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.

DB 8

Over halfway.  I was right about not prolonging this agony.  Today was a no stitching day, a running around after others day, a making appointments for next week day, a barely having time to cook day, a day for eating leftovers.  However, it was sunny and bright.  I got to see my 3 daughters, and talk to my son. I am blessed. See you all tomorrow.

DB6

Hello again.  Another beautiful day again.  A lovely start to the Autumn months.  I did my food shop this morning, then paid a wee visit to my local fabric shop The Cotton Shed where I had a great chat with Anna, 3yrs going on 23.  As her mum measured out  some fabric Anna was having a great time chatting to the ladies, and.......cutting through a retractable tape measure.  Scissors confiscated, she did try to mend the tape by pushing the end back into the case.  It was so funny. All the while she kept up a constant chatter.  Made my day, as I don't have any little ones about the house now.
Sorry, no pics today.  I continued to work on Happy Scrappy Spring.  Sorry this blog is such a mess, it saved in drafts instead of posting, so it is appearing in the wrong order.  Oh, dear, I am a silly blogger.

DB7

Another normal day in the life of a would be stitcher.......
Mum and Hubby and I went shopping this morning for her bits and pieces.  She gets a sail in the wheelchair nowadays, as the little legs cant walk around the supermarket. It is good that she can still choose her own food and household items. 
Got in a little more stitching before doing the school run to pick up my GD.

 
This is coming together beautifully.
                                                                         Nite all.

DB 5

Good morning Blogging Friends.  I have been thinking.....This could be a bit boring after a while.  No, I am not trying to wriggle out of it.  I plan to keep going for two weeks at most, then I will hopefully keep up to date weekly.  There's not enough in each day to enthral you.  See what agony I am going to spare you.  Today is quite a beautiful day here.  I have been out checking the garden, and watering some pots.  I can hardly believe we are getting such good weather.  These Iris which I rescued from an overgrown clump at the side of the house, think it is spring.  They are throwing up shoots.

The Hydrangea is blooming beautifully.

 The Joseph's coat is still going strong.  I love the green heart on the right.  These lillies multiply each year, and I love them, as they are so dainty.

This fellow has been on the edge of the path for some years now.  He was a gift from our grandchildren.  Amazingly, when there is heavy rain his little patch of grass becomes a pond, and he seems to be swimming.

I have had a lovely day stitching while hubby continues his marathon paint job at the stables.  Think I will sneak up on him tomorrow and take a pic.  This is what I have been sewing

 The redwork I have been doing is now finding its place in a quilt by Kaaren of The Painted Quilt. The flight of bendy ducks that I sewed yesterday are having a reprieve.  I think I have learned my lesson.....I am not perfect, and my work is not perfect either.  I will continue to try to improve, but the main thing is, I love what I am doing, so I will continue to sew less than perfect quilts and enjoy myself.  There is something very satisfying in seeing lovely fabrics come together in all kinds of patterns.  I think my rabbit with the egg looks a bit mad.  It is his eye.  He's saying, 'its all mine and I am NOT going to share'......greedy bunny.
Luv B xx

DB 4

Not a lot of exciting things happening today.  I will have to get into the habit of taking pics of the things I want to blog about. I did a little helping the family, visiting a sick friend, some cooking and to crown off my day a little sewing. I made one more of these, to ease my conscience and try to keep on track with my aim to finish asap.

I also made a very wobbly looking flight of ducks (it would be an insult to call them geese)

 

I think these will be set aside, and I'll have another try.......practice makes perfect, or nearly so. They seem to be curving to one side.  How do I keep them straight.

It is 10.30pm here, and the temp outside is still 19 degrees. Remarkably mild for September. Long may it continue.......nite nite.

The DB 3

Today is the first of Sept.  I should have started this exercise in blogging today, then I would have been able to keep tabs.  This morning's service in wpc was so special.  It was Back to school with God Sunday.  Some of the school kids took part, and there was lots of encouragement for those starting new schools tomorrow. 
Home again, and blogging a little before lunch.  This fluffy girl insisted on sitting/sleeping on MY/OUR computer chair, so I am perched on the dining chair beside her. The quilt is hers. It keeps her comfy and some of the hairs off the upholstery.