It's My Blogaversity!!!

Oh yes, a whole year since Jen from Quilter in the Closet and her 100 Day Challenge gave me the push I needed to start my blogging career (sounds very high powered don't you think?)

How things have changed, I took a look at my first post recently, I remember I felt very shy and nervous and you can tell in the writing.  Do you think I've changed much?  Do you know I didn't even add one pic?

Well just to start today off right ................

An update on my latest quilt, the Meadow Mystery Quilt.  Of course I don't know the real layout of the quilt but this seems to be the popular choice on the Meadow Mist Facebook page.   But, before anyone mentions it it has already been pointed out I have made two mistakes the bottom of the quilt.  There is a four patch block turned the wrong way at the bottom left and a white quarter square triangle instead of a blue/grey one on the bottom right.  Now I know why I was a white one short and had to remake it.  Don't know what happened to the blue one though, that might have give me a clue.   This is the first time I done a quilt along, let alone a mystery quilt and it has been wonderful. If you haven't done one before think about doing one in the future, I have so enjoyed it, especially being part of the FB group and seeing everyone else's fabrics and blocks.  AND I believe there will be another one starting this summer, just tell me when!

I digress (unusual for me I know), I have to tell you it has been a wonderful year in many ways.  I have made so many lovely friends, there was the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop, the Cloud9 New Block Blog Hop, I never envisaged taking part in any of it and I have had a blast.

So, what have I been doing since I last posted?  Well it hasn't been the best start to the year,  a very close relative became suddenly and life threateningly ill, but we got our miracle and the crisis has passed, for now anyway.  However with three parents aged 85 to 89 and all having a degree of health issues it's a case of when not if it will happen again.  So if I didn't reply to your post or make a return visit my apologies.

I have however been doing a little FMQ practise, yes I am still rubbish but I'm going to practise every week until it becomes acceptable rubbish.  Already I feel that my motions are becoming smoother and more controlled, well they should the number of Craftsy classes I have watched.

Ok then, here is the first attempt.  As you can see I practised over a couple of times on the same piece, just to get the flow of the movements really.

Then I moved on to this piece, the white stitching is a continuation of the first try, my stitching was improving although I was going over the lines a lot.  The grey stitching is when I practised a couple of days later.  On the left I was using the open toe darning foot, the circles were getting more circular, but then I changed to the bigger see through foot on the right.  I found this more difficult, the circles are bigger and the shape is not as good.  Ignore the uniformity of the stitch size if you can see it, I am using a Bernina Stitch Regulator so I take no credit for that.  The hardest thing I am finding, apart from keeping my movements at a steady pace, is planning my route.  If I was just wanting to go in a straight line two deep then I could say I've pretty much cracked it, but doing it in a cluster is hard.  I'm considering a supreme slider, but they are eye wateringly expensive,  and you know what happened when my friend Wendy leant me hers!  Didn't see it?  You can read about it here (blush blush).

Moving on I have made my bee blocks for this month,

These heart blocks are for Cyndi in Stash Bee Hive 2 which I posted here.  They are only 8 inches finished so I made two.  If you don't follow Stash Bee I suggest you pop over and have a look, you will find some great inspiration.  On the first of the month the Queen Bee in each hive posts her tutorial and states her wishes, then the rest of the month the worker bees post pics of the blocks they are sending.

This is the second one for Sharon @ Yellow Cat Quilts,  who is part of my second bee group, Bee Inspired, formed by a group of us from the New Quilt Bloggers.   Yes it's a paper pieced design, now I remember why I don't normally do paper piecing, although something tells me I will be getting a lot more practise this year.

About my new sewing room, I've been having a bit of trouble (nothing new there) with my design wall.  I read lots of suggestions and took lots of advice and decided to make it with foam insulation board, three pieces hung together using Command strips not huge, but big enough and much bigger than I have now (I don't have now, unless you count the floor or the bed).

This is how I made it,

I covered the insulation sheets using cotton wadding.

I used 505 spray to temporarily fix the wadding to the foam sheets.

Then I trimmed it to size (no I'm not left handed but I couldn't take a pic with my left hand so I had to stage it).

Cutting out the corners so it would fit nice and neat.

I taped the edges down with Duck Tape, looks a lovely neat job doesn't it?

I propped them up against the cupboard doors ready for when my husband could help me to hang them straight.

I got up the next morning...........

To this???????

And now look at them!!!

Do you know what I did wrong?  The Duck Tape sticks to EVERYTHING, except the foam boards and the wadding.  I haven't got a hot glue gun thing, and my husband really doesn't want me to get one (he doesn't trust me with one) so how do I stick the wadding on?

I would so like to have a design wall and have a posh sewing room, any advice?  

I am so dreading sticking them onto the wall.

So thats everything I've been up to, I'm caught up with some stuff and behind with others, story of my life really, I think it's called normality.

I was supposed to be queen bee in Stash Bee in February but the lovely  Cheryl swapped with me as it's a little stressful for me to be sorting out the tutorial just now, so I will be queen in May, which is my birthday month so it will be like receiving lots of presents through the post.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful support this last year, I so appreciate it, and I'm so looking forward to the next twelve months.

Until next time

Smiles from

Kate

Linking up to:

Kelly @Needle and Thread Thursday
Sarah @Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Myra @ Finished or not Friday also hosting TGIFF this week.