This pretty parcel of Ric Rac that I bought on Ebay looks to nice to use.

How often do we say that?

I have a number of FQ's that are too nice to use.. is it a ploy by traders to buy more that we can use?

These two sets of sewing aids, needle case, pin cushion and scissor holder are for sewing friends later in the year. I really enjoy making these sets.

September Postcards

Time to prepare the postcards for the BQLPC postcard group birthdays.. luckily I have already made them.



for Helen Pearson




for Plum Cox



The Knee

Here is a strange photo... it's the little plaster over the injection into my knee yesterday. How can such a small thing be giving me so much pain and a very sleepless night? I thought it was suppose to help with my knee pain! As soon as I get back from holiday I'll be going into hospital for a knee replacement.. something I am not looking forward to.

The BAG ladies

Christine & Pauline

Pretty bags

A very enjoyable day with three friends making bags in my Happy Room.

Pauline and Christine in the photo as Penny had to leave early.

The buttonholes on the black and green bags were made on the Embroidery machine... such an easy way to make buttonholes... just need to find someone selling a design for a larger one. If you know of a ME design for a larger than 2 inch plain button hole please let me know.

Summer Tree of Stitches Part 7

Summer Tree of Stitches Part 7

I am so enjoying this SAL and part sevens stitch is called Sorbello Stitch.

Getting ready for the holiday

Having made a bag for my holiday I thought I would add to it and now have a nice matching set. Bag, coin purse, creditcard holder and wallet for all those Euros!

Day FIVE of the granddaughters visit



Sizzix cut flowers



Sorting the bead boxes

Eleanor said she was concentrating

Abigail took off her shoes to sew



Eleanor's left, Abigail's right

 Friday and the last day of the granddaughters visit so what to do... someone should write a Grandma list to help with this. Also we awoke to rain, so another day in the Happy Room..

The girls started by cutting green fabric that I had backed with Heat-n-Bond to look like grass and flower stems.

Next more Heat-n-Bonded fabric was cut on the Sizzix, how they love using that! into flower shapes for mix and match.. they then ironed them on themselves under my watchful eye.

Next came the "lets empty Grandma's button boxes" to find centers for the flowers and some decorative beads for added interest along the grass.

I am now exhausted and too tired to fix up the Featherweight they usually use so let them use my Brother Innovis 350 to sew wadding and backing onto their creations.

Well done girls the pictures are A+

Machine Embroidery day

Thursday is a day at home spent mostly in my Happy Room.
Having bought small picture frames at Ikea Abigail machine embroidered a gorilla and Eleanor a Panda.

Next they decided to make gifts for their Aunties, Abigail a lion cub and Eleanor a giraffe.

We also managed to pick a tub of raspberries from the garden.

Abigail

Eleanor

Rookery Open Farm

Wednesday 7th, after a visit to Ikea and lunch, we all went to Rookery Open Farm at Stoke Bruerne.
The girls really enjoyed stroking the animals in pets corner, and then after a walk around the animals outside it was fun on the ropes and bouncy castle. A wonderful sunny happy day.

In the tunnel

Petting the goats

Eleanor with friend

Abigail with friend

Balancing act



fun fun fun



Emmaus & Carlton Country Park

Tuesday.. and a visit to Emmaus for the girls to spend some money! Usually they have one toy shop within the complex but for the summer school holidays they have two!
Emmaus is a Charity run Village that enables homeless people to stay, learn a trade and move on, all in a family enviroment.

Frisbie throwing

bread for the ducks



lots of smiles



Outside Emmaus Village

The next stop was the Carlton Country park, playing on the slides etc, eating ice cream and feeding the ducks. The Frisbies bought for 40p at Emmaus were a source of fun, especially when Grandad nearly wizzed it into the lake!

Sizzix fun

Abigail and Eleanor have come to stay for the week, and todays fun was making up stories and cutting out Sizzix shapes. It['s now time for a DVD and bed!

Another summer bag

Managed today to complete another Summer Bag.

Where did the week go?

It was not a good week last week, which is I guess why I have not blogged. My knees have been very painful and I now await the results of a series of Xrays. Doctor thinks I will need replacement knees. A lot of people have been asking about the "I love Sewing" hanger that I often use to show off my bags when I photograph them, sorry I do not know where it came from as it was a gift. I think I have seen them at Quilt and Craft shows. Thursday was a very nice day as it was our regular IAM meeting at my house, when 8 of us sewed, knitted, machined, crochets, embroidered etc.. ate lovely desserts and did a lot of chatting! I have at last decided to sell my Dolls House / Miniaturist items on Ebay, and it took a whole day [ at least I was sitting down] to sort them out... take a look if you are interested, I sell under the name of flip-floplace. Here are a few of the items I'm selling...

