A Quickie from Devon!

Hello from nr Honiton, Devon.

The roads were dead so we made it in good time yesterday morning to see all the royals making their way to the wedding, etc etc etc all day long :o) I LOVED IT!!! Especially the happy couple driving off in the Aston Martin! I could watch it all again, and probably will :o)

We're staying in the most beautiful Devon longhouse that's over 360 years old, with Jez's aunt and uncle, I'll try and take some pics to show you why we love to come here so much.

I hit the antique shops in Honiton today... yay! Jez left me with his credit card and took the kids and dog to the park, bless him he's so well trained!

I was very restrained and only brought 4 things (1 was fabric!), I had to keep in mind that there were already 4 people, 1 dog and luggage in the car! I don't have the facility to upload photos here, so will do so next week when I'm back home.

We're off down to Brixham tomorrow to see my dad :o)

The Postman's Been!

I'm still recovering from an absolutely jam packed Easter weekend with family which included barbeques, quad biking (even Nan had a go!), a visit to the beach and football in the park.

I managed to sneak off to the car boot sale on Sunday morning and got some zips, ribbons and vintage sheets & bedding (not pictured as it's in the wash!)

And today the postman came! 3 lovely parcels for me, 2 from the states and no extra taxes to pay, thank goodness!
From LilyBellaFabrics on Etsy 3 lovely Kate Spain Central Park prints that I was missing in the Plaza colorway, and from Celtic Fusion Fabrics a cute little FQ of Kokka cars, so now I can make one of those change/trinket trays as seen on Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle!

And from WorthyGoodsTextile on Etsy some cute little swatch patches of Birch Organic Circa 50 and 60 fabrics, an FQ of 'Playing Jacks' and I treated myself to 4 FQ bundle of Luna Moth - I've seen so many lovely projects with this fabric, I just had to have some!

Happy St George's Day!

I started the Union Jack on the Queen's birthday and continued on into St George's Day, so it's fitting that the back is this;

and the Union Jack finished up like this;

I was winging it the whole way, with no pattern or measurements to follow and the quilting was done last night after several lovely cold beers! But I think it turned out pretty cute.

I might be able to get it bound this evening while watching Britain's Got Talent if I'm lucky!

My New Favourite Place

I persuaded the hubby to drive me down to Chichester this afternoon so that I could visit The Eternal Maker shop - he was supposed to take the kids to the beach and leave me there...

It's an absolutely fabulous fabric and button shop! If you live around the Chichester area and you haven't been there yet, then you must go! The kids fell asleep in the car so Jez had the ladies at the shop making him coffee while me and nan browsed!

I was very good as I only had a very limited budget today and got the blue Sew Happy print I was looking for, along with the black and white safety pins.
And some SPIDER PIG!!!! and viewfinder! Both of which it's the first time I've seen them in the flesh.

And if it's possible for fabric to be delicious then the Kaufmann whales and remix prints are certainly it!

Although the shop is over 30 miles from my house I am now going to officially call it 'My Local Quilt Shop'!

Happy 85th Birthday Ma'am

So it's the Queen's 85th Birthday today, Happy Birthday Ma'am!
In celebration of this day and it's also St George's Day on Saturday I thought I'd try and make a union jack without a pattern....

Hmmm, not as easy as I thought! Ha Ha!

I gathered together some small pieces of fabric, drew out my plan, measured and cut... didn't work, see bottom left hand corner of the flag in the picture. so I decided to just wing it!

The top right hand corner is the 'winging it' corner and it's turned out a bit better!

Stung by Import Taxes!

I'm very excited to have my new fabrics but really peeved at the charges I had to pay :o(

But I'm loving my fat quarters of Tufted Tweets Bird on a Wire Orchid, Metro Living Circles white on chocolate, white on black, white on pewter, black on white and white on fuscia.

And Ocean Ta Dot Michael Miller, Kenyan Tea Leaf Alexander Henry natural, coffee and black, green print, Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow Herringbone Berry and Green!

