I'll be back soon ...

not wanting to dwell on the point, but my bags are packed and just the necessaries to bung in in the morning! 

So a quick round up of the week so far ..

Monday, sewed on binding ...

Tuesday ...  Brit Bee Blocks for Miss May  ...

I also delivered my sewing machine with Laura ready for the weekend

Wednesday  ... work

today ...

well, everyone else was producing bags like it was an easy thing ...

hmmm, I'm no bag lady ... but it is reversible ...

and just how long does it have to take to iron on the interfacing!

so I then thought I should do just few other little things, after all it was only mid/late afternoon ...

so a little playing ...

and now I have these to finish off on the train in the morning ...

and because it's the end of the month ... and there is no way I am going to be up in time to do another post let alone get it linked in to the Sew Fresh linky dinky ....

a finish .... ta daaaaah

Holiday Hoops is finally done

and I'm pretty darn pleased with it :)

so I'll be back sometime next week to see what June brings and to maybe do a post on the Fat Quarterly Retreat ... we'll see ...

Happy Quilting!

Phew ... a finish!

I finished the quilting for this lovely lady ...

and it is going to be bundles as best I can in the suitcase along with this....

I loaded it straight up and got on with the quilting

and soon had the binding on too

I did machine this one down rather than hand finishing for speed

and I just love this postcard fabric and thought it would be perfect for the back !

Whenever I have been away from my family, mail has been the most important moral boost ever!

I hope this boosts  the moral of a teenager for Siblings Together this summer!

Right ... back to the list!

Happy Quilting!

Sunday Morning Sitrep

I need to confess my sins ... it is Sunday morning after all!

Yesterday I had a very productive day... Doughtys came to town! 

Need I say more ...

White on white, cream, osnaburg ...

some really lovely lovelies ...

including Valorie Wells Karavan, Amy Butler Lark and a few new Kaffe's ...

But I came home, and continued with the quilting ....

but it was just too hot ... so I got busy with the sewing machine and some Siblings Together blocks I've had pieced for a couple of weeks ....

and got this top pieced! 

It's large to be fair at 80" x 80" but a teenage boy is going to love it I hope!

I'm hoping to get the current quilting job off the frame this morning so this one can go straight on after... and if it can fit in the suitcase it will travel to London with me! 

Right, it's way too early on a Sunday morning but I'm off to get busy! 

Happy Quilting!

FQ London 2012 Linky Party

FQ London 2012 Linky Party, a photo by Lynne @ Lilys Quilts on Flickr.

It's almost time ! 

Only 6 more sleeps and I'll be on my way to London for the Fat Quarterly Retreat!  It seems such a long time ago I threw caution to the wind and blew some savings on a weekend ticket, hotel and train fare.  And now it's almost time  ...

If you are new here, welcome, I'm Trudi, 47 year old, mother of teenagers, the very tall one and the Teenage Diva!  I work part time as an administrator for a Rights charity, where I turn a pile of 'IN' into a pile of 'OUT', and I'm very happy with that, after a long career in the Royal Air Force.  On my official non working days, I can be found in my studio in the garden quilting ... 

I learned to sew way back when my mum made my clothes, did sewing at school, made my own clothes and even made ball gowns.   Until one day, an American colleague handed me a Keepsake Quilting catalogue and opened my eyes to a whole new world of fabric love!  That was more than 20 years ago now!

As I am one of those people that don't like to have their photo taken, that one up there is pretty close, or on more creative days I look a bit like this ..

speccy, (seems to be a prerequisite) short and rounded in a middle aged way ...

...  but if that doesn' work, then I'll be the one wearing this wonderful name badge from Shevvy ...

I'm getting a little anxious now about meeting up with so many people who I know only online, including members of the Brit Bee.  I already met Lynne and Katy of the Fat Quarterly team.  And Laura, Susan, Terri and Judith of the Brit Bee... and also Di who I met last week!  So at least I won't be walking into a room full of strangers (my worst nightmare)  I'll be the quiet one, yeah I know, maybe not!  But really, I am sort of shy!

