BQL bags.

Along with many other members of the British Quilt List I am making a bag a month, following directions kindly designed and drafted by Kandy Newton.
Life got in the way in June so I unfortunately missed that month's bag but I am pleased that I have managed to keep up for the other months. Apart from helping to cut down on plastic bags these bags have used up a lot of fabric that has just been lurking in my stash; have introduced me to new techniques and have sometimes been the sewing project I needed to get me creating again.
You can join the BQL here.
You can see all the bags that have been made here.

Catching up.

I may have been quiet but it has been a busy couple of weeks, with one thing and another!
Most of the daylight hours I have been outside in the garden clearing brambles and cutting grass and hedges but also quite a lot of other creative stuff has been going on.

First ,I managed to get a simple, electric sewing machine, so that my 10 and 6 year old grand daughters can be introduced to the fun of sewing. We started off with a pile of squares that had been lurking amongst my stash. They shuffled them around with great deliberation until they were satisfied with their pattern and then pinned them all before going to the machine. The 10 year old made herself a lined bag and the younger one managed to piece the top of a blanket for her bear. (She backed it with fleece later)
They did really well and did it all by themselves, though I had to sit on my hands at times. We now plan on a regular Sunday afternoon sewing session during the winter months. I think I have located a hand sewing machine for the younger one whose hand and foot co-ordination isn't quite so well developed.


The postie called to bring back "Crazy Paisley" complete with the Machine Quilting Award and rosette from the Scottish Quilting Championships.
What is it about rosettes? The award will probably be placed safely away but the rosette will go on my little noticeboard in my sewing room. I love it, if I win a different coloured one----------well I love it when I win one but take extra delight if it is a different colour. :o)



I have also been continuing with my stash busting and have been doing some garment sewing. These are the second pair of micro fibre trousers lined with thin fleece----------should be cosy in the colder months!

Stash busting!

Trying to get the fabric mountain down a bit whilst mulling over other ideas at the moment.

First some flannelette pillowcases with cotton cuff and trim. This was to try out the ingenious pattern that only uses one seam to join the cuff and trim with no raw edges. It works beautifully!
As I said this is stash busting---------the GDs approve of these colours :o)))



Then a trial attempt at a Japanese knot bag-again very easy.



Lastly a little pouch to hold all the memory sticks for the Bernina. The dangles on them are so that I can remember which is which.


The fabric mountain isn't lowered much. Guess that machine is going to have to keep humming away.

My sewing room is still tidy :o(

Over a week into the New Year and although I have done many sketches, and scribbled down some ideas no creative stitching has happened yet and it is making me twitchy!!!!

My sewing room/studio is immaculate!

I have turned out my drawers and tidied all my threads. My stash has been tidied and stroked and my machines are serviced and ready to go but still I have not got started. I even have a list pinned up on my noticeboard of what is to be done!!!

Could it be the deadlines for getting things done is too far away and the pressure isn't there yet? Has everyone out there started creating again as soon as Twelfth Night was over?

On a more positive note I now have a Bernina dealer within 25 miles of me. Not only does he see to my machines within a few days but he also collects them and then brings them home again!

I find that very reassuring!