Friday - and exhale!

I'm pleased it's Friday :) aren't you? 

Firstly I have to tell you about a couple of swaps I've signed up for ...

my dear friend Susan is organising the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap, sign up close on Sunday so head over to the Flikr page and give it a go ... 

for my swap partner, these are my starting point for inspiration ...

Do you remember the Brit Quilt Swap?  well now it's time for Round 2 - Pillow Fight! 

there is so much inspiration out there, it was hard to choose!  If you are up for a pillow fight, head on over to the Flikr page and sign up - quick!  Sign ups close on 10 October.

It's been a good week for mail too ...

lovely sale fabrics for backing ...

and today I received my package of goodness from Laura Jane (aka Laulipops) who is Miss October in the Brit Bee.

Fortunately the Teenage Diva is a little off colour so the edible goodies are relatively safe ...  for now!

but oh, look at the wonderful fabrics I get to play with ...

I see stars in my immediate future  :) 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make the most of the glorious weather whilst we have it  :) 

Happy Quilting!

A finish ... and a start

I promised you a finish ....

and I finish I give you!

Arcadia Hexagon Park

all done

I love how the sun shone today, and the shadows highlighted this grandmothers garden block

I had great fun quilting this one

it was very much an organic process

and the Superior Threads Lava Lanai glows in the back light of sunshine,
it's almost golden

and after much procrastination yesterday, I loaded up a new quilt on the frame

I've been mulling this one over for a while

I had done some initial drawings

 but again, it's been quite an organic process,

and I'm loving it so far! 

Happy Quilting!



tired

Is it the change of the seasons,  life ...  or just my age, but I'm tired. 

My apologies for not blogging, things just get complicated don't they ....

The postman brought me these ...

aren't they lovely, thank you to the ladies at the Fat Quarter Shop.  You're the best!

And my friend is home after convalescence with her daughter in South Wales,  and as a thank you she brought me these ...

all the fabrics needed for this little lovely ....

so what would you do, make this quilt, or make something else?

and I pulled out fabrics ...

for a workshop based on these quilts

And on Sunday afternoon I got this far with 6 more blocks for the Happy Quilting Stars quilt along

I think that will do, but next time I actually have a finish for you!  I hope you can contain yourself!

Happy Quilting!

Sunday so soon!

Well, my first job was to give the studio a sweep, I'm guilty of cutting trimming and just brushing them right off the table, it was getting a bit slippy ...

Ooops, I think it needed it!

I got my two blocks made for Susan Miss September of the Brit Bee

but I can't show them just yet, I hope you like them Susan.  :)

I got six wonky stars pieced for Judith for Bee Blessed ...

If you don't know about Bee Blessed, go take a look at the post Judith wrote on her blog...

I got my block for Pea Room quilters done ...

and I finished block #2's for the Happy Quilting quilt along ...

I'll try to get block ~3's cut tomorrow, I need to get a move on and have this top finished before the end of the month!

And I got the quilt loaded on the frame ....

this one is for a friend who was having trouble quilting it on her domestic machine ...

and I even managed to do some quilting on it!  Wooohoooo! 

so that leaves just two things on my list from the last post : 

add borders to Sassy Christmas Stars

Mystery QAL catch-up

not a bad weekend's work!  I also got a batch of Pear chutney made,  just got to wait 3 months for it to mature, and all the washing and ironing is done, so I just need to sort these back into order ...

for a trunk show/talk tomorrow night  :) 

OK, I'll let you into a little secret .... come closer.... closer ....that's better :)  the Teenage Diva was out by lunchtime Saturday, went on a sleep over and came home mid afternoon today!  :) 

How was your weekend?

Weekend already, thankfully :)

What a week!  What can I say, we lost our water for more than 24 hours, and now have not one, but 2 leaks, and need not one, but 2 new stop cocks.  Fortunately they will get fixed and the water is back on.  I can't tell you how much you appreciate something when you've had to struggle on without it! 

And then we got sick!  Both of us, the Teenage Diva and I had to take time off work and school, but we seem to be getting over it. 

