Sunday 26 October 2014

I HAVE...

..... many piles of "stuff" in my work room ... my friend calls hers "stacks-of-inspiration"!!!!.. but I just cant do it!! lol x ... anyway.... yesterday while I was doing my Secrete Santa sewing I kept seeing this..


swap block sticking out .. along with another Halloween fabric .....SO.... the Christmas sewing got ..sort of..... shoved... to one side ... AND ..I now have another Diane bag ..



I had some little charms from another (!) swap and decided they would work perfectly..



mmm ......wonder what else is in one of the (many) piles that I could find to inspires me?.... off to see x

Diane xx

Saturday 25 October 2014

I AM DETERMINED...

....that next year I WILL cut down on the number of swaps I join in with ... YES I WILL !! lol x

SO... with this in mind I have made a start ... and am only in TWO Christmas swaps xx... well its a start xx

One of the swaps has a bag that you make from a (simple pattern) then fill with goodies ... bag made ..




NOW to decide on what to make for inside xx ( looking at these the rickrack looks a sort of pinky colour ... it looks much better "in the flesh"" and matches the other colours !! lol x)

The second one I decided to make a Diane bag as part of the swap...



DONE xx To-day I am planning on making "stuff" to put in each .. then go and buy some Christmassy fun stuff to include as well xx

It is a dull missely (fine rain that soaks you through!!) day .. so ideal for staying in and having fun sewing xx

Hope you have something fun to do to-day xx

Diane xx

Friday 24 October 2014

EVERY YEAR....

... at Congleton Quilt Group we are given a Christmas challenge. EVERY year we get a piece of ribbon, a piece of fabric, a bow and a button..... THIS year .. because of "moaning" ....... although it was called expressing an opinion by one lady (much more refined! lol ) Our Gallant Leader announced there would be a change xx cheers and whoops from the gallery followed ..


YEP.. we get a red bead INSTEAD of a button!!! Hey-Ho !! Need to find some inspiration!! lol x

Yesterday the Post Man called ... now you know that's not unusual (just burst into Tom Jones there!.. good job you cant hear me destroying that song ! lol x)..... BUT I am not expecting anything! I had such a lovely surprise xx He brought a box .. from Jersey.. that contained ...


I was happy all day .. and this morning I find myself smiling every time I look at them xx

A friend of mine is going through repeat cancer treatment and I have been there for her when she calls.. only in a small way .. x .. and SHE sent them xx I was NOT expecting them ..which makes them even more special .. she has been having it rough just recently .. so even more special .. but so typical that she is thinking of others in the midst of her own suffering .. makes me feel very small and humble xx AND happy too xx... its a funny old world x AND I love it x

Diane x

Wednesday 22 October 2014

I HAVE BEEN...

... putting off this months Stash Bee block .. it is a 16.5 inch block with LOTS and LOTS of half-square-triangles !!!

BUT it has to go to Georgia USA.. so it had to be done so that it can be in the post to arrive by the end of the month.

SO.. big girl bloomers pulled up  .. and..


its made .. and in the post xx

Diane x

Tuesday 21 October 2014

YESTERDAY EVENING....

... I got the embroidery done on the chain of Christmas lights ...



then this morning I joined the last section to the quilt x...


 I am SOOoooo liking this B-O-T-M x Next month is joining .. and maybe borders? Who knows ... not me! He-He xx

Diane x

Monday 20 October 2014

THE ROUND THE WORLD BLOG HOP......

.. has been around for a while ... I have been nominated by no less the FOUR people (so far!!)..life has been a bit hectic  just recently and this is the first real chance I have had to join in x

The first part is to answer some questions ..

1. What am I working on ... TO-DAY I have been working on the Christmas B-O-T-M from   ....quiltdoodledoodles.blogspot.com .... it is a string of tree lights .. I just have to embroider the string..




this is the last row .. and maybe tomorrow I will sew them on to the quilt . 

At other times of the month I will be working on Erin's B-O-T-M ( www.sewathomemummy.blogspot.com )...


or I may be working on blocks for one of the (too) many swap groups I belong to...


last weekend I was working on Christmas projects ...



2. How does my work differ from others of its genre... well.. I choose my own fabrics and mixes .. other than that I have no idea what this question means!! snort! lol x

3. How do I work/create what I do.. well I like to start with an idea and then twist it around and see what happens .. that goes for my work with fabric and in writing this blog x Sometimes it works .. sometimes it doesn't x I DO prefer blocks and established patterns ... as part of swap groups I have had a go at this improvisional and wonky work .. but its not really for me .

