2010 December

One Down ...

...one to go

The first of Uncle Trygve's table runners has been
(drum roll please)
finished!

Phew! I'm really pleased with it, and although the colours are not ones I would have chosen, I have fallen in love with them (so if he doesn't like it, no problem, I'll have it back!!!)













I haven't progressed far enough out of my comfort zone to have actually quilted it (other than my version of In The Ditch As You Go) but I followed Sandie's Binding lesson on Stash Manicure and L O V E it - the binding is darn close to perfect, and I even managed mitered corners!













3 meters of hand sewing is a bit boring, but I actually watched some TV today while I did the binding, and it does give a much nicer finish than machining.

Now off to finish the Stack and Slash in the same fabrics (or is it a Stack and Whack?) If you know, feel free to remind me of the differences! 

catching up - and bother from my Brother

The list of stuff to be ready for Christmas (for other people) has grown rather than shrunk!

The I Spy Quilt commissioned for baby Charlie has been finished and will be delivered tomorrow,














Two Christmas sacks have been delivered, still leaving 6 to do ... when Big Brother embroidery machine seized up - totally!!!!

I've managed to get each sack 75% made which saves time after embroidery, but is a pain if it goes wrong as it's then wasted work and fabric













I tried using Lizzy's machine today, and that didn't seem to like something I was doing to it either, so I'm back home and I'll have to reduce the designs and stitch them 4x4 on the baby brother instead of 5x7 on the big brother.

First New Year's resolution - look to at least service if not part exchange big brother!

Anyway, happier news - the third Ornament Swap arrived last week and is now on the tree, thank you very much Nelly

2010 November (2)

 

Avoiding the Log Cabin Candle Tree

I have been adopting the suggestion of 15 minutes of play while I am avoiding the Christmas Tree quilt (is this another frog?).

The idea of 15 minutes is just to have fun with no pressure: so for me, whether it is designing on the computer, or stitching a simple embroidery design, or ripping up some more denim... I get my fabric fix and then I can get on with the boring stuff!!!

At home I have been creating other blocks to go with the 18 or so Raw Edge Applique Christmas Trees : just need to decide how best to join them - any ideas?













And at after school club I have getting into Zentangles (and the kids have been doing them too!). Avril gave me the idea as she was doing embroidery that reminded me of Zentangles I don't think I'll progress to the embroidery, but while looking after a room full of monkeys (oops, I mean children) I can doodle :-)

Don't know what I'll do with them though

Post Card Swaps

I've been making Christmas decorations today (but haven't finished trimming, so no photos yet).

I've received my Home postcard swap from Pam K in Utah, USA, made with card, fabric, feathers, beads, photo, text, embroidery silks ... phew - I'm exhausted just thinking about all the work!!!













Thanks Pam :-)

I also received two of the BQL Windows postcards (from Pauline C and Annette in UK) I love the very different thoughts that have been the inspiration for these cards

I won an award!

Teje and her gorgeous Alsatian, Nero, have awarded me a Beautiful Blogger Award... They cant see me blogging in my pyjamas, with my hair unbrushed, but I think even if they could, it's OK as the award is aimed at the blog, not the blogger!

Thank you Teje and Nero

There is a condition to accepting the award - that I have to post 10 things that you didn't know about me. I see the blog really to keep mum and Jackie (my patchwork twin, but she doesn't blog) up to date with what I'm working on, and there isn't much they don't know. However I have some other lovely people who also come and visit my blog and leave comments so maybe the 10 things are more for you guys ... anyway here goes:

1. I was born in Norway, but lived in UK since I was two-and-a-half
2. My Mum, Dad and Brother all live in a different country to where they were brought up: I live within 15 miles of where I was brought up
3. My blog is called SLIKstitches as my brother's wife had their first baby at the same time as I got an embroidery machine, and they signed their emailed S (my brother's initial) L (his wife, Lisa) I (their daughter's initial) and K (for Kodi the dog!)
4. My mum doesn't patchwork but I learned all my sewing skills from her - she is an awesome dressmaker
5. I was politely invited NOT to take sewing at school - so I did cooking instead - now I don't cook, but I do sew!
   
6. in 2009 I offered a bed for the night to a total stranger, known only through a Yahoo group, and she is now my bested patchwork buddy and we have manage to meet twice last year and twice this year at patchwork shows even though this involves trains and planes. (Love you Jackie)
7. My family all have assorted quilts that I have made them (mum, mother-in-law, daughters, cats, niece and nephew all have at least two quilts or blankets) , but we don't have one on our bed!
8. I taught myself to patchwork, and although I have since attended classes, I still do things that are probably crimes to the quilt police
9. My sewing room is tiny: 2.5m x 2.25m (with 1 square m taken up by a built in cupboard) but as British houses are generally small, I am lucky to have this space, and not to have to put things away every day
10. I started patchworking 19 years ago when I was sent a quilt for oldest daughter - and I thought "I can do that" ... actually I couldn't then, but I can now!
    

(my first quilt, now used as my camp blanket!)

Busy Day

As I have managed to get Thursdays as a not-employed day, I bounce from a packed Thursday (visiting mum, Lisa, or whoever) to a nothing-at-all-in-the-diary Thursday - and today was one of those!

I've upgraded two sets of blocks into flimsies,




















I've got my BQL Secret Santa packages ready to go,



























I've done one named fleece blanket, and the next one is on the machine













And baby Hobby's flimsy is as ready as it can be, just waiting for his name














And added later ...

Another three fleeces, hot off the embroidery machine













and another flimsy (I think this one was started about 7 years ago, next stash splurge will see it becoming a charity quilt I think!)













And best of all, STILL no one else is home so I can have a go at stitching out India's rainbow that I've digitised :-) rather than thinking about dinner - yippee

India's towel

S-I-L Lisa, is Australia has emailed me with a request: India starts kindergarten in Feb, and each child needs their own sheet (for nap time) and hand towel - it needs to be named, and the child needs to be able to identify it. Definitely an Auntie Benta job!!!

Indi asked for a princess for the towel, and I'm going to work on that after Christmas as it will take a bit of work, but she asked for a rainbow and her name for her sheets, and I worked on that last night.

This is just a first stitch out: some of the lines need to move so they meet the previous colour, but I hope she likes this! (Yellow is always disappointing in designs like this, but you cant have a rainbow without it, so I think the red outline ties it all together, and next time the violet/indigo/blue need to be more different













I also finished the Christmas Ornament for the swap that I'm doing - they were doing well until I realised I had to have a way for them to be attached to a tree ... so now the Santas have a bullet hole in the hat - not so good :-( But time has run out, so they are going in the post on Monday, bullet hole or not!

2010 November (1)

 

Back from holiday ... to postcards

This is a very brief post as I am seriously sleep deprived having slept three out of the last 36 hours (*), but I had to show these postcards...

These six were part of a swap- I sent six and received six back. The photo shows all six: the champagne glass and the fish arrived while we were away, and were a lovely surprise to come back to














However, my absolute favourite was also waiting for me when we got back














This hand stitched beach scene was made by Lisa, just for me :-)

Proud Mummy!!!

(* fab holiday if you asked - sun, sea, swimming and shopping shopping and shopping, oh and it was good to see Dad and Eileen too!!!)

And here is my favourite of Eileen's paintings (but her bum isn't that big!)