A stitch in time...

See, I can still sew!

2011-12-23T09:47:00.002Z

Been busy making Christmas cards and all that sort of thing (mental note, start earlier next time!) and working for a living (it does get in the way!) but now I'm on holiday so I've been busy finishing some projects - daren't do a UFO list, it would be endless!

Someone will be pleased that this was first on my UFO list :-) now obviously these are blocks and not a top, but this is a shared project so I can only progress so far on my own!

Jo

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Busy busy busy!

2011-11-13T18:59:00.001Z

Finally I've spent some time sewing today - something I'm doing too rarely at the moment :-(

So, today I've started making a (long overdue) repair on the first quilt I ever made:

It was made for my daughter when I was pregnant (she will be 18 in February - eek!) and has been thoroughly loved ever since...

You can see the holes in the edges where little fingers have investigated...

So I found a very pretty binding at the lovely Abakhan and am now hand sewing the binding on to protect the edges for another 18 years.

She calls it 'Mummy Love', I suppose I should be glad that, even at nearly 18 and almost ready to head off to Uni, DD wants her Mummy Love repaired :-)

x Jo

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Jingle bag!

2011-11-13T16:00:00.001Z

I've spent some time today adding ribbons and bells to a bag for my friend's little girl -

Hopefully there is enough bling to make a nearly seven year old girl happy :-)

I now have to keep it away from my cat for a week, boy cat thinks anything with ribbons and bells must belong to him!

Jo

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Oh such fun!

2011-11-03T22:39:00.001Z

Just look...

You know you want one!

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Buttons!

2011-10-05T19:25:00.001+01:00

Obviously I need another craft like I need another box of clutter in my crafting space but I couldn't resist this one! Passementerie buttons, made by wrapping blank in thread. Loads of different effects are available dependng on the process.... I might have purchased a DVD to teach me more, ahem.

x Jo

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Crocheting bracelets

2011-09-14T21:17:00.001+01:00

I've been playing again! Bracelets this time, one made with twizzley wire (easy and looks very swish) and two crocheted - interesting project as the wire is more forgiving than I might have expected!)

They are going as a birthday gift, but I think I will be making more!

x Jo

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Couldn't wait!

2011-09-10T20:13:00.001+01:00

Not the best colour balance, but what do you expect at 8pm in Lancashire?

Possibly the funnest project ever, although I have no idea where I am going to hang it!

x Jo

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Too much fun!

2011-09-10T19:29:00.001+01:00

Step one.... add crayons to canvas....

When the silicone has dried I will be melting the crayons to create art - can't wait!

I'll blog the results tomorrow :-)

x Jo

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Too long no blog!

2011-09-03T19:06:00.001+01:00

I know, I suck at this, but I have to share my latest piece of craftiness...

Very inky fingers.......

....creating some very pretty things...

I think it is worth the inky fingers to make something this pretty.... And I don't really need the other 30 ink colours in the series...probably ;-)

x Jo

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Friendly plastic

2011-08-15T15:30:00.001+01:00

I am having lots of fun with this :-)

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FOQ goodies :-)

2011-08-12T09:09:00.001+01:00

I plan to spend the day playing with friendly plastic :-)

I was actually very well behaved, I only bought 3 fat quarters of fabric! I was short on time, so concentrated on being inspired by quilts and creativity rather than shopping - don't worry, most of the companies sell online ;-)

x Jo

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Blogging again :-)

2011-08-10T17:04:00.001+01:00

I've been busy sewing again, so I have something to blog! This is a sort of wall hanging...

It will be used to cover a plastic storage unit which is useful but not pretty...

I'm plan to cover all four sides and the top, with flaps that can be lifted - that way it can be turned around and I can get at the fabric!

Quilt show tomorrow - I plan to come back thoroughly inspired :-)

x Jo

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Fun with felting...

2011-06-16T20:04:00.005+01:00

I've been having a nightmare trying to upload pics from my mobile to blogger, so this is delayed a bit - althought posted twice on another, obscure, blog, that even I can't remember the address for!

I've been playing with felt, picked some packs up at Abakhan on Saturday and wanted to make something pretty.....

I love that the starting point can become so much prettier with a bit of embellishment..... ...and even prettier still when finished off - well nearly, I think I will mount it on a box canvas for the final touch :-)

I love playing with this stuff, I keep thinking of lots of ideas...and lusting after the felting machines you can buy - eek!

x Jo

What am I up to???

2011-06-08T16:47:00.003+01:00

All will be revealed very soon, but let me put it this way, I have justified the purchase of the overlocker!

Jo

Friendly Plastic and Angelina....

2011-06-04T07:27:00.000+01:00

...WOAH!!! What a combination!!! Wanted some sequin waste, but couldn't get out to buy it, so went with the angelina and christelina - how much fun when linked with friendly plastic (mind you, I'm not showing you the piece that stuck to my fingers and the ruler and had to be pried off....ahem)

I used memory wire for the necklace and just curled the ends so it won't scratch...

