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Marci Girl Designs

Bee Sewcial - January's Block

1/24/2017

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I finished my Bee Sewcial block last week and decided I would like to share them each month here (and upload them to Flickr like I'm supposed too.)  This was the first month in our new year together (year 3) and January started with Stephanie aka Spontaneous Threads.  Stephanie posted her prompt at the beginning of the month and you can read all about it HERE.  The heart of her prompt was for us to create around the theme Resolution, as in New Year's Resolutions, more specifically our own.  We were given the color constraints of blues, grays, whites, off whites and if we wanted a little pop of color.

Here is my design.  It is long (she requested long landscape style blocks) and it measures 8.5" x 37.5."  I made my own bias strips and using a bit of trial and error figured out how I wanted to construct the look I was going for (or what was in my head.)  It turned out exactly as I envisioned, which is not always the case, but really nice when it happens.

The photo below is the back so you can have a peek at how I constructed it, it is not applique but rather sewn by machine, I would say traditional piecing but nothing about this was traditional. It isn't overly bulky as the majority of the pieced on strips are 3 layers thick and only in the intersections (the obvious gray squares below) are they 5 or 6 layers thick.  Not too bad in my opinion.  I hope Stephanie thinks so when she receives it.
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I mentioned that the theme was Resolution, so let me explain what this block was about.  If you know me in person you are aware that I am a hypochondriac, every little ache and pain is a "what if" in my head.  A good portion of my day is wasted on these thoughts and honestly I'm tired of it.  One of my resolutions this year was to worry less and that's what I intend to do, worry less about every little ache and pain and just live.  I know it won't be easy but I hope by consciously trying to stop I'll be able to and honestly since I started at the beginning of the year I find it is slowly working.  Anytime those "what if it's cancer or what if it's a blood clot" thoughts come into my head, I stop myself and move on.  Maybe it will be something I can teach myself to stop doing, or at least that is what I hope.

Back to my design, the dark blue/dark gray section is the negativity, bad thoughts the hectic swirling thoughts and then slowly they fade away and a lighter happier place emerges.  Eventually the hectic crazy fades away and only the stuff that matters is left.  The light and healthy stuff and that swirling crazy is gone.  At least that is my interpretation and what I was aiming for in this block.  So what do you think, did I accomplish it?

If you want to know more about Bee Sewcial or to play along each month just check out the hashtags on Instagram, #inspiredbybeesewcial and #beesewcial.
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Meet a Finish-A-Long Host - Mrs. Sew & Sow

1/15/2017

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Once a month (and two months, twice) I will be featuring one of my co-hosts for the Finish Along so you can get to know them better.   First up is Nicky and I'll wrap up here so you can read about her life directly from her!  Enjoy!




Hi!  My name is Nicky Eglinton and I'm one of the global 2017 Finish-A-Along hosts.  This is my second year as co-host so I should know what I'm doing.  


I live in the South of England but was born in bonnie Scotland and after a few years studying in Aberdeen and Glasgow, I came to London to get my first job!   I loved the theatres, cinema, restaurants, walking across Waterloo Bridge and looking one way at the Houses of Parliament and the other way at St Paul's.  Life was good!

Houses of Parliament to the left, 

the dome of St. Paul's to the right



Since then I have moved even further south and out of the hubbub of the City to the quiet more rural life of Sussex to raise a family with hubby.   It has suited us well and we have three lovely children and a cat and a dog!   Here are the pets in portrait and 'helping' me quilt!

Saffy and Maddie


In my childhood I learnt to stitch from my mother - first toys, and cross stitch, then clothes in my teens and twenties (back then it was actually cheaper to do that). 
 

Meet Dandelion - I still have him!




