Sunday summing up

I posted my blog article Thursday evening and then bam, the internet went down, we were without proper internet for just under 36 hours. (Thieves had stolen 1400m of copper cable and it took with it 2700 families phone/internet....need I say there was lots of swear words uttered in this house, I *think* the paper said first time in France...there's alot of brits here atm)  Thank god for 3g phones because I was having serious internet withdrawals although I did get more done. Note to self not to waste hours playing Family Farm on facebook.
I stitched up my May's Spring sampler and there is an awful lot of stitching for June, so I'm going to go grab my frixion pen and get busy tracing it all out tonight or tomorrow. I've decided I'm going to start the patchwork elements once the kids go back school after the summer hols.
I finished off my sizzix leaves and will try get a decent picture tomorrow.
Ohhh I had happy mail in the form of my rainbow squares from
the rainbow swop organised by Cindy @fluffysheepquilting within seconds Amelia was sorting them out into a me and a her pile.... GET OFF my fabric, as you can tell some Aurifil also fell into the bag x
I'm waiting for some texty charms from a text charm swop and contemplating just sewing them all up, perhaps some HST's??? any ideas or great charm square patterns.

And then I got busy with the Janome and produced these two clocks,



One for my mum and the cherries one for my Aunt's new red and white kitchen. I'm thinking about selling them, I've got enough to make 4 for retreat,I'm going to try just a thread one next, perhaps it would suit a sewist or a quilter.

This week is going to be pretty busy with paperwork, not sure how much sewing will get done, plus it's actually a bit too hot to bother 29C today :)

Tired Thursday

Ohhh I'm tired tonight,not sure why, just been a busy few days here, scan's, doc visits and patchwork club, French lessons, shopping ohh and I touched up the lounge paint on Monday...perhaps that's why hehe seems a bit when I think about it.

Anyway,thanks for all your best wishes re my back, it's bad but not bad enough for surgery but I need to lose 20-40 kilos hmmm I knew that and new pills and when it goes properly next time it's off to hospital for a cortisone injection right into the disk (or is it disc??) space. Traction after that if they don't work...ho hum so onto nicer things :)





I caught Bonnie being naughty, she'd jumped up on the table and was just lying there, didn't even get down when we caught her, I think she followed the cat up and well, decided she liked it up there.



Patchwork club went well and we made a tin of strawberries, apparently there isn't a collective name for strawberries, how bad is that. We've decided we're going to make more and sell them as pin cushions or hanging ornaments

Last night, I got busy cutting and sewing and made the first block for the Europeans Siblings Together bee, we're making a block a month from scraps and sending them to our queen bee, then by July next year we *should* have 12 finished quilts. I really like how this quilt is going to develop, great colours and fabrics

I'm trying to finish off another thing I started on Sunday for another patchwork club idea and the hubby and cat seemed to have other ideas...



So I'm going to chuck them both out of the lounge and get busy hand sewing to have a finish for TGIFF tomorrow :)

You can call me Mme Presidente...

I got voted in as President of the patchwork club last Tuesday night, I had written to all the members laying out my ideas and thoughts beforehand, explaining what would be difficult for me, some project ideas and that I understood if someone else wanted to stand. Anyway, they all appreciated my letter and seem to be of the same mind as me for a lot of the stuff, (ie might as well stay at home because we don't do anything as a group)

I was however quite shocked that the expo's/shows that we do actually cost us 600E each time, the figures just do not add up, we could cancel the one in October but we'll lose our deposits and it will probably cost more than the 600e.... so I'm very annoyed tbh. The club that had about 3000E in the bank 3 or 4 years ago now has 1200e :( not much at all, we're only a club of about 20 and did so well to accrue a good sum and it's been reduced by shows that ok, enable people to meet different forms of crafty people but do not bring new members in or actually make the club money... Am I the only one that thinks that's damn right mad ????

I was thrilled that one of the ladies brought a new member to the meeting, she'd told her there was going to be a new president and did she want to join :)

Anyway, I'm determined to try and get the coffers up and the next opportunity is the Christmas market, so I need as many ideas for quick and easy makes that will sell well :) Help Help Help



Archie The Wonderdog has a fab tutorial for Suffolk Puff Xmas trees, so I decided to make a trial version. I think these will sell really well, I've ordered some terracotta pots and have some Christmassy fabrics to get the women started on Wednesday.

I also need to get some projects together for them to make during our afternoons. This Wednesday we're making the strawberry pincushions and I'm showing them various name tags, a secret swop is going to take place at some point during the summer.


Onto some happy news, it's been 3 weeks since Sizzle was incarcerated in the rabbit cage, he's been incredibly well behaved considering, he's put weight on and is walking with a slight limp but seems mostly repaired lol... we're letting him out for an hour at a time to build himself up, he gets really tired and lies around lots still but he's purring and meowing loads.... He'd be out the front door if we let him which is worrying, easy does it I think


And finally, fingers crossed for tomorrow, I'm going for a scan on my back to see if there's anything else happening or nerves pinching, the doc is currently recommending traction which I refused to contemplate without a scan and specialist appointment, think of me, I hate those things.