I made my own jump rings for this, not as round as they might have been, but I think they won't be noticeable so all is well!

The best thing about FP is that it is so light - the earrings are almost weightless!

Made a few days ago, but a gift for a friend, so had to save it until it had arrived!

x Jo

Baby quilt - a quick make

2011-06-01T15:33:00.000+01:00

Just a quick make, a baby quilt for a friend - luckily I knew it was going to be a boy. The pink tinge in the pic is not there really! I love what you can do with a charm pack and a couple of hours!

x Jo

Hope this works Kaspa and Fiona!

2011-06-01T02:21:00.000+01:00

Kaspa & Fiona have taken over my blog for today, because they
need our help.

type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
style="width: 350px; height: 200px;"
data="http://www.youtube.com/v/pTKvJhUMs_0?rel=0">
value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pTKvJhUMs_0?rel=0">

They are both on a mission to help the world connect with the world
through writing. They are also getting married on Saturday the 18th of
June.

For their fantasy wedding present, they are asking people across the
world to write them a ‘small stone’ and send it to us using this form. You can also post the stone on your blog, or facebook or on twitter using the #aros hashtag.

A small stone is a short piece of observational writing – simply pay
attention to something properly and then write it down. Find out more
about small stones href="http://www.fionarobyn.com/wedding/smallstones.html">here.

If you’re willing to help, we’d love you to do two things:

1) Re-post this blog on your own blog any time before June the 18th and
give your readers a chance to hear about what we’re doing. You can
simply copy and paste the text, or you can find the href="http://www.fionarobyn.com/wedding/hypertext.html">html
here.

2) Write us a small stone on our wedding day whilst we’re saying our
vows and eating cake, post it on your blog, and href="http://www.fionarobyn.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=4">send
it to us.

You can find out more about our project at our website, href="http://www.weddingsmallstones.com">Wedding Small
Stones, and you can also read our blog at href="http://ariverofstones.blogspot.com">A River of Stones.

We also have a July challenge coming soon, when we’ll be challenging
you to notice one thing every day during July and write it down.

Thank you for listening, and we hope we’ll be returning from our
honeymoon to an inbox crammed with small stones, including yours.

Kaspa & Fiona

Zips!

2011-05-28T08:34:00.001+01:00

I know they are easy, I always knew they were easy, I just didn't use them because.... well I don't know really!

However, now I really do know that they are easy, and I have the little zippered pouches to prove it! Pencil cases for everyone for Christmas do you think?!

x Jo

Leaving Gifts

2011-05-25T07:18:00.002+01:00

I teach at a High School and yesterday was leaving day for our senior students. They will still return for exams, but it was the last time they would all be in school together.

I have had the same form group for the last five years and wanted to make something for them to remember their time with me and to send them off into the future. I have 24 of them, so it couldn't be anything expensive (DH would have had kittens for a start!) so I came up with the following:

They each had a small purple box (purple being my favourite colour, which they all know!) and in it is a map, some coins, a boiled sweet, some coffee beans, a heart and an eraser. Attached to the lid is a verse. Basically is tells them what I wish for them - the map to show the way ahead, time for coffee with friends, that life will be sweet etc.

Fairly inexpensive to make and a bit more thoughtful than a card - although I am sure the boys were more interested in the cake!

x Jo

More friendly plastic

2011-05-22T18:16:00.000+01:00

The pictures Blogger did not want you to see, lol!

x Jo

Long time no blogging....

2011-05-22T17:17:00.006+01:00

I always seem to find that when I have no time to create, I have nothing to blog, and when I have time to create I have no time to blog!

However, lots of crafty fun was had this weekend with a visit to Aintree Craft Show, lots of papercraft and some fabric offerings, but I came away with friendly plastic! I bought some of this stuff in November at the NEC, tried playing with it and put it to one side, but I am inspired again :-)

There are some other piccies, but Blogger says I can't show them - perhaps I am being punished for my absence!

Anyway, enjoy

x Jo

Another little block...

2011-01-16T10:56:00.002Z

This is Alison's Guiding Light and has 19 pieces, nice and easy to make though! It was made in the week and I haven't managed to make another this weekend (yet!) as I've been waging war on clutter - there are many battles ahead, but I've had some success in the current campaign!

x Jo

Back to Dear Jane

2011-01-05T06:54:00.001Z

I've come back to Dear Jane, having been away for a while.... ironically, it was whilst doing a City and Guilds course, and learning all sorts of new techniques, that I came across this quilt and started to learn all sorts of old ones! My first 'baby jane' finished with about 100 blocks made, when I decided that it wasn't going to be big enough for the bed and we wouldn't like the busyness of all the colours, so I wasn't going to make all 169 4.4 inch blocks - yes, you counted right, 169 blocks! Its here on the blog and as a lap quilt we love it and it cuddles plenty of people up on the sofa, but it was never going to do for the bedroom.

