Charlotte guessed!

Nessie in pastels was requested by the Queen of my Star of Africa Bee  May!  She is wearing a Tam o' Shanter hat as immortalised by our national poet Robbie Burns in his scary Hallowe'en poem of that name....You can read it here in Scots (an English dialect) or in so-called translation!

We are making blocks representing our country and as there are two others from the UK I have opted to represent my homeland of Scotland !  So far I have sent Hamish to Patti in Canada

And now Nessie goes to May who is a Swedish Finn living in Germany !  Hope I got that right...?    We have members scattered across the globe and are learning lots on the way!  It is a bit like virtual travelling and fortunately for me we communicate in English - phew!

Want to guess what this is?

Too easy huh?

Made on Puppywatch!

I am changing my lifestyle somewhat all because of this!

So now when I am on puppywatch I need to sew something that I can do by hand but cannot work on this....

Can you imagine what Maddie would do with her chewy teeth if I left a corner of this hanging over the edge of the sofa?

No you are right it doesn't bear thinking about!

So here I am back making these.....

which is a good thing!  And thanks to Lucy for the reminder, but she is way ahead of me on number 17, or so!

The latest one is the big one - one more finished since this photo and five more started.....hey it's progress!


Now the other news is I left a comment coveting a bit of stitchery and suggesting it could adorn a teddy tummy on a lovely and talented young lady's blog and look what appeared in the post ....

My very own Boris Ted!  Isn't he adorable?   Yes, yes he is!  Thank you so much Emily!

Breaking puppy news - Maddie came into town with us recently, met lots of people, and a few dogs and was very well behaved.  She was much loved by lots of ladies and children in particular and a young man.  We were so proud Clarissa and I.  Doesn't really make for easy shopping however but it is a WIP.

Breaking other news - My eldest passed her A levels and has got a place on a course studying Philosophy in London.  We are very pleased and I now have a great excuse to visit London - even if she doesn't want to see me every weekend....hehe!

This one's for you Helen!

One of the first quilts that spoke to me at the Festival of Quilts was this one ....

by Penny @ pennydogpatchwork

It made me think of two canine pals which feature in one of my favourite blogs....can you guess who I'm thinking of?   This one maybe ??  Congrats to Archie on winning Pets on Quilts Dog category and I am thinking Helen should capture his image in fabric so he can be a permanent pet on quilt as well as a temporary one!

Will be back with more on FoQ later!

What I'm still working on!

Puppy watch is slowing me down somewhat!  

It may just be a ball to you - but it is lots of fun for me!

And for some reason there seems to be a lot more cleaning and tidying up to do!??

I am not getting such long sessions with my Bernina and I guess she is quite relieved at that!  Gives her time to cool off inbetween sessions as the strip piecing in the Wedding Quilt means a lot of quick stitching.  

Last time you looked I had done the 48 blocks for the baby quilt in the book.  I have made a few more blocks - I am now up to 63!  Here it is...

Ok it doesn't look that much different to the earlier photo I have to agree, apart from the different background!

I am going to look again after 17 more blocks to see if it will be big enough.  If not I may add a plain border...... or carry on piecing!

I will try and give you another project to look at next time - like all the bee blocks I'm behind on!

What blew in from the USA?

A little while ago the lovely and super talented Mary at Molly Flanders sent me some goodies after I complained about holes in my finger and problems with needles when stitching with cotton perle!

I was handquilting this quilt but was put off by sore fingers!

Well I have held off telling you about this special rescue parcel until I could try  out the contents!  So having cleared Playmobil out of the rest of my sewing space (previously know as the playroom - but only used as toy store - thick with dust and dead flies - yeugh) I have now fitted in a comfy chair where I can sit at the open door and look out onto the garden and a field with trees and long grass!  Ideal wouldn't you say?  

I have been leaving the door open to benefit from a nice breeze as summer seems to have arrived in the UK - but only for a few more days!   Saffy has forgiven me a bit for introducing a cuckoo in our nest - aka Maddie our cockerpoo pup - and she has swanked in and out stopping to drink and eat at her newly relocated feeding station!

I have done a little bit of stitching and am really delighted by the results - no more pain only gain!  Mary sent me Nimble (the soft thimble)  which is comfortable but tough enough to spare my finger and a packet of Fons & Porter Utility Quilting Needles - they are fab - big enough hole to easily thread with our cotton perle of choice yet slim and sharp enough to easily quilt with!  Winning combination I'd say...

