Forget me Not Sew Along #5

It has been a while since I posted anything about this project and considering how little sewing I did did through November this project is the only one that has seen any real progress. This is where I was up to the last time I posted on this project.

In the last month I finished adding a little red half flower filler. Plus the white border right around and the multi coloured border that also went right around.

Next there is some star points to be added but I have decided the colour of the centre yet.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Under the Pressure Foot #5

What is under the pressure foot this week. Nothing I'm afraid. There is at least 1 quilt that I should of quilted but it is sitting there still waiting to be pinned, I haven't even prepared the backing fabric. Plus all the little projects waiting to be done. So what have I been working on!
There has been some hand piecing of hexagons going on, at least some sewing is being done among the computer work, orders, new fabric arriving, advertising and ordering more stock. You should see my list of orders that I have got hopefully arriving over the second half of the year. There is new batiks coming, English paper piecing supplies, Riley Blake fabrics, Penny Rose Fabric, more Kaffe Fassett and Tula Pink fabrics, reproduction fabrics and lots more. Looking at all these fabrics has my head spinning with ideas. I have been writing them down, I hope I can develop them into upcoming projects.
Here are my hexagons blocks, it won't be long before I get to joining the blocks together. I'm working on the bottom block, I just need to sew a ring of white hexagons.

Until Next Time

Keeping Stitching

Cynthia

Our Trip on the Steam Ranger

On Sunday I took the day off from everything and my LSH (long suffering husband, so he tells me) and I took a day trip on the Steam Ranger from Mt Barker to Victor Harbor. When LSH booked the trip he made sure we had the steam engine pulling the train. He love steam trains. It was a long day but full of fun even if it was pretty cold up at Mt Barker. We were prepared knowing it was going to cold there and there was a good chance it would be cold and windy once we reached Victor Harbor.

Yes I did take my hand sewing with me but I could only stitch while we were stopped at the stations. These old trains tend to rock a bit much, so I was having trouble sewing on my line. Only a little bit got done.

There was plenty to look at as we rolled through the hills down to the coast. Lots of kangaroos, livestock, birds and more and the scenery was beautiful, maybe not as green as you would expect at this time of year. Rainfall has been very light for this time of year.

We stopped in Goolwa for 20 minutes and visited the local market and got to says hi to a few friends who would trading there. It was lovely sunny weather down there. Then back on the train for the rest of the trip.

Granite Island

The Bluff. Look how calm the water is.
We couldn't believe our luck when we arrived in Victor Harbor, the weather was perfect considering it is Winter. It was sunny and hardly a breeze compared to what we normally have down there at this time of the year. We had some lunch at one of the local hotels, did a little bit of shopping and had a good walk around and before we knew it, it was time to return to the train station for the journey back to Mt Barker.

It was after 6pm when we got back to the car to head home which is about one and half hours drive. So when we got home we were buggered but we had a great day out. I think we will have to plan a few more days out like this, do something we want to try or go somewhere we have never been before.
If you even get the chance do the trip it was great.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

The First Completed Project of 2015.

This is my Kaleidoscope Star table runner I made last year using Inklingo. A very simple layout of diamonds. It was a fun project to do and I have found some more stars I pieced so I may make another matching table runner. That way I can use both at the same time on different tables. I just did some free motion stippling in the blue hexagons.

 I just could decide what else to do. It is where I get stuck often when it comes to free motion quilting. What design do I want to do and half the time I fall back on the stippling option because I just have to finish the project. Maybe this is something I can work on this year.

The binding was a bit of a challenge I almost cut the ends square to make it easier to bind but I decide to leave it as is and bind it as is.

 One completed and many more to complete.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Hexagons are back.

That is right I have been bitten by the hexies bug again. After finishing my Cynthia's Flower Garden quilt and my Camellia strip quilt last year I thought I was about done with hexagons as I wanted to play with some other shapes. While playing with the others I found myself including hexagons and look what happened a new hexagon quilt was created in EQ 7.

 I am use these fabrics for this project.The 2 black and white prints come from the Evening Bloom range and the red is from the Riley Blake Designs Shades range Santa Red which you can find all in my Cynthia's Ark store.  I have used Inklingo to print my hexagon straight on the fabric as I had purchased the hexagon collection for my camellia quilt, so why not use it again. I may have to purchase a couple more hexagon collections in different size for the future. Using the Inklingo method is a TIME saving job. It took me less than an hour to print all my shapes and I am ready for sewing them together, no papers needed.
Unfortunately  I have only got 1 flower made so far.

