Under the Pressure Foot #12

What is under my Pressure Foot. It is my Farmer's Wife Sampler. It is time to finish it and cross it off my 2015 To Do List. Since I got it back from being quilted I have want to do the binding and finish it but everyone and everything just kept getting in the way. Then of course there was the binding issues. Thinking I was using the left over from the sashing fabric was the easy part. Once I had the fabric in my hands there wasn't enough to make the binding. Do I have any more? Did I go back and buy some more? Was I planning to use something else. But I can't find another piece of the sashing or any other fabric I would of considered using. Maureen bailed me out of trouble in the end, trading the piece from her stash.  I will repaid her next time. More calculation proved I could make it.

So fingers crossed I cut and sewed the binding on with the occasional please don't run out I can't get any more and I want to finish this one this year.

Good news I made it around with nearly a whole strip left. Now I just have to hand sew the binding in place.

I will share the finished quilt soon.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My Farmer's Wife Quilt Update

This one has taken a while to get quilted as I kept chance my mind machine quilting or hand quilting? Followed by the question do it myself or hand it over the the long arm quilter.
I can tell you it was quilted by Valerie from House of Valerie with a beautiful baptise fan all over design.

Which I love. I laid it out on the floor in the shop and it only just fit in the space left. The first thought that crossed my mind was Who the hell was I kidding to consider quilting this myself? I could of had this quilt finished earlier in the year if that thought had crossed my mind earlier. I do like to quilt but looking at all my hand pieced blocks I don't think my quilting skills would of done it justice. Let alone the idea of quilting this monster on my domestic machine. This has to be the largest quilt I have made in my 9 years of quilting. Not a good picture it is just too big to take a picture of it inside and outside has not been suitable to take it out there. I will take it out for a better photo once I finish it to share with everyone.

Now that I have it back and it ready for binding I got caught on a little snag. Where is the binding fabric? Which was followed by Did I buy any binding fabric for this quilt? Oh boy! This quilt is not going to be finished this week.

 Now thinking back I remembered I could only get enough red fabric for the borders and I even made the borders 1/2 inches smaller just to make sure. The sashing fabric is another matter I don't remember if I had planned to use it for the binding or not, either way I don't have enough to use it. I put a call out for help and my friend Maureen who has been stitching her Farmer's Wife quilt along side me has a piece of the sashing fabric in her collection. I'm sure we can do  a trade but it still leaving me 1 x  2 1/2' strip short.

 What I need to know is what would you do?
Option 1 - Go shopping and buy a different fabric to binding it with?
 Option 2 - Should I reduce the width of my strip to 2 1/4' to get the extra strip?
                      or
 Option 3  Use the backing fabric leftovers?
Let me know what you would do to help me out.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

My 2015 To Do List Update

I think it is time to check in on my 2015 To Do List and see if I have made any progress or have I wander way off my path.

UFO's from 2014

1. My Pies & Tarts quilt. I am 3/4 through hand quilting this one.
 Completed

2.My Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt. I have finished the top in 2014 so it is ready for quilting. I just have to decide hand quilt it or machine quilt it.

It has returned from the long arm quilter ready for binding..
3. My Double Wedding Ring quilt which has become a bed runner. I have lots to go on this one.
My bed runner is now ready for pinning and quilting.
4. My Disappearing Hourglass quilt. I only have made 6 blocks so far.
Completed.

5. My Wishes quilt. Ready for quilting.
Completed

6. My Pink Dahlia quilt. I need to find the templates so I can continue.
Templates found so I will be able to do some more of this one soon.
7. My Inklingo Castle Wall quilt. I am working on the 2nd pieced border.

Completed.

8. My Inklingo star quilt. All printed and 2 blocks completed out of 12.

Completed

9. Grand Illusion Mystery quilt. I am currently working on the blocks.
Blocks all joined together, ready to do the borders when I have time.
10. My Lozenge scrap quilt. 
Completed

11. My Aurifil Block of the Month quilt.  I am ready to arrange and piece the top ready for quilting.
Still sitting waiting to be sewn together.

