September 2025

Hello again, thanks for visiting!  Let's see what happened in September

A very good friend of my mum's became a great granny, so an I-Spy quilt was, of course needed

The Chertsey ladies made what we are calling Iris bags: the handles were part of the huge haul I collected from Iris's craft house after she passed away some years ago and we had great fun using them and reminiscing about Iris

I made a ginger pirate for National Talk Like A Pirate day!

I took some hand sewing with me on holiday and had a lovely time EPPing in the sun, by the pool, cocktail in hand!

I didn't have quite enough fabric for any of the projects, but there are two baby balls (one for our munchkin, one for spare) and what is going to be a robin - you'll have to believe me!

Sadly my niece went back to Aus after 3 months in UK and Europe: she did fly out in the evening so we had a lovely final day together - what a treat: it was my birthday

My lovely friend Jane made me a chicken for my birthday

And the equally lovely Sharon sent me a most amazing stack of fabrics.  I'm planning what I could do with them but for now I'm having to keep them wrapped so I don't get drool on them!
 

We had a great Crafty Church session in our new Studio

And then the family had a terrarium making session which we all enjoyed 

And now it's October 😳 How did that happen?

2025 February

 Oooops: this only just snuck in as a February post: in a few days it will be April!

The completed quilt for St Peter's hospital has been installed with the current museum exhibition

The lovely Stephanie led a class on teddy bears at the museum: this chap is about 4" tall when standing

I did Gingers for World Chips day

And some ready for Mothering Sunday

I did an astronomer for a Facebook post about several planets lining up

and I made half a dozen cheeky monkeys for a friend who is a stress councillor and works with children

But the best thing of all this month hasn't been started yet.

I have a lovely friend, Sharon, who makes the most amazing quilts, very different to my style.

A few months ago she sent our crafty group a message that she was going to start this applique quilt

https://www.sewhot.co.uk/product/mandalightful-quilt-pattern-only/

I love, love, LOVE it but there was no way I was going to cut out all those pieces - only a lunatic would do that

She turned up on my door with the instructions; the template enlarged to actual size; and Every ... Single ... Piece ... backed with bondaweb and laser cut, and bagged

I hope you understand that I was SPEECHLESS!  I have booked the village hall on Friday so Lisa and I can start playing using large tables

Love you Sharon!

2023 February

 It's been a funny old month - we were finally able to hold M-i-L's funeral, and I've been on and off sick with a 'lurgy', and HRT has finally kicked in: the main side effect is that while I'm no longer overheating my toes feel like blocks of ice!

Any way, I have some photos (as always!)

The Chertsey Museum group had a choice this month - pretty much the same pattern can be used for a small jewellary pouch or a sewing kit /pin cushion

I started a crochet shawl, the colour change is very subtle, but it's starting to show!

I was commissioned bu Chertsey Museum to help with a Go Wild project: depicting the flaura and fauna reored on a site called Chertsey Mead.  I roped in my friend Hayley and she helped design the (originally) 2 part wall hanging

which then became this

I guess I have a moth problem although I have cedar wood coathangers, and have never seen moths in the house, anyway, an evening's darning fixed two jumpers.  Not quite invisable, but at least they won't get any worse!

I have a few pairs of thick knitted socks that I use as slippers, but they wear out.  I have a few pairs that have been darned several times but one pair had been better looked after ... until ...

I thought I'd try something different this time, and got some felted soles and stitched them on: so far so good, and they are even warmer than they used to be!

Hayley and I then went to Chertsey to teach some family learning sessions.  We did explain about suggested sizes, and how while we weren't looking for perfection we were hoping for reasonable colour represention.  Some people really got it, and we had some great creations

A few failed to quite grasp the concept

Anyway, we had so many attend that we have ceated a third wall hanging too.  Now all these flura and fauna are all being sewn on

 

The shawl has finished

and here is being compared to Yve's far more technical crochet shawl.  I made the mistake of upping the order as the wool was on special offer - my shawl took 1 ball - does anyone want another 3???

 

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