Not A Lot Happening

I had a flu bug last week and struggled as I returned to work this week, though I got better as the week progressed.  Not a lot of sewing has been going on for a couple of weeks now, but should be getting back into full swing.

I'm just doing a catch up of things from earlier this month, which like last month is about pouches, with a Sew Together bag, which I was quite pleased about.  I keep looking at it and opening the large zip as I can't quite believe how it all came together.  I think I have exorcised my fear of zips now.

The top two pics are of the Home Sweet Home blocks that I've made, 7 so far and may make some more next month, see how things go.  I've also made a couple of blocks to send to Bee Blessed. Neither  blocks have been sent to their destinations, but will put that right in the coming week.

In March though, I hope to get some inspiration from the Duxford Quilt Show, near Cambridge, which I'm going to on Friday.  Anyone else going?  David and I will also see the IWM aeroplane museum too while there. We'll also have a visit to Cambridge during that weekend. It'll be nice to have a few days away somewhere different.

It will also be International Quilting Day on 21 March and will be joining the Tarrant Valley Quilters, near Blandford, which is a nice relaxing sewing day out.

 Meanwhile tomorrow we'll be spending time with the grandchildren and seeing Shaun the Sheep the Movie, which was postponed from last Sunday, which I'm really looking forward to. 

Home Sweet Home Blocks

I've had a day's holiday from work today and it was a grim day, so what perfect weather for sewing.  Yesterday I read Lily's Quilts blog written by Mary Emmens about Siblings Together charity and requiring some blocks for making boys quilts. More about it here.

She requested blocks in blue,green, grey and black in a block devised Jera Brandvig of Quilting in the Rain blog.  I decided to have a go.

Excuse the fuzzy pic. I started with a nine patch

The patches were cut diagonally and rejoined. I could now see why it was called Home Sweet Home block- see the house shapes? Yes, it took me a while!

Before I knew it by the afternoon I made 7 blocks.

I was able to pull out all sorts of fabrics, batiks, novelty, mottled fabrics. Made quite a mess of my stash, that'll need a sort out but it was a lot of fun. Shame I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Sew Together Bag

I've spent yesterday and this afternoon making a Sew Together bag, a pattern that I purchased recently from Sew Demented via Craftsy.  I used some fabrics from Hobbycraft. So here I am putting in 4 zips!  At one stage when reading some of the instructions over a few times before getting it I felt a little demented too, but I got there. Quite pleased how it's turned out

I've even managed (by chance) to have this little badger on the zip tab.

On the subject of pouches I received this lovely little one from my friend Benta of Slik Stitches.  

The front is a clear vinyl with the zip. I like the paperclips on the Orange fabric!

And the back, just lovely.

This pouch will be just right for block units. So far this year I've gone  mad on pouches.

Better Late Than Never

I've missed yesterday's Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts, but I thought I should still do a round up of what I've made in January.

With a bit of jiggery-pokery as things have changed when editing and sharing photos the collage has taken longer to move to where I want to be able to access it to put on the blog, but I've got there in the end.

The big picture shows my snowman, knitted from a Sirdar pattern.  Okay, so Christmas has long gone but it's still winter and some places have snow, but not here in the south coast of England.  Above the snowman are the pencil cases I blogged about a few days ago, here. Next to that is the Open Wide pouch with instructions from Noodlehead's blog tutorial, which I made on Sunday morning.  In the corner are two Maple Leaf blocks which I've made for Bee Blessed.  Sarah from Sew Me has a February block which I'm wanting to have a go at, another variation of squares and half square triangles.  The two remaining pics are of my progress with the Grand Illusion Mystery from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville blog.  I've also spent a Sunday afternoon trying to get to grips with sewing in an invisible zip, with mixed results.  So I'm pleased I've managed to fit some sewing and a bit of knitting for January.

I've got a couple of days holiday to help use my holiday allowance up and my aim is to make some progress on one of my UFO's for Project Linus - the black and turquoise quilt and get that done, so I've declared these 2 days will be sewing days.  I will also attempt to make some small bits - bookmarks or pin cushions - to build up a charity sale stash this month, things that don't take much time to do. I'll see how that goes.

I'll leave this catch up with a closer look at my Open Wide Pouch

I did edit this, but the photo has gone back to the unedited version.  The wonders of modern technology - pah!!