Summer holiday

Abigail has broken up from school and came to stay for three days this week. We did lots of things, cooking, sewing, recycling, and as a special treat a day at Woburn Safari Park. The weather was perfect [not too hot] and she loved seeing the animals up close. A great day out.

Wow where did the week go!

Tuesday was BSK embroidery sewing day, I cannot show you what I did as I want them for presents! This was followed by Hamtune quilters meeting in the evening, and Anja Townrow was our wonderful speaker. She had so many quilts to show and ideas to share.

Wednesday was Speed training day, as I had been caught speeding and had the chance to go on a re-training day rather than get points on my licence. Cost £90 which is enough to slow me down!

This was followed by a demonstration of printing photographs onto fabric to my church group. It was a hectic evening as I printed everyone's photos with the help of my friend Penny.

Thursday.. I was SO tired, I read a complete book.. Wanda Brunstetter's A Merry Heart

Friday, caught up on some housework and sewing then watched the Tour de France cycle race in the afternoon. The evening was spent at my granddaughters award ceremony, a very busy noisy event.. when Eleanor age 3 refused to perform.. but Abigail age 7 performed with her street dance group and later with a ballet from the show cats.

Saturday was Fran and Tilly workshop at Pitsford, where I just worked on some of my UFO's and enjoyed the company and a lovely lunch.

Would your group like to do a fabric postcard swap!

Hamtune Quilters of Northampton England have a shared friendship with Northampton quilters in Australia. We are preparing to do a fabric postcard swap with them, and would like to find another group somewhere in the world that would also like to take part in a fabric postcard swap, please leave a comment if your group is interested.

The start of the 1600+ quilt

Yesterday I decided to have a go at a 1600 quilt. Well because I had two 25 piece jelly rolls mine turned into a 2150 quilt! The jelly rolls I used were Fabric Freedom Rainbow Lily. Each roll has 25 strips 43 inches long, and joined together, with a bias join, in a long line measure 2150 inches. Once you have the long row you take the end to the top and sew together until you meet the fold, cut this. Repeat this process *end to the top* so the two strips become 4 then 8 then 16 etc.. and in a very short while [35 minutes is the record!] you have a quilt.

Take a look at http://blog.heirloomcreations.net/?p=1897 to see a group video racing to make the quilt.

THE 80th birthday party

My cousin John Pridmore, celebrated his birthday in style by inviting 40 of his relatives to a lunch at a very nice Hotel in Derbyshire. His children arranged for him to be collected from home in a Hummer limousine, much to his delight. We were asked to wear hats, and everyone joined in the fun wearing mop caps, stetons, baseball hats, jester hats, deer antlers etc etc.. John's speech had everyone in fits of laughter. A wonderful way to spend your birthday.. thank you John.

Design Wall projects

A couple of projects I am working on.

The notebook has a hand sewn flower, sequin and beaded front.

The four pictures are tests for printing on different types of fabric. The Highland cow photo was taken on a trip to Scotland. The LandRover was on a mud-run last year [ Chris is behind the wheel and I'm a passenger]. I'm with my first sewing machine age about 11 years, and the small coloured fabric print is of my two nieces when they were young. I will probably make the fabric photos into bags or cushions.

TWO more bags

Just complete two more bags, the machine embroidery was done at BSK. I think one of these may be a present and one for me!

Threads and Patches Day

7th July I arranged for a group of 17 of us to attend a demonstration day at Threads and Patches Fenny Stratford. It was so good I forgot to take a single photo!

Arrival meant a drink and cake at 10am.

We then had demo's on hand quilting, twin needles and gridded vilene, twisted bow ties [must make some of these !], Slice Fabrique [want one of these, only problem is the £135 cost!], knitting bags, cushions & cowls [bought the yarn to make one of these], easy drunkards path [the free kit was a nice bonus] and making a little owl.

This was all followed by a lovely buffet lunch and shop till you drop.
Everyone wanted to do it again, so I have booked another day in March 2012.

Another bag day

Spent yesterday on a workshop making a bag with machine embroidery. I actually managed to do the embroidery on two more bag fronts, but I have not had time to finish them yet. I love this butterfly pattern.

Last night was our Hamtune quilters meeting and we had a 10% to funds sales table. I sold a few odds and ends and made £10 which was a nice end to the day.

Baby quilt

The Church I belong to like to give new Mum's a basket of baby items, so I made a quick baby quilt from a piece of Noah's Ark fabric cut into oblongs and sashed with a feathery print fabric. I then backed it with fleece [ teddies] and quilted in the ditch. By setting the oblongs like bricks I did not need to match seams and completed the snuggle rug in under 2 hours.
I think there are another couple of expectant Mum's so I may repeat the process.

Bath time!

In my garden we have a pond and a bubbling large round stone. The blackbird has taken a fancy to the water jet and seems to use it as a jacuzzi!

Welsh holiday

Last weekend we took a 4 day break to Llandudno, North Wales. The weather was mixed but on the Saturday we took a ride on the Tram up the Great Orme, the wind was enough to cut you in half but the views were spectacular. On the Sunday the sun shone so we drove back up the Gt Orme and enjoyed a welcome ice cream.