Note: I am hand piecing these hexagon as I needed another hand piecing project but they are so easy to be pieced with your sewing machine if you prefer.
To find out more about printing onto fabric pop over to the Inklingo Blog.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Kaleidoscope Stars Update

In October I mention my Inklingo Kaleidoscope stars that I have been playing with. I did finally choose a background for my stars. Unfortunately it is a dark fabric I wanted to use, so it is not printer friendly but fortunately Linda has a way around this using the Inklingo template method for dark fabrics and other situations. If I had my dark fabric when I printed my diamond for the stars I could of easily laid the dark fabric under the uncut diamonds and cut both out at the same time then I won't of needed to use the template method. This happens when you are just playing with a block with no final project in mind.

Not the best picture it is more blue than black.

 I haven't tried it so this would be the perfect time to try it. So far I have been very selective when picking fabrics for my Inklingo projects, that way I could always print directly on to the fabric.

My next problem was layout- how did I want to lay this table runner out? 

At first I thought I would applique the stars onto the blue fabric, why I don't know I'm not very good at applique. 

Then I was thinking of putting hexagons in between the stars. That would work.

A few days of pondering this and I thought why not use the diamond to turn the stars into hexagon blocks and I was sold on the idea. I may have a hexagon addiction. So this is where I am up to.

What do you think about this layout? 

I need to make some half stars to fill in the spaces but I think it will work. The next question is do I have enough blue to finish and bind it as I did not take binding in to consideration when I bought the fabric. I may need to make a return trip to get some more. (I hope they still have some. If they do I better get extra for the backing.)

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching 

Cynthia

New Kit in the Making

This is what I have been working on today. Here is the final stage of a new kit featuring English Paper Piecing. 

These kits are a great introduction to English Paper piecing if you haven't tried it before or would be a great quick and easy project for gift giving, the home, office etc. I'm not going to show you the finished project here today as we will be releasing this kit at the Barossa Craft Fair & Market on the 29th November at the Tanunda Show Hall, Tanunda, South Australia.

I will be doing some demonstrations of this technique during the day, so if you are new this will be very helpful to get you started.

You will have to wait to see it, but we will be releasing the pattern for my Cynthia's Flower Garden Quilt also and as I have posted a picture before and I have quilters waiting on this release. Sorry for the delay. Here is what it looks like, just in case you haven't seen it.

Too much to do and not enough time to do everything that needed to be done.  

These patterns and kits will be available online at Cynthia's Ark on the 29th November and at the Barossa Craft Fair & Market.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

English Piece Piecing happening here

I have been playing with some English Paper Piecing shapes this week in my evening sewing time. I can't believe I have been piecing 1/2 inch hexagons. I always thought they are too small for me to be bothered with but here I am creating some table mats and coasters. The 1 inch hexagons are a lot better to handle. I found gluing them was easy enough rather than tacking them, it will be interesting when I try to remove the papers. Here are some pictures of what I am working on. 

 A couple of 1/2" hexagon drink coasters.

 This one will become a table mat will a few more rows added.

A couple of 1" hexagon flowers.

What is the smallest size you have worked with?  I don't think I would have bother with the 1/2" hexagons if I hadn't used the Accuquilt die to cut the papers and fabric I think it would have been too fiddling to do for me. I was impressed with the Accuquilt dies for the English Paper piecing.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Some Crafting Time

On Friday afternoon I had a lovely afternoon with my friend Mandy. We went out for lunch, did some shopping and headed back to Mandy's place for some crafting. We do catch up with each other for coffee but we rarely have the chance to spend an afternoon together. I had the chance to play with Mandy collection of Accuquilt Dies as she has a lovely selection. I was particularly interested in her English Paper Piecing hexagon dies as I am  doing some demo of this technique at the Barossa Craft Fair at the end  of November (Details of this event is on our event page at the top of the blog). 

 Half inch Hexagons look how small they are.

One inch Hexagons they are a little better.

I have a few little projects in mind I want to kit up and am thinking I could pre-cut the kits using these dies I might have to get a larger one though as Mandy only has the 1 inch and 1/2 inch hexagon dies.  I haven't use hexagon this small before so if anyone has any tips please share in the comment and help me out. The smallest I have used is 1 1/2 inch.

The squares and half square triangles I cut were just for fun. I am going to play with them and see what happens I will share it with you all as it happens, good or bad. 

 I was impressed and if the right side dies are available I may set myself up.

Stay tuned for an update soon Mandy set me a deadline of Monday for progress.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia