2025 March

 What can I tell you about March?

I retired from working from the church (thanks you Niki and Plum for my lovely cards), although I still seem to be doing some of the same stuff but as a volunteer😂

We had a lovely 10 days in Lanzarote with blue skies and sunshine

And this pile of mini hexie flowers . . .

Finally started to fit together

(Not sure what it will be mind you!)

Niki's flat sale and house purchase seems to have stalled sadly, but the New Home (Hive) quilt top has been assembled and is ready for quilting then binding

I started looking at all (some) of the unfinished projects laying around various rooms in the house, and listing them: I don't even have enough magnets to put them all on the board, but at least now I can't say I don't know what to next!

So with a to-do list like, that the obvious answer is to start a new project!  This was near the top of the board so I don't feel too naughty!

The lovely Sharon brought all the shapes pre-backed and pre-cut and it only took 2 afternoons to be assembled and ironed into place.  Thank you Lisa and Brian, and all the Crafty Church ladies for helping

I'm now negotiating with a long arm quilter to get it finished - watch this space

And finally the UK had Mothering Sunday at the end of March so I made a few dozen of these for the visitors at church.

2025 February

 Oooops: this only just snuck in as a February post: in a few days it will be April!

The completed quilt for St Peter's hospital has been installed with the current museum exhibition

The lovely Stephanie led a class on teddy bears at the museum: this chap is about 4" tall when standing

I did Gingers for World Chips day

And some ready for Mothering Sunday

I did an astronomer for a Facebook post about several planets lining up

and I made half a dozen cheeky monkeys for a friend who is a stress councillor and works with children

But the best thing of all this month hasn't been started yet.

I have a lovely friend, Sharon, who makes the most amazing quilts, very different to my style.

A few months ago she sent our crafty group a message that she was going to start this applique quilt

https://www.sewhot.co.uk/product/mandalightful-quilt-pattern-only/

I love, love, LOVE it but there was no way I was going to cut out all those pieces - only a lunatic would do that

She turned up on my door with the instructions; the template enlarged to actual size; and Every ... Single ... Piece ... backed with bondaweb and laser cut, and bagged

I hope you understand that I was SPEECHLESS!  I have booked the village hall on Friday so Lisa and I can start playing using large tables

Love you Sharon!

2025 January

Happy New Year from my corner of Blogworld

My January furtle is looking a bit sad - despite January feeling like it lasted over 3 months there wasn't much creativity going on

I did manage a few Gingers for Big School Bird Watch,

International Book Reading week

and RNLI SOS day

And a few for a friend who is an organiser for Gerard's Cross Summer School

The St Peter's Hospital "untold stories" patchwork which last looked like this

Now looks like this

And is in situ at the museum (without Brian 😂)

Brian is being used again this month . . . this time to show the size of the New Hive quilt under construction

And this is Myrtle the Turtle: she's a sample for the March class at Chertsey Museum.  She has a toweling  belly and lives on the kitchen floor to mop up spills! 

Well, in the words of Porky Pig (Looney Tunes) "That's all Folks"

2024 December

 Happy New Year

I hope you had a lovely Christmas

My December in pictures looks like this:  Lisa and I are working on a quilt for Niki and George in the confident belief their flat will sell and they can buy a house..  It will mostly be white and yellow, and bee themed, but we are incorporating a few letters too:  Growing gradually it will eventually spell New Hive

The Chertsey ladies brought in finished fabric bowls for Show and Tell

And spent a session making macrame santas

and Christmas trees

I was commissioned to make an apron for the florist at Windsor Baptist Church

and a ginger with a colostomy bag!

We had loads of volunteers to help make Christingles the night before Christmas Eve

and they all got a "thank you" ginger

For Christmas I received this gorgeous duck - thank you Stephanie

And from the family  and friends I received lots of crafty things - I was sure I took a photo but apparently not🙅

The great niblings came to visit.  Master S had a great time with Brian playing computer games while Miss L and Miss N did some needle felting

 

I have actually managed some sewing this month - not for me but for Chertsey Museum for their "St Peter's Hospital Untold Stories" project.  Museum staff have carried out hours of recorded interviews, and commissioned me to lead some family learning sessions and help people decorate squares of fabric with their own images inspired by their hospital story.

I've then been joining them together for a wall hanging to go on show at the museum.  Not finished yet, but close.

2024 November

I'm working on a great project with Chertsey Museum: they have been collecting memories of Chertsey Hospital, including inviting people to decorate a square of fabric ready to be made into a wall hanging:  the squares are all still mounted on backing paper at the moment but they are looking great!

We had a lovely Willow Weaving session at the hall:

Lizzy made some quilt labels for a customer:

and I did some trial embroidery on a boot (I think I see more of this happening!)

Lisa and I are making a patchwork for Niki and George: mostly bee themed fabrics as Grandma Eileen donated the fabrics (she keeps bees) so we thought we'd make a new home quilt for when they (hopefully) move in the spring.  Difficult to see yet but it will say New Hive!

All the fabric has been cut so it will be as big as it will be!

Meanwhile Lizzie has been busy - Gingers in the uniform of the local senior girls school for their PTFA

Gingers holding Christingles for the volunteers who have offered to help make the Christingles just before Christmas Eve

And gingers holding traditional Norwegian Christmas hearts for friends and customers

And finally a very belated house warming for Lisa and Jim (Google maps don't show quite the same angle, and the roof over the front door has now been painted!!)