Wednesday 24 February 2016

LAST NIGHT...

... was Quilt group in Congleton, there was an ...on the night make .. which I have done before (at Sandbach) and didn't want to do again...SO I took along the quilt for the oldest grandson.. and got 3 sides of the border sewn down.. a good night x

This morning I finished sewing it down..


.. he can have it when I pick him up from school on Friday.. and the one for the youngest grandson..


is ready to get parceled up and go on its journey to Australia

ALSO last night I purchased my FIRST fabric in 2016...


we HAVE to support our local fabric shop now don't we?!!  I have another test pattern to do .. and these will be used in that ... so Im not really adding to the stash xx .. works for me!

I have been sewing the last couple of days.. with some of these fabrics...


which are for a swap..


NO peeking until my partner gets the parcel .. she is in New Zealand so you will have to be patient!! lol x 

I finished the purple shawl...





and was not going to make the same pattern AGAIN!!.. but I have this beautiful DK wool that has all my favourite colours and... 2016 is my year to use up all the stuff .. and....



...ah well!!!!!

Hope you find something to make you smile to-day xx

Diane x

Sunday 21 February 2016

THE WORD FOR THIS WEEK...

... in Alsha's (www.alshasspace.blogspot.com ) WORD PHOTO CHALLENGE 2016... is .... YOGA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my Goodness ! I have never done this .. have no desire to do it .. and feel sure I would do my self damage if I tried!!

So how to show this in a photo? mm Well the first think I felt was HORROR... and this was followed by the thought .. they would have to kidnap me to make me do that!

SO ... I came up with ..

 
... seriously..  I would have to be kidnapped by the Yoga Pirates and made to do it ... LOL X

Anyone can join in this ..so for a bit of fun why not have a go?.. or maybe next week?

Diane x

THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS...

.. I have been "wrangling" the quilt for my oldest grandson x

I found the blanket I wanted to use for the back .. just long enough .. phew ..I got it all layered and then began "just simple" quilting .. lol x


WELL it is a lovely soft blanket that slips and slides and moves and jiggles... !!!!!!!!!!! Being the stubborn individual I am I was NOT going to give up!!

It is DONE.... well almost .. I have to finish sewing the binding..

 
 



...there were some "WORDS" said .. and shouted.. there was some unpicking .. and eventually there was .. its done and not getting changed again ! lol x At the end of the day it is for a 13 year old to put round his shoulders when playing video games.. and I am sure he wont care if the middle is a bit "lumpy" x

The word for this week in the Photo Challenge ..is YOGA!!!!!! OH MY x I have to think about this .. will get back to you later!

Diane x

Thursday 18 February 2016

I DECIDED THAT...

... the appliqué for the youngest grandsons quilt .. should be .. BUGS.. so off I went in search of patterns..





.. I used a little fleece blanket (from the pond shop x) for the back..


I had a choice .. work around all those fiddly bits .. or just go for the quilting and catch it down with that ... mm can you guess which I went with ?....



NOW .. I can go and "stash dive".. I DO like that term xx .. because in the Big Clean-up I found a bigger fleece blanket that I am sure will fit the back of the quilt for the oldest grandson x  

After I finished the Nurmalintu shawl I went looking for another one with a simple pattern. I found one by the same designer (Heidi Alander)... which ... you know me.. is a free download xx lol x This one has a slightly bigger pattern /chart repeat .. AND it is in DK (the others have been 4ply) .. with bigger needles!! OH MY.. it flew off my needles ....





.. so I made another one..




... yes that is sunshine by the way x LOL xxx AND .. yes.. I now have another one on the needles xx



Think this is becoming a bit of an obsession? I can do it without the pattern now xx I MUST find another of her designs I feel ... with maybe a little bit bigger chart xx

Hope you have had a happy day

Diane xx

Tuesday 16 February 2016

BEFORE I...

... show you the sewing I got done I will share ..


.. this lovely Post Card. It arrived this morning for NZ. My friend Sue (www.kiwikidspage.blogspot.com ) sent it for me to enjoy some NZ sunshine xx It is sitting above my sewing machine xx

When I was cleaning and sorting I found a bag with LOTS of 4 patch squares that I made .. some time ? when ? 

