I've been looking at EPP (English Paper Piecing) projects and am really tempted to make some rose stars. However, the propect of drawing the templates, printing them off, cutting them up and basting seemed too much like hard work and I have an existing EPP project which is far from finished. So I have started joining my aqua, orange and grey hexy flowers in to rows of 8 and 9 - no real plan just taking a colour from each pile in a fairly random order.
There are lots of fun BOMs around (Block of the Month mum) and I made April's block for the Aurifil BOM using Chicopee and some of my low value charms from Laura Jane's recent swap.
I'm not sure now whether to continue and catch up or hop on to the Virtual Quilting Bee, which I also like the look of. I've a feeling this may be made in to a cushion for the small person.
Inspired by last week's episode of The Great British Sewing Bee (you can watch the first 3 episodes on youtube here, here and here if you have missed it), I did a bit of make do and mend. At the beginning of the new year, Zaki went through the knees of nearly all his jeans. I loved a particular pair of skinny jeans from Gap and so cut them in to shorts and put a camouflage cuff on the bottoms - et voila! Ignore the dirty summer feet and open zip!
*edited to add: I was inspired to make these after seeing these jean shorts in Zara.
Lastly, I like to leave a few months before jumping on a bandwagon but this morning I had an overwhelming urge to start a scrappy tripalong quilt top. I have lots of large scraps which I've had for ages and would like to see the back of or at least made in to a quilt. So following this tutorial, I cut up lots of strips and soon had the first four blocks done. I'm not sure I have the scrappy tripalong vibe on just yet...I understand from the good folk on Instagram that it best works if you have a similar colour running through the middle of each block...as you can see I hadn't quite worked that out when I made these blocks.
And lastly, I really want to get this pattern by Jen Kingwell after Jess blogged that she was doing the Steam Punk QAL. I have found it for sale in the States but wonder whether I should or not. Has anyone done this pattern?
Tomorrow, Zaki will be back at pre-school after his 2 week holiday and so I hope to get on with basting and quilting Cindy's baby quilt. Hopefully, a finish before the month end!
So I hope you have all had a great weekend - need to go tidy up the mess!
34 comments:
Still loving those hexies that you are doing! And great do and mend on Zakki's trousers
All lovely, especially love the EPP, can't wait to see how thaty one develops! :o)
*that*
Wow, seriously busy there! As for the flies (hope they were the right way round ;o) ) he's a wee boy, that's what they do (or don't do) but he's not alone, I work with some quite big boys that do this too, then when standing at my desk (on their way back from the loo) stop to talk to me, realise they're flying low and stop to rearrange themselves too. Really?! That's at my eye level, I didn't want to see any of that!!!
Ok, maybe your link is wrong but the pattern is a kaleidoscope. There are lots of free tutorials for making it, if you want. This is the link to the QAL (which has the pattern and tips) that I was in when I made my kaleidoscope: http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/p/quilt-alongs.html
I think that the hexie quilt is going to be excellent so I hope you keep joining those rows.
Looks like you've been having fun despite the heat! Zaki is so cute! Well done on your upcycled jeans! Jxo
Ahh going on!
You could make the mini I made?
I am thinking of making a hex flower garden, well starting on anyway!!
I knew it!!! I made a block yesterday and it is lots of fun! Love the trip along. The EEP looks stunning.
I love the Heart BOM, that Zaki is holding up.
You have a lot on the go! I love those hexie flowers so much. You have to colour balance so perfectly right.
Wow you are busy. Love all of the bright colours you are using in all those projects, ep your hexie flowers. Great job on the jeans too. I thought that open zips are just part of the style with boys - they certainly are in my house!
You've been so busy! Love those cut-offs. That's my plan for the jeans that are too short for my daughter :)
Good idea in making jeans into shorts. You have been really busy on the sewing front. I like your EPP flowers and the colours you have chosen. Di x
While I haven't made that exact pattern, I have started (never finished) a similar kaleidoscope pattern. Getting the centre alignment is challenging - depends how anal you are about things matching up whether you enjoy it or not. Then once you have the individual blocks sorted, then starts the equally enjoyable joining them together, and the matching involved there. Joining angles is no fun at the best of times. Perhaps try a mini and see how you get on?
Blimey! I have about 20 pairs of trousers I 'could' do that to, if I felt like it, honest!
The Steam Punk looks great, but all that cutting would do my head in.
Keep up the hexie fun, and knew the tripalong would get you in the end!
Despite the heat, you are getting lots done! I was seriously tempted to join in the Steampunk quit along but I don't think I have the time!
Oh go on, join in! Love your hexies, they look wonderful together.
Love all of your EPP hexies and the heart block! I have only just made a bit of a start on my trip along blocks too:)
Great hexies. The shorts turned out so well! I would probably do as the other ladies and make the kaleidoscope on my own, but where's the fun in that? :)
I take it fixing the zip is next on the list? ;-) I actually love how your scrappys have come out. It does look nice when the centre strip is all one colour, but I think it looks just as nice totally random. Go for it. (ps have you shopped at paper pieces before, they're pretty awesome.)
wow your busy! Love the make do and mend jeans, perfect idea and the scrappy quilt top is fab! I so love the colours!
Such creativity!! Love all your projects. Zak is a cutie. Great job on the shorts remake!
I imagined that you live in a house built to stay cool in summer, with cooling breezes passing through, and lots of luxurious drapes to keep the sun out! Maybe not then!
I have some mama said sew yardage that I have to do something with. I get it out, look at it, then I'm stuck! It looks good with that pattern though. It needs something big, not small and fussy!
You have been a busy girl both in sewing and planning sewing. Zaki's shorts are so cute.
I need to work on my hexies. Yours are so pretty.
Love Zaki's trousers, too cute and I think I might be able to help you out with those templates.
that is one seriously cute boy...especially in those shorts.
am in awe you can do anything in that heat apart from stand under a cold shower.....know what you mean about the scrap quilt...have resisted so far
Amazing projects! Love the new trousers! The GBSB final is tomorrow'.. Whoop whoop cannot wait!
amazing work! Love the EPP, the heart is beautiful and the shorts look fab!!
The EPP and the shorts look very cool to me. Thanks for the you tube links....I never thought to watch it there :o)
I love your EPP rosettes and the heart - what a gorgeous block model you have! Zaki looks wonderful in his snazzy shorts, such a great idea!
I can sympathise with you about the heat! The weather here has only just started to cool down from silly hot to somewhat survivable hot. And soon I'm going to silly cold. Oh my that will be a shock to the system!
Beautiful work :) I love that heart block too. It does beg to be made into a cushion.
xx
Doesn't look like the heat is slowing you down at all! I love your hexy flowers! And Zaki's trousers are fab!
I'm sure you could work that pattern out yourself!
Zakki's jeans and the heart block look great - and he is a fab model!
Cute shorts, cuter kid! Has Zakky started school? Is he 5 now?
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