Sunday 30 June 2013

I Feel A Picnic Coming on.....

I don't know about you, but I'm a bit of a Picnic Freak. For me, it's not about sunshine and Summer (though obviously they help!)....I've picnic-ed in all weather, and odd places. When we still lived in France, The Daughters and I once had a picnic in a playground's plastic tunnel, as it really was raining a bit TOO hard to be enjoyable without shelter. Then, when we moved back to Blighty, we moved next door to Bournemouth beach, in a rather damp October. We had regular (damp) picnics on the abandoned beach....you can only imagine the surprise (horror??) on The Daughters' faces, when we went to the beach on the first sunny Bank Holiday Weekend, and The Hoards had descended with their own respective picnics.....
Anyway, I've had a productive couple of days, and have this to show for them....


.......my FSQ Rainbow Charm Swap is on it's way to being my new Picnic Blanket. I do understand that it's not the most inventive pattern for all that fabulous fabric, but my wish not to waste a single centimetre of it, and to keep all the charms together, has been fulfilled.....so I'm a Happy Bunny!
Thanks for dropping by. Have a wonderful Sunny Sunday. xx

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Just Charming.........

You'll probably remember that I took part in a Charm Swap, recently, organised by the lovely Cindy over at fluffysheepquilting.blogspot.com . The fabulous Charm bundle arrived, and I was full of enthusiasm and ideas, as to what I was going to do with them....and then the timetable that is my life rolled in, and those lovely charms just sat there....irritating me by just BEING! I mean, is it REALLY all that important that I go to work, when all I REALLY need to do is set to with my sewing machine????
I decided to re-read the small print on the contract that they hand you, when you leave the maternity ward with your beautiful baby. It would appear that you ARE obliged to provide shelter and nourishment for your offspring, until such an age that they might leave home and start providing for themselves. Now while I could feasibly argue that at 22 years and ( just shy of) 20 years respectively, Daughters Nos. 1 and 2 don't actually NEED to be supported by Hotel Mum, I think I may be on a sticky wicket with The Son. At just 9 years old, I don't think it's actually legal to send him out into the world, in order to earn his crust.
So, as I'm not Independently Wealthy, it would seem that going to work is, in fact, the only option, if I'm to uphold my end of the bargain. Grumpily, the sewing of charms had to be put on hold.....
Until today!

Ta-Daa.......


Now. I realise that in the great scheme of things, this doesn't really amount to much. But if you'd had the window of opportunity, that I'd had, you'd be pretty impressed too!!!!
More to follow.....watch this space......xx

Thursday 20 June 2013

Fallen Off The Wagon.......Again......

I give thanks each day that I don't like alcohol. I'm also grateful that I'm too much of a control freak, to have ever wanted to try out the drug scene. (And to make it PERFECTLY clear right here, I am NOT mocking, NOR belittling those who struggle with substance abuse....my heart goes out to you.) I have to admit to having an addictive personality.....and I don't mean that people can't bear to tear themselves away from my alluring self.
All who know and love me well, know that I am incapable of depriving myself of chocolate. I've even been known to eat it whilst suffering a tummy upset, using the thought pattern that if I'm going to throw up, I'd rather it was chocolate making it's way back up, than the usual carrots.
And now it would appear that I have another addiction. I'm defining "addiction" by these criteria :
1. I do not need the item.
2. I can't really afford the item.
3. I have SEVERAL similar items already.
4. I have had many stern conversations with myself, telling myself to STOP buying the item.
5. I have ignored points 1-4.....and fallen off my self-imposed wagon. Again.

So here is my latest fall from grace.....


I'm blaming it on late night browsing. And The Sewing Fairy. But I have to say, it IS really lovely, with some great ideas and lots of pretty eye-candy of the fabric variety.
On another addictive subject, I just HAD to start a new EPP project. I can't say TOO much, as I'm not sure who might be reading, but suffice to say that you won't be seeing many progress shots of this particular project, until after October......


Thanks for popping by. I've got a cup of Earl Grey calling my name....and a spot of reading to do.xx

Sunday 16 June 2013

The Wait Is Over!!

It's here!!!!! I've been waiting, not so very patiently, for my Rainbow Charm Swap bundle to arrive. AND IT HAS..........


Just LOOK at it. Such glorious fabric that 56 of us sent to Cindy over at fluffysheepquilting.blogspot.com . That fabulous lady then sorted out charms that had already been cut, and cut a considerable amount herself, before making up 56 identical bundles, and trundling off to the Post Office, to send the parcels back to us all. Thank you, Cindy, for being the brains (and the brawn) behind this, and thank you to all the other Charm Contributors, for your fabulous taste in fabric.
Now.....what to do with this jewel-toned pack? I had originally thought that I'd work on a lap quilt using tumblers. Then I saw "Baby Bliss" over at www.cluckclucksew.com , and thought that THAT would be something I'd like better. It would also use ALL of the fabric, with NO wastage, which is also something I'm keen to do.
But then whilst waiting for Mr. Postman, I started an EPP project, based on something from here.....


......and I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed "going back to my roots". (I'll have that song in my head all day now. Terrific.) The other night I did some babysitting, and watched "How To Make An American Quilt", while I stitched happily away. And I got all these done.....


I have to say, that the main benefit of babysitting in someone else's house, is that I get 100% control over what is watched on the TV.......and it makes SUCH a change from a gazillion episodes of Stargate!!!!!
But I digress....Because I'm enjoying the EPP so much. I might have to do something hexagonal with my charms. Now THERE'S a sentence.....
Thanks for popping by. I'm off to drool over some squares. xx

Sunday 9 June 2013

So Very Civilised.......

