More QAL Blocks

I have completed some more of the Christmas in July blocks! I am still playing catch up though, especially as the time between postings for this QAL is so close together! I didn't think of that when I started! he he.

Anyway, block #1:

and block #3:

Now block #6 gave me some trouble! I didn't enjoy making this one. I just couldn't make it fit, as the picture below shows!

But I did get there after I made some adjustments, only trouble is it doesn't quite measure 6 inches which I hope doesn't give me too much hassle when it all comes together at the end! Time will tell.

So a few more to go. But too many other things this week are preventing me from getting on with it. For one I have a birthday gift I need to finish by Saturday and just not enough hours in the day. Sigh.

Christmas in July

I have been watching each new block be posted on the site and I have waited patiently for my fabrics to arrive in the post so that I could start. They took much longer to arrive than I had expected!

There is a link here for the first block should you want to take a look.

So this afternoon whilst the children were occupied playing the piano and laughing at videos of themselves when they were babies, I cut out the fabric for my first block. As soon as they went to bed I started sewing it together. 

I started with block 7 by Persimon Dreams as that one took my fancy! And here it is:

It went together quite easily and I am quite pleased with it, unlike the second block I started. The next one I picked has given me some trouble. It got late so I decided I would have to look at a fresh tomorrow to see how it should go together.

Birthday cushion

It has been another hot, sunny day again today. Luckily my sewing room is in the basement where it is much cooler :)

I am working on a cushion for our neighbour's birthday. She will turn 9 and has recently started to show an interest in sewing. She has been making lots of rather small (8"x5") cushions which is driving her mum mad as they get left around the house. So I thought I would make her a large (20") appliqué cushion to show her what she could work towards.

The pattern I am using is by Kellie at Don't Look Now (here) because as soon as I saw it I just had to make one! It uses the fusible raw edge appliqué technique which I have just completed. I now need to stipple quilt around the pattern. But I am scared to start this. I am still quite a novice at free motion quilting, I can do it but I get a bit jerky and loose my way. But after being at work today, up too much in the night with my 3 year old and having just fallen asleep on my 8 year old's bed whilst reading her a story, I think I might have to leave it for another day!

Here's a picture of the completed appliqué. I hope my neighbour isn't looking :)

Does anyone know of good sewing books for children? I am struggling to find a nice one that does a range of things that are not too fiddly or take too long, as the attention span can sometimes be rather short!

Hello

Life is busy, but there's always room for just one more thing. So I have decided to have a go at this blogging! So please bear with me as I get into the swing of things.

I like to sew. So this is going to be my place to keep track of my creations along with whatever else life throws my way.