2020 Wk 26 - the last few weeks

I finished the centre panel of this crochet and planned to crochet borders around it top make it bigger, 

but I think I started with too many border stitches so it's becoming wiggly at the edges

So I asked my quality control assistant and she declared it finished - so there is a whole other ball of pinky orangy wool if anyone can think of a use for it

I bought a ball of very bright colour change wool and (because I am definitely running before I can walk) bullied both Tara and Lisa into starting me off on this spiral (A pattern?? What's that?)  I'm totally guessing where to do two stitches on one hole, and although I've got further than this its too lose on some places and too tight in others - Lisa is coming over today so I'll get her to help me again!

I had a fab care package from Plum a few weeks ago and very rudely didn't post it here: lovely goodies, thank you Plum xxx

The purple fabric was immediately put to good use to eek out the purple I had, to make two sets of bunting for two sisters

Finally the last of the posted quilts has arrived at its destination!  Hello Theia - I hope you like it!!!

The Facebook Hexi swap has started up again, so we are swapping the back log: lovely to be getting hexies in the post - I have quite a stack of them so need to start thinking about what to do with them!

I've been doing some organising: felt scraps into baskets by size so I can have a chance of using up the smallest bits rather than keep cutting into large sheets

And the ribbons got sorted too (there are two card disks and a key ring split ring between each spool of ribbon so as I pull one only that one moves!

And I have been sewing squares together!  The corners where the blocks meet are thicker than they should be - I'm not too great at trimming away excess fabric, and I'm cross with myself for not making another ten blocks to even up the pattern, but there isn't enough of that black left and I've fallen out of love with it so it can be finished and then go to Project Linus

Hope you are all keeping safe xxx

2018 Wk 52 part 2

Were you spoiled this Christmas?  I was!

Jackie made me this awesome purse that opens to a really good size, plus these Christmas decorations

From Sharon I got this gorgeous Christmassy fabric with matching ribbons

From Avril I got these super badges (I'm not sure I can take them off their cards - they are just a pretty as the badges) and these super lush threads

And from Plum I got a whole load of goodies!  A basket, a couple of kits, some clam templates and a box a really good sized beads

And Stephanie gave me a thread cutter which is useful and pretty!

Thank you all xxxxx

I've been doing some hand sewing - Kantha doodling

 And spent time with these two (I love to see them using my quilts!)

But mostly spent time visiting this lovely lady (my M-i-L) who has now been confirmed as having a fractured femur.  Now that they know what the problem is they can start putting it right.

While she was in hospital some lowlife scum broke into her house.  To be fair they didn't trash it or create a huge mess, but they did steal cash she had taken out for the grandchildren and great grandchildren for Christmas, and they have taken some jewellery.  Sadly the gold charm bracelet that she had collected over many years (like this one) has gone

But they overlooked this . . . her engagement ring that she's had over 70 years!!!

An L of an urge

 I needed to sew - it's been 5 weeks (whinged the addict).  

I managed to join some of the I-Spy squares into 4 strips of 6 fabrics (no pics, they are on the ironing board downstairs), and I pieced some of the scrappy strips into an L shaped taggie for baby Lucia:  Fleece on the back, picture fabrics on the front, and loads of bits of ribbon poking out of the side seams.

Very busy, very colourful, and lots of textures for little fingers.  

I haven't stitched the opening closed yet - if I can find some bells I might stuff it loosely and put a few inside instead of leaving it flat, who knows!

Bank Holiday Bonus

So far today . . .

Endless Ribbon has been renamed Ribbon Race, as it's down to 6m long which hardly qualifies as endless.  I wish I'd used more picture fabrics as I think it would make a great I- Spy quilt.  Maybe next time

I have started on an embroidery order of  sweatshirts and fleeces for the local pre-school

I have made scissor tags for A who I will be seeing tomorrow (and who has sons who have little respect for fabric scissors not being designed to cut other stuff)

And I've been proof reading a 2500 word essay on ": Leibniz argues that our freedom rests in the fact that reasons ‘incline without necessitating ‘. Assess the concept of freedom in Leibniz and compare its strengths and weaknesses with at least one other rationalist’s concept of freedom." - wonder why I've got a headache!

and now the shopping

I was lucky enough to go to Amsterdam a few years ago with girlfriends, and found the most amazing market street with about a dozen fabric shops.  So when we planned our weekend in Holland, I knew I wanted to go back.  Slavka and Niki weren't interested, and chose to stay in the centre and shop, but Lisa and I wanted to go, and Brian came with us (sigh).  We walked (and walked and walked) and found the market street.

I was fairly restrained (having a bored man outside the shop does that I find) but did manage:
This firm postage stamp fabric suitable for bags

and in the same thickness this coffee sack print

And this newspaper print (I bought this last time in the firm, bag fabric, and in a sort of laminated tablecloth fabric, but this time it's 100% cotton)

I did look at the obviously dutch fabrics: windmills and clogs etc, but they were all done in a sort of tile design and I couldn't see any use for them.  we say a shop with hundreds of Russian dolls, so I decided to get this: lovely for an I-Spy quilt, or fussy cutting some of the dolls if nothing else

and then finally I got these two very dutch ribbons