Ta-Dah! Bobbin Roll Complete!

Final three blocks: Books, Glass, and Coral.

That's it!  Thirty-five blocks complete!

It was quite a quick process to line them up in order and satin stitch the blocks together.  It's makes a wonderfully colourful 'scroll'.  Fun and bright, just like I wanted.

This is how the top of it looks, with the blue fabric around the wooden bobbin that was the start point for the project.

 And this is what it looks like from the back.  Almost all the blocks are backing with my husbands old work shirts (thank goodness for retirement!), each labelled with the number and subject, so I couldn't get muddled.

The whole scroll is now rolled up around the bobbin, and has been sent off to Switzerland. 

Big thanks to 'Swiss Suz', PatCHquilt, and all involved in making this almost year long project a fun one to participate in.

The bobbins will be on display at various places around Europe over the next couple of years, even, I believe, at the Festival of Quilts in 2024! 

Another project complete, time to move on to something else!

Christmas Bag Making Time

 

As I get further into my Christmas wrapping, I have realised that it's time to replenish my store of fabric Christmas bags.

Of course, I could just buy some from FabWraps - my daughter's business (and I'd encourage you to do that, of course!), but they are also very simple to make.

We like the design with a tie sewn into the seam, so it can't be lost.  They make wrapping very easy, whatever shape or size present you have bought.  Love using 100% cotton so that they are completely biodegradeable at the end of their life, but that they can be used so many times before that!

If you are in the Twickenham UK area, then you can come down and see Georgie's bags in person, as she has a stall at Orleans House Christmas Shopping event on the 3rd December.  

I'm glad that I've got my supplies topped up, ready for the wrapping that I still need to do!

More Bobbin blocks

The next four blocks!

Photo, pearl, travel and bronze.

My thoughts?  That I'd like to include a family picture - this one is from our summer holiday.  I didn't have any fabric to print on to hand, so I printed it on paper, then used PVA glue to paste it to backing fabric.  Once it was dry I sewed it onto the pink block.

Pearl uses pearly buttons - I was thinking a bit like a traditional pearly king or queen, although I suspect that they have shank buttons that look more like pearls.

Travel uses a fragment of fabric that has various landmarks from around the world on it.  I used it to make a set of bags, pouches and accessories for my younger daughter when she was setting off on her first 'proper' holiday with her friends earlier this year.  

Bronze, I liked the idea of a sun bather, someone bronzing their body, but also tried to get a vibe of those art deco bronzes of young ladies that were so popular in their day.

On to the last three blocks now!
 

The Jury is Out!

So, I saw a fabric bowl on Instagram, with an advert for a template for it.

I thought about it, decided that it couldn't be too hard, might make fun Christmas presents, and bought it.

I waited for a couple of weeks, and then the template and some rudimentary (and slightly confusing!) instructions arrived.

I gave it my best shot!

Shown here at the final stage of zig zagging the top edge to give it it's final shape and structure.  Binding clips going everywhere as I tried to manipulate the fabric ends to how I wanted them!

Here is the finished bowl.

I'm not sure that I really enjoyed all the process.

The way I did it was to sandwich two fabrics with Heat N Bond (you do that twice over, to make two 'star's that you then interlock and weave together).  I didn't use the suggestion of adding wadding, as then I'd have to zig zag both shapes completely, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to do that - but I can see that it would give a lovely structure to it.

It makes quite an attractive shape.  Mine has 'crown' points.  I think that the demonstration one has a straight edge.  It would be easier to stitch, but harder to wrangle the points into the right place, I think!

For those of you interested, this is the template that I used.  I cut squares of fabric and interlining at 8.5".

So, I think that it's a reasonable outcome, but the jury is out as to whether or not I make any more.  If you get one for your Christmas present you'll know that I decided to step up and make more!
 

Still Bobbin' Along!

 My next set of four mini blocks (did I say, they are 4" square).

Silver, with silver buttons, Art - my attempt at an easel, Music, and Linen.

This takes me up to 28 blocks out of the 35 required.

I really feel like I'm making progress now!