YESTERDAY...

...I worked on the Mystery-Round-Robin that flew in the other day... NOT showing! But I will tell you that I used one of the items I bought when Gus forced me into HobyCraft!!

I have also made the quilt top.... and started the quilting on my Group 2 Australian block exchange..

I donot think this will be a favorite ...but I do like it... I am playing around a bit and having fun x

I CANNOT believe it is the end of JUNE! I hardly posted any RED and it will be time for a new colour! OH ! Never mind. xx

(I know this is not RED but its pretty!)

I am off out tonight, we have a reuinion for staff who previously worked on the urology department ... some that are going have  been retired for OVER 10 years!! I know them as well!! HOW did the time go so fast? I REALLY believe there is a time thief out there! lol xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

TODAY...

...Gus had to go to the vet...

NOT his favorite place to be! He had his booster vaccination, his heart murmer is still there ... but no worse, his teeth are still bad (born with no enamel) but hopefully not too bad! AND he got a biscuit... which he refused to eat! Hey-Ho!

On the way home we pass HobyCraft... well OK, we pass the retail park! I HAD to call in! I just did! I managed to buy a few things..

WELL I HAD TOO! Have to keep them in business after all! lol x

I finished the Celtic cushion today....

I really like it and may just have to make another one xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

SOMETIMES...

...I think blogger HATES me!

 It EITHER...

TELLS me I am not following ANY other blogs...OR..

It lets me read one or two THEN I get the blank screen...spinning icon ..followed by the "SEVICE UNAVAILABLE" message..

SOMETIMES it wont let me leave comments!

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

THEN there is WORD VERIFICATION!!!!!!!

at the moment that consists of dodggy photos of number plates of houses ....and occasionally ARABIC text!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need a cuppa!

TRYING to keep smiling

Diane xx

BECAUSE...

....I do not want to watch football OR tennis I have been sat in my garden!! OH YES we actually have sunshine this evening... a rare treat indeed x

I am in now and have made this months B-O-T-M.....

you may remember that LAST month I was moaning that the instructions given made an easy block a nightmare to make... none of that this month...

THAT is because this month we have NO INSTRUCTIONS! I kid you not... we are given the size for the initial blocks... then pictures of the block components and the finished block... and thats it!!

Can't moan about what you don't get!! lol x

Shame for any learners who dont have anyone to ask advice of x

Keep smiling

Diane xx

OOH LOOK....

...what the postman brought me today..

she has flow all the way from NSW.. she is so pretty I have to thank Deb (Blair's mum) for thinking of ME when she saw her xx

I have been looking at one of my birthday cards..

and wondering how I can get it out of the card...and WHAT I can incorporate it into?...will keep you posted x

Keep smiling

Diane xx

TODAY...

.. I received the first of the MYSTERY Round-Robin swaps for July..

I KNOW what I am going to do... knew as soon as I saw it!! I have found this to be really exciting, you see the envelope... then open it up... read the comments ..and look at the (awesome) work done so far!! Wonderful.

There has only been one so far that I had to REALLY think about... the others just told me straight away what they wanted.

ALL I need now is some time off work to sew! lol xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

A VERY BIG....

... and warm welcome to Yvonne and Kathy who are joining us here at The Cheshire Quilter... hope you have fun and want to stay a while xx

Going to work REALLY cramps my sewing style!! If only they would pay me to stay at home ... I would be SSOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy! One day xx

The sun managed to come out ,so ,I took the little Australian fabric quilt outside..

The colours are slightly truer than the last pictures.

Back to making the second Australian block exchange top... if I can finish it before I go to work I can THINK about layering it tomorrow xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

TODAY...

...you get to see the first of the Australian exchange quilts... it is BIG (72 ins square), and it hangs on the wall in my back room ...so I see it all the time xx..

my colours were YELLOW and GREEN with an Australian theme fabric..

I appliqued  motifs that I thought had an Australian theme ..

I found some paper clips like feet...(for walkabouts)...

I quilted fish all around the edge to represent the sea... and sewed on sequins for air bubbles..

this was the block I made each month (in the chosen colours) to send to Graffton..

it was a labour of love...

Hope you like it... now back to work on the second one xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx 

A COUPLE....

...of years ago, Congleton quilt group organised a block exchange between our group, and a group in Grafton ,NSW ,... (Australia). It ran for 10 months and had 2 groups with 10 ladies in each group. I had an extra  block because I knew the co-ordinator (in Australia), and I made the block I sent each month... in my colours.... so I had 12 blocks. They went together so well it almost made itself... ( I will post pictures tomorrow), the resulting quilt hangs on the wall in my back room ...and I truly love it x

THEN it was decided to extend the project and swap groups ... so that we got different blocks. This time I just had the 10 blocks. I have been looking at those blocks for 18 months! I could NOT decide what to do with them... then yesterday I just KNEW what to do!.... so I have been working away and NEARLY have the top made xx...

 As you know I got distracted and made another quilt top! With the blocks we all got some Australian fabric...some pieces and a fat quarter.... it was the fat quarter I was going to use in the borders... then I changed my mind. These are the fabrics I have left,,,

AND this is my quilt top..

The brown is the Australian fabric..

The colours don't show so well because it is POURING down so I had to take the picture inside..

Hope you get inspired and know what to do with a W-I-P

Keep smiling

Diane xx

BUSY...

....I have been busy today working on a quilt top.... NO I am NOT going to show you yet!! Its not finished! However, as I was working on it I changed my mind!! NOW there is a change!!  I had made some blocks to form a side border... then decided it was not working... so I used the blocks to make a baby quilt top... I then found some fleece.. and now I am working on the (hand) quilting....

                                         

OK! Its not finished so you will have to wait for the full reveal.... mean aren't I ! He-He !
That lovely postman came today...these fabrics are just great..

not sure what they will be ... have to put the old thinking cap on xx


Keep smiling


Diane xx

IT WAS ...

...quilt group in Congleton last night... and what a wonderful night it was xx We had a speaker , her name is Janet Keenan (www.lemontreequilts.com ) She made us laugh, she was inspirational, she showed LOTS and LOTS of show and tell, she held us spell bound for well over an hour!! There was laughter and gasps and LOTS of fun xx Check out her web-site... you will NOT be disappointed xx

Remember this fabric?... It is the UGLY FABRIC that I received from Gun ,in Sweden.

This challenge has been SOOO much fun...AND NOW I have this...

OH YES!! I finished today ... I have a cushion...

AND a quilt...

I hand quilted the flowers .. inspired by the ones in the garden...

The labels on the back are circles..

to reflect the circles in the centre of the Dresden plates..

NOW have to find the next project... mmm wonder what it will be! He-He xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

I AM ...

......working away at (hand) quilting the UGLY FABRIC quilt.... not going to show you just yet though !! I decided fairly quickly what I wanted to do, this for me very often involves flower shapes....

IF I am stuck for inspiration I just go out in to the garden and take a look around..

ALWAYS something to take my eye xx

Hope you can find some inspiration today xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx