2020 Week 50

 We put the Christmas Tree up in the village

The 'teenege' cats were given (and made to wear) Christmas outfits (so impressed!!!)

 

Kitty Penny hasn't been mistreated to the same degree!!!

Several tea-towels have been embroidered for a friend / customer

And felt has been delivered so I can commence Ginger making!!!

An 'it's cold but I'm warm' thank you to three of my favourite knitters (Thank you Janine, Amo and Jackie!)

A few Gingers waiting to go to their new homes

Some fab Christmas pressies from Jackie!

Yes including the mixer bowl - I can't manage the glass one it's too heavy - and a co-ordinated Irish effort saw her daughter finding one on a buying and selling site, the son in law collecting it, and the Irish and British post offices getting it to me!  I love it!!!

The Hexi swap flowers for November have arrived - all in gorgeous shades of red - matching the mixer!

And Lisa has finished her second Christmas Gnome!!

2019 Wk 38 Sicily and Inspiration

I've just come back from a few days away in Sicily: some random street art like these "windows" and "doors" in a side street

and lots of fun, chat, food and just a few drinks with these lovely ladies.

Such random stuff

 but some of it I fancy trying

 This cork pencil wrap was lovely and simple - and was selling for 148 Euro!!!!

I really like this simple clay design

And thought this was a great toy teaching so many things - matching, balancing, counting, colour recognition . . .

Mount Etna was having a little puff, but otherwise the skies were blue

As was our little apartment

I've been thinking about ideas for next year's Chertsey Museum classes: Separated (not EPP) hexies

Using crochet with fabric

I thought these might make good mega Dorset buttons

 And can I do anything fabric related with these?  I have 13 and a tea light just fits inside!

2017 Wk 42 - birthday bash

Very little making happened this weekend (although I have high hopes for next weekend) as on Friday the girls *finally* got their keys (so we all got cleaning- I think the kitchen has been done 4 times now!)

And then Saturday and Sunday were spent celebrating this amazing woman (my mother-in-law)'s 90th birthday!!!!!

(Do you like her sash??)

We didn't get a group picture - we should have done - but there were 17 of us: all her children and grandchildren (all with partners) and all four great grand children - and we had a really lovely time!

Even though it was her birthday I got two awesome gifts. One was my birthday pressie from one of the nephews and his wife - these gorgeous FQs

And the other (be still my beating heart) arrived by post - from Amo, in exchange for the doggy patches I made her a few weeks ago. So I made these

And in exchange I got an Amo original that far exceeds anything I was even hoping for!

Amo my friend you are a very talented lady!! As I look at this on the wall and these bowls in front on me . . .

. . . And think of other goodies I have received as swaps or gifts from Kathy, Amo, Plum, Avril and Jackie (to mention just a few) I am filled with pride that I have been "deemed worthy" of receiving these wonderful things - and thank you all for being part of my world, and allowing me to be part of yours!

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2017 Wk 40 Bits and Pieces

A lovely afternoon at Chertsey Museum - making Autumn Wraps! We all started with an Ikea fleece blanket. We looked at two different design ideas

Ann made a poncho, the rest made a wrap

Take an Ikea fleece and fold in half lengthwise. Then fold in half width wise to mark the centre. Cut along the long fold from one end to the middle - about 1.5 inches from the fold, so you are cutting out a piece about 3" wide. Arrange so the solid section is at your back and the two thins section hang over each shoulder - you can throw one front jauntily over the other shoulder, and look as fab as the ladies!

Some then went on to decorate their wrap with embroidery, other salvaged the fleece scraps and made flowers

Next I went to Portsmouth to see mum. I gifted her the wrap I'd made - and that was very well received! Look at the fab view from her flat!

I just love when one of the girls comes home and asks "muuuummmmm..."! She was about to meet her boyfriend's baby nephew for the first time - and needed a quilt finished. Luckily it had been largely constructed but needed name embroidering and binding finishing

First problem was quickly solved

And then she got a quick lesson on sewing binding and off she went!

Me? I did some making too - some more of these porthole blocks. I'll take them to Richmond and Kew quilters tomorrow and see if I can work out the best arrangement - should all 4 patch blocks be made with with coloured portholes, or just some? Should the colours arranged randomly (randoku! Thanks Avril - it's a fab word) or in a pattern? Either way I'm loving the blocks

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2017 Wk 25 - More sewing with Jackie

Jackie and I normally trade a few goodies when we see each other:  I haven't had much time in the last few months, so Jackie didn't get much - but I was spoilt!  Thank you Jackie

(Yes, the pouch isn't finished . . . some traditions are good to keep!)

We made some blue whale pouches for a couple of my cousins and an Aunt - its a bit of a long story - I won't bore you but I think they will love the pouches!

Lining in red as there is a Norwegian link!

We made some magic zip pouches (two sections and each side has a zip into a separate pocket)

Yesterday's eco dying . . .  well lets say we wont bother with that again!

We tried silver spoon stamping . . . with a LOT of brute force (and probably a fair amount of ignorance!) we got one letter done.  Apparently I bought silver plated steel spoons, not silver spoons!!!

 We had a go at zippy key rings - and adding numerous zipper pulls for fun

We used some pretty lacy zips

 And we did some Christmas planning: triangles inside circles, stitched together into pyramids will make lovely little gift boxes!

(From these instructions)

Then finally, in the last two hours we made what are probably my favourite creations: a sewing holdall which rolls up