Friday, 28 February 2014

I DONT WANT ...

... you all to think that I only get wonderful post .. today I got my water rates !! ......BUT I also got .....



a further 2 yummy blocks from a stash Bee member  (Melanie) AND..


the most wonderful package containing LOTS of fabric x I entered a swap where we swapped a package of "scraps" from our stash xx

Diane x

Thursday, 27 February 2014

ONCE AGAIN...

... the Postman came to call x He brought me some more blocks for my Stash #6 swap..



and some pretty fabric to play with as with ... YES I know I should have ironed it first!! x...


He also brought me a lovely parcel from Sue over at www.mumasu'smoments.blogspot.com she was having a give-away and I left a comment ...


You can guess the rest x To say I am feeling lucky and happy is a slight understatement xx

Hope you are having fun

Diane x

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

NOW THAT i AM ....

.....retired I DO have some extra time ... despite what I keep saying!! So when 2 of the ladies on the committee of Sandbach Quilt group stepped down at Christmas I put my name forward .. and was voted on xx Yesterday was my first committee meeting .. over lunch at a local farm shop !! FOOD was wonderful LOTS of cups of tea .. lots of chatting and giggling as only WOMEN can!! ... when are we meeting again? lol x They want "someone" to organise challenges and swaps! GUESS WHO that is? .. I feel I have some fun times ahead ... OH! and did we mention the first one is to be ready for the March meeting......... WATCH THIS SPACE XX lol x

THEN  to further brighten my week .. look what the PostMan brought me ...


Ahhh! Hope you are having a bright and happy week x

Diane x

Monday, 24 February 2014

WITH ALL THE EXCITEMENT....

...of the draw yesterday I forgot to post my picture for ...  Alsha's Space: 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge the word for this week was ...FLOW ..there are so many options for this word but I went with....



I am so grateful to live where there is available water at the turn of a tap .. it is guaranteed to be clean and drinkable .. and wont (hopefully!) cause me any harm x There are so many places in this world where this is only a dream x

Don't forget to pop over and see the other entries ... going there my self (and looking at the picture I better CLEAN my tap!! lol x ) x AND to join in if you want to x

Diane x

Sunday, 23 February 2014

WHEN I STARTED .....

.... this blog it was for 2 reasons ... these were  1. To allow me to join this wonderful community and have  a platform to share my sewing .. and 2. To allow my daughter and her partner .. who had just left England and gone to Australia ... to keep up to date with my sewing x

BOTH of these aims have been achieved xx I sort of thought I MIGHT get a few followers beyond my family x WELL last Sunday I quietly and amazingly (to me anyway!!) I hit

                                               100

followers!! I cannot tell you how amazed I was xx

SO for the last week I have been keeping a tally of those who commented on my twitterings x I did only put names in once .. no matter how many comments were left xx THEN to-day I enlisted this young man ..


(oldest grandson .. the little one is in Australia visiting relatives x) We put the names in an empty ice cream tub .. no clean hat available!!..



and he drew out a name ...



Rosemary blogs over at www.knittingquilter.blogspot.com ,I have contacted her and to-morrow her parcel will be winging its way to Massachusetts (hope that's how you spell it!! lol x) When I know she has received it I will post a picture of her gifts xx

Thank you one and all for your wonderful support and comments xx This has been good fun x I may just do it again in the future xx

Diane x

Saturday, 22 February 2014

THE GRANDSON....

... went home last night ... we went out for dinner and saw the LEGO MOVIE!!!! ... actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be! Had lots of laughs and hugs xx I do so love having him to stay xx BUT .. to-day was about SEWING xxx

It was the Region 13 Area day .. so off I went , we had a speaker in the morning ..OH! and I managed to buy some fabric..

then this afternoon we had a make ..


FUN FUN day xx lots of quilters, lots of fabric, lots of tea and cake ... and best of all LOTS of talking xx Off to have my tea and a cuppa now xx

Hope you have had a good day xx

Diane x

Thursday, 20 February 2014

I CAME HOME TO-DAY...

.... loaded down with shopping bags .. well my oldest grandson is here to stay .. and he is nearly 11!!  .. so a walking talking eating machine!!

... anyway ! I was loaded down with bags ... and when I opened the door the post was on the mat.. I picked it up and put it in one of the bags xx

When I remembered ...(after emptying the bags ... NOW isn't that the most BORING job?) I looked at this envelope...


WHERE THE HECK  is that postmark? Well inside was this card ..


It is from the people who are organising the Quilts for the children in Mexico xx I was so surprised xx It was wonderful x and more so for being unexpected x SO if you are still thinking about making a quilt or a block .. head over to read about it at .. Little Island Quilting .. (Im not good with getting links!!) Alison tells you all about it x

Smiling xx

Diane x

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

LOOK...

... what came today..


Melodee sent me these beautiful blocks x She has some fancy stitches on her machine that she played with to give different definitions ..



This is going to be such a wonderful project xx

Diane x

Sunday, 16 February 2014

ITS THAT TIME ..

.......of the week for the picture I have chosen for  ....Alsha's Space: 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge ... The word this week is ..OPEN  I had quite a few ideas , however .. this ..


.. is the one I have decided on x My parents brought us up to extend ..OPEN ARMS .. and to try and look beyond the outer .. and first .. impressions and appearances x THEN you can decide later if you continue to keep your arms open .. or not! lol x

HOPEFULLY I have instilled this into my own children x

There was another picture where I DID NOT chop the top of my dads head off.. however they BOTH had their eyes closed!! He-He xx

Hope you go over and check out the other entries .. and of course anyone can join in at any time xx

Diane x

Friday, 14 February 2014

I AM SOOOO.....

