October 2025

 Well goodbye to October: the year really is picking up speed isn't it! 

I finished this topper for the lady chapel altar: we get the occasional bird or squirrel in the church so like to cover the altar cloth: we are currently using an old duvet cover so I made this

I

 also made a new altar cloth.  I don't have anywhere to lay out 2.5m so I moved into the village hall: we have a desk top ironing board so I could move the iron along rather than moving the cloth!

The embroidery is faint but there

I embroidered a few customer labels

And made a few taggies for some babies that have arrived recently (so many girls!) 

 

I did some hand sewing and made this bunny

Jackie visited and brought this fab nappy clutch for the baby

Nik has been working on two projects:  Obviously the 40 week body building project (less than 2 weeks to go!) and also a pathwork for her husband using the Southampton FC club shirts his dad bought him over the years: Not bad for her first patchwork quilt!!!

I started piecing a general i-Spy quilt then remembered I'd made a flimsy for the baby a while go but hadn't finished it (so that's what I'm now working on, no photos yet)

Niki and George's kitchen looked like this a few weeks ago . . .

And has now morphed into a real kitchen!  Well done Brian and George!

And because this post has been a lot about Niki and the baby, to finish here is the current position on Lisa's needle turn applique QAYG blocks - aren't they awesome

2025 June

June started with a lovely afternoon at Chertsey Museum: ladies brought in their slough bags for show and tell . . . 

and we made Quilt As You Go blocks for the June session

 

I finally decided it was time to replace this birthday chart: it's complicated to add extra dates, and I've always wished it had Birthdays or Congratulations on the top rather than Friends

So I had a fun afternoon with a calk board and liquid chalk pens (I managed to miss a few dates so this needs a bit more work)

I've made some EPP hexies towards covering the peace sign, although I have also removed all the black yarn now.  I need to stabilise the knitting then decide what I'm doing with the EPPs.  It can wait until colder weather!!!

A lovely week in Spain

And a hand sewing project, mostly completed in Spain

I popped over to Lisa's to feed her cats: I just had to take this pic which showcases patchworks and a cat basket that Lisa made

I volunteer with our local Repair Café, and was asked to repair this Platypus (Plucky).  Plucky is clearly very loved but is a bit too damaged to be within my comfort zone.

I have a friend, Heather, who is a bit of a whizz at mending cuddly toys, so I am hoping she can help with advice  or support

  🤞

  

Our Stitch group (www.WraysburyStitch.blogspot.com/) has decided to support local women: We've made up these boxes for the toilets in the local churches and village halls

In my best Bugs Bunny voice, 

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.

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.