This time I am making 6inch blocks, so I will either make a massive quilt or make less blocks, and they are all going to be on a purple theme (not 'trip around the world' like the original) so I can make them all or some, depending on my mood at the time!
This is M13 'Lynette's Diamond' chosen by DH as the starting point, it has 12 pieces in it - sounds like a lot for a tiny block, but it is nothing compared to some of what is coming up! There will be over 5000 if I make all the blocks!!

http://www.suntoshgardens.com/djblocks.php has a lovely site that shows them all, worth a look if you are ever mad enough to attempt this!

x Jo

Getting ready for next Christmas!

2011-01-02T17:28:00.003Z

See, I'm so organised this year that I am already preparing for Christmas 2011! There are those who might say that I could have done these in time for Christmas 2010, but they are bad people who have no idea!

This will be three little hangings, which will probably button together and although it isn't clear on the pic, the trees on the outsides are in the same fabric. I'm going to stitch round them in silver which I got at FOQ in August. Whilst I know that gold would probably work better, I am on a serious 'use what you have' mission for 2011, sponsored enthusiastically by my husband and, if I'm honest, myself when it took an age to clear the conservatory (where I sew) so we could have a party on New Year's Eve!

Lots of stash-busting projects are planned and nothing new will be bought unless it is a) a gift or b) absolutely vital to complete a project - lets just say, the family might be getting homemade next Christmas so I can clear the stash and buy more!!!

Happy New Year, hope 2011 is wonderful for us all,

x Jo

I love being snowed in.....

2010-12-28T17:40:00.001Z

...it encourages me to get things done!

I've finally got around to making up the kit I bought when I went to a craft show back at the start of November - actually, making up a kit within 8 weeks is pretty good for me!

It had a really clever way of making the mitres, which I found confusing to read about but dead easy to follow when I was actually following the steps with the fabric in my hands if you see what I mean. I'm very pleased with the result and it has become (yet another!) portable sewing kit, a nice big one though which can fit an awful lot in it. Because of the way it is constructed, the sides and base are very stable, so it doesn't collapse in on itself, which I really like about it.

More projects on the way, although the thaw has set in, so I might be forced to leave the house soon - noooooooo!

x Jo

Showed in = lots of sewing time!

2010-12-18T10:28:00.003Z

So I've had chance to finish the jelly roll quilt I started in the summer. I love the colours and the way the whole thing came together - it was taken upstairs by DD practically before the binding was finished! Whilst I love that she loves my quilts, I need to explain that not EVERY one I make needs to end up on her bed! Hopefully the snow will last long enough for me to get some more things finished :-)

x Jo

Friendship Quilt Completed!

2010-12-05T13:56:00.005Z

Well, finally it is finished and ready to hang above our bed - we even have the dowel and the hooks ready, so at some point this year, it will all be done!

I've made my own block as a signature block and I intend to embroider it at some point, although initially I just want to get it on the wall!

I chose to quilt it very simply and let the blocks speak for themselves - they are so wonderfully diverse that I couldn't think of a quilting pattern that would enhance all of them, hence some simple outline quilting to make sure it all holds together!

I love it now it has been completed, I hope the ladies who contributed their blocks like it too :-)

x Jo

Lovely things :-)

2010-08-23T07:46:00.007+01:00

I've been playing and having fun dying fabric - toys from the festival of quilts! The shiny stuff is silk velvet and the duller one is silk noil... I sense a project coming on!

I also dyed some threads (cotton and rayon) with the green batch. I'm thinking reverse appliqued circles and beads - very rich and opulent - in my head anyway ;-)

You'll notice the cat... as DD said, not so much sitting ON the velvet but IN it - he can find the most comfy of all spots!

Friendship block swap at an end!

2010-08-06T09:09:00.000+01:00

Finally, with Kerstin's Jacob's Ladder block, the swap is complete, a whopping 16 months after it began - well done Kerstin for you patience! I will have to get my act together now and actually turn the blocks I received into a quilt!

x Jo

A bag swap

2010-08-01T19:06:00.002+01:00

I am hoping that the lovely Jan has received her bag from me by now - if not it is taking the scenic route! She wanted purple... I am afraid I may have gone a bit pink, largely due to me forgetting which way the accent and main colours work in this pattern - I do hope it suits Jan!

I am guessing the fact that it will hold a lot of goodies at the FOQ will make up for a lot though :-)

x Jo

Great Aunt - eek!

2010-07-13T19:15:00.001+01:00

I am officially a Great Aunt (as in, I hasten to add - the Greatest Aunt in the whole world is my Aunt Jojo - and not any other sense), so a Great Aunt (especially an Auntie going for 'greatest' status has to make a baby quilt.

Yes, young Tyler is a bit young for an I-Spy quilt (two weeks old!) but it will come in for later, and I enjoyed making his first quilt so everyone is happy :-)

x Lady H

FOQ bag

2010-07-13T19:09:00.003+01:00

The lovely Jan (she's on the sidebar, do check her lovely blog!) has sent me a wonderful bag for me to use at FOQ this August - I need to make one for her now!

OH was very impressed with it, until I joked that a shopping list was included (he went a little white then, can't imagine why!)

Anyway, great minds thinking alike, as they tend to do... the cat stood on my bag (I know, but it is hasn't got cat hair on it in our house it.... nope, can't think of anything without cat hair!) and I realised something was in the pocket.... that something being a lovely ATC with this on the back:

Wonderful! I love it Jan, thank you VERY much!

x Lady H

S is for Stars!

2010-07-03T07:06:00.000+01:00

Another alphabet card, I couldn't resist using this, very appropriate, starry fabric :-)

x Lady H

Lilac ATC

2010-07-02T07:04:00.000+01:00

We continue through the rainbow with lilac being the colour of the month - I love all purples, so this was fun to make!

x Lady H

Friendship blocks again!

2010-06-30T07:03:00.000+01:00

I made this at the weekend, but wanted to give it time to travel before posting a pic - hopefully it will have arrived by now!

One more lucky recipient and then the swap will be over - I'm so pleased we all made it though to the end :-)

Friendship Quilt

2010-06-29T06:59:00.001+01:00

Here is the first half of my friendship quilt, it is taking shape - slowly :-)

It will go over our bed when it is finished, OH has even offered to put up the hooks - high praise indeed!

x Lady H

Friendship Block

2010-06-27T16:56:00.002+01:00

I've finally made my own block in the friendshp swap - it seemed appropriate given that I got my blocks last October and we are almost onto the last person of the swap!

I used fabric given me by my Secret Pal last year, so it is certainly fit to be part of a friendship quilt :-)

x Lady H

S is for Sewing!

2010-06-23T19:55:00.000+01:00

I couldn't agree more! Thank you Caz :-)
x Lady H

Lovely ATCs

2010-06-23T19:50:00.003+01:00

Well some more beautiful things have arrived Chez Moi...

Here is a little work of art from Fiona - a purple ATC - the sequins in the middle do move!
And here is a VERY sunny yellow ATC from Dusie - don't know why it looks small, it is actually bigger than the purple one!

They both made me smile, although they also reminded me that I really need to get my act together and make the purple ATC if I want to be up to date with my group!

x Lady H

Long time no blog...

2010-06-21T22:13:00.004+01:00

So.... been a bad blogger again (!) but it was exam season, so I was a busy bunnie!

So... piccies of....

A postcard for the letter C - if you look above you will see all my selvedges with the letter C have been sacrificed to the cause!

Here we have an ATC - it is yellow, so part of the rainbow series.... I used dark wadding, so I am not sure how well it works, but I enjoyed playing with pretty stitches on my Necchi machine!

Here is a tulip block for Jytte - we only have two (ish!) recipients lefs - they have been patient ladies, I really want to get my quilt finished by FOQ when I will see a lot of them!

Finally, here is the 'kit' I was making a month ago, the drummers outfit for DD - looking at the rationale for this blog you would think I would be making historical costumes all the time - in truth, I can't remember the last thing I did! So it is nice to be back in it!

Having said that, I have a piece of advice for anyone making similar kit.... hanging sleeves are a pig to sew - buy a jacket instead and save yourself HOURS of pinning, sewing, reverse sewing and re-sewing!

However, it worked in the end!

x Lady H

Lovely View

2010-05-30T07:26:00.000+01:00

I am deep in exam season at the moment, so there is very little sewing, but here is a lovely view from a walk I took with a friend a couple of weeks ago - it did rain (A LOT!) but the views were worth it!

Friendship Block

2010-05-27T06:57:00.001+01:00

Oops, I am, once again, so far behind I might as well not be in the game at all!

This is the block I made for the lovely Brenda, in the PP friendship block swap. She wanted an oriental theme and 'Japanese Red' as her colours. The picture shows the red to be a little pink, but it is actually quite a rusty/orangey red, which was just what she wanted. I had an anxious wait for it to get to Australia though, who knew an Icelandic volcano could cause so much disruption!

x Jo

Before!

2010-05-25T07:04:00.000+01:00

I just realised that I posted a piccie about how my sewing space had been organised... so it seems only fair to show you what it did look like when I was waiting for the unit to arrive - everything was piled on the sewing table and I couldn't find a thing!

See why I was so uncreative!?

2010-05-22T22:04:00.001+01:00

I can make flowers!

