I don't blog, I don't comment - I'm a bit rubbish really! Can you guess where we went at half term? Great weather for the end of October.

I still haven't got my crafting act together but I have dipped my toe back in the water - I've nearly finished my gift for the 2008 Secret Santa Swap (good job really, seeing as it's got to be posted on 25th November). I've also been doing some Christmas related stuff - photos to follow. In the meantime here's a picture of the garden of the Grand Trianon at Versailles.
Did my legs ache after spending all day walking in the grounds!

The English Riviera

Last week I spent a night in Torquay in Devon as I had to speak at a conference (get me!). Lest you should get the wrong impression of my lifestyle and job status - this only happens once in a blue moon, so I made the most of the sea view from my very swanky hotel room. Torquay is known as the English Riviera because of the temperate climate - hence the palm trees.

Other than that, nothing much going on here - been quilting my crumb chaos quilt but it's slow going so not worth a picture yet - maybe next weekend!

It's for a girl

If you know someone's going to have a baby, you've got months of notice in which to make a quilt, right? So why do I always leave it until the baby is born to even start it?

I delivered this to my friend D's wife yesterday. Actually, I didn't do too badly as the baby is only 3 weeks old. I'd had a few days leave from work so at least I could get going on it pretty quick. Of course, I'd wrapped it all up nicely in cellophane with a nice fabric bow (the ribbon stash comes up trumps again!) and then remembered I hadn't taken a picture of the finished article! Doh! I couldn't bring myself to undo it as I would have probably had to use new cellophane but I think you still get the gist of it from the 'wrapped and folded' version. I wanted something simple and quick to put together so rail fence seemed to fit the bill in pastel blues and pinks. I used a very thick batting so it would be nice and comfy-cosy for a baby. Can't say the quilting is anything special, and there's a few small tucks here and there but I asked DH what he thought and he said (a) he wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't pointed it out and (b) they added to the artisan feel of the piece! Good enough for me.

My other best news is that DD got the grades she needed in her A-Levels and won a place at University in London. She is taking a 'gap' year this year (much to the chagrin of her father) so she won't go until September 2009 (and needs to find a job in the meantime) but we are all very pleased and proud of her.

Holidays

We've been on our annual summer holiday to Wales - mixed weather, but not too bad. The credit crunch is meant to mean that more people are holidaying in the UK this year instead of going abroad, but in fact, it wasn't as busy as it was when we went in early June.

I took some knitting with me - more bears, but smaller ones this time. I'm knitting 3 at the same time - one each for DD, DS and DS's friend M. Nothing much to see yet apart from a pile of tiny bear parts (someone remind me that I don't do detail or tiny, I obviously temporarily forgot and thought I was someone else).

Unfortunately while I was away, Elf Donna announced the Secret Santa Swap for 2008 - no surprise that it filled up and closed before I'd even shaken the sand from my suitcase with a massive 128 swappers. Probably just as well, because my productivity of late is somewhat lacking, but I have fond memories of the lovely swap I received last year from Cheryl and I'm sure it will be even more successful this year.

My Mum has also introduced me a to new blog - not quilting or sewing related but this one is all about cakes. Called the Caked Crusader it is dedicated to the promotion of the most delicious looking home baking and is also quite quirky and funny - highly recommended!

Knitted Bear

I'm always too tired to sew in the evenings but I don't mind knitting or crochet now and again. Socks are a bit beyond my capabilities and I don't want to knit a whole jumper. Knitting a bear seemed the perfect solution - I already had some bear coloured cotton from a charity shop (which I bought before I even thought about knitting a bear - but as a hoarder who is firmly convinced that 'it will come in useful one day' my purchase is justified). The pieces are small and you get a finished item in no time.

The pattern came from this lovely book, containing lots of really great patterns for knitted bears - and I found out from the book jacket that the author lives in Leicestershire! (I'm hoping that I have managed to link the picture to the Amazon page where you can search inside - if not, at least you can see enough to search for it).

And do you like my Sweet Peas? My Dad planted them for me - I think they are my favourite flowers but the season is so short.

Lilac Time

It's been a while again, hasn't it? Still run ragged at work so not much going on here in the creative department. I have finished up all of the rectangles I had on hand for the lilac top - can't decide whether to just leave it as it is and call it a cot quilt or add borders to make it bigger. I do like this pattern though, I'd like to try it in plaids from shirts or multicoloured scrappy.


I'm thinking there's definitely a lilac and green theme going on here - this is the flower bed opposite the shed where I hung the photograph. I like the way my foxgloves have come out all white.

It's not mine ...

... but I wish it was.



I couldn't resist sharing the picture of this vintage string quilt that I spotted on e-bay. What a great way to set those string blocks, and don't you just love the wonkiness of it? I so want to try this layout myself. It may not be precision pieced from uniform shapes but it makes me smile just to look at it - it's joyful, that's what it is.

Rectangles

Remember these blocks? I did make a few more - maybe enough for a small lap / cot quilt if I put sashing round them. But ... whilst I love the effect, I fear I haven't got the patience or tenacity to make a whole quilt one block at a time. Which is a pity, as I have cut out enough 2 1/2 inch squares, half-square triangles and rectangles to make one (and it took me hours).

Still, nil desperandum, squares and half-square triangles always come in useful but I was trying to think what I could make with the rectangles - they are 2.5 X 4.5 inches so I couldn't use them to make flying geese. Could have done a very simple rail fence. But then inspiration struck - I remembered I had a copy of this book.

All the quilts in the book are made from simple rectangles so I used one of the patterns. They are really a form of one patch but you can vary the way you set them. I used the layout here.

I wasn't sure at first, but now I've laid out a few of the 'blocks' together to check the effect, it's growing on me. My kind of quilt really, simple and scrappy. And best of all, quick.

Time for Tea

Next up on my list of projects - a tea cosy. My team get into the office at 8.00 and make a pot of tea. Now, whilst there is enough in the pot for me, I can't get in any earlier than 8.10 as I have to drop my son off and the tea in the pot is lukewarm by then. So I made a tea cosy - keeps it nice and hot and waiting for me when I get in.

I can also reveal my finished blue quilt - I was getting heartily tired of it by the end so the borders just got straight lines quilted on them. It covers the ugliest sofa in the world - I would show a picture of it but the deep red buttoned velour and fringe round the bottom would be offensive to many of you. (As it is to me when the quilt rides up and you can see the offending fringe peeping out beneath). Also excuse the bare plaster on the walls - the sofa is in our kitchen and we haven't finished the redecorating yet.

A bit of productivity

Hooray for the Easter Holidays, I've had a week off work and I've been able to get to my sewing machine and actually make something - and boy does it feel good! I'd been wanting to make one of these little doorstops for ages -the tutorial is at Oh Fransson! which I found via Jane's blog, Sew Create It when she made one. They really are a doddle to make, so as well as making one for our kitchen door I made some for presents too. It's a lovely pattern with nice clear instructions. I didn't line mine with fusible fleece (didn't have any) but I used some pretty curtain fabric that has been maturing in my stash for a while (well, it's plaid - how could I resist - I knew I'd use it eventually) and the flowered middle squares are cut from remnants from fabric sample books that I bought for 10p a page and again have been maturing for a couple of years (see, it was an investment, for every piece of fabric there comes a season if you wait long enough).

The doorstops have a zip at the bottom so you can take out the filling and wash it. Do you think I've got enough zips? This is my zip stash. I get them for 10p each - usually they are about 3ft long so I can only make things where you can cut the ends off - like these doorstops or the quilted bags I've made before. Have you seen the price of zips? I just feel I might as well get a lifetime's supply at that price. (I think I might have a stash problem - what with fabric, ribbons and zips, but it's harmless.)

Guess what I used for the filling? I didn't want to put loose beans in because some of them will be presents for homes with animals and small children. My original plan was to just sew up the beans in a bag and put that in but then I saw these bags of rice at Sainsburys for 43p and one of them popped in unopened is enough to weight the bag (I do pop a bit of wadding in the top of the doorstop to keep the shape).

We went to Market Harborough today and look what I found at a Charity Shop - a book on quilts and a vintage Laura Ashley dress and a child's dress to cut up for patchwork. Things are looking up.

I am still here ...

... haven't given up blogging or quilting, just finding it difficult right now. Other aspects of my life (mainly work) have kind of taken over. Can't say I'm pleased about it because I'm not, I always said my quality of life would be diminished if I didn't have some kind of creative outlet that was just for me. I am struggling to find a work-life balance (not helped by the kitchen upheaval - pics to follow in another post, or the bout of flu that I'm just getting over).

This is the sum total of my quilting efforts since Christmas, though I have to say I am ridiculously pleased that the lines so far have all come out straight. Next I'm going to meander in the squares created by the grid pattern.

I would also like to thank those of you who have e-mailed to check on me - it is much appreciated, as is this lovely table mat that Anne sent me, just to cheer me up!

This doesn't seem much of a post after over 2 months without posting but hopefully I'll get back into swing of things before too long.

