TGIF

Yes indeed, thank god it's Friday....what a week, lots of running around buying car parts, picking up car and delivering it to other garage, taking bits back and garage is booked up so he won't get to it until next week ARGHHHH fingers crossed it's early part and not nearer Friday.
I ended up at the docs with most awful sore throat and it's laryngitis so tablets although have to say it's gone now and just a sniffling cold/hayfever.
Oh I blew up the tractor, well the belt came off and smoke came out the tractor, went to buy a new one, oh yeah the spare one we use for sizing was in the broken car....cue trip to garage to get belt out boot and take it to tractor spare shop...la la la you can see how my week has been.

Not huge amount of sewing time but have managed to cut up my squares for the scrap vomit swop and they'll be in the post on Monday. Cut and bagged 10 bags of strips for FQR strip swop


made cakes for the school fete tomorrow, advised MissA on her outfit OMG how can a 5 year old be so fussy about matching cardi, shoes, dress ARGHHHHH she's a fashion diva already.

And I've made a bee block, the queen bee sent us some solids in blues/aqua/teals and said to make whatever block we want, whatever size but it sorta had to be *us* well on contemplation, I made a strip block, cut with the sizzix in 1.5 and 2.5" strips (so definitely me and easy cutting) and then decided it was too boring so I just cut it into triangles and then started to panic lol...you know me and improvisation don't go... Out came the sketch and I made them into HST's and sewed them back up. Two 10.5" blocks ready to take with me to London. Hope she likes them :)

The piccie is rubbish they are definitely blues/teals/creams

Have a good weekend, I'm off to have a large drink :)

Moda Mini Charms

The other evening, I was feeling restless to get busy sewing but couldn't be bothered doing anything too taxing, I hunted through modabakeshop and came up with this cute little pincushion tutorial

here

It was a bit of EPPing and I used some of my precious mini charm squares, I haven't put the buttons on, not sure it needs it, I think i'll make another one and put the buttons and see which one is nicer.

Follow with Feedly

Feedly have listened to us feedly followers and designed a follow with feedly button for those that want it, it's slightly complicated on their blog so I'm hoping this might make it easier for you

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go to layout, add a html gadget and copy this in, where it says PUTYOURBLOGNAMEHERE type i.e pippaspatch

should work fine then

Simple cushion to ?????

Well, lots of grief overnight, went to pick my car up from the garage, ohhh it's all fixed, I drove it out and thought nope it's not fixed, took it back, DH test drove it, we saw fluid on the floor, staight back to the garage and it's blown a steering rack and power steering pump. Unfortunately we *think* it may have been leaking before I took it in and the garage actually missed that the vibration problem was this and not the bearing that they offered up to being the problem.
Lots of screaming, sobbing and stress in the garage and they offered us a lovely quote of 2000E/2630$/£1700 to fix it... yup big gulps and I was in too much of a state to drive home.
Anyway, an evening on the french motorfactor site, talking to people this morning and buying parts and we *should* have it fixed for nearer 800E and fingers crossed by next weekend or Tuesday after. So all ok for picking up kitten and going to UK...

So after wallowing and having a massive stress headache, decided to sneak off to the sewing machine this afternoon and tonight I have a picking out papers task while watching the TV and partaking in a small amount of alcohol and perhaps teeny amount of chocolate.


and from the front now it's got it's edges on


It's not perfect, the points don't all match but it's sorta good enough for me, I'm certainly not unpicking but with paper piecing I think one tiny needleworth left or right mucks up the points... then inspiration's hit me and I'm thinking I actually love it enough now and I'm going to turn it into a very scrappy medallion quilt.
What do you all think ???? next border perhaps some of my rainbow/text charms in hst's or pinwheels ???

Selvedges or not selvedges

I'm not a selvedge girl, I cut them off and save them to send to people or chuck them in the bin. I love what other people do with them but just can't see the point. However, I was reading through the Fat Quarterly Issue 13 and thought ohh yes I'm going to make one of these

Lynne gave this one away to Justine for her birthday and I was soooooooooo jealous. Reminds me I must buy some navy fabric.

