My wonky blocks are off to the US of A to the state of Illinois no less which is quite a long way to go!
But I couldn't send them off without a little thank you to Jane our fabulous mama who has organised this swap! So a little pouch with some fabric scraps has made it's way into the package
A little wonky house of her own with matching logo to remember this fun swap by! I sort of got carried away adding steps down from the door, windows, shutters, rooftiles, smoke from the chimney and a tree!
What fun!
Now in the Sew and Bee Happy bee I am in, I am down to make a green block for Kat. I was just so impatient to get started that I have cut out my greens ready to make a white wonky star in the top left hand corner! Hope Kat likes my greens....not a bit of brussel sprout in sight!
And that's the way it should be as far as I am concerned!
Hope to finish that block and get up to a few more makes tomorrow which is going to be a day for creating - yipee!
I have been working on a secret project for a few months and one element of that is complete! I am quite excited about it and am hoping it will be warmly received...?
I did wonder about showing you a little teasing glimpse as the person this project is going to does read my blog...
Well maybe I could show you a little bit....
Are you intrigued?
I am also working myself up to designing something for my partner in the Mouthy Stitches swap! I am going to be as good as I can and keep as close as I can to her mosaic - sorry I cannot show you what that is because that would rather give the game away!
Anyway several participants have been making practice pouches so I thought I'd make one as well...
I used a little FM applique I made last year - which is my Flickr icon - and have made it into a little zipped pouch. I used some of the green Metroliving dot fabric I got as the lining.
My first effort at the back of the pouch involved some FMQ flowers but I just didn't like it so I did something I never do - I unpicked it!
Shows how much I love that applique! I prefer this plain old dotty fabric I got from the Makery when I subscribed to Molly Makes!
Now I love my new little pouch! All I need do now is fill it up!
Will Hadley say I have really lost it now? Will Judith take all my bottles away?
You may find these slightly less wild or you may not but these are the last wonky house blocks I am making for now....
One windswept house!
I did a windmill as there are a few on top of the South Downs just a bit away from us.
A quilter lives in this little house as you can see by the quilts hanging to dry on the washing line - and yes they do hang free from the block for a bit of 3D effect!
This gives me a total of 11 - the number I need to send off to the US!
I couldn't decide which one I should keep, so instead of making 12 and dithering about which one to choose, I will send them all away and see what I get in return. Then I figured I could make a block to fit in with them.
Onto the siggy blocks then - 11 of them to make!
After wondering what pen I should use I tried out a few of the ones I have in the house - I ironed the writing then washed and ironed the writing again and the clear winner is the Sharpie pen!
But as I thought it was a bit thick and a bit green - well quite a lot green .....and because I don't want to leave my car unlocked in town to get one I like better, I have decided to go a different way...
Here is my prototype block and it cannot wash away as it is free motion stitched. Quite a bit of concentration to get all that first line in but I reckon that after 11 my FM writing should be greatly improved! Worth it just for that!
Then I altered one of the earlier houses a spool house block with scissors - I cut out the handles and added a door and a window!
Hoping it looks better!
Finally here is a mosaic of all the wonky houses...
Better get on with those siggy blocks so they can be flown across the pond!
PS I forgot to wish you all a Happy Burn's Night! Hope you had some haggis and whisky! I'll be having mine at the weekend!
Will Hadley say I have really lost it now? Will Judith take all my bottles away?
You may find these slightly less wild or you may not but these are the last wonky house blocks I am making for now....
One windswept house!
I did a windmill as there are a few on top of the South Downs just a bit away from us.
A quilter lives in this little house as you can see by the quilts hanging to dry on the washing line - and yes they do hang free from the block for a bit of 3D effect!
This gives me a total of 11 - the number I need to send off to the US!
I couldn't decide which one I should keep, so instead of making 12 and dithering about which one to choose, I will send them all away and see what I get in return. Then I figured I could make a block to fit in with them.
Onto the siggy blocks then - 11 of them to make!
After wondering what pen I should use I tried out a few of the ones I have in the house - I ironed the writing then washed and ironed the writing again and the clear winner is the Sharpie pen!
But as I thought it was a bit thick and a bit green - well quite a lot green .....and because I don't want to leave my car unlocked in town to get one I like better, I have decided to go a different way...
Here is my prototype block and it cannot wash away as it is free motion stitched. Quite a bit of concentration to get all that first line in but I reckon that after 11 my FM writing should be greatly improved! Worth it just for that!
