Yvonne's Roundup of Finish Along 2014 Q2

......  So here I am again at the end of another quarter for the Finish Along 2014 with Katy  at The Littlest Thistle.
Except this time I'm rather pleased with myself because I'm just about squeezing in before the deadline.  Or at least I hope I am! If you want to see my list for Q2 you'll find it here.  As I missed the deadline last quarter I combined the roundup of Q1 with my list for Q2 just scroll to the bottom of the post.  

Without any procrastination or distraction I'm going to dive right in..... here goes:

1.   Finish the tiny hexie cushion.  Well this was definitely a finish and a happy one too.  You can read the post about it here  if you are so inclined.  :-) 

Sitting pretty with the almost finished wall hanging made 

for myself with the remaining hexies.

2.  Finish the Fresh Modern Bee 2 Quilt top.  I'm happy to say this is also achieved... and blogged about here. 

I am so thrilled with this it is better than I ever thought it would be and I am so 

looking forward to it being finished.

So far so good eh?  Two out of two.  Hmm now we go downhill.....  

3.  Swoon block quilt.  To be quilted and bound by the end of this quarter!!  What was I thinking?!!  I only had one block made!!  Clearly not even close to being achieved... only two more blocks added.  And those were only done in the last couple of weeks.

They do look pretty but definitely not a finished quilt.

Camille  designed a great quilt when she made this one.  It's a big block with a lot of pieces so, at the pace I work even without distractions- more on those in the next one on the list- I was never going to get it finished. It will be added to next quarters list though because its too nice to languish in a box uncompleted!

4.  Hexiestars Quilt.  I had every intention of this being finished and was working away perfectly contentedly at it.... and then got distracted.... completely!!  If you have been watching on Instagram or have read a few of the more previous posts you will know why.  Reene discovered a love of EPP (English paper piecing), thanks in no small part to Sewline Glue Pens.  If you have never tried them for basting your fabric to templates in EPP do give it a try.  I was almost dragged to it kicking and screaming... honestly... but it's totally my preferred method now. Anyway, yet again, I digress.....  Reene was designing patterns quicker than I could print the templates!  All of them totally lovely.... I know I can hear you saying I'm biased... you're right I am but still... they are all really great patterns.  Of course, Hexiestars was the first of the patterns and when I saw Tessellated Madness I knew exactly which fabrics were sitting on my shelf shouting 'pick me pick me'..... so I did.  And that was it, Hexiestars Quilt had to wait to be finished because I couldn't wait to see how Tessellated Madness would turn out.  Totally addictive.  So a second goal not achieved on the list!!  Yet... will go onto next quarters list, definitely. 

This is most of the blocks laid out on the cutting table.

And this is as far as I have got sewing them together.  

I love the way it's coming together and will definitely carry on with it during the next quarter.

So 50%  ... mmmm.... not exactly brilliant eh?  But ...  I have two completed WIP/UFO projects that may still be sitting in the box if not for the Finish Along.  I also have two projects that are being worked on and are closer to being finished today than they were in April.  As I am definitely a 'cup half full' person, rather than a 'cup half empty' person I'm happy to have achieved what I have and am grateful to Katy for organising the finish along that has go me this far.  

Now, I'm thinking I'll show you what distracted me so completely this last few weeks... I'm hoping you will understand why and agree it just had to be done.

Amazing pattern

It's a shame it's not the best of photos as the light isn't good in the sewing room now.  But I will take better photos when it's finished.  And I have the perfect backing for it that I found in my vintage Laura Ashley fabrics.  Can you tell I'm excited by this one?  Hope you like it too.  So pattern is a pdf in the sidebar of the blog, fabric is Darlene Zimmerman's Grandma's Garden and Lazy Daisy Baskets for Robert Kaufman and a Kona Solid, sorry can't remember the colour but I know I got it from Justine at Simply Solids.