I guess this means I have a stash now, even though it's a small one! the kenyan tea leaf reminds me of Orla Kiely and Lily's Quilt's logo - both of which I love!

Any fabric shopping advice would go down well at this point please! I have 3 more orders from Etsy/USA to come so my wallet may take a beating...

Opinions Please...

I don't have a WIP Wednesday this week :o(
My dresden is no further on, and I'm making another weighted pin cushion organiser for mum but you've seen them both before...

I'm thinking of making a sewing machine cover so I thought I'd head on over to Flikr and see what could be found, here's where you all come in:

Full Cover?

1. No. 644, 2. sewing machine cover packed, 3. sewing machine cover, 4. MMM Swap Machine Cover, 5. sewing machine cover right side, 6. Sewing Machine Cover, 7. Sewing machine cover in 'Hope Valley', 8. Sewing Machine Cover, 9. Sewing Machine Cover view, 10. sewingcornerwithnewcover, 11. uhgmixercovertwosides12. Not available

Or up and over, tied at the sides?

1. Sewing machine cover, 2. WiP: Sewing Machine Cover, 3. Little Red Riding Hood, 4. {Urban} Home Goods Swap - Thank you!, 5. Retro Ruler Sewing Machine Cover, 6. sewing machine, 7. Rainbow mosaic machine cover 2, 8. UHG Swap Sewing Machine Cover, 9. Hexagon Sewing Machine cover, 10. Valentine's Sewing Machine Cover, 11. NestingChairs-Sewing-Machine-Cover-003, 12. sewing machine cover front, 13. Sewing machine cover - back side, 14. Sewing Machine Cover, 15. Urban swap ready to mail16. Not available

Why did these covers attract my attention? The fabrics, the piecing, the mood they create? This is not going to be a scrap busting project for me as I have no scraps!, so any fabric will be brought specifically for purpose. With each project I take on at the moment I'm trying to apply a different method of piecing, so that I'm constantly learning and not just sticking to what I know!

That said, if I go for a full cover, do I then have a side slit for power cord and opening at the top for handle? To add pockets or not to add pockets?

Some have piping rather than binding, I'm not sure I'm up to that! It needs a different foot on the machine doesn't it?!?

I'd definately like something bold, bright and cheerful as my dining room can be a bit dark and shady. I love the Laurie Wisbrun stacking chairs green and orange fabric, and also the measuring tape fabric... will I even be able to still get these, I feel a fabric hunt coming on!

If anyone has made a sewing machine cover I'd love to hear from you. Which design you chose and why, any problems you encountered, and any tips you might have would be very much appreciated.

Thanks everyone :o)



P.S. Please do still head on over and see Lee at Freshly Pieced to see what she and all the others have been up to this week!

Sunday Car Boot Finds

Sunday mornings car boot sale yielded lots for my boys in the way of toys and games, vintage Operation was a bargain for 50p! but for me it was all about vintage tea towels today.

A lovely brown floral and aqua blue Camp Iced Coffee and a black and white English Cheeses in Irish Linen marked MMR.

The Ovaltine Farm on Pure Irish Linen and A British Rail vintage trains and map on cotton.

This gorgeous Henry the Dog advertising 'Chunky' dog food by Scotex Ltd on Pure Irish Linen

And finally this beige and purple Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate tea towel, depicting a wrapper design from 1915 on cotton.

I've listed them on ebay but if you're a follower of my blog and would like any of them, I'll do you a deal! wink wink!

BRIT QUILT!!!

Lynne @ Lily's Quilts has set up a group for any quilters living in Britian! YAY! I need to get to know some fellow quilters and pick their brains for the best places to shop, events to attend etc...

Here's what Lynne has to say about it;
I keep seeing US quilters mentioning their local quilt groups and seeing the Down Under this and the Down Under that and I thought it would be fun for the UK quilters to have a place to meet, get to know each other, chat and show off what they're working on. I heard Brit Pop mentioned on the radio earlier this week and I thought: we need Brit Quilt. Maybe we'll have a Brit Bee. Maybe a Brit mini quilt swap or Brit mug rug swap. Maybe you might even come across someone who lives round the corner from you.