Then I altered one of the earlier houses a spool house block with scissors - I cut out the handles and added a door and a window!
Hoping it looks better!
Finally here is a mosaic of all the wonky houses...
Better get on with those siggy blocks so they can be flown across the pond!
Way back in my first swap organised by Cindy at Fluffy Sheep Quilting I was paired with Emily Levey at Strawberry patch, or rather she had me! She made me a lovely mugrug (with my initial on it and no I haven't actually used it but usually pin it up on my design board) , a cute little needlebook and a wee pincushion.
Here they are (oh and the chocolate is long gone!)
Well I cheekily asked Emily to make me a matching pouch and she did!
Look at this!
She knew I love Dala Horses and I cannot think she could have made it better for me....
Here is the back...
It is gorgeous....and they go together so well don't you think?
Not only that but she sent these as well...
Some pretty jewellry and some lovely fabric scraps...
Did I strike lucky - absolutely!
I am making a small contribution to her 'going to FQ Retreat fund' after her poorly dog 'ate' up her funds with vet bills. If you can help out too she may be willing to take a commission from you too...? Why don't you ask her...?
As I was browsing the Modern Blocks book I recently purchased, I came across a spools block...and had a vision of a Wonky spool house block for the Wonky House block swap! (Try saying that when you are sober!)
And then I made this....
And this....
By the way Hadley accused me of dreaming my previous houses up in a drunken stupor but I have to admit that these were made without the assistance of alcoholic libation...honest! Just my wacky imagination at work...getting wackier by association with my Wonky House block buddies!
I have seen a few of these posts across blogland and quite frankly no wonder given the fabulous prizes on offer and the possibility of doubling your chance of winning by taking up this theme in a post. But you do need to link up with Ali @ Very Berry Handmade to do so! That bit is important !
Like lots of others I'd love to win this....Erin McMorris’s Summersault from Backstitch
But all that aside it is good practice to review what you have achieved and to look forward to the new challenges to be tackled for the year ahead.
As I started my blog in March 2011 I was thinking of looking back on my blogiversary. My first review will therefore be on March 4 2012.
So this post should be about looking forward I guess....?!
My plan for this year is.....
[as there are no more photos relating to this post I will be posting pics of my cat Saffy]
1 More Free Motion Quilting - I started FMQing with Cindy last year for the FMQ Friday and with practice got better and hope to keep it up - with that in mind I signed up to 2 FMQ projects
fmqaygqalfmqml at Quokka Quilts - it is an FMQ Quilt as you go Quilt Along! And good progress has been made by lots of people but I haven't started yet!
Free Motion Quilt Challenge at Sew Cal Gal - I have looked at the video but have not entered anything. However the leaves pattern in the video inspired the hearts I quilted on the twinkle! baby quilt I just finished! I hope that counts??
Bit of a half hearted start!
This is Saffy saying hello to Bob, the crane made for me by Elisa, in her own little way....
2 Join a Bee! - Well I have joined Kat's Sew & Bee Happyand was already in the lovely Judith's charity Bee Blessedfrom last year.
I have finished my first bee blocks for none other than Cindy and have caught up with Judith's too! This seems to be on track at the moment!
< Well hello Bob! How are you doing? How are things swinging with you? >
3 More Swaps! I have joined two -
The Wonky House Blocks Swap - but I have to tell you this is only the start - plans are afoot to take over Wonkyland and add trees, stars, 4-patches and log cabins and who knows whatever wonky other thing!
and the Mouthy Stitches Swap - we are making pouches under the cosh leadership of Hadley, Susan and Cindy!
Personal one-on-one swaps! I am in one of these and secretly working on something I will reveal when finished!
< What me???? I ain't done nothin'! >
4 Finish my UFOs - to help me in this endeavour I have joined up with Rhonda's Finish along in the hopes that I can focus and get more finished as I am good at starting not so good at finishing! One quilt is finished among my selected four projects! Will have to push it along to meet my target or roll them forward ....bit like the lotto rollover?? But without the money!
<Just a minute - what have you got there??>
5 Paper/foundation piecing - I don't hate it - I just don't love it.... yet! I am getting more used to it though with the wonky block swap and more wonkiness to follow. When I say yeah I love paper piecing then I think I can say I will have completed this one...?
<Let me have a taste of that....!>
Well that is it - enough to be going on with and there is one more thing I am looking forward to in 2012 - The Fat Quarterly Retreat in London in June ! Please say hello if you see me there!
