The cousin's celebrate Christmas

Today we had a family Christmas lunch.
Luckily the weather held good after an awful week of snow and ice. Mum now age 96years [ 3rd from the left in the photo] really enjoys having her family around her.
Many miles were travelled as the cousins travelled to Northampton from Bristol, Derby, The Cotswolds, London and Leicester, especially the ones that travelled from Leicester as they got lost for over an hour!! Hope Santa brings Mike a SatNav!!

IAM Christmas Party

December 2nd our IAM group had our Christmas Party. A workshop making angels and robins started the day, this was followed by lunch, show and tell and then the best part of the event.. Christmas gifts. With a £2 limit we each buy 7 small gifts for the rest of the group, one of our members, Ann, is in Australia and I am behind the camera!

It is amazing the gifts we all seem to find and no two were the same.

After present giving we had a game of Left / Right, where seven wrapped FQ's are passed left and right while a story is being read.. this always causes much laughter!

One more sleep to Advent!

One more sleep to Advent, so the Advent calenders I made for my two granddaughters were delivered to them last night.

Made from panels the pockets each contain a small item to hang on the

little trees, plus a few chocolates.

Richard fixed them to the wall in their dining room, and small star shaped battery operated lights were wound around the trees to start off the decorating.

Both girls cannot wait until December 1st to start putting on the ornaments each day. Thanks Penny for the brilliant idea.

Answering a few questions

I have had a number of questions about things I do and say, so here are a few answers.

Creative 9000 sewing machine is sold by BSK Bedford England under their own name and with a load of free accessories does everything I could wish for in a lightweight sewing machine. Lots of fancy stitches, needle up / down, alphabets, needle threader, adjustable width and length etc etc . Cost £229 in their sale at the moment. Called Denis because that is the name of the person that sold me it! Bought mainly to use at workshops.

I drive a red Mazda MX5 sports car [ mid-life crisis!] she is 20 years old in December. I have a soft top and hard top for her, and called Lucy because.. yes you guessed it the last owner was named Lucy.

My bargain of the year was "Brenda" my Brother 4000D sewing machine, and I am thrilled with all the things she will do. Only slight hiccup is the very large frame which I have trouble using, but I have been told I can use the largest frame from the 1500 with the same result but it holds the fabric firmer.. so I'm off to buy myself a Christmas present!

Lacemaking.. I am afraid making lace has taken a back seat to sewing and quilting, after 20 years of making lace and 15 years of teaching it. I still have enough bobbins to fill a drawer in my cupboard so hope to teach my grandchildren [ the eldest has already started] and pass them on.

Stash does up and down!

Saturday 27th was another great day with Fran and Tilly at Pitsford Northampton, not forgetting Jane in the kitchen! The workshop was to make a wavy cut Christmas Tree with lots of fancy stitch embroidery OR a Santa hanging OR a coaster by hand. I chose to make the wavy Tree. Not having many greens in my stash I was forced [ ha ha] to buy a selection of green 1/2 metre fabrics which has pushed my stash busting up AGAIN! [see side bar]

The day was wonderful with home made biscuits in the morning a lovely cooked lunch, complete with little gifts and tree decorations, followed in the afternoon by Christmas cake. Looking forward to the January workshop where we will be making a sewing machine mat and tool holder, similar to the one Tilly is holding up.

Denis arrives!!

I have been looking for some time for a sewing machine to take to workshops and quilt days, I seem to average 2 a week and some are upstairs. My good old Pfaff weighs 12 kg and is just getting too much for me to carry.

Having done as much research as I could I decided on a BSK Creative 9000, and yes you've guest it, the person that sold me it was called Denis.. so that is now the name of the machine!

Yesterday I took it to a quilt day [upstairs] and the 6 kg weight was much better to handle and the sewing machine does so many things I am really impressed.

Fairy Favours

One of the Yahoo groups [Scratchingpost] I belong to have a data base set up for all those who would like to take part in sending a little gift to one of the members.

At this time of year with everyone so busy and the weather so awful it is so nice when a little mystery gift arrives through the door from someone you do not even know. This has happened to me a couple of times, so I thought I would pick 6 names at random and send a little cheer. My chosen 6 were all in the USA this time.

Ribbon crazy

On a recent workshop I made the two ribbon creations at the back of the picture then came home with a kit and made the front "pineapple". This let me to thinking "I have a bag full of wired ribbon" I could make some more.. THREE days later I have turned my workroom upside down and still not found it ! BUT I have had a huge sort out, throw out, give to Charity shops session. So a big thank you to the person that taught the original workshop.