The group is for any quilters living in Britain, long or short term. So click here and go and join, add the button to your blog and spread the word amongst any UK quilters you come across in your blogland, flickrland, facebook, twitter or real life travels.

The button is on her blog and it also link through to the Flickr group.

See you there fellow Brits!

Giveaway Extraordinaire!

I just found put about a great giveaway thru Lily's Quilts blog.

Sew Fresh Fabrics are having the most fabulous giveaway of the scraps that accumulate in their shop and say
'what if you could get a windfall of fabric? A Fabric Refund! A bountiful, brimming, beautiful box full of Sew Fresh Fabric. Sound tempting? You see, our scrap box runneth over. Again. We're three quilts into our Scrap Quilting Bee and it's not really making a dent. We need to offload some of this bounty.'

Sounds good eh? Enough scraps to make a whole quilt. And "scraps" can be as big as a FQ and include designer fabrics from the likes of Anna Maria Horner, Heather Ross, Lizzy House, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Laurie Wisbrun, Sandy Henderson and Denyse Schmidt.

So here's the prize:
(for US readers) a full Medium Flat Rate box filled with Fabric – guaranteed enough fabric to make an entire quilt

(for International readers) a full Flat Rate Envelope filled with Fabric (sorry folks, the box price overseas is prohibitive but you'll still probably get enough to make a quilt top.)

The contest ends Wed. April 20 10 pm EST so hop on over there for a chance to to enter.

Saturday Show n Tell

Well the Friday Night Sew-In didn't quite go as planned... No 2 son took poorly again with another high temperature, so I was up and down the stairs all evening checking on him at the sound of every cough, sneeze and snore! Good exercise but not very productive from a sewing point of view.

It took all evening but I did finally tackle the centre circle for my dresden for Lily's QAL and I did it first time! I hope you all think it looks ok.

A Blogging Giveaway #11

Leigh over at leedle deedle quilts is having a giveaway!

From Heather Ross's Mendocino line, a fat quarter each of:
Mendocino Underwater Sisters in natural,
Mendocino Giant Octopi in natural,
Mendocino Underwater Sisters in blush,
Mendocino Giant Octopi in aqua,
West Hill floral stripe with gold leaves

This giveaway will close Sunday night at midnight Mountain Time... whatever that is? I only know GMT!

I'm linking up with the Friday Nite Sew In tonight, hubby is off out and I've taken the kids and dog for a long walk in the woods, so hopefully it'll be a peaceful one and I can crack on...


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Just found another giveaway! This time it's Laurie Wisbrun's new line Pooches & Pickups! So Cute! Comes in the blue/green colourway

or Red/Ochre

If you'd like a chance to win some then head on over to alamode quick!

A Finished Project

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Monaluna Sew Happy FQ Bundle that I found on ebay and how I planned to make the Weighted Pin Cushion Organiser as seen on Sew Mama Sew's blog.

And here it is!

I used the three red prints from the bundle and am really happy with the results. The only tricky part was the loop that hangs for the button, once turned in it was too thin to be picked up and fed through the teethy part of my machine, so I had to stitch it by hand (which means it's not very neat at all!)

The button was a random find in my washing machine! I have no idea what it came from but it matches the dark grey spools of cotton in the print exactly, so it was meant to be.

I'm linking up with Paisley Passions; Thrilling Thursdays linky party

and


On a seperate note, the Handmade Pay It Forward Challenge has made the leap from Facebook to Blogworld and hopefully I've scored a big one as I was the first person to comment in Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycles post!

So how does it work?

If you're lucky enough to be one of the first three people to comment on the PIF post you will have a little something handmade sent to you. It will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it, within 365 days of the original post.
What's the catch? To get a handmade present, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something to 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade.
You must have a blog.
Once you receive your "little something", you must post about your Pay it Forward on your blog to keep the fun going - be sure to use the Pay It Forward badge. "

So I have promised that once I receive my gift I will pay it forward by sending something to 3 followers of my blog.

