... going to show you the FRONT of work I have been sewing xx lol xx Will make a change from the last post xx
I have made my postcard for the February partner in the Congleton Quilt Group swap ...
I KNEW I didn't want to do this swap!! lol x the technique for February is foundation .. now don't get me wrong I like it ... but for postcards you are talking MINI.. and I don't like that! Won't be doing that pattern again xx
I also made my Australian-Christmas-Block-swap block...
my partner for this month likes purples and silver but said she did not mind other colours x.. don't have purple but DO have blue and silver ... close! So that is what I went with x
I also am making a quilt for the appeal put out by Alison at Little Island blog spot ...the link I had wont work! I have the top made and now am ready to quilt it x
Lots of scraps used .. and also I found some fleece for the back as Alison says Mexico City gets COLD at night x
Weather wet, windy, cold and grey .. so back to sewing I go xx
Diane x
... that I am ADDICTED to swaps xx WELL Michelle over at The Quilters Gallery has organised a mug rug swap to celebrate the winter Olympics xx Some of you may well be doing it also x To-day I made my mats .. want a sneaky peek? Here you are..
I LOVE THEM xx One in particular x They are wrapped and ready to go .. so that I cant sneak it back into my sewing room xx NOW .....I get to wait for mine xx When I know my partner (in Denmark ) has them I will share the other side xx
Some of you may remember I was doing some secrete sewing ... well , this ..
is part 2 xx CANT show you yet .. they have to be presented to the recipients first xx
MAYBE to-morrow I will be able to show you THE FRONT of something I have been working on!! lol x
Keep smiling
Diane xx
...... this challenge ... Alsha's Space: 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge ... is BRIGHT x NOW here in the UK at the moment we are anything BUT!!
SO.. I looked back at previous pictures and I chose this one..
..it was taken about 4 years ago .. by my daughter .. on a visit to London x She knew I would love it xx AND I DO xx So I though I would share it with you all xx
Hope you are have some BRIGHTness in your day xx
Diane xx
... I decided that this year I was going to USE the fabrics I have in my stash... NOT just look, stroke and put them away!! SO.. how am I doing?
WELL... I have finished my Made-Entirely-By-Hand top...
its not easy to photograph x..
I have some fabric that I am pretty sure will fit for the back xx I just have to find it! lol x
I also started a Block-Of-The-Month...
these are so much fun x
AND remember this layer cake...
Well.. I was asked to make some raffle prizes .. and I like to have little presents ..just in case xx .. and maybe even getting in early for next Christmas !!....
I DID get a bit carried away ...
LOL! NOW I can maybe have a rest!!
Keep smiling
Diane xx
..... I would iron each evening .. this was because I had uniforms to iron .. because of this I never had much to do when I was on my nights off NOW I don't need to do this ... and boy! Has the pile grown!! lol x To-day I bit the bullet and ..the basket is empty xx YAY xx To ease the mind boggling boredom I went to www.quiltinaday.com and let Elenor Burns amuse me xx she did a great job and it was (fairly) soon done x
Last year I joined a swap .. now there's a surprise ! lol .. in this one we swapped 1 mt worth of fabric scraps xx I got a wonderful bag from my secrete partner .. well Round 2 is here and these ..
went in the post x I cannot reveal my partner ...BUT..
mmmm wonder how far these fabrics will be travelling?
Have fun
Diane x
.....in this challenge ... Alsha's Space: 52 Week Word Photo Challenge is INSPIRE mmm once again I could post SO many .. however I decided to make it quilting inspiration ....
you may just notice a few post-its sticking up xx I use these books A LOT and so feel they are my BEST inspiration .. although not the ONLY ones xxx Waiting for next weeks word now x Remember any-one can join in at any time x
To-day I have been to Nantwich ,(you can google it if you want to.. was mentioned in The Doomsday book x) it is a small town about 10 min drive for here .. every year there is a FABRIC SALE xxxx I was FORCED to buy fabric ..
AND then FORCED to buy some more xx...
...MOST of these were only £4 a metre !!!! COULD NOT leave that behind xx SUCH fun x was a bit of a bun fight .. but FUN xx
Hope you are smiling as much as me xx
Diane x
... the Postman must be in withdrawal .. because he has not been to my door for a while!! lol x Then this morning he brought me ...
....its my Australian Christmas Block Swap for January ,sent by the lovely Kelly x She also sent me some fabric...
thinking cap on for a project xx
I have actually been IN the house (this retirement is exhausting .. you actually have time to go out and visit!! lol )and ... have managed a bit more sewing on my Entirely-Hand-Made project ,I have been working on the border..
its hard to try and get a decent picture ... wet and miserable outside ..
also it is pretty grey outside so the colours would be lost xx I am ALSO working on a Hush-Hush hand quilting project .. will just give you a sneaky peek of the back...
Keep smiling
Diane xx
... to learn how to say ...NO xx lol x
Congleton quilt group are having a post card swap this year .. I had decided NOT to do it .. all the usual reasons .. I've done it before .. its not really my "thing"... I just didn't fancy it .. I have others just sat there... and on .. and on xx
THEN our gallant leader rang me up !!!!!!!!! She was struggling to make up the numbers in one of the groups ... there are new/ less experienced members to encourage ... and so it goes!! YOU GUESSED WHO is doing the swap didn't you? He-He xx
SO .. to-day I made the January post card ....
the theme for this month is strip piecing x It didn't take long ... and IF I had had my head screwed on I would have written the address BEFORE I fixed the post card on the back!!!!!!!!!! .......
