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!

November Hipbee

 So my visitors are gone, and the machines can come out of hiding. But my machine is not pleased to have been put aside for a week. As soon as I turn her on, the light comes on, and promptly goes off again. Grrrr. This means I will have to go back to my supplier and have it replaced. The book tells me I have to have the bulb changed by a dealer, not a simple home job. Hmm. I have only had her 18 months and feel the lamp should last longer- but she does see some hammer!
Email response from my supplier, it may take two to three weeks to get the machine sorted! I trust he means that I can order the part, and hand in my machine when it is in, and only lose her for a day or two! Imagine a month with no machine. Does not bear thinking about! Meantime, I am trying to get all my obligations sorted as quickly as possible.

My visitors were lovely, by the way. Two lovely lasses from the Philippines. Their English was perfect, and they were fun and good company. I was sorry to lose them!
And now the washing.....



Catherine chose quite a tricky little number for her month! This is LynneBobSquarePants and is quite an exercise in half square triangles. It is also quite an exercise in memory, as when you have laid it all out and pinned the next set to sew, sewn and pressed them, you then have to come back and make the pattern work again!

The squares are all 2.5" so the HSTs are based on 3" squares, which all have to be trimmed. This leaves you with wonderful confetti from the offcuts! but the block works, and works beautifully. Yes, I have some not quite aligned points and corners, but I feel that this is just going to be evidence of its home-sewn quality, and by the time Catherine has all of these together and assembled, no-one will be picky enough to notice! They better be too polite to say, anyway!