oh Hello ...

Its been busy round these parts, gadding about here there and everywhere,

there's been quilting,

and then the icky lurgy arrived ... we're still negotiating its departure,

definitely outstayed its welcome!

but I did manage a finish

one on my FAL list for Q2 no less!

Those lovely Aurifil 12 wt Threads and that gorgeous Irish Linen ...

Quilted and bound,

and I spent a happy car journey sewing on buttons, 

we tried to go round the block several times so I could get it finished before we got to Susan's for the Brit Bee Meet Up ...

but have you tried sewing buttons on in the car!  

so I sat quietly stitching away, and the lovely lady who this was for arrived, 

and I was still stitching away .. .

but finally it was finished.

and I am delighted with it!

and the funny thing is, when I stood back and looked at the quilting, 

I had always planned to do feathers around a heart, 

but to me, all I could see was a set of Angel wings ...

and that is so very fitting for this cushion now resides down south with

a very special Angel friend indeed! 

So, despite being quiet around these parts, I have, wherever possible been busy.

so one more finish on my Q2 Finish Along List

(I do believe that is 4/7)

Ta Dah!

It's like buses round here, no blog posts for days and then two come along at once!

so, as part of my FAL Q2 list was this ...

 a pile of cut pieces, and one little block ...

a sample for Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham, I needed to get it done 

it was the weekend, and I have taken to doing piecing and quilting for me at the weekends, 

rather than working on customer quilts, and feeling like I never sew for me 

so I gathered my bits and bobs ...

and dealt with the incontinent iron ... really!

and before I knew it I had a top!

so I loaded that baby up, and set to with the quilting

which actually took less time than I thought it would 

and to save time because this was now Sunday afternoon,

I machined the binding on, not brilliant, but its done

and as a sample of my Big Vintage Modern Stars quilt, you know, the Missourri Star Quilt Company pattern

I'm pretty damn pleased with the result!

So, that's one quilt, finished, delivered and now hanging in the shop,

I'll be teaching this as a class on 27 July if you are interested ...

Just sayin'

so I do believe that is finish number 3 on my Q2 FAL list!   

Ta Dah!!!!!

Busy Bees

so at the end of last month I managed to sneak in my April Bee Blocks

for the Brit Bee ...

Ceri had sent us some hand printed sketches she'd asked each of us to do for her,

and as expected, mine had a feather in it ..

and some beautiful hand printed fabrics made wonderful log cabin-ish blocks

And Jo send out a whole stack of low volume liberty fabrics and just a few bold ones, with a request to make a block using 1/3 darks to 2/3 low volume ...

and these triangles went together so beautifully!

So my Brit Bee blocks are all up to date :)  

Sunday Show and Tell

So I'd been harbouring a secret, 

but it was all over last week, only I wasn't organised enough to get a blog post up about it...

to coincide with this post here over on Lynnes blog Lilys Quilts

I free motion quilted this cushion for Lynne's Aurifil Challenge,

 using the Bari J Splendor 1920 box of 12 wt Aurifil

onto Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Elements in Nocturnal

and matched up some Aurifil 50 wt for the back quilting and piecing

so, I can now tell you, that on the back of this project I ended up making another cushion, 

that is now a shop sample at Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham ....

... where I will be teaching a class of Free Motion Quilting Peacock feather cushion!

you can find the details of my class here ...

scheduled for Saturday 29 June 2013

I am so excited, and petrified all at the same time, 

it'll be a breeze right?

May the Fourth ...

.. be with you! 

I know but I couldn't resist!  

seems such a long time ago that I went to see the original film at the Cinema in Oxford, 

way back when .... in 1977!  

so, the fourth was definitely with me because I am so happy to show you in full glory my Brit Bee Quilt (year one!)  ....

Drum roll please ....

Finished!

I kick started it by adding it to my FAL for Qtr 1, 

and a mild boot up the backside from fellow Brit Bee'r

so by the end of the quarter it was indeed a complete top, 

not finished!

so I set to with piecing a back and my sigi blocks ..

loaded it up, but this time I went for some 100% cotton,

I got mine from Justine at Simply Solids 

and played with custom feathers for the first time ...

and after a marathon of quilting last Saturday, 

about 8 hours in all, (in one day wasn't a good idea!)

but oh, how thrilled I was with the results...

a bit of custom swirls and twirls, and a quick spin through the overlocker 

and a scrappy binding from the fabrics left from my FQ stack Of Giddy by Sandy Gervais for Moda

all my Brit Bee Lovelies ... 

and it all worked out so well ...

but, the quilting was quite flat, and I really never wash my quilts after this point,

but, I knew with all that heavy quilting, and the cotton wadding, 

a wash would add instant age and antiquing to this beauty ...

I cannot tell you how stressed this made me ...

but I am so glad I did!

its about 72" x 72"

and I am absolutely in love with it!

It made me so happy to finish this quilt, to have a personal hug from all my Brit Bee Besties,

and the colours so reminded me of this quilt, 

it made me just a little emotional, 

Thank you so much Brit Bee, you all have a special place in this quilt, I am so grateful for the year(s) of friendship this quilt now represents x

so there you have it, this makes finish number 2 on my FAL Qtr 2 list!

May!

ok, that would be another month flown by ...

must mean its time to reflect on April ...

A busy month, including bee blocks I've not blogged about, a quilt I've not blogged about, a bag I only told you briefly about, and a cushion you may have seen elsewhere!

Oh and there was these too!

 3 customer quilts and one Project Linus quilt, that I have been told will be at Festival of Quilts, on the PL stand to be raffled off to raise much needed funds  :)

oh and a quilting retreat and a trunk show/talk too!

So all in all a very busy month

It looks like spring has sprung in my garden at last, and the sun finally has appeared with a little warmth too

now that's much better!

Linking up with Lynne's Sew Fresh sewing day

Another year older

Lets talk birthdays, 

I've just had one, and I think the easiest way to tell you about it is like this ...

some of these 

cake baked by my children ... thanks A, for making sure your big brother made an appearance :)

Then there was the East Midlands Modern Quilt Guild meeting at Stitchcraft Studio in Grantham, where Mandy guided us through the intricacies of the Amy Butler Weekender bag ...

thank you to Di, a beautiful pouch and mug, which is seeing action daily :)

and Liz (no Blog) for a snap pouch, beautiful!

and Kerry, for a beautiful decoupage embroidery hoop and a Aurifil variegated thread, 

that just happens to match my bag fabrics!

and then last week it was Kitchen Guild, and it we were celebrating Justines birthday too!

so, with my new knowledge I set to on a reduced Weekender bag!

I'm pretty darn pleased with it, and I know Justine loves it too!

And I won!  Hadleys Pincushion, she did the draw on my birthday

and Oh .... its beautiful!

Thank you Hadley, I love it!  

and as if that wasn't enough, the very talented Kitchen Guild ladies spoiled me good an proper!

A cover girl Cushion from Lynne ...

and a beautiful Voile cushion from Katy,  

and to think, I delivered her voile quilt back to her too!  Sneaky!

but I do love it, and she quilted it herself too!

and a fabulous star cushion from Justine ...

Honestly Ladies, I use all them everyday now :)

a beautiful pouch and matching purse from Mandy

and from Laura Jane, the most gorgeous pouch with the poshest carriage fabric ..

and of course, my favourite Art Gallery Fabrics! 

A girl can never have too many pouches or cushions! 

Thank you everyone for making my birthday so special, I am truly blessed with family and friends