Menopausal Memory and Craft it Forward

A long time ago, the lovely Hadley took part in a Craft it Forward event and apparently I was one of the lucky chosen few in the next link.

Unfortunately, due to having no memory (I'm blaming it on my age) I have absolutely *no* memory of this at all (although I can see our discussion on her post) and therefore had no anticipation of anything, but the upside is that I got a fab surprise when this arrived:

(complete with Hello Kitty tape)

As if the outside wasn't lovely enough, the inside was even better

Thank you, thank you, thank you my lovely friend!

But, of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch needle case - there is a responsibility attached to eating that chocolate, and accepting the needle case - I now have to "Craft it Forward" - which means I have to send a little something to five people!

In Hadley's words:
 I am sure you are waiting to see how you can be in on the Craft It Forward action!
The rules are simple...
The first 5 interested people with blogs to comment below, will receive something handmade from me in the next 12 months.  Simple.
When those 5 receive their goodies, they must blog about it and then repeat the offer, ad infinitum.

So you can get commenting, and I can get thinking and making!

Button Fun

At Chertsey Museum today we made chunky button "infinity" necklaces: based on these

The ladies made these 

and have a bit of homework to do before we next meet up!!

A Flowery Finish

After the clocks went back, and the days seemed to get shorter and darker and gloomier, I spent time watching junk on TV snuggled under a quilt

while I hand stitched the bindings

So I finally have a finish to my name: a hand stitched English Paper Pieced hexi flower garden

Posted with Blogsy

Super Swap

A while ago I joined a texty fabric charm swap which was great fun, and some of us then went on to plot a map swap.

This time we went for a layer cake swap - ten inch squares of a map fabric. We didn't get as many participants, but that wasn't a disadvantage, as it meant we got a few duplicates - and with such yummy fabrics that can only be a good thing

My package arrived this morning - thank you May xxxx

 

And thanks to all the participants - a great collection of fabrics!!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Essential Irish

This quilt is a long way off being finished, indeed will grow as an ender/leader project, but already has the name of Essential Irish

I have had a number of the Moda Essential Dot fabric in dark colours for ages.  I used some for the giant lone star

but there was plenty left over, so I have now cut the remainder into 2.5 inch strips, along with a cream fabric with slightly darker small stars

 

I have wanted to make an Irish Chain for a while, but didn't want the big plain squares in between the nine patch blocks.  I also didn't want it in the conventional coloured chain on light background, so I started stitching strips to strips.  (not the tan fabric at the top: that didn't make the cut)

Then the strips were pressed and crosscut

And stitched into nine patch blocks, which are the start of my Essential Irish quilt

Sizzix Sunday

It was Remembrance Sunday yesterday - the sun shone and the church was full for the 10:30 service.  Our usual 9:30 service was still held, but was slightly shorter to allow the extras to take their seats, but my Sunday Schoolers had asked if we could still have Sunday School, and could they do a Remembrance themed craft please.

I'd been contemplating this on Saturday, while I was sewing hexies with God Daughter - and she had a flash of inspiration . . .

So I lugged the sizzix to church with red and black paper, the boys had great fun cutting paper shapes, (*some* even came out as hexies) and we made Poppy Posters:

Hacksaws and Hexies

Hacksaws and Hexies - not a common combination!  

Husband offered to spend yesterday helping friends cut up this tree that fell in last week's storm

They did a great job 

But now they have to get rid of all this

Meanwhile my God Daughter and I spent the day sewing!  She has finished this Knot a Quilt

So I got her to help me with hexies

And then she started her own Hexie project 

While I worked on that old portable standby ...

The yellow Hexie quilt is growing, unlike the tree!

Bits and Pieces

Last Monday the ladies at Broom Farm  were back after the half term break, eager to get on with their projects:  a vanishing 9 patch, a 3D flower cushion, bondawebbed letters for a Christmas stocking, and a silk log cabin pillow (more info on the Fun With Fabric blog)

I have been working on a secret project - hand stitching the binding, nearly finished now

And I have designed and stitched embroidery panels for Alicia's I-Spy brick quilt

These will go as borders above and below the bricks

Making Music

The last Star Of Africa Bee block was due back in the summer, but it has sat on my to-do list for ages.  I have really struggled with this theme.

Irene requested: My theme is: MUSIC!!! So you can make your blocks with anything related with your nation - folk music, instruments, musicians, dancing and/or costumes. This can be the time for The Beatles, Elvis, Beethoven, Riverdance, bagpipes, kilts, bush bands, country music, manjiras... -the list is endless- come up to stage, you may let the brainstorm come!  My project will be a wall hanging to be hung over my piano, this is my sketch: www.flickr.com/photos/idearagon/9290819902/   As you can see, your blocks will be "floating" on a white background.   Color of your background: Bright colors. Any color you like, that gets a good contrast over the white/black background.
Any technique, and being for a Wall hanging, embellishments are welcome!


I am the least musical person I know, so I really struggled with this. I asked family and friends for help, and finally my daughters' Godparents suggested an idea based on our house number being 4B.

This music instruction (so they tell me) is to play the note B four times, so 4B!

My grandfather was a concert standard pianist, and my oldest daughter learnt guitar and the youngest daughter learnt drums for a while, so I was really pleased to find these instruments as charms.   I was so bad at singing (still am) that I was the only girl in my class not allowed to join the choir. I had to do woodwork with the boys during singing lessons, but one of the woodwork teachers played saxophone, which also happens to be my favourite instrument, so I added that charm too.

The satin stitch is really tactile, and catches the light, as do the assorted silver charms (notes and squiggly things as well as the instruments).  I have not cut it to size as I couldn't decide whether to have the lines at an angle or horizontal, so I have sent it to Irene untrimmed so she can decide when it arrives. 

I do hope you like it Irene xxx

Brick Blocks

Yesterday's start has progressed to a quilted panel

Mandy wants a bible quote and the girl's name on it too.  I've run out of girly fabrics so I think I'll add a chunky border to and bottom and embroider the name to one, and the quote to the other

That's a job for another day

Hope you are having a good sewing day

Night night

Today is Tuesday?

Tuesday? Today?  Where is the time going?

My to-do-list is being ignored, and my Christmassy vanishing nine patch has been put to one side as I've decided to put sashing between the blocks, and am waiting for fabric to come, so what to do?

I know, I'll start something new!

A lovely friend of mine, Mandy, is to be Godmother to a little girl, and the service is end of this month.  She has asked me to make a girly I-spy for the Christening present, so today I have cut pretty picture fabrics into rectangles, and cut a pretty kona pink into strips and started joining them together

So far so good.

Graduating in Greenwich part 2

If you want to see *all* the photos you can click here.  T

To spare those of you that aren't mum or Jackie, here are a select few

 

Greenwich Chapel

where the ceremony was held

And the Painted Room

 where the reception was held

 

Graduating in Greenwich

No sewing today, attending a graduation in Geeenwich 

More photos tomorrow !

Congratulations Lisa, we're really proud xxxx