2010-05-22T22:03:00.001+01:00

Crochet flowers are me! Cathy, are you watching :) x

Crochet!

2010-05-22T07:47:00.000+01:00

A while ago I showed you the start of the corchet bag I had made, so it seems only reasonable to show it now it is finished!

It contains lots of spaces for crochet hooks (more than I will ever need!) and can fit a cone of wool in there, although not a full one!The reason it has to fit a cone inside (rather than just a ball of wool) is that I am crocheting a scarf using shell stitch, using a cone of wool that belonged to my Nana. She used a knitting machine, and when she died a couple of years ago I inherited a lot of her wool. It is very '70's' wool (bright and poly!) but some of it is very pretty, and I am enjoying making this scarf, which I will wear and smile as I remember her :-)

x Jo

Yet more things I have neglected to post!

2010-05-20T07:03:00.000+01:00

This was another postcard I made, I sun printed the butterflies (in the little bit of sun we had that weekend!) onto a pretty satin fabric - very simple, but pretty :-) The butterflies that sat on the fabric to mask the dye came from the necklace that I bought and destroyed to make the wealth and poverty card from a couple of months ago - see, I'm right to never throw anything out!

x Jo

M Postcards

2010-05-19T07:09:00.000+01:00

I received this glorious Mask card at the end of last week - they aren't too clear, but there are little beads on the right hand side, so sparkly in the light! There are also beads on the left hand side by the eye. Such a simple, but very effective card!Below is the card I made, hopefully it has arrived by now as I finally posted it on Monday! It took a while to bead, and even longer to come up with an idea and get started, but I really liked it when it was done - hopefully Maggi will too! x Jo

A couple of favourite pics!

2010-05-17T07:05:00.000+01:00

I said yesterday that I had taken pics to illustrate what is in the boxes in my new storage unit....

Well there are beads: Threads of all colours...

And lots of others that I won't bore you with!

Now I am organised, and I can sew!

2010-05-16T21:43:00.002+01:00

I have a wonderful new storage unit in my sewing space, it took a while for it to get here, and then a while for me to organise it (like the mini photos to tell me what is in each drawer?!) but I love it!

I have been busy again, piccies will follow!

Lovely things I received!

2010-05-03T20:42:00.002+01:00

Long time no sew for me, and I am just finishing off sorting out why and I will then post piccies!

However, lovely things arrived for me! Firstly a green ATC - how cute is that? Secondly a 'no sew swap' - i.e. a FQ of your chosen colour... I actually cut it up and sewed it into things before thinking of saying thank you for it - how bad am I?!!

It is now the lining of my crochet bag, there are pockets all around for crochet hooks and lots of room inside for wool and projects - just need to sew in the lining now!

x Jo

Mmmmmmm!

2010-04-22T07:54:00.001+01:00

I got this lovely postcard from Caz - good enough to eat!

Very quiet on the sewing front at my house as I can't get to the machine! Light at the end of the tunnel says that I only have another week to cope - better move some stuff around then - I have swaps and blocks and cards to sort out!

Kind gift from a friend :-)

2010-04-19T07:25:00.000+01:00

My lovely Blog friend Di had a giveaway last month and this lovely apron arrived last week for DD. The fabric is so fun and the apron is lovely, double sided and everything, to contain DD's messy side when baking (she bakes a bit like a husband, using every available pan, but she is only 16, so there is hope she will grow out of it!)

I just LOVE the guitars, especially the purple one of course!

Thanks again Di, we love it!

Rainbow ATC Swap - Green

2010-04-17T07:30:00.000+01:00

I used a piece of green satin that I sun dyed last year for the background to this (well, no sun so far this year!) and covered it with a piece of net. I fastened that down with the little green brads from my papercraft drawer and added the heart confetti. The confetti is translucent and has that green/purple sheen to it when it catches the light. I didn't add any quilting to this one, just satin stitched round the outside to hold everything together. The confetti does actually move, so I have a worry that it will have arrived with it all hiding at the bottom of the card - a gentle shake should revitalise it!

Jelly Roll top done!

2010-04-15T07:18:00.000+01:00

I have finally finished the Jelly Roll top, all the fabric came from the Jelly Roll and I have more to spare. I know I have to get round to the layering and quilting, but I'm just enjoying the top at the moment (I'm not big on finishing projects....!)

I'm particularly pleased with the sashing because it pretty much lines up - not always the case with my sashing, I tend to the 'would a blind man on a galloping horse notice' school of perfection! I managed to only have to join one long strip (the red one on the left), the rest all just had to be matched up.

I even have points on most of the triangles - more surprising than you might think!

Black and white swap quilt - done!

2010-04-14T08:19:00.001+01:00

I've finished my Black & White swap quilt, complete with quilting and binding - I'm very pleased with it and it has been adopted by DD, so hasn't even got a label on it yet, since she has literally taken it off and added it to her bed!