If you'd like to take part, you can start a Pay It Forward chain yourself or link up to someone else's as I have.

Happy days! :o)

More Great Blogging Giveaways #10

Wow! Wednesday is a great day for giveaways in blogland, check this lot out!

Oops-Lah is going off on holiday and is having a 3 prize giveaway, check out the goodies on her blog here.

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12 FQ's of Gypsy by Westminster Fabrics are up for grabs at Want it, Need it, Quilt.

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Margaret over at Konstant Kaos is having a giveaway too, hop on over there for your chance to win a copy of the I Heart Patchwork book.

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Noodlehead is having a fabric and tote pattern giveaway

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I'm also linking up with the Wandering Wednesday Blog Hop

Why not check out some new blogs, there's loads of people taking part.

Wednesday's Car Boot Finds

It was overcast with a chilly wind so not much of a show at the car boot sale this morning, but I did get a 3 drawer organiser which is now the new home of my rubber stamps and inks, a pretty pink gingham single bedcover which I thought would be nice for a girly quilt backing and...

A coffin top for my antique singer sewing machine!!! How rare a find is that! The picture below shows an 1895 table, and that's when my machine dates to, so now I have the cast iron treadle, the machine and the coffin top - all brought seperately, just need a wooden top with drawers now... highly unlikely but you never know!

Lucas (No 1 son) also wants me to tell you that he got a Buzz Lightyear dressing up costume with his £1!

A Blogging Giveaway #9

Wow! Great giveaway alert!!!
Head on over to p.s. i quilt for up to 5 chances to win this ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS Moda Modern Workshop Fat Quarter Bundle.

Giveaway sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts

Tuesday Tutorial

Did anyone else catch this post from Moda Bake Shop this morning? A Day in Central Park...

I've been wanting to do a rag quilt with my Urban Circus by Laurie Wisburn fabric and needed a good, beginner proof tutorial to get me going. And look whats taking shape on my (very temporary excuse for a) design wall this afternoon!

I've come to a grinding halt already as I've run out of the print I decided to use for the backing, but a quick order to Amanda at Simply Solids (who has some Urban Circus on sale!) and I'll be back up and running in no time hopefully :o)

P.s. If you go to Simply Solids and get the Urban Circus or Tufted Tweets on sale, please mention you saw it here! Thx.

In anticipation of tomorrows linky with Lee at Freshly Pieced, I'll be linking this post with WIP Wednesday. Head on over there to see what everyone else is up to this week.

Stats:
Completed this week: 0
New Projects this week: 1
WIP: 3 (Black and white bed quilt back, Lily's QAL Dresden, Urban Circus Rag Quilt)

In Monday's Mailbox...

A lovely little package from Simply Solids;
Some Laurie Wisbrun Urban Circus Elephants and Tufted Tweets - both on sale(!), one of the Kate Spain Central Park prints I was missing and some more KONA Black as I'm thinking of making a wagon wheel like Lynne's (Lily's Quilts), as seen here

Sunday Car Boot Finds!

Another beautiful day, great for Car Boot Sales! Today we have;

clockwise; wooden trouser hanger, to be repurposed for quilts
A great brown and orange vintage tea towel
A very pretty apple tea towel
A purse made from one long length of zip - i'm so gonna have a go at making one of these!
A Cath Kidston purse for 20p!!!
2 wooden half size magazine style boxes
And, the piece de resistance....
see the white storage rack in the corner with all the baskets...
Only £6!!! Got him down from the asking price of £9 - bargain or what! - no more piles of fabric on the table and chairs for me!

As an aside, I have been out and bowed to popular culture and got myself a commemorative William & Kate wedding mug and tea towel set! Hubby thinks I'm barmy!

And just because it's great to get dressed up for a posh do every now and again, here's me and Jez ready for Andy & Jess's wedding reception on Friday, it was a black tie bash. Congrats to the happy couple!

DQS10 - WOW!

