2020 Week 39 - Gingers Galore

 Halloween is approaching!  The friend who organised the "We're all in this together" Facebook events in the two villages (that fueled the Gingers sensation) is now planning a Pumpkin Trail.  It's obviously not safe for the kids to be accepting sweets from residents who may be inadvertently passing on the virus so we are at least hoping to give them all a number of displays to visit.

Of course this means Pumpkin and Halloween Gingers!!!

About the same time I was commissioned to make a Halloween quilt, so I might have made some more Gingers but as applique rather than hanging ones

What you cant see is that for the spider's eyes and around the letters in the name I have used glow in the dark thread!!!  I couldn't do more as this was the last few foot of precious glow thread that I've had for ages, but it was such fun to use I've given in and bought other spool

The quilt is looking good, just need to finish the binding.

But it's not the only one!  There are three waiting to be done!

Continuing the ginger theme . . .  yesterday was my birthday - I got two hand drawn Ginger cards from little fans in the village, and 5 Ginger Birthday themed images and GIFs from friends on Facebook!!!

I've clearly got myself a reputation!!!

Other birthday pressies included a painting by numbers kit (and a promise of a painting session with the girls one afternoon as they have one each too), a note book with a hand made hexie themed cover from Plum, a rock with an ammonite fossil in it (found and gifted by paleontologist God Daughter) and a beautiful carved wooden candle stick from a 'pre-loved' furniture barn near Lisa's new house

And a gorgeous bunch of flowers from Jackie!

2020 Week 38

Going away for a short break means packing hand sewing stuff!!! 

I tacked a whole load of EPP triangles and managed to join some together

I've started a cross stitch (a bit boring so far but it will grow)

We did a family jigsaw - none of us really enjoyed it!!

And admired Lisa's Persian tiles crochet as she added the cream border

Whe we got home again Lisa and Jim had finally exchanged contracts!  So in a few weeks the kitties will be goinmg to live with them - I made them each a little quilt to take with them!

They seem to have been approved!

Also receiving a feline seal of approval is the Plus Quilt which I though was there waiting for the biding to be stitched down in front of the TV - but clearly it was there for a different reason!!!

There has been some embracing of one's inner Hippy!

Hair might have been dyed

And clothes might have been tie dyed (not so much of the tying though)  Double Dye isn't too much is it????

And finally for today - *another* friend has become a granny!  So another quilt has gone int the post!  This one is from Jackie and me to a lovely friend of ours

2020 Wk 26 - the last few weeks

I finished the centre panel of this crochet and planned to crochet borders around it top make it bigger, 

but I think I started with too many border stitches so it's becoming wiggly at the edges

So I asked my quality control assistant and she declared it finished - so there is a whole other ball of pinky orangy wool if anyone can think of a use for it

I bought a ball of very bright colour change wool and (because I am definitely running before I can walk) bullied both Tara and Lisa into starting me off on this spiral (A pattern?? What's that?)  I'm totally guessing where to do two stitches on one hole, and although I've got further than this its too lose on some places and too tight in others - Lisa is coming over today so I'll get her to help me again!

I had a fab care package from Plum a few weeks ago and very rudely didn't post it here: lovely goodies, thank you Plum xxx

The purple fabric was immediately put to good use to eek out the purple I had, to make two sets of bunting for two sisters

Finally the last of the posted quilts has arrived at its destination!  Hello Theia - I hope you like it!!!

The Facebook Hexi swap has started up again, so we are swapping the back log: lovely to be getting hexies in the post - I have quite a stack of them so need to start thinking about what to do with them!

I've been doing some organising: felt scraps into baskets by size so I can have a chance of using up the smallest bits rather than keep cutting into large sheets

And the ribbons got sorted too (there are two card disks and a key ring split ring between each spool of ribbon so as I pull one only that one moves!

And I have been sewing squares together!  The corners where the blocks meet are thicker than they should be - I'm not too great at trimming away excess fabric, and I'm cross with myself for not making another ten blocks to even up the pattern, but there isn't enough of that black left and I've fallen out of love with it so it can be finished and then go to Project Linus

Hope you are all keeping safe xxx

2020 Wk 19 - sorting stuff!

I have dug out various UFOs that have been stored in all sorts of places.  This pile is flimsies waiting to be attached to fleece

This pile is waiting to be hand quilted or hand finished

This one was a quick win - I quilted it whilst listening to an audio book this afternoon, whilst also attending to Lizzie with her embroidery, and the binding was already cut so that has now been attached - another hour or so in front of the TV and this will be finished.  I cant find that I've blogged about it before: I am fairly sure they are Aldi fabrics from Jackie.  Gorgeous bright spring colours

It can join the various piles of stuff in the sitting room: you might have thought I was content with having the biggest room in the house for my sewing room but that is clearly not enough room!!!

Lizzie has been working on pre-school polo shirts: It is really lovely not to be working on the burgundy for a change!

I have finally completed the last dark row of this and have decided to call it a day.  It is in the flimsie pile

A quick make: my niece in Norway had her second baby last week.  I made this quilt for number 1, Saga, and thoroughly enjoyed embroidering her name in usual letters and how it would be written in Viking runes, and also in runes type letters.  Her new sister is Theia, and Great Grandmother explains "Both names have a mythological background: Nordic and Greek, fit together well: Saga and Theia, it seems they have made a good choice."

So having gone Viking on Saga's quilt I felt I have the opportunity to go Greek on Theia's!  There is even a small patch of Greek fabric!

And I embroidered her name in Greek looking letters, normal letters and Greek letters! 

I will post it with crossed fingers: things are looking better on that front.  The first American quilt was delivered and well received (Step Mom's comment is on this post) and the Irish quilt has been received, and the second American quilt is being tracked.  The Aussie quilt - no news :-(

 Basil has been stitched back together and I made him a onesie to protect him for damage for a while

 I've been doing a bit of baking - Cheesie Marmite swirls went down well at the VE Day party, along with the bunting made for the Queen's birthday 4 years ago

And Kay and I made no-knead bread which was better than expected

And husband and I went out, together, in public, and saw people!!!!


Not quite a date night, and not breaking any rules ...


We went and gave blood!

2020 Wk 14 - Finishes!

Some projects have moved from the UFO pile to the Finished pile - yippee!

This jelly roll race was bound, finished, gained a label, and went in the post to Australia

 This lush Kaffe Fassett creation had been bound and finished

And this has made it to flimsy stage, and fleece has been ordered for the backing

 In other news - the garden table has had another coat of varnish and is looking amazing

 And I *LOVE* getting pics of little people using the quilts that I made for them!!!!