She also taught me knitting and crochet.  She loved passing on her skills though we struggled at times as she was right handed and I was left handed.  Every thing I did looked wrong to her as I was doing it in what seemed an awkward way....and there were very few lefthanded tools to help!  So I now prefer right handed scissors - in fact I cannot use lefthanded ones!!
Jumping forward a bit, to maintain my sanity after kid no 1, I went to an evening class about patchwork and quilting.  My chance to talk with grown ups!   I was completely in love with applique!   It was all I did!  And then I ended up on a course at  The Quilt Room to make this quilt in 2005!  

 

Friendship's Garden Quilt

by Alma Allen & Cherie Ralston



The applique was easy for me but would you believe I was terrified of the HST border round each block and the quilt remained in pieces, and on several FAL lists.
Carolyn Forster taught me piecing and introduced me to blogging!   Wow has she got a lot to answer for!   I started blogging as I wanted to record my stitching and gardening - hence my blog name Mrs Sew and Sow!

The sewing has taken over somewhat but this year I will be back in my garden and bringing lots of flowers into the house!  Wonder if a flower bed can count as a WIP or UFO??   What do you think?
Well back to that quilt I started in 2005 I kept moving it from one FAL list to the next!  I have joined up with the FAL since the beginning - though I may have missed a few quarters - and it has helped enormously - mainly from all the encouragement I received from commenters who have become friends.  
Suddenly it became the time to finish that quilt!  I even had to learn FMQ in order to do it !   



And here it is!  So all of you who have longterm WIPs/UFOs do not despair!




Finishing that longstanding UFO was like a release - it had been a block hanging over me!   I started actually finishing more stuff.   
Since 2012 I have been keen to meet up with people, and join in the quilting  community.  I went to the Fat Quarterly Retreats in London and learnt about the Siblings Together charity.  I have been making quilts for the charity since then - one or two to begin with, then I joined a bee to make more, helped others finish quilts and finally last year Maria and I were leading the campaign to make 100 quilts for the charity.  

The charity helps children in the UK social care system retain bonds with their siblings at holiday camps.  They are given a quilt to remind them of the fun times together.  

We will be aiming to make another 100 quilts in 2017 with help from a generous community of quilters !   Would you like to join us?  You can find more information here and here!

 


I love scraps and have been running a monthly link up, #Scraptastictuesday, on the second Tuesday of every month, with my co host Leanne (who also hosts FAL).  We like to celebrate the origins of patchwork, though Leanne uses scraps in more of an improv way than I do but you will find all sorts of inspiration there! 

I am a scrappy quilter for ecological and economical reasons!  I like to hang onto those pounds and pence and keep my scraps out of the landfill sites!    And I just love cramming as many different fabrics as possible into one quilt.  

We would love you to join us with your scrappy projects (they don't need to be finished), plans, and storage systems.

I try to make a scrappy sampler quilt each year with tutorials showing you how to make your own!  2015 is finished and 2016 is basted ready for a finish this quarter I hope!

Liberty Sampler 2015 & Karen Lewis Sampler 2016


And now I'm setting up a local group of stitchers in Sussex with my friends and co-founders Kelly and Jane and we are actually going to meet up and stitch together in a room!   And eat cake!   With no children !  It is starting this month !



I seem to have made lots of quilts.  I find the creative process both stimulating and therapeutic.  I do tend to make up my own patterns though on occasion if I love something I will try to make my own version of it.

Here are some of my favourite quilt finishes


Top Left : Nordik Quilt; Top Right & Clockwise:  Double Sided Welsh Blanket Quilt in Karen Lewis Textiles, pattern by Mary Emmens;  Hand stitched and quilted scrappy clamshell quilt;  Vintage Squares quilt; Stingy Bee Row Quilt  (both this and Nordik were made with help from members of Bee a Brit Stingy )



And here is one I hope to finish this coming quarter!  It is my take on the traditional Double Wedding Ring (my own variation) - a lot of it stitched by hand!  I used acryllic templates made by Marti Michell to help with the cutting and designing of these blocks.