... enjoying watching the winter Olympics xx AND it is a good opportunity to sit and quilt xx ... by hand of course x THIS is a sneaky peek at what I have been doing..


I DID manage to get off my bum .. in between the rain and wind!... and my quilt for Mexico is in the Post x The dogs have been out TWICE for a walk and I managed a bit of this ....


NOW back to the Olympics and the sewing xx

Keep safe out there every one x

Diane xx

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

I AM ...

... the hive queen for Stash Bee for February xx I have asked for hearts and flower blocks ... and look what came to-day..



SO happy x

The wind here is awful to-night with lots of reports of roads blocked due to trees down and the railway station closed due to collapsed roof and a fire!! Glad I'm safe and sound indoors x We are IN land so heaven help those on the coast xx

Try and stay safe out there people what ever the MAD weather is doing where ever you are x

Diane xx

Monday, 10 February 2014

REMEMBER ....

............ THIS challenge...Alsha's Space: Week 4 of 52 Weeks Word Photo Challenge ? It has been on hold because Shaz has been in hospital ... but now she is better and home ..WOOP WOOP xx SO .. its back on x The word was ... INSTANTANEOUS !! WHAT!!

Well the thinking cap was a bit slow and not very helpful!! BUT I came up with ...


BECAUSE the lights (should!!) come on straight away and that is one definition of the word xx He-He x Off to see what everyone else has come up with ....... and what the word is for this week x You can join in at any time if you fancy being challenged xx

Have fun

Diane x

Sunday, 9 February 2014

YESTERDAY...

.... a Do-Your-Own-Thing-Day was organised by Congleton Quilt group xx .... as you know I LOVE these days xx I was mostly finishing off and adding binding yesterday x NOW I have to show you ....

a little wall hanging from the snowman Block-Of-The-Month x The top one seems to be rather cold .. bless x

...AND ...


...the FIRST of the Blair's Blocks quilts is finished x Hand quilted x NOW I have to at least THINK about quilting the BIG one x

...AND ...


...my quilt for Mexico is finished x I put a warm fleece on the back as it gets COLD at night .. so I'm told x 


A GOOD DAY xx and of course much drinking of tea and talking with other quilters went on as well x

Keep smiling

Diane x

Thursday, 6 February 2014

IN ONE OF MY ...

....Christmas Secrete Santa parcels I had a pack containing 12 charm squares, I did not want to loose them into my stash ..... So I decided that I would use them in a little project x NOW I have ...




...... a little runner x NOW will I keep it ..OR .. will it be the beginning of my Christmas presents for this year? mmm  we will have to see x

Last year ... I think it was September time .. I joined in with the Pay-It-Forward scheme x If you want to see what I sent to my first responder .. and maybe join in your self .. then pop over to Jane's blog and have a read ...   Daisies and New Beginnings: Pay It Forward ......... 

To-morrow my youngest grandson and his mum start on a journey to Australia for a 3 week visit .. so here's hoping the weather gods are kind to them x we will all miss him .. and hopefully the time will pass quickly x



Keep smiling

Diane x

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

YESTERDAY...

... I showed you the mug mats I received from my partner in Denmark x WELL she has received hers from me xx YAY xx

SO NOW I can show you the FRONTS of the ones I made for her...



The dove is my favourite x I must make another  set of these for my- self I think xx

Have a good day

Diane x

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

THE LOVELY ..

... Postman came to-day xx He brought my January postcard for the Congleton Quilt Group swap...


Isn't it fun ? x

He also brought me the mug mats that my partner Lone, in Denmark, made for me ...

 

I am really happy with them ...AND .. with the extra goodies in the parcel..


BUT I absolutely LOVE these ...


I was dancing when I found them in my parcel xx LOVE love LOVE xx

I'm happy, happy, happy x Hope you are too

Diane x

Monday, 3 February 2014

I DECIDED THAT ..

... to-day I would make the February block in the snowman B-O-T-M ... this is what it SHOULD  look like ..


I blame Woman's Hour on Radio 4 for the fact that mine ended up looking like this ..


I have one too many rows above the window! NO WAY was I going to undo and then add on the cream bottom border!! SO.. I went off and made a couple of banana loaves ...


HEY it works for me!! lol x THEN I sat and looked at it for a bit .... and now my block looks like this ...


it went from ggggmmmmm ! to ahhhhh xx ...WELL who wants to be the same as everyone else ? lol x

Hope you have had a good day x

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Saturday, 1 February 2014

FEBRUARY IS HERE ....

...and with the start of the month the Block-Of-The-Month blocks are starting to be posted ... this month I am the Queen Bee for the Stash Bee Hive #6 . I decided I want to make a hearts and flowers quilt and have asked the other members to make me blocks to go with mine ...


...I had fun making mine x and just hope the others do too xx

Erin over at www.sewathomemummy.com has put her latest block in the "modern meets classic " sew along!! WHEN I had stopped hyperventilating and seeing black spots in front of me !!! I pulled up my big girl knickers and made my block..


..talk about being shoved out of your comfort zone! I am NEVER making it again!...now I have 2 blocks .. wonder what next month will bring xx


The postman has brought me some new magazines to read ..



and some fabric from Justine at www.simplysolids.co.uk these are the fabrics from the stash club for January .. been stroking them all day xxx..


LOVE them x

Off to study the instructions for the next B-O-T-M xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx