Tis the season update

 8 out of 12 blocks finished! I am stitching every night using Cottage Garden Threads in a gorgoeus blue/aqua.

Will stitch some more tonight!

Bobbin lint

 How often do you defluff your bobbin race?

My Janome machine must be nearly 17 years old now, and it loves the Signature thread for free motion quilting/ embroidery, which I must admit I do a lot. That's what all my altar cloths primarily feature.

The Signature thread can be a little fluffy, I find that it works best if  I remove the bobbin lint after every 3 bobbins.

A little Christmas viewing

 A little Christmas viewing of my house including the finished Jumbleberry santas and green Santa stitchery.

I think I need a bigger house so that I can create little displays in various colour themes. At the moment they are all jumbled together. No matter!!! I love Christmas. Let me share my joy. 

A new project

I spotted this Christmas fabric a little while ago and resisted. For as long as I could. It was quite pricey, I have a lot of Christmas projects to make already, and I didn't have anything in mind to make with it.

So I went looking for something in my pattern stash that I could get a handle on.

Aha! I found a little stitchery pattern, and it only needs a small amount of each print. 

Being satisfied that I knew what I would make with it (one of my conditions of buying most fabric, I say most, because some designers I just have to collect their fabrics. I just do. Non negotiable).

This little pattern is perfect.

The stitcheries are small and simple, so I can do them all in one variegated thread while watching TV in the evening, and this will get it started.

There's nothing like a project one has their teeth in, and can't put down. It's a driving force, and it's why some fabrics have to be bought. They just do. Patterns too.

Did I mention I am sewing in my Grinch slippers?

Of course, sometimes I take them off too.

Oh yes, oh yes. So beautiful. Love the fabrics together.

Let's get this made before Christmas! And go!

(And this is why the bee got shelved for a while, really it is... all this passion!!)
 

Tis December

 Hello December, here I come with my mad Christmas making rush!

This year it's for me, but it's still a mad rush!

Pattern: Tis The Season by Natalie Bird

At lease when I make myself something with a Christmas theme, I use it once a year. I hand embroidered a table cloth once, which took me about 6 months. I haven't used it even once. What a waste.

I saw this blue Christmas fabric and couldn't resist, but I didn't want to buy it, without a project in mind. So, here's the project. Can you figure out my brain? See the fabric, choose the project, so that I can buy the fabric to make the thing. Hee hee.

Bee Challenged

 I know in my heart I will regret putting this away for a while, because I know it will turn into one of those UFOs in the cupboard. But it's almost Christmas and I want to finish some Christmas UFOs.

First glances though....

It's a bee collage. The pattern was very expensive at about $50 for something that is really just like one block of a quilt, only larger. 

There's a lot for the quilt maker to work out. It's not like all the instructions are completely arrayed. I don't think many beginner quilters will start a collage like this. And a lot of it depends on the fabrics you can find. 

This is why I chose the bee pattern, because I felt I could find a few fabrics with bee motifs and references.

The pattern says it requires over 10 metres of special stick and move fusible web. At about $30 a metre that would be $300 just for the gluey stuff on the back!

I decided to use regular fusible web behind the bee, then cut it into strips to use around the chunks of background fabric.

For a project that measures only about 100cm x 150cm, there is a lot of work and expense.

Do I sound positive yet? Sorry about that. I tried it for the challenge (even though I laybyed the fabrics at Olive Branch so that I wouldn't notice all the expense at once).

And it's a growth experience! Anyway, it's going away for a while to work on Christmas projects. I hope it doesn't stay away for too long!

Maybe I can border it with pieced blocks to make it into something bigger with pizazz and interest. Maybe some big hexagons?

\

I will think about it.

Grinch Zoot Suit

6yo has been drumming for a year now, so it seems only right to call his Grinch suit a Zoot Suit. Heh heh.

Ready to hammer on. How does this work anyway?

Got the gold buttons on.

Kind of stuffed one or two up, but they will be ok for a 6yo. It's great to practise on kids clothes. They don't notice any imperfections.

The back left leg is also that green colour in a harlequin type arrangement. 

I prophesise this kiddo wearing his zoot suit a heckuvva lot!