I can't remember what I'm doing, other than the full works!  I HAVE got my sample swap items made, though they do need a little tweak.  But that's about it!  Nothing more sorted.  So, as the queen of last minute, as Judith knows! I better dust off the crown and get busy ... it's almost done Cindy!  :) 

So, I'll see you all in London, trains permitting :)  Now, pen ... paper... better get me a big list!

1.  Linky Party - please go say hi to everyone else!

2.  Miss May Bee Blocks

3.  Sort out Bee Block supplies/Instructions for June

4. find class list/match up supplies

... better stop there  for now!  :) 

Sunday Sitrep

There was a considerable amount of this ...

in fact it was the first time the grass was cut down at the allotment, and with a month of rain, it was hard work!

I did a little playing with these squares ...

and I got binding sewn on ...

just need to stitch it down on the back ...

and I got this loaded up ready for quilting ...

looks pretty eh? 

I should have been doing something else ... I MUST get that done tomorrow - I'm late making my badge for the FQR swap.

Playing ...

with a few thoughts ...

trying something a little different ...

UFO in progress  :) 

Juggling Summer

yeah, I know we have yet to see any real appearance of summer, but this post is all about the fabric ...

I want to introduce you to my friend Brigitte of Zen Chic.

Currently on her way to Kansas City to set up her booth ... with MODA

You can read all about Brigitte here on Fat Quarterly from her last trip to Quilt Market ...

Please head over here, here, and here to see what Brigitte has been up to ...

and Diane has bee busy here too!

And yesterday there was a wonderful little surprise in the post ...

I've known Brigitte for about 3 years, and it is wonderful to see her dreams come true :)

Thank you my friend, have fun at market!

The Good, the Bad and the Shopping Opportunities ...

OK, let's start with the Bad ...

the bank manager may be calling with serious questions very soon! 

And move swiftly onto the Good ...

FABRIC!

Last weekend whilst I was merrily playing with paints with Angela and Tina, and wondering around National Trust properties with my man, the postman came a calling ...

and very understanding postie that he is, left me three,  yes, that said THREE packages at the back through the gate ...

I will always have the Kaiser Chiefs in my mind ... it just pops in, I can't help it!

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby .... Ruby! 

Are you singing it yet?  :)

but to calm the wild child in me, there's a little bit of retro ...

Vintage Modern

well, thanks to Fat Quarterly Issue 9 I was able to take full advantage of my 20% off coupon ...

it would have been rude not to ... right? 

So The Fat Quarter Shop also had this on sale ...

I mean,   SALE!!!!!

Sew Cherry ... delicious! 

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop, you really know how to make a girl happy!

There has been a little sewing ...

and a little more quilting, but really that's not important ....

cos I read a blog post, and did a really Bad thing!  ...

well, some may argue not ...

I tootled off with my special red card to the post office to collect these rather surprisingly heavy parcels...

in the most amazing wrapping I have ever seen! 

I mean really A-MA-ZING!

Blue on the outside, and grass green within ... you have no idea what these parcels did to some of my colleagues at work!  Seriously, there was a full blown audience for some precision unwrapping ...

I really wanted to wait ...  but egged on by my friend Sarah, I was forced to open them as soon as I got to work! 

What can I say ... more beautiful in person  than I ever could have imagined!

Sometimes you just have to jump in and take a leap of faith ...

Oh Summersville ... you do not disappoint!

Thank you Lucie :)

Oh my, it's official, I have my own fabric mountain!

Well, I think some of you knew that already!  lol

Oh and lastly, but by no means least, the shopping opportunity, as if all that wasn't enough ...

My friend Cindy, of Fluffy Sheep Quilting, now has her own on-line fabric shop! 

She is having a bit of a Launch party with a few friends, and there's plenty of opportunity for Giveaways on their blogs AND 10% off orders over 20 Euros. 

You must go check out the new Fluffy Sheep Quilting - The Shop, it is full of some fabulous modern fabrics, so good, that there may be more post heading it's way here!

Ooops! 

And if you are looking for further opportunities for some giveaways from Cindy, you can also visit  Hadley, Susan and Sarah too!

Happy Shopping!