Baby bear is impatient!

I found another little jar of bonus HSTs and we know what that means!  More baby bear paws!

So I got busy ....

Enjoyed a bit of cute fussy cutting....

And made these....

And because I was making several I was using this to keep all the pieces in place till I could stitch them - made this one last year...

as my entry to the Umbrella Prints Challenge


But I didn't have enough space so of course I had to make another - this time an 8" block tidy ( is there a proper/accepted name for this?) using two orphan blocks I made in April!

And I have got some more gorgeous felt to make a 12" one!    No excuse then for dropping pieces all over the floor or loosing them!

I also had a bit of fun - who doesn't like to follows footsteps and find out where they lead!

Er not Maddie then??!  She thought it might be edible - the rule is anything that lands on the floor is mine!  Right?


Sorry Maddie - not in this case !   

Bee Bop a Lula!

I have made early progress on my bee blocks!   Yeah!

To be honest I really have to this month as there is so much else to do!

So it's just as well I got....

Collette's blocks done for her bright Scrappy Trip quilt in the Bee a Brit Stingy Bee - using this tutorial

I spotted a few purples in the mosaic you made of colours you liked Collette and even included one that I had.  Can you spot it?

I was definitely thinking a fruit juice cocktail - or maybe punch when I made this block!

Next up was Jodi's block in the Scrappy?  Sew Bee It bee!  using her own tutorial.  I picked the Chicopee leaf in red because it was asking to be included.  Jodi's quilt is to be near an art piece her friend has made with lots of apples in it - so the apple dot in teal had to go in!  I managed to find and centre the letter 'j' in the type fabric and I think she likes DS .... Hope she likes the block...

And two Rock Mountain Puzzle blocks for Susan in the Modern Stitching Bee using Susan's tutorial.

This block represents my own blog name with the mama said Sew frame and the beautiful oversized flower in the middle!  

I love these sorts of flowers - umbellifers in horticultural speak!  But I'm not the only one - bees and butterflies adore them too as each flower head is made up of lots of tiny flowers and they are usually nectar rich.   

All along the hedgerows there is now lots of cow parsley in flower - so pretty as you pass by and fairly buzzing with insects!

This block says it all - Green is not just a colour - it is of course THE colour!  Hehe!  Maybe my garden influences me here but I do love it!

And I do approve of trying to live in a green way too - despite the fabric I keep on buying!  oops!   Need to revisit my green credentials don't you think!?

A few other bee blocks to do, including a new bee I have joined - just waiting for fabric to arrive!

What another bee??  I am totally!  MAD!

My May in Fabric!

Linking up to Fresh Sewing Day 

Welcome to anyone dropping in from Fresh Sewing Day!

May has been a busy month for reasons other than quilting but I did finish  one quilt UFO this month and my first finishalong 2013 project completed this quarter!  Eek  - so behind as I said I would finish another five/six projects and there is only one month left in the quarter!!  

How are you getting on with yours??

It may be only one smallish quit but I do like the quilting on it which took quite some time to complete by machine.  

Inspired by Trudi and Angela Walters is was all about the feathers! 

First time feathering a quilt but I had so much fun it won't be my last.   I have called it Feathered Star !

Then there were a few starts


Some blocks - all but the top middle and right are for bees! 

 Loved making all of these!

This one is my idea for joining in with Lucy and Janine's Bear Paw flickr make your own quilt-along!   I'm going to make a baby sized quilt and use up some tiny bonus HSTs - only 1.5" square teamed with a 3" print square and a 1.5" background square and then some sashing!   Keeping it nice and scrappy!

Only made one block so far but with the wonders of a mosaic maker like picmonkey I have been playing with a layout and I am thinking of turning them round in different directions so baby bear meanders around - probably on the hunt for mummy bear or some sweet honey!

This block I also designed based on the Arrowhead block in the Modern Blocks book - the composite triangle - all together the hexagon block is a massive 28" or so!  

And finally a few swap items and my gorgeous lampshades !

