2023 January

What did your January look like?  This is my January in photos!

The Stitch group packed lots of kits for Days For Girls

The Chertsey Museum Fun With Fabric ladies made Japanese knot bags

I was gifted this awesome pig in a blanket

I made badges for the scouts who delivered Christmas cards locally

I have been posting Gingers onto facebook - they are based on the National Calendar - this was for the 3rd Monday in January, known as Blue Monday, and the penguin was for Internation Penguin Day - who knew!!!

I also made a pregnant Ginger each for two of Niki's friends who are expecting,

An a couple of dozen 'naked' gingers for the Richmond and Kew Quilters ladies: I'm doing a talk about the gingers at the next meeting, then they all get to take one home and have a go at 'dressing' it

I dont think I showed you my lovely Christmas pressie from Plum:

Which came in its own sleeping bag (actually a FabWrap!)

Nor did I share the fab slippers Lisa crocheted for me: 

I went on a course with Stacey (ooops, have forgotton her surname), who had us FMQing designs to be put together as a tribute to the Queen

The lovely Debbie made me Buddy all ready for next Christmas, thank you Deb

And my awesome sister-in-law got me a whole stack of Tula Pink fabrics that are just at the stroking and loving stage, not the cutting stage!  Thank you Lisa

And talking of s-i-l: we actually got the whole gang together in the middle of January - my brother and his family from Australia, all 6 of us, and mum.  I hadn't seen him or his family since 2011, and Niki had never met her cousins so it was a great treat to spend time with them

Talking of cousins, this is Brian's cousin's granddaughter on her I-Spy quilt - isn't she a cutie!

Our Community Coffee Morning celebrated its first birthday at the end of January, and seems to be transforming into a Knit and Natter group too!  I think there were 6 of us knitting or crocheting and enjoying this a-maze-ing cake!

This is my project: it is actually changing colour but it's a very subtle change

Hope you had a good January and wish you all the very best for February!

2022 December

 Hi all - hope you had a good Christmas and wish you and yours all all the very best for 2023

I know some of my visitors have had a bit of a rubbish 2022: please know  I'm thinking of you, and hope that things improve or get manageable 💗

My December in pictures:

A few Christmas gifts were created

 

A class of Christmas napkins was taught

some Dachshunds were embroidered

Lots of Gingers were embroidered

The La Passacaglia rounds were taken apart and added to tote bags instead

 

Some uniforms were embroidered

A quilt was made for a customer (I know the name is at a strange angle, but it's so it reads right when it is used as a wrap ... and isn't being photographed in a mirror!)

A baby quilt was made for a friend's first grandson

A knitted Queen was received (isn't she great!), thank you Debs

And a conical peg bag (love this), thank you Jane

A Christmas tree was put up and decorated

And Christmas Lunch was enjoyed by all

Slippers were received (in a fab hexie box)

Hair was styled by little miss 8, thank you Nina

Hat and gloves were received, thank you Deb

Mr Nutcracker was received and created, thank you Jackie

But sadly at the end of Christmas we lost this lovely lady: as she would say, she was my first husband's mother!

She was 95, her lower limbs were more metal than bone, she hated having to rely on carers, and she's been asking us to bring her a gun for the last 5 years . . .  I think it's safe to say she was ready to go.

Rest in peace Mrs Hickley xxx

2022 November

If I'm posting my November photos it means it must be December - panic!  I won't have enough time to do all thing things I want by Christmas!!!

Some of the Chertsey Ladies brought their felt dolls back to meet the group!  They are so cute!

For November we made slippers from fleece!

We cut a square 12.5" on all sides (we cut them at 45 degrees to the edge) for six 6-7 ish

We folded them in half diagonally, (with the most stretch going around the width of the our feet).We stitched from pointed end all along one side (this will be under the foot) and slightly rounded at the corner and keep going about 1/3 along the second side (this is the heel).  Turn inside out and the open point folds down like this

A friend and I made about 30 A5 pouches for the Richmond and Kew ladies for Christmas.  We used Plum's instructions and set up a production line!  Half a dozen reds for the outside and a variety of linings so hopefully each one differs to the others

I managed to finish this quilt for a friend's 60th.  I did have a few issues - running out of the brown was one, the bias edges on the end triangles all stretched giving a slightly wavy border, and the fleece crept a bit so I had to cut an unused bit off and add it to the gap, but it's super cosy and she says she loves it!

Another friend was visiting from overseas and gave permission to open Christmas gifts way too early!  I was seriously spoilt - thank you Sharon!!!

We had a good turn out for the Paula Doyle workshop and I now have a big stack of blocks to speed date into something beautiful

And then a good turn out at Crafty Church: Lovely to see all the crafty ladies in the hall!

Finally I have made a tote bag gift for a friend who is notorious for needing coffee every hour on the hour!  I don't think she visits the blog, but if so, Sharon look no further!!!!

(just filling in while I'm waiting for Sharon to leave)

I'll be back at the end of the month - if I don't manage to get in touch with you before then I hope you have a great Christmas.  

For a few of my friends it will be a bit of a strange Christmas as people they love wont be home with them: I'll be thinking of you, and if you need a sympathetic ear I'm only a phone call away xxx