Christmas Count down

This has been a fun project for a Christmas Count down...

Pattern taken from 12 Days of Christmas by Art to Heart.

Night of horror!

7pm Sunday evening an almighty BANG and all our Electricity went out, a car had run up the path at the end of our drive and demolished the Electricity Cabinet and lamp standard, smoke poured out and then it caught fire! The female driver was out of the car. Police and firebrigade arrived and questions were asked!! The electricity finally came back on at 3.30am the next morning as engineers worked through the night to clear up the mess and dig up the pavement.

It is now Thursday and we have huge holes in the pavement around our house but the power is back on. I think the police took the woman away probably to breathalize and question her! Next doors car was hit in the accident and looks like a right-off! A tree is now half burnt away and 3 or 4 dustbins melted into blobs of plastic.

Abigail's Christmas quilt

As it is half term, my granddaughter Abigail came to stay for two days. Age 6 she loves to do craft work with me, so we organized a Christmas quilt. She traced the pictures onto Heat n Bond Heavy then cut them out and ironed them onto fabrics herself under Grandma's watchful eye!
I think it may have been the first time she had used an iron by herself.

Having arranged the snowmen and trees and ironed them to the background fabric I machined around the edge with batting in the middle.. we didn't have time for her to use the sewing machine.

Busy busy busy

Busy busy busy, I seem to be always on the go. BUT I have found time to make this fun Santa, with all his bells. I thought my Mum would like it as she has little sight and the tinkling sound would be nice on her front door at Christmas.
This has been the month of birthdays, Granddaughters 6 and 2 years, son Richard, husband Chris, sister Debbie and my Mum will be 95 in 2 days time!

Final 10 fish for the fish swap

The final 10 fish blocks ready for the swap. There will be 25 fish in the post 15th September.

Green Lane Day in the sun shine

Friday 11th September as members of GLASS the Green Lane club, we went off the beaten track through glorious countryside in beautiful sunny weather. I must have opened dozens of farm gates, and while I lept out to take photo's Chris enjoyed splashing through the streams.

Fish swap

I've been fishing all morning!!!

15 fish ready for the no-sew fish swap, 5 more are waiting to be cut out and five more are still in the "thinking about it" mode.

Here we go again............

Here I go again....

Really decided I was going to finish all those UFO's that are still waiting from January BUT Sindy who runs www.fatcatpatterns.com/fatcat_swaps.htm

has just started a fuse only FISH block swap through her yahoo scratchingpost group, and I just love these fancy fishes, so I have signed up for "between 5 and 25" just to cover myself, but hope to get all 25 sent in. I will start by spending tomorrow drawing the patterns [all free to download] and then look through my stash for fabric.. at least that way I will still be stash busting! Why don't YOU join me and give Sindy a bumper bundle of fishes to swap for us.

Little bags for bag swap

A few little bags quickly made. The first was for a bag swap, but then I got carried away and could not stop making them... I have 7 more cut out ready to make, I thought they would make great little gift bags filled with goodies.

Thank you Rachel for sharing the pattern on your Blog.

rachel-griffith.blogspot.com/2009/08/friendship-bag-tutorial.html

Paper pieced Teddy Bear quilt

Paper pieced, using a very cheapo block of paper which was very easy to see through and easy to remove.

This pattern was offered on Carol Doak's yahoo site as a mystery, but I did not get around to making it until after the mystery had finished.

My colour choice was based on a teddy bear fabric and plain colours I had in my stash... didn't have to buy a thing! It measures 40 x 40 inches.

Pfaff-ing about

This is a sample of stitches used on my Pfaff sewing machine some years ago.. I decided to make it into a wall hanging to remind me of what I could do!!

Mid-Life Crisis !!

Where did July go ? I guess two weeks in Scotland, followed by a week in Cornwall and then a five day trip with our Granddaughter has left little time for updating my BLOG.

First let me introduce you to Lucy.. my "new" car, well actually she is a 19 years old Mazda MX5, and I plan a lot of fun driving her around. I have always wanted a red sports car and had to wait until I am 64 to get one, she is automatic, which is taking a bit of getting use to. The only time I have driven automatics is while on holiday in the USA, so I feel I should be on the other side of the road!

To complete my "mid-life crisis" I have started a diet, let my hair grow long for the first time in years, and moved the walking machine into the house so that I can get fit.

24th June 2009

Wow. what an exciting start to the day. Postman called at 7.15 am with a USA parcel from my Spring Mini quilt swap. Not only is the quilt wonderful and the machine quilting brilliant, there was also chocolate and FQ's enclosed. Thank you so much Maya.. I love it.

On the left are the 9 completed Baltimore blocks [ from Fatcat patterns]. It has been a struggle to get the machine applique done, but at last they are ready for the next step.. not sure what that is going to be yet!

