October 2026 - Craft Escape

Hello and welcome to this month's roundup.  Hope you've had a good October

I didn't do much making at home but had a whole week booked in the middle of October: I took over the studio at the village hall and invited crafters to join me.  The take-up wasn't huge - six people - but we had plenty of space, lots of encouragement, chat and coffee!I took along 3 big ikea bags of things to work on!

I did some hand quilting on the Mandelightful quilt

I moved two I-Spy quilts along so they just need trimming and binding

 

Made a big lined project bag 

basted and quilted an EPP flower garden, now it just needs binding

trimmed 70 or so log cabin blocks and decided how to arrange them

Cut a LOT of small pieces to a tilda instruction sheet some as small as 3/4" square! . . .

and made this!

I had a charity shop hoodie but with an Adidas logo so I covered the logo . . .

then bound the hood and the pouch openings to make it looked as if the added fabric belonged

I've made one bootie for gorgeous grandson, just need to try it on his foot before I make the next one

I started on a jelly roll quilt: I didn't have fabric but amazingly Lisa had some spare fabric that  worked brilliantly with the bits I had - this is half of it

I also managed to take up some dresses and make them into tunics, and lengthened a short pinafore dress

A few photos of other creations too ...

Once home again I did some embroidery for a friend,

And I may have bought some wool!  A friend and I went to a local fabric shop (Lady Sew and Sew in Henley) and I'd forgotten they sold wool too.  We have this blanket on our bed: I love it but it doesn't have the calming vibe I want

there is a Janet Claire quilt hanging on the fireplace as a head board, and I *love* the colours so this was my inspiration.  I had the matching wools in an online wool shop basket on my phone but it was great to be able to see the colours in real life 

So here is my wool selection . . .

and here is the start of my new blanket

This was the Chertsey Museum's group making applique coasters  (thanks for the idea Plum)

September 2026

Hi, welcome to my corner of blogland.

Gingers have been acting as #Craftivism ambassadors: reminding people about Talk like a pirate day, sewing month, prostate cancer awareness month and honey month amongst others

September was a hand sewing month for me - due to nearly half the month we were in Norway.  This was our home for some of that time.

Fabulous to be able to sit and admire the view and sew!

Even an on-board iron so I could press seams!

Luckily I brought another project too!

And some embroidery too, since made into zippy pouches for friends' birthdays

I loved this reflection of the shop in an office window

We saw SO many small red boathouses, this was my favourite

There were amazing waterfalls too

Soon after we returned it was my birthday.  I got this lovely sashiko set from Plum

And this beautiful elegant pot for lavender from Lisa and Jim

And now apparently it's October already - although the weather is still perfect!

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