Mug Rug Swap

Yesterday my Mug Rugs arrived from my partner Tessa Mc Ardle (no Blog) in South Australia - didn't I do well? 

I have to show you the backs as well, as they are just as pretty as the fronts

Tessa sent other goodies too

A lovely sewing themed card , a notepad, bookmark and even a 'cup' of coffee - how good is that !  Thank you Tessa,I love the mug rugs -  you have been very generous!

Thanks also to Michele for organising the swap!

Another PhD!

One more flimsy to add to the list, and for me a complete change of colour choices :-)

Totally out of my comfort zone, but I thought it was time I tried my hand at a Black and White quilt, and this is the result.  I've been piecing it quietly over the last few weeks, fitting it in as and when between other projects and now it's ready for backing and quilting.

I haven't changed my allegiance to Reproduction fabrics though , how could I after seeing what Kathie has been making! I am a great fan of Kathie's work, and she has been very kind and helpful to me in the past.  It's thanks to Kathie that my Tumbler quilts (here)  were made and she was also a great help when I made my Civil War Diary blocks , which are still waiting to be sashed :-)

I just love this new quilt and have watched it coming together for days, so what else to do but make a few blocks to try

I think I'll carry on with the Courthouse Steps quilt  and keep the Barbara Brackman Civil War blocks for another time.  The blocks are getting more complicated as the weeks go on and really need to be paper pieced for complete accuracy, and as PP and I do not get along at all, it's best to admit this now rather than end up with more orphan blocks - maybe a bit later I'll feel differently.

Another reason is that, having seen the old post about my CWD blocks, guilt has reared its ugly head so maybe I should do something about these instead of  starting yet another new quilt :-)

Flying Start

I'm off to a flying start for February with 3 finishes already!

Number 1 - Tessellation doll quilt  quilted and binding done

In case you're wondering, the chair was made for DH when he was 2,  and ,  like him, it's  getting on a bit now :-)

Number 2 - DGD got herself a   RED  'beginner's sewing machine' for her  8th birthday on Christmas Eve ,  and is all ready to make her dollies some new clothes.We are due to see her and her new sewing machine on Sunday, so as well as a parcel of  goodies for her to play with, I made this mini Charmer tote bag  (Penny Sturgess pattern) to pack them in and maybe double as a work basket too.

Number 3 is another mug rug, which I can't show you yet, but I can show you this one which is the one that stayed at home!  I wasn't too happy with it in the end so decided to make an alternative to swap and keep the reject for myself :-)

Don't know why Blogger has turned the photo again!

Quilting on the Pineapples is on stop for the moment as my wrists have been aching so badly, but  I have finished all the white 'stars' and  5 of the coloured ones too, so another 7 to go plus the borders. If  I get the quilt totally finished by the end of the month I'll be more than  happy as we've a couple of busy weeks ahead and can't see much more getting done :-)

OPAM 2011

This year I'm joining in One Project A Month, hopefully to try and get a few more finishes this year!  I'd  really like to spend a little more time making something other than quilts, large or small, and maybe this challenge will encourage me to branch out a little.  I have a whole list of small projects I'd like to tackle but keeping putting off so now is the time to get started.

I'm well on the way with Myra's PhD Challenge with the second of my listed quilts being quilted at the moment and maybe - just maybe - I can squeeze in a couple more before the deadline in June, so between both challenges, I hope to be be sewing up a storm :-)  

Slow Progress

 Finally I've got up the courage to make a start on my Pineapple quilt!  It's been backed for a couple of weeks now but I still couldn't make my mind up on how to quilt it but eventually decided that 'less is best' and just follow some of the straight lines.   This turned out to be a good decision as once under my machine it seemed even larger than I originally thought  !

I also decided to use the Janome as its a long time since it's seem the light of day. I just can't seem get as good results  with my FMQ on this machine as with the Bernina but its OK for everything else, and for all Janome users  out there-  I am sure its me not the machine :-)

After two long sessions I have managed to get all the anchoring lines done and have just 2 rows to finish on the white sections, but today it's back to some gentle piecing as both my right arm and shoulder are suffering
from wrestling with this monster!  I think that finishing this quilting is going to a slow process, as little and often seems to be the best way of tackling it without disabling my right arm :-)

My Mug Rugs are finished and ready to go to my partner in ...? and as its a secret swap, this is the best I can do for a sneak peek

 I  don't think I've given too much away do you ?

