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Quarter one is over, already!



she can quilt



In January I linked up with the Finish-A-Long (find my Q1 list here) and put three things on my list.  It's now time to link up again and declare my finishes, so here goes!


2. (I'm saving the first item on the list for later in the post 'cos it's the one you haven't seen!)  Finish my stumpwork anemone - prepare the detached petals and attach to the flower and then mount on a canvas block.  Finished!!

Now living at my parents' house, in a cupboard, I think!!


3. Finish and block the mystery knitting.  ('Mystery' because I couldn't post a photo without spoiling a surprise.  Fortunately, Our Dear Leader is very accommodating and let me email her a secret photo, to prove the project had indeed been started.)   Here's Deb's scarf, all finished!

Finished!



1. Finish joining my Marmalade hexies (generously donated by Leanne aka Our Dear Leader) and make into a cushion, inspired by this gorgeous cushion.  Finished!

Marmalade hexies


It doesn't have a name but if it did it would be called 'Can I have a P please, Bob?'  For those of you thinking 'Eh?', click here and scroll to about 55 seconds in.  Enjoy!


I love this cushion!  It's made with a Marmalade mini charm pack (or whatever they're really called - candy or something?) and Kona Honeydew (from Simply Solids).  I hand pieced the hexagons and then added a border (by machine), machine quilted straight lines down it and then added an envelope back and a binding.  I was going to put a zip in the back but, after creating a flap and attaching one side of the only zip I had that was anywhere near long enough (light blue), I discovered that the zip tape was shadowing through the green and looked awful!  So I ripped it out and put an envelope back on instead, fortunately I hadn't cut the other half of the back so I could adjust the measurement!  It's not my favourite way of finishing a cushion (I usually use buttons or zips but I wasn't organised enough to have gone to the shops and bought the necessary supplies) but it doesn't matter once it's on the settee and facing the right way!  Not that, most of the time, I see all of it!  This is what I usually see:

How my new cushion looks most of the time...
A lovely cushion with a quilt top in progress dumped in front of it.


My hexy quilt lives in front of it so the only time I see the whole cushion is either when I'm adding more hexies to the quilt or when someone comes to visit and I put the quilt somewhere far away from cups of tea and coffee!  It's easier/better, in my opinion, for this quilt top to not be folded unnecessarily (although I suspect my mam would say that it's unnecessary to leave it in a heap and looking untidy!) because it 'upsets' the seam allowances.  What I mean (and am finding it difficult to explain!) is that if I fold it then some of the seam allowances end up crumpled (and sometimes fold back on themselves) and need re-pressing whereas if the top lives in a heap then they seem to keep their direction.  (Am I making sense?  No, I thought not!)  It's not a problem I've had with any of my other tops (whether hand or machine pieced) so I suspect it's something to do with the multi-directional seams.  Or the way I fold.  Probably the latter!

Anyway, enough of that because I think you'll find that I finished all three items on my list - hurrah!!  I'm linking up with Our Dear Leader@She Can Quilt - why not pop over and see how everyone else has fared? And, if you didn't join in this time, why not scour your sewing space for projects to populate a list in quarter two?  I've found two things so far...


I can't leave you without a photo or two of the man dog himself:

b-im-bringing-my-stick-inside-and-theres-nothing-you-can-do-to-stop-me_8620132734_o
I'm bringing my stick inside and you can't stop me.
(He carried  for almost the whole of his walk, he loves having something to carry but I can't persuade him to try a shopping bag!)



b-im-sure-its-time-for-tea---stop-faffing-on-the-computer-and-feed-me_8620130520_o
I'm sure it's time for tea - stop faffing on the computer and feed me!

Comments

  1. Helen's scarf is beautiful (I am in awe of your knitting skills) and the Blockbuster cushion is lovely! Archie just improves with age doesn't he? More debonair and handsome every time!

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  2. Archies's ear matches his cushion! And I like your green cushion too!

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  3. I'm in love with the blue scarf and the beautiful cushion. And with Archie,of course.

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  4. Lucky Deb, your parent's need a bit of a talking to if the flower is cupboard-bound, and love the cushion. As for the crumpling, I believe you xxx

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  5. Oh I love your marmalade cushion: the honeydew fabric is just perfect for the marmalade!

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  6. Beautiful springtime cushion! I'm adding honeydew to my wish list.

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  7. I don't understand how Archie stays so beautifully white - my two are covered in mud and they have only been out in the garden to pee! Beautiful cushion!

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  8. I can almost believe better weather is on it's way looking at your cushion! The flower will die in a cupboard - it needs some light Helen! I am sure you are right on the heap thing - you are so tidy normally. And why has Archie only got one leg? No wonder he needs a stick - glad he found another wen he lay down

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  9. Oh I love your cushion, I am going to have to make one! I've got some of those mini charms...it will be a good project for my hols. I remember Blockbusters use to watch it all the time! Hugs xx

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  10. LOVE that cushion and having a right old giggle at the Blockbusters - I used to love that programme! Now. 'Fess up. You totally bought Archie's spotty cushion coz it matches him, didn't you?

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  11. I love that pillow!! Give archie a hug for me - he is just so darn cute :)

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  12. Ab Fab dahling! Now feed the poor dug, all the fibre in that stick can't be good for the digestion ;o)

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  13. Such prettiness..... I love that scarf colour and your knitting is so even.
    And I shall try smearing some honey dew with marmalade. Yum.

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  14. I am SO lucky to be the owner of that lovely scarf. I can attest that it is beautiful and snuggly! I gasped when I saw your cushion. Stunning!!

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  15. Love the pillow! Such beautiful colours. And Archie is so cute! :-)

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  16. Beautiful projects! The scarf is gorgeous and so is the stumpwork anemone - I really want to learn how to do stumpwork. Handsome Archie is just so sweet. I love his freckled ears :)

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  17. Congrats on meeting all three goals. The knitting and cushion both look great.
    Love your reasons to keep the hexi quilt on the chair :)

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  18. 3/3 - what a teacher's pet!!

    Well done you, I love the cushion to bits.x

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  19. Top of the class then? Love the hexie cushion. Di x

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  20. I really love your beautiful work but I have to say that I really get happy seeing your wonderful Archie :) soooo cute!

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  21. I particularly love the green cushion, fab!

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  22. Ooh, I loved blockbusters, and its made such a lovely cushion too! Well done for getting so much done (and I totally agree with you on the folding v flopping the top too!)

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  23. What a great post! You have the most beautiful projects...and a great sense of humor :)

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  24. Your flower is gorgeous. Hexagon cushion is beautiful amazing colours. Of course Archie steals the show.

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  25. Hexie cushion so fresh and springtime! Lovely. You star turn!

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  26. That cushion is fabulous, and I love the name you gave it - that brings back memories! x

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  27. Holy Crap I love that cushion. Really, for once I am speechless! xo B

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  28. I missed this post. Your stump work and hexie cushion are lovely. I started some epp recently and I found exactly the same issue with folding :)

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  29. wow - the stump work is brilliant - i haven't got to that type of embroidery yet but will eventually.....and love the cushion - so pretty

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  30. You did so well on the FAL, I love each of these projects. And I am almost done checking out the lists too.

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