Friendship Block Swap

The last of my friendship blocks arrived yesterday (there are some more pictures somewhere, I need to find them and upload!) so now all I have to do is a) make my own block and b) think of how to join these beauties - different sizes and shapes and all. I can't wait to see the finished object :-)

More postcards!

On the list of things I have been doing/receiving but not blogging are postcards! I'm not sure what I have done with the pics of the ones I made (surely I wouldn't have sent them out without a pic?!) but here are a couple that have arrived here - 'Hearts' and 'Under the Sea' - aren't they lovely!

Think I have photographed the hearts upside down, but it is still lovely!

My generous pal!

My lovely Secret Pal sent me these gifties in August (for July and August, but still incredibly generous!) and I just realised I have completely failed to post piccies - tut tut!

What a nice pal I have - I will be kept busy with these little treasures :-)

Finally, I make something to blog about!

Finally I have managed to get back to the sewing machine and make some pretty things!

Today I have finished Angela's butterfly block, Anita's flower block and made a postcard - not bad given I am over due on one and the others are due by October 1st!

Obviously they are the wrong way round (!) but you may recognise the sun printing in the 'under the sew' postcard!

There are some beads here too and just a little quilting to hold it all together.

Angela's block is covered in appliqued butterflies and Anita's has a pieced flower besides some flying geese - I bought foundation fabric at FOQ and wanted to try it out!

Second go at sun printing...

The fish should be swimming along, not down, honestly! (I really don't know why blogger uploads my piccies in this odd way, it isn't even all of them it changes - a mystery!)

However, this was my second try at sun printing, using a stencil I have had for years. I love the way the colours are muted where the stencil sat.

I need to quilt this one obviously, but it might make it into the bathroom when it is done :-)

Creative times :-)

So, I've been a busy lady since I finished work for the summer, I made a hanger for the postcards I've received so far in the PP swaps...

I made an I-Spy quilt for a friend who is having a baby in a few weeks (it is tied and bound now too, but this is a 'progress' picture!)...

Also, I made a little hanging to bring a bit of summer sunshine into, what is turning out to be a very WET, summer! I send the same fabrics to a friend of mine, so I will be interested to see what she comes up with...

Hmm, another 'tilt your head please' pic. If anyone has any idea why blogger does this, I would love to know!

Postcards

The top card is from me to Cath - Grandmother's flower garden - and the bottom one is Helen's Eden Project card for me - lovely handwork, I love it :-)

Beautiful Gift

These lovely embroidered blocks came from the wonderful Ravelly who had them as a giveaway on her blog. I never win anything (honestly!) so I was so thrilled when she mailed me to say they were coming my way!

These are truly lovely blocks! They are 7 inches square, with plenty of fabric around the motif and the colours are just perfect. The scrolls in the middle are pink, with gold cross hatching around them. There is burgundy in the corners, and the little crosses in the corners are green. I plan to get a co-ordinating fabric, sash them and turn this into a runner, either for our sideboard downstairs or, more likely, to sit on the singer treadle table machine that lives on the landing.

More exciting, if more excitement can be borne (!) when DH looked at them he was exceptionally impressed (which anyone who knows DH knows is very impressive, since he isn't a fabric person - you can't get a V8 engine in fabric!) and said we needed to get me a machine that could do that sort of thing. I did point out that they are expensive and we won't be affording one for a while, but hey, the consent is there for when I have saved my pennies!

Friendship Block Swap

Another Friendship block today, this one in better time than the last one, which hopefully arrived on the day it was due! Cath wants BRIGHT colours - so she got them :-)


I haven't made this block before, and I am really pleased with the way it has come out - all the bits line up where they are supposed to and everything...

But I STILL can't persuade blogger not to turn my pictures around...... very strange!

Cath is also the person receiving my postcard this month, so that had better be my next task :-)

Friendship Block Swap

OK, well Blogger is playing 'turn the pictures' again, so tilt your head if you are struggling to see the detail! It also doesn't want me to move the piccies around, so make the most of the longer-than-needed post :-)



This is the block that I made for Caz, who wanted purples, blues, lilac and stars, and the little brooch that I made to go with it. It took me longer than it should have done, not only because I wasn't well, but because I seem to have come down with a nasty case of EITTTS - I have been doing so much 'arty' stuff recently, playing with Angelina (more about than when I have made my pretty creations into something other than shimmering sheets of loveliness!), making postcards, fusing pretty things to other pretty things and adding beads to the result etc that getting points and corners to match became something of a challenge - I have told Caz not to look too closely!


I wouldn't mind, but it was a foundation pieced block, surely all you have to do is sew on the lines!? It would appear not - gah!

So, I rather think I need to go back to basics for a while - cut geometric shapes out of
fabric and stitch them together, proper patchwork!

Sun Dying!