I'm off now to get Reene to do the linky thing for me as I've forgotten how to do it.  Thank you so much for dropping in and staying awhile.  It is appreciated. Take good care of yourselves and happy sewing. Yvonne Xxx

Unrealistic - Reene's FAL list Q2

Oh look, I'm just scraping in under the wire again! Joining the fun with Katy and pals at the Finish Along 2014. I have a tonne of secret sewing to do this quarter so my time for finishing projects just for fun will be limited. Even so I would love to see the following projects finished very soon!
1. Hexiestars cushion - I haven't got a whole lot to do for this to be a finish so I should be able to knock this one out of the park quickly :)

2. Cardigan for Jess -  After many years as a non-knitter I have finally mastered the basics, more or less! In my infinite wisdom I decided to knit Jess a cardigan with cables and a fancy pattern, yep, I have lost my marbles. Jess is very keen for me to finish this one so I ought to get on with it. I have the back and left front completed. Still to do is the right front and the sleeves. I'm hoping this will be doable this quarter! I am currently contending with reverse shaping. There are no instructions in the pattern for that so it's a bit hit and miss...

3.HipBees village quilt - My fabulous bee mates have been waiting too long for this to be a finish! This was started way back in August 2012 and I'm fairly ashamed that it's not done yet.

4. HipBees Denyse Schmidt string quilt - Another HipBee quilt to finish. This one only needs 1 more block to finish it!

5. New York Beauty project - I started this one in March 2012 so it's really about time I finished it! I think it will have to become cushions as they will go perfectly with my new footstool ;)

6. Amish with a twist BOM - This BOM started last year and I've got a shed load of Log Cabin blocks to complete before I can piece this monster quilt together.

Well, that's more than enough to be going on with! I'm linking up with FAL Q2. Off to do some sewing now, catch you soon x

Yvonne's Round up of Finish Along 14 Q1 ....

.......... and Yvonne's FAL 14 Q2 List

Well I've totally missed the deadline for the 'linky' thing with this post, sorry Katy for being even later than Correne!! 
Even so, I'm going to list my results and then I'll let you know what my aims are for the Q2 list... it won't be long as I only had three items anyway.. so no need to fear getting bored!! :-)

Here goes:
You can see the original list and photos here ... I'm afraid I've deleted the original photos in a moment of tidyness.... once again sorry. (Honestly, I am blushing at how disorganised I am!!)

1. Tiny Hexie Cushion

I was so close to finishing this one.  The top is completed all I have to do is make up the back and stitch it together and bind it.  I guess it's a fail as it isn't completed. But I'm not too upset as I had totally underestimated how many of those 3/8" hexies had still to be made and stitched together.  So it will go onto the Q2 list for completion!

2. Fresh Modern Bee Blocks to be turned into a quilt

Now this one I hoped to be completed by the end of 2014.

I can't believe how far I have got with it!  I've got one block to complete, the green one in the top right, it's a bowl and I've got to add the flowers to it.  Apart from that it's just filling in strips to join it all together. I love it and really hope that it will be a quilt top by the end of Q2. So in my mind that's a success... you agree?

I used the book 'Gathered from the Garden' by Cindy Lammon as inspiration for this quilt, more specifically the quilt 'My Secret Garden' the last project in the book. 

 3. Petit Fleur fabric pieced and hand quilted

Woohoo!!

Completed!!! And blogged about here.  A success.... no kidding myself either!! :-) 

And I love it despite it's ... shall we say ..... quirks?

So there we go, thank you Katy for the incentive, I know that's two projects that would still be in the box if it hadn't been for the FAL.

Now for my Q2 list.  I'm still going to limit myself to projects I think I can achieve.     

1.     Finish the Tiny hexie cushion.

2.  Finish the Fresh Modern Bee Block Quilt Top.

3. Swoon Quilt Block.  Only one block made back in 2011 again!!   

I'd love to have the rest of the Swoon blocks made for the quilt designed by Camille. I hope to have it quilted and bound too by the end of this quarter.

4.  To replace the hand piecing of the hexie cushion that I've been doing in the evenings I plan to work on this little beauty.

Excuse the rubbish all around it!!  These little hexiestar  blocks that Correne designed are so addictive.  I love them and have added a few other blocks to them.  I knew exactly what fabrics I wanted to use as soon as I saw the hexiestar block.  Atsuko Matsuyama designs for Lecien.  I plan to have made a table topper or a lap quilt with these by the end of Q2.

That's it then, four objectives and I have to say I don't feel as trepidatious about them as I did about my list in the first quarter.  That's down to you kind readers for your support and encouragement. Thank you. :-)     

I'm off now to get Correne to do the linky thing for me.....again!!  I'll be back next week with something rather nice.....at least I think it is.  Hopefully.... you will too.  Thank you for dropping by and staying awhile.

Take good care of yourselves and happy sewing.  Xxx