It's a sandwiched quilt!

I think I'm back in the groove. I knuckled down last night and sandwiched the blue recycled quilt that I made over a year ago now. Of course I haven't the faintest idea how I'm going to actually quilt it but I'm thinking simple is good at this moment in time. Although my back aches now, my kitchen floor is brilliant for sandwiching quilts.

Yesterday we also ordered a new kitchen, we had the existing one put in a few years ago but I couldn't begin to tell you about the sheer incompetence of the builder that did it. Some, but not all examples being: plumbing the outside tap to the hot water supply, installing the dishwasher with a chink in the hose so it leaked all over the newly installed laminate floor, building a frame for the new glazed internal double doors without remembering that it would be impossible to get it in through the back door ... oh, how we laughed! Not. Anyway, though the kitchen looks passable, it hides a multitude of sins so we've bitten the bullet and we're going to get it all put right by a reputable (fingers crossed) firm. I'm going to have a new bigger cooker, which I'm really looking forward to (particularly since the door fell off the one I've got). The fridge door is on it's last legs too, and the first dishwasher we had erupted in flames. Definitely time for a change.

Happy New Year

I waited right until Christmas Day to open my Secret Santa gift from Cheryl - and it was certainly worth the wait - just look at all the goodies she sent me! I'm intrigued by the Peppermint Bark - we don't have anything like this at all in the UK - and you may have noticed that it is all sitting on a lovely Christmas table runner which just fits nicely across my hall table.

We have been in Carlisle since Boxing Day and just got back yesterday so not much done on the creative front (what am I talking about - I haven't done anything creative in weeks). I seem to have lost a bit of impetus - my sewing room is a tip, which doesn't help. Another reason is that I've got three tops waiting to be quilted and I don't want to start piecing another until I've quilted at least one - I really want to see them out on display and not folded up in a plastic bag. I think the thought of sandwiching a big top is becoming a bit of a mental barrier. Still, it has to be done, no pain (in the knee region), no gain.

I'm not much of one for New Year's Resolutions, but I do want to get back on track both with blogging, which I have missed enormously since I've been so busy at work and with getting on and being creative.

Part of Cheryl's Christmas Gift was fabric with pre-printed quilt labels with quotes on them, and one of my favourites was this one, "The best things in life ... aren't things". With that thought in mind I'd like to wish everyone reading this blog peace and happiness in the New Year.

Christmas Parcel

My Secret Santa Swap arrived! All the way from Cheryl at Polka Dots and Rick Rack. I opened the (big) box - sorry, couldn't resist it - to find this gorgeous bag filled with presents wrapped in polka dot paper tied with polka dot fabric bows. What could be better? I am going to save the presents inside until Christmas Day but I am thrilled just with the wonderful bag made of such lovely fabrics. I don't think my photograph does it justice but in my defense (a) the battery compartment is now being held closed with a piece of sellotape and (b) there has been no sunlight in the UK for days so I was doing my best at night. Better pics when I've opened the presents but you've got to admit, it does look nice and Christmassy against the evergreens.

I think Cheryl has a very generous nature, not only did she send me a wonderful present but if you visit her blog she is running a drawing for a beautiful Christmas Quilt - but hurry, there are only two days to go!

At the weekend I actually tidied the house - now I don't mind if you step over my threshold. I put my Christmas row of houses on the mantelpiece - I bought the one on the left last year and the one on the right this year. I hope they carry on making them, I'd love to end up with a whole street!

Work-Life See-Saw

Aaagh - it's been a whole month since I posted anything - what is the world coming to? Well, I'll tell you, my work life balance has become seriously unbalanced that's what - I've got an impending audit at work and it has taken over my life! I am soooo sad. Once it's over I hope life can get back to a semblance of normality. It's a good job none of you can call on me because I couldn't let you over my threshold - my housekeeping skills are minimal anyway but even I can't stand this level of untidiness for much longer.

Needless to say, not much creativity going on here, I just managed to finish my Secret Santa Swap (sneak peek above). Posted a little bit late, but at least I finished it. To cap it all I've just dropped my camera on the floor and the catch that holds the battery compartment closed has broken off - rats!

Roll on the Christmas holidays, that's all I can say.

Okay, so it's several days after Halloween, but as this cake is just about the only creative thing I seem to have accomplished in weeks I couldn't miss an opportunity to post a picture.

So easy too - make a chocolate cake, buy some ready-made orange fondant icing, roll it out, cut out the pumpkin features, whack it on the top of the cake and voila! DS had a Halloween party for himself and four friends instead of trick and treating (though we gave out treats to anyone who knocked on the door but there were only three knocks anyway).

