoyed seeing all the projects coming along so well!  And next month, it's over to Joanna's place, so make sure you join her party in October!

Pip pip!

Christmas QAL - September pt6 - George says 'Hello'

How are you all getting on this afternoon?  I'd better go and have a look round the world in a mo - it's my favourite part of the QAL!

I've been to see Grumpy George at the plot - it feels quite autumnal now and all the plants are a bit shabby, but George is busy looking after the big light green squash at his feet, and keeping the corn safe from the wicked pigeons!

I hope you all enjoyed coffee and gingerbread men whilst I was out? Did no one spot my two naughty gingerbread men in the last post - tell me where they are and I might have a little prize! Tee hee!

I've been upstairs to sort out the sashing on my Christmas project, and it's all coming together quite nicely.  I can't put off any longer 'doing something applique' with the flames for the candles, so I might have another go at that shortly.

In the meantime, I'm going to have a bite to eat, and a catchup.

See you later.

Christmas QAL - September pt5 - Brains needed!

Happy Sunday morning to one and all!  I hope you are all enjoying your sewing this weekend and nipping round the world to see what we're all up to?  Good!

I've got the kettle on here, so help yourself to coffee and gingerbread men.

I'm nipping out for an hour - but to keep you on your toes, what about a Christmas Quiz?

See how you get on with this lot, and I'll see you later!

1. Good King Wenceslas was not actually a king but a duke, over which country was he duke? 
2. According to Swedish folklore, which animals pull Santa's sleigh? 
3. Which country is the largest exporter of Christmas trees? 
4. In which modern country did Saint Nicholas spend most of his life? 
5. Which North American city started the tradition of a Christmas parade? 
6. In which country is JOULUPUKKI the equivalent of Father Christmas? 
7. Where is the first decorated Christmas tree thought to have originated? 
8. In which country are the Christmas presents delivered by the JOLASVEINAR [or Christmas Goblins]?
9. In which region of the World do JONKONNU parades take place on December 26th? 
10. From what do Christian children in Syria receive their Christmas presents?

Christmas QAL - September pt4 - a peep...

Slap! No touching!

To be iced in the morning, and you can have one then.

Sweet dreams, girls, I'll be back tomorrow with some games, perhaps, and Grumpy George.  In the meantime, make sure you've signed in with Mr Linky, here, and show us what you've been up to today!

See ya tomorrow!

Christmas QAL - September pt3 - directions and decisions!

Dolores has quite rightly pointed out that the QAL button doesn't point to this month's Mr Linky! D'oh!

I've fixed the button now, so to come to the party, sign up with Mr Linky either by clicking on the button, on the Christmas QAL tab at the top of the page, or by clicking here.

Dear me - some hostess I am - that's like sending out invites and the doorbell not working!!

Meanwhile, I think you've all given me some wise words on my sashing dilemma, so thank you for that, and I'm going to go with the yellow.

But before I do that, I'd better get baking - anyone up for some festive gingerbread men?

Christmas QAL - September pt2 - Auditions

I've got my Christmas project out and am at the stage where I need to decide on sashing.

I had my glamorous assistant with me, but between us we can't decide between...

...brown...

...cream...








...yellow...








...or orange...








Actually, it appears that at least one of us is not keen on the orange.

What do you think?

The sun's come out, so I'm going to nip over the the allotment and ask Grumpy George what he thinks, and with a bit of luck I'll be back with some courgettes and raspberries for tea.

See you in a bit.

Christmas QAL - September pt1

Good morning, good morning!  Welcome one and all to this month's Christmas Quiltalong!  The QAL is like a pass the parcel game that Joanna and I are playing every month up to December where we have a weekend where we all set some time aside to work on our Christmas projects so we steal a march on those less organised - it's worth it for the smugness alone!

It's my turn this month, and so let me invite you all to join the party!  If you've not joined in the last few months, DON'T WORRY, as you are very welcome to be here now!

Here's where you sign up to Mr Linky (or on the tab at the top of page), so come on in, and help yourself to a coffee - oops - are we out of biscuits?  We'll have to put that right later on, won't we?