Who's been following the Doll Quilt Swap 10 on Flikr? I have, and am completely in awe of the quality of work on there!

There is such an array of beautiful fabrics, tecniques, quilting, and such a wide variety of finished quilts! Here are just a few of them;

1. DQS10 quilting finished!, 2. DQS10 Done!, 3. DQS10 Finished!, 4. DQS10 received!, 5. DQS 10 Door number two, 6. Finished DQS10, 7. DQS10 Sent - A Cacophony of Color, 8. DQS10 - the whole package, 9. DQS10 - Finished, 10. Welcome Spring - DQS 10 Finished, 11. DQS10 done and ready to send, 12. DQS10 recieved from Diana (Di2Quilt)

And to top it off the swappers also include lovely additional gifts in with their quilts like fabric, pin cushions, notions...

I hope that one day I'll be able to join one of these swaps and be confident enough that my work would be up to scratch! For now these beauties will be my inspiration to keep learning the many piecing tecniques and be brave with use of colours!

My Crafty Corner continued...

A while back I blogged about my dining room being my sewing space and how I wanted to tidy out a cluttered corner for my fabrics etc to go, and look what hubby helped me do this afternoon

My Singer sewing machine table has been hoovered off and brought in from the conservatory and already the UK shaped organiser has been hung and put to use

P.s. In the country I am based roughly between the red and green ribbons on the bottom shelf! :o)

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced today, how about you?

New Projects this week: 0
Completed Projects this week: 0
In progress: 1 (Lily's QAL Dresden)

Wednesday's Fabulous Car Boot Finds

The sun is shining and the car boot sale season is back upon us! Yay! I love rumaging through other peoples stuff!

Today's boot sale yielded;

Vintage Spiderman Duvet Cover Set - should I give it to No 1 son as it is or repurpose it for a quilt? The front has huge spiderman but the back has lots of smaller images...
Lovely Mason bottle,
Green purse which I only brought to repurpose the clasp and chain,
Retro stripey thermal cup,
Jewelery Organiser in the shape of the UK, soon to be a ribbon organiser!,
And this lovely vintage butteryfly fabric by Linda Beard, and just look at the selvedges! complete with washing instructions, the lady I brought it from thinks it's from the 80's!

And today my lovely postman brought me;

A lovely fat quarter of one of the prints I was missing from the Kate Spain Central Park range, yummy! :o)

Busy Busy Busy! & Kate Spain...

Wow, what a weekend!
I had such a great weekend with both quilting and family highlights.

Firstly I had the charity sale for the RNLI on Saturday morning, here's my table

I sold about 6 items and had lots of positive feedback on my sewing and quilting!

Then we went up to London to see the comedian Peter Kay... well he was hilarious and my ribs and face ached for laughing so much.

Sunday was Mothers Day here in the UK and I was very lucky to get breakfast in bed, a lovely handmade card, some wine, chocolates and an 'I Love Mum' keyring. We then went out to Birdworld for the day, and saw some absolutely beautiful birds

And then home again for a cuppa and to check my emails and what do I see? Lynne from Lily's Quilts asking 'Is it just my imagination or did you just get a comment from the designer herself on your pic!!! Yay!!!'

BACKSTORY: I'm doing Lily's Dresden Block Quilt A Long and posted this picture of my block so far in the flikr group. As you may recoginise it's mostly made up of Kate Spain Central Park fabrics in the Plaza colorway.

And OMG(!)yes THE Kate Spain has commented on my photo;

Kate Spain (25 hours ago)
i love your quilt! such a fun mix, and i love that dot print in there. Were you able to find the other prints you were looking for in the UK? If not, please email me and i can provide a list of online shops :) Can't wait to see how your quilt turns out! i'm with everyone..a white center would finish this beautifully. xo

And further still, a couple of emails have gone back and forth with the following comments from Kate;
'Please do continue to post photos of your beautiful work!'
'can't wait to see what you make next :)'

HOW CHUFFED AM I ?!?!?!?!
*happy dance*