How do they do it?

I purchased these two packets of beads on Ebay, one was 6p the other 32p and postage was free from Singapore! How do they do it for 38p?

The red bag

Machine embroidery flap, I love anything RED!

Billing Land Rover Show

Grabbing a quick sandwich



Green Lane Association Stand



Yesterday we went to Billing Land Rover Show, it was a very hot day and while Chris was helping on the GLASS stand I tried to stay in the shade with my iPad! [Notice the improvised umbrella for shade. Chris has gone back for the rest of the show, another two days, but I hope to get some sewing done at home.



Grandchildren plus one

While our granddaughters were staying with us for a couple of days, a friend called with her daughter, who immediately wanted to stay for the day.. so three girls were entertained with bubbles in the garden and then a game of Boules on the lawn.
Strangely granddaughter Abigail was born on the same day as visitor Abigail only 4 years apart.  Eleanor not wanting to be left out decided her name should be Abigail as well!

Bubbles in the garden

Boules on the lawn

PC for a swap

Another postcard made for a birthday swap with BQLPC yahoo group.

Hope Jan enjoys it.

School Holidays

I love the summer as my granddaughters come to stay.
They arrived yesterday and it was such a lovely day we spent most of it in the garden.
Grandad was pushed into playing Boules.. luckily we have a a flat lawn area at the side of the house perfect for the game.
An evening BBQ of chicken drumsticks and chips dipped into bowls of my home made BBQ sauce completed the day.
Where was a my camera when we were all covered in sauce!
BBQ Sauce recipe... makes loads to freeze.
Mix together over medium heat:
1 bottle soy sauce

fun in the garden

1 bottle Worcester sauce
1 jar honey
2 jars cheap seedless red jam
2 bottle cheap tomato ketchup
Juice of a lemon
Next mix 2 tbsp of dry mustard and 2 tbsp cornflour into a smooth paste
Add this to the pan and bring to the boil
Leave to cool then freeze or use.... yummy

Colour Catcher

When ever I wash a quilt I use a Colour Catcher, and the Dylon brand is my favourite.

I have used other brands but they were not as successful. If the Colour Catcher comes out clean I just reuse it.. seems to work for me.

Every now and then I find then on sale at the Pound Shop for a £1 and stock up. 

Tiny's Bag Day

Penny and I set off nice and early yesterday for the workshop in Milton Keynes, not one of my favorite places as I usually get lost! Luckily Sat Nav got us there with no problems.

Eight of us enjoyed a nice cool room [ airconditioned] to make bags and cushions and chat... lot of chat!

It was baking heat outside, so glad to be cool for a change.

I managed to finish a bright yellow/orange bag that will be ideal for our holidays.

My Summer bag

Carmen "Tiny"

Part 6 of the SToS

I am so enjoying this embroidery, Part 6 was released on Saturday and I could not put it down.

I decided to work each part in a different multi coloured DMC  thread.

The group where you can find details of this project is TheStitchSpecialists@yahoogroups.com .

What next!

Having made a load of windmill blocks while on holiday I have now added borders and trying to decide on what to add as the next border.  The blocks were made with the sew around the edges of two 5" squares and then cut both diagonals method... this produces 4 HST ready for a windmill. I hand appliqued the leaves to the next border. I have vague memories of seeing a quilt made similar to this sometime ago, wish I'd remember to make a note of it and what the borders were like.

To see more design walls, click over to Patchwork Times.

Friends in my Happy Room

A day spent sewing Windmill blocks in my Happy Room with Olivia, Jenny & Penny

Northamptonshire Byways

Dodford Ford ! Where you drive along the bumpy river bed!

Barby Byway that has not seen a vehicle for a very long time.

The gate was very overgrown and overhanging branches banged on the CB aerial

Washing Quilts #6

Another expected hot day so another quilt washed and on the line. Luckily I put a Colour Catcher in with this one !

It had not been washed before and I never pre-wash my fabrics, the Colour Catcher "caught" all the colour that ran and the quilt is fine.

Even when a quilt has been washed a few times I still always use a Colour Catcher to be on the safe side.