Now the clearing up...

I have had a computer failure over the past few weeks, and have lost quite a number of images, and lists, so If I owe you a little something, I may have lost it in the 'puter! Just shout to remind me please- It is not nagging, just a needful prod!

It has been the year of the bag. Anyone to whom a bag may be useful, has received a tote bag- Personally I entirely blame Hadley, Cindy and Susan. It is their fault, for without the Mouthy Stitches 2 swap, I would not have been hooked onto this.

Daughter number 1. Favourite animal? Hedgehog.
So a few pictures later, and I found something I thought I could make use of, and Mr Hodgieheg came into being. I must remember with applique, that it always comes out the other way round! I nearly had a disaster with that tree. In the end it seemed to work, though.

 And a further tree on the back, in variegated threads, and DD1 is pleased!

DD2 is a mad fan of VW campervans. Do not ask me why, though I have a bit of a soft spot for them when I see them out and about, myself, so I suppose I can sort of understand. Anyway, this is what came out of my sewing machine for her. Well worth it, for the look on her face when she opened it!

A simple back, as I felt anything more organic would grate with the campervan in its mechanical elegance- I am not sure that makes sense, but it is how I felt at the time. 

Now, my sister in law's bag you have already seen, but I had to do one for my mother. She is less whimsical than the others, and so something a little more abstract seemed more appropriate.

 

 side one,modelled by DD1, Thanks little one.












and, side two.

                                                                                                       and the usual pockets and details! Fabric chosen with swirls to echo the design on the one side.

Spring and summer coloured stars, for Diane

A colour palate was the clue for Mary

and again a set of colours was specified by Tinkingalong, based on her original.

So that was pre Christmas, and all finally finished in time for me to catch up with some Bee obligations.

These all are supposed to arrive two or three weeks apart, but Chaos theory rules and blocks are like buses- they catch up with one another!  So all these will go together to the next port of call- but I think she is ahead of herself, and will be sending them straight out again




































I do hope you all had as peaceful and joyful Christmas as we did, and are set for a happy and a healthy New Year.

Christmas!

 My wonderful Wendy has organised the decorations at work!She is a treasure, and amazing!

 and the really wonderful thing? we didn't even buy any new bits, except the snowflake window stickers!

 Some secret sewing- It is ok, this one is unlikely to look, so you can! The zig-zag lines are in a teal variegated thread and an orange and green variegated thread. I love these against the grey.

 I still have to sort out a lining.



















This still needs the top sewing around.










and I won this! in a bee! thank you Stephanie, not just the promised texty fabrics, but subtle low volume prints as well! Isn't Stephanie wonderful to send these?

 And these lovely Liberty prints came all the way from Australia! Won in the Sewmamasew giveaway fest! (I shall have to try to actually do some giving in the next one.)
Karen from SewWellMaide gave a huge pile of Liberty charms, and they are even more gorgeous in real life than they are in the pictures! I needed red in my stash, and now I have a little!

sewing so smooth?

Has this happened to you? Sewing along, no problem, and the needle has jumped free all on its own! Suddenly, you are not sewing at all, just making strange noises on the machine! Five times in close succession!
And I cannot see why! I promise you, the needle was correctly inserted, and fully tightened, and I even checked that I could not pull it out when in situ. And three or four stitches later, it is out. Not broken, not bent, just dangling!

A sign I am not meant to sew today? maybe, but I have to get on!

On the plus side, we had our receptionists round for a meal, plus husbands, to celebrate Christmes, on Sunday, and I think the meal went ok, I mulled wine for the first time- combination recipe, Nigella and Good housekeeping... and ending up with mince pies, and coffee. Well, not for me- I am strictly a tea Jenny!

Always a relief when this sort of thing is over!

Now, back to the machine?

sewing- nothing to share!

 The early morning sky, earlier this week. Isn't this just delicious?

And I have been sewing- but I cannot show you, other than the mess I am working in!

Suffice to say, a couple of projects are coming along nicely!

Early December,

Our Stash Bee runs through December, so someone, very sensibly, suggested that the Queen for December might like to post her requirements early. This is the sort of thinking that I like. Okay, I am a bit of a procrastinater, but still, to be able to think ahead suits me quite well. 

Scrappy blocks she asked for, Arkansas Crossroads. The scrappier the better. Each little beauty takes twelve 3.5" squares, and two 6.5" white. But they turn out really fun. 

And Jackie wanted two blocks, so that is what I made. It would be easy to do a whole quilt with these, as they can be turned and arranged in different ways. 

Then, having had fun with totes, for the mouthy stitches lot, my thoughts turn to Christmas- only one calendar month to Christmas Eve! and what I could do with making, and for whom? An owl popped into my head, for someone, No, not YOU! Someone else!

I did a little internet research, and came up with an owl. Now, do not ask me which owl,I do not know, but an owl of some description!

So I drew out my owl, and modified it, Bondaweb comes out once more, and the scraps get searched, and hey! Is it an owl? 