Holiday in Scotland

Just back from two weeks holiday in Scotland where I tried to find time to make a USA paper pieced star each day. I actually managed to make 11 stars [see photo] of the 30 I eventually want to make. They are from Carol Doak's book 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars.

Most of my time was taken up watching dolphins from the lounge window, I had never seen them in the wild around the coast of Great Britain and three days I managed to watch them. Plus grey seals were lolling about on the beach near our hired cottage. An added treat was seeing an Osprey flying over the Spey River estuary.

A visit to two patchwork shops meant my stash busting is not doing too well this month!

Back home I have 1078 emails in my in box! so a lot have been deleted or I will never catch up!

Four projects worked on in May / June

Playing catch up with my blog.

I am working on my Baltimore blocks, machine quilting them, 5 completed and 4 partially done.. really want to get them ready to join together.

The chicken pincushion was my swap and went with a length of liberty fabric to Polly auntpollysporch.blogspot.com.

The snails trail quilt was finally backed, quilted and the binding sewn on.. another UFO bites the dust!

Final photo is of the June lottery block sent to Carol Doak's yahoo group..
Talking of Carol Doak, I have started to plan making a 30 star paper pieced quilt from her book. At the moment I have the patterns printed and some of the fabric cut out.. watch this space.

A NOT TO BE MISSED QUILT SHOW

'Truly Antique Angels' Quilting Group

are holding a Quilt Exhibition in September together with a Floral display

Venue is St Peter and Paul Church, Church Street, Weedon Northamptonshire NN7 4PL

Friday 25th 1pm - 4pm

Saturday 26th 10.30am - 4pm

Sunday 27th 1pm - 4pm

Programme at Door £2.00, Two Trade stands, sales table, refreshments.

Draw 1st Prize Double Quilt, five mins walk from 'Bramble Patch' shop, all proceeds toward restoration of Church window sills.

Further details from

Pat Cashin 01327 349727, Janet Wilson 01280 823625, Pat Acton 01926 735141

18 needlecases

I would like to thank the person who put instructions for this
needlecase on her www site, put I cannot find the www site again !
Also three different people from all different places have shown
me this needlecase purchased from different shops..
so I've no idea to whom I should really give credit.

******* Just been sent where to find the tutorial,
sewprimkhris's blog ***********

One of the local groups I belong to are having a September
Quilt show with lots of fund raising sales tables, so I thought I would get a head start and make needle cases, some are for little gifts for friends.

Carol Doak 9 Patch

Carol Doak via her yahoo group has offered two great prizes of SIXTY fat quarters. The competition is to make a 9 patch block from one of her patterns.. so this is my entry.. I would just love to win.

Decided to use Christmas fabrics and have now made it into a cushion, probably for the church quilt show in September.

I think I am in a foundation paper piece mood, as I have printed off 30 stars from Carol Doak's 50 USA State Stars book, now to decide on the fabrics I will use.

Two Swaps finished

I have joined yet ANOTHER group.. Carol Doak's yahoo group and find they are running a block lottery. The foundation block on the right will go off to the swap lottery, and when 20 are received the names go in a hat and one person wins all 20.. so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
One reason for joining this group is that many years ago I started using one of Carol Doak's books to make a star quilt of all the USA States I had visited. 26 at the last count! I need to re-start this quilt !!

The table mat on the left is for the Spring swap and features a blue cow, called Daisy, I have used a heat resistant batting and backed it in Christmas fabric to make it reversible.
Blue Cow is from a children's TV show a favorite of my granddaughter, and I thought it would be fun. The pattern is one of Mary Mayne's.

Swapping Mad!

I have just joined two swaps, one with the Quilting Gallery http://quiltinggallery.com/ for a Spring Blooms Mini-Quilt, which I have been working on all day and now just have the binding to hand sew down, then I will post a picture.

The second swap is for a pincushion with www.quiltathome.blogspot.com/ of Switzerland. Have to think of something to make for that.

It is such fun swapping with people around the world.. give it a go!

Stash Busting May

Stash Busting April
Where did April go ?
I have managed to use 17 yds and not buy any new fabric.
Start of the year 620
Added to stash 67 yds
Balance now 589 "Diana could do better" as my school reports always showed!
Stash Busting May
I have been finishing a lot of UFO's and making things for sale at an exhibition
Also a visit to Liberties added to my stash together with some fabric on sale locally!
I have managed to use 14 yds this month, Bought 13 yds
Start of the year 620 Added to stash 80 yds
2009 total Used 112 yds Balance in cupboard 588 yds
Stash Busting June
Busy holiday month, which meant finding new quilt shops and sampling their goodies!
I have managed to use 15 yds this month making USA star blocks, Bought 9 yds
Start of the year 620 Added to stash 89 yds
2009 total Used 127 yds Balance in cupboard 582 yds

Chicken Oven Glove

A pair of chicken oven gloves.. trouble is they look to cute to use.

