Christmas 2013. 100 not out. Happy New Year 2014

This is my 100th post.  I can hardly believe it. I am thankful to God for all the lovely friends I have made through blogging. I don't have to see you every week, month, or year, or ever, to experience your friendship through our shared love of stitching. You all inspire me with your lovely work, and your generousity in sharing your designs.  I am not a designer, only a lover of working with fabric and thread. It brings me such satisfaction and enjoyment.

These little fellows were gifted to me by one of the children I worked with.  I love them, and they come out each Christmas to sing Christmas Carols in our home.

This is mum with Joan the lady in charge of the facility where mum lives.  It has been open 25 years and mum was one of the first tenants. She came out of hospital to join the celebrations as she was going to be discharged a few days later anyway.  If you look closely you will see her hospital ID on her wrist. We had a good time.

Here is The Christmas Cat. I rechristened Amber for Christmas. She enjoyed sitting on my Christmas Throw Quilt beside the tree. Don't you think her chest looks like Sants's beard.

Gifts, Gifts, Gifts.  We keep gifts down to small things, but many small things add up to a lovely Gifty Christmas.  What do you think of the ceramic thread reel container. It came with 4 reels of cotton. I am going to tidy my sewing room and find a special place for this.

Yes, there is no food.  I snapped this at my daughter's, as she  was hostess for Christmas day dinner. After making 40+ dinners (I did eat out the first few years of my marriage) I enjoyed soooooo much being served.  The girls did a great job.

Best wishes for 2014 Everyone.xxx

Glasgow,Coasters for Aunties, Nearly there

Dear all. I started to write this post a couple days ago. My very lovely, but very curious cat decided to 'help'. She climbed on to my lap and put a paw on the keyboard.  I don't know which key she pressed, but two photos and my written post disappeared....poof! like a puff of wind.  I gave up and thought, 'I will try again'.  So here goes. 

This is the view of the fairground and skating rink from our hotel window when two friends and I went to Glasgow the first weekend in December.  We didn't attempt the rink or the rides.  Feet firmly planted on the ground we shopped til we dropped, and had a great weekend.We started the journey with a lovely Gingerbread Latte at the airport.

I met up with my Aunt in Edinburgh on the Saturday, and was able to have a good old yarn.  Started off having coffee, then stayed for lunch, and a good browse through John Lewis's fabric department.  I made Auntie little coasters using a tut by Beth at Love Laugh Quilt.  I managed to finish the Christmas Throw Quilts for my girls.

 Here they are folded by the tree.

 I got a calm day and took the three of them outside to photograph.  Then a light breeze sprang up and The quilts were on the move.  Well, I did the best I could.  The first is my favourite.  It was a Nancy Halverson panel, and I planned it out using Kaaren's Happy Scrappy Spring Quilt as my inspiration.

 This started out as simply square in a square blocks which I kept making til I had enough for a quilt.

 For this one I used a pattern called Steps and Stairs by The Fennel Shed, Buncrana, Co Donegal.  I am going to finish this post now, as it has been a loooooong time in the writing.  I hope to blog again before Christmas Day (which is in one week). If I don't get  back to the computer I wish you all a very enjoyable Christmas and a Happy quilty New Year xxx. 

 

Halloween,birthday,project

Still beavering away at the  hopefully Christmas (2013) throw quilts for my girls.  Top 2 almost done, plus 4 blocks of top 3.  No pics I think. Will check.

Grandson had his 17th birthday. He still enjoys a cuddle and bit of fun .

Grandaughter carved her pumpkin as usual.

A school project and some help with techniques from granny B.

We printed on to fabric and attached all the elements with either bondaweb or fabric glue.

I had lots of fun, so had Grandaughter.

Dressing up for Halloween games night at the stables.

Joan won the best costume.  I think her horse was the bride of Dracula.

 

Perching,Christmas and Poor Penny

As I went into one of our local craft shops last week I noticed the large tile on the floor.  Wouldn't that make a great quilt block. 

just noticed I took a pic of my toes too.

I have started some Christmas sewing.  I know, it is a bit late.  I sewed today til my neck ached.  I wonder, do you perch on the edge of your chair when sewing, or sit back comfortably with your back well supported.  When I began to feel stiff and sore, I realised I was perched on the edge, so made a deliberate change to sitting properly.  It helped, but the damage was done. I sent for a few fat quarters to add to my stash collection. I include a sneak peek at todays sewing.  As it is a gift, I'd better keep it under my hat for a while. 

I had a little mishap with Penny.  I was clipping her claws and snipped one a bit short.  She bled all over the place, so I had to bandage her paw for a few hours.  To make up for my carelessness, I made her a new little quilt for her bed.  I still feel guilty though.

Its a 'flimsy',rail fence cushion, threadcatcher mini quilt.horses.

 

I have finished the piecing of HSS and here it is,  threads and all. I never even took time to tidy it up a bit.  Now I have to get it quilted and embellished with some of these little guys and other Spring stuff. 

 I may not do much of that until after Christmas, as I have a few things I need done for the Festive Season. Do you realise three months from now the Celebrations will be  over for another year.......too many projects.....not enough time.

I am making a cushion for a wee friend who is 81 this week.  I don't think she is a techie, so no fear of her seeing this blog (blog? I hear her say). I have used some batiks, and have taken courage and am quilting it by machine.  I am not brave enough to even  attempt FMQ , so I printed the design on phonebook pages.  This is my first attempt at this.  I have been strictly a straight line girl until now.