Feel free to work on your own Christmas projects or take up QuiltSue's FIENDISH CHALLENGE - can you make a Christmas item without using red or green fabric within the size guidelines set out here? Eek!

Here in the English Midlands, it is grey and dull, and I think we can all agree - it's a GREAT DAY FOR QUILTING!

Jingle, jingle...!

So what are we all doing this weekend?  We're having a PARTY!  It's the second weekend in the month, and that means that it is Christmas Quiltalong time!

I've got the hosting baton back from Joanna, and I've got some fun and games lined up for us for between our stitching sessions, so please drop by whenever you can!  I'll have a Mr Linky set up, so we can all go a-visiting to see what projects we've all got on the go. 

Will you be using your time to work on the fiendish Christmas Quiltalong Challenge that Quiltsue has set us?  Will you be working on your other Christmas items so you can be all smug and organised when the festive season is on us?

I'm going to be pressing on with my challenge item, but also I want to finish quilting Eleanor's Quilt.  Three of the eight star blocks are done with cream thread, then there's the triangle blocks, and the border the variegated orange.

Whatever you are planning, do come along!

Ready to Sandwich!

Isn't it a funny thing - you put the border on a quilt and it makes you do a step back and go 'Oooh'!  Well it does me, anyway.

Eleanor's Quilt top is finished, I've cut the wadding and backing, and will sandwich to tomorrow.



In the meantime, I have a variegated orange quilting thread, and a variegated cream.  I think the cream will make the cut - you can't see much from the pic, I'm afraid.

It's going to be an all over stipple, I think, as time is of the essence, but I'll think on that overnight.

Date of September's Christmas QAL

Thank you for your votes for the definition of 'the second weekend of September' when we hold this month's Christmas Quiltalong!  With the Saturday being the second Saturday, but the Sunday the third Sunday of the month, it wasn't as straightforward as it might be.

And it's a pretty even split either way, but I do have the casting vote, and I'm going for the 14th/15th September.  I'm really sorry for those who are busy that weekend, we will miss you - and I'll save a party bag for each of you who can't be with us.

So spread the word!  All over to my place on the weekend of 14th/15th!  Games, food & drink, a party popper or two - and Grumpy George to make things go with a swing! Can't wait!

In the mean time, I'm moving forward with Eleanor's Quilt - thank you for the votes of confidence for my piano keys border! I have one for the top and the bottom ready for trimming and attaching now that I've done the tricky dicky bit (since this pic) of trimming the quilt top.  I tell ya, if it's not a good solid rectangle now, it never will be.

So once these piano jobbies are
on, it's just the dark peach border to measure cut and attach, and then we're ready to sandwich!

What's Next, and WHEN next?

So I have been kept very busy by Grumpy George down at the allotment - there have been so many things to pick - courgettes, french beans, runner beans, raspberries and blackberries - that I have the freezer full to overflowing!

And while I've been down there, it's been tricky to keep up with sewing, and in particular blog following - I don't mean to be antisocial, honest!

But Eleanor's Quilt is coming on well - I've been careful with the bias cuts, in particular, and the starch has become my lifelong friend!

I have a decision to make now, though - because the quilt is designed for a double bed, and this is destined to go on a single bed, it mucks about with the proportions of the pattern as QuiltSue has designed - mine needs to be the same sort of length, but only 36" wide, max.

Sue's kindly downsized the block instructions for me, which makes the width about where it wants to be, but I need to boost the length somewhat.

I thought that I could run an orange bar across top& bottom, then a fat piano keys border of the background and the patterned fabric, and then the whole darn lot can have a 2 or 3" border, and that's about that.

Does that sound like a plan?  You have to use your imagination a bit with the pic!

Oh - and another thing, are we running this month's Christmas QAL this coming weekend (7th/8th) as I boldly put down in my last post, or the more correct 14th/15th Sep?  Let me know which you'd prefer and I'd get the nibbles in ready for the party!