Twinkle, twinkle ....

2 little stars in my baby constellation quilt!

More matrouyshka fabric, lots of dots and yellow pointy bits!  I will keep going until the fabric runs out or I have enough blocks to make my baby quilt. 

The blocks are 10.5" finished and I was thinking if I made 9, 12 or 16 I'd have the right size and could always add a border or two on if not.

Only had to use the seam ripper a couple of times with these so think the penny is dropping but lots more time to make mistakes yet.  


Somewhere on the quilt I would like to include the baby's name - pieced in, appliqued  or embroidered on - not quite sure yet ....if you have a view let me know.  


Twinkle, twinkle little girl!

Fright Nite - the Sequel!

More background fabric arrived from Mandy at Simply Solids - more of that blood curdling Kona Ruby Red.

So I have been finishing off the rest of my greek cross blocks in the Across the Sea Quiltalong.  Not without a hiccup or two as I blithely joined all my centre squares to a background square....and even started adding a few background squares to the other side before I noticed I'd gone wrong!  Aggh!  

Unpick 16 squares - engage brain and try again.  Still managed to get some directional fabrics for the arms of the cross upside down so more unpicking required.   

Finally before the school run all 20 blocks were completed!  As you can see....

Here are some of my favourite blocks

Why did I buy a metre of that fabric with hands on it?  No idea but it is creepy enough to fit in this quilt.  

All this fabric is from stash apart from the Kona ruby red! I still have quite a bit of Hallowe'en fabric left so if you know of any other Hallowe'en makes be sure to let me know and if you can put a link in with your comment!

ok so I've started another new quilt!

After a flurry of name tagging activity on Tuesday I discovered that I didn't have any school shirts for my son - oops!  Fortunately a quick visit to town solved this problem and we were back on track for all three to attend school yesterday!

On Wednesday my son was on an induction programme which continues for the rest of week with team building exercises and a treasure hunt around the school grounds.  Proper school work doesn't start for him until Monday!

With all this activity there was again not much time for sewing - apart from more labels for the shirts and some trouser shortening.

Thanks for all your suggestions on baby quilts.  I will need to browse a few blogs to see the examples but I did get around to cutting out some wonky star blocks and stitching them together.

There is something about this block that messes a bit with my head.   Normally we spend so much time trying to get things right that it feels strange to deliberately be 'getting it wrong'!   I am guessing it gets easier the more blocks I do - at least that is what I'm hoping!

I did manage a few wrong things I was not supposed to do, like forgetting to trim off the excess - this way up it looks ok 

this way up not so good  had to trim off the excess with my scissors!

Never mind I have made a couple of blocks for Bee Blessed and these will wing their way to Ireland and I will persevere until I have enough for a baby quilt.  I may even manage a few more for Bee Blessed before I am done with this block.

As Judith suggested I am following this wonky star tutorial at The Silly BooDilly Blog except the squares are 4" not 4.5".


The setting for my little quilt will be the next thing to consider....but I will wait until I have a few more blocks to  play with.

Summary of August

I am listing all the projects I have been working on in August!


This was the biggest project I was working on - a UFO from 2005!  Terrible isn't it but I am sort of glad I didn't finish it then as my piecing skills (nil in 2005) were not up to the HST sashing.  Now it is my applique skills which are less practiced.....




At the beginning of August this quilt was a bundle of untrimmed blocks and a scramble of half square triangles (HSTs)

They were trimmed, given a mini and HST sashing and joined together

Borders were added and one was stitched with swags and stars....

I had hoped to finish all the borders in August but too many other wonderful things got in the way ....

I only made 8 of these Farmer's Wife blocks this month but these are my blocks to date...

In July I made a placemat/wallhanging with a little house on it using Marti Michell's small schoolhouse template.  As I loved it I decided to make a little quilt of schoolhouses using the lovely Kona solids I have been buying from Mandy at Simply Solids.  I will be using this as a colour chart as I intend to embroider on each house the name of the colour!

More houses have been cut out waiting to be sewn together and other solids have been purchased ....

A little doll quilt from Kathleen Tracy's first book.

This was the first project of August....I have another in mind for September!

The plaid string quilt was pieced together and is now waiting on it's border - must get onto that soon!

Feeling pleased I have finished handstitching the rose dream blocks and have pieced a back for this quilt - layering and basting this month!

The Polo Fruity quilt was in pieces at the beginning of the month but thanks to the Hexalong with Lynne and Gayle it is now together but waiting for 49 39 circles to be appliqued over those holes....

Forgot to show you these latest hexy blocks, probably as I wish I had made them with more value contrast.  But now I have all these to show you...

I have fallen way behind on this Hexalong...but loved making the blocks I did get around to!

