Finally finished

Posting again a bit sooner than expected ;)  I'm a bit like the buses - none for ages and then two come along! 

 

I started this log cabin quilt about three years ago. It's completely hand sewn using the "Quilt as you Go" method. I loved making the blocks but have to admit that when it came to the thought of joining them all up I wasn't quite so keen!  There were times when I didn't touch the quilt for months but there were other times when I'd sit sewing each night. Once I finally got round to joining it up (and realised it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be) I was working on it most nights. Now that I've finished I've had to find something else to do in the evenings. ;) 

I wish you could feel this quilt, it is really heavy but also really soft because it's all been hand worked.  What a difference there is between hand sewn and machine sewn quilts!  I don't know if it'll stay on the bed (I needed somewhere to lay it out to take a photo) because as it gets colder I have a feeling we might like having it downstairs to snuggle under. 

 

It's also wonderful for wrapping Aunty Em up in

and playing hide and seek under ;)

 

 

xx

Photo a Day - the last week

My goodness, I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted any photos.  I'm keeping up with  my photo a day and now that I've finally got my journalling cards am hoping to get up to date with Project Life again too. 

Life is pretty hectic here at the moment and I rarely get on my computer. Today I'm taking a little time out to post but it'll just be a little bit under each photo for now.  It's Easter holidays and Jon, Emily and I will be going away for a few days next week (and leaving the "boys" to fend for themselves) so it may be another week before I get the next post up.  Please bear with me and, hopefully, I'll get back to daily posts again soon.

Although I finished the top of this quilt some time ago, I've procrastinated when it came to putting it all together.  Friday night was the night to get to it and make a start on finishing it off.  

 After our weekly grocery shop on Saturday, I thought I would make a bit batch of Carrot and Lentil soup to have the following day for lunch. The temperatures had dropped down and soup seemed like a good idea.

 Iain (my brother) arrived back from Australia early on Sunday morning and I went to Gatwick to pick him up. After giving him a chance to have a coffee and relax a bit, I went and picked Mum and Dad up to bring them to the house for lunch.  As you can see, on Sunday the sun had come out again and it was actually warm enough to sit outside.  We still had soup ;o)  And in case you were wondering why Jon was sitting slightly apart from the rest of us, he was having a cigarette and sat back so we weren't in a cloud of smoke.

 Great excitement on Monday when the delivery van arrived with my Clementine core kit from Becky Higgins for Project Life.  I had been printing out the journalling cards myself but soon realised I was going to use an awful lot of ink over the year.  So, when it was announced that Amazon were going to stock the products I was really excited. That changed when, instead, Tammy Morales from www.ScrapbookersInnerCircle.com announced that they would be distributing the products themselves.  Long story short, after 4 weeks in Customs in the UK they finally got their shipment and I got my core kit. Now I just need to bring my journalling up to date (I've been writing in my diary every day so that I have a record of what went on).

Monday night also saw me sewing the binding down on the back of the quilt. I sew it onto the quilt with the machine but once I've folded it over to the back, I hand sew it in place. It felt so good to get it finished in time.

 Michelle, Josh and Lily came to visit on Tuesday. It was Josh's birthday on Thursday but we gave him his presents a couple of days early (and funnily enough, he didn't complain ;o) ). I was worried about whether he would like the quilt but he seemed to. Michelle explained the next day that he hadn't realised I'd made it for him but that he loved it. He had it on his bed that night and the next morning she sent me a photo of him reading his magazine with the quilt over his lap :o)

 Once Alice went home on Wednesday, and dinner had been eaten, it was a chance for me to sit down and catch up with some of the Grey's Anatomy episodes I had recorded on Sky+.  I didn't watch them all in one evening but I have now caught up, having watched the last one last night.  Now I have to wait till next week for the next episode!

When Emily and I got back from shopping for our holiday yesterday, Jon had the tickets propped up for us to find when we came in.  Now it feels like we are going!! :o)

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.

xx

47, 48 & 49:365(+1)

It's been half term this past week and because I ended up not having Alice, I've been out and about a bit and haven't been on my computer as much. So now it's time for a quick catch up for 365(+1).

 On Thursday morning Jon and I had someone come round to write our Wills.  It's something we've been saying we need to do for years but had never got round to.  I feel so much better knowing that this has now been taken care of.

 Friday was my sister Kay's birthday and we were all invited round for afternoon tea at Theresa's (Kay's younger daughter). Alyssa had been asleep when we arrived but when she woke up she was in a lovely mood and wanted to have a cuddle with Nan/Kay.  We had a lovely afternoon just chatting and eating (too much ;o) ) Thanks Theresa and Kay for a delicious spread.

Claire and Alice are finally on the mend (after Alice's virus, Claire came down with a horrible head cold) and this afternoon they came round to spend some time with us.  I love this shot of my 3 girls - daughters Claire and Emily and granddaughter, Alice :o).  Might just end up in a frame somewhere!

So, that's me caught up for now.  I'd also like to say thank you for all the lovely comments about my log cabin quilt (post below).  I've so enjoyed making this quilt and can't wait to have it completed.  Deb (Paper Turtle), I'll send you an email shortly :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
xx

Log Cabin Quilt

This log cabin quilt was started in May last year. It's completely hand quilted and has been sewn a block at a time. The best part is ... you can do it anywhere. I keep my fabrics, sewing box, cutting mat, ruler and pencils in a basket which sits next to my seat in the lounge. There have been times when I haven't touched it for months and other times when I've sewn every day. Knowing that I now only have four blocks left to make has motivated me to sew more often :)

 I pulled all the blocks out on Monday night and lay them on the floor to see what the finished quilt will look like and I have to say, I LOVE IT!  This one will definitely not be going anywhere and I can't wait for it to be finished.

 However, having said that, it could take me another 9 months before I finish sewing it all together. I have no idea how long it'll take OR how fiddly it'll be OR how patient I will be OR whether I'll get fed up and it'll take even longer. Who knows!! I'm just hoping the fact that I want it complete is enough to motivate me to keep going :)

 I love that this quilt has used up so many of the fabrics I had in my stash that I didn't know if I would ever use. That it doesn't matter how much or how little on any one fabric you have, it can all be included.  I love looking at all the fabrics and colours and seeing that it doesn't matter if the colours I put next to each other didn't go because at the end of the day the main thing is that you have the light and the dark sides which form the pattern.  How cool is that!

And finally, Emily thought she'd give you an idea of how big the quilt will be. She's 5'4" so I'd say it's definitely longer than 6' and about 6' wide. As she says, big enough for both of us to snuggle under when it's finished :)

xx

46:365(+1)

• The fabric was washed and tumble dried after I got back from Puddleducks yesterday.
• This morning I ironed it and cut it out.
• Arranging the fabric and seeing the layout come together is always fun.
• And finally, sewing them together and
• Adding the border.

The quilt top is complete and, if I get a chance, I hope to layer and baste the top, wadding and backing together, ready to start quilting tomorrow.  It's come together much quicker than I expected - which means I now know that it will be ready well in advance of when it is required for.

That feels good!
xx

45:365(+1)

I really haven't been doing very well with my photo taking this week :(

Mum and I went to Puddleducks in Sevenoaks today so that I could get some fabric for the next quilt I'm going to be making. It takes us about 40 minutes to get there (and now that I've been a few times ;o) I no longer need to use the Satnav) and it's normally quite a pleasant drive. Today, however, we seemed to get every lorry possible pulling out of side roads in front of us or stopping at the side of the road so we'd have to wait to overtake. It wasn't the most relaxing drive!

Getting to Puddleducks soon makes up for that though as they have a lovely selection of fabrics. Today was a bit trickier as I was looking for fabrics in a colour that I don't normally choose and had decided on a different design for this quilt. Let's just say, after an hour or more of looking and discarding fabric, I finally decided to revert back to a simple block quilt and after being shown one fabric I really liked, the rest finally fell in to place.  I know I'm being a bit secretive but I don't want to give anything away.

This leads me back to the lack of photo taking. I had put my camera in my bag to take photos while we were there but I got so involved in the whole fabric process I forgot totally! It was only when we got to Otford (the next village along) where we normally stop for lunch before heading home, that I realised I hadn't taken any photos. I snapped a couple of the main street in Otford but that was it.

This then is my photo for today & we didn't even eat at that pub ;o) but a couple came out in front of me just as I was taking the photo and obscured the view of where we do have lunch, so this will have to do, lol!

Despite all that, Mum and I had a good time and I got my fabric, so it was a good day after all.

xx

39:365(+1)

This morning, while Alice was having a nap, I finished another block to add to my growing pile.  I pulled them all out to count them and see how many more I still need.  There are 41 blocks in that pile which means I only have another 7 to make before I start joining them all together.  I can't wait for this quilt to be finished  and this is (another) one I won't be giving away. 

xx

Monday

Today Emily and I are in Eastleigh (between Winchester and Southampton) visiting Jon's daughter, Michelle, and her family. As you may remember, Michelle is expecting her second child in November and now has less than 5 weeks to go :).  Part of the reason for our trip, other than to see them, is to take down some baby clothes from Claire, which Alice has outgrown. With them both born in November (all going well) the ages and seasons will tie in perfectly.

However, what Michelle didn't know is that I've been sewing every chance I get for the last week or so to get this little quilt finished for Lily.  I've found over time that there are no guarantees when looking for fabric for baby quilts. On some occassions I have battled to find anything I like but, fortunately, that wasn't the case this time.  I look for my border fabric first and then choose the other fabrics from the colours used in the border. This quilt has turned out to be lovely and bright and I really hope both Michelle and Lily will like it.

 The back of the quilt is made of polka dot fabric which is so cute!

All boxed up and ready to take :)

xx

Finally ....

Finally ... finished Alice's cot quilt. This has been on the go for a little while but it was finally finished yesterday afternoon.

 Front

 Back (red gingham)

Close up of some of the materials 

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Finally ... means I've been able to put away my sewing machine which has left my desk fairly tidy

It's been a long time since you could actually see desk!  Who knows, perhaps one day soon there could even be some scrapbook pages made here!

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Finally ... getting round to posting some photos from last week!

