Catching up at last!

Having finally started on the backlog of blocks for the Craftsy BOM , I am determined to get up-to-date before April arrives. So, you can imagine my delight when I realised that one of the March blocks was a foundation pieced string block, and the block that I have yet to catch up on for Katy's FPPFTT is a paper-pieced string block! Two blocks with one stone, that is my kind of catching up :) True to my resolution to avoid foundation piecing at all costs, the March Craftsy block instantly became a paper-piecing project!

The HST blocks, which were the February blocks, in the BOM were a mixed bag to be honest. Each of the 2 blocks used a different method for creating the HST's. The first, for the Chevron Block, involves drawing diagonal lines on squares and sewing either side of the line to create 2 HST blocks when cut on the line, whilst the 2nd method, for the Balkan Puzzle block, involves sewing all around 2 squares with a 1/4" seam and then cutting the squares twice on the diagonal to create 4 HST blocks. In Color Order's HST BOM also provides these 2 options for creating the HST blocks, but until now I have only ever used the first method, which In Color Order calls the "traditional" method. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, perhaps now was the time to have a go at the "alternative" method! There have been several comments in the HST BOM about the bias edges created by the alternative method, and although I am not 100% sure that they were the cause of the problems, I have to admit that the Balkan Puzzle block was ripped and re sewn several times before I could get the points matched up in any kind of order! I am obviously a traditionalist at heart :)

Still, with only the Spider's Web block to go for the Craftsy BOM and the end of the month over a week away, things are looking hopeful for a clean slate to start at the beginning of April. Now, if I can only get this week's NY Beauty Block and FPPFTT block completed this weekend, I will be so up-to-date I won't know myself!


In other catching up, the lovely Claire at Sewing Over Pins kindly passed on a Liebster blog award a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't managed to get my act together sufficiently to a) thank her or b) pass the award on. As you are probably aware the  Liebster award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers and as a recipient of the award I should thank the award blogger in a post, list the names of five blogs I follow who fall within that category who I feel deserve to be noticed, advise the five bloggers by leaving a comment on their blogs and copy and paste the blog award on my blog. Since Claire nominated me for the Liebster award I have been lucky enough to win a giveaway at Ellison Lane Quilts and a Bonus Prize in Sew Happy Geek's QAL, so I am hoping that I am also passing on the luck too!

So here goes, I have nominated the following bloggers who are all relatively new bloggers like myself, and who might not have already come to your attention.


Amy at the cute life :)  Check out the progress of her Fire and Ice quilt!

Catherine at Knotted Cotton Look for her photos of the cutest tree house doors you will ever see! 


Karen at Practically Pippy See if you can help her with her Stale Stash Swap!

Caroline at Quilting in the Cold   A fellow quilter in the frozen north, who is just beginning to thaw out! 

Judy at Sew Rip Repeat Another NY Beauty blocker! 


Sarah at Silly Banana Sewing A fellow Scot in exile! 


Hope you are all having a productive week too. Have a great weekend! 

Hearts and Accolades!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner this seemed like the perfect time to get cracking with a red cushion for my set of rainbow cushions. I had the perfect fabric - a red/natural heart check linen blend that I have been saving/hoarding for several years and the perfect pattern a patchwork cushion with applique heart again saved for several years! I have tried explaining to my husband the difference between hoarding, which he thinks I do, and saving, which I think I do, as eventually fabric will be 'liberated' and used. My Valentine's cushion being a case in point!

It all seemed so simple when I started this a couple of days ago, applique a red felt heart onto a square of natural linen, trim with ric-rac and then attach to four mitred strips of the heart check linen and back. Once I started, however, I discovered that the magazine instructions weren't much more detailed than that and the photograph of the finished cushion wasn't detailed either so no help there. I have discovered that I need a few visuals, preferably photos, to supplement text instructions or else I flounder, which is probably why making a bag from Amy Butler's Style Stitches book is still on my to-do list - no photos of the WIP!

Once I had worked out whether the ric-rac went on top or below the heart and how to sew it down, I met my biggest challenge - mitring the corners of a fabric with a check without messing up the check! I am sure there is a foolproof way of doing this, so any advice would be much appreciated or else I will have to consign all my checks and tartans to the back of the cupboard. For a Scot too that would be a disaster!

Despite all of the above I did eventually manage to finish the cushion although now with an envelope back not the nice button back I had planned, or else it wouldn't be ready till next Valentine's. I am pleased that it is finished and I now have 3 of my 7 rainbow cushions completed. I have ordered some orange fabric from Sew Fresh Fabrics, so will, hopefully, get cracking on an orange cushion soon.

 
In the middle of my trials with mitred corners I was delighted to receive an email from Katy at The Littlest Thistle who had tagged me for a Liebster blog award. It definitely made my day. The award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers and as a recipient of the award I should thank the award blogger in a post, list the names of five blogs I follow who fall within that category who I feel deserve to be noticed, advise the five bloggers by leaving a comment on their blogs and copy and paste the blog award on my blog. So here goes, I have nominated the following bloggers who each in their own way have supported and encouraged me as I have ventured into the whole new world of blogging.

• Taryn at From pixels to patchwork
• Lyn at What a Hoot!
• Sam at Cup of tea and a slice of cake aka UKMUMINUSA 
• Erin at Missy Mac Creations
• Kristy at Quiet Play

Thanks ladies!



P.S. Have you seen the fabulous giveaway at Lily's Quilts? A colourbox of Oakshott Cottons no less, that is 100 F8ths, and those fabrics are really gorgeous. Have a look here to see what I mean.