Out of action

My worse nightmare happened 2 days ago... my hard drive died and as it is only a few weeks old it has gone back for replacement! This means I have lost everything since my last back up about 4 weeks ago, plus I do not have access to photo programmes etc.. Until I get back on line [probably be a week] I must use my laptop, which I do not like, and it does not like me!

News and photos of my new sewing machine, meeting a yahoo group member from Las Vegas USA, swap with another person etc etc will all have to wait...

Design wall for 20th September

My design wall consists of a machine embroidered wolf waiting to be framed for my husbands birthday on Wednesday, he is getting this and a day "walking with Wolves".. he is wolf mad! The other item is a machine embroidered cushion waiting for three pieces so I can then sew all the 25 4inch squares together.

Sew and Social Workshop

A wonderful day with Fran and Tilly on their Sew & Social workshop. Half the group were making a landscape wall hangings, [Tilly's in photo] the rest making a Mola panel, mine is the middle of the bottom row. This takes me out of my comfort zone, as I do not do very much hand sewing, but I really enjoyed the day. Of course the fact we are treated to home cooked lunch makes the day even more special.

Mud glorious Mud !!

Peterborough Land Rover Show meant another off road course with a wonderful splash through the mud!!

Even the headlights were full of water when we surfaced !

Making Tray cloths at BSK

Monday 13th 7 of us enjoyed a day at BSK Bedford, machine embroidering Napkins and Place mats. It was a fun day with much laughter. Val our tutor is very patient with us. We are all using different models of Brother machines, which were all set up with the pattern ready to start as soon as we walked in the door. Not sure what Val is doing in the first photo... look like she is eating it!

USA star project

Some time ago [ actually probably years ago!] I started working on a USA stars project. I have travelled extensively in the USA and using Carol Doak's book of stars decided to make a star of each State I had visited. A recent tidy-up and I found the stars in a UFO box and this week thought I would try and get them all made. West Virginia and New Jersey have now joined the others. So far I have made 22, have 3 cut out ready to sew and 7 more waiting to be cut out ! No more USA travel until I finish this project! I plan to quilt as you go these stars together and somehow [suggestions welcome] put lables on them showing the names of the States.

Birthday Cards

Everyone seems to have a birthday around here at the momment, so I have been busy machine embroidering cards. Here are the cards made for my two granddaughters.

Design wall Monday 6th September

On my design wall I have the "ingredients" for a Sassy Bag, I just love this pattern and have already made 3 of these bags. I want to show my little group how to make one, so hence the display. Also I found on lazygirldesigns.com web site a "recipe" for making it larger, adding a zip etc..
I decided this one should be red and grey and have machine embroidered my initial on what will be the bag flap.

IAM group TENTH anniversary

Let me introduce you to our IAM group. 10 years ago a few of us met to make bobbin lace and knit and sew, this expanded to the eight members we now have.. a full house in my workroom!

Ann, Clare, Dorn, Jenny, Maureen, Penny, Shirley and myself. [ notice I have listed them alphabetically.. there is great rivalry as to who started when and how they came to join ;-) ].

Yesterday we celebrated our ten years of crafting, with wonderful deserts made by Jenny and her husband Ray [ they were eaten too quickly for me to take a photo!]

We played a open or steal gift game in the morning, made origami bags and had much laughter. After lunch we had show and tell, which is always a highlight as we make so many different things between us. Then followed the mad Right / Left game, where holding a FQ a story is read out and every time right is mentioned you pass your FQ to the right, and when left is mentioned pass to the left.. the tears of laughter fell !

I was given a lovely bunch of flowers and card, for which I thank my group and look forward to the next 10 years, when it was decided we would all arrive in an Age Concern bus with our walkers.. what a fun group.

