Eureka moments

The other day I had some time and was catching up on some bloggy reads.  I popped in to have a see what Kellie of Don't Look Now had been up to  (always very interesting and usually quite beautiful and inspiring work!) and Lo! she was talking about darning/free motion feet and what makes a good one.  She talked about a foot from another make of machine being perfect for my make - a Janome/New Home.  I have this foot

which to be fair I have not got on well with as the closed front does interfere with the view of the work and when you are working at speed, as you do for FMQ, it can be off putting.  So I looked at it and thought 'I can chop the front out to open it up'.  So when I next sighted Mr Neet I asked him to do the job for me and this is what he came up with

Eureka!!  It works absolutely, bloomin' fantastic!  and it cost me nowt!  I did think before hand that if it didn't work as I had hoped then it would be nothing lost as I would have had to have gone and purchased one of the other feet mentioned by Kellie anyways, but as it is I now have the perfect foot for free motion work - all I have to do is brush up my skills to match!

On a different note......

This is the beautiful fabric (click photo to see the detailed prints) I received from Kimberley of Fat Quarter Shop - fab, fab service all the way from the US (Sorry UK sellers you just didn't have this fabric for me).  My beautiful black and white stash that is going to become my scrappy strings bedspread/throw for my Superking (read 'huge') bed.  I am calling it a throw because I am not going to sandwich it with batting, but piece it with cotton muslin (Ikea) as I go and then back it with a lovely piece of black and white fabric taken from a Hobbs quilt cover.  So I figure that the 3 layers will make a nice drapable throw - now I just have to find the time to get it done but I AM clearing the decks of other projects at present so hopefully I will be chopping into this stash very soon.

Busy Swapper Catch-up

I have been so busy swapping over on Flickr that there doesn't seem to have been time for little else.  Now that all current swaps are drawing to a conclusion, until the next round, I can take time out and tidy up, catch up and update my little corner of blogland.

1. Scrappy Pincushion Swap

This is the package I made for Susan aka Chickenfoot.  She liked 'srooms.

This is the gorgeous little pinnie I received from Steph (PaisleysPlaceQuilts)    This was a secret partner swap and I guess she took on the whole 'englishness' of my profile for this little make for me. 

2. Scrappy Mug Rug Swap

This is the Mug Rug I made for Jessie (TinyHouse)  it is the first ever Mug Rug I made and was very happy with how it worked out.

This is the package I received from Linda ( ) again this is a secret partner swap but it so happened that Linda WAS ALSO in my group for the 3x6 Sampler Quilt Bee!


3. Doll Quilt Swap 10 - DQS10

This is the quilt I have made for my partner (again a secret so until she receives it I will hold back her name).  I used a DoeCDoe tutorial stitchery for the centre panel and the quilt evolved from there. 

I am still awaiting my quilt from my secret partner.

4. Mini QT Swap

This swap is lovely to participate in.  You know who your partner is and can communicate with them.  My partner was Di (Di2Quilt) and lives in Taiwan!!  She was quite thrilled that she had her first UK-based swap partner - I decided to go with a British feel by using some Cath Kidston on my quilt.  The theme was '3D' and we both agreed to do a floral design.  It was my first attempt at machine applique - and I like it very much.  Mini QT quilts can measure a maximum 12" square - this met that requirement.
I also enclosed some Cath fabric and a local church magazine as an insight into pastoral life in Britain.

This is the pretty little quilt that Di made for me.  Japanese linen - how gorgeous.  It measures 8.5"x 6"  and Di also enclosed a piece of double sided linen for me.  Thank you Di.

I am also participating in the 3x6 Sampler Quilt Mini Bee but awaiting the 6 blocks in the post so I will post a photo of those when they are all with me

I am working on these projects for myself in between the swap stuff

scrappy string quilt blocks = 120 x 6.5" blocks!  (I have also ordered some Michael Miller rouge et noir fabric from the Fat Quarter shop for a black and white superking version for my bed! = huge ammount of blocks!)



That Girl-That Quilt QAL

Moda Bakeshop Baby Pinwheel quilt also in red and white version for my living room

Cushions for my sofa

a blue version of the button quilt (as I love the design so much!!)

and I have just started designing for the next round of the the Mini QT swap as we know the theme already - circles and curves - just need the name of partner.  Sign ups are open until April 1st - come over and join in why don't you?

Anyway I think I have covered all projects, hope you haven't been subjected to photo overload in this post!! and I am away now as there are things for me to do.

Bye.

Blogger's Pillow Party

What do you do with a leftover block from a swap?  Make a cushion cover!  I had a spare block leftover from the 3x6 Sampler Quilt Mini Bee over on Flickr as the person I had made it for dropped out quite early on.  So with time on hands I added to it with some extra width, made an envelope back, added some extra quilting and ended up with a lovely cushion cover that I am rather proud of.

I am adding it to the entries for March on the Bloggers Pillow Party site  to join in with all the other beautiful creations made by bloggers worldwide, and if I was very lucky, be selected to win a prize or at least figure in a final list to be chosen from!!