Gaining momentum

I might just be getting somewhere!  First up, my June goal for ALYoF - getting the Gypsy bandana/ Craftsy BOM blocks turned into a top.  Check out here for the original goal setting post.

Done!

A lovely shot with our water tanks in the background :0) but you can see the hint of red I added to the outer sashing, just to tie into the red accents in two of the blocks.

And a bit closer up - but without the bottom bit - as always the wind picked up just as I stood to click the camera.

{As I was a lucky winner from the May lineup, check out my winner's loot post here - thanks to The Intrepid Thread.}

And the view from the other way - an absolutely stunning winters day...

I've also been enjoying the remaining blocks from the Cross section of Tula's modern block sew along.  Look - photos taken in actual sunlight!

Block 13 - this was a fun block that I could imagine doing as a scrappy quilt:

Block 14:

Block 15:

I've also finished the last little bit of my Sewing Circle tote.  A bit rough around the edges in places  - but done, and done is good.  I chose not to add the short handles per the pattern - as I already have so much weight around the sides that there is still a tendency to sag (never a good thing) and I think just one set of handles will be perfectly adequate.  Although I might just add a second row of stitching just under the top row - so that it matches the stitching on the pockets.

Steps Forwards and Backwards and Forwards again...

Right, the bag.  The term erectile dysfunction comes to mind.  It just didn't stand up unaided.  I didn't take a photo, but it wasn't pretty.  I'd got to the last few steps of the bag construction, and knew it wasn't worth continuing, without having to do some sort of surgery.

Some bags are still useable even if they are a bit floppy.  This is not one of those bags - it needs to be self supporting so that you can load up all the pockets before filling the actual bag with loot.  It's a big bag, it will fit in lots of loot!

The last Saturday of the month is an open sewing day at The Country Yard.  Yay, perfect for some friendly advice and product assistance.  After much hmming and hawing... we decided it needed some bag interfacing - a sew in product that provides firmness and support. 

I unsewed where I'd attached the lining to the bag exterior, and removed the base of the lining from the lining sides.  Then I cut pieces of interfacing to fit from seam to seam along each of the four sides of the lining and topstitched along the seamlines, to catch the interfacing.  I also topstitched along the panels where the elasticated pockets had a tendency to pull in, making it all sit much flatter.  Sounds very complicated, and by this stage I was really hoping it was all going to work.  Then the steps forward, added the lining base back onto the lining sides, and re-inserted the lining into the bag outer.

We have lift-off!

So now I'm back at the stage I was at on Tuesday.  I need to trim the excess interfacing from the top edge, make and attach the small handles and fit the top facing.

Now for the glaring error.  One of these pockets is not like the others...

It wasn't until it was fully assembled that I realised that the teal spotted pocket was backwards!  Oops.  You should see a white/grey spot with the teal lining peaking over the top.  This will just have to be the special pocket for putting chocolate into.

Some more happy fabric came home with me from The Country Yard...

... and this pattern wanted to come home with me too... not that I need any more new projects!

My sewing progress included starting the stem on the second panel like this one... and starting the blanket stitch on the first panel.  Remember this was the goal for ALYoF for February... an epic fail... which hasn't seen the light of day since. 

I'm also slowly making progress  with my May Tokyo subway block... all those 2.5" squares turning into four patches...

And finally, we purchased a very handy box.  Can you guess what it is for?

Note the wheels, it has a pull out handle and large spacious interior...

Busy! Busy!

I have done hardly any sewing this week - it's just been a long tiring week.  But the weekend has proved to be a lot more promising.

I have completed my goal for the Lovely Year of Finishes... already!  I know... amazing.  The problem with bags is that when you are in the middle of construction, they don't play nicely with other projects - different feet, machine settings, needles... aahhhh!  So I figured it would be easier to just get it done.  And I did.  Behold, one bag completed up to step 45 - and I've set the exterior aside until next month before I dare look at the instructions for the interior.

Lola's Medallion has also been growing.  From this on Friday...

To this, this afternoon...

Even Dylan was impressed.  He's nine.  That's saying something!

I am auditioning different ideas for the cornerstones this round... big enough for something a bit more adventurous than a plain square.  I'm also thinking about future rounds, and considering different ideas from the Marcelle medallion quilt... it was after all a starting point; now I'm quite liking the circles on this quilt pattern...

From the Material Obsession Two book (although there are other aspects of this quilt I'm not so fond of).  HMMM, I think I have a bit of figuring to do.

New Goal for April - LYOF

So much is on the go at the moment, but after lots of thought and new inspiration I have decided to tackle the Sewing Circle Tote by Elizabeth Hartman and conquer my fear of bags.  I thought this would be the perfect addition to my ensemble for Taupo Symposium (the two yearly quilting event in NZ) which is happening in July this year.

By the end of April I want to be up to step 45 - and set the bag exterior aside.

After a long and tedious trip to Whangarei including a visit to Spotlight, I have chosen the following fabrics: solid grey as main exterior, large spot for handles and interior, other prints to feature on pockets etc.  I had bought the funky prints from the Auckland Festival of Quilts last November - and they've quietly waited for the perfect project - like good fabrics do :0)

In other news, Lola's Medallion is progressing slowly:

Block 16 and 17 are this months goals for the Tokyo Subway quilt.  Block 16 currently under construction.

And the newest little addition to our family - a currently un-named guinea pig to be a friend for Cream.  For those readers who don't know what guinea pigs are, they seem to look rather like rats with no tails, judging from this photo - but I'm sure it will grow to be much cuter!

Linking up with Fibre of All Sorts linky party.