How could I resist!

Upon popping into John Lewis and spying a red reduced tag what was I supposed to do!?
Just leave it there? Somehow this lovely found its way into the shopping basket!

Applique flowers in spring!

This is my applique panel that I completed at my last quilting class yesterday. It was nice to complete something different and I haven't done applique for ages! I've also found a true love for freezer paper!
I'm really pleased with the end results and the colour combinations and patterns of the fabrics. Thinking I might try and add borders to this to make it a centre piece for a mini quilt! Well I can dream about completing it anyway!
More photos over at Flickr.

Ikea + Quilts

After a few recent trips to IKEA I now have lots of new storage in my office/sewing room. It is fab. Although it is a very small room the two pieces I purchased and lovingly assembled (how I do love flat pack furniture!) have given me loads of storage even for A2 size things, plus a space dedicated for cutting fabric! I will get round to taking photos!

I have also been spending too much money on new fabric with which I hope to start making my first ever quilt. I did however see this lovely one available in IKEA! I'm thinking making my own quilt is going to take forever!

Spring clean!

See what happens when I have a couple of hours to mess around with my blog ~ a total spring makeover!

Hopefully everything works and looks ok? If anything looks out of sorts don't be afraid to let me know. Thanks.

Patchwork and Applique

Sorry it's been quiet around here lately, I'm on Easter break so been busy doing lots of the usual things: Gardening, Painting, a bit of sewing, working on my screen printing ideas, lunch with friends, shopping, putting together IKEA furniture - all the usual!

Recently popped to a few Charity (thrift) shops to see if I could find scraps of fabric for my screen printing. No luck there but did manage to pick up this cute and very informative book for 50p. Good Housekeeping always a winner - lots of good instructions and ideas!

Popping by

Brief visit today!
Just when things are ultra busy and Easter is around the corner, guess what?
Achoo!!


Yep caught the lurgy! But it's nice to know my tissues are polite!
Thanks for comments about the English Patchwork. Will update soon and post about the fabric being used.

M.I.A

Sorry for disappearing again! Busy, busy, busy!
Hopefully it's not been too boring around here although I seem to have lost some followers! :o(
Thanks for lovely comments and emails about the quilting blocks, I always try to reply to every one but some are no reply blogger emails so thanks for the comments but sorry for no reply!


What's this you see - I have managed to squeeze a bit of craftiness out of me so it's time for show and tell!
At my last quilting class we looked at traditional piecing over papers or English Patchwork. This was a nice change as no sewing machine was involved.

Spent a lot of time cutting out these:


Then preparing the fabric:


A few hours in front of the TV and here's where I'm at:


Hand stitching not too obvious!

Card trick!

No - I've not been practising my magic! Honestly!
Started my monthly quilting course at the beginning of the year and here is a new block I learnt in January - the card trick.
It was interesting playing around with the colour placement of the pieces before joining them together as they really made quite varying blocks. It's amazing what half square and quarter square triangles can do!

Option number 1:


Option number 2:


Option number 3:


Sewing up the pieces:


Getting there slowly:


Hey presto! (or abracadabra!) the finished block - although the lighting in the photo is not too good!


Off to magic up a cup of tea!!

More blocks

Since being slack with updating around here I realised I had shown you all the Bee Europa blocks I made for February but completely forgot about January!!

Here they are:




Loved the fabrics that Hanies provided us. First time comfortstitching style and wonky log cabin blocks!

Disappearing act!

Yep - sorry for the quietness around here for a while.
Been very busy so lots to catch up on!
Talking of disappearing acts (you'll get the pun intended in a mo!) here are my latest blocks for Bee Europa.

Disappearing nine patch blocks!!
Maria is making a Christmas quilt so it was fab to use Christmas fabrics in February.

Nine patch:


Disappearing nine patch:


Nine patch:


Disappearing nine patch:



On no turn another year older in about 10 minutes. Tempted to open presents hidden downstairs but going to resist until the morning!!

New term

Tonight the new term of my Textiles evening class started!

First session - using procion dyes to create a background fabric that can then be over printed. I enjoyed this and did start over printing some small wooden block designs.


Very different direction from my screen printing last term - although I still love this!

Biscuit heaven (Seriously!!)

My first and (so far) only visit to Australia was a couple of years and it was one of the best holidays of my life to date!


Upon discovering all the delights of Oz I also discovered what is now my favourite biscuit!! Although it is really difficult to buy these in many places in the UK.
So when a friend came back from Australia last week and bought me these - well what can I say, apart from YUMMY!!!

Snow, rain, fog

Just thought this place needed a little brightening up today!
It has got really cold again and from having snow to a slushy mess followed by rain and then fog - and guess what now!? Maybe even more snow!


It really is not the weather for taking great photos - so a couple from the archives when it was sunny around here!
Enjoy!!