frayed at the edge

6&6 in 2018 : January report

Where has January gone?  It only seems 5 minutes since we were celebrating the New Year, and yet here we are at the end of the month!  The first of my 6 new projects is a wallhanging using the Liberty fabrics which Malcolm bought for me last year.  The first stage was to cut out lots (and lots) of leaves, in two sizes

 

after cutting the leaves, I cut miles of black bias strips, which have fusible web on the back.  They are sitting on the background fabric, which doesn't show up well in the photo

 

making a start to the stems

 

adding the second stems

 

I put a little bit of fabric glue at each end of the leaves

 

then stuck them in place

 

all the leaves in place

 

I had to cut more bias strips

 

then started outlining the leaves

 

the first stems done

 

I had hoped to finish the outlining for this report, but other things got in the way! I love this so much, every time I put it back on the design wall, I do a Happy Dance!!  I still have dozens of flowers left, so I am thinking of adding a border with a meandering vine

 

to see what everyone else has been doing,  pop over to Meredithe's blog , read her report, then scroll down to the linky thing (as always, thank you so much to Meredithe for doing the technical stuff which is beyond my skills!!)  

6 & 6 in 2018 : the new challenge

After the success of last year's challenge, Meredithe and I had a flurry of emails whizzing between the UK and Australia, before we came up with this year's challenge.  We thought we would make it more fun by adding in new projects, as well as working on UFOs.  Should you decide to join in, remember there is no pressure to finish things, just make significant progress ........ and most of all, enjoy yourself!  You can decide on your new projects as the year goes on, but choose your UFOs now - here is the technical stuff, which Meredithe kindly takes care of (I pinched it from her blog, and have amended it where necessary) - you can also click on the link above to go to Meredithe's blog to see who else has signed up

Now it’s your turn.  Either link up by clicking the icon below (on Meredithe's post), or if you don’t have a blog, list your nominations in a comment, or photograph the list and put it on Instagram with the hashtag #6and6in2018

If you are linking up

:: Please link directly to your post on your 6and6in2018 not to your home page
:: Please link back to this post somewhere in your post (ie Meredithe's post)
:: Visit other linkers to see what they’re going to be working on for 2018 (who knows you might see something there to inspire you!)
:: The link will be open for a week
:: If you haven’t already, pick up the 6and6in2018 blog button from Meredithe's side bar

here is my list 

 

as I work on the UFOs over the coming months, I will give you the history of each one, but for now, here is how they look

#1

 

#1

 

#2

 

#2

 

#3

 

 

#3

 

 

#4

 

 

#5

 

 

#6

 

this month we get to work on a new project, and I have chosen one based on this sample I made last year

 

using the Liberty fabrics that Malcolm bought for me some weeks ago

 

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of photos of what I have been up to since Christmas!

17 UFOs in 2017 : the final report

 Where did the year go?  It only seems five minutes since Meredithe and I came up with the idea for this year's challenge ........ and suddenly it is time to do the end of year report!  So, here is my list ....... the ones with red ticks are finished (woohoo) the ones with turquoise ticks have had significant progress made on them, and the ones with pencil ticks - well sadly they are the ones that have languished in the pile for a year, with no progress at all!

 

so. let's go through them in order.  As you know, I struggled with Mrs Billings, and finally decided to give up! However she will be quilted, and the leftover bits used for something else

 

the Aunts' Quilt - the applique is all finished and she will go to Lucie to be longarm quilted in the New Year

 

Best Friends Forever ....... finished!

 

....... a detail of one of the stitcheries, with a message for all of you!

 

I had embroidered the stitcheries for The Night Before Cristmas some time ago.  I made the quilt for someone several years ago, and couldn't face piecing all the setting star blocks again, so I decided to divide the blocks up to give me two quilts.  I might add some applique

 

a detail of the left-hand quilt

 

and one from the right-hand one

 

the Felted Tree - oh dear, this is one of the neglected ones!  The plan is to add a border that the tree will extend into

 

the Sheepie Wallhanging.  This was made from a kit for a draught excluder - but it is much to nice to put on the floor!

 

Circles - this has been layered .......

