A mad moment for a really good cause

On Monday May 24th, Judy Laquidara, Patchwork Times blogger, asked for help to make quilts for injured service men with a deadline of June 6th. I thought I would like to take part but my problem is I only have until Friday to finish it, and could not start until Tuesday afternoon.

So it has been sew sew sew around here, and I have managed to get the centre made, and will add the borders tomorrow, so it can go in the post on Saturday 29th May.

Luckily Judy has offered to long arm quilt and finish the binding.

Bags bags and more bags!

Another enjoyable day on the Tilly and Fran workshop at Pitsford. Not only did I make the bag to hold my sewing kit but 16 of us were treated to home made biscuits, jacket potatoes with all the trimmings followed by a lovely dessert and finally tea and cakes... what more could a quilter want? To complete my new bag I made a matching pin cushion, scissor case, thimble holder and needle case.

The two bags on the right have two pockets inside and one on the back, they are very comfortable to wear and will be ideal for travelling with passports etc. I just love them and intend to make two more this week to match other outfits!

It's finished... yippee!!

At last I have finished my large quilt as you go pinks and greens quilt. The central part was made in 5 strips and after quilting joined to gether in the quilt as you go method. Then I made the large top and bottom pieces and again after quilting in simple wavy lines joined as before. Finally on Monday I managed to get the binding sewn on, and it it now ready for our bed.

A new "toy" joins the Happy Room

Having wanted a treadle sewing machine for some time, I found this lovely old Singer, not only a treadle but also fitted out with electricity.

Having done a little research the registration number F6490012 says it was made in Clydebank Scotland in 1915, I am hoping to find out more about it, and replace the belts and electricity cable. I also hope to find a set of extra tools and bobbins as these are missing.

Now I do not need to stop sewing if we have a power cut.. I can just treadle away!

Knitted beaded bags

While searching for some pony beads, which I never found!, I came across some of my beaded bags and one that I had forgotton about that needs finishing. Knitted on very fine circular needles the beads are made by transfering strings of beads onto silk thread. Maybe I should finish the green one now.

Northampton Australia to Northampton England

One of the Northampton quilt groups I belong to have become twinned with Northampton in Australia. Yesterday I received this wonderful postcard, my very first fabric card, from Meg in Australia, so now I have to work on one to send back to her. This is so exciting.

Six days North of the border!

Chris had to work for two days in Scotland, and as it was just before a weekend and Bank Holiday I decided to join him and we added a couple of days to make a break.

His first job was in Middlesborough for a couple of hours and then onto Edinburgh, where he worked and I drove out into the countryside to Purely Patchwork a quilt shop at Linlithgow. After this we moved to Loch Lomond where again left to my own devices I took off looking at the lochs and beautiful scenery. Eventually I drove down a track that seemed narrower than the car! even the Highland cow seemed surprised to see me!

Our last 3 nights were spent in Penrith with a visit to Just Sew Patchwork shop [ that's me standing outside the shop ]. Some of the quilts hanging in their workroom were really beautiful and the staff very friendly.

Chris found the James Bond 007 Museum very interesting, they had so many of the cars, tanks, helicopters etc used in the filming.

Northampton England v Northampton W. Australia

One of the groups I belong to here in Northampton England have twinned with a quilt group in Northampton Western Australia. One of the first projects was to make each other a wall hanging quilt. A beautiful quilt arrived from Australia showing the flowers of that country. Due for postage soon is the one made by the Hamtune group showing different places in blackwork associated with Northampton surrounded by log cabin blocks.

Pin cushions

A fun day at Happy Room making pincushions and doing craft work. In total I have made 51 pin cushion kits for people to make.. Special guest Olivia age 13 managed to make the two with beads around the edge.. well done.

Easter holidays with grandchildren

An exhausting but very enjoyable week has just passed with my granddaughters Abigail 6 & 3/4 [ very important 3/4 !] and Eleanor age 2 years with chicken pox! On the last day of the visit Abigail made a cushion using the photo from earlier in the week on the brige over our pond.

Jackets from Sweatshirts

Jackets made by friends on a workshop I gave a few weeks ago.

Me in the garden, Maureen, Dorn, Elizabeth & Jenni.

All I want for Easter .....

All I want for Easter is my two front teeth.

The tooth fairy has called twice at £1 a time to visit Abigail, who is delighted with showing her gap!!

The Bedroom makeover

The new quilt is progressing. Using a Tach-it gun I have joined the top, wadding and backing together. Next I have used a creative grids wavy ruler to draw lines in pencil and machine quilted on the lines. This was easy to do, as it was a manageable size, on my Pfaff 7570 sewing machine. Next using the quilt-as-you-go method I have joined this to the middle section on my quilt. I hope to complete the bottom section later this week.
Having tried to buy curtains for my bedroom makeover and not finding any I like I had to stop work on the quilt and make new curtains, they are green and the walls the palest pink.

