Pay it forward

I rrecently signed up for another round of the PIF thing working its way around blogland. I have done this once before and enjoyed it so here we go again.

I signed up on Rachels blog and here's how it goes if you don't already know. For the first 3 people who sign up for this I will make a hand-made gift. There is no great rush as the rules say this can be within the next 365 days. I will definitely try and do this sooner. Whoever signs up needs to do the same - i.e post on their blog and make gifts for 3 people. Anyone interested ?

Rachel very kindly gave me an award too. I have tried to post the picture here but for some technical reason am unable to. I would ask DH but I don't want a 2 hour explanation - lol ! Thanks Rachel - I will do my best to carry this on soon if I get time. Busy doing some re-organising of the kids bedrooms which started off small but has escalated.

Next post I will show my lovely quilt and gifts from Carolyn in our swap.

If anyone is interested in the pattern for the hexagon sewing box please email me.

Swaps

Look at my fantastic bag I got from Fiona as part of our little belated Christmas swap. It is so lovely - I am very pleased to have it. I think I will use this as my wip bag - ready packed with some hexagons and thread etc so I am never stuck for something to do when I'm waiting about in the car. The fabrics are very pretty and the handles just make it.

It was full of gorgeous goodies - all wrapped up beautifully.

Thanks Fiona - definitely a case of better late than never. My fault we were late as that blinking flu wiped me out for 3 weeks.

And here's my little quilt I made for Carolyn. She has it now so I am safe.

Just after I posted it I realised one of the little extra gifts had wandered off and so I will be sending that on this week.

I am still working on my Double Delight. As I thought because I decided to make extra blocks I was going to be short of the brown fabric. But fear not Karol-Ann came to the rescue as she had some in her stash and kindly sent me some. As Patrick would say - cheers big ears - lol !

I have more to say but no time now. See you soon .

Here is my version of Bonnies latest mystery quilt. As you see I largely went with her colour choices but changed the 9-patches from pink to blue. Fingers crossed it turns out as lovely as some of the others I've seen. I originally decided not to make such a large quilt so thought I would make half the amount of blocks - 15 instead of 30. But now I've changed my mind and am doing 24. I THINK I have enough of the dark brown fabric - it will be close. I have loads more of all the others. The indigos were a gift from Karol-Ann . And I have been biding my time waiting for something special to use them in. Hopefully I will get a lot more done this week.

Whilst doing the obligatory New Year sort out of my sewing stuff I came across a small pile of abandoned hexagons - ready basted and all. So stitched them together and appliqued them onto this stripy stuff ready to hand-quilt. Not sure what this will be - maybe a table mat. At least they'll be used. Can't remember what they were originally intended for.

And here is what I made Fiona for our swap. I think she liked it - lol !

Which opens into this

Although a bit fiddly they are nice to make.

I am all out of time and need to shift myself. I am going to try and post a little more often - as with us all time is our enemy.

See you soon x

I'm still here . .

but don't seem to be getting much time to post. I have a few things to share but for now I'm just trying out some new camera software so the next picture is just a test. It's my naughty kitty - Tizer..

I have my swaps posted so hopefully I can show pictures soon. I am sewing away on Bonnie's mystery quilt. I'm currently on part 3. Do you think I resisted looking ahead ? No chance - lol !

Onto plan C

A few months ago my Mum asked if I would make her a lap-sized quilt for her living room to throw on the back of the sofa. I have already made her one which she loves but she has changed her colour scheme slightly and thought a new one would go better. She asked for green and cream - that's it - no other colours. Now as I am a scrappy quilter at heart I thought it may be a challenge. So that was her Christmas present sorted I thought.

Anyway as I had been feeling so rough with this wretched flu I was very behind on lots of things ( after 4 weeks the bloody bug is still lingering around - I can't seem to shake it off completely ). Time was moving on and so I needed a simple pattern if I had any chance of getting this done in time to give my Mum for Christmas. I decided a simple chequerboard may be just the job and so cut loads of 2 inch strips in lots of different greens. Lots of soft florals - nothing too bright. Off I went. After a few blocks I knew this was going to be possibly the most boring quilt in living history - bland, bland, bland. See what I mean. . . .This photo actually makes it look better than it really is - lol !

So onto plan B. Which was ? erm no plan B. So I made a few 9 patches hoping for inspiration.

Then added a bit more

then a bit more. This is actually a nice forest green but is showing up very dark here.

Things were starting to come together. I remembered a nice piece of green in my stash that went from light to dark across the width. Yes I liked it.

I didn't have a lot of anything suitable for borders and a quick trip tp my fabric shop came up with nothing. I had a green which would have gone but it just was too much dark and I went with the lighter option. Once borders were on the quilt just started crying out for some applique to zaz it up a bit.