It is very simply quilted, just squiggled all over the backing to the flowers and the yellow centres were outlined and doodled on, it has raw edged all over the front, so should get softer and fluffier as it is washed and loved. The pattern was a gift from a friend at Christmas, so it was nice to find a good project for it.

I like it, and more importantly, so does DD!

PoGo Printer

2010-04-13T07:12:00.000+01:00

I am a bit of a sucker for technology and, especially, gadgets. I don't really need to know what I plan to do with them, I just love them! The 'PoGo' is the latest thing in polaroid technology, a mini printer that will connect to your phone and then print a 2"x3" sticky picture in under a minute using ZINK (Zero INK) technology - in practice this means that you only need to refill with the special paper, not with ink cartridges too.

When these little printers came out they were about £50, which, when added to about 30p a print, made them very expensive for a little toy that needs to be charged after printing half a dozen prints...

However now they are under £20, and so I had to have one! See how pretty it is to see pictures of things that I have made.... I will be like a teenager, with stickers everywhere!

Subscriber Gift

2010-04-12T07:38:00.002+01:00

I recently subscribed to Popular Patchwork Magazine and they were offering two free books for subsrcibers. As a lapsed subscriber, I didn't think I would qualify, but I did, and so my two new and lovely books have now arrived. I have looked at both of them in the past and thought that I couldn't really justify buying MORE quilt books, so I was very happy when they dropped through the letterbox!

Progress on the Jelly Roll quilt

2010-04-09T07:31:00.002+01:00

I am making progress on the Jelly Roll quilt, the blocks are all done, they just need to be sashed and then it can join the WIP pile (only joking, I really do plan to get this one finished quickly!)

I have been good (or mad) and made the bonus squares that Bonnie Hunter (queen of the scrap quilt) suggests in the pattern. These are teeny things, so I am not yet sure if they are going to be a 'bonus' or just a trial!
I'm enjoying makeing quilts again, although to be fair, so far I am just making quilt tops - I had better drag out some wadding and backing and get organised!

Good Cause

2010-04-08T10:18:00.005+01:00

I'm running (or walking!) the Race for Life in June. You can sponsor me here, securely online if you would like to, not only support a very worthy cause, but also motivate someone who is more at home in front of a computer than at the start of a 5K run! I know there are healthy people thinking 'only 5k, ha, a mere amble', but I am thinking 'a whole 5k - blimey, I'll never be able to run that far!' So, the more people I feel the need not to let down, the better!

Jan's Blue ATC

2010-04-07T07:28:00.002+01:00

I got this lovely little lady through the post last week, as part of an ATC swap. I just love her little plaits! I never cease to be amazed at the variety of things we think of when given a theme!

2010-04-06T17:24:00.000+01:00

The latest theme for our postcard swap was 'Whatchadoing?' and the time to share was, as it says below, 3.25pm on the 23rd of March. Caz's DH had just called to say he would be late..... ...and I was in the middle of a lesson on Wealth and Poverty - I thought the scales went well with the theme, and I destroyed a cheap necklace to harvest the chain.

I wonder what theme will come up next!

Joy!

2010-04-06T09:24:00.003+01:00

Maybe it was just tired, but now at least I can sew straight lines! I'll go and reset for quilting in a moment, but I am just enjoying straight lines for a minute or two....

Misery!

2010-04-05T19:28:00.004+01:00

I set up the machine to quilt my black and white swap. I changed the needle, dusted everything, sorted out the tension and quilted the first flower. All well.

Then it did this....

...it keeps doing that, despite me changing the tension and even trying to just sew straight lines with what USED to be the CORRECT settings....

Argh.

I have switched off and will play with it tomorrow, I am at my wits' end about it now, so nothing good will follow from me continuing!

Any ideas about what exactly I'm doing wrong will be gratefully received :-)

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T07:21:00.000+01:00

Blue ATC

2010-04-01T06:40:00.000+01:00

Hopefully this will have arrived by now, (sorry Susan, if not!) but here is my blue ATC for our rainbow swap - eventually I'll have a rainbow of the things - can't wait! There are little beads hidden in the faux chenille, I do hope it arrived with them peeking out and not all closed up and hidden!

Feels like longer - in a good way!

2010-03-31T21:39:00.003+01:00

Today is my fifth wedding anniversary... feels like longer - in a good way! Each year I make a card using the traditional gift for that year - so far it has been fairly easy with paper, cotton, leather and linen! This year is wood, so here are my wooden hearts :-)

Hopefully my DH will realise that I am leaving this page up on the computer for a reason (!) and will get to appreciate his card in person and online - well, I can but hope!

Finally, Jelly Roll becomes quilt blocks!

