Work In Progress 5th March

Hi Everyone,
Of course my work in progress is still my Love Entwined.
Work has been busy and my alarm clock hasn't been working properly so I have been sleeping in - NO sewing time before I have to leave in the morning - so progress has been slow.
Then, Sunday morning I ran out of my metallic thread, thought I had plenty on my backup reel but obviously I had used more than I thought. LOL
Phone call on Monday to my local quilting shop. Sorry, out of stock but we can have some for you later in the week!!!  So I have just been planning, fusing and cutting for the last two days.
Last week after starting the second borders, I felt my first borders were not quite right.

Have added extra hearts around my end medallions, which fills in the design, and my flowers each side of the vase are now stitched. Still thinking about adding Esther's extra circles by the Oak leaves, with the extra hearts I think I need them after all.

Second border is taking shape. I completed a lot of the stitching and have now been working on my vase.
It is the fact that this border is looking much fuller with the applique that made me revisit my first borders.

Only the main stems are stitched at this stage. It is brighter and bolder than my first border vases but it seems to be what this border needs.

Very happy now with how my borders are looking and I have plenty of stitching to do when I get my thread.
Now to link with Esther', WOW before heading to work.
Cheers everyone, Jenny

WOW 26th Feb, up and running

Hi Everyone,
Finally, I can access my blog again and hopefully upload some photo's.
Computer problems started a couple of weeks ago after Glenda letting me know I  may have been hacked.
I had had 2 messages from Yahoo saying they had noticed unauthorized attempts to access my yahoo account  from the US, the first said to please change my password which I ignored, Lol
The second locked me out of Yahoo until I changed my password, which of course I then did.
A few days later, Glenda's message and another change of password.
Next Day, our computer crashed!! Coincidence or not I don't know, but it had been working fine up until my last password change. Just maybe those messages were not from Yahoo after all!!!!
Anyway, Steve had bought a second hand laptop to set up for me in my sewing room, so no problem, we would just use that one.
However discovered it was running a very early version of XP so we had to find a service pack to update it as it could not download either Google chrome or Firefox.
Even with service pack 3 installed, Google ran so slow and would crash just after it finished loading a page, lack of virtual memory which I have now increased, it is working better unless I try and look too far back on any page and then it runs out of memory again and closes.
As I am not very computer literate trying to fix these problems really slowed down my progress on Love Entwined but with Steve working  it was up to me if  I wanted to visit the group.

I managed to download Part 9 of LE between problems and just had to make a start even though my second part 8 border is only half finished.
I was going to use the same green fabric for the Oak Leaves in this border as I had used in the first borders, until - whoops I need 16 of them and I don't have enough fabric as this is one of my curtain samples and I want some for the corner blocks as well, that was the first rethink.
So this is what I came up with.

Just enough green to carry  through into these borders and leave me some for the corner blocks plus a more open motif from my inspiration fabric.
The second problem I nearly had was my dark clogs. I sailed ahead and traced the 24 I needed for these two borders onto my fusible with room for easy cutting and yes it fitted onto my fabric, again a curtain sample so not able to get any more!!! Pressed my fusible on and at the last minute before I starting cutting, lightning struck - HOW MANY do I need for the corner blocks? OOPS 4 per block that's 16, no way do I have enough fabric with how I had traced my 24.
So I cut another piece of fusible to the size of my fabric and traced  in any direction, however I could fit them in as I needed 40 in total.

Just made it, 42 so have 2 to spare in case of too hot an iron. This fabric is synthetic so grain is not an issue, once it's fused it just sets and has little fraying.

The next thing before I go too far is to see if my borders will work together.

I think they do but I sort of wish I had been further behind and could have worked on both borders at once.
Remember that all of you who are late starters, you have a big advantage as you know what comes next!!!
I am glad I didn't rush in and add the flowers each side of the first vases as I now know what colors they should be and yes they are needed.

Added these this morning and yes much better I think. Never would have used these colors if I had done them earlier.
My medallions at each end of the first borders I now wish I had cut apart and made more open but it may only need an addition not an unpick, only time will tell.

Now to see if I can link to Esther's WOW this this.
Happy stitching everyone, Cheers Jenny

Work on Love Entwined Wed 5th Feb

Hi Everyone.
Have had 3 days off and working on my second border has been my top priority now that my first border is finished and am  happy with it. The 15th is going to be here before we know it and I would like to have my second border completed by then as well.

On Monday I pressed the seam allowances away and positioned my border close to how it should sit onto the center.

