Finish it off Saturday!!!!!

Welcome to Finish it off Saturday!!!!

Today is a beautiful sunny day here on the Eurobodalla coast. Sun is shining, the ocean is bluer than blue and the smell of spring resonates through the tree ferns at my door.

No open house inspections today so a lovely chance to relax ...and to get the sewing out again.

I so often berate myself for the unfinished things in my world then have to remind myself of the variables that present me with no time to get things done. I have had to pack up the sewing and put away so many times now that I am reticent to get it all out and start again - but with washing to be done, marking to get to, twinny christening gowns to get started on and a few other little projects to be realised I still need to have some time for me ( I have promised year 12 that I will cook - grrrrr hate cooking - afternoon tea for them for finishing off an essay and coming to an after school study session).

Today, just for me, I plan to sew. Went to the UFO box and fished for something I could finish before lunch. Found a quilt that I started a few years ago.

Initially I began this quilt when my oldest daughter was pregnant with her first baby. She had just bought an enormous king size sleigh bed and I wanted to make her a quilt for it. As with all my plans and projects I tried to think how I would be able to get something done that would not take years to create and finish - hahahaha!

I decided to try a Baltimore album style quilt - using the scherenschnitte concept. I thought I would make 16 blocks or so and then put a detailed appliqued floral border surrounding the blocks. Things got started and I decided on 16 inch blocks so I could see the quilt develop quickly in terms of size. I cut out and appliqued the four blocks in this finished quilt and then something happened ( probably school) and things got put away. A few months later I cut out  four more blocks but then realised that I had cut the background squares too small and they would not match. Not happy Jan! I had already cut out and appliqued long panels ( I was doing quilt as you go and then sewing all the pieces together at the end) but had lost the little bag of leaves I had cut out  so was getting quite frustrated.

In my frustration I decided to change the whole concept for the quilt. I made the decision to put the four completed  big blocks together then put a border around those - with floral appliqued vines and then use the four other blocks as corner setting blocks thus creating a medallion style quilt. What I would do with the border appliques was not an issue at the time - I put them away in the nether regions of the sewing cupboard and hoped they would not fall out and haunt me for a few years ( now I will have to search them out and make some decision as to what to do with them).

When the baby finally came along the quilt  was still in an unfinished state- had so many baby quilts to make in the meantime. I went out to stay with my daughter for most of the Christmas holidays and the future of this quilt went awry. Cleaning her house and moving things that just did not fit out to the garage I found  a precious Sunbonnet Sue quilt I had made and hand embroidered for my girl when she was about eight years old. There it was, lying on the floor of the garage, half covered in mud and grit. What could/did I say ?... too much probably!
My daughter had no realisation that the quilt had been taken out and dumped there ( the garage was not somewhere she frequented); her husband had thrown it out at some stage. I salvaged the quilt and have it now home here with me where it has been carefully cleaned and is in the process of being restored to its former glory (SO IN EFFECT IS ANOTHER UFO!). I was not inclined, however, to present her hubby with something else to discard, especially considering the colour scheme of the cream background.
So the quilt was put away.

I pulled it out about a year ago and decided to quilt each block separately and make cushions. I did some heavy echo quilting around each applique  and once the initial four blocks were quilted decided they would still make a nice lap quilt. I quilted the sashing separately with a green embroidery thread design of leaves and stitched the quilted pieces together. Loved it then left it. The quilt top has been sitting in the UFO box in its quilted state for about a year now. Today I put a back on it and finally some bindings.

I am really pleased with the finished product; may not be what I initially intended and will probably be something I give away but it is now a completed UFO.

Here are some pictures of the blocks and sashing and finally the finished quilt. The quilt measures approx 1.5 metres square.

So, in terms of finishing off a UFO - this is item number 41 completed.


100 - 7 - 1 - 2 - 3 -1 - 3 -1-0-7 -1 -3 -10 -1 -1 = 59 UFOs left with 79days to go.

Now onto finishing the babushka quilt for my granddaughter. So far have blocks started, some appliqued, some pieced. I will try to get the top completed today and then machine quilt so it can live up the the terrors of the washing machine.

