Borders completed

I've now finished the borders on my Postcards from Paris quilt!!

It is ready to be quilted but this time I am breaking from tradition and am going to have it professionally quilted. I love hand quilting but with this quilt being over 80 inch square its far to big for me to manage.

Charlie giving the quilt his stamp of approval..

This is one of the biggest projects I've undertaken and I can't wait until it's finished!

I'm not sure how I will use the quilt yet but I'm thinking I will hang this quilt on the wall and use the Charm Tumbler quilt on my bed.

Andrew's jumper finsihed

I finished Andrews jumper three weeks ago and gave it to him on our six month anniversary.

It was great to see him try it on and best of all to see that it fitted him.  It's the first time I've knitter a shawl neck line and found it much easier than knitting a 'V' or 'round' neck where you have to pick up stitches.

proud in his new jumper... 

Exciting week - a little bit closer to finishing my Postcards from Paris Quilt

This week has been exciting as I'm a little bit closer to finishing my Postcards from Paris quilt.

I finished the checkerboard and borders on the centre medallion block and have now sewn all the blocks together!  Yesterday I cut out the final borders and am hoping to sew them onto the quilt today.

Butterflies

This week I made some more butterflies using a pattern called 'Blossom' by Melly & Me.  I've made these butterflies before but this time I decided to try and make them smaller so I reduced the pattern to 69% on my photocopier.  I was not sure how they would work out or how I would go making the antennas as last time they caused me no end of grief.

To my surprise they have turned out fantastic! I think they are better in the smaller size than the original size.

One of these is for my great niece Jessica and the other for my home help ladies granddaughter.

I now have orders to make them for people so it looks like I'll be getting to know the pattern very well.

'Blossom' butterflies

Sampler Quilt

I've now finished all the blocks of my sampler quilt - 9 in total.  The last two finished were Jacobs Ladder and a free block where we could choose what we wanted.

Block 8 - Jacobs Ladder 

This block can be hand-pieced or machine pieced. In the class everyone machine pieced their blocks but as I didn't take my sewing machine I hand pieced my block.

Block 8: Jacobs Ladder - hand pieced

 Block 9 - Block of your own choice

Block 9: Block of our own choice

For the block of my own choice I decided to applique a teapot and cup and saucer onto a plain white backing.

Sampler quilt laid out to check placement of blocks

In the next class we are cutting and sewing the sashings and hopefully finishing the top of the quilt ready for the batting and backing. I am planning to try my hand at quilting on my sewing machine using my walking foot.

Postcards from Paris quilt

I can't believe that I am up to putting the top of my Postcards from Paris quilt together.

Last week I completed the Centre Medallion and did the borders of the hat boxes and two of the other blocks. I still have the checker blocks of the centre medallion to sew before I can put all the blocks together. So far I have sewn the top and bottom row of blocks. Can't wait to finish the rest of it.

Centre medallion (needing an iron!)

roses with a floral top

Hat box 1

Hat box 2

flowers with lace

flowers with white & green borders



top & bottom row of quilt sewn together



Charlie thought it was time he tried out the quilt

The Roman Blinds are finished!

It was a pretty exciting last weekend when we hung the last three roman blinds. After the first two I'd learnt so many easier ways of sewing them that I am really happy with these ones.

Taking down the old curtain fittings

Nearly up - kitchen window



first of the small sun room blinds up

Sun room windows

A great view from the sun room window - amazing how much more light comes in without the old curtains

Happy with these roman blinds on the sun room windows