 Jon made the most of the lovely weather when he was home last weekend. The grass was cut and we were able to sit outside until late afternoon.

 Jon's sister Deb, and her husband Dave, came round on Saturday afternoon with their puppy Beth. Emily was quite happy to look after Beth and I think Beth was quite happy sitting on Emily's lap.

 Cloud wasn't 100% sure what to make of another dog in the house but we reassured her that we weren't replacing her.

Great Aunty Debbie got to have cuddles with Alice.

 This particular afternoon Alice spent some time sitting on Mummy's lap chewing Mummy's finger

We're trying to encourage her with her sitting ;o)

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Finally ... starting on my log cabin quilt. 

I've been wanting to make one for some time and last week went round to see a friend who showed me how to sew them so that you quilt and back the squares as you go and then join the squares together at the end. I'm hand sewing this quilt and using all the scraps of material I have in my stash. Although it all looks a total mismatch at the moment, it doesn't seem to matter once the quilt is complete and sewn together.  I like the idea of hand sewing it as it then becomes portable - I can sit at the kitchen table to sew, or in the lounge watching TV or even in bed in the evening if I want to. I'm not sure how long it's going to take me but I'm looking forward the challenge.

And finally ... I think that's it for this post. No special plans for this weekend so hopefully I'll get some sewing or scrapbooking done. Check back soon to see if I make anything ;o)
xx

Moses Basket Quilt

Today I finally got round to taking photos of the Moses Basket quilt. This was made using scraps of fabric in my stash because I wanted to see how this design turned out. Making the blocks was easy enough but when I came to sew them together I realised most of the fabrics were on the bias which didn't make it quite so easy. The quilt probably turned out a bit smaller than expected as a result because I had to trim off more to try and square the edges. I quilted across the whole quilt using a free hand method.

I had quite a lot of fairy fabric in the stash so that became the back of the quilt. You can also see some of the quilting in this photo.
I'm now back knitting again and will hopefully show a couple of the cardigans soon.
xx

Back to school

It's back to school for Emily today and I can't believe how quickly the school holidays passed. This year sees Emily going into Year 9 (her third year in Senior School) and by Christmas she will have chosen the subject she'll be taking for her GCSEs. Let's hope it's a good school year for her :o) Claire had another hospital visit yesterday so had the day off work. This time it was for blood tests and an injection. It's now less than 11 weeks to her due date and she starts maternity leave in just over a month. Wow, time flies! We've had better weather again this week and I've been able to get my washing on the line. I'm trying to keep up to date while it lasts. And finally, I've been doing some sewing :o). I'm using materials I already had and we'll see how it turns out. Fun, fun, fun!

xx

Baby Quilt

This morning I put the final touches to the latest baby quilt. With all that's been going on lately it's taken a little longer than I would have liked so it felt good to finish it. It was boxed up and posted this afternoon, on it's way to it's new home. My only wish for the quilts I make is that they are used often and worn in and well loved. I'm hoping that will be the case with this one too.

Folded up

The front

The back

The little label in the bottom left hand corner gives the baby's name, date and time of birth and birth weight.

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Next quilt/s to be made will be for Alice Rose :) (Thinking I might need to make a doll size one for the Moses basket and then a cot size one.)

Tomorrow I continue with the editing of the wedding photos as I'm hoping to get some up on a website this weekend so that they can be viewed.

xx

Keeping busy :)

Started quilting today :)

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2 days to go till Norma arrives!

xx

It's been a few days ...

The past few days have whizzed by and I've hardly been going on my computer.

On Tuesday Mum and I went to Sevenoaks to a quilt shop I hadn't been to before (I'd never been to Sevenoaks before either!) to look for some material for the next quilt I'm making. I found these materials and the border material (the patterned fabric underneath the others) and a couple of others are from the Basic Grey "Eva" range by Moda. I'd never seen scrapbook papers as fabric before so this was quite cool! This morning Hugh, Claire, Mum, Dad and I went and voted first thing. We had to go to our local community centre and were in and out quite quickly. I'm interested to see what's going to happen with these elections, it's certainly the closest the parties have been in a long time!

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It was then time for us to head down to the hospital for Claire's 12 week scan. Claire and Craig both had the day off work for the scan so Craig came with us. It was the first time Craig had seen a scan and baby played to the audience. It raised it's arm and we could see the little hand and all the fingers and at one point it looked like it was sticking it's tongue out ;o)

It's amazing what a difference three weeks makes - from the little shrimp like blob to this little baby who is now 6cm long. So sweet!

Which photo to use?

I haven't decided which photo to use for my photo a day tag book (yes, I'm still up to date with this project and will be printing out March's tags tomorrow :)

I've wrapped a couple of baby presents I need to post and the quilt is ironed and waiting for it's tissue paper and box then I can post it too. Looking at them like this, I quite like the bottom photo - any comments?

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It's been a very quiet weekend here. Emily is still not feeling 100% and now has a streaming cold as well as the sore throat :( Might well be another day off school tomorrow if her temp doesn't come down. Also Theresa, if you read this, I hope you're feeling better soon and call me if you need any help.

xx