So when I got home from work yesterday, the washing was on, the bathroom was cleaned and all was under control, I made a list .....  and I lost my energy ...

but I can show you my progress from last Sunday...

the sun shone, and the made pretty patterns with the blinds :)  I got my Sassy Christmas stars pieced, just borders to attach, they are cut ready and I think I'll take Sue's lead and piece the corners  (because some fabrics are running short)

and I got the first 6 blocks of the Happy Quilting Stars quilt along done, and the second set of 6 are on their way, 

So this morning, the last of washing has been done, I hung it out in the vein hope I might get some of it dry before the rain showers started, nope, it's in again!  I was hoping the Diva would sleep in to her usual 11 am, nope, she's up already! 

But I have my list:

Finish Susan's Brit Bee blocks

Add borders to Sassy Christmas stars

Bee Blessed blocks (at least 2)

Pea Room block

finish piecing block 2 blocks (6) for HQqal

catchup on Mystery quilt

load up a quilt on the frame

Oh, and maybe one or two other things might slip in along the way!

that should keep me busy for the weekend!  And the Diva is heading out later for a sleep over, so I can really get a move on!

How about you, do you have plans for the weekend, have you made a list?  Will you get a few minutes for some uninterrupted sewing? 

Happy Quilting!

Christmas Quilt Along - September

It's that time again already!  The Christmas Quilt Along hosted by Sue over at Quilt Times.   But first of all, we had to go to the allotment for a little harvesting, tidying and sorting out after all the strong winds we've had. 

And then I had to supervise the installation of these for a pathway to the studio ...

and then it was time to get down to trying out one of these ...

thanks to the wonderful tutorial on Stephanie's blog Loft Creations ...

really, I've never made anything so quick in my life!  I can see more of these, useful little key Leashes/Lanyards in my very near future.

and I've done a little cutting, for Melissa's Stars Quilt Along (shh, I'm way behind!)

then himself decided it was tea time, and I was dragged to the kitchen to cook!  Shocking!

especially as I should have been doing these for Miss September! (tomorrow Susan!) 

so, after a delicious chicken curry, it was back to catching up on the Sassy Christmas Stars, so lots of this ...

and I'm playing catch up because, last month I was Christmas Shopping at Festival ...

but I did get it all laid out ready for piecing in the morning ....

and I got a whole one of my stars pieced ...

Mmm, loving this Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabric ...

I got mine from The Fat Quarter Shop

and I made good progress in getting the other 5 of block One on their way too ....

I can finish those in the morning too!

and lastly I had to wash these ...  Sloes...

tomorrow I need to go buy Gin, not in my cupboard at all, but I feel some sloe gin in my immediate future and maybe next week a little sloe jelly too!  (at least that will be ready for Christmas!)

Busy, busy, busy  :) 

Project 51

I know many of you have been curious about Project 51, having seen little snippets of it in blogland and on Flickr.  Well I can now tell you more about it. 

Earlier this year sometime during or just after the Brit Quilt Swap a little Brit Bee formed.   Like many virtual quilting bees, a band of 12 happy eager ladies starting on a new venture and new friendships.   And being such a happy bunch we joked about Calendar Girls each month as we bantered back and forth.  Then one of our friends, for we quickly became friends, was in a dark place, things in life just seem so unjust at times.  And this was one of those moments.  So as quilters we did what we know we can do best.  We secretly agreed on a plan, busied and made blocks, and sent them to Laura who pieced them lovingly into a stunning top.  Just before Festival, I did a mad dash and met up with Laulipops and collected the top and all the messages. 

So i got 'busy' with my task to piece the back with the messages and to quilt and finish our special gift. 

The Calender Girls dancing on the front ...

...  the back

The package was ready to be sent August Bank Holiday weekend ...

I'm pleased to say the quilt has been received by our friend and brightens her world daily.   I cannot express the utter JOY I felt whilst working on this special gift for a brave lady who continues to inspire me with her courage and cheery perseverance. 

Calendar Girls, wow, you did good!