2024 May

 Here comes the usual photo bomb of crafty things from my May:

Chertsey Fun With Fabric group brought show and tell in the shape of these cute rabbits we made in April with Stephanie's help

And for May's class we made pinch pouches for scissors or other treasures

  

I made my sample out of a patchwork orphan block and still have some left over so I used it on a pouch for Niki's Kindle which I was using for holidays

I did some embroidery for customers

and helped Lisa bind this awesome quilt.  She had a vision of adding orange, for a while it might have had orange sashing, but it changed to orange backing . . . 

. . . and a flange on the binding which was a first for me

Brian and I spent half of May in Texas at dad's.  Lisa took advantage of us being there and ordered fabric for us to bring back (this is just part of her haul)

I may have bought some too

I did some hand sewing while I was there, a brick I-Spy quilt

And this "Kawandi" style cowl for the winter, and as a class sample.   Kawandi is a combination of 'plonk applique' and kantha stitching

The edges can be turned under but I went with raw edge.  It's all tacked, I just need to start the final stitching

Lisa used up some of her left over orange fabric to trial a quilt-as-you-go mini quilt while she waited for me to bring back her purchases

And I picked up some wool for a few crochet projects

This started as a blanket but then I decided to see if I can make a cardigan.  I'm sure I don't need instructions????

Eileen also bought some wool and asked me to start her off, I may have got a bit carried away!

See you next month xx

2022 July

Hello lovely people - here are some of the things I've been involved with this month.

My Chertsey Museum class made (or started to make) giant Dorset Buttons: I'm looking forward to see how these turn out

I saw a pinterest idea for "making" a jacket - I bought a huge hoodie on Vinted for £2:50 and cut the seams away, and now I'm adding denim scraps - photo to follow!

In the really hot weather I bought what I planned to be a cool tub - but husband had a Heath Robinson moment (or several of them) and added a solar mat and a pump to recycle the water and heat it

Not quite as cooling as I'd expected - but a great place to spend d a few hours on a hot evening!

I met up with some friends for secondary school (we left school 40 years ago this summer!)  So I made a Ginger wearing our school uniform to thank the organiser of the afternoon

and he's been joined by a Welsh lady as a request from a friend: she's a first draft so version2 should be better

I sent to the hair dressers - actually more accurately, she came to me - I went pink . . .

And I went short!

I spent evenings in the cooling garden cutting up a LOT of denim that I have collected /  been donated: I have some plans!!!

I stitch 6 Forget-me-not hexie flowers for the Facebook swap, and 

and have received most of the incoming flowers

Our Community Coffee Morning has finally been graced with the presence of a Library: venry exciting.  It's only open on a Monday morning . . .

But this is where I found my girls on Saturday morning during our Stitch session - in their happy library den!!!

I had a weekend with girlfriends in York, and had been directed to check out three fabric / button shops: just look at this one!!!  I *may* have spent some money (thanks Tara!!!)

The raspberries and red currents have finished in the garden, and we now have blackberries, so more crumble has been made and eaten!

I've been stitching together some of the denim scraps into blocks

and have been stitching these brown fabrics into a flimsy for mum

Much of the sewing has been ten minutes here, 15 minutes there and ideas are piling up much quicker than I can get things done so the sewing room is a dreadful tip at the moment - I will tidy up sometime in the next 18 days as Jackie will be arriving then and there just might be some sewing happening!!!

Keep cool and keep crafting!

2020 Wk 18 - how to find your Mojo

I realised today what had enabled me to start sewing again after last week's slump: look at the computer and see that there is lots to do for the Parish Council (actions from the auditor's report, get quotes for new website and new insurance) the village hall committee (write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting and finish all my actions from the last meeting), the vicar (safeguarding training and a list by month but not year of the parishioners who have died in the last 3 years, plus write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting), and start a new post as hub lead for the Parent and Family Hub for the villages' voluntary group. (I cant believe I have never needed a procrastination label before!)

No idea where to start or how to prioritise these jobs (Amo feel free to organise me) so I did some sewing instead!!!

For the lovely Tara who comes to Crafty Church I made this (she is a scene of crime officer!  Hi Tara, thank you - SOCOs are still working and get to dress like this all year round, nothing to do with COVID 9!))

I made this guy in army camouflage, and a Mrs Mop - another two groups who are still working and doing a great job

 But now I'm out of the right shade of brown, so production has halted

I have had to stop making masks as I'm out of elastic too, but I have been giving virtual lessons, and helping out with fabric

I think I've has this 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' fabric for at least 10 years, with no particular purpose for it so happily gifted it to my friend Jane, whose daughter Polly (who you have met before on the blog) is a teacher in, wait for it, Caterpillar class!!!!

I managed to de-stash, to a good cause, and even better I got flowers and some of the world's best flapjack - still warm from Jane's oven!!!

And a lovely FB comment "With B’s guidance and fabric I managed to make these for daughter, a reception class teacher (caterpillar class!) if she has to wear masks when they go back hopefully she won’t scare the little ones any more than normal"

Also from FB: I made the bus Ginger to acknowledge our super 305 bus driver, but he wasn't on the group where I've been posting the photos.  Someone took a screen shot of it for him and this was his comment

"Just when U think life couldn't throw u another surprise u are immortalised as a ginger gingerbread bus driver.  Thank U very touched"

And yes there is more (obviously really struggling with what to start with for work)  Two nesting felt bowls (for useful stuff)

Delicious fluffy scones from plum's recipe

A super post card from Avril "We may be behind our door and windows but we are still connected"

I've started Hexi flowers for the May Hexi Swap Challenge, and have really enjoyed fussy cutting the fabric

And finally have repurposed a too big lining from a wooden crate into a useful big square bag for crochet or other "stuff"