You can see why I am happy with how it turned out, but the more I have looked while working on border two something has jumped out at me.

There is a new floral shape forming, at least it is in my mind!!!!

If I had seen this earlier maybe my flower basket wouldn't have my kimono flowers, but be stronger. 

I am glad I didn't pick it as I love them, but will now be looking for the right accent for each side of the vase as to me it is becoming another corner and will need Esther's detail. 

The original maker of our coverlet had to be a master designer, Esther I thank you  for your wonderful interpretation which I am loving more with each stage. 

I know most people are hand stitching, but if you are new to the group and machine stitching like me you might find the following useful as I have taken photo's of how I prepared my second border.
I do it very differently from hand sewers.

After joining  my paper pattern together and checking the measurements were correct I marked and cut it with a quarter inch seam allowance. Also marked on the pattern my placement line for my fused borders, as you can see the border will cover them completely.

Pressed the center line of my fabric in both directions and also the pattern center.

Line these up and pin the pattern onto the fabric which has been cut with excess all around.

I have used photo editing to enhance the lines on my fabric for clarity and they are slightly off.

The grey line will be my final cutting line with seam allowance. IF there is any shrinkage from the applique it will still be inside my seam allowance.

The red line is my marking line for the applique border placement and becomes completely covered by the border.

I start fusing outwards from the center, only touching a top or bottom corner with the iron to hold them at this stage until I have a perfect fit. Then I can ensure the center line is perfect as I fuse each piece into place.

Zigzag border stitched into place.

I never usually think about how long it takes me to stitch by machine but this time I decided to see how long a border like this takes. My fabric was marked out and my zigzags were precut weeks ago so the paper backing's fell off easily.  Half an hour to fuse the applique pieces into place.

Another half hour to stitch the 35" inner side, then 45 mins to stitch the outer side as had to straight stitch in and zigzag back out at every join. Border complete in one and three quarter hours.

Exactly the same for my .Dutch Pixies. I love this name for them, it is so fitting.
I start at the center and just touch the tip of each cone with the iron to hold it while I position it, then work back adding their clogs and fusing each in place as I go. Can't use full heat as my gold frays and my dark burgundy melts with a hot iron. So I need to stitch this as soon as possible.

I thought for a while before stitching this border as I really HATE Start, Stop and tie off, and I could see this happening if I stitched each "Pixie" individually.
So a bit like chain piecing, I stitch along one side and then the other. It has taken me an hour to stitch one side, those clogs are very slow going as I have to move my fabric every couple of stitches.
I am never watching machine time again, Lol.
But, I would love to know how long it takes a hand sewer to stitch this border.You have far more patience than me, I am sure of that.
I need to go back and spend another hour at my machine to stitch the other side, so am linking to Esther's blog now.
Enjoy your Wednesday everyone.
Cheers Jenny.

Work on Tuesday 28th Jan

It's only Tuesday but if I don't write today it won't happen as back at work tomorrow.
It sure gets in the way of my sewing, Lol.
My LE Border has progressed as I have spent every spare minute working on it.
Putting the other side in place was easy and my new fabric worked well for the vase.

But will my choice of fabric for the daisies work, they are very soft colors, but it is silk marriage kimono fabric and I WANT to use it in LE!!!

This photo shows how beautiful this fabric is, but colors are not true, it is much softer.

I hated to cut into it, but

I couldn't bring myself to cut only the flowers so incorporated some of the gold leaves and tried to keep the purity of the design. This is very close to the true color.

Once this was stitched there was no going back as I would never try to unpick that stitching, the rest of my flowers just have to suit.

I think this works.

Have spent all morning fussy cutting and trying different option's.

Added lilac's and blue's, took out both.

Still have to add  the dark dots on the right, but it will only be five.

In this photo you can see why.

Staying with the smaller medallion at the ends has created more space.

I should have moved them in a little, but I didn't!!!

Five dots only give me more space towards the center, add four more and the balance will be way out

Now thinking about Esther's flowers next to the vase.

Do I need them or not?.

At least I have got myself to the stage that I can stitch for the next few days whenever I get the opportunity.

Cheer's everyone, Jenny

WOW 22nd Jan

Hi Everyone, I am well and truly back in LE mode with Esther releasing Part 8 last week.
So what am I mainly blogging about this week? - One guess only!!!
Saturday, I tried to get my head around the pattern and marked my fabric for the borders.
I really wanted to start with the vase of flowers, went straight to a huge mental block as I couldn't bring the  border together in my head, to pick my fabrics for the flowers.
Knew I wanted to keep using my center fabrics and had already fussy cut a couple of medallions that I thought would work. So from there, my first choice of medallion and working towards the center.

I didn't take photo's of all my trials for the cross flowers, lets just say there were quite a few.
I knew the green I wanted to add for my Oak Leaves so I made them first, another fabric from the curtain sample swatches. I think I will need this color to tie in the corner blocks and it is slightly deeper than it looks here.
I originally had two light and two dark cross flowers, same as in my center, then I decided on my triangle border colors and was using the lighter color there so the light shade had to go from my cross.
Flower center is also my compass center
The little legs or trunks on the triangles are again new colors from my curtain samples.

Changed my medallion, liked this one better, then worried it was too small compared to Esther's pattern and wondered whether to fussy cut it apart and make it larger and more open. It is the medallion I used for both my center flowers around the compass and my corner hearts. Thanks to everyone's comments  in the group it is staying as is.

This is the way I minimized fabric use for those triangles, if you are using fusible you might like to try this

Drew 2 lines for the triangle guide and traced the triangles into a continuous  line to rotary cut apart.

Then came Monday, started to stitch my applique and Glenda's comment on the group, had I tried my first medallion on point kept popping into my head. Thanks Glenda Lol!!!
No photo's of this but I pinned it over my end medallion and called my DH to take a look as by then I was very undecided and Steve does have a very good eye for what works.
His comment, Doesn't work at the end - put it in the center, it will work there!!!

So I tried it and I liked it - until

If  I was stopping here my DH is right, this would work but I am not stopping here and the border is back to being too heavy, and needs the vase of flowers. Sorry Darling, it does work  but I really  need lightness in the border center and Esther's vase of flowers is perfect - well it is her pattern after all!!!

Where am I at today, bought more Viesofix this morning and have been able to continue fusing my border.

My Zigzag border is now stitched and complete. Because I have used the smaller motif at each end I have only put 5 dots around the oak leaves at present, balance seems better and can always add the others.
Will finish fusing this afternoon and then I can stitch before and after work for the next few days.

To other things, while I have been in my sewing room the reciprocating saw and hammer has been working on our renovation.

Now this is the true walk through. wardrobe

Wardrobe gone, Scotch Chest, Antique Apprentice Chest and Teddy's in new home.

Including the I Love You  hedgehog DH gave me when he was "courting" me

Gosh, that brings back so many memories, but not today!!!

.

New wardrobe for our bedroom fitted, slightly smaller than the old one. We had to pack 6 canvas bags of quilting fabric, pattern boxes and excess linen to empty this space as it was the spare room wardrobe.

Our en suite is starting to take shape, shower tray borrowed from a friend to check for size. Toilet will fit in the gap to the window,  we bought the vanity off Trade Me ( NZ version of Ebay) for $100-00  it was a 10 min drive away. Not my first choice but perfect for the space we have available.

And while we are doing out thing, Kelly is doing her's. It's hot Mummy and I have crashed on the kitchen tiles.
Enjoy you Wednesday, wherever you live.
Cheers Jenny

Happy New Year

Wishing everyone who visits a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2014 in whichever way you desire, with time to quilt to your hearts content throughout the year ahead.

For me I am working through Christmas and New Year as retail no longer stops for any one, only a few exceptions to this and they are blessed days for families.
My DH and I have no family in Whangarei so Christmas morning was spent on the phone talking with our
families in Christchurch. We then spent the rest of Christmas day with close friends and their family, it was a wonderful feeling to be welcomed into what was a family gathering of 3 generations.

I have had the last 3 days off work, return tomorrow for New Year's day and work through to Saturday night so no seeing the New Year in for me tonight. However I can now note that our neighbors two doors down decided that 11.45pm to 1am was the ideal time for massive fireworks so we were wide awake and watching TV.

Because of  ongoing renovations our only Christmas decoration this year was Esther's Red December table runner with it's usual accompaniment, a my Christmas bowl with  candle on our coffee table.

The Runner works perfectly with this old Red and Green bowl and 3 light candle edged with decorations.
Bowl is about to be wrapped in glad wrap and put away for next year.

Why no tree!!! I decided I did not want a tree covered in renovation dust as this is our  house at the moment.

Front door where our welcoming Christmas wreath would normally go.

Front door from the inside, wall opened to spare room

Spare bedroom, eventually there will be an en suite off our bedroom at the far end.

New wardrobe where old front door was.

All recycled from the original room.

Computer now sharing the lounge, is fine if no one wants to watch TV. 

You can see where we took the side window out and extended the room.

Our new rear extension is planned for next summer so the computer will be here for a while Lol.

I want it shifted to the other end of the buffet

.

On the good side, I have finished staining the trellis fence around our new deck 

and this grand old matriarch of the street is flowering again.

What a beautiful view from the couch is this Jacaranda tree planted in 1971

More foliage than flowers this year, but she is still beautiful

Steve decided to step the trellis panels and gate at this end of the deck so we don't feel so enclosed.
We saved the bottle brush but it will need regular pruning to keep access to the gate.
We also decided after strong winds and masses of leaves on the deck to raise all the trellis 4 inches so that we can sweep out easily. the short wall still to .do

Our original front terrace has become Steve's building /dump site.

Side window from the lounge is still on the terrace, it will temporarily go into the spare room as the bedroom window has to come out and eventually be replaced with the one from my sewing room, our en suite bathroom will  be installed in the far end of this room. Our deck will continue in a dogleg around this terrace. The metal grid fence keeps Kelly from escaping until we build the rest of the low trellis fencing.

To quilting, I am so happy that I completed part 7 of LE before the start of the New Year.

I feel it has got airier has  I have progressed with the corners.

Not unhappy with that as it is far easier to add if need be than to try and take away.

This has been the most wonderful fabric to use for Broderie Perse by machine.

I should be back working on Lily Rose but it is still pinned to my design wall. Instead I have brought  out my oriental WIP, a mosaic wall hanging of Bamboo as suddenly finishing our bedroom may be only a few months away.

I have now trimmed this wall hanging down, originally it was going  to cover a high window and needed the width but now it will be above our bed head when we redo our bedroom to take my oriental quilt so I have been able to reduce the background. The Japanese script is for the 4 seasons.

According to my DH the wall this was destined for will now house that big window from the spare room so no space there any longer. I.'m now glad I didn't finish it last year.

Once again,

Happy New Year to everyone, and may all your dreams come true

Jenny 

Lily Rose and Other

Hi Everyone,
Have had a busy few weeks at work, so much so that I completely stressed out and am now taking a few days off to get myself back into a good space.
Have struggled to even go to my sewing room since finishing my 3rd corner of LE, this is not like me and it made me realise something was not right.
I have cut all my diamonds for the next border of LE and they are in bags waiting for their time.
Decided that with using Viesofix I would cut them early and hopefully the backing paper will fall off of it's own accord and I don't have to struggle to separate it.
Amazing that knowing I don't have to work or stress for a week has done for me.
This morning I wanted to go to my sewing room and revisit Lily Rose.
Last week I couldn't even think of those small scrappy borders to foundation piece but this morning the next border section came together easily, and after 3 attempts to choose the right green I have decided on my fabrics for the corner applique.

I started too light with my first two green's, they looked fine as a piece of fabric against my background, once they became tiny ovals they disappeared but this fabric I am happy with.
My first side border is attached and i really happy with how my first attempt at scrappy is coming together.
I just wish the photo's would let Lily Rose be an oval!!!

Steve has done a little more work on our deck.

Step down trellis and gate are in place. I took this photo sitting down as it shows the privacy we have without the feeling of total enclosure as the front Trellis steps up further again  to block out the street totally.
At the moment there is a metal grid across the old concrete deck to keep Kelly  from escaping, all the old bricks and timber are sitting there and we must look an eyesore from the street as our old front door has come out as well and is now closed in with plywood. I am married to a builder and our house is going from 3 bed x 1 bath to 4 bed x 2 bath in the next year so I am now living  in a WIP, LOL
The trellis fencing will continue around the old deck at the lower height to keep Kelly safe.
At the end I will have an even bigger sewing room so will not complain too much.

I hadn't given much thought to our garden this last week until Steve asked had I looked at the Hydrangea cuttings we planted last year. All from the same plant!!!
Please forgive the weeding that needs doing,

As you can see they are all very small , but planted in different places the soil is dictating their color.

And this is a flower that many of you won't know. The Chatham Island Forget Me Not is more common in Blue. It is native to the Chatham Islands off the coast of New Zealand  and this rarer pink version is flowering very happily in a corner of our glass house where it is not meant to be.

Enjoy your week everyone, whatever you are doing,
Jenny