 

 

 

Remember the threadcatcher half square triangles.  They ended up like this. A small A4 quilt on which I practiced my hand quilting (need more of that)

The hubby's project is finished. All stables painted, and indoor arena. Don't think he wants too see a paintbrush for a while.  Everything is looking fresh and new.

The indoor

enjoying a lovely evening

  This evening was lovely and mild, so we went to have a look at the finished project, and found our girls riding outdoors.  It is lovely to see them enjoying the horses.

 

Today was a busy housework day. It must be done...sigh.  I didn't do any sewing until this evening, when I took out some little thread catcher half square triangles and decided to hand stitch them together.  I plan to make a small quilt to display in my livingroom. Watch this space

As I worked hubby supplied the tea and bikkies

I noticed yesterday my neighbour's tree was full of ripe berries.

When the birds decide they are just perfect, there will be a feeding frenzy for a couple of days, and the tree will be stripped bare.  How do they know when to eat them?  I think they look ripe now.

Niiiiiite



Gift bag, Tidy Mags, Pride goes before.......

Hi Everyone.  I have been busy this past week, trying to finish Happy Scrappy Spring and a couple of other small projects.  First, I was out shopping in TKMax, where you can buy almost anything, at the right price, when I came across this little package of, guess what, 100% cotton fabric.  Just had to buy it.

I put a pic on Facebook of my almost finished HSS. I was so pleased with the result of my labours.

This is not the pic of the wrong stitched bit. This bit is fine.

HOWEVER, when I went today to add the second to last side border, I found that I had sewn 3 of the chequered sashing strips UPSIDE DOWN.  The side border didn't match up......... What did I do?

Got out the trusty reverse stitcher, and undid all the wrong pieces.  Talk about pride going before a fall.  I am happy to say I have all stitched back together the right way up, and only one side to do to finish the piecing.  I'm not going to take a pic until all finished.  Don't want to repeat my mistake.  That's what I get for not following Kaaren's directions carefully.

Last night I was out with some girlfriends to celebrate a special birthday (not mine). We gave the birthday girl some vouchers for her favourite shop.  To make it a little prettier, I made a fabric gift bag, called lunch sack gift bag ( pattern at allpeoplequilt.com ) and added a mugrug and perfumed sachet.  We had a great time and ate too much delicious food. Lots of fun and laughter.

I tidied my favourite magazines today.  There is room at the end for another magazine box I think.

These are just the mags I cant possibly part with.  There are so many lovely quilts to admire, and think about making for myself............one day.

Love to all. Nite nite.

 

 



 

DB 13 & 14

I knew it, I just knew it, couldn't stay the course, even for two weeks.  Well, here I finish, until I have something worthwhile to show you.  I did a bit of cooking yesterday and lots of stitching this afternoon on my last row of blocks of Scrappy Happy Spring.  I have the sashing to do now, and join up the bits.  I did a wee bit of reverse stitching, only one seam, though a long one.  Hoping to get things underway for the final push to a finish tomorrow.

ready for the oven

cooked - lasagne.

Sorry this is so poor, Took it before the very modern light bulb came up to full light.

Ta ta for now.  I will keep in touch often.  I am enjoying this, but def couldn't keep up each and every day.



DB 12

One and only son came for a visit.  He does live in the same town, but is off to work very early in the mornings and too wrecked to socialise (with his mum and dad) at night.  We went to see how the stable painting is going on. Sorry I didn't take any pics. 
Amber and I had fun trying to take a 'selfie' . Did you know that is what  a picture of yourself taken with your phone is called.  I didn't until recently. Amber always tries to get in on the action at the computer, so I tried the selfie.  Think I will need to practice.

Later I got down to some more blocks for Happy Scrappy Spring.  I had a lovely stitchy afternoon.

Made some golden geese.

DB 11

Back on track.  Had some family business to conduct in Banbridge, so had lunch after with hubby and D2.  A nice start to the day.

Have this lovely panel.

planning how to use it.

Feet up and relaxing.  Tomorrow is another day.

DB 10 Ooops.

Ooops. I missed Sunday.  Maybe I was too busy. It was a good sunday.  It is always good to worship God together with friends.  We also gave thanks for the new Manse for our minister.

Here he is with daughter No 1. This was taken last weekend before they moved in.  It is a lovely family home.  May God Bless them as they live there in the (hopefully many) years to come.

We all want to move in with them......a blank pallet waiting to be furnished. 



DB9

Rainy Saturday.  I have had my early morning visit to mum, who is in reasonably good form today.  She has had a few visitors this past couple of days, and bro 3 is coming today to have tea with her. (which he will bring).  She's looking forward to that.    I made this...........

Chicken and peach bake.  It is supposed to be for tomorrow's lunch, but it is just the right kind of day today to eat something warm and tasty........see the view below.

rainy, cooler, even Amber says NO to going out.

She barely opened one eye as I took the pic.  It's a day for the house, as we say in my part of the world.  Maybe I will get some stitching done later :-)  She is not lying on a pieced quilt. That is some fabric on the back of a quilted throw I bought about 8 or 9 years ago.  Amber loves anything quilted, so I have to be careful where I put the precious quilts.