Back of quilt-as-you-go quilt

This is the back of the quilt-as-you-go, showing how I used a wavy creative grids ruler as a template for the easy quilting, and the finish of the joining. My sewing machines do not have large throats so I find manovering a large quilt very difficult. Having made small blocks in the quilt-as-you-go method I thought if I made my large quilt in panels I could cope and then joined them... BINGO... it was so much easier.
Quilt-as-you-go there are lots of www site and U-tube advice on this method, but I joined a 1 1/8" strip to the front and a folded in half 1 3/4" strip to the back of one panel. Next I joined the 1 1/8" strip to the next panel, making sure the batting met in the middle. Finally I sewed the folded strip across the backs and joined by hand. Does this make sense?

Half way made bed quilt-as-you-go quilt

As this is too large for my design wall, I have two friends holding up my latest quilt. I have so far made it in five panels and quilted it using my wavy ruler for the design. Then joined the panels together using the quilt-as-you-go method. I now need to make it into a square by adding a large piece to the top and bottom. This is to go on our bed, which means the whole room needs redecorating to match it.. so that takes care of the Easter holiday!

How things change

25th March 1940 was the day my parents got married, and if Dad had still been alive would have been their 70th Wedding Anniversary this week.

25th March 1972 was mine and Chris's wedding day, and we celebrated 38 years, by spending a day in London seeing the wonderful quilt exhibition at the V & A Museum followed by a performance of Oliver at Drury Lane Theatre.

Tilly & Fran Pitsford Workshop

Saturday 27th March, was another great workshop with Fran and Tilly. I chose to make the woven cushion front, using scraps left over from another quilt. The photo on the left is Christine, Pauline, Penny and myself all acting like laundry women busily ironing our strips of fabric ready for the weaving. This is one of my favorite workshops as drinks are served with home make biscuits and cakes, plus a delicious lunch [I had vegetable lasagne ] with dessert.. what could be better. Just need to add the backing for the cushion and binding and it will be finished. www.sew-n-social.blogspot.com

The ASHBY family

As we near Mothering Sunday on the 14th, I made a visit to my grandparents grave in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire Cemetery .


Annie Georgina [nee PERCIVAL] 13 April 1877 - 7 April 1939 and
John Thomas ASHBY June 1875 - 6 September 1955

Stash and design wall report

My design wall has 10 of the 12 fairy blocks I am making. These blocks have been "on the go" for quite a while and I would like to get them finished, so I am trying to motivate myself.

Designed by Margaret Upston I have enjoyed making these Candlewick designs. I managed to buy on Ebay a range of Perle threads in light colours, so each fairy is a different colour.

Feb 14th

Another bargain buy I could not resist, 3meters of backing fabric to add to my stash !

Plus I have not used any fabric from my stash. Too many other projects started that I want to finish!!

Total used to date 22 1/2 yds, purchased 6 yds.

March is nearly over and I have been very lax in keeping my stash report up to date, since I last wrote I have bought 6 yds and used 9 1/2 yds

Total used to date 32 yds bought 12 yds. and the fairies are still on the design wall!

Truly Antique Angels Charity quilt

One of the groups I belong to had a group charity quilt day, where we were all given a small square of fabric, to be placed somewhere on a 12" square of batting. Then using a large pile of scraps we all built the blocks up randomly. These were then backed and joined together in the "quilt as you go " style.

Pat pictured holding the quilt was the leader of our group and did a fine job of getting us all motivated.

Josephine the Jellyfish & Frances the Fish

Under the sea by Cheryl Goss is a free BOM download on her blog Willowberry Designs.

I just could not resist joining, and have downloaded the first two patterns and purchased a set of Derwent watercolour pencils. This is all a new adventure for me, I cannot wait to get started. Check out Cheryl's site.

Design wall Monday 1st February

These are the four blocks joined to make a cushion, that were left over from the leaf quilt I am making. Design wall a bit of a rush today as I went to my quilt group all day and we had a sewing machine service engineer call and service our machines.

I took my Bernina and Pfaff, so they are both ready to go go go.. all I need is some time!

Visit home of birth!

As I am very keen on researching my family tree, I have always wanted to go back to see the house I first lived in and where I was born. The 2nd house on the left is where my mother lived when I was about to be born, as my father was away in Ireland during the war.

My mother's sister and family lived there. 83 Doncaster Rd, Leicester. This area is now completely taken over by Indians with their beautiful sari shops and corner shops selling strange [ to me] food.

The right hand picture is the Westcote Maternity Home Leicester where I was actually born in 1944, Mum remembers the sand bags up against all the windows.

Stash report 31 Jan 2010

Managed to use another 2 1/2 yds of fabric this week. Still have not bought any fabric, although did purchase Judy Laquidara's new book.. cannot wait for it to arrive.

Yesterday attended a new workshop venue for me. Sew n' Social with Tilly and Fran at Pitsford. We were treated to home made biscuits in the monring, a two course lunch and cake in the afternoon.. such luxury. Normally it is take your own sandwich!

I made the organizer pictured. www.sew-n-social.blogspot.com