Been Playing Again

I've often looked at Tessellation quilts and wondered at the way they go together and how difficult it would be, so over the weekend I decided to have a try and see if I could work it out from a photo - Voila!

Another little quilt just under 12" x 16" and in need of a good press. (it does lie flat in real life - honest!) It took me a little while to work out the angles etc but it went together OK in the end.

I must say this about quilting, tackling  projects like this certainly keeps the old brain ticking over, and it looks like Lucy Doll has another quilt in the pipeline !

Bad Blogger!

Yes, I'm afraid I'm turning in to a very bad blogger indeed  -not only is my blog turning into a weekly event , but I also keep forgetting to tell you what's going on in Blogland.

I didn't mention this

                                                               


over at Quilting Gallery , not that I  think this was very serious as even without my help (!) there are 330 participants from 25 countries, now you can't get more international than that!

What A Week!

It's been one of those weeks when I haven't time to catch my breathe, but I've got very little to show for it! Most of the time has been taken up with visits to the vet both planned and not planned!

First off it was time for William's annual jabs and a follow up x-ray after the scare we had following his last stay at the cattery.  Don't think I blogged  about it, but he was a very poorly cat having contracted a virus there which affected his lungs.  This has now cleared up, but two days later my poor little cat was attacked by one of these

Coypus ,  which are in the stream at the bottom of the village - well, I think that's what they are and they are HUGE!  The local farmers lay traps for them because they are very destructive, but there are still plenty around , I saw 2 just the other day when I was crossing the  bridge.

After all the rain we've had lately  the drainage ditches,  which abound around the fields and roads in Brittany, are full to brimming and I think Will must have fallen into the ditch at the bottom of the garden and was very unlucky that Mr Nasty was around too!  This is the only explanation we can come up with as he was very, very wet and covered in mud when he came home and there are no other cats in the vicinity that might have attacked him.  Thankfully,  his rabies injections are up to date, but he still had a huge abscess and nasty cuts on his rear end which have needed treatment consisting of several visits to the vet.

I do have one (small) finish to show - one of my Christmas presents was this book

and I used some of my scraps to make this little quilt

which is just right for Lucy !

There is a story about  Lucy, but that'll have to wait for another time :-)

Every Cloud....

...has a silver lining!  Well, that's how the saying goes and it's certainly true about the last number of days when it has rained & rained and rained! Because the weather has been so dismal there has been nothing to do except sew, sew, sew and now I have my first finish for 2010!

 

Scrappy Sister's Choice all quilted and bound - first UFO off the list and also my first quilt without a single stipple stitch in it !  I've quilted the blocks with a kind of 'flower' motifs out from the Pajama Quilter DVD/workbook- they don't quite look like Dawn's but not too bad.  Border 1 has a vine of small leaves,  and border 2 is a combination of  flowers, leaves and ribbons would you believe!  Probably not the best quilting you've ever seen, but on reflection no worse than my stippling was when I started and that's quite reasonable now so maybe if I keep practicing...............?

Block 2 of the Civil War quilt is up if you are taking part, - here's mine

I do wish I could take 'square' photos then my blocks would look square too, maybe it's time to nag DH again about the promised portable design wall .

I got so carried away with the first block on Barbara Brackman's blog  last week that I failed to register that the book she is referring to was on my bookcase

Needless to say it's not longer on the shelf but being  perused with more attention than the last time around :-)

Couldn't Resist!

How could I possible not join in the Civil War Quilt block a week being offered by Barbara Brackman on her new Blog ? Even if you are not a fan of Reproduction fabrics, I am sure it will make a lovely sampler quilt - me, well it's no surprise to hear that I'll be sticking with the original theme:-)

Block 1 - Catch Me If You Can

I've just realised that I didn't post a photo of my last finished  for 2010

My Half Hexagons -  I finally finished the binding just before Christmas! My excuse for taking so long with the hand stitching is that I did get a bit sidetracked during the build up to the holiday with bits and bobs for the grandchildren and what seemed like endless stockings to sell at my Cat Charity Christmas Fayre - but done it is now !

Happy New Year!

                                                                      

May all your dreams come true in 2011!

'Tis the Season!

Time for the last minute shopping, wrapping the last few presents, worrying if everything will fit into the oven and more importantly - be cooked at the same time!  Wondering who's will be the last Christmas card to arrive - always the person you missed off the list and now it's too late to do anything about it !

I wish I was one of those  people who can get everything lined up in time and then forget about things, but its never going to be that way so this Christmas will be the same as all the others - stressful, tiring and totally disorganised, but great fun just the same!

