2018 Wk 36 - bits and pieces

Last weekend was the Church's 'Garden Party' (a village fair really but arranged by the church) in the sister village.  The Vicar's wife and I manned the Stitch stall - selling boomerang bags and talking to people about Stitch (and Days for Girls) and showing the kits.  We sold lots of bags while dressed as Vikings (this year's theme).  We listened to Abba music all afternoon, enjoyed the end of summer sunshine, and took donations of £85 - pretty much a perfect afternoon!

In other news - I treated myself to a EPP template organiser (Amazon think it's a jewellery organiser but what do they know?) and have sorted all my templates

Some of the templates were then used at Chertsey Museum on Friday - we did Quilt As You Go hexies - looking good ladies!

As for me, Lizzie and I have been working on a dozen or so babygros (onesies) and vests - just a little bit fiddly to hoop!

And husband has repainited two walls in our bedroom  . . .

and assembled a corner unit for me as a kind of dressing table

And finally a pic from the lady who one my Black & White & Bits of Bright quilt in a WI raffle - she used it as a picnic blanket!

2017 Wk 49 - Christmas making

I've been busy using up the black and white scraps from the Black and White and bits of Bright quilt , and have make zippy pouches for colleagues

 Then I pieced the rest to make a bit enough block that I could make a few Pythagoras pouches 

So finally I've got my Christmassy packages ready to post - although maybe they will be New Year packages!!

I've finished a few customer orders (although there are plenty left to do)

And I've actually done something for me!  As we are getting to the season of Christmas jumpers I decided to go with a nativity rather than Rudolph or Santa

And in final random news . . .  its snowing

And the kitties are happy with their quilts

2017 Wk 48 - A bit of sewing time

Not really sure what happened to the last three weeks - I was sure not much sewing happened, but looking at photos maybe it was just not much blogging??
This black and white quilt got assembled: just the final hand stitching of the binding until I can call it done

I even quilted it!

And a small I-spy quilt was made for a friend who has just become a grandma.

I painted the girls'house on a bag a while ago - we put stuff in it that is due to go to their house. They wanted one with our house on it for stuff they are returning. Our house may be 'home' but it isn't picture pretty, so instead I took advantage of the fact that it's number 4B and painted this

At Crafty Church I worked a bit on the two quilts, did some crochet on the world's slowest blanket,

and also some English Paper Piecing for a Christmas Star class sample

I started some zippy pouches as Christmas pressies for colleagues

Some shopping has also happened!

piping cord ready to have another go at rope bowls

Leather because . . . well I'm not quite sure but it was a bargain!!!

I have had a go at making a little change purse - suitable for blokes? I'm not sure, maybe a pyrography initial would help? Watch this space

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2017 Wk 40 Bits and Pieces

A lovely afternoon at Chertsey Museum - making Autumn Wraps! We all started with an Ikea fleece blanket. We looked at two different design ideas

Ann made a poncho, the rest made a wrap

Take an Ikea fleece and fold in half lengthwise. Then fold in half width wise to mark the centre. Cut along the long fold from one end to the middle - about 1.5 inches from the fold, so you are cutting out a piece about 3" wide. Arrange so the solid section is at your back and the two thins section hang over each shoulder - you can throw one front jauntily over the other shoulder, and look as fab as the ladies!

Some then went on to decorate their wrap with embroidery, other salvaged the fleece scraps and made flowers

Next I went to Portsmouth to see mum. I gifted her the wrap I'd made - and that was very well received! Look at the fab view from her flat!

I just love when one of the girls comes home and asks "muuuummmmm..."! She was about to meet her boyfriend's baby nephew for the first time - and needed a quilt finished. Luckily it had been largely constructed but needed name embroidering and binding finishing

First problem was quickly solved

And then she got a quick lesson on sewing binding and off she went!

Me? I did some making too - some more of these porthole blocks. I'll take them to Richmond and Kew quilters tomorrow and see if I can work out the best arrangement - should all 4 patch blocks be made with with coloured portholes, or just some? Should the colours arranged randomly (randoku! Thanks Avril - it's a fab word) or in a pattern? Either way I'm loving the blocks

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2017 Wk 14 - Mostly 15 Minutes of Fun

Hope you love this as much as I do!

I've had a busy week working at both admin jobs, and a big delivery of polo-shirts and sweatshirts to be embroidered, so no dedicated sewing time, but in 15 minutes of sewing most nights my black and white charm squares progressed from this

to this (stitched in pairs) (I love love LOVE my "cutting gizmo")

and then to this

and then I have established they can progress to this

I wasn't sure if it would work as it involves a bit of a bodge with the embroidery machine, but I have proved to myself I can make perfect circle porthole applique without the struggle of sewing any circles myself - yippee!!

I just need to finish all the customer embroidery (and join all my two square blocks into four patches) then I can start to plod through my own embroidery and make this fun quilt I have in my head

2017 Wk 13 - Mostly Mono

I've finally had a bit of time to spend in the sewing room - mostly tidying up!!! I haven't even unpacked the linens, but thought I just might cut unto the black and whites!
So this . . .

. . . has become this!

180 black & white and white & black charm squares!

At some stage they will become 45 four patches, which will then have a shot of colour added to each one. (Some are spare as I have no idea whether my cunning plan will *actually* work!)
Fed up with the monotonous monotone I also had a quick play with the flag fabric I picked up - and made two zippy pouches, one for each set of travel plugs we have!

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