SBS Catch Up

The Skill Builder Sampler...

Each month Leila will focus on a different quilting skill and provide tutorials for three 12 inch quilt blocks using the month's skill.
June:
Skills: Cutting, ¼ inch seam allowance and value.
Blocks: Log Cabin and Around the World

The log cabin was fun to do, and I found it easy - great!

Block 2: The value 9 patch - uh oh...
I completely blame the fact that I was cutting fabric, whilst cooking dinner and watching 3 boys (we had an extra round for tea)! I've ended up with the same fabric for all the middle pieces of the lighter coloured blocks. The darker blocks however I am happy with.

I shall be cutting some more fabric and trying again - this time paying more attention, now however I'm having a glass of wine to comiserate my fall at the first month's hurdle! - at least hubby had a chuckle over it!

Happy Pay It Forward Day!!!

I received a parcel this morning...

I got all excited at the name... so opened it very carfully to find a beautifully wrapped gift and card

Which I again opened very carefully but at this point the tension was unbearable!

And look at all the lovliness that sprang forth! A pretty card, a notebook and gorgeous little pin cushion (you have to tell me how you sewed those buttons on!), a pretty pink strap...

so many gorgeous fabric pieces, (i always wanted the camera fabric! - now I have one to cherish.), the lollipops, the chairs, the strawberries...

and Mr Bump sweets! Which I've already opened - yummy.

I am in love! With Hadley of course! THANK YOU SO MUCH for my lovely gift! mwah mwah mwah

In Pay it Forward tradition it's my turn now...

I pledge to send something handmade to the first 3 people to comment on this post. If you'd just like to comment on the loveliness in this post but not take part that's fine also but just let me know.

Then, at some point in the next 365 days when you least expect it, something I'll have made will be delivered to you.
There's just one 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.

If you'd like to take part, comment now!.

Happy Pay It Forward Day! :o) x x x

P.s. Hadley's blog and all her beautiful creations can be found here; Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle

WIP Wednesday

Hello all! Thank you for the well wishes, the migraine has passed and brain function is slowly returning to normal!
My WIP post is the same as last week, featuring the 2D Zoo rag quilt for Aidan, except that today i can announce it is finished and in the washing machine! Yay! - it would have been done alot sooner had I not lost 3 days of sewing time...

I took advantage of the evening sun to pop it out on the fence for a pic

All the snipping has been done whilst paying half attention to Murray playing at Wimbledon, which has also been distracting me from sewing. There's all the celeb spotting to do; Pippa Middleton was there today looking lovely, and Lewis Hamilton...

Also today I've been trying to sort out my templates for the Kaleidoscope QAL over at Don't Call Me Betsy. Mine seem to have printed on the small side so I need to do some re-sizing... otherwise I would have started cutting today.

I need to catch up with the Skills Builder Sampler - they've posted the first blocks and I haven't even chosen fabric yet!

STATS
New projects this week: 0
Finished this week: 1
In Progress: 3 (Black and white king size bed quilt, Lily's QAL Dresden, Central Park 4 Patch)

In linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday - are you?

Happy Mail Days

I've not been quilting for a few days due to the incapacitation of migraine :o(
But the postman has cheered me up somewhat with these lovely packages;
The Ann Kelle Remix hearts, zig zags and butterflies in the Spring colourway are for one of my commission quilts but I also ordered a couple more of the prints as I'd never seen them in the flesh before.

And the lovely Julie over at From Three to Insanity was having a selvage giveaway and I won!!!! Woo Hoo!! Here are my gorgeous winnings - thank you so much Julie!

And now to decide what to make with them... if you click on the link to Julie's blog above you'll see a lovely selvage table runner she recently made which has given me a little idea...

And lastly here is a picture of No 1 son who's sportsday it was today, he came first in the running race, first in the obstacle course race and 3rd in the egg and spoon race - and as an aside we came second in the parent/child fun run - although he came first overall, I slowed him down by being the second grown up across the line!

The School Fete

Here are some pics of my stall at the school fete

I didn't sell any quilts but then I didn't expect to - I mean who goes to a school fete with enough money to buy a quilt! But I did get lots of positive comments and 2 enquiries for quilt commissions.

