Following a new series, Quilt Math

I just wanted to let all of you know that there is a fantastic series starting at Lily's Quilts. It may be a bit much for a Sunday morning (when I read the post), but after a good coffee the maths makes sense and I think it will actually help a lot when planning a quilt project.

I tend to get started with what I have to suddenly realise I didn't have enough material to finish the project. So using having the tips from this series handy will certainly help making sure I have/buy enough! I will keep the button on my sidebar during the series, or you can click in the one below for a quick link to the posts.

So thank you Lynne once again for all the inspiration and useful information in your blog! Hope you find this useful.

WIP, the lost and forgotten

For one reason or the other, I started thinking of all those projects that I started in the past and left them unfinished. And I thought if I make a list slowly I can start getting it finished. And I say slowly because I know that the list will start to get filled with new shiny projects that come my way... but at least I can keep them in the radar.

So what's on my lost and forgotten items:

I love this project, I think I will call it the zoo quilt. A while ago I made a pillow for a dear friend who just had a baby. And the idea is that I wanted it to be a 3D embroidered pillow, so I did a lovely sheep with all its curly fleece (done in wool, of course). And as I could not have enough of wool embroidery I started this pillow. But after I could finish it we were packing to move countries (again, that's an old story) and forgot all about it.

The idea is to finish embroidering the animals, cut them in little pieces (charm squares like) and then piece them into lovely blocks to make a baby quilt out of it...

I started this project before I bought my new sewing machine. The idea was to have the cushions ready to be sewn before the machine arrived... well and then I decided to start the charity project... so I have one almost finished honeycomb smock cushion front and a lot of fabric... but they would look adorable in the new bed (btw we haven't even bought the new bed when I started the cushions, well tough life!)

I have incredibly high cupboards in my kitchen, thanks to the I probably never made even tea architect that designed it. So one of the first things we did when we moved in was to buy this wooden steps from IKEA with the promise that I would make them into something nicer... So I have the paint, and the paper to decoupage it (yes with the lovely tutoring of my mum who is really good at it)... but for some reason or the other the steps always seem to remain undone! Isn't there a craft fairy that comes and magically gets your project done in your sleep?

Well now that they are all out in the open, I must oh I must get them finished up... promise to report on progress soon. And please do not feel bad if you feel like you have a lot more projects in your list than I do... note that I only listed the ones I actually got somehow started... Not included is the fabric already bought and ready to be cut and sewn, the pictures already taken and ready to be printed and framed, and the paper already bought and ready to be decoupaged...

Linking today's post to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Please do follow the link and show some of the other bloggers some appreciation for their hard work.

And October it is

I really like taking my time to see what I have done each month, party because I love lists and ticking them down, but also because I like to see what I have achieved. So last month I said:

"Finishing the quilting and binding of my charity quilt, working on finishing up a few more with some fabric that was donated, making a block for the dots on the dots blog hop and then making something else out of it! and redecorating the cushions and curtain tie backs in the spare bedroom. Oh and I must not forget to fix my husband's boxer shorts that have been on my to do list over a month now!"

So, what I have actually achieved?

Well, I did finish my first quilt (here), and it is all nice, lovely and cosy, ready to be donated. I also managed to get a few more quilts ready to go. And assembled a charity blanket with squares made by one of my friends from craft circle (still have another set of squares waiting to be assembled, but going one at a time), post will follow soon (as soon as it stops raining here and I can take some nice pictures).

I made, not one but two blocks for the dots on dots blog hop, and I am loving them... but not, I have not managed to make them into something (click here). Although I have now a great idea of what I want to make of them! And made my first purse for the fantastic blog hop (see below) I am joining in November... but of course I can't show you that yet.

And I have not even started, measured or even had a look at the fabric for the spare bedroom cushions and curtain tie backs! quite bad eh? Well it will stay a little longer in my WIP list I guess.

But I have proudly to report that I did fix my husband's boxer shorts and that has taken his mind of the amount of fabric that is now lying around the apartment and the mess I have in the spare bedroom/temporary sewing room!

And very happy that I will be linking this post to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts blog, as I can no longer participate on the small blog meet, due to my amazing more than 50 followers, yes you, Thank You! Please go over and visit all the super crafty people that will be posting their month achievements.

So what's in the to-do list for October...

- Lots of making for a fantastic new blog hop. We are making this absolutely stunning purses... great for gifts, though I am not sure I will be able to part from them when ready. But again you won't see them until November.

- And being realistic... I am pushing some of the other projects a little later on the year... so the one and only goal is to get all the quilts and blankets ready to be donated.

- But if I have some time I will make something out of the dots on dots blocks... as I would love to be able to finish them and give them a life of their own.


Happy start of Spring for those in the Southern hemisphere... I unfortunately have to report that winter seems to be coming early this year around here, but you have to love the wet fallen leaves everywhere...