Happy New Year!

As 2009 draws to a rapid close and we welcome in 2010, it's time for a quick reflect on the past year. It's been an interesting year of new activities like blogging, new friends, in the real world, in the blog world and on facebook, renewing old friendships and catching up with old friends too! A productive year from my allotment, despite surgery halting my activities for a while. And a productive year on the quilting front. I completed 23 quilting projects this year, done bound and completely finished, I gave away 10 of these quilts. A year of accomplishments.

The coming year which fast approaches brings new challenges, new adventures, and new accomplishments too.

I am sooooo pleased to able to tell you I have been invited to join two very talented ladies over at Expedition Quilt Art, and know that these wonderful ladies are taking me on a journey of discovery. Who knows where it will lead, but I'll be taking you all along with me. Speaking of which, are you up for a challenge? yeah, OK, pop over to Expedition Quilt Art blog where the January challenge is posted. Have you tried dying your own fabrics? How about dying a quilt after it's been made?


To all of you out there, I wish you all Health, Happiness and Creativity for a very Happy New Year in 2010.

This and that ...

Christmas came and went. My kids loved their presents and left too quickly to celebrate with their Dad. My mum LOVES her quilt, in fact she is still gushing over it each time we speak!

There was plenty of this...
And I got busy quilting this...

Before Christmas I saw this fabric from Moda, 'Close to my Heart', so close to mine I bought what was left in the shop! I've had a little play with some FQs from the Astor Manor range and am currently piecing the back.

I quilted this one today too...

And have loaded up another of my older tops onto the frame, and am working on that. I've been busy with my studying too, catching up on some of the activities including painting, and quilting.

Is it me or does the fast approaching New Year drive you to finish a few more things before this year is out?

Happy Quilting!

Merry Christmas!

It's finished!
All the presents are wrapped, the teenagers are stoically stuck to the sofa denying bedtime and not wanting to be seen to take their stockings to bed, preparations for dinner are all sorted. Let the fun begin!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Quilty New Year.

Health and Happiness!

Christmas came early!

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I had joined in the Fall Mini Quilt Swap. My own little quilt is still in the making and I must get if finished before the end of the month! But I was so surprised when I got this parcel in the mail!

Thank you Nikki, I am thrilled with the quilt as well as all the other goodies you sent.

The stitching detail around each leaf is stunning, and the quilting is really beautiful.
Nikki thank you so much for this beautiful quilt, I am truly thankful.

We had snow, it's an unusual occurrence and one that tends to bring the country to a stand still it's become such a rarity. I love a crisp bright morning, don't you?

Later that day... just for 20 minutes or so....

The visibility was so poor, it was hard to capture. It stopped as abruptly as it started. But it's always so peaceful when it snows.

We got the tree up :o) A strange mix of ornaments collected over many years from many countries. I really must get a new tree topper for next year!

My friend asked me to make a bag for her granddaughter. Girls of a certain age just love purple! (grin) I hope she likes it.

I had a great day yesterday with my friends from Expedition Quilt Art out in the Fens. I have been slacking (big style) on my City and Guilds studies. Dear Sweetiepie got us some very useful gifts, one of which is now set up next to my dining table, (yes, that will be the one that is also the sewing table, cutting table, homework table, and the sitting round and chatting table,... THE table). Thank you, there is definitely one way to motivate, and that is to visually focus, so I added a little visual organisation of my own :)

Now I can focus on what has to be done, trial ideas, set some deadlines, and with a little creative license and some spare wadding, a design wall! What a perfect present. Thank you both so much for your encouragement, support and inspiration :)

Christmas really has come early!

Happy Quilting!

Free Gift!

My friend Linda over at Hand Quilting Nana is paying it forward, in response to receiving her table runner from me. If you want to receive a hand made gift from Linda, and are prepared to then pay this forward on to 3 more people, please go over to her blog and sign up. Thanks :-)

Oh what a week!

It's been a busy week that's for sure. To say I've been a little focused on finishing some Christmas projects is an understatement!

So, last weekend, along with a little focusing help from Pat Sloan and her Holiday Finish It Up weekend, I managed to get these little gift bags made. Thanks to a pattern from Moda Bakeshop.

And these three too! Some have already made it to their recipients, others have yet to be packaged up.

I managed to get my mums quilt pieced together, loaded it up on the frame Saturday morning, and began the quilting. I finished the quilting Thursday morning. This included going back and doing the triangles I missed in my haste to take it off the frame to turn and do the horizontal sashing strips.

I've got the binding on, and am sewing it down by hand at the moment.

I've got 3 table runners pieced. (but can only find pics of 2 of them) This one is the bonus one, made with the left overs of the strip sets from the Amy Butler pinwheels runner below. This was quilted with a variegated thread from Aurifil. It was beautiful to quilt with, and lovely soft subtle colours.

This is the Amy Butler runner, pattern courtesy of Quilt Dad, who designed it for Moda Bakeshop using a Honeybun. As I don't have any, I cut into my stash and went from there.

I made this one as a birthday/Christmas gift for a friend. I finished piecing the runner on Thursday morning, loaded the two runners in the afternoon and got them quilted. I put on the binding in the evening. Phew

It was hard to get a good pic of the quilting late into the evening, but this gives you an idea.

The gift was given Friday morning, and I am so pleased my friend absolutely loves it!

The postman has made several deliveries, one a huge box almost as big as me, can you guess what it might be?

Another are these gorgeous threads from Aurifil, all 50 wt mako cotton. I can't wait to compare them with the 40 wt, which I love.

Today, we were preparing and packing bags for my daughter to go on her school trip to Germany tomorrow. How do you know which is your suitcase when it's in with 50 other kids? Well, yours is the only one with a hand made luggage label of course!

She chose the fabrics, something bright that could not be missed.

I'm pretty pleased with the results, not bad for something I came up with from scratch!

So it's been a busy week, I also got a simple Holiday runner put together, quilted my foundation Santa's, and made a Christmas stocking.

Happy Quilting!

Great Giveaway!

I just have to tell you about a great giveaway, Judi over at Green Fairy Quilts is having an awesome Christmas giveaway! Go head over there and see for yourself, tell her I sent you! You don't need to enter, then I have a better chance of winning :o) he he