Happy New Year

2016 is drawing to a close and 2017 is about to start, a new year, a black canvas to fill!

I wish all the best for this New Year which I hope will be filled with peace, happiness and lots of lovely projects.

Celine

December review

So December is over and with it the year is drawing to a close already! As usual, December has been a busy month with all the Christmas preparation and baking etc but I am so glad I managed to fit in quite a lot of sewing after all, including a brand new quilt for our bed!

Hoping for finish
1. Fair Isle quilt - top is pieced! - now need quilting - - this will be my choice for December for Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - finished!

2. Open wide pouch - 6 done

3. Set of pouches with cat fabric - not done as the cat lover doesn't like cats anymore??

4. C PE bag - done

5. A PE bag - done

Bee Blocks 

1. Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap (November. December) - done

2. Bubble Bee (November) - done

3. I love Lucy International (October, November, December) - October and December done, November  in progress

WIP

1. Wanta Fanta - need 1 more block
2. Elephant Parade - 6 more blocks before the top can be put together - no progress

3. Farmer's wife 1930 QAL and original FW - I am so behind... - no progress

4. Postcards from the World - no progress

5. 365 challenge quilt - one border added with 96 tiny 3' blocks

6. Town and Country quilt - I am so behind....- no progress

7. HST modern sampler quilt - 12 blocks behind, catch up time??? - no progress

8. Project 48 - let's try to catch up - no progress

9. Pumpkin Passport  - little progress

New Project

1. Custom cushions  x 2 

2. Zodiac BOM 

3. Gipsy Wife QAL
4. Bean bag
5. Wall hanging with horses panel - finished

Celine

Last blocks of this year

My sewing machine is packed away for the holidays but of course, I can still do some hand sewing!
So this week I finished my long overdue block for Lucy Boston Bee for October

and nearly finished the November one, if it wasn't for that piece I cut the wrong way...

and I finished my December block too

2 more block for December taking my total so far to 20!
Linking to Building Blocks Tuesday

Celine

Goals for 2017

For the first time in quite a few years, I haven't signed up for any bees or swaps... the only one I have kept so far is the Inchy Hexie Swap that I have done for the last 5 years. I would really like to concentrate on long-term projects and "abandonned" projects and progress those to completed stage. Of course, my UFO list is far too long to tackle in a year but there is a specific number of projects that I would really like to see finished and in-use by the end of 2017:

1. Wanta Fanta

2. Quilts made from pink bee blocks (x2)

3. Dear Jane

4. Farmer's Wife

5. Project 48 quilt

6. 365 Challenge quilt

7. Modern HST sampler

8. Elephant Parade

9. Medaillon quilt

10. Impromptu Quilt

11. One Jen Kingwell Quilt
12. 182 days Solstice challenge with Pat Sloan

In addition, I have signed up for #SewMyStyle and although I am not sure I am keen on all 12 projects, I would really like to get going with some dressmaking. I have bought the first 2 patterns and really hoping that I will try my best at those, and even maybe finish them! Wish me luck!

Linking to #2017 Planning Party.

Celine

Best of 2016!

I love Cheryl's idea of Best of 2016 and this is always hard to pick (just) 5 for the whole year!

My best for 2016:
 1. One finished quilt using bee blocks made for me a few years back - now proudly laying on my son's bed

2. My first quilt for my youngest daughter (she is 4...)

3. a UFO now laying on our bed -  something old

4. my Rock'n Roll hand bag - using vinyl for the first time

5. my Sashiko sampler - something new!

Linking to Best of 2016

Celine

Merry Christmas

The day has come

Merry Christmas to you and your family and peace to all.

Celine

Final Christmas presents

I had planned to make a Cat tote bag for my niece but she isn't into cats so much I heard so I thought it would be best to leave it. Instead I made more open wide pouches with leather because I just loved how they turned out.

I made the whole "family" this time, all 3 sizes. The bigger one is very roomy and can hold quite a lot I think. I made it for my brother, hoping I will find it useful. I made the middle sized one for my Mum and the smaller one for me!

And these are my 3 last OPAM this year.
Linking to Sew Cute Tuesday and Let's Bee Social.

Celine

Fair Isle Quilt

I made very good progress last month on this "abandoned" quilt along and pieced the whole top in just under 2 weeks. I really like the look of it and didn't want to risk putting it away for another 2 years!

I ordered some wool batting (a first for me but so soft!) and a wide backing (because I hate piecing backing!) and off I went! I must admit I was a little intimidated about how to quilt it and I had various ideas but in the end, I decided that an easy soft meander would work and take the stress away!

and I added little messages as well

Started November 2014
Finished December 2016
Fabric: solids
Backing: white on white
Quilted with Superior Thread King Tut on top and Aurifil in the bobbin

Linking to Let's Bee Social,  Needle and Thread Thursday and and Whoop Whoop Friday and to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal as this was my project for December as well as my last off my Q4 FAL list.

Celine