My hanging ribbons

As I have had a number of comments about my "hanging ribbons" here is a close up.
I threaded a piece of string [ may look better with fancy cord or ribbon!] through the reels of ribbon and attached a bell to the bottom. My idea being if I want to take a reel of ribbon off the string, I just cut the string remove the ribbon and knot it back together again.. rather than unthreading the whole lot.
The bell is a bit of fun so I know when my 6yr old granddaughter is after ribbon for her hair, ballet costume, toys, dolls etc etc..!

Design Wall & Stash report the end of August

A few more blocks for my Quilts for Hero's [ Judy's design] , hope to get this top completed this week. I have been messing with my treadle sewing machine having now bought a new belt for it.

Do you like my ribbon display... I have hung them from the side of my design wall with a bell at the bottom... ribbon disappears in this house at an alarming rate, I think she is called a granddaughter!

August has seen me using 19 yds of fabric from my stash, which is quite good for me. Total bought this year 103 yds used 94 yds... maybe September will see me back on the + side.

His and Her CAR weekend!

Her weekend, involved us driving a 200 mile round trip to collect my new hard-top for Lucy... she looks so smart now.
His weekend, was spent at a Land Rover show near Coventry and having fun on the Off Road Course!

The Sea Side through the window

One project finished.. my friend Penny gave me a FQ of a seaside scene, and with a little selective cutting to make it fit I managed to make this picture.

The window was made using heat - n - bond on black material then ironed to the picture and using a small zig-zag stitch I sewed around all the edges. Finally I added a small floating yellow border and black binding.

Lucy is getting a treat

Lucy my 1990 Mazda MX5 is getting a new roof for her 20th birthday!

I just won this bidding on EBay and cannot wait to collect it on Saturday.

Lucy in trouble

We have had a lot of rain in the past week, and Lucy is in trouble!

Thank goodness for Grandad Fix It [ as the grandchildren call him!] Out came the seats and wet carpets. Blocked holes, that let the water drain away were the cause of the problem, guess this is the joy of owning an old soft-top. Lucy my Mazda MX5 will be 20 years old on October 1st.

Workroom changes / design wall

Looks like I am having a jumble sale!!

All the neatly stacked boxes, full of things I no longer remember

had to be moved for a new electrical system through the wall into the adjoining en-suite.

At the same time Chris said he would put up my long awaited design wall. First to clear a space, then a baton was attached to the wall about 54 x 54 inches square. Wadding was then fixed to the baton and finally a sheet of fabric covered the whole thing.

Now I just need to sort out the "jumble sale" ! and only put back in storage boxes things I will use one day, the rest can go to the next guild sales table, EBay or a Charity shop.

design wall [ floor] Monday 16th

My design wall, which is actually the floor! consists of a
sea scene FQ that a good friend gave me and I decided
it would be nice to see it through a window. I have
drawn out and cut out heat-n-bond to a window shape,
and now I just need to put it all together..

Fun with the grandchildren

........................................................................An over night stay with Grandma and Grandad means lots of fun for Abigail and Eleanor.

TWO UFO's come out of the cupboard

In a frantic clear up / sort out in my workroom before 7 of us needed to use it for a craft meeting, I found two patchwork tops waiting for batting and backing... and then of course quilting!

Goodness knows how long they have been hiding themselves away! These photos show the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt [72"x 86"] made with instructions from Judy Laquidara.
The other is a [56" x 56"] Bento box quilt top [forgot to take picture while it was laid out].
BOTH are now attached to batting and backing using my "gun" and ready for machine or hand quilting.. I have yet to decide. When I use my "gun" I find the best results by going in and out on the top to make a fixed hold.. click on photo to see a close up.

Hamtune Challenge fabric

Last week at a meeting of the Hamtune [Northampton Patchwork and Quilting] group we were given a FQ challenge fabric in either blue or pink.

I choose pink and using it with a lilac piece of fabric have made it into a cushion for their October 30th fayre.

There will be a cushion raffle along with other stalls and a show of quilts made by members. The money raised will be for the Motor Neurone Charity.

Show info: Hamtune Quilters, Parklands Community Centre, Devon Way, Northampton NN3 6DX