Friday 28 November 2014

PHEW!!....

... there has been A LOT of grandma duties this last week .. I'm NOT complaining xx .. just saying x.. and this weekend there will be MORE!!

 .. you can always spot Christmas coming as it is not just the kids who have a social life!... and last night was my turn x

CAN YOU BELIEVE that it is 12 months since I retired!!.. neither can I !! Over this time I have kept in touch with some of the girls I worked with by organising a night out every 2 months .. the core number is 5 but changes up and down due to "life" and work commitments .. 



each time I make a small gift for the girls xx Last night was the cup-cosies xx

We had a great time .. catching up on gossip.. laughing .. THEM moaning about the Christmas off-duty... ME not!! lol x all good fun... AND THEN....


....they gave me a card and a voucher for Hobbycraft... oh! I will be forced to visit ... again! lol xx

NEXT years dates have been worked out .. and I will be booking the January night soon xx

I am off to a Do-Your-Own-Thing-Day with Congleton Quilt group to-morrow .. so I might just have some sewing to show you ... I DO have a hand sewing project on the go that has had work done on it .. but I want to show the top when it is finished rather than in dribs and drabs xx

Hope YOU are having a social life for the holidays too xx

Diane xx

Saturday 22 November 2014

BY NOW...

... you know that I am .....(cough cough!) cutting back on my swaps!! AND you know I have good intentions ... right? xx lol x

WELL.... I am in the 2014 swap organised by www.chookyblue.blogspot.com .... He-He x

ALSO ....by now you know how excited I get when the Post Man comes to call xx

WELL ....to-day my parcel came ... its a mystery swap ..


 .. we get to open a little present with a home made ornament x.. (and for me some chocolate xx) ..



and the main present is to be kept until Christmas ..





SOOooo exciting xx

Hope you got to do something exciting to-day xx

Diane x


Thursday 20 November 2014

THERE HAS BEEN...

... some jiggling around with the Brit Bee I belong to .. and so this month (November!) we got to make the December block .. as if I don't get confused enough on my own!! lol x This is my block..


a stacked rainbow .. HER background fabric .. we supply the rainbow part ..wondering and not really being able to imagine how this is going to turn out x

I finished of a little Christmas sew this morning. MORE TIME than I want to remember has passed since I bought a pattern for the Days-Of-Christmas ... you know what its like .. the plans are big but the flesh just doesn't have enough hours in the day .. never mind the week.... year !.. SO..


first one is made .. not too sure if it looks like a partridge ( the ones I usually see are on the side of the road!!) or even a pear tree.. but I like it xx

I have decided to make one a year .. and so not put too much stress on my self to get them finished!!!! He-He xx

Diane xx

Wednesday 19 November 2014

SOOOOOOOOOOO.... EXCITING...

... life can be SO exciting at times .. and it FORCES you into a dance .. happy comes close x .. just wish it was as elegant in reality as it is in the imagination!! lol x

FIRST came this little package ...


OH YES!!.... but then came ...


AH! Need to calm down now xx.... trying xx

Diane x

Sunday 16 November 2014

THE WORD FOR...

.... Alsha's Space: 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge this week is ... CUT.. SO without further ado .. here is my picture ...


.. this is the state of my finger to-day !!! Hopefully next week it will be a "kinder" word xx lol x

(by the way I DID NOT cut it on purpose to have a picture to post!!!! lol xx ) 

Diane x

Saturday 15 November 2014

NOVEMBER....

..... is the last month for the Christmas-Block-Of-The-Month... and it is the borders..

The pattern calls for 3 borders.. something like this...


WELL.. you all know me by now!! I have NOT bought any fabrics for this .. and in order to fit the wadding and backing fabric from my stash some change had to be made xx

SO....



flying geese and square in a square it is ( come on .. why would I make it easy for myself? lol x) NOW.. waiting to be quilted...


Diane xx

Friday 14 November 2014

LAST NIGHT...

... was Quilt Group in Sandbach.. we had a make..


the committee cut up LOTS of fabric and supplied the pot and pattern....and the ladies went for it xx Judging by the NOISE it was a successful night xx Hopefully at Show-And-Tell next month we will have a forest of Christmas trees xxx lol x

This time of year is WONDERFUL for apples and pears .. here in the UK anyway ..I have been given a big bag of apples from a friend of mine x She has a tree in the garden ... but wont eat the fruit!! I am only too happy to accept them!!

SO.. to-day I made...


the loaves have been passed onto family .. and the cake is for ... ME xx I used apples and sultanas to-day .. mmm yummy x

Diane x

Tuesday 11 November 2014

I HAVE....

.... been doing some Christmas knitting .. and.. as ALWAYS happens with both wool and fabric (!) .. there are left overs xx ..... SO  ...I was "using up" and making hats..

 

... When I made this one...

 

it set me thinking .. I am sure by now you realise that my mind goes off on its own travels and starts throwing off ideas xx SO... then I started making ...

 

YEP! Not tea-cosies but CUP-cosies xx They will come in as presents xx .. not only cosie-drinks .. but cosie heads as well x 

Diane x

Monday 10 November 2014

REMEMBER...

... the Congleton Quilt group Christmas challenge .. with the BEAD instead of the BUTTON !!.... I have had it propped up on the side in the kitchen to try and give me some inspiration !!!  My friend came round for a brew the other day .. and gave me an idea xx

SO to-day I made..

 

.. managed to use everything in the pack x  PHEW!!!  Glad that's done..... I can move on to something else now xx

Diane xx

Thursday 6 November 2014

I AM A "BIT"...

 ... behind with my post for.. Alsha's Space: Week 40 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge ... but am trying to catch up!!

The word for this week is .. PRESS .. WELL last night was Bonfire Night here in the UK ... where we remember Guy Fawkes and co trying to blow up Parliament xx.. The result was...


.. this was the start of the night when the fireworks were JUST STARTING....(YES I am under that PRESS !!) by the end of the night Gus was in the corner trying to get under the settee and shaking soooo much ... poor old lad x HE HATES IT xx

He is better this morning .. but still a bit "stay close to me"... and PRESSed against my leg as I sit and write this x

Diane x

Wednesday 5 November 2014

LAST NIGHT WAS...

... quilt group in Congleton, We had a make-on-the-night ... this little poppy..


it was meant to be a badge/broach .. but the felt we were provided was/is a bit ... well.. thin and limp ! SO... I am sure you can guess what I made..... YES...

 
 
 
a slightly manic centre seemed OK ...


.....a Diane bag xx MMMMmmmmm this seems to be forming into a pattern xx lol x 

I decided the centre needed some embellishment x...


I also made my postcard for November...


the theme this month being reverse applique..... I seem to be keeping the Post Man in business this week x

Diane x

Tuesday 4 November 2014

THE SEWING..

... for to-day was my last Stash Bee #6 block There were only 11 of us in this group so ... this is me finished .. remember I said I was cutting back on my swaps xx

The block requested was a wonky star... groan.. NOT a favourite of mine.. but Hey-Ho x...


.. it has gone in the post to the USA .

Wonder what tomorrow will bring

Diane x

Monday 3 November 2014

THERE HAS NOT BEEN...

... a lot of sewing going on here this last week.. then to-day I managed it  xx Yay xx

First was the November Christmas Swap Block for Kerri in Australia...


she asked for this specific block x

THEN the November B-O-T-M .. from Erin..



at least I am getting to use up some of that PINK stuff x

Will have to see if I can manage some more to-morrow x

Diane x