Hoopla! Quilt


 My FAL list is always a long one (yes I am a member of Archie the Wonder Dog's #ridiculouslylongFAList ) as when I used to choose a few items for my list I always wanted to work on something else!  Much easier to keep everything out in the open I found!

I hope you will join us on our journey to complete those listed projects and I look forward to seeing your finishes!  Remember to cheer on the rest of the community - it really does make a difference!

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My Quarter 1 2017 Finish-A-Long List

1/11/2017

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It is time for me to make an honest list of what I can reasonably accomplish this quarter.  I could write down my entire list but it contains at least 16 half finished quilts and unless I'm finishing one every other day it isn't going to happen.  So this is a mere 3 projects that I want to finish this quarter and I tried to pick projects that were in different stages of completion so if I feel like quilting I can quilt and if I feel like sewing I can sew.  Make sense?  I hope so!  Here we go!
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1.  Mini Carol Quilt - This is a basted mini quilt that just needs to be quilted and bound.  I just have to figure out how I'm going to quilt it.  What do you think?  Straight lines?
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2.  Girly Economy Blocks - I started this quilt when I was pregnant with little girl (I think? or was it after she was born?)  All of the blocks are made, it just needs to be turned into a quilt top, basted, quilted and bound.  I'm aiming for this to be a toddler sized quilt for when she moves to a toddler bed sooner than later.
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3.  City Sampler Quilt - I can't seem to have a FAL list without including City Sampler.  This one is in the process of being quilted, all of the blocks are done, I just need to quilt the background and then bind this baby.  I'm beyond ready to be done with this quilt!
 
There we go, my simplified list, ready and waiting to be finished.  I'm super excited to be co-hosting the FAL this year because I'm using it to hold myself accountable to actually finish some of these long lingering WIPS.  Wish me luck but more importantly, TIME!

Interested in playing along, need more information?  Find it HERE on my permanent Finish-A-Long page.
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2017 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 1 Link Up!

1/8/2017

3 Comments

 

2017...are you ready for a new year? A new year a new list!

As you are probably aware, the 2017 FAL is remaining global - a community of bloggers across the world, jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:
  • Rhonda - Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings - USA
  • Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain
  • Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia
  • Abigail - Cut & Alter - Great Britain
  • Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada
  • Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA
  • Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain
  • Sarah - Sew me - North Ireland
  • Judith - Just Jude - North Ireland
  • Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada
  • Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA
  • Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA
  • Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada
For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging about becoming UFOs. Every quarter you post a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter, you post a link from your blog, Flickr or Instagram of each successful finish from your original list.

Each finish is an entry for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list long or short, as you wish. The 2017 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page http://www.marcigirldesigns.com/2017-finish---a---long.html, let me know if you have any questions. Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q1 of the FAL - you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo (think about visiting them and saying thank you):


Just Jude Designs - 2 PDF Patterns
Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, $25 gift certificate
Charm About You - 2 PDF Patterns
Fat Quarter Shop, $50 gift certificate
Elven Garden Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns
Tartankiwi - $25 gift certificate
Blossom Heart Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns
Mad About Patchwork - $50 gift certificate
During Quiet Time - 3 PDF Patterns
Happy Quilting - choice of 3 patterns
Cooking Up Quilts - 2 PDF Patterns
Sew Sweetness - 3 PDF Patterns
Knotted Thread, $30 gift certificate
The Littlest Thistle - Camp Bag Pattern Pack
Green Fairy Quilts - $15 gift certificate
Quilting Jet Girl - 2 PDF patterns
Sunny Day Supply - $30 gift certificate
Make Modern Magazine - 3 six month subscriptions
Clover & Violet - $30 gift certificate
Sew me a Song, $20 gift certificate
Imagine Gnats - $40 gift certificate
Studio 39 Fabrics - $25 Gift Certificate
Laurel Bee Designs, 2 pin bowls for 1 winner
InLinkz.com

As you may recall from last year, there was a return of tutorial week at the end of each quarter, between the opening of the link for finishes and the day that link closes. Are you enjoying this? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below! This will take place each quarter. Each host works hard to put these together so I hope you are visiting their blogs to encourage them.
If you have a tutorial that you would like to share, please let me or another host know.

