2021 Week 38

This week showcases holidays and stuff - yes: for my family it was a real holiday: paperwork to the nth degree and Covid tests then a plane to Malta where they had a great time

I went to Swanage with girlfriends instead - we also had great weather and actually went swimming in the sea too, although I did think my heart stopped when I went under!

We stayed in a lovely airb'n'b with patchworks on the sofas in the bonus room - pretty darn prefect I reckon!!!

I completed my hexie flowers for the monthly swap (striped flowers for September)

And received these back (plus another one but it must have been camera shy!)

I thought I'd share my FAVOURITE type of phone - a munchkin sitting on a Benta patchwork!  Thank you Janine, she looks gorgeous!!!

This one hasn't gone to it's munchkin yet, but has been collected by his great aunt so is on it's way

I really am rubbish at taking photos but this gorgeous necklace arrived for my birthday.  It's fob watch repurposed into a sewing themed necklace

It arrived accompanied by these gorgeous goodies too

And possibly the best bit of all is that they all came in the arms of BBF Jackie who braved the red tape, the mask for hours, and the plane to visit

(and I can't even add a decent photo!)   We had an amazing weekend, so much sewing and chatting!!!  We made almost a dozen zippy pouches (semi circular and boxy) but I've just realised they've nearly all been gifted before being photographed!

2021 Week 14

 Hello lovely people in blog land, how is your corner of the world?  Mine is doing OK!

Our savings are invested in premium bonds and husband loves to check each month to see what we've won - just look what we won on 1st April.  Convinced?  Sadly it was an April Fool's joke!

I made some Easter Gingers for my sitting room window, and dropped some more Easter Egg versions to my little Ginger Fan club members

Along with lovely Thank You cards and messages I got 2 photos  of Ginger Collections!  Don't they look great!

Our village We're all in this together" group celebrated it's first birthday, so needed a ginger

And oldest daughter celebrated her (ahem) 30th birthday - she got a crochet blocking square, crochet hooks and a storage case for her hooks

Youngest daughter was given some second hand netball bibs (could mum please fix the elastic straps!) so i also made her a bag to keep them in - I love the name of the team!!!

If you want a good book I thoroughly recommend this one.  The first 90% was great but I was getting anxious as to how she could possibly wrap it up before the end then Oh My Gosh!  I cant tell you in case you read it, but if you do please let me know, I'd love to be able to talk to someone about it!!!!

And "someone" sent me a card, a little pouch and some chocolate for Easter - thank you Jackie!  I cant begin to tell you how much better my life is for having you in it (and what utter cr@p it is that we cant meet up!)

I spent a morning with young D who has been learning machine embroidery for her skill section of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme (Rest In Peace, sir, I hope you knew what an amazing legacy this scheme would be)

She designed this bunny

and we tried to stitch it out but my old portable machine clearly needs a service, 

so I stitched it out at home for her

I have a collection of much loved Chambery summer shirts - some are nearly worn out, and others have shrunk in the wardrobe (!)  One was neither - it's problem was that it was too short.  So I took a deep breath and cut up all the shrunk ones, and the bits of the others that had some life left, and lengthened the short one

There are raw seams top and bottom, but I'm rather chuffed with the method I used to join the strips as there are no vertical raw seams

There was some darker Chambery left when I'd finished and I had some yardage that was slightly too dark for the shirt too (left over from this previous adaptation:)

 

And there was a denim pinafore that I loved but was too short to wear with leggings and too long to wear with jeans - so flushed with success I'm lengthening the pinafore too!

And finally a finish (that's gone back on the to-do list!)

The binding fabric arrived, and the quilt was bound . . .

And then I realised one of the spirals was missing on the left hand side!  Luckily it's still do-able even after the binding has been added - phew!

2021 Week 4

 No end in sight to Lockdown 3, no travel plans, no day trips, no meeting family - all a bit dull!

So I might have bought myself some wool!!!!

But no chance to start it yet - a local charity have ordered a gazillion of these... ideally by Thursday so Lizzie and I are going to be BUSY!!!

I managed to get this quilt embroidered and then delivered while I was out walking  a few days ago

And I made these cheerleaders for the Keep Moving campaign

We had snow!  Most people headed for the shed to get wellies and sledges . . .  me?  I headed for Lizzie LOL

One of my lovely warm Norwegian jumpers had a hole in it so I did a bit of darning, visible from the inside

but not from the outside!

Lizzie has finished quilting this for me.  We installed her FMQ table and it worked really well supporting the weight of the quilt.

Back to Lizzie and the gingers (they are finger puppets - a cute idea) and I'll see you on the other side!

2020 Week 52

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas - probably not what you are used to, but most of the year has been like that!

I had some lovely crafty gifts - thank you!  A map making DVD from Plum (watch this space), a needle keeper and a chocolate sewing machine (yum) from Avril.

I finished another julenissen for us:

and have completed this flimsy.  I'm a bit cross at the way I've arranged the colours, but it is what it is!!!

Looks good hung up with lights behind it - almost stained glass!!!

Very good friends moved out of the village just before Christmas so I made them a tree hanger of their old house - apparently I made her cry . . .  that's a good sign right????

  

I've made and posted the FB hexi swap flowers for December (poinsettias) (yes, I confess, I havent finished mine yet!

The vicar was delighted with his ginger nativity set and wore them for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve - I mist try and make some of the rest of the cast for next year!

Another Elf sized "ginger" dressing up outfit was delivered 

And the spiral crochet has been finished (as I came to the end of the wool) and just needs a bit of blocking.  I might need to buy some more so can can start something else!!!!

I got some fabric packs for Christmas, and some  other crafty bits, but this is my absolute favourite . . . Lisa bought me a class to make these!  Once we are allowed to be in the same place at the same time we are going top have a go

Christmas was mostly virtual  . . . but good to see everyone 

My triangle EPP has been pieced.  Where the points meet is supposed to look like this 

But many junctions didn't get the memo!

I have a circular die for the sizzix, so I cut lots of circles from heat and bond and ironed them onto each junction to keep the points in the right place

Since them I have removed the paper backing from the circles and ironed the whole lot to a white fleece, and have quilted it in variegated thread - jut binding to do then another one done

And finally I've been embroidering in front of the TV.  I found this panel in a pile that needed putting away, it had been pieced but was just pattern / black / pattern / black.  I've had fun extending some of the patterns into the black and now will make it into either a zippy pouch or a basket

I do believe that for once I am going to start the new year with fewer UFOs that I started it with - yes there are still some, and yes I did get some fabric for Christmas that I may be about to cut into, but things have definitely been more chaotic in the sewing room in the past!

Keep well everyone, and keep safe xxx