Monday, August 22, 2011

A few finishes .....

Today I am linking up with Sandy's Monday Show and Tell - my August OPAM finishes on the sidebar are looking a bit sad this month...
.. I tend to do several.... well... lots... of different things at one time... but then it inevitably means I have a few finishes at a time

I think it has something to do with A.A.A.D.D.  - information recently sent to me via email - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder....

however, I must add that although I do have mature age limited attention span... I don't think there is any disorder in it... in fact I think my chaos is very orderly..... (Hubz disagrees but then he has no idea how to sew)

so getting on... with doing a bit of this .... and a bit of that... and then a bit of whatever..... I now have some pretties that I have finished......


4 patch Stack and Whack is quilted and bound
Long time ago last year I did a workshop and made the top.
I'm glad to say it is a finished UFO to go to Sew It's Finished


I did all the quilting using a design on paper shown HERE.
a separate feather flower for each of the blocks and then a complete joined feather border


sorry to show off.... I haven't done a big feather design like this before....


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little grandiegirl in England is now at an age where she wants pretty bags to go shopping with her mom -
these are dinky little bags and makes me wish I was a one year old.....

A fairly simple squared off tote... but just in little size.... with some buttons added for fun

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I only caught on the idea of having thread savers recently.....
(not actually sure what it's called but that little bit of sewing you do before starting your main item so the thread doesn't get all gemorshelled at the back of your work...)

.... instead of a scrap I pinned together a bunch of little 4" charm squares
(I belong to a quilt shop club and one of the benefits is getting 4" charms of a selection of new fabrics - we get about 10 of these quarterly and they build up nicely)
 - one square pretty charm.. the other square plain white..... these sit in a box next to my machine....


each time I finish off I sew down a side of the square and that acts to hold the thread .....


very quickly I have a bunch of sewn up charm squares.....


slice, slice, snip, snip.....


half square triangles..... they go into their own box now....

I'll now use them as thread savers (or whatever they are called so they don't gemorshel up my work)
and sew them up in rows


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finished my embroidery sampler - and framed it on a 10" square canvas... just a few staples in the back....
.... very cute methinks....
design and lessons by Bari J of welovefrenchknots


.... some stitching and slicing of the yummy chocolates going on .....


some designing of a Christmas stocking for this years newly arrived Grandiegirl....


Future Fresh Salads from my garden



and watching fat buds open on one of my favourite climbers


...... and all that makes 4 OPAM finishes for me......

Time for a cuppa ...


.... and a snack...

I wonder what my A.A.A.D.D. will find for me to do today.....
I think I'll sit in the sun and read.... it's a beaut day

What are you doing?

26 comments:

Janet said...

In my world they are called Leaders and Enders. Love all your progress, especially those cute little bags. I see you are finished the sewing room stitchery. I just printed it out earlier today so I could start on it. :)

Karen said...

Gosh! I am exhausted just from keeping up with all you have done!!! Stop and sleep sometime!
Your quilting looks great. I remember you explaining how you did this a while back. The end result is great. Wonderful work!
I adore the little bags - so cute for a grandie so far away.
Also love the idea of your thread savers. I had always done 2 1/2 inch squares but this is even better!!
Great finish on the embroidery sampler. too.
Look forward to seeing how all the other plans come out.
Phew - I'll have that cuppa now!

Bev C said...

Hello Fiona,

Oh I am sure you could sell ice to the eskiomo's Fiona, after your explanation in the first part I just had to agree with what you were saying before I got totally mudddles with a diagnosis!!!!Love your post today, those little bags are so cute for the precious one.
Hope the salads pop up quickly for you.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo

Jeanette said...

I'm with Karen. Worn out reading what you've been up to. No actually i'm worn out from suffering a migraine for 2 days. Love those choccie fabrics. Where did you get them? The little bags are gorgeous as is your quilt. Hugs,

Grammasheri said...

Oh Fiona! I'm so glad to find a fellow AAADD "sufferer"! My grown son diagnosed me as such several years ago. :D

With conservatively 50 or so unfinished projects, I am inspired to actually finish some of them now. If you can do it, so can I!

Love your beautiful quilting work!

marina said...

Glad to know there is a name for our disorder.
Lots of loveliness to look at!!
I love the design for Matilda's stocking. Did you design it yourself?
The chocolates look beautiful and your mounted stitchery is super! Love your finished quilt too. It's wonderful.
Wow what a lot of adjectives lol
One more...love the christmas block too.

