August 2026

 At last the crazy heat seems to be behind us, and now we head into September

But first here is photo furtle evidence of my August

Jackie and I had a lovely weekend making Liberty twisted zippy pouches 

I did some more Kitchen Sink blocks

I made a Hoose Wif (well that's how its pronounced) based on a soldiers WW1 sewing kit

And replanted one of my Sallix plants in a lovely (but huge) pot from Niki

Chertsey ladies made chickens

and my sewing machine  graunched to a stop so had a major overhaul

yuck!

We had a weekend in Tavistock and did lots of walking

and I spent the car time starting this i-Spy quilt

Gorgeous grandson in now 9 months old, and is more fun every day

Our monthly craft group, previously known as Crafty Church hasn't been based in the church since before COVID so we though it might be time for a more appropriate name: Ladies and Gentlemen may I introduce you to Mingle and Make

A photo of a baby who received his i-Spy quilt a few months ago . . .

and another of two quilts being delivered this afternoon

And that's a wrap!

May 2026

 The time is whizzing past again and we find ourselves in June.  The heat has been a *little* out of my comfort zone, but I did do some making:

The Chertsey ladies made these woven bowls (thanks Plum)

Two lovely lads did a great job on the last chunk of garden finishing my courtyard

We added new garden furniture and a recycled shed for the cushions.

The Tula Pink giant hexie flimsy was finally finished, and has gone to Sharon to be layered and quilted . . .

. . . which meant I could start on a batik FQ pack she gave me last year.  This is going to be a hand-sewing-on-holiday patchwork, and luckily I was away first with colleagues from over 30 years ago

Half square triangles, 

Flying geese

and 1/4 circle of flying geese

I also took along a sewing project for them to make a vinyl pouch - all completed

A few Gingers for various National days: nurses

bee keepers,

and National Smile month

One of my bonus daughters had a baby boy, so James needed a quilt

Then I went away on holiday again!  I went to Croatia with friends from the girls' primary school.  We all had children in the same 3 or 3 school years, and we all worked as teaching assistants at the school.  It was hot outside, but cool in the house so I had time for sewing alongside the chatting!

Mixed EPP hexies

New York Beauty block

EPP plus blocks

and beach huts

No holidays now until September, so there might be some at-home-in-front-of-the-TV sewing.  I'm not really sure where it's going, but I'm loving the colours!

Keep cool

August 2025

 I finally seem to have a month where I can show some making

Jackie came over and we went to Festival of Quilts with Lisa and did some sewing

I finished a crocheted scarf for my mum

Lovely Janet at church made some baby sets for the under-construction baby

I did some hand quilting on the mandala quilt, but it looks as if you'll have to take my word for it!  It's been put away until the cooler weather though!

I went on a course doing foil embossing - great fun!

I did a couple of shifts at Windsor Baptist Church: we made Trolls and Rainbow Fish

I did a final few patches for Tara

I made these for the new baby: toys but also for photographs to identify their age in days, weeks, months or years.  There will be another cube with those 4 words on (eventually)

I mad a few Gingers for various international August "Days": Lizard Day

And Bow Day

Dog Lover Day

And Zoo Appreciation Day!

Last year I planted dozens of sunflower seeds, replanted the healthiest looking plants, nurtured them, prepared beds for them and planted them in the garden, watered them regularly . . . Apparently for the benefit of the slugs. The few that weren't decimated only grew to 6" and never flowered. This year I have one sunflower plant - it had seeded itself, has been ignored by me (and the slugs?), I never watered it . . . The blinking thing is happy, healthy and taller than me! 

We went to a family wedding and had a great time

(Niki is starting to look pregnant!)

I got ahead of myself with A September Ginger: Talk like a Pirate day on 19th September!

I have stitched an altar topper for the Lady Chapel at Church.  It needs to be ironed, assembled, quilted and bound, but at the end of July it was just fabric off the roll, so not too bad!

AND have completed an I-Spy quilt for a friends new granddaughter

And exciting news for our monthly Stitch and Crafty Church groups:  We don't pay rent for the hall so when another group wanted to pay rent to use the hall every Saturday and Sunday I couldn't object.  The rea hall was a school room (preschool) until last summer then was an unsuccessful boxing club but it finally empty and clean, so the sewing groups and the Repair Café are moving into the smaller hall.  We should be able to leave stuff out, and advertise the space for other craft groups as a studio space - how exciting!!!

And right at the end of the month I attended a Silversmith class with LaJade and made a solver pendant