TGIFF Sew Euro Bee An

After Fat Quarterly retreat I was approached to see if I'd join an European quilting bee, I ummed and ahhed because I am not that precise with sewing/squaring and struggle sometimes to get blocks quite right but saw it as a challenge and I'd met most of the girls involved and knew they wouldn't hit me with the naughty girl ruler if I mucked up :O)
And Sew-Euro-Bee-An was formed 

For my month I chose the big kiss block Here just like for the siblings quilt, I asked for brights but any colour, type as this is going to be a me quilt :O)

The blocks came in and after making a few more I had a 25 block quilt, it finishes at 60" square so a perfect size for a spring evening reading in the garden or to snuggle while reading a quilting magazine in the autumn. I love the colours so much, they are so varied but all pull together.
Last week I think it was, I loaded up the frame and got busy


I used my last bit of aurifil white (there's more in the post) for the top and superior threads for the bottom and practiced with lots of swirls, I'm definitely getting there and had alot less breaks and swearing than usual. I almost love the back as much as the front it's a cotton sheet from la redoute, I love these sheets, they work out about 10e for a back and left over there's usually enough for a small wallhanging and I don't have to have joins :)

quick binding with some zig zag chevrons



So thank you so much girls for asking me to be in the bee, for encouraging me to try new things and for helping make this wonderful quilt :)
I'm linking up with TGIFF and Can I get a whoop whoop

It's a leaf day

we've fixed my sewing machine !!!! YAY....

Dh and I have spent lots of time, effort, research time and to be honest a fairly small amount of money fixing the quilting frame and machine.
Someone else said their poles flex on the frame so DH got out his new professional welder and we decided, sod it, the frame will always be queen size so we'll just (read...he'll just) weld the poles together to stop them sagging in the middle.... DONE

I bought new cloth leaders and they are so much better, I bought the start rite ones that are for the frame, nice markings on them, all straight and thick...excellent can highly recommend and the ebay seller sold me the bungee clips too, these are different to the ones dh gave me and although not hugely better than the old ones are indeed better.

We also bought the speed control (off ebay) and dh did make me one but forgot the on/off button and this one has a pulse control.
The hole in the back of the casing is stopping the machine overheating and our local sewing shop had stretch needles which lots of pq1500s owners swear by.

Encouraged by a successful day's quilting last week with the bee quilt (to be revealed on Friday) I decided the next thing I'd practice would be pantographs.
Went to mum's and she said she needed a very small quilt just to go over her knees, she didn't want a full blown one, just something to take the chill off in the spring evenings. I knew I had just the fabric that'd match some of her woodland pictures in her sitting room and rushed home, loaded up the fabric on the frame, used some oakshott for backing and set to the next morning.

I really got into the groove, I used a 60wt bobbin thread in gold and YLI variegated cotton in green for the top and it came together really easily, no thread breakage, no huge problems, perhaps not the most even of stitch sizes

but at the moment that's not a major issue.
Ran outside to take photos on Sunday afternoon




This is the backing


Then I made some binding with autumn leaves, nuts and berries and finished stitching it last night.




There are quite a few little tucks in the binding/front of quilt, I think the oakshott made it more slippery and the Bernina walking foot isn't a dual feed one, so will use the Janome next time I think. Anyway, it's finished and about to be delivered, love the quilting and it'll stop mum having chilly legs :)

May Fresh Sewing Day

It's the time to do the round up of May's finishes. I seem to always have a quilt *nearly* finished at the end of the month but not enough to link it up, this month is exactly the same, I'm sewing on a binding as we speak...but it does mean there will be a quilty finish for June :)



There have been Fat Quarterly retreat sample swop prototypes and then an enlarged prototype that now belongs to me and 3 finished swops. (i'm making more to sell at Quilt Market £9.50 each, if your interested you can mail me if you'd like specific fabric choices)
Then there was the quick 30 minute mindless sewing to make the cute Strawberry pincushions,
My FQR name tag which is now finished and ready to send but I can't show you any more as it's a secret swop :)
A clip purse which I took to pieces and threw in the bin because I cannot be doing with wonky purses and couldn't find the energy to take it to bits and resew...i'll make another one some other time lol
There were two HST Bee Blocks which were a bit of a bugger to sew and not all my corners are 100% but it was fun and I think it's going to make a fab quilt for Catherine.
First of my two quilt finishes is my collaboration quilt with Betty for Siblings Together, I love this one, it's so simple yet really pretty.
Two bags were made this month, mine is a sew sweetness soda pop bag with fussy cut birds and DD's first tote bag which she's modeling like a pro.
My Final finish is the quilt made with Quilt Blocks fabric for my great Aunt, using Piece of Cake 3 pattern from Craftsy so not so bad this month, two bags, two quilts, two bee blocks and some extras :)

For June, I've got this quilt to get the binding on, another idea I'm keeping secret for a while involving machine embroidery again, I must try and catch up with my spring sampler embroidery and I'm also itching to start my next quilt, fabric is all ready and waiting.
Linking up as always with the lovely Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day, go check out everyone elses wonderful work, May was very productive by the looks

Sample swop goodies

It's been a busy week here, rainy, wet and miserable but busy all the same.
I've got a quilt finish to show you if the sun ever shines and I get time tonight to sew on the binding.
I pulled my back again yesterday so have had to take it easy which means no sewing :( but I did get the other machine out and spent the afternoon swopping threads, cutting threads, swopping threads and now I've finished my sample swop items for retreat.



I'm contemplating making more as there's a quilt market on Saturday night where you can sell bits and pieces, my major problem is I don't know how much to sell things for :(
I've also got something else up my sleeve and I need to find time to get it stitched out.

Least now, my name tag is finished, my sample swops are finished, I've got my class materials together...corrr I'm organised :)
Have a fab Saturday