A finish at last

I feel as though it has been ages since I finished anything and this past couple of days I've managed three finishes - two backpacks for my niece and nephew and a quilt to go to Scotland for the Helping Hands - Stitching and sewing for good causes  https://www.facebook.com/groups/649634061794753/
I really wanted to have a go at a low volume quilt and I started making up the blocks for this last year, then I sort of ran out of that kind of fabric, so had to wait and build up that box a little and here is the finished result.

I used some Kath Kitson on the back, did a big stipple all over and bound it in a plain lilac and I love it - but with everything I make, I now don't want to give it away, but I will, I will.

I discovered something doing this, sometimes the back gets a bit puckered and as I unpicked a part of it, I realised that the top is always heavier than the front and if I quilt from the back instead, I have a lot more control over the back and because of the weight of the front, I don't need as much, as it pretty much followed suit. 
I'm sticking with my no basting, I don't like it, therefore I'm not doing it.... I only hope I don't get to dislike quilting as I'll end up just giving away bits of fabric and wadding and saying make it yourself.. lol

And here are the little backpack - on the backs of a happy niece and nephew.

His is space and dinosaurs and hers are cats and red fabrics.

Growing group

I have certainly not been in a blogging mood recently, with my machine living more in the repair shop than in my home, it's made me a bit grumpy and unsettled to say the least, it's been like my right arm has being missing.

I have managed to do a few blocks when it has been at home and hopefully it is now fixed for the last time, well that problem anyway, I've ended up having the shuttle part that the bobbin holder sits in replaced.

Here is the little group that's grown so far - there are now only three more blocks to do, then I can start assembling it and recoup the money for the machine repairs from what I'm charging for this - it's going to be the whole lot of it and a tad more - perhaps that was the reason I got this commission as my machine was going to break.

I'm happy with the little group so far.

Mr Rabbit is now done

This is Mr Rabbit, a relatively easy one compared to say the owl, but still I had to unpick some of it.

The little group is certainly growing.

My machine is fixed and home

I have really missed my sewing machine, but it went into the shop when I was on a short holiday with my God-daughter Marlie - we went to Bournemouth for a few days and did Monkey World, which is a sanctuary for the forlorn and abused monkeys, it's a lovely place and it's nice to know that rescue and conservation is their main mission - anyway, I now have my machine back all working ticketyboo and this is the first thing that came off it yesterday.

There are a couple of bits that should have lined up a bit more than they do, but I spent a lot of time with the unpicker from the picture below, there are two differences... can you spot them?

Well there is one of the hind legs in the wrong colour and the bit at the top of the darker brown front leg should have been fawn, but I did it in the green, then I studiously unpicked it, only to sew the same colour in it again, so I unpicked it again and got it right the next time, then I had to put it down as it was annoying me so much.

She just needs the little spots appliqued on her back, then she's all finished.