Eeekkk!! That moment when you're almost holding your breath as you desperately try to finish a project before the bobbin thread runs out! I've had a busy afternoon in my sewing studio quilting a couple of small projects, and luckily I was able to finish with just a couple of inches of thread to spare. Have you played thread chicken this weekend? 

I've already mentioned on my blog that I'm taking part in the #GreatBritishQuilter on Instagram, and couldn't resist sharing today's picture on here too! Today's prompt is Flatlay, and obviously I just had to include one of the decals that arrived in the post a coupler of days ago from the Sarah Ashford Studio etsy shop, and decided to go with the red colour scheme and picked out some red bits and bobs from my sewing boxes - including my favourite thread, Aurifil. This red decal is now adorning my Bernina PE230 - my sewing machine has been given a right Royal make-over!

A few weeks ago a gorgeous cushion kit arrived in the post from the Little Quilt Store in Australia, and the centre panel has finally been completed. The hand embroidery has all be stitched using Valdani stranded embroidery threads - the colours are very soft, with a gentle variegation, and work really well with Lynette's fabrics. The applique has been stitched by hand, using aa technique that I watched Lynette demonstrating at the Festival of Quilts a few years ago. This pattern is One Stitch at a Time, designed by Lynette Anderson Designs, and uses fabrics also designed by Lynette. Now the centre piece just needs a good press, and then I can trim it to size and add the borders.

A few years ago one of my friends jokingly called me Quilting Royalty when I visited her shop - well now it's official - I am a Quilting Queen!! I couldn't resist this decal to decorate my Bernina 570QE with - it was really easy to apply, and I also bought a red one to adorn my Bernina 230PE machine too! I first saw these on the Sarah Ashford Studio Instagram account, when I was taking part in #GreatBritishQuilter Thanks you so much Sarah for your brilliant customer service - my order arrived in super quick time. If you're on Instagram too, hop over and have a look - there have been some GREAT quilting pictures, posted by some incredibly talented quilters. And if you'd like to pimp up your sewing room too, have a look at the decals available on the Sarah Ashford Studio etsy shop. 

My next BIG project is a quilt designed by Leanne Beasley, and over the past few years I've stitched several quilts that have been designed by her. Here is the complete collection - and I still have all of them as I haven't been able to give away any of these ones!
1. Butterfly Garden - bought as a BOM from Buttonberry, (an online quilt shop that sadly no longer exists) and was completed in 2010.
2. Down in the Garden - again bought as a BOM from Buttonberry, this was started in 2010 and completed in 2013.
3. Ruth's Quilt - pattern is in Leanne's book, Living the Dream. Made with a selection of fabrics from the Sanctuary collection by 3 Sisters for Moda, this was stitched in 2008.
4. Ruth's Quilt - I loved it so much I made it twice! This version was stitched using a section of fabrics by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda, and was stitched in 2012.
5. Leanne's House, bought as a BOM from Cross Patch in Wales, this was started in 2017 and completed in 2018.
6. Journey of a Quilter, also bought as a BOM from Cross Patch in Wales, started in 2017 and completed in 2018.

Is anyone else stitching this GORGEOUS quilt? It's the Hearts and Happy Flowers quilt, by the Australian designer Leanne Beasley. The patterns and fabrics (this gorgeous kit, including the patterns, fabrics and linen came from Cross Patch in Wales) have been patiently waiting on my cutting table for absolutely ages and I'm hoping to start stitching it soon, as long as my daughter doesn't give me any more blooming commissions for her classroom!

Not quite in Mr McGregor's vegetable patch, but in amongst Mr F's lettuce and beetroot and onions there's a cheeky little rabbit! Well almost, I've been busy making some Peter Rabbit themed cushions, ready for the reading corner in my daughter's classroom. I don't normally venture into Mr F's vegetable garden, but this was the perfect backdrop for today's photoshoot...

...this shows the backs of the cushions. The zippers are neatly hidden away from tiny fingers! These are now ready to be delivered to my daughter's new class room, to make the reading corner extra cosy. The fabrics are by Craft Cotton Company and were purchased from the Wool Warehouse and from Fiona's Fabrics in Woodbridge. The blue/white spot binding fabric was in one of my fabric boxes, waiting to be used for making toiletry bags, but it looked so much like the blue of Peter Rabbit's jacket, I used it for binding these cushions instead!

"One Stitch at a Time" is coming along nicely. Some of the applique has been stitched in place, and the surface embroidery has been added using Valdani stranded embroidery threads. These have a very soft, gradual variegation and are lovely to stitch with. This pattern is by Lynette Anderson Designs and uses very simple embroidery stitches - satin stitch, running stitch, back stitch, cross stitch, French knots (although I prefer colonial knots) and fly stitch. Combined with hand applique, it is a super hand sewing project.

My favourite online quilt shop has to be Cross Patch, based in Wales. Julia, the owner, provides excellent customer service, and nothing is too much trouble for her. This morning a parcel arrived from her - and it really is a parcel of lovliness! This is the first month of a 12-part Vintage Sewing Club, which includes 4 gorgeous skeins of Cottage Garden Threads (if you haven't used them before, you really must try them - they are super silky and smooth, and the colours are gorgeous) and a pattern for a stitchery design is included too. All 12 designs can be stitched together to make a quilt top. I really enjoy hand sewing and with autumn closing in this will be prepared ready for stitching during those long dark evenings when I'm curled up on the sofa after a busy day at work!