2020 Week 52

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas - probably not what you are used to, but most of the year has been like that!

I had some lovely crafty gifts - thank you!  A map making DVD from Plum (watch this space), a needle keeper and a chocolate sewing machine (yum) from Avril.

I finished another julenissen for us:

and have completed this flimsy.  I'm a bit cross at the way I've arranged the colours, but it is what it is!!!

Looks good hung up with lights behind it - almost stained glass!!!

Very good friends moved out of the village just before Christmas so I made them a tree hanger of their old house - apparently I made her cry . . .  that's a good sign right????

  

I've made and posted the FB hexi swap flowers for December (poinsettias) (yes, I confess, I havent finished mine yet!

The vicar was delighted with his ginger nativity set and wore them for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve - I mist try and make some of the rest of the cast for next year!

Another Elf sized "ginger" dressing up outfit was delivered 

And the spiral crochet has been finished (as I came to the end of the wool) and just needs a bit of blocking.  I might need to buy some more so can can start something else!!!!

I got some fabric packs for Christmas, and some  other crafty bits, but this is my absolute favourite . . . Lisa bought me a class to make these!  Once we are allowed to be in the same place at the same time we are going top have a go

Christmas was mostly virtual  . . . but good to see everyone 

My triangle EPP has been pieced.  Where the points meet is supposed to look like this 

But many junctions didn't get the memo!

I have a circular die for the sizzix, so I cut lots of circles from heat and bond and ironed them onto each junction to keep the points in the right place

Since them I have removed the paper backing from the circles and ironed the whole lot to a white fleece, and have quilted it in variegated thread - jut binding to do then another one done

And finally I've been embroidering in front of the TV.  I found this panel in a pile that needed putting away, it had been pieced but was just pattern / black / pattern / black.  I've had fun extending some of the patterns into the black and now will make it into either a zippy pouch or a basket

I do believe that for once I am going to start the new year with fewer UFOs that I started it with - yes there are still some, and yes I did get some fabric for Christmas that I may be about to cut into, but things have definitely been more chaotic in the sewing room in the past!

Keep well everyone, and keep safe xxx

2020 Wk 1 - Hexie Round

The Hexie Round is getting really rather big - to sew one hexie on at a time is a lot of holding a big flimsy, so I've been making it easier for myself.

I have tacked what feels like a zillion pieces, and sorted them into light and dark - and here are the darks for the next round.

I've stitched them into rows about a dozen hexies long (wide?) - the next round needs 14 on each side

I've now speed-dated the strips - first attempt:

But these two blues are too similar to be next to each other

So I can slide the row along and separate the blues.

I can add the extra hexies to the row or to the flimsy, and I'll probably do the same with the two circles of light hexies - speed-date them and add them to the darks then add all three rows to the flimsy in one go

And I thought I'd share some of my gorgeous Christmas pressies

And the prayer weaving we did at the Christingle service on Christmas Eve

And the penultimate gingers - two of these for Niki's teacher friends

2019 Wk 47 - where did the time go?

I rather feel this post is just going to be a list - but lots of pretty pics anyway!

I made green felt storage containers for another Chalice set at church.  I prefer the colour of the red but I think the design of the green is better

We had a fabulous Remembrance Day parade and service ten days or so ago - huge turnout and not only no rain, but incredibly blue skies

Lisa I attended a course where at one stage we had to "make" something to reflect what we had learned - our eyes lit up as we were allowed to rummage through bags of stickers and pipe cleaners etc.  I used needle and thread (of course I have a sewing kit in my handbag. doesn't everyone???) so the stickers dangled - we had great fun!

Another Pudsey hexie flower arrived

 And I joined a whole load of 1.5" squares into a long strip.  Jackie and I have a few million of these squares, but my seam allowance isn't accurate enough to make 3.5" squares (3x3) so our first plan has been abandoned.  I think something like this will work, and my dodgy seam allowance should be hidden!!!

I've also given up on a blanket crochet I started ages ago. I cant find any progress photos but it was far too wide and would never be finished with the two balls of wool I bought, so I frogged it all and Lisa started me off with a straight forward granny square

We had Crafty Church last week.  I got a bit on pinning done, not much more, but there was lots going on!

Carole visited us for the first time and taught several girls how to make decorations form corn stalks

Ulrike showed us how to make this star while others got on with patchwork or quilting

Others were making Suffolk puffs (with lavender inside), and Stitched Christmas cards

While others were knitting or crocheting or sewing buttons onto a tree for our Crafty Church entry into the next village's Christmas Tree Festival

Phew!  So that's where the time went!

2019 Wk 39 - whole piece quilting and a day out

The whole piece quilt is rather lovely even if I do say so myself!  I have a plan for it, but then I had more ideas of what to do with it . . .  so I started another one!  This one doesn't have any specific negative space, and it has more hand stitching than is planned for the bigger piece, and I just used the machine running stitch.  More hand stitching is on the cards

It was my birthday this week and Plum and Avril have blogged about Chihuly at Kew Gardens.  It's not that far from us so we booked tickets and went for the afternoon.  I thought we would see them lit up, but we went on Wednesday and the "Chihuly Nights" session are Thursday, Friday and Saturday :-(  We had a good time though, although I declined the opportunity to buy a small bowl for £6000!!!!

 

My favourites though are the pagoda I remember from going there as a child and the dragons on every corner of every roof

and the wrought iron spiral staircases - I cant help feeling my life would be complete if I had the space for one of these!!!

This week end I did a bit more hand sewing on the second whole cloth piece

and found a purpose for the amazing folder Plum sent me for my birthday

(My friend Sharon gave me a journaling bible for my birthday and a guide book . . .and persuaded another friend of ours to get me some journaling pens . . .  and they all fit perfectly in the folder - thank you Plum (and Sharon and Alison!) no comments on lack of artistic talent thank you!!!!