I did sell some minky ribbon blankies and some raggie coasters.

And proceeds went to Breast Cancer Care

WIP Wednesday

So today I've been working on one of my commission quilts for the twins. This is Aidan's quilt featuring Alexander Henry 2D Zoo fabric. Mum Vicki chose a rag quilt design.

I've made a few patchwork squares to pop in the mix too

We're putting Kona solids Denim and Navy on the back.

I'm linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced today, why not hop on over there and see what everyone else has been up to...


and also Quiltstory Fabric Tuesday :o)

WIP Wednesday

Today it's not so much of a WIP as a finishes post.
2 quilt finishes this week;
Max and whiskers charm pack quilt

and a bold and bright zoo quilt in pink

I'm eagerly awaiting the Kaleidoscope QAL!!! for a new start on something for me.

Stats
New Projects: 1
Finished: 2
In Progress: 3 (Black and White Quilt, Lily's QAL Dresden, Central Park 4 Patch)

I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced and there's some FABULOUS quilts on show this week so go and have a look!

Another finish!

I'm making up some quick quilts for my stall at the school fete on Saturday. Here's a simple one with Alexander Henry 2d Zoo in Primary, backed with pink gingham and with some lovely Joel Dewberry Herringbone in Berry for the binding, and quilted simply with wavy lines.

Another Finish!

Thank goodness for an extremely long Canadian Grand Prix today... I have finished the max and whiskers quilt!

I absolutely LOVE the backing fabric

I did however choose the greyest day of the year to try and attach black binding for the first time but I really like how it turned out, it's really bold.

a little something for me

I started today by making another weighted pincushion organiser for my nan. Last time she was here she saw mine, had a look thru my fabrics and requested a blue one! Who am I to say no to the head of the family!

I've stalled on the quilting front as I wait for fabric deliveries, so I decided to make some little weighted bags to help the fabric stop sliding off the table during cutting. Out came the Central Park scraps and voila

I made 3 in total, a log cabin-ish one, general scrappy one and a ticker tape style one. The back are scrappy too.

I haven't tried the ticker taping method before but have loved seeing all the bottled rainbow blocks lately. It's made with pretty small scraps, the block is 5"x5" but I'm pretty happy with it, after all it's only a weighted bag not a quilt!

Sorry for the poor picture quality and the crooking of necks, the photos were taken on my phone... my bad! They are on flikr the right way up though!

2 Binding Finshes

After yesterdays WIP post Flying Blind asked me how did I have a half bound mug rug, after all they are small projects! My only come back is that I'm too lazy to finish the binding as this is one of my least favourite quilting jobs...

So this is for you FB

Finished binding on both the Hungry Caterpillar quilt and the Union Jack Mugrug! And actually it took no time or trouble at all to get done!

Thanks for spurring me into action!

WIP Wednesday

My WIP is still The Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt... I've quilted and mostly bound it, it just needs the last corner finishing off.

I used up every last scrap of the co-ordinates, even adding the last yellow scrap to the binding.

I didn't want to quilt over the pictures so I tried to quilt to enhance them - not sure if you can make out the quilting lines in the pic - hope so!

Also in progress - well really awaiting the delivery of the backing fabric is this baby sized Max and Whiskers quilt made from a charm pack.

I love these little guys - they're so cute!

Awaiting Quilting - Black and White Kingsize Bed quilt
Awaiting Delivery of Backing Fabric - Central Park 4 Patch
In Progress - Lily's Quilts Dresden QAL & LynneBobSquarePants block
Half bound - Union Jack mug rug

Stats:
Completed this week: 0
In progress: 7

I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced today

______________________________________________________________
I'm back and it's Friday so I'm linking this post up to Silverlily Likes to Sew - Finished It Up Friday.

A very hungry caterpillar

Today the boys were happy to stay at home and play in the garden so I got time to do this

and the back...

I've been running in and out of the dining room doing the quilting in the ad breaks of Britains got Talent! I'll post some more pics tomorrow and hopefully you won't have to crick your neck to see them!

I'm linking up with Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day, please head on over there to see what everyone else is up to.