A visit...

We were away this weekend visiting my husband's family and it just so happened there was a lovely quilting friend in the neighbourhood so I also visited her!

She does a lot of quilting, in fact you could say she quilts prolifically...you know who I mean know don't you!   Well we managed to squeeze in a cup of tea and slice of delicious homemade cake, a studio and fabric cave visit but didn't manage to see all the quilts - frustrating or what.   But I can vouch for the prolific - I've seen it with my own eyes!   And no wonder she is fabulous at quilting feathers.   There are hundreds of them maybe even thousands in thoe quilts.

Thanks so much for your lovely welcome Trudi!  I loved meeting you again and seeing your corner of the world.  

And I took a little something with me as Trudi asked me to make her a cushion at FQ and I thought I really should get it done and deliver it...

We both love green and plants and Trudi wanted hand applique so I thought some leaves might be appropriate.

I had the audacity to machine quilt it in a few swirls and the central panel has a border of one of my favourite fabrics from the DS Chicopee stable which happens to have leaves printed on it.

The back is a bit plainer - a white panel quilted with leaves, a navy panel and a chicopee band hiding the zip with just one hand appliqued leaf on it!

I didn't take a photo but I have stamped a label under that zip band!

You will never guess where it was sitting...yup right here next to Helen's!

And you are wondering where all Trudi's lovely quilts are - would you believe I was so excited about the visit I left my camera in the car which my husband drove away in so I guess you will just have to go and see them yourself!   

Lettuce carry on stamping!

I stamped these seeds heads in Eggplant (the colour - not the vegetable) and was wondering what to do with them...

And then I had an idea!

I added some Liberty off-cut triangles and I had a little 5" star block...

I have a few more to make...

I like how this is looking.  



But I have other ink colours and it would be a shame not to use them too - this is Lettuce!   Looks like I'm working my way through the allotment...

Love the green - but if you read this blog you already know that don't you!

Gone to seed!

My goodness are things getting that desperate!?   She has finally gone to seed??

Well only in this way I think...

Yes I have been carving more stamps and have printed them in Eggplant this time!   Maybe I should try them out in some other colours  - something warmer, more autumnal!?

Most of us have sent off our gift to our partner in the Stamp it Up Swap!   Several of us have already received - including me!

Yes!  Yipee!

I got a stripey linen pouch - using a pattern I've not seen around before - a pleated pouch stamped with a cute Art Nouveau inspired ivy stamp!  Completed with a lovely button.

This is what is hiding inside - some Lu Summers fabric to continue the lovely botanical theme.

How did Fiona know I love Art Nouveau?   And I actually have lots of different ivy plants in my garden.   How appropriate is that?  

There were also some yummy scraps enclosed even though extras were not permitted - not giving them back now though!  Thanks so much Fiona!

I am plotting what to keep safely in my new pouch.  I love using pouches from friends for storing sewing things and for transporting them while I stitch and travel - it makes me feel a little bit connected to the stitching online community!

Pin away!

I am pinning like mad these days and you can see my pinboards here if you like...

I am using them to collect images, tutorials which inspire me and give me ideas for future quilts, stamping projects and the like.   Feel free to peruse my choices and be inspired too.

Anyway I thought the least I could do was make pinning easier in return therefore my photos (haha am I kidding myself here?) are now easily pinnable: by hovering your mouse top left of the photo a pinning thingy appears, you click, you pin!

Nothing new I am sure you have seen this plenty of places before!   Bet you didn't think you would see it here though - troglodyte that I am!  

Well I found out how here  - I used the second way, keep scrolling, which is for blogger - you wordpress peeps get to go first!

Hey it didn't work straight away as I couldn't find the right place to insert the code but I persevered and found it!  Yeah - not such a trog after all!

Happy pinning - not necessarily here of course!   Though I have put in some random recent photos just for demo purposes you understand! 

Those last two pics show my blocks for Karen for Stingy Bee !  Heck does this girl distract me or what!  I love the block Karen so it might be another quilt I have to start - just not yet.  

There are four as I'm being an angel - truly - for Erin who has her hands full of Cora I think!  I have raided some Liberty, some retro style prints and my LV stash for you - is it the look you wanted as I haven't stitched them all up yet so you have time to say 'NO start again!'

Stamping is fun ....

....and I'm not the only one, who thinks so!

Well you know I have been bitten by the stamp carving bug and am quite severely infected (carrying on that little theme).   But I have also managed to kindle a carving flame elsewhere with our little group of swappers!

While you have been doing other fabulous things we have been carving, buying inkpads, stabbing ourselves all in the name of pleasing our partner....


Here are some of the lovelies that have been made by Floh, May, Katie, Andrea, Anneliese and Sonia

There are more lovely thing you can see here I just haven't been given permission to show you them on my blog.  I suspect they are all busy carving stamps, stamping or in A&E tending their wounds!
I just can't believe the talent we have!  It is truly AWESOME!

Here is my entry which I posted today....

Er ....not sure my partner wanted a fabric basket, and Oriental Poppy stamped on it or an AMH lining which gave me the colour scheme but I do remember seeing words to the effect < It's all up to you partner! > and I hope I will not disappoint!

How do you do what you do to me?

I wish I knew!   If I knew how you do it to me, I'd do it to you!  Karen!


I went on my friend Karen's blog - like you do!

I spotted her delicious new screen printed fabric - and of course I bought some before I was even conscious of what I was doing!  (er I'm sure she won't mind me pinching her photo off her blog - thanks Karen!)

It arrived speedily - that Karen doesn't hang around!

Then I made these cute, little cross blocks - I just had to...

Here are a few more and sashed in some gorgeous Essex linen....you would too if you were me!

And now I am thinking a tote bag of loveliness or a pretty large pouch!   

So do tell me Karen - how do you do what you do to me?  

Take it away Gerry

Capture a rainbow....

I have been playing with the cross blocks from my Stingy Bee mates.    I am sewing them together in an offset layout.  I learnt how from Sarah Fielke - ok it was a craftsy class rather than flying off to Australia but I enjoyed it.

My blocks are ever so pretty and it seems that they wanted to paint a rainbow...

Three rows sewn together...the greens, the yellows and the oranges.

....and here's what I hope it will look like when I've sewn all the blocks together.  There may be some more blocks to arrive and to make but I'll be happy enough to do that.   I started with the darker colours at the top left and drift down to the lighter ones at the bottom right.

Not quite sure yet how I'll finish the edges off - but I'm sure it will all come clear in time!

Chickened out!

I am getting impatient to catch up on my outstanding bees and therefore have given up on my attempts to stitch celtic knots for Cindy and Turkish stitch thistles for Veena!

But I am not giving up on producing blocks for these two ladies - no I'm substituting them with something I think will work better.

So this 10.5" block is for Cindy - much more visual than my celtic knots and still very Scottish.

And this similar smaller scaled block is for Veena who actually asked for our national flower.

And together

The pattern can be found here and my thanks to Patti who made a pansy for Veena made by the same clever lady and alerted me to this possibility. 


Two more blocks done. Now after that paper pieced diversion  I still have a castle to finish for Fiona!  And then two more blocks to start and finish for the Star of Africa bee.   I will be so glad to catch up!


I have linked up here....have a little look - you might want to...

My August in fabric!

Was I busy in August?

Looks like it!   Busy stamping anyway!  My latest love!

And starting new things....not one, but two hexy quilts!

And at the last minute working on something older....

 
That was August - wonder if I can be better behaved in September!?