I joined another QAL - getting good at that - the Across the Sea QAL led by Jennifer and Sarah - here is the Fright Night lapquilt version - this quilt will have teeth...

And here is the baby quilt version when I get more background fabric...

The lovely easy star pincushion made in 1.5 hours designed by Kimber and published on the Moda Bakehouse

I went to the Festival of Quilts and this is the mug rug I made for the lovely Susan Canadian Abroad.

Not only did I go to FoQ and meet Susan IRL!  but many others, including some Horsham Quilters!  I definitely want to return to FoQ next year but would like a sleepover to really experience it all!  




I also made some great new bloggy friends this month.   If you feel at home here by all means leave a comment and pull up a chair - we could be emailing back and forth in no time....









I am linking this post to the lovely Lynne's blog Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day.  You can see her button on my sidebar!  Please visit  - you will not be disappointed at all the loveliness going on there.

I don't love sewing....., I love sewing....!

Strange title for me I know but my attitude to sewing does depend on what it is I'm sewing...


This will show you what I was doing lots of yesterday eugh - 

Just a small sample of the very large heap I had to label for school - left to the last minute as usual.  Instead of hand sewing them on I stitched them in the seam by machine - much quicker and saves my fingers for some of this hand stitching....mmmm!

I now have ten holes on the Polo Fruity Hexagon quilt covered in a variety of non matching bright fabrics!  Sounds quite good until I tell you there are 49 to do so 39 left!

And to finish up it seems like I have two quilts to make for baby girls - my across the sea one may not do for either though I still want to make it...


Any suggestions?   


I have a fair bit of matroyshka fabric left after another project and thought they would be cute as the centres for some wonky stars blocks - then I could also get my Bee Blessed blocks done at the same time.

But what should I do for the other one - must be quite a quick project and I could  then give mum no 1 a choice.....for her delightful baby with the cutest button nose you ever saw!  2nd baby hasn't arrived yet!


Waiting eagerly for all your suggestions and I have just read Helen's latest post here! - did she read my mind or what!???  Still, let me now what your go to baby quilt pattern is....if you have one!

Goodie, Goodie Swap!

Goody, goody is what I am saying to myself as I think of this swap!  Anxious is how I'm feeling and will continue to feel until I actually get sewing.


What swap you say?  Well if you haven't seen it, or heard about it the swap is being led by the lovely Cindy at Fluffy sheep quilting!  It is too late to join in but you can drool over the inspiration mosaics and goodies being made on flickr


My poor attempts at mosaics are below and I have to say that I haven't managed to be terribly helpful I fear.  Problem is I like so many diffferent things so to help my patrners I thought I'd try to explain my choices:

I cannot see what these have in common!?  I love colour I guess and perhaps little details whether it be applique, quilting or embroidery.  There were so many mugrugs I adored these were a small selection - didn't know I liked toadstools so much but I do have a collection of dala horses!  Love them and all the colours they come in - still looking for a black one on ebay at a reasonable price!  Let me know if you spot one!

I have looked up birds, sewing items, covered journals and a coin purse in this mosaic.  As I like to hand sew on the go - anything to assist that will definitely be used!  I like journals for writing down inspiration!  How lovely it would be to have a special one for thoughts on creating...  And who could resist a little coin purse with money for a rainy day!   Need a little purse for car parking money!




But anything my partner wishes to make is great - I would rather they did something they felt comfortable making than stress out about one of the above.  I love lots of things and homemade is what I love most!


Happy sewing partners and all the other partners out there - hope this helps!

Bordering on insanity!

Here is my progress on the border of my applique quilt using the pattern Friendship's Garden by Blackbird Designs ie Alma Allen and Cherie Ralston.

There is something quite therapeutic about hand sewing I find - you have to slow down and take it gently, listening to a good story on Radio 4 (the American Senator by Thackeray).... cup of tea at hand.  Ahhhhhh!

I am sort of committed to finishing this top off this month - at least that was my target on the UFO domination 2011 group .  Fat chance you say of finishing it now??  Well I do like a challenge but I have only completed one side and two corners so it looks a long way off.

Also best not to step on your cream coloured quilt in an early morning sortie dressed in you pyjamas and wellie boots....I have to applique on this bit!

I got too distracted this month by the Across the Sea QAL and spin off projects - did I need to start a hallowe'en themed lapquilt???  Well yes apparently! 

Also the Delft Dreams and Polo Fruity Hexagon quilts both got more attention than my applique quilt. 

Now I am also panicking slightly about the first swap I have entered - scary new territory!  And I have so much school uniform labelling to do - two off to a new school!

Will it all happen this week? - probably not but I find a deadline sure helps me focus so  - bring it on - insanity or success?