 Onwards, forwards.....

The Wind Whistles

Finally I can get back and visit my blog - what a long long week.

Had a teacher thing on Monday and Tuesday so was away from home - no sewing. Disastrous. After so many days of sewing I missed the relaxation.  I was back Tuesday night but the agent selling my house ( I rent) did a fuss about the house not being to her 'standard'. I think that means she wants me to clean professionally so she doesn't have to charge the owners - upshot - the rest of the week was doing spring cleaning- stuff I usually only do in the school holidays. Imagine me, 50, 5ft 2inches, in the dark, with a  torch and the hose washing the outside walls because the agent saw a cobweb - dear lord!!!!!!!!!  I was not happy - wet, soggy shoes, cold, miserable and cranky! Anyway, I finally got the place super scrubbed and should be able to keep the twit agent off my back - we had a 'meeting' today where I was very clear about the rights of the tenant to live in the home they pay a lot of money for- let's hope they got the message. Put on my teacher voice and went for the jugular - cannot stand tarty little real estate agents who are nothing more than checkout chicks in cheap coats. Sorry of you are a real esate agent out there but this one is the tarty kind.

Enough of the rave. I finally got back to some sewing today. so thrilled. Managed to get two tee shorts embroidered and hand appliqued a hoot cushion.

Love this little mumma and baby hoot. Buttonhole embroidery is in pink. Pink stitching around the neckline. This tee is a size 00.

Three little hooties all in a row. Size OO

This hootie cushion is a velvet feel plush fabric with orange floral spot. Hand stitched applique owl on a branch. Sooo cuddly.

So I have finished three items today. Thank goodness I was ahead before having this last five days with no work to add.


Need to get the count back on - where were we?

O last post was

100 - 7 - 1 - 2 - 3 -1 - 3 -1-0-7 -1 = 74

This post -

100 - 7 - 1 - 2 - 3 -1 - 3 -1-0-7 -1 -3 =71

Days left:

30 days has September minus 4 so 26 +31 +30 =87  days to go.

Not so bad - thought I was going to be really behind.

Tomorrow I will have to get stuck into some bigger stuff - hard when I have to keep the house ready for inspections all the time but will just have to pack everything away every night.


Will be back online tomorrow night with something new finished and some more tee shirts done.

Ta ta!

Sew satisfying a day!

What I got done today so far - between talking and singing with my 21 month old granddaugher on MSN!

I finished this tote today. I have had the fabric, a wonderful retro curtain, for about twenty years. Bought some beautiful mustard colour wool felt to make the handle. The handle is all hand stitched with detail in red and grey. The flower is wool felt and hand embroidered.

This is the reverse side of the tote - can be used both ways. This fabric was a purchase from Hancocks Paducah last year. It has been sitting waiting to be made into something beautiful. The inside of the handle is made from a very nice acrylic worsted grey felt from Addicted to Fabric in Canberra. I was a regular customer once I found the store while living at Canberra Hospital  for four weeks with my daughter and granddaughter when her twin boys were born.

Here is the first of the tops I appliqued for Rory today. her mumma loves loves loves Babushka anything. I purchased this babushka in a set of pre-cut and pre-fused pack from Applique Heaven on etsy.

Pretty mint green. Should go well with Rory's red hair. Love this babushka. Also from Applique heaven.

Twinny skivvies for twinny tweeny grandsons. Little hoots are the theme of their world.

This outfit is gorgeous. Little tiny babushkas. One placed on the hemline of the tights and three slightly larger ones on a pretty pink tee. Rory will love this - her mumma more.

I finally finished stitching around this birdie today. He is black and white felt with patchwork fabric applique on his wing and tail. I purchased some beautiful new fabric ( see below) from Steph's Patchwork in Moruya which inspired me to draft up the design for the bird. I may or may not applique the bird to black felt or may choose a patchwork fabric such as black and white spots etc. So this one is an ongoing UFO. I want to make into a cushion and make a few more with embroidered bird cages to echo the fabric.

Just love this fabric from Steph's.