The whole weekend has been filled with football.....Football training.....Football tournament.....Football Presentation Day.......
But in the midst of all those footballs, I DID manage to snatch a quiet half an hour, and squirreled myself away to the local Waitrose for my free cuppa. And just look at how pretty and civilised my Earl Grey has become! Gone was the usual white china....and this loveliness came in it's place...


Such a shame my phone seems to have a mind of it's own, and takes topsy-turvy photos willy-nilly, as and when it feels like it! Oh well....you get the gist.
Thanks for popping by. See you soon. xx

Thursday 6 June 2013

Pretty Little Stars....

As you may have read from my early blog days, I was taught patchwork and quilting while I lived in France, by a stern French lady, Madame Bellagamba, 20 or so years ago. The method that she taught me was English Paper Piecing (EPP), and I loved it for the peace and relaxation  it gave me.
Since then, I've completed many EPP projects, and usually hand quilt whether I've pieced by hand or machine. However, over time, more and more of my projects have been machine pieced....to the point that I can't remember the last project I worked on completely by hand. And then I saw this, posted on another blog........


I'm afraid I'm having a Winnie The Pooh Moment (a bear of very little brain) and can't remember where exactly I saw it, but I obviously went ahead and bought my own copy.
It didn't disappoint, and I was soon looking through my stash in order to get started. My thoughts behind this particular project were that I often need a bit of handsewing, and the more portable those bits could be, the better. It's rather tricky lugging a whole quilt top to the swimming pool, or football training (though this I HAVE done!), and EPP is notoriously portable. Also, as each little block uses 2 different techniques-EPP and needle turn applique-both of which I love, it would lead to less boredom over time. Finally, each block only takes me a couple of hours to make, from cutting to final stitch, so brilliant for picking up and putting down again. I figure that this will be a long term project, that I can work on, as and when, slotting in between other projects as the mood takes me.....whilst still affording me instant handsewing satisfaction when I need it.
 The project in the book used a lovely cream and black colour scheme, and was just for a wall hanging size. I don't have much cream or black in my stash (good excuse to go fabric hunting??), and I also wanted a bigger quilt, so I've tweaked the directions a little......and so here are the beginnings.....


.......such Pretty Little Stars....though the purple one's not quite finished yet.....
Thanks for popping by. See you soon. xx

Sunday 2 June 2013

Sunshine and a Busy Bee.....

That's what today brought, and that's what I've been.
A lovely sunny morning saw us heading off to the park (we locals tend to avoid the beaches on a Sunny Sunday in the holidays.....unless of course we fancy a game of Sardines!) to meet with friends. Don't you find children are so much nicer when there is a large outside space, friends and a ball involved? Maybe it's just me.... 22 years of parenting making me a little less enthralled, when asked to "just watch this" for the gazillionth time.......so sue me.......
Anyway...back to the park. Sunshine, friends, fresh air and freshly brewed Earl Grey (I travel with small camping stove, kettle and supplies. Always.) and no real time constraints. I ask you, does it get any better? It really was a lovely, lovely morning.
Home for lunch, and then I was abandoned by The Partner and The Son, who obviously hadn't had enough of football this morning, and so needed to go off and try just a few more tricks and skills. Daughters 1 and 2 were already off, living their own days elsewhere, which left me. Alone. With George The Bassett Hound. And my sewing machine.
George was dragged briskly round the block (any of you who have ever had any dealings with Bassetts, will know just how ridiculous an adjective "briskly" is, when used in conjunction with them. And any of you who know me, will know how ridiculous "briskly" is. Full Stop.), before I got down to some serious block business.
Firstly, there were these....



......for Judith over at judith-justjude.blogspot.com for her Bee Blessed quilts. These blocks will be made up with other blocks, into a quilt, and given to a child or young person, who is having to endure a stay in hospital. I think it's a truly lovely idea, and am glad to be able to give a little "pay it forward" time every now and again.
In the same "pay it forward" vein, I then went on to make these .....


...(and made my ironing board stand up on end, into the bargain!!) These are for Sarah over at sewmeblog.blogspot.com . Sarah came up with the idea of organising a Siblings Together Quilt Block Drive, whereby quilters could pledge a block or two, which would then be made up into quilts for Siblings Together. You can find out more about this wonderful organisation here siblingstogether.co.uk . Go take a peek...it's well worth a moment of your time.
And now this busy little bee is in need of some more Earl Grey, so I'll love you and leave you, and buzz off. See you soon x

Saturday 1 June 2013

Bridgewater Reigns Again.....

Yay! My children love me, and have inherited my innate good taste! And if proof were needed.......


.......not one, but TWO replacement bowls for the one that lost it's usefulness on the kitchen floor, the other day, whilst in "The Care" of The Partner. As a surprise, The Children organised these lovelies which arrived today. They have been given to me with the Strict Proviso that The Partner not be allowed within 5 feet of them......a clause which I was happy to meet! Obviously, all that gorgeous bowlful-ness means that I'll have to be nice to The Children now......
In the vein of being nice, I've finished the buggy quilt for Daughter No.1 to give to her friend.....just in time......


In the end, I forgot to keep tally of the hours involved in the making of this....but I'm sure there were a LOT more than in a "Can-You-Just"!!
The Son thought he might get a mention, if he was helpful....so here he is trying to sneak a peak over the top of the quilt front......


...and the back.......

 
    And now I'm going off to indulge myself with a cup of tea and a browse through today's other arrival.........
 
                                                                                                                                                                     
Hope you all enjoy this lovely, sunny weekend. See you soon...................................................