.. SO .. yesterday I started putting them to-gether and by the end of the morning I had...


.. this morning I got back to it and now I have ..


.. the sharp eyed will have noted they are Kaffe Fassett fabrics .. so yummy x..


It will become a quilt for my ELDEST grandson. NOW either I cannot do maths (sadly true!) ....OR I was intending to do something different.. BUT when I finished I still had a pile of blocks over! SO .. I made..


this will be for the YOUNGEST grandson (you keeping up?)

While I was working on them I was talking to the MIDDLE grandson on Skype (he is in Perth, Western Australia) .. and HE has giving me advice about what to appliqué onto the centre of the little quilt x (he is ALWAYS giving me advice!!.. what can I say he is 10!! lol )

SO.. all 3 grandsons are involved here x The middle one had a quilt last year and one at Christmas so he is ahead of the other 2 lol x

Such a fun day x TO-MORROW I am going to start on the appliqué.. I TOLD YOU.. I am determined to get sewing this week xx (AND 3 posts in 3 days Wooo-Hoooo)

Diane x


Monday 15 February 2016

THIS LAST ...

... week, I have been noticing the blossom slowly appear on the trees, I kept meaning to take my camera so that I can share with you all... mm .. It took some time .. BUT I managed to remember ... eventually ...WHO-HO x (hope you can see it! lol ) ..





.. it is lovely to walk along and take in the blossom .. before the high winds come back and scatter it ! lol

I managed some sewing this morning .. tomorrow I will do some more and I hope to have a finished top to share with you all

I hope you find something to make you happy to-day xx

Diane x

Sunday 14 February 2016

THE WORD ....

..... for the ..... WORD PHOTO CHALLENGE 2016 (www.alshasspace.blogspot.com) ..... this week is BREAD.. mmm a favourite of many of us xx

The immediate answer is ..



BUT I thought I would try and....  "think outside the box" a little xx When I was growing up ... YES I can remember that far back!... cheeky... we used the word BREAD (and maybe it still is used .. I don't know) as slang for...


... so that is my offering for this week .. I'm off now to see what others have come up with .. and to see what the word for this next week will be x

ANYONE and everyone can join in .. so why not have a go yourself x

Diane x

Saturday 13 February 2016

EVEN THOUGH...

... the weather has turned dry and COLD... the garden is slowly beginning to get into the spirit of SPRING ...



.. I love to find these little hidden gems x

Tuesday evening was Congleton Quilt Group .. more ideas for the sales table.. I have not made mine yet .. but I made them a bag full of little items last week.. so I'll get round to more soon x The first of the raffle prizes .. with all the blocks made by the members has been long-arm-quilted..


I think it looks great x Lets hope the exhibition goes well and we sell LOTS of tickets xx

Thursday was Sandbach Quilt Group .. we had a speaker who does the most exquisite hand AND machine quilting .. it was a wonderful talk .. more like a great big Show-And-Tell...I  LOVED IT xx

THIS week ..so far.. I only have 2 .. yes thats TWO things to do .. SO.. there will be some sewing done!! lol x I have decided it will happen ! lol x

I did finish my asymmetrical shawl.. you start at the small end (on the left in the pictures) and work towards the "big" end..




I had such fun with it .. you increase on one side and decrease on the other to get the shape I love the colour changes in this gradient...



...the top edge is EIGHTY SEVEN inches across! So getting pictures has been a challenge xx I also found out that reading charts is NOT so much of a nightmare as I thought it would be xx I had extra wool so went beyond what the pattern said .. I feel I should have done a large section of lace at the end instead of  lace...short garter section ... then lace .. but there is always next time ... lol x

It certainly kept me entertained while waiting for one or other parent to come out of their appointments .. and the grandson to come home from school ... ah! No boring retirement for me xx lol x

I have been slowly catching upon reading Blog posts   ... and who knows I may even find time to Post a few myself in the near future xx

Keep warm and safe

Diane x