12. My Crossroad Quilt. I am still working on the blocks, 12 done and 13 to go if I settle on 25 blocks. I am undecided about a border I may just make some more block to make it bigger.
Completed now called Scrappy Roads.

New things to do for 2015.

Pat Sloan's Vacation Time Block of the month.
 I am working on August's blocks.
Quiltmaker's New Year Mystery Quilt
Blocks made ready to be sewn together.
So Scrappy Rainbow Scrap Challenge 15
I am stuck on this one at June blocks.

Added to this list is
Scrappy Dance Quilt Along
The big reveal has been done I am ready to sew all the pieces together.
Quiltmaker Bitty Blocks
Starting to fall behind I think I am working on July's blocks
Just started Christa's Quilts Paper Piecing Quilt Along
We have sewn the first block. No progress on this one.
Addicted to Scrap Idaho Square Dance blocks have turned into box runners to hide my plastic crates at the fairs.
12 blocks completed and 5 joined together.

Still a lot here to work on. At least 7 of my long term projects are completed with at least 3 more at quilting stage. Plus there is a number of other projects that got started and completed.
 Until Next Time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia

2015 To Do List Update.

I think it is time to check in on my 2015 To Do List and see if I have made any progress or have I wander way off my path.

UFO's from 2014

1. My Pies & Tarts quilt. I am 3/4 through hand quilting this one.
I have made some progress on this one, the quilting is finally completed last night. I am hoping to bind it over the weekend.
2.My Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt. I have finished the top in 2014 so it is ready for quilting. I just have to decide hand quilt it or machine quilt it.

Still haven't made my decision on this one. I keep changing my mind.
3. My Double Wedding Ring quilt which has become a bed runner. I have lots to go on this one.
No progress at all but this is going to be my retreat project at the end of June.
4. My Disappearing Hourglass quilt. I only have made 6 blocks so far.
Completed.

5. My Wishes quilt. Ready for quilting.
I must drop this one to my long arm quilting friend, as I had decided not to quilt this one myself.
6. My Pink Dahlia quilt. I need to find the templates so I can continue.
Templates found so I will be able to do some more of this one soon.
7. My Inklingo Castle Wall quilt. I am working on the 2nd pieced border.

Completed.

8. My Inklingo star quilt. All printed and 2 blocks completed out of 12.

Ready for quilting.
9. Grand Illusion Mystery quilt. I am currently working on the blocks.
Blocks all joined together, ready to do the borders when I have time.
10. My Lozenge scrap quilt. All ready for blocks to be assembled, if I don't change my mind and want to make it bigger.
Ready for quilting.
11. My Aurifil Block of the Month quilt.  I am ready to arrange and piece the top ready for quilting.
Still sitting waiting to be sewn together.

12. My Crossroad Quilt. I am still working on the blocks, 12 done and 13 to go if I settle on 25 blocks. I am undecided about a border I may just make some more block to make it bigger.
Completed now called Scrappy Roads.

New things to do for 2015.

Pat Sloan's Vacation Time Block of the month.
Up to date we are 5 blocks in.
Quiltmaker's New Year Mystery Quilt
Blocks made ready to be sewn together.
So Scrappy Rainbow Scrap Challenge 15
Working on May's Blocks

Added to this list is
Scrappy Dance Quilt Along
We are up to clue 3 on this one.
Quiltmaker Bitty Blocks
Starting to fall behind I think I am still working on April's blocks
Just started Christa's Quilts Paper Piecing Quilt Along
We have sewn the first block
Addicted to Scrap Idaho Square Dance has become my Leader & Ender project for this year.
3 blocks completed with lots of sub units made to make more blocks.
Still a lot here to work on. Until Next Time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia

2015- To Do List

I don't believe I am writing this post already. Where did 2014 go? I have learnt some much during 2014 with new techniques, blogging, social networking,  and I have met some great people during 2014.
So what is left on 2014 list that needs to be transfer over and the new projects that were started during 2014 that need to be added.

UFO's from 2014

1. My Pies & Tarts quilt. I am 3/4 through hand quilting this one.
2.My Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt. I have finished the top in 2014 so it is ready for quilting. I just have to decide hand quilt it or machine quilt it.

3. My Double Wedding Ring quilt which has become a bed runner. I have lots to go on this one.
4. My Disappearing Hourglass quilt. I only have made 6 blocks so far.

5. My Wishes quilt. Ready for quilting.

6. My Pink Dahlia quilt. I need to find the templates so I can continue.
7. My Inklingo Castle Wall quilt. I am working on the 2nd pieced border.

8. My Inklingo star quilt. All printed and 2 blocks completed out of 12.

9. Grand Illusion Mystery quilt. I am currently working on the blocks.
10. My Lozenge scrap quilt. All ready for blocks to be assembled, if I don't change my mind and want to make it bigger.

11. My Aurifil Block of the Month quilt.  I am ready to arrange and piece the top ready for quilting.

12. My Crossroad Quilt. I am still working on the blocks, 12 done and 13 to go if I settle on 25 blocks. I am undecided about a border I may just make some more block to make it bigger.

New things to do for 2015.

Pat Sloan's Vacation Time Block of the month
Fat Quarter Shop Snapshot Block of the Month. This is going to be a special present.
Quiltmaker's New Year Mystery Quilt
So Scrappy Rainbow Scrap Challenge 15
Stretching your Skills 2015
Aurifil Mini Project of the Month. I may not make them all just the ones I really like.

There is a few more possible project starts in the pipeline like I want to make a Dear Jane quilt maybe 2015 is the year to start it. I also want to do some foundation piecing as I have 2 patterns I brought over the last year. Who knows what else I will start in 2015.

 Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Farmers Wife Update

I am getting close to the completion of my Farmer’s Wife Sampler quilt top.  I just have the borders to go on. I will get this top done before the end of the year. Then the big choice do I hand quilt it or machine quilt it. There are pros and cons for both sides.

I feel since I hand pieced the top I should hand quilt it but I am still hand quilting my Pies & Tarts Quilt 2 years on that project so far and my Farmers Wife Sampler is so much larger I am scared of the time it may take.

So I was thinking I could machine quilt it. It would take some time but not as much as if I hand quilted and it would improve my free motion quilting skills.

Just not sure what I should do. Please help me decide. Let me know what you would do.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Time is Flying By.

I was cutting my fabric for my block of the month projects and thinking of 100 other things when I made a cutting mistake. Oops! At least it was the first cut and not a whole batch cut wrong. There seem to be a lot going on and I'm not getting anywhere fast. I can't believe there is only a week of October left. That means only 2 months left for this year and there is a ton of work still to be completed, mainly on my unfinished projects which I wanted to complete by the end of the year. I think some are going to end up on next year's list. Really does it matter? I have achieve some much this year compare to 2013 I should be happy, should I?
Time for a review to see where I am at to and see what I can still complete before the end of the year.
Here is my list.
1. My Pies & Tarts Quilt I am half way through hand quilting this one.
This one is already on next year list. I have only done a tiny bit on it.
2. My Batik Hexagon Quilt top ready for quilting and binding.
Completed
3. My Batik Log Cabin Quilt I am nearly finished the blocks (4 blocks to go)
Completed
4. My Farmers Wife Sampler quilt -only have 30 blocks to go then sashing and borders.
I won't get this one completed but there is only 6 rows to piece together and add on.
So I am aiming to get the quilt top completed.

5. Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt the final layout was only released on 1st January 2014 I have 24 blocks completed.
Completed
6. My Double Wedding Ring quilt I started at the end of October at a workshop. 3 rings completed only.
This one may become a bed runner instead of a quilt. I'm going to do some work on it on Sunday. We will see what happens.

