Normality beckons

Things are settling down now and even though we didn't have a wild time the last few days have been hectic. Today the house is a little tidier, DH Jason is back in work and our house guest - Jess's boyfriend has gone home so time to think about some sewing.

On the present front my quilty gifts went down a treat. My MIL and FIL loved their braid quilt and it looked just right on the back of their sofa. She couldn't believe I had made it and asked the inevitable question - how long did that take ? I just said quite a while and left it at that - lol !

My sister loved her knitting bag which was finished in the nick of time on Christmas Eve. In fact, my mum who is notoriously hard to please on the present front wants one too so I guess Mothers Day next year is catered for.

Unfortunatley Patricks quillow didn't make the deadline - maybe Easter ! Who knows !

I was chuffed on Christmas Day when my 15 year old nephew Chris asked would I make him a quilt for the beginning of March. He is going on a school exchange to Germany and will be travelling by coach for approx 30 hours and he said he would love something to snuggle up in. I made him a quilt about 3 years ago - lots of brightly coloured football fabrics and my sister says he loves it. I think he has probably outgrown this a bit now and I am delighted he wants another. My mum said he was a bit cheeky to ask but I think it's great that he wants one so will have a think of what I can do.

I mentioned in my last post that I was thinking of doing Bonnies mystery quilt - well guess what-

Took me a while to come up with colours but this is what I'm going with. A lot different than my usual scrappy quilts but I think I will like it.

Had an early night in bed last night with my quilting books and a chocolate reindeer - lol !! Think I have found someinspiration for the 4 Seasons quilt swap. Will do some more on the mystery quilt while I'm mulling some ideas over. Really looking forward to doing this.

Hope you're all finding some time to quilt !!

Merry Christmas !

It's all gone quiet in blogland - we're all so busy I think. I personally would love to be sitting doing a little bit of quiet stitching instead of shopping and present wrapping but there we go. I am not one of these that buy everything in sight as though the shops will be closed for a month but there is still lots to do. Anyway the end is in sight ....and I'm looking forward to catching up with family etc.

Before I go any further here is a photo of the wonderful gifts I received from Jeanne. Aren't they fantastic ?

Here is a close-up of the beautiful cross stitch picture. Just gorgeous.. I'm so glad my parcel eventually got here safely. Thanks so much Jeanne.

I am nearly done with my sisters knitting bag. Good job really as I am cutting it a bit fine. I went to the craft warehouse and bought loads of beautiful balls of wool to fill this up and I think she will like it. As I was passing through the fabric department I happened to catch sight of this pack of fat quarters. These will go with the other lot I bought the other week. I also bought about 10 yards of other stuff. A bit naughty but that's my Christmas treat to myself.

I really am tempted to start Bonnies Carolina Crossroads mystery. I have been thinking about it for days but have not had the time to do anything about it yet.

I found a wonderful recipe on some-ones blog. Just can't remember whose. If you posted the recipe for these Polish Teacakes I thank you . . .they are delicious.

Like everyone else I won't be posting for a short time - too busy - so I just want to wish everyone a great Christmas. I am truly glad I ventured into blogging. I have been made very welcome and have met and chatted with some amazingly nice ladies and I thank you all. Really looking forward to the next 12 months of blogging.

Just off to cook dinner now - roast pork with sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots, peas and gravy. I'm starving !!

Merry Christmas !!

Hurray !!

Yippee - we have internet !! I've been very grumpy without blogging for the last 3 days. I literally had to twist Jasons arm behind his back the other day to let me post about my SSCS gift. Honestly he picks his times to decide to fiddle about with things. He is a PC technician and as such we have 7 computers connected together on a network. He also has one as a server and he decided to upgrade the software on this. So thats why we've been without internet !!

Anyway, after only 3 days away from Blogland I feel very behind and need to catch up. Thanks to all who emailed with concern about my missing gift. I am SOOO glad it turned up. Could you imagine the disappointment if the good old Post Office had lost it. Doesn't bear thinking about !! As I previously mentioned I had no intention of waiting til Christmas to open my pressie - just don't have the patience. So open it I did. I will post photos in the next few days but I will just say I am delighted with what I received. Absolutely wonderful !! I have sent an email to thank Jeanne and I know she was as anxious as me when the parcel appearred to be mislaid. I am wondering if I am the only naughty blogger to open my gift early - surely not lol !! Anyone feel the need to confess alongside of me ????

Well my 30's stars got a bit of work and turned into this

Do you like the border fabric ?

I got this from my fabric warehouse on Sale night for 89 pence a metre. It is not a 30's print but I decided it would work well as the colours are very similar. I love the way it shades from one colour to the next and I love how it looks on the quilt.

