2020 Week 51

 This dotty paper foundation pieced quilt was finally finished this week

The binding was black (with small white dots) onto black fleece - I'm glad that's finished, it was really difficult to see where each stitch was 

The upteenth attempt to start my crochet spiral circle is actually working!  As I cant start a crochet piece I'm in the hands of others as to how it's going top look, but Lisa made a great choice in the style of this one - I'm using the variegated wool and the cream wool together!

My friend Louise had her first baby, Jessica, the same day I had Lisa - that's actually how we met - in adjoining beds.  We used to see a lot of each other but over the last 29 (!) years life has moved on so its less frequent but it's always a joy to see her and her three girls.  Grandchild number 3 has a feeding issue and has to be tube fed . . . could I find a way to add front / belly zips to baby vests so the port can be accessed.  I started with creating a lined opening and trying to add the zip to the front but it was a lot of fiddling ... so for this one I added a second zip put to the zip, stitched it on the outside, then opened the zip and cut away the now unnecessary fabric behind it - took about 5 minutes!  It's gone in the post to them - if it works for them I can easily adapt other vests for baby M

Louise's second daughter, Claudia, is my God Daughter, and she has just become a mum - baby William was born earlier this week.  This EPP quilt seemed a perfect gift - with three big cousins who can use the fussy cut hexies to invent stories for him!

So I've added his name and this has gone in the post too!

The girls and I did another on-line Brush Party painting class - it was great fun but we are not natural painters so would like to do one with a real life person - when ever we are allowed to!!!  Anyway, I don't think these are too shabby!!!

A very good friend of mine is Jewish.  She ordered a few Christmas gingers from me: I added a Hanukkah ginger for her - just mixing my faith and non faith celebrations!!!!

More Gingers - these went to Manchester to my childhood best friend (I love that we've reconnected through Facebook!)

For a quite week there seems to have been a lot happening!  It was mum's birthday last weekend - but we were not allowed to meet in a home so we agreed to meet for a walk and a picnic - come the day it was *pouring*, so we chucked the gazebo into the car too and used the boots of the cars as seats!

A birthday we wont forget in a while!!!  Mum enjoyed it!

Nat used the Elf Ginger costumes

My friend Jane crocheted me an awesome Julenissen

And Barbara made me a mask with a matching zippy - isn't it great!!!!

If I'm not in touch with you before "the" day - I hope it's a great one even if it's not what we hoped for and we cant see the people we want to see, but by doing the right thing this year we can see each other next year.

Lots of love xxxx 

2019 Wk 8 - what a lot of sewing!

I tend to look at the last week's photos to see what I need to post on the blog - and this week there were a lot of photos - so hold on tight while we whistle through last week  . .

Clam shells were quilted while we watched series 8 of Game of Thrones (I did not expect a blue eyes dragon!.. And how often does a girl need to say "I can't get pregnant" before you realise that somewhere in the next two series she *will* get pregnant?)

(The pieces of fabric set behind the outer clams has worked well)

We had LOADS is visitors to Crafty Church last week - I think there were 22 of us!  Most came to learn crochet so Daisy and Carolyn were holding master classes!!!

 Lusy (who only learned last month) brought her two projects to show and tell!  I think she has the hang of it!!!

The few non-crocheters were using the sizzix to cut EPP hexies, and felt flowers ready for Mother's Day

I finished the binding on the M-i-L hexies and triangles quilt

And I designed two crosses for Dalwyn - they've gone in the post for him to choose which one he wants on his next stole

Two taggies got made for a colleague and an ex colleague with little boys

And I have crossed two Pay-it-forward gifts off my list.  The infinity scarf with a secret pocket was delivered in time for a skiing holiday, and this zippy pouch was delivered on Thursday

This  Saturday was Stitch: a lovely treat for me, both daughters came!  As did a whole load of others - very productive morning

And today I just wanted to play.  But sadly now I'm completely out of washing line!

Hope you had a good week

2019 Wk 0 - Noooooooo

After publishing the last post I went to trim my tiny blocks - and every single one was too small!  So it seems (seams!) that my 1/4" foot is nothing of the sort!

So I spent most of this evening watching rubbish telly with himself, unsewing - groan!

So they now look like this

and "just" need to be pressed and started again!

However I have finished the hand-sewing-at-mother-in-law's flimsy

and what's more - it's quilted!

I love the circular quilting that so many 'real' quilters have been showing, but I know my quilting isn't up to the tight accurate spiral at the start . . . but it occurred to me that Lizzie's is!  So she did the first 8 inches (her largest hoop) and I then took over - it's much easier when the spitrail is further out!!

I also played with another rope bowl.  Again an elongated shape as the start is much easier with a long line rather than a tight spiral (see the theme here?)  I copied Kathy's finished this time as I have plenty of leather left in a box.  It would have been better if it didn't pucker but I can live with it!

2017 Wk 50 - Fun with Kids

I taught a great bunch of families yesterday! I think there were 30 people in today - mums with kids, and dads with kids. The theme was Christmas decorations and I told the adults that this was for the kids to make something, using their own imagination, and we didn't want to hear a single "no, not like that" type of comment - and on the whole they behaved!

I didn't get pics of them all but they were all amazing! I think the polar bear on a sledge is my absolute favourite - all her own idea!

And here they are all hard at work!

Meanwhile I have broken needles quilting through too many layers

Thank goodness for grippy scissors that can put the broken bits out (and thank goodness it was stuck in fabric this time!)

But it was worth it - I have quilted

And finally finished, God-Daughter's selvedge quilt

I've also embroidered a whole load of pre-school uniforms but that's too boring even to warrant a photo!

And I've progressed a bit on an I-Spy quilt for a cousin of this one (she arrived last week)

I had the triangles cut, and some joined back into squares. I finished the others. I planned the design and then realised I'm out of light grey spraytime so this one will have to wait

I had an order for a Christmas sack. I generally don't do these any more, but Magnus has three siblings and three cousins who all have one so it seem very unfair to say he *couldn't* have one too! (Just need to hand stitch some buttons to hold the ribbon in place)

And finally - we've manged to put up the Christmas tree and room decorations - It's starting to feel Christmassy here - jut 4 more working days yippee (I have Wednesday off. Double yippee!)!

Posted with Blogsy