2010-03-30T07:36:00.000+01:00

Now obviously there are a lot of blocks to go, but here are the first ones - not all perfect maybe, but coming together so nicely that I can forgive the lack of perfection for the joy they are bringing!

I won't be joining them like this, there will be sashing, but I am having fun with these ones :-)

Jelly Roll production line....

2010-03-29T07:34:00.000+01:00

I've found my pattern, now I am cutting out ready to chain piece - I hope the block I've chosen looks as good as I think it will!

Jelly Roll

2010-03-28T07:31:00.001+01:00

Jelly rolls are especially exciting because once you buy them, you get to unroll them :-)

Especially for Cathy, here are the Jelly Roll fabrics all laid out - I love them!

Black and White - again!

2010-03-26T07:26:00.000Z

I've been busy sashing the black and white quilt, its an awful picture (I took it in a conservatory at night!) but the top looks OK. It will have yellow centres (added as part of the quilting I think) but the main body of the quilt top is there.

I do like it, but I have even more nice ideas brewing :-)

Black and white swap

2010-03-24T07:29:00.001Z

This is what I'm making with the black and white farbic from the swap I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. There will be yellow centres in the flowers and possibly sashing - not sure yet. The flowers are reverse applique'd on and the idea is that there will be a bit of fraying when I wash it, so it should end up a bit soft and fluffy. Our niece is due to have a baby in the summer, so it might go to her, although another friend had a baby girl this week, so it might go there - I like making small quilts, so making an extra one will be no hardship, although looking back it has been about a year since I made an actual quilt!

I have of course made lots of postcards, notebooks, journal quilts and the like, but there is something about making something that someone can snuggle under....

Cat Quiltie

2010-03-22T07:20:00.002Z

I've been making a little quilt for a friend. She loves cats and I bought this fabric a while ago, just because I liked it. She is now in the process of adopting, so it seemed like a good time to make a quilt for her (and the child to be of course!).

I was worried at one point that it was going to end up as an ugly quilt, which really wasn't the idea (!) but it turned out just fine in the end.

Unusually for me, I machine quilted it - I'm not confident in machine quilting and because I'm not very good at it, I don't do it very often so I don't get any better! However, this has made me plan to get out my machine quilting book and have a go at the exercises - I CAN do this.....

Even the mitres went well on the binding - I must be doing something right!

Friendship blocks

2010-03-19T07:16:00.000Z

We've been at the friendship block swap for about a year now, and Margaret is the latest lucky recipient. She asked for Hot Summer Colours in a contemporary style. She said to think " Desert Island, Tropical Sunsets or the Heat of Africa". The colours look a bit muted here, but hopefully in person they will go well with what everyone else produces.

Tension!

2010-03-17T07:07:00.000Z

Cautionary tales today. I was about to start quilting the baby quilt I just finished. I set the machine up as I normally do for machine quilting (and by that I mean 'checked the handbook because its been ages since I did any machine quilting'!) sewed a few swirls etc then turned the piece over and saw this mess - eek!

Changing the tension (to nothing like the handbook says it should be like!) solved the problem, but I'm so glad I bothered to do the sample!

Another postcard

2010-03-15T07:47:00.000Z

I love this one - thank you Annette :-)
Life has been a little busy, lots of time to sew, not much time for blogging :-)

Needle Felting

2010-03-13T07:15:00.000Z

A group I belong to is starting to think about needle felting and embellishing. It isn't something I have really understood (!), despite buying the hand tool last year.... however I started to play with it in the week and created this:It was very simple, I created the three round sections and then felted them together, added a brooch to the back and DD is currently wearing it - if a 16 year old will wear it without coercion, it can't be too bad! I need to work on tidying up the back, but it was a case of 'add a pin to it, now, I want to wear it!' so I was sewing quickly.... I'm not sure if this was the 'right' way to do things, but hey, finished is better than perfect :-)

Shhhhhh!

2010-03-11T07:01:00.002Z

I LOVE jelly rolls... ever since I first saw one I have wanted one. I've been good though, I haven't bought one, since I didn't know what I would do with it, so it seemed a bit surplus to requirements..... I know, if fabric isn't surplus to requirements you aren't buying it right...

So anyway, I finally gave into temptation, I bought the jelly roll I have been after for so long.... I still don't know what I will use if for, in fact, I see a couple of months where is just sits there being admired by me! (Looking not touching of course, I don't want to make it fray!)

Why 'shhhhhh' you may ask? Well I didn't tell DH I was buying it, and he thinks most fabric is surplus to requirements, so it is hiding at the bottom of my sewing bag at the moment - don't tell on me :-)

Black and White Swap

2010-03-09T07:56:00.000Z

My new enthusiasm for swaps (or maybe taking on more than I have time for!) led to this lovely squishie dropping through the letterbox last week. First you can see the lovely card that Tessa made for the participants in the Black and White swap - just beautiful, as is the fabric poking out of the card which 'we all just had to have' - works for me! The fabric itself consists of a dozen 10 inch squares in shades of black on white and white on black. I think I need a zingy lime or maybe a raspberry to add to them. I told my 16 year old daughter I would make her a new quilt (the kitten applique I did for her at 6 is a little outgrown now!) so I guess she will have the choice of accent :-)

More pretties!

