October's One Monthly Goal

Well what can I say. There is only one project for October that needs to be worked on. That is my Gypsy Wife Quilt It has arrived home from being quilted and it just need the binding. I haven't even thought what to use for the binding. There is two options I think a solid colour binding or a striped binding.

My quilt was quilted by Valerie from the House of Valerie. She always doesn't a fantastic job with my quilts.

I have linked this post up with Elm Street Quilts, so pop over and check out what everyone else is working on this month.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Winners and Losers Today

The shop was quiet today. Most of South Australia was preparing and watching the AFL grand final, with one of our local team the Adelaide Crows playing the Richmond Tigers.

So this allowed me some time at the sewing machine with the radio on. Unfortunately the Crows lost but I did manage to get the binding on my Gypsy Wife Quilt after I collected it  from Val (House of Valerie) yesterday who quilted it for me. As always she has done a great job.

I went with a dark blue for the binding. So a few nights in front of the TV will see it finished off. I might take it with me on retreat next week.

 Next I did some more quilting with the Westalee rulers on a table runner that I had started quilting but didn't know what to do in the border. Today it just fell into place and with the Spin-E-Fex template I finished the quilting off and whipped on the binding.

What is this? These are strips from a Rolie Polie bundle from Penny Rose Fabrics Meadow range. I may have started sorting strips for a new project. Don't tell anyone.

Until Next Time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia

The Gypsy Wife Top is Completed.

Happy dance time! I finally got this beauty together. It has been fun, though I was a bit worried at the start on how all this goes together but it wasn't as hard as I thought.  The blocks went together fairly easily. As long as you take your time and layout out the whole section before you start the section, it was good.

There was a few spots I had to use the seam ripper and fix a problem or two but that is me. I always twist something around. At least I found the problems early, not after it had been quilted.

Now I do have the pattern in the shop if you are tempted to make your own version or I do have a few spots left in our Block of the Month version if you prefer. Visit Cynthia's Ark to purchase. I am happy to ship internationally as I am in Australia. Just remember the postage rate will be a little more.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

So Close but....

I planned to finish my Gypsy Wife quilt this weekend. Not a lot of sewing time so I knew I had to use my sewing time wisely.  I squeeze in a hour Friday before dinner and got three quarter through Section 6 which is the last section I had left but it is also the largest section.

As I had to take the shop to the Jubilee quilter on Saturday I thought about it but just wasn't able to get to it on Saturday night.

Sunday came and it was our Project Uninterrupted day(our sew and chat group) in store and I managed to complete it. So I thought. Pleased with the fact I only had to sew the sections together I laid the sections out in order to take a photo to share in the Project Uninterrupted facebook group and that is when I saw the mistake. I could of cried. I need to finish this project and move on to others urgently.

To look at this section on it own. There isn't a mistake but once you put section 6 and 7 together you can clearly the error.
Then it was like where the hell is the mistake I couldn't find it. I asked my husband if he could see it and we were not having any luck. Counting strips and checking the sequence at the top of the quilt compared to the bottom. We had to walk away in the end.

I did go back to it a while later as I was thinking of taking a photo and sending to my friend Maureen who is super good at spotting my mistakes but then I spotted it myself. It turns out I  made the mistake when I was sewing on Friday. I had missed a strip. How to fix it? There was only one way!  Use a seam ripper and and unsew all the section until I got to the mistake.

So now I have to resew this all back together.

Until Next Time

Keep Sewing

Cynthia

I am Getting There with The Gypsy Wife Quilt

Over the weekend I had time for some more progress on my Gypsy Wife Quilt. Considering the layout of the quilt it has been enjoyable to make. A few issues here and there but what quilt is ever finished without a seam ripper being used at some stage. The main thing is coming together.

I am piecing the sections together and sections 1 and 2 were the sections I was working on. They seems to be hard sections as they then are sewn together.  I got it done.

That only left me with sections 6 and 7 to go. I continued on with 7 as it was the smaller of the two sections. Now Section 7 turned out to be tougher than sections 1 and 2. I didn't quite get Section 7 finished but there is only 1 seam to go to complete it.

Now only 1 section to go and then to finish sewing all ten sections together to complete the top.

Stay tuned for more on this project.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

350 block Report 2017- July's Report

The target for this month is 29 blocks.

I am glad to say some sewing has happened this month.

24 blocks for the next stage of my Gypsy Wife quilt, blocks are done. Here comes the hard part sewing them all together.

I pulled out my Scrap Dance Tango project to finish so 2 more blocks for this one, but I need to look up the pattern as I am not sure if this layout is correct.

Two chubby Dresdens flowers that became a pin cushion for a workshop.

 

Borders went on a large wall hanging for 1 more.

Then some major assembling on the Gypsy Wife quilt I have counted each section I sew together as 1 toward my monthly total.

So 5 more as I have completed 5 sections 

One Round we go block

 Fingers crossed I can keep going during August with more sewing. 

So my total is 35 for this month.

