August 2026

 At last the crazy heat seems to be behind us, and now we head into September

But first here is photo furtle evidence of my August

Jackie and I had a lovely weekend making Liberty twisted zippy pouches 

I did some more Kitchen Sink blocks

I made a Hoose Wif (well that's how its pronounced) based on a soldiers WW1 sewing kit

And replanted one of my Sallix plants in a lovely (but huge) pot from Niki

Chertsey ladies made chickens

and my sewing machine  graunched to a stop so had a major overhaul

yuck!

We had a weekend in Tavistock and did lots of walking

and I spent the car time starting this i-Spy quilt

Gorgeous grandson in now 9 months old, and is more fun every day

Our monthly craft group, previously known as Crafty Church hasn't been based in the church since before COVID so we though it might be time for a more appropriate name: Ladies and Gentlemen may I introduce you to Mingle and Make

A photo of a baby who received his i-Spy quilt a few months ago . . .

and another of two quilts being delivered this afternoon

And that's a wrap!

July 2026

So July has now gone: I always thought August was the hottest month but I really hope not!  I'm happy up to about 25 degrees,  but this over 32 degrees stuff is no fun!

Unfortunately the sewing room is in the loft so has been too hot, but I still have a fair number of crafty photos to send your way!

Chertsey ladies made the Val bowls

I'm drying lavender from the garden for the next Chertsey session

I made Norwegian and English gingers ready for the FIFA semi finals

and a vest for gorgous grandson to wear

I met with Vicky and Plum for a sewing session at Richmond Museum - but had forgotten to bring any sewing.  Vicky very kindly produced a kit for a HouseWife - a sewing kit used by soldiers during WW1 and WW2.  I love it!  Thank you Vicky

I ran a bag making class at the village hall: 9 ladies attended and all made 2 bags, some managed three.  It was a lovely evening

I did some work on an old 1.5 inch squares blocks postage stamp project.  I plan to leave them on the sewing bench and use them as enders and leaders, hopefully it will grow a bit this year

I've prepped some baggies for the kitchen sink hand sewing project, ready for my holidy at the end of August

and made a packable flat needle case / pin cushion

A friend now has a new grandson, so here is Ronnie's I-spy quilt

And a cousin also has a new grandson so I made him a quilt to match his sisters' quilts (search Saga and Theia if you want to see them too)

I helped a friend decorate a school shirt for her youngest's school leavers day

and I updated another friend's scout camp shirt from a cancelled camp (covid) to the replacement camp

I also made gingers for all the kitchen staff at the camp

all 36 of them!

Lisa, Jackie and I went to Festival of Quilts.  We may have done some shopping!  

And we spotted Plum's (not a) clothes moth

June 2026

Hello and welcome to the June furtle 😊

I have been away (Croatia, lovely, hot, but a swimming pool just *there* made it so much more comfortable than being in the blistering UK heat!) and, of course, took hand sewing with me.  The Rainbow Kitchen sink blocks have multiplied:

The Chertsey Museum ladies made reversible cutting / pressing boards

I reduced an *enormous* pile of unused prepared binding and joined it into a single piece that felt it could reach to the moon and back

and then joined it end to end and made a jelly roll race quilt top.  Not finished yet but a fairly quick fix if a need an adult / teenanger quilt

I have been making Gingers based on National Days: in June we had a Yoga Day (21st)

Blood donor Day (14th) 

and Cycle awareness (18th)

#Craftivism 😊

I helped one of my favourite teenagers prepare her school shirt for Leavers Day: she designed this and stitched it on the embroidery machine and then used fabric pens and paint to add the other details: didn't she do well!!!!

 

I've prepared some samples for a class I'm teaching in a few weeks time . . .

and ChatGPT created a lovely poster for the class  

May 2026

 The time is whizzing past again and we find ourselves in June.  The heat has been a *little* out of my comfort zone, but I did do some making:

The Chertsey ladies made these woven bowls (thanks Plum)

Two lovely lads did a great job on the last chunk of garden finishing my courtyard

We added new garden furniture and a recycled shed for the cushions.

The Tula Pink giant hexie flimsy was finally finished, and has gone to Sharon to be layered and quilted . . .

. . . which meant I could start on a batik FQ pack she gave me last year.  This is going to be a hand-sewing-on-holiday patchwork, and luckily I was away first with colleagues from over 30 years ago

Half square triangles, 

Flying geese

and 1/4 circle of flying geese

I also took along a sewing project for them to make a vinyl pouch - all completed

A few Gingers for various National days: nurses

bee keepers,

and National Smile month

One of my bonus daughters had a baby boy, so James needed a quilt

Then I went away on holiday again!  I went to Croatia with friends from the girls' primary school.  We all had children in the same 3 or 3 school years, and we all worked as teaching assistants at the school.  It was hot outside, but cool in the house so I had time for sewing alongside the chatting!

Mixed EPP hexies

New York Beauty block

EPP plus blocks

and beach huts

No holidays now until September, so there might be some at-home-in-front-of-the-TV sewing.  I'm not really sure where it's going, but I'm loving the colours!

Keep cool