The Popular Patchwork Journal theme for July is sun printing, here is my little tray of objects sitting in the sun (in between rain storms!) last weekend waiting for the dye to take. I love dying fabric, so this new way to play makes me smile - hope I like the finished quiltette as much as I enjoyed playing. I also rather liked the look on DH's face when I asked if I could borrow some stuff out of the garage.... I am more usually suggesting that things go INTO the garage, not that they come out!

Almost forget!

The lovely Lyn has been kind enough to give me this award:



I'm very chuffed Lyn, thank you :-) I will pass it on later, but now I need to go and do some real work, as I have been playing on the computer for well over an hour, which isn't getting things done! I will take the opportunity to justify more blog hopping though, its such fun to see what everyone is creating out there in blogland!

Busy, busy, busy!

I have been trying to get a lot of things finished this weekend. I was struck down with flu last week (no, not the swine variety!) and so a whole week vanished - not good when the first of July is a deadline for all sorts of things!

So, first thing finished was the postcard that I am sending out with the theme 'Art and Artists' - this is a Bruce Gray pic, printed onto fabric and then hand quilted:

It is already in its cellophane envelope here, hence the muted look to the colours!

Even better, I received my card in this swap - I almost made this same card! I love that I get to see what it might have looked like had I stuck with my original idea :-)

Oh well, back to the sewing machine, lots more to finish off :-)

More coming soon, and Jackie's giveaway!

Lots of creativity here today and lots to blog when I upload the piccies, but in the meantime, Jackie has the most generous giveaway on offer - go wish her happy birthday and add youself to the draw :-)

Music Postcard

This is my music themed postcard, sent to France.

I should have a pic of another lovely music card, sent to me..... but it is hiding from me at the moment!

A clutch of cushions

Our local quilt shop has an exhibition coming up in July, and one of the exhibits is going to be 'a clutch of cushions'. FQs of the fabric on the left were sold and the brief was to make a cushion, they will be raffled, with all proceeds to breast cancer research.

The fabric is a very pretty pink (obviously!) and I decided to pleat and bead it - it isn't finished yet, because it needs more beads!

It also covers the Popular Patchwork Journal Challenge, because I added twin needle quilting - two for the price of one!

I think I will like it, when it is finished - although it has a deadline, because it has to be handed in by July - better get my beads out!







I also love the background fabric, I can't remember the line, but it is has lovely sparkley bits in it, and I am a sucker for sparkle!

Friendship Block Swap #2

The second person in the block swap chose teapots, jars and jugs as her theme. She is receiving a wonderful range of takes on this theme if the pictures on the Popular Patchwork site are anything to go by!

The third theme is 'purples, lilacs, blues and stars' - right up my street :-)

Added Cat Hair?

You know how lots of people advertise items on ebay as being 'from a smoke and pet free home'?

I guess I would have to advertise 'with added cat hair included free' :-)

May Journal

This is my May journal, using beads to embellish and lots of texture with the raw edges of the silk on show. I quite like this, not so much the beads (put on rather too quickly, I admit it!) but for the colour and the texture.

I actually made it at the start of the month, but was thinking about putting more beading at the top. I think it needs something, but for now I am leaving it - it is a sample after all!

I had to get it scanned though, so I could print it off and add it to my calendar. Last December I bought dear daughter a blank calendar (the long thin style), with the idea that she would create a calendar for Grandma with her own artwork for each month - I should add she is 15 and a talented artist, I envy her!

Anyway, December came and went and the calendar didn't get created, so I am using it for my journal quilts, adding the pictures as I go. When the year is over I will cut off the date part and be left with a nice reminder of the quilts throughout the year!

Friendship Block Swap

Another of the swaps I am taking part in is one where we are swapping blocks. Each side must be between 9 and 16 inches, but other than that the only instruction is that they work with the theme the recipient has chosen. This block was sent to Janet who asked for 'Amish style, no black, white or yellow to be used,Any size, Plain fabrics, theme SQUARES'.

(For some reason the pic is sideways - this is becoming a habit, but please turn your head sideways!). I liked the colours so much I made a tiny brooch to go with it - my satin stich could have been neater though - oops!

The next theme is 'teapots, cups and jugs, any colour, any style, anyway you want' and will be going to Ros. My block is finished and I will post a pic (hopefully the right way up!) as soon as Ros has received it. Although I have to make a little extra thing before I can post is, can't show favouritism after all!

Postcard time again!

The latest theme for postcards was family. I chose to think about fabric families and use up my selvedges (I love them, although this picture could be better!)....

...and Cath sent me this wonderful painted card because of all the laundry her family generated!

I can't wait to see the next theme and how everyone interprets it.

Long time, no blog!

I don't even have the excuse that I am busy, because I am off over Easter, however, I have been busy, with lots and lots of visitors and guests!

So, a lot to update over the next few posts, starting with the lovely flowers I got from my DH for our anniversary - see, he does know he has to match the cards somehow :-)

I also helped a friend make her wedding invitations - here are the evening ones, all that needs to be added is the caption. Very simple, but just what she wanted, costing well under £1 each, which was a lot less than it would have cost her to buy them!