Here's where I ran out of time and admitted to myself that there was no way this was going to get done it time. I decided to finish this after Christmas without rushing and making a bad job of it and so I moved onto plan C. This involved me frantically hand quilting a cushion ( pillow ) on Christmas Eve so my Mum would have something hand-made to go along with the other gifts I bought her. In my rush I forgot to take a photo but the cushion was lovely - pretty green hearts in a circle and hand quilted background. Mum liked it and is waiting patiently for her quilt to be finished.

On Monday I will be putting my swap packages in the post. These too are a bit late but as they are private swaps and Fiona and Carolyn have been so nice about it - it's not the end of the world. Something to look forward to in January at least.

In between other stuff I managed to make this little Santa from a pattern from a friend.

All my decorations have gone away now but I'll leave him out a while longer. Once Christmas is gone ( which was great despite us all feeling rubbish ) I can't bear the decorations out for too long gathering dust. My Mum always tells me I should wait til 12th night to take them down or I'll have bad luck for the coming year. So Santa will hopefully ward off any heading my way - lol !

To try and get my sewing motivation back in I am planning Bonnies new mystery quilt. She is hopefully posting the first clue today so I am off to check if it's there yet. With the time difference I may not get very far today but I am very excited about this.

Just remains to wish you all a wonderful 2009 and to thank you all for continuing to visit my blog and being such all-round lovely people.

Happy New Year !!!!!!

Never again !!

Well my cross-your-legs cough developed into full blown flu and infected sinuses - how terribly convenient just before Christmas - lol ! I feel weak and am sick to the back teeth of coughing. Over the worst now which is just as well as along with everyone else I have a ton of stuff to get done. I won't panic - not in my nature. Will just plod along and hope for the best.

One good thing about being unable to run around at my usual pace was I got the 15 year old sampler done. Here are a couple of photos of the HAND- quilting. AARGGH. So much cross hatch quilting in them sashings.

I will never be persuaded/ cajoled/ bribed again to do something like this. Lesson learned ! It did look lovely when done though. I'm glad I perservered. It has been passed on to my friend who will pass it on to it's owner. My quilt group have assured me she will love it. So glad it's done and out of the way. DH Jason has never heard me moan so much in my life - lol !

Got a couple of little Christmas swaps to finish up so no photos of those yet.

Quick post this - got to wrap up my pressies - well got to buy them first actually. Haven't dug out the decorations or anything like that yet. Help . . .

One last thing - I have signed up for the pocketfullofmysteries quilt. I have printed out fabric requirements and may sort out something later. I think the first clue is published Christmas Eve - what fun ! See ya.

Catch up !

Thought I'd best squeeze in a post before you all desert me - lol ! Oh for a few more hours in the day. So what have I been doing ? Let's cast my mind back.

I finished this

I've shown this before when I thought it was finished. BUT it would not lie flat and I decided it needed some hand quilting. I traced a leaf shape in each triangle ( not the flying geese ) and hand quilted it with a dark green thread. It is now as flat as a pancake and I have actually got out my drill and hung it in our bedroom. Cheers up a dull day a treat and all from scraps. Talking of scraps I am working my way through this

This is a huge laundry basket and the plan is to cut all of these into ready-to-go pieces. So far I've started cutting squares in 3 different sizes and a few 2 inch strips as well. I have bought a load of really useful boxes and am trying to get organised. Takes forever though but will be worth it in the end.

My favourite fabric warehouse - Abakhan fabrics had a sale evening with free mince pies and wine and it seemed rude not to go - lol ! I don't drink wine but did manage a little shopping.

About 20 yards here and so cheap !

And the really big news for this post is that I have finished my first stitchery quilt.

Now I went about this a little differently than the pattern suggested and so it was a bit trickier putting it all together but I managed it with only a bit of ripping. Ithink Iam in love with this. I aimed for an old-fashioned look with lovely dark country colours. Need to get my drill out again and hang some hooks. I first saw this on Belvies blog a while back and just had to get the pattern. Brilliant fun. The pattern is by Bareroots and I am dropping hints to Santa for more of their patterns. I did not follow the border ideas as the pattern suggested either.

I have so much I want to be doing and instead I am plugging away hand-quilting the 15 year old sampler quilt that I was talked into finishing. Not fun but I have decided it is not going to be starting the New Year in my house and I want it done and GONE.

Going to catch up a few blogs now. I have a bad cough and am hacking away like an old donkey - I am driving my family mad. Annoying thing is now I'm getting older I have to cross my legs when I cough - lol ! Too much information ?

See you all soon.