Thank you 2011 ...

... I learned a lot this year ... and I achieved a lot more than I ever expected in so many ways!

As the year is almost over, it's good to look back ...

it's had it's ups and downs,

plenty of veg from the plot, lots of baking, loads of jam and chutney

and plenty of stitching, especially following the arrival of my studio in January ...

so these are the finished quilts, with a couple of imposter's,

one obvious, the other not so ...  but I just had to include it...

that one quilt has had a profound impact on so many people, for all the right reasons

it continues to fill me with joy as much as it continues to comfort it's owner  :) 

And so I look at those 19 quilts and realise how productive a year it has been, yet I only managed to complete 3 of my UFO list for the year ... oh well, some is better than none!

which gives me hope that 2012 will be equally as productive a year as it fast approaches,

there is another UFO on the frame fast nearing finished ...

Thank you all so much for your friendship, encouragement and support over the last year, I truly appreciate every one of you :) 

Wishing you all a healthy, happy New Year!

Post Christmas Catchup!

Christmas came ...

teenagers both in the house, peeled unquestionably, slept in ...

allowing himself and I a very rare peaceful breakfast before he went off to visit his daughter ...

 presents, children, lots of love and ...

lots of laughter!

they left, the dinner went on and the bottles opened,

my mother arrived drank, ate, opened and left ...

and we had a little more time to exhale  :) 

I'm still trying to work out what day of the week it is, and am in that post mayhem CBA (can't be arsed) mode

There are one or two makes that I never got to show you (some I still can't for now)

a couple of last minute gifts

I confess I was still finishing this one off for himself on Christmas Day! 

Shocking I know :) 

And then I headed off for a couple of days, no Internet, no sewing machine, I just couldn't go without SOME stitching ... could I?

it's coming along!

meet Brian!  gifted to me by a friend at work, who also made the most amazing Angel that sits in the studio, she's such a clever lady ....

So, that's us pretty much caught up, all's quiet here, a little stitching each day, and I'm itching....

yes.... itching to start something new, but I know I shouldn't

not yet!

I'm slowly getting more blog reading done, but not much commenting, I'll get back in the swing of it soon   :) 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and Santa brought you all you were hoping for, along with a few special surprises too!  If I don't get a chance to say it before hand Happy New Year!

It's almost time ...

... but Santa already snuck in early, secretly of course! 

you see this little package arrived from my Secret Santa in the Brit Bee :) 

all beautifully wrapped don't you think ...

oh wow!  bunting and Liberty prints!   Isn't it pretty ...  Now I wonder who could have sent these ?

Now I'm sure I saw some of that Liberty headlining on a waistcoat ... here!

I was so excited I hung the bunting straight in the Studio! 

 It's so pretty ... it may stay up a little longer

To my Secret Partner, thank you, thank you, thank you, to all my fellow Brit Bee'rs, I'm heading straight over to see what Secret Santa sent you too :)

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas! 

Busy as a bee!

There was some of this ....

thanks to the Diva and her friend whilst I was out at a Guild meeting last week ...

and, believe it or not, I was in some serious need of retail therapy ...

these are in anticipation of an expected baby ...

some lovely Cape Anne ...  well because it's just so lovely  :)  he he

and maybe a little Ruby, I've been eyeing this up for a while and being as some yardage arrived at the LQS, well, it would have been rude not to, right?

and these batiks ( oh sorry I forgot to warn you to avert your eyes)  have been gifted already :) 

and whilst I've been busy buying, I have been busy stitching too ...

just one or two more bags ...

and a dumpling pouch (enlarged) for the Diva ...

I feel there may be an order or two from her friends very soon, I also think I can add just a tweak or two to the pattern ... maybe next year

gotta love gingham  :) 

 

There has been other sewing too, but I can't show you the rest ... sorry

So as of today I have one more stitched gift to make for Christmas, all the shopping is done (read as - that I am going to do!)  still a package to arrive by mr post man who has been very absent, and just the small matter of house tidying, table clearing and spare room to sort out...  oh and the leeks and parsnips to go dig out the ground ... and we'll be ready for some food prep

oh, and wrapping ... I can do wrapping :) 

How are you doing? 

Every cloud ...

... has a silver lining. 

or a pink birdie one!

And today my silver lining called, and made my day!

It all started a couple of weeks ago with a reminder e-mail from a friend ...

(thank you Honey :)  you know who you are!)

you know how it goes with good intentions, right? 

well, time is slipping through my fingers faster than water at the moment, and organised I was not, no matter how good my intentions were...

So on the day it should of arrived, I toodled off to the Post Office with package in my sweaty little mitts..