Next on my list was to make a knitting bag for my sister. The plan was to make a nice quilted bag and fill it with different balls of wool. If you have read my blog for a while you may remember that my quilts always turn out bigger than I anticipated. Well same thing happened here . Never mind fitting in a few balls of wool - you could have fitted in the actual sheep - lol !!! Don't quite know what I was thinking of. I must plan before I go charging in. So change of plan - these blocks were re-jigged and will now become a small quilt for a friends little girl. This is halfway quilted in this picture. Now I really need to make that knitting bag.... Time is running out but I work best under pressure. However it is looking unlikely that Patrick will get his quillow this Christmas. I have a ton of present shopping still to do as well as loads of other stuff.

Nice to be back and have a lovely weekend.

SSCS update !!

Just a very quick post as I have literally got 5 minutes to do this. My DH is doing something technical to our internet which means it will be turned off for a while - maybe a few days.

Anyway after spending the weekend brooding about my pressie I was anxious for Monday morning. The posman came and went with no sign of a knock on my door. I got on the phone to the depot and explained to a different person what had happened. She promised to phone me back after a search. Two hours later I was still waiting so called again. This time I was transferred to the manager who told me very apologetically it seemed to be lost. I was gutted !! He took my number and promised me if there was any news he would call me.

I went out shopping and when I came home my phone was flashing....Message to say the package had been found and would be delivered the next day....HURRAY.

It came yesterday morning and I give a big thanks to Jeanne. So alls well that ends well. I will write more and post photos when our internets sorted - my DH is breathing down my neck as I speak... What a palaver !!!!

I really have to run - thanks again Jeanne - you are so talented !!

So near and yet so far !

Ok - I am looking for some sympathy here. Are you ready for a sad story ?

Yesterday I took my Mum out for some Christmas shopping. As she doesn't walk so good and is recovering from an operation we went quite early so I would be back in plenty of time for Patrick coming out of school. We went and got some presents etc and then I went to the supermarket for food. Then I arrived home. Amongst the letters was a card to say a parcel had tried to be delivered but was too big for my letterbox. This has happened to me many times and no problems. The parcel gets taken back to our local sorting office and when you produce the card the postman left they go and get your package. Brilliant !! I knew this was my SSCS pressie as it couldn't be anything else.

So off we went to the PO ( only about 3 miles away ) and after waiting in the queue for 10 minutes I gave in my card. The very nice man checked my ID then checked his list for my name. How strange - my name was not on the list ! Off he went and after a while he came back and explained for some reason my parcel was not on the list so he had some-one physically checking all the packages in the store-room for mine. More waiting only to be told that it wasn't there and they could only presume that the delivery man had not returned to the depot yet so my parcel wasn't there. This was 7 hours after the time of non-delivery. After promising me it would be re-delivered in the morning there was nothing I could do but return home. Nearly an hour wasted but there you go.

So this morning when I saw the bright red van turn into my street I was primed for action only to see it drive straight past without stopping. Bummer !!

Tried repeatedly phoning the Postal depot to see what had gone wrong but if there was anyone there they weren't answering the phone. I am very disappointed and will now have to wait 2 days til Monday to see if it arrives then. If not I will have to traipse down to the depot again and demand my pressie - boo hoo.

Honestly nothing ever goes right !

To cheer myself up I am going to play with my 1930's stars. I have a couple of free hours now. Will let you know how things go !

A Finish !

I have just put the finishing stitches in the braid quilt for the in-laws. Not like me at all to be so ahead of myself. I'm usually stitching something at midnight on Christmas Eve. Still got a few other things I want to make by then so theres still time yet. No need to get smug -lol !!

The borders on this came out a little wavy but that's ok - I won't obsess about it. Don't know how it happened but it's not too noticeable unless you're a quilter.

The reason I got this finished so soon was because I bought myself a little gift this week and wanted to play with it. I bought these -

I don't own a lot of these template sets but decided to treat myself to this as I think I will get a lot of use out of it. It would have certainly come in handy to make these blocks for Patricks quillow ( which will be finished in time for Christmas )

I dug some 1930's prints from my basket and made these. I have loads of these fabrics as you may know I started a Dear Jane quilt with these and changed my mind some way in. Now the braid quilt is done I have given myself permission to experiment with these. I have some ideas for sashing which may or may not work - will see ! I have a friend whose daughter is expecting her first baby early in January and she could have this if the baby is a girl. If it's a boy - who knows ?? I want to add lots more different prints to this - scrappier the better !

At the moment I'm in Postman stalker mode as I know my SSCS gift is on the way to me. Will I wait til Christmas to open it ? No way - I have no willpower - lol !!