2010-03-06T10:45:00.000Z

Two more lovelies arrived at my house....Firstly Joan's lovely free choice postcard - I love the feather and, despite it being trapped under net, have put it out of reach of boy kitten - he who loves pretty things - if I don't, I have visions of it ending up loved (chewed!) and in the cat bed! It is much too nice for such a fate, so I will be adding it to my postcard display hanging instead :-) The other lovely thing is one of Jan's bookmarks - she says I can take the beads off - tut Jan, why on earth would I want to ruin it!?

Now I need to remember to put my own bookmarks in the post!

Busy lady!

2010-03-05T17:33:00.002Z

I have been receiving lovely things again through the post. Here are two 'weather' postcards - I love the background on the stormy one - it shines! I also love the 'all seasons' one - the rainbow is made of ribbon.... A detail of the embellishment on Today's Weather - I love that I almost made a rainbow like this on my weather cars - I went with sun on the front and rain and snow inside in the end!

Last weekend I got very busy, make all my postcard swaps, including several to send off to a charity fundraiser...

I also bought some buckram - my postcards are about to get very, very durable!

Sneak Preview :-)

2010-02-24T06:53:00.000Z

I've signed up to make more postcards (love 'em, can't resist 'em and I think postmen and women deserve to deliver nice mail from time to time, so there!) so here is a sneak preview...

Another ATC

2010-02-19T08:51:00.002Z

This little beauty arrived this week, all the way from Germany. Thank you Kerstin!

Postcards

2010-02-15T06:15:00.001Z

I had a look at my postcard collection today - I love the variety of different techniques and methods that people use on these little beauties, and I love how quick they can be to make - so much more satisfying that a full size project when you need a quick crafty hit!

I don't know about you, but life and work keep getting in the way of my creative time, so quick hits are all gratefully received!

Postcard Swap

2010-02-13T06:15:00.001Z

I've made this postcard for the final round in the PP swap - hands and feet. Here someone has lost one of their mittens, I can only imagine what has happened to their wellies!

Friendship Blocks

2010-02-10T21:35:00.000Z

Our Friendship Swap is still going strong, here is my block for Kim, who wanted Sunflowers on a pale blue background. I have had the flowers for years and appliqued them onto some hand dyed fabric. I hope she likes it!

Long time no blog!

2010-02-07T16:02:00.003Z

I've been busy, honestly, but not really sewing until yesterday! I spent three weeks over Christmas and New Year with a chest infection (and if they had been as willing to give me antibiotics over the phone as they were Tamiflu two days after Christmas, I am sure it wouldn't have lasted for as long!).

However. I have now been a busy lady, making ATCs, postcards, friendship blocks and all sorts of things - it was very nice to feel creative again. See here - all the envelopes that need to be posted!

I received this lovely ATC from the lovely Maggi and below is one of the ones I made - don't look if you are expecting one from me, unless you don't want a surprise! Maggi's ATC is truly lovely, you don't get the full benefit of the texture on this on the screen, suffice to say that even DH was impressed - high praise indeed!

For mine, I used some pieces of silk that a friend gave me as part of an embellishment pack, the border at the base was from the same pack. The pearl bead/button fringing is something I have had for ages, you know when you need to buy something, but you have no idea what you will ever use it for? What am I saying, you are reading a crafty blog, of course you do!

Enjoy, hopefully I will be back at the sewing machine long before another six weeks have passed!

Snow!

2009-12-23T15:13:00.004Z

Like everyone, we've been snowed in (well, hubby can get to work, but I'm quite happy sewing not shopping, so as far as I am concerned, I am snowed in!) and this is what DD created:

She had a lovely time, arriving home only to put dry clothes on and eat occasionally. She's 16 in February, so it was nice to catch a glimpse of the child that she won't be for much longer!

Friendship Block Swap

2009-11-15T09:08:00.004Z

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 :-)

My generous pal!

2009-09-30T18:30:00.003+01:00

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!

2009-09-27T18:22:00.003+01:00

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...

2009-08-08T08:58:00.000+01:00

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 :-)

2009-08-06T18:49:00.003+01:00

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

2009-07-16T20:55:00.004+01:00

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

2009-07-10T18:43:00.003+01:00

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

2009-07-09T15:02:00.003+01:00

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

2009-07-03T07:05:00.000+01:00

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!

2009-07-01T07:05:00.000+01:00

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!

2009-06-29T19:40:00.004+01:00

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!