I was a little surprised to find no ques, but stepped up to the counter to be greeted with ...

sorry we can't post that - the systems are all down, and also in all the surrounding Post offices! 

Nooooooooo!

I needed this to arrive before today, because I knew this person would be out, chillin' at the Chemo Bar!

But sods law intervened and there was nothing I could do.  So back I toodled yesterday and posted my package, praying it would not be hidden by the postie, or worse, ... but we won't go there.

So, one little cloud, I had to live with ... but today I had the mother of all days at work ...

and feeling just a little sorry for myself, I was a little surprised by my phone ringing ...

Squeeeeeeeeeal!!!!!  Terri!

it's arrived!  And she loves it!

and after a right natter about the up and coming FQ Community Retreat, and the Brit Bee, and ... and ... and

oh, Happy Birthday Terri! 

You turned a truly cloudy day, back into bright sunshine, you never cease to inspire me, with your cheery excitement and exuberance. 

Stay well Sweetie!

p.s.  I used this Tute for the bag, and it is sooooo easy!

Re-Treat!

There's something about a little treat, isn't there, so after my last little jaunt on the shopping front, it didn't take too long to take advantage of the Cyber Monday sales, AND a Fat Quarterly discount code ...

behold ...

I re-treated myself to more fabric! 

I knew you'd want all the details ...

and who am I to deny you ...

your own treat ...

wonderful eye candy! 

Nothing like like a Retreat, is there! 

So, if you found me here at Festival of Quilts ...

and were tempted to treat yourself to a frame of your own ...

or you already have a quilting frame ... how about getting up close and personal, on your own

Machine Quilting Retreat  ...  for a little one on one to get the best out of your frame,

all the details are here, go on, treat yourself! 

Martha, Anne and I will be there to guide you  :) 

And finally, for a little down time, and a great meet up ... 

I'm also heading out for a little retreat here too! 

And the best thing about this one, is all the ladies of the Brit Bee will be there, together!

How cool is that going to be! 

Can you tell I'm just a little excited ...

You can get your own ticket to retreat here

in the mean time ... Happy Quilting!

Christmas Quilt Along Party!

Gosh, where did the year go!

Well today Sue, at Quilt Times is hosting the Christmas Quilt Along Party, so I've dug out my party frock, and am going celebrate along with all the other wonderful ladies that have quilted along over the year

Did I make some makes?  You betya!

a couple of notebook covers, one has already been gifted ...

a stack of coasters ... hmm, might have to whip up some more of these!

and a mug rug, again gifted already :)

an experimentation with pincushions and selvedges ... one already gifted ...

mmm, strawberry jam, fresh from the allotment, ready for some Christmas giving  :)

and the quickest quilt ever with Charlie hosting on a Sunday!

a Card wallet ...

lanyard,  hmm again, more on the cards of these ...

and my Sassy Christmas Stars ... still in need of a little border treatment ... 

mmm, medlar jelly ... (aka rotting fruit jelly!)

a cheeky little zippy pouch, gifted already :)

my goodness, I learnt a lot of new things over the year,  and whilst blogger has taken all day to load some of these pics, I'm sitting here watching Strictly, thinking 'Didn't I do well!' 

Don't forget to head on over to Sue's blog to check out the Linky and see what everyone else has been up to over the year. 

Thank you Sue and Cathi for being such wonderful hosts, we couldn't have done all this without you!

Happy Quilting!

Pick Four - Revisited

Back in August I took part in a Blog hop for this book

for my friend Sue of Quilt Times

You can read my original post Here

Finally I sewed the binding down of this quilt last night, and today, whilst we had a little window of opportunity - sunshine, I dragged the hungry one outside ...

but sadly not for long, he took himself off to town to do Christmas shopping, but I got to stay home and play ... more of that in a bit ...

not my best quilting when taken in isolation like this, 

but overall, not bad imho

This is about 80" x 80" ish

(I haven't measure it exactly)

I know you like to see the back!  This one is just for YOU!

Despite the problems I had with my machine whilst quilting this one, I was pleased to finally get it done.

Especially as it was completely from stash, including the 5.5 meters of backing fabric!

Sweet!

Edited note:  I'm linking this up with Clover and Violets Stash Project here:

So, back to today, and I got to play! 

just a little :)  I'll tell you more about this in the new year! 

I did get my ORB Quilt Along Dresden pillow made today ...

sorry about the awful pic, it was dark by the time I finished it, but I was in too much of a hurry to show you :) 

This one is now going in the Christmas box to be given as a gift ...

aaah, now that feels better!

Happy Quilting!