Pattern designed by Ann Harris.

Bears in the Farmhouse

Yee Haa at last the Judy Laquidara Bears in the Farmhouse top is finished. [See previous blog posts about the making of this quilt].

It will have to join the UFO pile for a while as I need to make a quilt for my neice's new baby, she or he, is expected soon.

Chicken time with the IAM group

IAM group meeting at my house on Thursday 2nd April.

Ann Harris came to teach us how to make chicken pot holders, we all had great fun and a lot of laughs!

Coloured Trapunto Workshop

Hamtune Quilters Northampton


On Tuesday 3rd evening I taught 33 ladies how to do Annie London's coloured trapunto. It was a fun evening and I will be repeating the workshop for the BQS group on Saturday 14th. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and quite a few managed to complete the whole thing in the 2 hours.

Bears in the Farmhouse

RIGHT
Step 3 of Bears in the Farmhouse, 12 blocks to this stage just completed in time. Now to work on Step 4 and add borders and join the squares together.
LEFT
Worked hard today and have Step 4 completed.. have to wait until 25th for the next step.

Stash Busting March

I'm a little late starting my March Stash Busting log. I have been trying to finish some projects.
January started with 620 yds
Added to stash 67 yds Used 81 yds Balance 31st March 606 yds.

Added 3rd March 13 yds [mostly cream ] Used this week 0 yds balance 613.25
Added 10th March 0 yds Used this week 3yds [fairy blocks] balance 610.25 yds
Added 17th March 0 yds Used this week 0yds balance 610.25 yds
Added 24th March 3 yds [gift] Used 6.25 yds [Attic windows/curtains] balance 607yds
Added 31st March 0 yds Used 1 yd [Chicken] balance 606yds

Candlewick Fairies

Having bought a book by Margaret Upston I have started a set of twelve Candlewick Fairies, each will be in a different Perle 5 colour. Managed to buy 40 skeins of DMC Perle 5 on Ebay for £12, a saving of about £30. The hoop I am using is brilliant and available from www.nosliphoops.com/lap-stands.html

A day with Abigail

Granddaughter Abigail spent the day with me making lace after breakfast and then attending a Weedon Quilt meeting, where she made a picture frame and note book case from a sewing kit.

Back to the lace pillow when we returned home to make a few more rows of her snake.

I started work on a set of Candlewick Angels.

Bears in the Farmhouse

First requirement for the Quilt Along.. make 192 half square triangles !

I used the "inklingo" by Linda Franz CD to print 17 pages of 2 inch HST [using A4 paper I can get 12 on a sheet] and quickly made 204 [ thought some spares might be a good idea!].

I will leave the paper on until they are joined together.. it makes them easy to handle, no bias to worry about.

Bears in the Farmhouse Quilt-Along

Bears in the Farmhouse with Judy Laquidara.
www.patchworktimes.com if you want to join her [ and me!]
These are my choice of fabrics for the Quilt - Along starting on February 18th.

Four quilts quilted and ready to have their bindings hand sewn.

England, Snow and Sewing

While England is in the grip of the snow, schools are closed, roads remain ungritted and everything comes to a stop, I have been working on my quilts and have three of them ready to hand sew the bindings down.

The black and red one is quilted with a fleece backing as a little snuggly quilt.

The light quilt is single size [quilted by me] and will be one of a pair of two for our holiday home. The darker quilt was long arm quilted and I have attached the binding ready to hand sew it down. I will attach full size photo's when they are finished, but I like to save hand sewing for quilt meetings.

Windmills from Charm Squares

Windmills from Charm Squares.

A project I am working on to use up Laura Ashley charm squares given to me years ago!

Stash Busting February

January started with 620 yds used 31 yds and ended with 628 yds ! MUST DO BETTER!

Added this week 0 yds [ Sales are over!]
Used this week 10 1/2 yds
[Backings, bindings and hexagons]
3rd February balance 617 1/2 yds

Added this week 00 yds
Used this week 5 yds
[Bento Box [ see picture] and binding Mexican Star]
10th February balance 612 1/2 yds

Added this week 000 yds [ third week running!]

Used this week 10 1/4 yds

[ Snails trail and fabric for Bears in the farmhouse]

17th February balance 602 1/4 yds

Added this week 000yds

Used this week 2 yds

[Backing snails trail and windmills]

24th February balance 600 1/4yds

Sticky Mats

Having a problem with threads migrating from my Happy Room which has wood laminate flooring to the rest of the house, Chris came up with a great idea. Sticky Mats !
They come in a pack of 30 and stick to the floor near the door, as you walk on them the threads stay stuck! Brilliant.

I bought mine from www.cleanroomsuppliesltd.com95 x 45 cm small 4 packs of 30 layers £28 plus post and VAT £41.64

Also available from
http://www.floor-protection-resources.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Sticky%2DMat USA supplier