It's time to round up those projects you want to finish over the next three months, take a photo of each one and make your list. In order for your projects to be eligible, they must at least be a tangible project at the start of the quarter. That means, at the very least, a fabric pull matched to a pattern, a quilt top needing to be quilted, or a half knit jumper. I love seeing your bee blocks, but they won't count unless you happen to be turning them all into a fully completed quilt!

It is very helpful if you tag your list as #2017FALQ1yourname when posting on social media: Flickr, Facebook & Instagram. Using the same hashtag over the quarter when sharing progress or finishes before the link, helps the hosts find your original list quickly - especially when this is done over a 3 month period. IMPORTANT: Don't forget to link your finishes up when the quarter closes.


The 2017 Q1 link for your list of proposed finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs. You need only link your list once, on one blog - and that link will show up on all of the blogs. If you are using Facebook, Flickr or Instagram, link a mosaic and put your list in the description. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link-up if you need it.

We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others - visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too. When creating your list there is one thing to remember....No deductions for not completing something so ..... Aim High! Nothing to lose!!!

  Well Now..... Get those lists together and get linked up. The Q1 linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, January 14, 2017- as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. Remember: you only need to link up on ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.
An InLinkz Link-up
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Announcing the 2017 Finish-A-Long!

1/6/2017

1 Comment

 
I'm stopping in today to make an announcement - I'm one of the 2017 Finish-A-Long hosts this year!  Hooray!  I'm so excited and you should be too, because this year is the year to finish up those long standing WIPS (and new WIPS too!)
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Here is the list of my co-hosts this year and with this many global hosts it's bound to be good!

  • Rhonda - Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings - USA
  • Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain
  • Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia
  • Abigail - Cut & Alter - UK
  • Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada
  • Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA
  • Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain
  • Sarah - Sew me - Ireland
  • Judith - Just Jude - Ireland
  • Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada
  • Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA
  • Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA
  • Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

The first Quarter link up will start on January 8, 2017, which you will find right here or on any of my co-hosts blogs.  You can link up on any of them, they are all linked and when you add your list it will appear on everyone's blog.  Any questions?  Well I have created a 2017 FAL page on my website with all of the details, dates, rules and buttons for your blog, so head on over HERE and find out what it is all about or if you are a regular, then start planning that list.  I'm looking forward to spending the year with you all and getting to know you and your finished projects!
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Hello 2017 and a Peek Back at 2016!

1/3/2017

3 Comments

 
Hello All!  Happy New Year, hope you had a great one and a fantastic Christmas as well.  I am easing back into the world of blogging now that normal routines are resuming and hope to be better at it than I was last year.  So I may not always be wordy, but I do hope to share photos of works in progress and finishes and in the next few days I'll be helping to host a pretty big event, so stay tuned for that.

One of the most positive things that took place in 2016 for me was my second year participating in Bee Sewcial.  I am lucky enough to be in a bee with a bunch of great ladies and every single one of them produces creative work and prompts throughout the year.  You can see below I created a mosaic of all the blocks I created last year, January through November (we take August and December off.)  It is so nice to see them all in one place.  At least three of these sets have been turned into finished quilts and are living out there being enjoyed.
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Our little group invites anyone interested to play along with us each month.  The prompts can be found on Instagram or on the Queen Bee's blog.  The easiest way to play along each month would be to search the hashtag #inspiredbyBeeSewcial on Instagram and you can find everyone and all the information there, but don't hesitate to contact me if you want to play along and are a little lost.  We work with solids only and create modern improv quilt blocks.  Our themes or prompts last year included, improv lines, circles, triangles, transitions and even bacon!  So if you would like to have some fun, try your hand at creative improv or just follow along, we would love to have you.  Here is to a creative 2017!
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    Marci Girl

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