New things to tackle this year, there are plenty of new things I want to try but there is only 365 days to work with..
7. Building Blocks Quilt. 2014 Free Motion Quilt Along created by Leah Day. This one is going to allow me to tackle 2 things on my list, improve my free motion quilting and have a go at the Quilt as you go technique.
This one I have mixed feeling on this one, I have improved my FMQ skills with the blocks I have done but I have fallen way behind. Not sure what is going to happen with it. It may be a smaller quilt.
8.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring our Mystery Batik Sampler Pack. All designed just have to sew, write the pattern and kit it.
Halfway through the blocks and pattern.
9.A new Cynthia's Ark design featuring hexagons using the Inklingo technique or EPP.
My Camellia Quilt is Completed
10.Quiltmaker magazine Black Tie Affair using Riley Blake Evening Blooms (in stock atwww.cynthiasark.com.au)
I haven't started this one.
10. Pat Sloan's Globtrotting  BOM for freequiltpatterns.info (One block a month)
Blocks are completed just have to piece the blocks together and add the borders for the top to be completed.
11. Fat Quarter Shop Wishes Quilt Along BOM (One block a month)
Up to Octobers block so should have the quilt top completed by the end of the year.
12. A Dahlia Quilt I have a pattern.
I have started this one but it will go on to next year's list as I am hand piecing it.

To view all the completed projects this year click on the tab at the top on my blog. There has been a number of extra projects completed on the way. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Not a lot of sewing happening here

I still haven't made it to the sewing machine. I have walked passed it a number of times, even stopped and wondered if I should just sew for 10 minutes and thought no let's finish doing the job you are doing first. I have been cutting fabric, so at least I am handling fabric. What have I been cutting? I hear you ask, Pot luck quilt kits and a stack of 5 inch strips for my lucky draw strip packs for AMQF as I am nearly out of them.

This is what they look like once packed in to 1/2 metre packs ready for sale. Just need the label. They are available in our webshop in the fabric bundle section if you want some beautiful batiks.

 I have managed a little hand piecing when I just have to stop for the evening, so you can see I have made some progress piecing my Farmers Wife Sampler quilt.

Sorry I chopped the corners off but it gives you some idea where I am up to.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Wishes Quilt Along- August's Block

August’s block for the Wishes Quilt Along is completed. I can wait to piece these blocks together. It will be a decent size quilt when finished. A couple weeks ago I saved the border and finishing instructions for the quilt so I'm all set to finish it once I finish the last block. There is only 4 more blocks to go.  There is still two more block of the month to finish before the end of the month. Will I get them done? 

Let's see what happens. I have been piecing my Farmers Wife Sampler blocks into rows.  It has been 2 1/2 years in the making and I would love to finish it by the end of the year. Sounds like an excuse to me if I don't do my blocks of the month. So I better do them.

 No excuses please.

The first 3 rows done. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

What is going on?

What is wrong with me? I can't believe it. Once again I am sewing away on the last section of the Wish Along BOM this time. I lay out the 4 sections ready to sew,  and then I spot it. I have sewn the last quarter together wrong. Out comes the seam ripper and I unpick it. I keep doing this, nearly finished and I stuff it up. This has been happening a lot lately. Why do I keep do this? Ok I'm the first one to admit I'm not perfect. It will happen from time to time, but at the moment it is happening every week and on all different projects. None of my current projects are technically challenging, so you would think I should be able to complete simply piecing without too much trouble. So in the end I just unpick the latest block stuff up and stopped for the day. Though I had only been at the machine under a hour and was hoping for a couple of blissful hours at the machine to complete some blocks for a couple of projects. Oh well maybe  I have a couple of screws loose in my head that need tightening before I sit down at the machine next time. LOL

See the mistakes simply twisted the pieces the wrong way when I sewed them together and yesterday's mistake was unpick before I could think to take  a unhappy snap of it. I did go back and fix it so it is now completed.

Until next time

Keep stitching

Cynthia

Unfinished Project Update #2

This is my second report on my unfinished projects. I hope all of  you will keep me in check when I start to flounder or get too distracted with new  projects and remind me about my unfinished projects. My batik log cabin quilt is now ready for quilting. Just need to find the time to do it.
Progress has also been made on the Farmers Wife Sampler. Some more blocks were made and one got unpicked and resewn after I noticed I had sewn it together wrong.( See my mistake below.) I didn't notice it until I went to press the blocks that I stuffed it and it was a easy block. My husband would say too much talking and not enough sewing happening when we get together for our Farmers Wife Sampler sewing morning. It is now fixed.
Here are the latest batch of blocks completed from the last 2 sewing session.

 

 

Oops I think I stuffed this one. Where's the seam ripper?

                                               Until next time keep stitching
                                                            Cynthia