A Quilt Top and Having a Ball

Apart from Monday, which had glorious Autumnal weather when I went for a walk with the TG ladies, the weather has been really wet, windy and generally miserable.  Which meant more time for sewing.

I've managed to sew together all of the Kingfisher Quilt blocks and working out a couple of the side panels to 'square off' the quilt top was a challenge but they are joined together

I have since added a narrow cream border around the top and at the moment have left it at that.  It may not get my attention again this side of Christmas as going away then getting ready for Christmas may take up more time. but there is a feeling of accomplishment that I've got a whole top instead of a collection of blocks.

Another thing I've started and finished is an EPP soft ball made up of pentagons.  Not wanting to piece over papers and having to remove the papers while joining the ball I looked for a more permanent solution.  I traced the pentagon to card, draw around the card shape onto some Vilene.  One layer was a bit floppy, so using a cake liner on my ironing board I layered the Vilene onto a second piece and ironed lightly to adhere the layers just enough so there was some glue left to attach to the reverse of fabric.  Phew, that took some explaining.  Anyway it worked and this was the result

12 fussy cut pentagons (2" sides) sewn together kept me amused on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.  Not sure if this will go to Flo or save for baby grandchild no. 6, due in April.  The pattern for this comes from Issue 9 of Love Patchwork and Quilting. from 2015.

I've also had a go at Tunisian Crochet from a monthly box from Little Box of Crochet.  This will make a zippy pouch eventually. This was last month's box but I didn't follow the link for the tutorials to go with the box until the other day, which with the written and pictorial instructions took the mystery out of this type of crochet.  With the crochet cotton this does make a dense and fairly solid piece of work.

 And it curled up!

So to take a photo of my progress with this I had to pin this in place on my display board!  There are 4 more colours to make a rainbow pouch.  Once I got the hang of this process its quite a nice project.

I have got this month's crochet box to take on holiday with me which is a Mandala, which involves working in front and behind stitches.  I've seen the tutorials already but will have to rely on the pattern and try to remember what I saw!  That'll be interesting.  I'm also taking a book (takes me an age to read a book, so one will do) and some knitting so will keep me amused during days at sea.

I had a surprise today when I got home from knit and natter group as I found that I won a pack of 10 fat quarters.  I'd entered a giveaway hosted by Sewing Directory. I'd forgotten I'd entered it so it was a nice surprise.  

This is Color Master curated fat quarters by Jessica Swift for Art Gallery Fabrics and I will resist the temptation to undo and open out the bundle until after my holiday.  But seeing as it was my birthday yesterday it seemed like serendipity that I won that bundle!

This weekend will see us packing and going to a carol concert on Saturday and a Quilters' Christmas lunch on Sunday.  So plenty to keep me busy!

See you soon.