4.How does my writing/creating process work.. well this seems to be a repeat of the previous question .. I just "have a go".. and hope it works xx

The second part of the Blog Hop is to nominate 3 others to take part ... that would mean I have to nominate 12 people!! mm I think that is just too much ... SO .. if you want to join in .. feel free x Just title it .. Round-The-World-Blog-Hop .. and answer the question xx

Diane x

Saturday 18 October 2014

IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO....

.... today that Sally and Blair said "goodbye" and set off on their big adventure to Australia xx ... gosh WHERE has that time slipped away to? This also means it will soon be the anniversary of the start of this blog!!... oh my!

I could have sat at home and thought about the first of those ... or I could go out and spend the day with quilters at a Do-Your-Own-Thing-Day... so off I went this morning x (that's not to say I didn't think about them ... just didn't wallow! lol )

I was wondering about the back of the circular table cloth .. and found this fabric...


so first job to-day was sew down the binding...


Last week I bought a panel that has NOW become 2 runners for Christmas presents ...





 


 

.. its been a good day x Hope your was fun too xx

Diane x


Wednesday 15 October 2014

I AM....

.... struggling with Blogger this week! Is it me? Is it them? WHO THE HECK KNOWS!!!! .... SO... while it IS talking to me .. post post!

I had my 2 missing swoon blocks in the post..


so happy .. they are beautiful x

I made my postcard for October ...


Victorian patchwork ... one of my favourites .. not got mine yet x

I have 3 ... yes THREE Christmas table runners/covers to make ... one has been slowly developing over the last couple of days ...

 
 
 
I have struggled with the centre ... there are only SO MANY times you can un-pick and re-sew!!! So I gave in and used a sequin xx


Hope I can come back soon xx

Diane xx

Sunday 12 October 2014

I HAVE BEEN...

...... out and about a bit this week. On Thursday evening it was Sandbach Quilt group meeting .. this was the night we handed over the Linus quilts ( www.projectlinusuk.org.uk )we have been making all year ...77 yes that's right SEVENTY SEVEN quilts were handed over..


Wendy looks a bit stern there! Don't know WHAT she was saying xx lol x

ALSO the next challenge was announced x Each ladies ....who wants to join in ... and I have to say despite the "rumblings" from a certain corner .. more join in each time xx ... was given a pack..



this contains everything they need to make this little block...



ALL they have to do is make the block THEN decorate the centre ... as the organiser ..of course .. I made the examples ..


then JUST BECAUSE ITS ME!!.. I started looking at other possibilities xx lol ...



NOW we just have to see what the ladies come up with xx

Yesterday was The Quilters Guild Regional day in Frodsham .. about an hours drive from here ... in the morning our speaker was Gillian Travis if you get the chance check out her web page ... www.gilliantravis.co.uk .... she brought LOTS and LOTS of pieces for us to see x Loved her talk x

In the afternoon we had a lady called Val Jackson .. I don't know if this will work but if not put her in your search engine and click on quilt artist www.quiltart.eu/valjackson.html ..... she was fascinating .. well I thought so anyway! SHAME on the 3 ladies behind us who TALKED all the way through both talks .. WHY do these people just not come ... or leave if its not for them? .. OK rant over ! I loved them anyway xx lol x

I managed to help the traders stay in business..




I have plans for all of these xx

Off to chat with Sally on Skype xx Thank goodness for technology xx

Diane xx

Friday 10 October 2014

SOME DAYS JUST...

... go right and to-day was one of those ( for me anyway!) x

Sue ... www.kiwikidspage.blogspot.com .. and her husband Dave, are visiting the UK from Melbourne. Sue rang this morning to say they were coming to call on me as they travelled South xx YAY x

SO... the choice was .. clean up .. or make a cake ! I am sure you are all well aware of what I went with..


YEP .. I made a cake x

Mind you I could have cleaned up as well... but hey! I was not going to move the ornaments !! lol

WELL... I was beginning to think they had changed their minds when there was a knock at the door ....it was the postman!.... bringing me some Christmas fabrics to play with ..


at the same time the phone was ringing! OH NO! they had taken a detour from Manchester and went across instead of down  country and found themselves in ... LIVERPOOL! Never mind they were now in Crewe and on the way xx


We had a wonderful visit .. that went by far to quickly x I have to say that every quilter I have met .. in the flesh .. has been a lovely person .. and Sue was no exception x OH! and her husband was lovely too.. when he could get a word in sideways xxx lol x poor fella x

I had wanted to give Sue a little pressy .. so ...




.....a bag it was .. squashy to fit flat into her flight bag on the way home x I filled it with LOTS of sweets so that Dave could join in the fun x...


SO.. if a blogger says they are going to be in your area .. MEET UP x and your day will be wonderful too x

Diane x