2023 January

What did your January look like?  This is my January in photos!

The Stitch group packed lots of kits for Days For Girls

The Chertsey Museum Fun With Fabric ladies made Japanese knot bags

I was gifted this awesome pig in a blanket

I made badges for the scouts who delivered Christmas cards locally

I have been posting Gingers onto facebook - they are based on the National Calendar - this was for the 3rd Monday in January, known as Blue Monday, and the penguin was for Internation Penguin Day - who knew!!!

I also made a pregnant Ginger each for two of Niki's friends who are expecting,

An a couple of dozen 'naked' gingers for the Richmond and Kew Quilters ladies: I'm doing a talk about the gingers at the next meeting, then they all get to take one home and have a go at 'dressing' it

I dont think I showed you my lovely Christmas pressie from Plum:

Which came in its own sleeping bag (actually a FabWrap!)

Nor did I share the fab slippers Lisa crocheted for me: 

I went on a course with Stacey (ooops, have forgotton her surname), who had us FMQing designs to be put together as a tribute to the Queen

The lovely Debbie made me Buddy all ready for next Christmas, thank you Deb

And my awesome sister-in-law got me a whole stack of Tula Pink fabrics that are just at the stroking and loving stage, not the cutting stage!  Thank you Lisa

And talking of s-i-l: we actually got the whole gang together in the middle of January - my brother and his family from Australia, all 6 of us, and mum.  I hadn't seen him or his family since 2011, and Niki had never met her cousins so it was a great treat to spend time with them

Talking of cousins, this is Brian's cousin's granddaughter on her I-Spy quilt - isn't she a cutie!

Our Community Coffee Morning celebrated its first birthday at the end of January, and seems to be transforming into a Knit and Natter group too!  I think there were 6 of us knitting or crocheting and enjoying this a-maze-ing cake!

This is my project: it is actually changing colour but it's a very subtle change

Hope you had a good January and wish you all the very best for February!

2022 November

If I'm posting my November photos it means it must be December - panic!  I won't have enough time to do all thing things I want by Christmas!!!

Some of the Chertsey Ladies brought their felt dolls back to meet the group!  They are so cute!

For November we made slippers from fleece!

We cut a square 12.5" on all sides (we cut them at 45 degrees to the edge) for six 6-7 ish

We folded them in half diagonally, (with the most stretch going around the width of the our feet).We stitched from pointed end all along one side (this will be under the foot) and slightly rounded at the corner and keep going about 1/3 along the second side (this is the heel).  Turn inside out and the open point folds down like this

A friend and I made about 30 A5 pouches for the Richmond and Kew ladies for Christmas.  We used Plum's instructions and set up a production line!  Half a dozen reds for the outside and a variety of linings so hopefully each one differs to the others

I managed to finish this quilt for a friend's 60th.  I did have a few issues - running out of the brown was one, the bias edges on the end triangles all stretched giving a slightly wavy border, and the fleece crept a bit so I had to cut an unused bit off and add it to the gap, but it's super cosy and she says she loves it!

Another friend was visiting from overseas and gave permission to open Christmas gifts way too early!  I was seriously spoilt - thank you Sharon!!!

We had a good turn out for the Paula Doyle workshop and I now have a big stack of blocks to speed date into something beautiful

And then a good turn out at Crafty Church: Lovely to see all the crafty ladies in the hall!

Finally I have made a tote bag gift for a friend who is notorious for needing coffee every hour on the hour!  I don't think she visits the blog, but if so, Sharon look no further!!!!

(just filling in while I'm waiting for Sharon to leave)

I'll be back at the end of the month - if I don't manage to get in touch with you before then I hope you have a great Christmas.  

For a few of my friends it will be a bit of a strange Christmas as people they love wont be home with them: I'll be thinking of you, and if you need a sympathetic ear I'm only a phone call away xxx

 

2022 November Block Special

Richmond and Kew quilters had a great Easy Stack workshop last Saturday run by Paula Doyle.  It's not my place top share her method, but you can see loads of inspirational photos on our FB page.

I'll show you my blocks later, but Paula also showed us how to easily make a 4 patch so I wanted to show you while I remember

Lay out the 4 pieces as you want them to end up.

Numbering them in this pattern

1 2

3 4

fold 2 onto 1, and 4 onto 3 and stitch them: do not cut the thread between, just keep going from the top pair to the bottom pair with a few chain stitches between.  Think of these seams as seam 1

See the chain stitches - leave this intact

Now pivot anti clockwise and flip 3/4 onto 1/2, and stitch.  This is seam 2

Flip over and the question now is how to press?

Snip open the chain stitches, and tug a little to unto the new few stitches (these are the stitches from the chain part of seam 1 to where they have been stitched over by seam 2, probably just 2 or 3 stitches)

You can then fold each seam anticlockwise and have this cute little baby 4 patch in the middle.  This means all your seams are ready to snuggle together when you start joining your 4 patches to each other!

2022 October

 Welcome to a quick whiz through my October: not quite in chronological order that's to Bloogers random processes, but here we go!

We had a "World Café" even at the community coffee morning - loads of people came.  The preschool is collecting children's pyjamas for a charity that wants to give a new pair to every child in hospital over Christmas.  Three of us wore of PJs for the coffee morning to promote it (we collected 18 pairs!)

 

I have finally finished my poncho shawl thing: a bit bigger than I expected, and rather warm, but I still love the colours and it'll live in teh sewing room for when it gets a bit chilly

 

Jackie was over for a few days and we made some bits and pieces: I can't find photos of them all, but these zippy cases are great!  And we had a lovely time!

We taught at class at Chertsey museum: Christmas cushion covers (got to love a roll of Heat and Bond!)

 

 

 

Loads of lovely cushions!

I've been working on an "ocean inspired" challenge: a foundation paper pieced puffin.  He's nearly finished but annoyingly I've run out of grass, so I'm not sure where I am going next!

This Puffin however worked out much better - he's needle felted!

This is the finished (?) denim jacket I was making on a hoody 'net'.  I took it to Richmond and Kew and my friend Jane has taken it to add some buttons!  The patched denim was donated by Cherille . . . it's becoming a group project!

This was a group project too: all the blocks were make by Richmond and Kew members . . . 

and L was delighted to receive it

I made some felted birds

and some felted fairy lights

and the rainbow wrap has reached the right size so is ready to be quilted - if anyone knows where I have put the bag of pearle threads please can you let me know!