IHSW- A little bit of everything weekend

This is my first entry into IHSW and yes I feel like a Hermit, I've been so busy trying to finish items for Christmas and preparing new projects for the New Year, I realised I hadn't stepped foot outside the house all weekend.                                                                                                                                           Firstly I managed to complete the following Candlewick cushion top.  One of the many designs by Sandi Lush, there was only a small amount of quilting left to do, only the piping and back to sort out.  I really love working colonial knots  I find working them so relaxing.

 
My second project was to do more on the Town Mandala but only managed a few of the gold back stitches, I don''t think I will see this complete for a looooong time. I have so much rattling around my head I can't give it the concentration it needs.

 

I managed to complete the following Christmas tree decoration which is for my sisters tree.

 

 

I bought the Mountmellick embroidery book a few weeks ago, something I really want to learn, I didn't get time to start sewing but I did manage to prepare the fabric and trace the leaves which are practise leaves for some of the stitches.  Hope to make a start on this in the New Year.

 

 

And last but not least a little bit of leather tooling work.  This is a joint project which Mr C and myself completed today.  The belt is a Christmas gift and a new dog collar of Oscar our granddaughters puppy.

 

 

 

Well that only leaves the housework but that's another day

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New Year.

Kathleen

 

WIP - Scrappy Quilts

Why is there no warning!!!.....Patchwork and quilting are addictive and yes over the years I've bought the odd fat quarter, who can resist but and it's a big but I'm not a quilter.  I've never had the patience and would get so frustrated at not being able to piece perfectly Ohhh yes I'm a perfectionist......So why did I foolishly start making a quilt???  Mainly because I felt guilty at a tub full to bursting with fabric and searching through the said tub I have to question my taste in fabric, yep some some of it is pretty gross.....So it was time to create but what?  I searched the web for scrappy quilts and was taken with Arkansas Crossroads block instructions can be found here at BellaOnline  I adapted my block to 8" rather than the 12" and the result is below.

Don't get too close you might see imperfect piecing.....I still have quilting to do but that'll be another story,  despite having a walking and free motion foot for my machine I've never machine quilted anything, but help is at hand, on my Christmas wish list is a book on machine quilting.....OK walk before you run I'll practise  first.

Now we get on to the addiction not only did I finish the above quilt top, being a glutton for punishment I also started the BIG ONE...The Country Medallion Quilt. Pattern from White Cottage Country Crafts  On reflection maybe this project was not for the novice or faint hearted but once started I ploughed on regardless, the saying 'Ignorance is bliss' comes to mind.

I'm waiting for additional fabric for the border and binding which is on order with a promise of being delivered within the week, hmmm still waiting after a month. So there you have it two quilt tops and I'm already planning the next I just can't stop Heeeeelp.

In between the quilts I also made this cute padded Christmas Tree plus one other for my daughter, I bought the pattern from Zigzags at a quilt show in Shrewsbury, plus a lap quilt which is a Christmas present for my mum, I got around the quilting by trying out the knot or tying technique which seemed to work quite well.   I cant show this as I've already wrapped it :-)

If like seeing other works in progress bob over to Freshly Pieced to see what others are doing.

Hope you like
Kathleen