I also finally finished my 'convict bonnets' which will be sent off tomorrow - this is a lovely project, to remember all the women transported to Australia - a fascinating idea and something it is nice to feel part of :-)

Beautifully modelled here by my daughter :-)

I made two, one for Johanna Taylor and one for Ann Taylor - as close to my maiden name as I could find!

Pic is upside down, but I so can't be bothered to play with it - can you turn your head to one side while you look at it :-)

Previous anniversary cards....

I don't seem able to find our first aniversary card.... oops, but here are number 2 & 3:

Someone asked whether DH knows what the cards are about - oh yes, I make sure he appreciates the work put in to making sure I get the annual theme right! DH also does know to buy the most thoughtful and appropriate cards for me - it seems only fair, if I am making and he is buying, that he has to read LOTS of messages in cards to find something special :-)

My anniversary card :-)

My wedding anniversary is today - honest!

I know.... but if you start planning a wedding in February, there are a limited number of Friday and Saturday dates available! It is our fourth anniversary (we both had practise marriages first, lol!) and each year I make something based on the traditional 'thing' for the year - well according to some websites they are the traditional things....

So, this is the topper for the fourth anniversary card - linen.

I have made a paper card (year 1), an appliqued heart card (cotton, year 2) and a woven leather heart (leather, year 3) and now this linen card for year 4. Worryingly, I think I am approaching things like wood and tin - no idea what I will do then!

April Journal Quilt

Well, another month another journal - which just goes to show how little time I have been sewing this month, as I seem to have made nothing!

The technique this month was machine quilting, or to be more precise, machine embroidery - the flower in the middle was created out of lots of thread and a piece of white fabric - surprised even me that it worked! Those looking closely will notice that it is still pinned as I haven't finished the binding yet, and to be honest, it is a mini journal as it is A5, not A4 sized.

To be fair, I do like the results, although the technique challenged me and my machine, it was a bit like colouring in with a very fine pen, and I didn't like it enough to make enough flowers for an A4 quiltette. Why not? Well a couple of thread breaks are enough to make me growl, and breaking thread became an issue. I also for some stupid reason, changed my tension between the main flower and the smaller one I began, so that didn't help at all, since it took me 10 minutes and a lot of unpicking to realise what I had done... and I had to remove the foot each time I wanted to put the embroidery hoop under the machine - frustrating when you were unpicking as much as I was!

However, the challenge is complete, roll on May!

Mother's Day

Next weekend it is Mother's Day in the UK and it occurred to me that if I don't get my gifts made, they won't be ready (you would think this was obvious, but you have no idea how many things I end up doing at the last minute!). My Mother in Law isn't a problem as she lives a few miles away, but I will have to post to my own Mother, so I had to get a move on!

The 'bag' is a blank from Hobbycraft that I spray painted pink before adding the front piece. I changed the handles for some pretty pink ribbon with daisies on it, cut out the letters using my sizzix and added the flowers. There is also a lot of glitter glue on those flowers!

I should thank Cathy for letting me use her swiss dots embossing folder last time we visited and for letting me raid her flower collection yesterday - thank you! Go and see her lovely creations, they are beautiful.

I intend to fill the bags with sweets - or maybe a plant if I can find one in the right shaped pot. See, some people would have thought that through first, but where would be the fun in that!?

So uncreative!

I feel like I have been un-creative recently, but one thing I did make is a holder for my rulers - a quick-make, but at least I made something!


I am planning lots of creative things, really... watch this space!

Hexagons of Hope

I have been basting hexagons recently, they are to send to Australia as a gift to the women who have been caught up in the recent fires and have lost their sewing supplies - horror of horrors! My DH & his friend thought that they would be in more need of hammers and nails for rebuilding. I pointed out that I hoped there were boy bloggers out there helping their brothers, my job was to help the women and let them keep sewing - I know I would need something to create if I had lost every thing :-(

I made about 120, I do hope they make someone happy :-)

New fabric makes me smile

The cats are 'helping' me write this, so apologies in advance it it comes out scrambled. Incidently, did you know that if you press CTRL + ALT + arrow key you can flip your screen upside down or side to side? I didn't, until I had to read it upside down after Belle decided to fall on the keyboard and magically change it for me....

Anyway, I've been dying fabric again, its amazing what you can achieve with a white cotton sheet, two packs of dye (a purple and a blue for this experiment) and about an hour. The darkest peice of fabric was dyed for an hour, then the rest were put in at 10 minute intervals so they got 50,40,30,20 & 10 minutes respectively. Don't know what I will do with it, but it made me very happy making it!

I am thinking about something simple with a black/navy background shading from light to dark, just something to keep me occupied, until I have more time for complex projects!

Lovely gifties!

I arrived home yesterday to find the most lovely package from my Secret Pal. Beautiful fabric (just peeking in at the back of the pic) and then the most wonderful set of crafty bits and pieces, wool rovings, silk pieces etc, that are just going to be so much fun to play with! I don't know what I am going to make yet, but I am looking forward to thinking about it!