Using my new 4000D

This is my first effort on my new sewing machine. 88,000 stitches.. WOW! Hopefully one day it will be the front of a cover for my new machine.. but I have too many Christmas projects to make one yet.

Lucy takes a trip!

Yesterday 3rd November I drove a 230 miles round trip in Lucy my MX5 to buy a Brother Innovis 4000D sewing machine and embroidery unit, the only problem was I had no idea how big the box of hoops and all the extra items the person selling it had. What a problem getting it in the car ! I couldn't even put the sewing machine, in its case, in the tiny boot and the front seat [ it's only a 2 seater and I had to sit somewhere!! ] was crammed full, but I managed it, and now I cannot wait to use it. This machine has hardly seen a thread and many of the things with it are still in their original wrappers.

High on my "to do" list is to make a fabric cover for her [ yes her name is Brenda!]... watch this space!

Design table 25th October

My design wall this week, is actually my table, as my design wall is still the same as last week, but I have started another project.

juliasneedledesigns.com offered a deal on SunBonnet Sue machine embroidery patterns that I just could not resist, so spend the day sewing them out. I have no idea what size this quilt will end up or who it will be for, one of the granddaughters no doubt! I just enjoyed the patterns. They are all 9 1/2" blocks with matching floral fabric blocks in between... well thats the plan this morning!

Design Wall October 17th

My design wall this week, has a completed front of a cushion and another [poppies] in the making, plus a Christmas hanging that just needs a little finishing.

A Starfish starts to take shape

Abigail will be performing in a ballet in November and I was asked to do the "Grandma bit?" and make her an outfit... this is the start, made of foam and sewn together I intend to glue of lots of sequins and sparkles. Needless to say she wanted to wear it, and had fun getting through doorways!

Birthdays

We are in the "birthday season" Mum celebrated her 96th birthday on the 15th with a lunch for 6 friends, while granddaughter Eleanor was 3yrs old today and had a Peppa Pig day!

A few Christmas Ideas

Do you have any Christmas gift ideas? The tree heart ornament is made by cutting 3 heart shape pieces of card, then cut out 3 shapes [1/4 inch bigger than card] in fabric, glue them on [or tack] and sew them together to make the shape in the picture, adding a hanging ribbon and bead or bell decoration to the base.

Design wall beginning October

January, February and March 12 1/2" blocks are made, ready for joining together at the next BOM BSK [Bedford] meeting.

I am really enjoying this project, each month we make a new Sun Bonnet Sue [ never my favorite before] block, using applique, fancy stitches on the sewing machines and machine embroidery.

It is nice to see different sewing techniques being combined, I cannot wait to finish all twelve.

IAM meeting 7th October

What a fun day was had yesterday at our IAM meeting in my workroom. We had a bag workshop.

Top row Penny, Dorn and Clare

Bottom row Jenny, Ann and mine.

It's amazing how different these bags look in the array of colours and fabrics.

Having finished the bags after lunch a quick session of making a heart shape Christmas decoration was underway... only problem no one had brought anything to do this, so my fabric stash, card, ribbon and beads were sorted through to make them... wonder how much fabric this will take off my "stash busting"??

Textile Centre Newbury Berks

Having been told about this museum, Chris and I went for a day out and made a visit.

The museum was set up to Document the Nation's Needlework Heritage.

The Country Wife, a mural 5m wide by 4.5m high [6yds x 5yds] is being restored. The mural in 3D was designed and made for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and shows the lives and hobbies of women at that time. A lot of work and money is needed to restore this wonderful project. Also on show when we were there was a collection of Church kneelers, and many of items of interest. www.nationalneedleworkarchive.org.uk

Swaps and Fairy favours

One of the yahoo groups I belong to run a monthly swap, and I put my name down for the first time in September, what a treat I received from Ginger in Oklahoma USA. A box full of goodies and lots of her machine embroidery.

Another group I belong to run a fairy favour list. If you want to take part by adding your name to the list out of the blue you receive a little suprise gift from someone. The beautiful angel was sent to me by Donia [GA USA], a real treat. I also received a FQ from Marcia, but having used it I do not have a photo.. the purple feather that came with it is on my notice board, thanks Marcia. I have sent a couple of fairy favours myself, it is nice to send a little cheer.

I'm back...

I'm back, the new hard drive is in the computer and although I have lost a lot of information I am gradually getting back to normal [ whatever that is!]

Chris celebrated his 60th birthday firstly with the family, granddaughters buying him a Handy Andy cake and helping to blow out the candles! Next came a trip to Norfolk for a weeks holiday in a lovely secluded barn conversion near Holt. Log fires in the evenings and only sheep and partridges for company. This was all followed by his suprize gift a day "walking with wolves", which was a big talking point and much enjoyed by Chris.