OH well !! JUST have to remember for next month xx
Keep smiling
Diane x
....the grandsons come to stay... HOWEVER .. when they go home ... the peace .. the quiet .. the stillness .. AHH xx
I NOW have the chance to post my picture for ... Alsha's Space: A 52 Week Word Photo Challenge ... the word for this first week is BEAUTIFUL ... as you can imagine it was NOT easy to narrow this down to ONE picture!! ..BUT I DID xx and here it is ..
I have always loved hands ,the way they start off smooth and as the person uses them and LIVES they change and reflect all those changes x Each and every one is unique to that person and so hands HAD to be my choice xx
These hands belong to my mother, me, and my grandsons .
I hope you like my choice .. now I wonder what next weeks word will be? (anyone can join in at any time xx)
Hope you have something to make you smile to-day
Diane x
... my dads 84th birthday .. and to-night I have the grandsons to stay over x SO .. here is his birthday cake ..
we made a little extra and these are the cakes James (youngest) decorated ..
Josh (the eldest) decorated and ATE these...
Good night all round x YES they licked the bowl afterwards xx then we played WHOOWASIT? .. that gave them plenty of time to (argue) work off the sugar before it was time for bed xx lol xx
Hope you have had a good evening xx
Keep smiling
Diane x
.. that I WILL be putting a border onto my hand pieced top...
with that in mind I have been choosing and cutting fabric .. results so far are ....
YES got some more PINK in there!! lol x
I know I have said it before .. but, I DO like hand work .. esp in the evenings when I can snuggle in front of the fire and put on some music or a dvd and just go for it x ... mind you there does tend to be competition from snoring dogs .. but that's a small price xx
AND .....I DON'T get half way down a LOOOOONGGG seam and find out I have somehow flipped the fabric and am sewing the front to the back!!! THEN when that is remedied sew THE WHOLE thing .... only to discover the ..evil, maddddd. sadistic... machine had UNTHREADED itself .. at the very beginning !! THEN sew the whole D££&&++***D thing again ... only to discover the bobbin ran out .. near the beginning!!!! GGGRRRRR rrraaannntttt.. MAD? .. not me!! SHOUTING ... who me?
AHH! sticking to hand work to-day xx
I will remain CALM!!
Diane xx
... I like to read quilting magazines .. SOME of the British ones are .. to put it bluntly.. BORING !! I have been draw to some of the Australian ones as they have bright and vibrant project and easy to make projects x THEN last year THIS magazine ...
... hit the UK. It is FAST becoming a favourite with me x This first episode caught my eye .. and I decided this was the project for me...
I LOVE to work by hand .. and now I belong to the retired (!) I have (supposedly ...! ) more time .. so I went to the fabrics and began to pull out reds and browns ..
and ..YES!! .. some pinks (didnt think I had them!!) and creams xx ..
NOW I have a top..
mmm considering if I want to add a border or just layer and quilt as it is ... OH! Decisions .. Decisions xx lol xx
Keep smiling
Diane xx
......made (and ate!!) a bit of this..
and read a bit of this ..
WELL it is cold wet and windy outside xxx
Keep warm and safe where ever you are
Diane x
... tell you what the postman brought me yesterday. WELL here it is ....
I so so love this fabric ... haven't opened the packaging yet .. still at the stroking and looking stage xx
Hope you have some favourite fabric to stroke and look at xx
Diane x
... the January block in the Stash Bee have been posted ... I read then and thought ... I'll get that done to-day ... OFF I went and ...... answered the phone .. and the front door (to the postman .. more about that later xx) .... made a cuppa and then went to the cutting board and sewing machine.
OH YES I made this block..
THEN I realised I had not written out the address to send the block to!! TWIT!! So..... OFF I went to find it ... and just happened to look at the picture!!! EEEKK!.. and similar words to that were SHOUTED !!! xx
SO .... OFF I RAN to the sewing machine ...and the stitch ripper! NOW I have this block..
(phew!!) ready to send to our Queen Bee for this month xx
I am laughing at my self ...NOW xx He-He xx
Keep smiling
Diane x
... the start of the new sew-a-long and Bee FUN xx I am joining in with Erin at ... www.sewathomemummy.com and her modern meets contemporary sew-a-long xx I'm pretty sure its NOT called that but the old brain is a bit tired!! He-He xx
ANYONE can join ... at ANY time , so, if you fancy having a go ... you know what to do xx The January block is a POLAR Bears Paw/Claw .....which ever you prefer x I want a certain HOLIDAY theme to my finished quilt .. so used modern fabrics xx It has been fun to make ...
and so I have my FIRST block ... ready for February already xx lol
By the way .. remember the hissy-fit I had over the EASY block that I just could not do? WELL.. let me share the gossip .. other folks have posted that THEY couldn't do it either xx Feel better now it's not just ME xx
I also have a quilt to show you that I finished in (the last hours of December!) 2013. The Quilt Show have a Block-Of-The-Month each year AND in 2010 I thought I would have a go ( ALL fabrics from my stash .. x) xx I FINISHED the blocks that year !!! THEN I finished putting them to-gether in 2011!! In 2012 I decided to layer the quilt.. and I DID x In 2013 I decided it was time and I set about the quilting (mostly hidden in the ditch!!) xx NOW I have a finished quilt .. that measures just about 80 INCHES square xx .... SO .... taking pictures has been the next CHALLENGE!!!!
Hope you get an idea of what it looks like ... not perfect , not got that many points on the stars .. but I don't care .. it's finished ... and it's mine xx
Keep smiling in 2014 if you can xx
Diane x
