UFO challenge nearly done!

I have finished the eleventh UFO on my list!  That means there is only one more to go (tulip fields) and I've completed all twelve of my nominated UFOs this year! 

This isn't the most wonderful quilt in the world, but it's a finish! 

I didn't do any fancy quilting, but I'm quite pleased with the free motion flowers in the centre of each medallion.  Done!

New sewing machine!

My old sewing machine was beginning to wear out.  Often, when I lifted the foot to remove some fabric, it just clonked down again, meaning I had to repeat the motion a bit more forcefully, which was a real nuisance!  Well, I had it 17 years ago, and I do quite a bit of sewing, so it's not surprising! 

The problem was, what to replace it with?  I had been very satisfied with my Elna, so decided to go for another, and delighted to find that my LQS Sew Charming was able to advise and order one for me. 

Here is the Elna EXperience 580, which I think is just a bit better than my old one.  It has a much wider throat (8.5" as opposed to 6.5") which will make quilting large quilts much easier.  It also has an automatic thread cutter, which will be very useful, and means I can save enough on thread to eventually pay for the machine!  I rarely use alphabets, but once in a while they're fun, and this machine even has the Russian alphabet!  I can see that being really useful.  Unfortunately it doesn't make cup of tea or make sure I get points on my triangles, but I'm looking forward to giving it a workout! 

On Ringo Lake

Bonnie's annual mystery quilt is up and running!  Instructions are every Friday on her blog, and her colours for this year are chocolate brown, aqua, coral and of course, neutrals.  

The first instruction is nine patches.  Easy peasy! 

Here are my blocks all ready done.  What's next? 

UFO challenge

I'm very pleased with my progress on the UFO challenge.  Twelve UFOs nominated and ten already completed, with two months to go!  I looked at the remaining UFOs and my heart sank.  More of the pink and red hexagon medallions and a Bonnie Hunter Tulip Fields which was barely started.  I looked and then put them away!  Then yesterday, husband was out watching his football team so I had a clear evening and I got the UFOs out again.  With the medallions, I decided that finished was better than perfect, so appliquéd them to cream background squares, joined them together and bordered them. 

This will be fine as a cot quilt.  A bit of fancy quilting (or not so fancy quilting in my case!) and it'll be fine. 

Then the Tulip Fields beckoned.  I'd forgotten how much fun it was to use up scraps for the tulip bases!  Four blocks were made, so I made another couple.  I realise I've made a cutting mistake on my new blocks, but I'm not undoing them!  Only another ten blocks to go! 

Poor posting

I haven't posted much recently, but you can be assured that I've been busy sewing! Ive been trying to finish various Linus tops which have been donated, as we had a request for quilts from the local hospital, and we were a bit short.  We managed to rustle up 36 quilts, which was a good result.  There are still plenty of tops to finish, so I'll get on with some of those. 

It's also coming up to panto time, so I've been getting on with assembling the costumes.  I've started with the chorus, and have made a couple of flouncy skirts.  This one just needs elastic in the top and then it's done!  Thank goodness for the ruffle foot I bought for my machine, as it takes all the fiddle out of gathering the flounces. 

There must be something in the air round here, as we have had quite a few lovely donations of fabric for Linus.  I've sorted through them and put them into my colour coded Linus fabric boxes, and rescued any orphan blocks.  I try to cut these blocks into useable sizes and keep these together till there are enough to make a top.  These beautiful roses are a bit big and there are just two of them, so I've cut them down to 12.5" and put them in the right bag. 

Here is my orphan storage system in all its glory!  It works for me! 

Here is my latest project.  It's a Bonnie Hunter design scaled up from 2" to 2.5" strips.  I have another row ready to join, so it won't take long to finish.  Onward and upward!