Lovely Ladies

Wow!  There are some lovely ladies out there in the fabriccy regions of blogland!  I got two surprises in the post in the last few days, and I am not only delighted with the contents, but touched and chuffed that the senders thought of me!

From America came a load of Hexies found at a yard sale by the lovely Kathy (http://runningwithrocket.blogspot.com) who thought I'd enjoy using them ... Yes Kathy, I will, thank you so much

And then, postie came again, this time with a package from the gorgeous Amo  (http://viewfromourhill.blogspot.com) - she'd been sent a magazine but didn't think she'd use it so sent it on to me - thank you, Amo, some great projects there and perfect for classes!

Did you notice the cards that came with both packages?  Kathy lives in the edge of an airport - and has a plane in a hanger at the end of her garden (how awesome is that?). And Amo? Look at her blog to see some of the astonishing things she's made, and then look again at the photo above to see the kingfisher she painted!!!! Yep, the card is a print of her own artwork!

Oh I am luck to have such fab friends, especially given that I've never met either in real life!

Blitzing the Binding

I had a whole load of quilts needing binding: I bought the bindi g last weekend (and went back in the week to buy the rest after my previous miscalculation!)
So this weekend I have added binding and more binding and more binding:
One shirt quilt

Another shirt quilt

The rainbow 'floating squares' (LJ 7R) quilt

A boy's ISpy quilt for a friend

And another boy's ISpy quilt for the same friend

A "just in case" ISpy bricks quilt

And an enormous Lone Star quilt

That'll keep me busy for a while!

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Projects in Progress

I'm working on Plum's round robin, but can't show you as she visits here regularly, so instead here is pixelated proof that I'm doing *something* with her fabrics:

That's all folks!

As for other projects - if you can work out what needs doing here, you're a better detective than me!

Actually what clearly needs doing here is a LOT of tidying up!  So that's a plan for tomorrow!  

Good night x

Weekend Workshops

OK, maybe not Workshops in the usual use of the word, but last weekend Jackie and I did teach each other stuff, and tried some new-to-both-of-us projects and methods.

I will later add the Pinterest links so you can see the inspiration if you're interested, but it's far too complicated to do so when posting from a phone!  Just ask in a comment if there's anything you want to know

We made some zippy vinyl pouches

Jackie's is finished and in use!

We made some felted flowers (wet felting)

We made some bags with internal pockets and faux leather (pleather / leatherette ?) base and handles, (thanks Liz for the encouragement!!)

And two folding notions easels from a Craftsy pattern

At least as good as a workshop eh?

One Thousand Posts

Thanks to all of you who entered my little giveaway: the winner has been randomly thingied and (lucky for one) number 13 came up.

Congratilations Pricilla -  have emailed you - let me have your address so I can send it off.

Ah yes, 'it', the prize? Do you want to know what it is? It's this little sewing case.

It's based on this from Pinterest:

I couldn't find instructions but I reckoned I could work it out: Cut card in heart shape and half heart shape for inside of each section, and for the outside of each section, plus the pocket

 

 Use the card pieces as a guide to cut wadding for outside of each section

 

Use the card again to cut fabric slightly bigger than each piece of card
 

Glue card (to wadding where applicable) to fabric, gathering the curved edges to ease smoothly around the curve.

Start sewing together with whip stitch, shoving lace between the sections as applicable to create the hinges

Heave a sigh of relief that it's finished!

I do hope Pricilla likes it!

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Saturday Shopping (Binding Bought)

There is a possibility that I have plenty of fabric, there are people in this house that suggest I even have too much . . . But I did need some binding fabric for some of the quilts done over the Christmas hols, so Jackie and I felt we had a legitimate excuse to go fabric shopping!

Binding for this quilt

And for this one

And for this one

So I'm now ready to bind :-)

Great Gifts

Yippee, Jackie is here for a long weekend - we've been shopping and baking and discussing sewing plans! And sharing (belated) Christmas goodies.

 

My pressies for her . . .

 

And my goodies from her . . .

 

Lucky us eh?

 

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Concluding Consequence

We have reached the final swap in the Richmond and Kew Consequences Round Robin . . . And I can't show you what I'm going to be working on!

 

I've finally received a quilt started by someone that I know, that I adore, and whose work I really love, but who I know checks in and reads my blog, so much as I'd like to show you the (fab!) strips that have been created by the previous ladies, all I can show you is the scrummy fabrics I can work from

 

Hi Plum - you didn't really think I'd spoil the surprise did you? You have to wait until the first week of February, and so will any other visitors to the blog!

 

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What's a Girl to Do?

I had a bit of a "bleugh" afternoon yesterday, and left a friend's feeling a bit down, so I needed cheering up.

 

Can you guess what I chose?

 

I needed something very cheerful - and preferably calorie free!

 

I bought these three:

I pondered for a while, then used one of them with some stash Kona solid to make this:

 

Her husband still has cancer, and I still feel a bit bleugh, but I made something pretty, so that helps a bit

 

And I have the bright stripy fabric to make something else, probably lined in yellow. :-)

 

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Update on Lisa

Lisa's been gone now for over 2 weeks: Sydney first and now she's on her way to Melbourne with friends - a long drive but they are taking it slowly: sleeping in the cars

I thought I'd share a few of her pics and messages:

 Doesn't it look and sound glorious

 But I wasn't quite so impressed when this message arrived a few hours later

And it's some consolation to know the weather isn't *always* perfect!

Still, it sounds as if she's having a great time - and doesn't miss us half as much as we miss her (if at all) . . . but I suppose it's meant to be that way eh?

Chertsey Creations

I didn't take any photos of the making we did at Chertsey Museum on Friday as there really wasn't much to see - but Show and Tell in February should be very exciting!

We were working on Proddy Rugs - being taught by one of the students, Ann.  Given that she had made this she was deemed to be well qualified!

It's made from 3.5" strips of fabric, so is about 1.5 inches thick - really lush and tactile

It even looks fab from the back!

So we've all started - lets hope ours look as good!  We've got an old fashioned Dolly Peg - albeit slightly modified - as our proddy

We also made some plans for the next few sessions: February and March will look at Cathedral Window blocks: the real way, and the easy way

April will be a chicken (or patchwork) basket/bowl

May will be a felted fairy (dry or needle felting)

with help from Kaye, and this book

While June will be felted flowers (wet felting)

 

And in July we are going to have a go at painting hessian bags, like this one that Stephanie brought in:

And finally a few more photos - a bit of Show and Tell from Christmassy making: (well done ladies)