And then she topped it off with a super wee purse made as only Mary can!  Love it all Mary - my finger says a huge big thank you!

Bit of progress being made here...(yes that is Helen's fabulous cushion in the background - this chair is it's new home)

What I'm working on now...

Back in July I said I would make a lap quilt for a friend to give to her niece as her wedding present.


The brief was that the colours should be in the blue range, and that the bride favours a Kath Kidston look and a traditional feel.


So why am I making a quilt from this book you might ask??

To be fair it is a blue, cream and grey colour scheme and some of my fabrics are quite dated having been taken from my stash, as requested.   Lots of florals have been included, but also solids, spots and stripes!


But I think this is a very modern style of quilt that my friend has chosen for her niece so I just hope the bride likes it.  




I did start making it a bit tamer but it was the fractured look that attracted my friend so I have made it so!


The photo was taken at night so the colours are a bit off - my apologies!

This is the baby sized version of this quilt as it is in the book!  


I think it needs to be bigger though to make it lap or throw sized!  I need to get back to my strip piecing again - another 32 blocks should do it I hope!   


Oh I can't bear to think of so many - just thinking four sets of eight and it doesn't seem so bad!  


It's ok I do actually like strip blocks but for some reason I am impatient to finish this one ....

My July in fabric

July for me was all about purses!  Having been taught how to make a frame purse by the truly lovely Katy Jones at Fat Quarterly Retreat I was keen to make more!  So after a chat with my lovely friend Helen we launched the In the Frame Purse Swap!


I was swap mama for the first time - but I couldn't have even thought about it without the support and help of the truly wonderful Helen and Archie of course!


We had a swap button created by the lovely and compu-brilliant Laura Jane!

Thank you Laura!


Then I was so surprised and pleased that so many friends wanted to join in - thank you every single one of you who did!   And we had a few lovely girls I didn't know but want to know better!  For some of you it was your first purse and I truly take my hat off to you all rising to the challenge!   All of the purses are wonderful and so diverse - if you want to see just take a look here!  I am so proud of each and every one so now I understand why the host is called a mama!  Didn't our bebes do well!???




So after all that blurb here is my purse mosaic

The middle one has been shipped off to my partner and I'm just waiting to find out if she likes it!


I am of course linking up to Lynne at Fresh Sewing Day!

What Katy did!

I have a double virtual life - one here and one on Flickr and sometimes I forget to make the two connect!

With the delightful Helen I have been running the In the frame purse swap - my first time as mama and I have to say that if you feel the urge and have an idea of a swap then do go ahead!  You do need a bit of organisation at the beginning - I had Helen at the helm to sort most of that out she really is the biz! 


The biggest ordeal is getting people to give their information and then matching partners - if you are thinking eek will my partner like what I made?  Then we were thinking eek will you like your partner!?  There will never be a perfect fit but the information you give is what guides the mama so do put some thought into it.  In fact I went mainly by the mosaics - if they had a similar look - especially if they had the same purses they went into a group together and then I tried matching up individuals!  


But I only matched up half the group as I wanted a secret partner too!  So Helen chose for me and boy did she choose well!  


The lovely Katy Cameron was making for me and I apologise for not posting about this sooner - Katy what was I thinking!   I blame the puppy!  Awww!


Anyway this is one seriously talented lady from my native homeland of Scotland - she does wonderful stitchy quilting and other projects but she also makes the most delightful teddy bears !  I had the pleasure of meeting some in London at the Fat Quarterly Retreat.  

They have a weight to them that makes them a delight to hold - I was very tempted to sneak one home in my suitcase but I was good and only came home with one of Katy's Moo cards of one of her teds!

So what did Katy do ??

Look here and drool!

This purse uses the Fortune Cookie pattern and frame available from Lisa Lam's online shop U-handbag.  I have been investing heavily in this shop and have several frames to continue my purse obsession!   The gorgeous Ellie bookmark is a Zakka project - almost too pretty to use!


Having chosen one of the most gorgeous purse shapes Katy did some delightful piecing in linen and cotton strawberry print but then added some beautiful stitched detail - this gorgeous butterfly.....about to fly off!

And a snail I wouldn't mind in my garden....

There is also a ladybird, a spider - a friendly one like Charlotte -  and a bee!

So one of the advantages of being a swap mama is that you can get something exquisite too ....!  Must say I am delighted with my swap package and it is extra special to me as I have met the lovely Katy....


Now if she would just send me one of her bears....hehe.....I know too greedy for words but they are very special!