too busy to post, to busy to read...

 The Christmas scene at work, organised by my lovely receptionist













These stars are having another outing




















as is that snowman, who was made a couple of years ago.














 We finally have united this block with its fellows.....












for more round the world rainbows.




I am very sorry I am sewing and working like a mad thing, and am struggling for time for anything!

I will catch up when I have a minute!



Oh, but, hey, just admire my girl, who has been awarded her brown belt!  (mmm, and lopsided bow, but we shall ignore that!)

day off

 The Hipbee block for this month was set by Catherine. She chose this very pretty block, called Jared Takes a wife, which had really clear instructions, at Quiltville.

Catherine made it really easy, providing fabric already cut into appropriate strips and squares.

It is, however, quite surprising how easily I can sew two pieces together, intending to make that pointy bit, and get it wrong!

My trusty little seam ripper got rather more exercise than I would have preferred.

In fact one of those little pointy numbers was taken apart 3 times...

I can't wait to see what the other colourways are!

We are coming towards the end of our round the world trip  quilt and there are only a few more blocks to go. The last but one for me is entitled ' Twelve bar blues' . An all blue 12.5" unfinished block is requested, so I came up with this, 

Again, this is the result of fiddling about with a piece of paper, whilst watching television. But, I think it fits the brief. And then, as I had nothing better to do ( cough, cough) I just felt like making the next one. 

Those three dimensional blocks are so addictive....

So the next block for travelling the world is one which should end up in Switzerland. 

Ursi wanted neutral blocks with a 'pop' of colour. 

The size she asked for was unusual, 13" unfinished. So that adds up to 12.5" finished size. Which just neatly divides by 5, giving  rows and columns of 2.5" each, ( plus seam allowance, 3" each) 

So I sat down and watched a bit of television with a notepad on my knee, and scribbled 5 by 5 squares, and doodled in them. 

An hour later I had decided to put in some flying geese, and a small square in the centre, to give my pop. 

This may be  a block someone else has designed previously, but even if it is, I made it up my own self, so it is my block. 

And it looks fine with all its friends..

Catching up!

What would you understand given the instruction, 'Gelati colours' ?

This was the colour instruction for these blocks. 14", an unusual size, and this 'gelati'  word. On white.

To me, gelati is icecream, and the colours would be creamy, soft shades, but the starter block was in rich greens and blues. So, I thought I should wait and get my sticky paws on it to see what the colours were really like, before I added my mite.
The starter is that one, third row down, and second from the left, a pretty Dresden plate.









So, this is my one. I think it works from the point of view of the colours, I just have a blind spot which says, this is not icecream..But it will be a wonderful vibrant quilt, when it finally gets home.

making that block?   Ok, I winged it... I started with the centre, and just added until I reached a sensible size, and then, stopped. And added that white border.


Ok, let's try to get parcels in the post! Soon.

Procrastination- again...

 this block is another from the Round the World series. Pam has asked for 'Jewels in the dark. She wanted a grey background, and the interplay of bright colours with positive and negative spaces.

It is definitely outside my comfort zone, but it works ok with other folks blocks. Unfortunately, it has ended a little oversized, but I couldn't bear to cut it, so I have left it for her to choose where to crop!
Another block in the group is a little small, perhaps, so this should make up for that one!






Then, Christine wanted Geometric interwoven blocks. I am afraid I decided to apply the KISS method. I drew this out roughly, and did the maths, and just made it. Here is progress...

and this is, Finish.

I love that black with the scroll effect.

As we already had another  block sitting waiting, when a package appeared in yesterdays post, we popped in our blocks and sent it straight out again!

That is what I like, surprise them all with unwonted efficiency!

Apron news

  At the end of last week, I achieved a little sewing. The weekend was slightly busy, so nothing there, but these happened Thursday and Friday

I think this is not the most exciting apron in the world, but it seemed to fit what my partner said she wanted. There is a triple pocket, and a good long pair of strings, so it should tie round the front if desired.

I feel I should have been a bit more inventive, but I hope she will like it!

Then I made another block for the round the world quilt. This is an extra block, for one I had already made, because they seem to have vanished off the face of the earth, and the 'owner' really needs to have some more started to get things moving again.

I could not just make the same again, as I had run out of some fabrics, but this should work, and if the rest all turn up again, it will be a good addition- bonus block.



I have joined another little swap- I have never made a fabric basket, though DD2 has, but the swap arose, and I got tempted. Not finished this one yet, and already signed up for the next! There are sign ups until Friday- so if you fancy a fabric basket swap, have a look here, and sign in!

And then May is hosting a text fabric charm swap, there are a few spots left- so jump in there too if you want, I am sure she will be glad to see you!

bee-ing good

  A day off yesterday, and I managed to pack in quite a bit.
 First, I did a bit more in the garden, and then off out for a rather pleasant Italian lunch out with my parents, and my OH. Very good- we went there before and they still haven't banned us!

Last time, we had the penne pasta with chicken, but with spaghetti instead of penne,  and this time we had the shellfish salad platter, without the salad, but with spaghetti instead....

I think our days are numbered, we will be 'persona non grata' if we keep it up...

Anyway, After coming home, a little more garden, and then some sewing!

The top block is for the quilt around the world bee, with a theme of Aqua, grey and yellow. The pattern is ' Contrary wife' from Quilters Cache. there are many possibilities for a complete quilt with this block. Another one for the list!

And the lower block is a 'Hipbee' block, for Karen. This is a really quick and easy block to put together.

It was lovely to receive the fabrics and get the block made on the same day. And the white background has a lovely slub to it. I think it will look light and bright, and give joy when she gets it all done.

monday stitching

 Our  Round the world bee seems to have hit a little hiatus, I have received no blocks to progress since before Christmas. However, I do know the order of the blocks, and some of them can be made without reference to the blocks already done.

Anita asked for a 'neighbourhood block' some building or scene that would represent where we are, and that she can assemble all the different blocks to make a unified quilt, from all our neighbourhoods.


In January I took a couple of photographs at work, in the snow. So when I was trying to choose what to make for her, this image came to mind- after much sifting of thoughts, and comparing of many images - possibly four images?

I like the drama of the trees, and the building just to the right of that further tree has an interesting roof. So that became the inspiration for this block.

Yes, I know, the block is nothing like the photo, but it still came out of that image!


And I like the cold and snowy feel of it, and Anita likes it too, so that is another one done!

what is next? an aqua grey and yellow block, and then a pinwheel or star. Just do not expect too quick action!



On another note, my crafty DD2 made the most delicious Easter eggs.

 She blew the eggs, I find that a very tricky operation, but she did it very quickly and neatly.

Eggs were well washed, and then dyed with food colouring. They came out amazing jewel colours- I think vinegar was involved?







She then filled the eggs, with a sort of truffle mixture. Very delicious, and she left these two behind, and I am the greedy one who is eating both! well, I have eaten one, and have the other in my sights for tomorrow!















I promise, very nice indeed!

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?