Until Next Month

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot #32

There are a few sewing jobs I need to do. Deadlines! Loaming over my head. I need to get on top of them before I sink. With a machine problem last week, I had to have my machine look at and it was returned to me on Friday. So with the other jobs done Saturday was my sewing day. Now I didn't have a whole day but a good 3/4 of the day.

Some work on this project. One block to make so I thought but now I am not sure if this is the correct layout or if I need to make more blocks.

The Gypsy Wife quilt was the other project I was working on.

It is starting to come together. The section I was working on.

I have now finished 5 sections so I am half way through the assembly.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

More Action on the Gypsy Wife Quilt

With all the blocks for the Gypsy Wife quilt made, it is time for sewing the quilt top together. In most cases this is a straight forward exercise. With the Gypsy Wife this is where it gets interesting.  Where to start? Section one is the logical starting point but it didn't look straight forward, so I started at Section 8. It is the need to start at a simpler section and the fact I like to work left to right. Sections 8, 9 and 10 which joins to the bottom of 8 and 9 looked a little easier then starting at 1 and 2 and is the left hand side of the quilt.

This is sections 8 and 9 with half of ten. It needs a good press.

This is where I got to as my sewing machine was playing up. Time to do something about that. I just wanted to finish this top off and I was going to have this machine serviced. She has decided she can't wait. So I will be quilting this weekend or I will change over my Pfaff back so I can piece. I have been using her mainly for quilting.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot # 31

What have I been working on recently! I can say finally I have been doing some sewing, not enough mind you. I have 4 project I have been working on. The big one is my Gypsy Wife quilt. I have managed another batch of blocks. I am getting close to finishing the blocks but not quick enough.

I did complete the binding on my little Travel Companion bag. (pattern is available on the web shop if you are interested.) I just need to sew the button on the front.

I had to complete a quilt for my husband's Aunt's 70th birthday. The label was sewn on last night in between baking some Lemon and Coconut brownies for the party. Just in the nick of time as her party is on Saturday night.

Lastly I have been working on an English Paper pieced table runner using pointed dresdens. They are my favourite shape at the moment.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Progress Report on the Gypsy Wife Quilt

Some sewing time here today during Project Uninterrupted. I managed to do some more work on the Gypsy Wife Quilt which is are new block of the month here at Cynthia's Ark. I really wish I had the top done by now but the world has been plotting against me lately.

I could complain about how far behind I am but really I would be wasting more Time​. So here are a couple more pictures on my progress.

I am loving working with the Riley Blake Designs Shades range. This will be a bright and colorful quilt when we finish it.
Until Next Time
Keep Stitching
Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot #29

A little bit of pressure can be helpful to get a job done in time. A deadline for projects and jobs can be very helpful for me. Sometimes I have it in my head I have plenty of time the deadline is two months away and so on. Then 2 weeks before the deadline I hit panic mode because I am not close enough to finishing.
I have a couple of projects with deadlines. Not that it seems to be helping me at the moment.
The first one is my version of the Gypsy Wife BOM. I set myself a deadline of May Project Uninterrupted session. I don't think I will make it.  You can still sign up for my Gypsy Wife Block of the Block on my website.  Just remember if you are overseas the postage will be more depending where you are in the world.  So far one block has been made.

The second one is my Scrappy Flower block for a Row Along in a group I am part of on Facebook. I will be sharing my blocks here on my blog next week so you will be able to get my pattern, you just won't be able to collect the other blocks. My block will make a lovely scrappy row and help you use up some of your scraps. I can see me making a quilt using my blocks so if you see me making more of these blocks in the near future you know what I am up to. This is the test block I have made a little adjustment to the pattern thanks to my block tester Lynne.

Also I had someone ask me had I received my signature blocks yet?  Not yet but they are on their way they have a long trip to get to me. So you will have to wait a little longer for that post.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Gypsy Wife Quilt is the New Block of the Month

Over the last couple of months I have asked for your opinions on Block of the Months while I was arrange the latest batch of Block of the Months. I can  now announce the first one as it is all set up and it will start in the first week of June 2017.

It is the Gypsy Wife by Jen Kingwell. 

We will be making our using Riley Blake Design Fabrics. It is a machine piecing Block of the Month. I can tell you there is an English Paper Piecing Block of the Month and an applique/ English Paper piecing combination in the pipeline too.

Starting in June you will receive a full pattern with fabric for the top and binding over 12 months. It will be AU$30 plus postage over the 12 months. Now if you sign up before the 30th April you will receive a free spool of Aurifil 50wt cotton to sew with. It is my favourite cotton to sew with. I use it for 90% of my sewing from hand/machine pieced to quilting.

Now I will be sewing the sample over the next couple of months so you will see some previews of the quilt coming together in the fabrics we will be sew with. Hopefully by May I will be able do a full reveal (at least the top should be completed by then).
You can sign up on my website using a credit card or Paypal for our Block of the Months.

I hope you will join us sewing up a brand new masterpiece over the next 12 months.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia