There's Been Some Sewing Going On

This past week I've gone out so much and the weather this week hasn't been brilliant, but fortunately no snow here.  Apart from going out on Saturday afternoon I've stayed in an sewn by hand and machine.

On Friday I saw an Instagram post from Jo Avery at My Bear Paw who was preparing for a quilt retreat and was making a Sea Urchin block that she was going to teach there.  I saw it was done with English Paper Piecing (EPP) and just seeing the pic I thought I would have a go at this.  You know you just see something and a 'lightbulb moment' happens.

On Saturday I grabbed a piece of paper and drew and elliptical shape with another inside and segmented it (this all sound technical) and traced the shape on another piece of paper to cut the pieces.  I used some scraps of red fabric for EPP and when completed I appliquéd the shape onto some blue fabric.  Sunday was spent listening to the radio and embroidering the background to quilt it.  This is the result

I decided to use thick thread and a chenille needle to sew large stitch embroidery on the piece.  It is small journal size at approximately 10" x 8" but I wasn't precise about the measurement.  I was just inspired to sew and really enjoyed this.  It has a name too - Instant Karma, which was played on Johnnie Walker's Sound of the Seventies by John Lennon and the title fitted this little quilt too.  The John Lennon record was written, recorded and finished all in one day.  Sometimes you just have to go where things take you and I really enjoyed making this.

On a roll I went and tackled one of my listed finishes and it's finished!  The Catch All Caddy a By Annie pattern  Last week I decided to sew the binding on that was hanging of the caddy when I left it to hibernate.  I managed to get it all on but there were still places on the bag where I hadn't caught all the layers and had to unpick parts of it and rejoin but at least I hadn't broken any needles! Around the sides and front there 4 layers of foam interlining as well as layers of fabric so it's incredibly thick. On Monday I tackled the job on unpicking and re-sewing and in the evening I slipstitched the binding and it is done.  

Above is the photo that I took for the Finish A Long listing, post here.

And this is how it looks now its finished.

I am disappointed at myself for not getting this done for it's intended recipient as it was supposed to e a gift for my room mate Marie at the Sewing Shindig last year,  but instead I made another bag the Sewing Date Traveler which went together a lot better.  It will now be a bag for my larger knitting projects.  I am hoping to progress beyond socks and fingerless gloves soon!

I also started and finished something else yesterday a Zip Up Tray Pouch, pattern by Aneela Hoey which is a really well detailed pattern.  I made one last year for my grandson to keep his Lego pieces in while working on the models and he likes it.  So I've made one for me which I hope will keep things contained when doing embroidery keeping things together (that's the theory).  It was a chance to use this lovely colourful fabric too.

I don't think I showed Freddie's tray - here it is 

I went to West Country Embroiderers last week where the workshop was Take a Letter to take an initial an embroider with all sorts of threads and stitches.  This is mine, still in progress.  Getting into the swing of things mid afternoon had to clear things quickly as another group were using the hall meant that I mislaid a couple of things - one being a pair of scissors (which did have a tag on them) so if I take the zippy tray at least what I'm working on can be contained and quickly picked up.

I got that far so still a work in progress.  Can I be inspired to keep going with this?  Wait and see...