Whichever category your Christmas falls into, may it be peaceful and joyful.  May you keep safe, well and warm and,  however you choose to celebrate, enjoy the day to the full !

Taking Up A Challenge

Tucked away under my work table I have a box whose contents rarely see the light of day once they disappear under the lid.  Its the kind of box that I am sure every quilter has and just in case I should forget what's inside, it has a label that says - you've guessed it - UFOs!!

Try as I might, I cannot reduce the number of items lurking inside, in fact I am convinced they multiple without any help from me , so when I came across Myra's PhD Challenge it sounded like just the push I could do with to get stuck into finishing some of these projects!

 I've committed to finishing at least three items with perhaps (!) another three smaller projects thrown in, but this will depend on what life sends my way over the coming 6 months :-)

For starters though finishing these would be great

My  smaller version of Bonnie Hunter's Sister's Choice pattern , a long time quilt -in- waiting !

Windham Fabrics pattern  Old Virginia Calicos , with a slight colour change on the border as I messed up cutting one of the fabrics (!)  This is probably my oldest UFO and it's well passed its 'should be finished' date!

Number 3 really needs to be this one as I so want to get it done, but just can't make my mind up how to quilt it - any suggestions , nothing too complicated mind !!

So, if you have any UFOs that need a little push - come on along and join in the fun!

It's Official!

No doubt about it, Christmas is just around the corner and there is just no where to hide from it:-)

After all the problems with the weather and my eyes (much better now!) it's been 3 weeks since I've ventured further than a couple of kilometres from home - after all even us 'mature' ladies have no wish to be seen in public looking like the Wicked Witch from the West, which is exactly how I 've looked since this allergy started!

Today however with a little help from some light make-up I managed to look almost human and we took off to Rennes for some Christmas shopping.

Everywhere you look is decorated with baubles and bells, trees and garlands, and it is very difficult to decide which are the best displays, but I just have to show you some photos I took in one of my favourite shops in Rennes -   Cocktail Scandinave .

An Aladdin's cave at the best of times but at Christmas it really comes into its own!

Follow me in through the entrance .....

......and take a peek inside!

 There are colour- themed displays with all sorts of wonderful elves and reindeer , Santas and fairies, not to mention  stockings and garlands galore!

Don't forget you saw it here first!!

Yes !  That's right ! An upside-down Christmas Tree!

There are baskets and boxes for every occasion..........

...and linen.........

 .and we mustn't  forget the soft toys!!

You have to agree that this is a truly magical shop at the most magical time of the year!!

Oh - almost forgot, how do you like the new look  Blog ?

Slow News Week

There's not been a lot going on here this last week, unless you count a dash to the local hospital when my eyes flared up again!  Not very nice this time and quite frightening I can tell you - but a thorough exam didn't find anything other than the allergy which has calmed down again, so all is well !

More snow arrived in the early hours of Friday morning leaving the road out of the village impassable again, but then yesterday the rain turned up and today no more snow!  I guess we had about 8/9 inches all told, which is nothing compared to other parts of Europe, but more than enough for an area not accustomed to this kind of weather and with limited facilities for keeping the roads clear.  In fact most of the local roads were only open thanks to the number of tractors using them.

I'm not going to bore you with more snow photos, and because of my eyes there are no quiltie photos either, but - I have found a new blog to share with you !

In my web search for all and every reference available on free motion machine quilting I have found a plethora of information and some great blogs, but the one that stands out for me is Wendy over at Ivory Spring  .  This blog alone is worth a visit, but wait until you read her sister blog  Thread Talk!

Wendy's  FMQ  is awesome in my opinion and all done on her Bernina DMS so please go along and check this out - anyone interested in FMQ will not be disappointed !  I am going to show it to my Berni and let her see what can be achieved if she keeps practicing , do you think it'll do the trick  :-)

The Morning After

 Not so deep, but certainly crisp and even this morning and -  Oh So Pretty!!

A good long walk crunching snow under your boots, frozen fingertips and toes, nose glowing fit to make Rudolph jealous- don't mornings like this make it all worthwhile !!

Surprise!Surprise!!

Look what we've been watching all morning.......

...........and still 2 days left in November !

Thanksgiving Day

A little something  for all my American  blogging friends and visitors  - a day early I know, but I am sure that everyone will be very busy tomorrow enjoying the holiday and not have much time left to go blog hopping !