Serenata said...

Goodness Fiona, you may be afflicted by such a disorder ;-) but you have certainly completed some very impressive finishes there as well as come up with an ingenious way of not over thread saving, but also completing lots of little charm squares.

I do so love your embroidery sampler and as for your feather quilting, I am very impressed! My simple straight line quilting the other day ended up in an unpicking exercise!

Chrissie said...

Wow, I could hardly keep up with all that you have been doing. Love the colours in the stack and whack quilt with all that lovely quilting and the little bags are gorgous too. I hope you saved me a scone they looked yummy

Anonymous said...

great post Fiona and boy do those scones with jam and cream look tempting.

Melody said...

So many wonderful things in this post. I really enjoyed it.

Vintage Cate said...

What a productive time you have had Fiona. Your quilting looks fantastic. I like the thread saver tip. I have lots of 2inch squares which I have cut for a scrap quilt to make "one day". I will keep them by my machine and start sewing them together to stop the gemorshel effect. I am having a super time in Belgium but still enjoy catching up with what my blogging buddies are up to!! Happy stitching

Valspierssews said...

Lots of lovely finishes. The little bags look very cute and I love your embroidery sampler. The chocolate squares look so good together I think I might have to get some similar fabrics. Is that black ice on top of your garden? :)

Jindi's Cottage said...

Oh you are not alone in your affliction and we have a worldwide support group set up for it...it's called quilters blogs!....ha ha ha...
Whew! you certainly have been busy...like Janet I call those thread savers...leaders & enders...great way to use up scraps and create two quilts at once...love the little baggies for your grandbaby, they are beyond cute, all the other little girls out at the shops will be jealous, their mums will be asking where they were bought...your quilt looks great with the kaleidoscope effect in the blocks and well done on your feather design, I haven't tackled feathers yet, they are too scary yet...

Wendy said...

I'm loving that word "germorshelled", did you make it up?!? I could do with some of these thread saver squares, it's about time I got cutting to make something thread-saving worthy.

Love, love, love the sampler, it's truly beautiful, as are all of your finishes this month!

Larissa said...

Wow Fiona - I know I have said it before, but you are such an inspiration!! Congratulations on your finishes honey - they are gorgeous!! And those disappearing blocks look like they will be amazing!!!

Sheila said...

Oh my you can accomplish more than anyone I know ,amazing and I love it all , did you do the quilt on your domestic machine ? If so I am realllllllly impressed . The little totes are adorable and love your idea of the charm squares ,you are a real thinker . hugs

Miss Hillbilly said...

You have some wonderful finishes! I have not even thought about starting my welovefrenchknots yet. Well, actually it is on fabric ready for me to have a go at it someday.

Love the bags, and the idea for your threads. I never use thread savers or whatever they are called. I just sew and have threads. Oh well.

Maria said...

You are a machine Fiona. So many great projects and the scones Yummy!!

KatieQ said...

Your "We Love French Knots" sampler is wonderful. I love the way you mounted it on canvas. Thank you for showing the pictures of the quilting on your stack and slash 4 patch. It's a lovely quilt, but the quilting makes it outstanding.
I wish I had a little grandie to sew for. It will probably be a while, so maybe my sewing can improve enough to make cute little bags like you have.

Unknown said...

I've been reading your blog long enough to know that this is just how you ROLL! You are very prolific, creative and a do-er. Lovely to see all of your projects.

And you taught me something too. The way that you save thread by having these squares ready to sew up by your machine. And how you sew all the way around the square and then cut it in quarters? That's just brilliant Fiona. Thanks for sharing this technique!

rosie said...

All I can say is WOW.... I just love the quilting on your quilt Fiona, so impressive.. Those little bags are just gorgeous.. Do you stop to breathe!!!xxx

Allie said...

Dang girl!!! That's a lot! Beautiful finishes and projects ongoing, you're amazing!

DeeDee said...

I love those little bags... and you always get to so much finished... I am exhausted.... :D

Talin's Corner said...

I love the little bags for your grandiegirl. The fabrics are so "happy" and I love the button embellishment.

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

I need some coffe after looking at tall these finishes! Good gracious you've been busy!
xx, shell

Nicky said...

WOW Fiona! You've just finished almost the same as what I've achieved all year. lol
Gorgeous projects, and I love the look of the little bags for your granddaughter, so sweet!

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