 I am really quite pleased with him (her? it? whatever)




















  Raw edge applique for the most part, some satin stitch around the eyes, and a little bit of machine embroidered feather stitch in different colours...

light quilting on the back..

 My son, come home for the weekend as a surprise, acts as model,

 and of course some other owls in the lining..



Hope they like it!

Now, as a small added extra, the Sewing Directory are doing a cloud craft giveaway, with snowflake trim. I do not know about you, but I can think of a number of uses for that! So do feel free to pop across and take a look!

joy in solids!

First of all, I have an unsolicited Praise Fest, for Justine, of Simply Solids. Why? Well.
I have a charm pack, of Cosmo Cricket, Salt Air. This is a lovely line, but I had no idea, at first what I should do with it. I had decided it needed a solid to go with it, but was undecided what I should, or even could, select. There are some really lovely wedgewood-y greens and blues, but if I used them it might become quite a sombre quilt top. And then, in her range of neutrals, I spotted 'butterscotch'. A rich golden yellow, with the barest hint of mustard. On the image it looked right, but different computer screens render colour a little differently. And If I am buying a big wodge of this, it has to be right!

So I emailed Justine, for a personal opinion.

She got back to me in less than two hours, confirming the choice. On Wednesday afternoon, my order went in. And TODAY, it all arrived! Less than 48 hours, and my fabric is with me!

And does it go as I had hoped?

You bet!

What do you think? I am planning to put together a more masculine quilt with this, and I think it will be cheerful, without being too feminine.
Now what design to use... Any ideas?

And I could not just buy that, I needed some white- it disappears so fast, and somehow a little goody bag hopped into the order as well! A strippy lot may have to appear as well....


So, if you want really great service, go and investigate Justine!


I am sure there are a lot of others who give the same great service, but I was so impressed, I had to share!

mouthy stitches, Tote, the first!

 I made a New York Beauty for my partner, but she didn't really like it, so I have now made it up, as per plan, and another friend will receive it, who is likely to love these colours.














 The back is very lightly quilted round a few of the circles.

and the lining tones with the back.

So it was not wasted!

Busy sewing day!

 The Stash bee challenge this month was to do a self portrait, and a portrait of your pet.

Well, Genny is our pussy cat. Does Genny care for having her portrait made? Or would she rather look the other way?

You guessed it, she is Miss Disdain, and has no desire to oblige, by looking in the direction of a camera.

So I took a sketch from the image, and used Bondaweb to take a trace. This, of course, gives me a mirror image. So this is Genny, the mirror cat!








Not too bad, methinks!

 I am not at all convinced about having my image, either. This is the best I can do, but I trust I do not really look like that!

The block for Quilt Arond the World, for this lady, is in shades of pink and green. But a very particular pink and green. I am not so much of a pink person, and most of the pinks in my stash are rather stronger than this! So I had to go shopping! I now have rather nmore pink in my stash- and I thought this would be a stash buster???

So far, with the Stash bee, and the QATW, my stash inexorably grows!

But, having shopped this morning, I was very pleased to finish the two portrait blocks- I changed what I was doing with these, so that my Mums machine could cope, But it still struggled a bit- so do not look too closely at the stitchery round Genny's grey bits! And to get the pink and green one done as well- That is a good day of sewing!

So, what did you achieve this Wednesday?

mosaic blocks

 

This ancient oak lurks on One Tree Hill. We went to visit m'boy, for the weekend. Drive down on Friday evening, arriving very late. Poor lad, gave up his bed to us, and slept on the futon in the living room, and I slept really well. Much better than usual. Perhaps it was that 'holiday' feel- no work on Saturday to worry my dreams! And today, we walked over One Tree Hill. Yes, there were loads of trees! Plane, oak, poplar, sycamore- loads and loads of them. But this one is particularly ancient. About 400 years, if I remember right- but I may be making that up...

And late-ish back tonight, but I have obligations, and making some quilt blocks comes into that. Heather has requested that we make a mosaic block, from the tutorial by Oh,Fransson! in rainbow colours, sashed with white. So I have made this one. Heather asked that it be at least 8", and not more than 12", rectangle or square.

I had intended to do a different block, but pale pink is required, and somehow, pale pink has never been a feature in my stash... so the next block along got in!

I shall have to shop for pale pink on my day off. hmmm.

November is hip, take 2

 Half square triangles, trim to size, the work of a moment... Believe it if you will!

 Trimmings! I am sure there should be a use for them, but I cannot really see what!

 Arrange as desired, and

Result!

and what do you do on your day off? 

Well, apart from this, we took my machine in to have the light sorted out. 

Great news! It will be done under guarantee!   ;-)

Sad news! I may be without her for up to 3 weeks. :-(

Better info- I have an older machine which I can use. :-/

Helpful news - my Mum has loaned me her machine, which is much quieter than my old one! and the tension behaves better,  :-D

 Debbie donned my husbands Rushbearing hat

















complete with streamers

and Zen tried it too!