I'm seriously thinking that I must stop purchasing fabric, for a couple of years now I've collected shirts, bought fabric online from the U.S. (mainly sale fabric, very little at full price) as I concentrated on building up my stash. But ... the time has come when even DH commented that it was getting 'a little excessive'. Early on in my blogging days, I wrote a post here, about how I cut a small piece from every fabric I purchase, stick it on a business card with double-sided tape and catalogue all my fabric purchases in slide-pockets. I started off with just an A4 ring binder - it has now grown to 2 huge lever arch files. Here's a few of the contents. I still find this a great way to look at my stash. I have to keep the actual fabric in boxes on shelves, as the room they are in is very sunny and they would all fade if I didn't (might fade anyway for all I know). But, I have got a lot of fabric - I never buy with a particular project in mind, I just buy fabric because I like it. I've got a good range of colours, some of it is new and some of it is recycled and I think I could make mostly anything I want to now - if I had the time!!!!

So what did I do this morning? Yup, in between trying to write up a contract (I really know how to have a fun weekend) I went to a LQS that I didn't know of before and only just found out about. Well, what bargains were to be had! I've always loved the 'Bon Voyage' range from Makower but I absolutely refuse to pay £9 a yard (which is what it was retailing at). I got 3 yards each of 2 designs from the range for £1.25 a yard! Novelty fabrics aren't usually my thing but I bought the one with the Jam Jars for my Mum. The embroidered braid and the cute red polka dot bows were from the market yesterday. Do I know what I will make with any of this? No, of course not, but for me, that's the exciting bit, I couldn't bear to shop for fabric knowing what I was going to make with it first. And whilst I am going to be good, if I pass a thrift shop with a lovely cotton shirt for a pound, I'd be mad not to buy it, wouldn't I?

Road Trip

Did you wonder where I'd gone (again)? We took a week's break over half term and headed back to Florence. This time we also went to Rome, just for a day - on the high speed train it only takes an hour and a half from Florence.




The last time I was in Rome was over 20 years ago and boy, have the crowds grown. Admittedly, then I was a student and spent weeks there so could amble at my leisure, but we didn't actually get to go in St. Peter's or the Colosseum - we would have spent the whole day in a queue. Instead we walked round the city to see as much as we could - as you can see from the photograph the weather was great that day.





In Florence, we climbed up to the top of the Campanile (over 400 steps and I am way out of condition, believe me). I took this quirky view through the stonework.




And this is one of the vegetable stalls in the market at San Lorenzo looking very seasonal. I caught up with some reading too, never started 'Reckless' which I had put on my sidebar as the next up to read but have read three others (all recommended) and am halfway through a fourth - I can read at the speed of light if I've got no work, no cooking and no sewing to do!


Next up - I must get started on my Secret Santa Swap - I know what I want to make, it's just a question of converting the plans to reality.

My Fall Quilt Swap arrived! And isn't it gorgeous? It was made by Darlene at Quilting Daze and I am absolutely thrilled with it. She is such an accomplished quilter - it's just perfect - thanks Darlene! I know that mine also made it safely across the ocean to my swap partner Alice.

This afternoon I'm going to see the exhibition by Lutterworth Piecemakers so I might just see Jane or Lynda there if I'm lucky.

A Tiny Bit of Creativity

I'm still here! Hate to whinge but whilst I actually love my new job I am sooooo tired it's untrue. It's on the same sort of level as the tiredness you feel when you have a new baby. It will get better but right now I haven't got much energy for anything other than work and I am hopelessly, hopelessly behind in my blog reading (sincere apologies for not leaving comments - I will improve!). So, in a bid to restore the old work-life balance I thought I'd work on something small. I had seen the idea for a celebration banner on a couple of blogs and had been wanting to try out something similar for a while.

As you can see, I have only got as far as making the letters for the first word. What I'm thinking is that if I make enough letters I can do a kind of mix and match to be able to put them up to say Happy Birthday, Happy Christmas, Happy Easter etc. etc. I made them the same way you make fabric postcards with Timtex in the middle but they are only 3 X 4 inches. I hung them up with these dinky little pegs I bought off e-bay - I put a ruler there for scale so you can see how tiny they are. My goal is to make enough letters for DS's birthday at the end of November.

Phew!

With a bit of luck this will get posted out by the deadline of 30th September - just the label to do now. Once again the colours aren't as yellow and mellow as in real life but you get the general idea. It seems to have taken a while but I have got quite fond of it. I want to use yo-yos again in a different project soon - those tools make them so quickly.