This gorgeous little owl has been sitting in an unfinished state for two weeks. He is made from a lovely mauve retro fabric from somewhere- have had the material for a fair while. I cut him, along with twenty other owls out a few weeks ago. I finally embroidered the eyes and sewed on the beak yesterday and then went to the Op Shop to find some old doilies for his wings. I haven't made any previous owls with wings - see my What a Hoot facebook page for the hoots I have been making up until now . This owl is extra cute. wonder when I will get around to stuffing him - I hate the stuffing part!

Likewise I sewed this cute little black and white owl together today. he has been cut out for a while. He also has a vintage doily for trim. Stuff stuff stuff to do!

And finally... three little hooters, girly hoots. These all need stuffing as well. Maybe we can visit them again next weekend when they are all stuffed and trimmed and can join the family already sitting on the armchair.

The family awaiting homes.

So what is next.

Well... apart from the stuffing to be done I have ironed on appliques of little hoots to 15 tee shirts ranging from 000 to 0. These will add to my What a Hoot range to sell at the markets or for my daughter to sell/give to her friends. I also have the bird to finish and some ric rac needs to be sewn as trim on the floor quilt for my new grand baby due in November to my son and his wife. I also should get working on the quilt I have been making for my youngest daughter now at uni. The one I made for her when she first went does not match the decor of her new apartment so sew sew sew... mummy will make a new one.

Sew me Silly: Finish one hundred items in 100 days

Welcome to the day that is, the day that starts it all, the day when I think I might be a better person; the day when I begin the finishing off of one hundred things in one hundred days.

I love to sew, to embroider, to pick and nick and tuck and rip.

Mostly I love sewing for my grandchildren - six of them under six and one on the way - designer outfits, appliqué play clothes, dolls and toys.

I love to sew for my daughters and my son- quilts mostly.

I love to sew things to give away - for my friends - bags, scarves, brooches, quilts.

Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, which is the fun of creation.

I want to start a new project ....yes I know, the title of the blog is Finish 100 items in 100 days.

I will try to complete at least one item each day. I will photograph the items and put them online to share.

I have a full time job - English teacher - so life is already pretty busy but I sew each night if I can for down time.

I recently started making little owls for my newborn twin grandsons - now I have a lounge chair full to meet orders and requests from my daughter's friends. I also made a babushka doll last week for my grand daughter and a range of scrapbooking and art collages for her bedroom.

I made a big owl floor quilt for the baby on the way - most items were out of my stash and used up some of my existing materials and pre begun projects. The scrap booking and collage were new- not sure if that is my cup of tea- all those air bubbles.....

So, where do I begin.....

This weekend I went out and purchased tee shirts and tops (I know, new things and new projects but now they need to be finished) for one of my granddaughters - her mumma loves babushka so they are a feature of the appliqué I am hand-stitching on.  Sew - pardon the pun -  I have begin my 100 finished things in 100 days with two tee shirts, a long sleeve top and a pair of leggings, all with babushka appliqués - which by the way I purchased on etsy - already fused on to paper and cut out - saves so much time and don't have to buy huge pieces of fabric and put up with the endless leftovers- which I already have cupboards full of.

So, my rules:

I have to complete at least one item each day. Can be appliqué, embroidery, quilting, toy making collage etc.

I have to use up fabrics from  my stash as far as possible - and have to confess to purchasing new - perhaps the confession will  slow my spending?

I have to finish as many existing UFOs as possible  - and there are many of them- quilt tops, owls that need to be stuffed and embroidered, flowers to embroider and put on to hair bands and elastics; half completed bags, embroideries and cross stitches without purchasing new bits - but can have a splurge or fill in if a matching thread is required.

Can I do it - yes I can - at least that is the intention.

Join with me on my journey. Share your UFO tales and tell me what you think of my bits and pieces. Any advice welcome.

Go and visit my facebook page What a Hoot to see the owls I have made so far.

I shall begin with pics of the items I have finished or worked on today.

I will update the blog each night when I finish each item - or at least show the progress if I don't get it all done.

I can begin today with  seven items - a good head start for those days when I have to mark essays and may not get much stitching done.

Hope to chat with you soon,

Pamela