 

.......and quilted in the ditch, as you can see on the back.  The next step will be fmq on the blocks

 

the Black, White and Red quilt (it was hard to think of that title!)  Sadly another of the neglected ones

 

a detail of the fun fabric I used for the centre cross

 

the Batik bed runner.  This has been finished for some time, and is on our bed

 

a detail of the applique

 

the Goodbye Quilt - woohoo - another finish

 

a detail from the back of the quilt, showing the quilting

 

the William Morris wallhanging - all that remains to do is quilt it (!)

 

the Amish wallhanging - now being used as a runner.  I was glad to finish this as I started it in the late 90s!

 

rather than a woohoo, can we have a hoot for another finish!  The owl wallhanging, given to me by the lovely Miss Helen, is now hanging above the bed in the guest bedroom (and of course Jemima and Pooh had to be in the photo!)

 

now for a little oops - I have been working on the fourth panel of the chicken wallhangings at the flat, and forgot to take a photo.  When it is finished, it will join the others in the "fitness room"   .........

 

........ watching me as I endure the implements of torture

 

this cushion, made from a panel started at a Sheena Norquay workshop, came in as a substitute for a counted cross-stitch map, which I decided that I couldn't face finishing (it went to a charity shop)

 

a detail of one of the squares

 

when I got out this counted cross-stitch project, I was thoroughly embarrassed to read a note on it that I started it on 1/1/96!!  It is very hard to see, the stitches are so small - so I have now ordered one of those magnifying/light thingies to hang round my neck

 

these two rows in grey are all I managed to add to it last week, before deciding to wait for the magnifier, so not quite significant progress

 

the Red and Black Sampler - alas, another neglected one!

 

a detail of one of the blocks

 

so that concludes my end of year report.  Overall, I am fairly happy with what I achieved, given that I did work on lots of other thing (and of course we moved house!).  To catch up with what everyone else has achieved, as always, pop over to Meredithe's blog, and once you have read her report, scroll on down to the linky thing for the other reports.

Meredithe and I are delighted that so many of you took up our challenge, and have been inspired to tackle your pile of UFOs.  The challenge for next year is 6&6 in 2018 ...... month about we will work on a new project and a UFO.  We will only list our UFOs at the start - if you want, carry over the unfinished ones from this year, or look out 6 more (not a problem in this house!).  We won't list the new projects at the start, as who knows what temptation we might succumb to as the year progresses.  So get your list of 6 UFOs written ready for our Grand Launch on the 2nd of January!

 

So all that remains for this year is to wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, and leave you with some wise words written by a very wise woman (ok, it was me who wrote them on the kitchen blackboard!) love Anne

 

 

 

 

A new challenge!

After the success of our 17UFOs in 2017 challenge, Meredithe and I decided we would issue another challenge for next year.  But what would the new challenge be?  After a flurry of emails between here and Down Under, we formulated the new challenge.

 

I shall let Meredithe explain it to you .........

 

6 & 6 in 2018

What on earth??  we hear you asking.  Well, it’s simple.  We know many of you, as well as Anne and I, like to do new things as well as try to finish or at least get Substantial Progress happening on older projects.  Too often the bright, new, shining thing distracts us so to combat that in 2018 it will be a challenge of 6 old and 6 new.

::  The 6 old can be carried over from 2017 or if you’ve been a smarty pants if your list is cleared, you’re welcome to nominate 6 more projects.

:: The 6 new, well, you probably don’t know about them as yet, they’ll most likely be things that grab your attention during the year, so no nominations needed.

To play along, we will post about a new project on odd numbered months (i.e. January, March, May etc) and your nominated UFO’s on the even numbered months (i.e. February, April, June etc).

What do you think?  Would you like to play along?  You have until 1 January to sort out your 6 UFO projects.  Anne and I do hope you’ll join us again.

Who knows what 2018 will bring, project wise??

 

Back to me - I do hope lots of you will join in with us - you don't have to have a blog to play along, you can send photos of your projects to Meredithe or me and we will post them for you.  I haven't yet sorted out my UFOs, but I do already have two new projects lined up ..... it is going to be a busy year in the Attic!