Anyway, I thought it'd be a fab idea to try the selvedges instead of the scrap fabrics. I chose some Oakshott for the background and initially was thinking a cushion for the sewing room.
I started cutting them up with the sizzix

I cut some strips for the FQR strip swop too while I was at it,

And then proceeded to do the first 1/8th of the star,
I really wasn't loving it and nearly gave up, some IG encouragement and me not wanting to give up too early, I decided to make a 2nd 1/8th

Liking it a bit more, like not love.... I love the pattern but not the selvedge aspect, so in future they are going in the bin or out to friends....

I'm now half way and liking it lots and lots but not love...perhaps by the time it's finished. I've cut into some brighter yardage that has nicer selvedges. So far Kaufman wins hands down, although Walk in woods is sooooo cute.



Not sure how much more I can get done this week but I'm thinking perhaps i'll turn it into a mini quilt for the sewing room rather than a cushion. What do u reckon ???

I'm linking up to Quiet Play's

You should go and check it out, she has some fab Star Wars figures to Paper Piece.

Have a great weekend all....

Cinnamon Rolls recipe

A few people want the recipe I use for my cinnamon rolls....

I follow this recipe here and shove mine in the bread machine, in uk equivalents its



240mls milk
60 mls water
100g butter
100g sugar
640g flour (I use normal plain flour)
Active yeast, one whole packet not sure it needs 3 teaspoons which would be 3 packets....a hell of a lot

Cinnamon filling
100g butter
200g brown sugar or half and half
4 tbsps of cinnamon is much too much, I use about 2 maximum

and I don't make the butter icing, I just make normal royal icing with some vanilla essence and dribble them on the top.

I cook them on 180C/350F

You can freeze them uncooked and I have but tbh we love them so much I make and we eat :) 

Pffff

Another few days have passed since I last blogged, it seems like i've been running around in a tizzwozz all week, I am so pleased I've got all my FQR stuff together (well apart from I need to iron some solid and pin it ewwww for trudi's class) because I'd be panicking about getting stuff done. The last few weeks of school are always hectic and a year end accounts, 3 vat returns and other mountains of paperwork is enough to send anyone running to the hills.

I managed to get this popped in the post

the clue is it indeed going to the UK so sorry Europe peeps it's not yours


The new improved Christmas trees with the cute pots and wire


oh and you know how dh never says no to me, it's usually me that talks me out of things....well I said yes, and this little bundle of fluff will be coming home at the beginning of July, she's a farm cat and was going to be drowned, someone kindly took her and her brothers in and we're going to adopt her. Doesn't she just look like my old black cat :(

Dh want's to call her Maisy, DD likes Lucie and DS thinks Hello Kitty would be a laugh, she's currently called Arwen which I like but I'm thinking Moda,jokingly suggested Aurifil and DH went off in a huff....hehe he's worried about Alex being at FQR, god knows why.


And lastly, the reason for my poorly back and my off the radar for 2 days, I so wish I was heading off on a jetplane, I'd be singing away with my bags in my arms...
Here's my 2nd and probably not my last (thinking the small one would be cute perhaps for a overnight bag) aeroplane bag


This one isn't as stiff as the last one so it doesn't sit still as much, but I've got a front magnetic closed pocket rather than inside ones, I've put bag feet on it (must undo the lining of my other one, they will definitely help the bases) and I covered webbing with fabric for the handles.





And the lining, its baggy yes, I cut loads off too why do I always have baggy linings ??? and the interfacing was too thin but it works fine as a bag as long as it's not inspected too closely by proper bag makers...





Stuffed with 2 siblings together quilts,there is still room, it will easily fit 3 quilts...

Tonight i'm planning a large glass of mummy juice and a flick through some magazines, am contemplating trying a cathedral window....

Vomit Square Swop

Hi Girls and guys, do any guys read my blog, please let me know :)
I'm trying to finalise the swop partners for the Vomit Square swop, Sueann you left a comment on the blog and I've emailed you but haven't had a reply, please let me know ASAP if you want to participate as I really need to get the partners emailed to people

Thanks for this short service announcement :)

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 :)