The big toothy grinning skull will be my partner's nametag for Fat Quarterly Retreat in London.    Yes she does like this sort of thing!

The friendlier looking Mr White Rabbit and deer are my Artist Trading Cards for this fabulous swap run by Ali Burdon of veryberryhandmade - don't worry about not joining in yet as she is talking (already??) of running more swaps!

Lastly my two gorgeous lampshades brighten up my sewing room with fabric hand screen printed by the ever so talented Karen at blueberry park!   I usually just horde her fabric but this time I have actually made some delicious  shades!   I smile every time I look up - like right now!   Sigh!

And that was May!  You've seen it all before but I'm glad to see that it was not such a bad month after all then!

And it all starts again peeps!

Tidying up!

 I read with interest when my two friends Janine and Lucy linked up on making Bear's Paw quilts.  I love traditional blocks and Bear's Paw has been one of my favourites for a long time.

I even went as far as making a very traditional Bear's Paw quilt out of upcycled flannel sheets and shirts!   The only new bit was the backing.  I then quilted it on the machine -  eek!  This was before I could quilt on machine but I gamely  persevered through thick layers of flannel and finished it.

It is now covered in long black cat hair as our grumpy wee cat Saffy seems to have adopted it - she would, as the background is white!

Anyway here is my old bear's paw quilt (without the cat hair)

Very much made do and mend ...I bought the flannel for the back - but not quite enough hence the economy big bear paw on the back using up every scrap I had left!   

[You see Helen I have been fudging stuff since the beginning ]

Before I knew it yesterday I had taken some of those bonus HSTs I've been collecting out of their jar...

Each square only 1.5" and paired them with 2.5" squares to make these!

My modern scrappy baby Bear's Paw!

Though my layout has now changed to this ...

This baby bear knows where he is headed!  Straight for a picnic basket or possibly the trash can if we are being realistic!   Yogi eat your heart out!  Not sure yet about the negative spacing yet - it may need a bit of tweaking or trimming!

So thinking of joining in??  If so the Bear party is over here!   It's all there picnics and everything - ok I lied about the picnic...


And after this bit of play yesterday I made another Artist Trading Card!

I am calling it 'Hidden' as the wee baby deer is part camouflaged in his background, which is full of butterflies - had a Bambi moment when I picked that!   

Around my local area there are some very pale or white coloured deer in the wild which have escaped from an estate herd and branched out on their own.  This is one of their babies!  

Just recently two startled deer ran across a wooded lane in front of my car - so not only the deer were startled!  They don't follow the Green X code they just belt it as fast as they can....I'm glad to say those two made it safely!

So here are my two Artist Trading Cards - each measuring just 2.5" x 3.5" - that's what I found the hardest bit - getting the size right.  Thanks for your tips Helen!

I know which I'd pick!  What about you?

If you like the idea of joining in an ATC swap then Ali is already talking about running another round later in the year - Read about her plans here!  And do visit the Flickr Group - I'm not the only one making these!

I'm (not going to be) late!

Thanks for all the comments yesterday and the guesses you emailed to me.   We shall just have to wait and see ....  who gets that nametag!

Turns out Mr Not-so-Grim is a bit like Marmite - some of you love him and some hate him!   

Have to say he was fun to make and I'll be happy to send him to his new owner...

Now I have another one to make as a one on one swap - such fun - with the fabulous Annabella who is making an extra block for my international bookshelf!   Hadn't pegged Annabella as a skull girl!

Today I need to get on with my Artist Trading Card Swap.   I am hoping to make a few and let my partner choose which I send!  

I have made a start on this one.. quite a different sort of thing! 

We have lots of rabbits in the garden - much to Maddie's disgust/delight as she loves to chase them away!   

And which rabbit is more famous than The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland?  Besides after Ali's reminder that we need to send soon I got worried that I'd be late!  Now I'm worried he won't quite fit on a card 2.5" x 3.5"....oh dear!


I have a few other designs to try - only drawings so far..but I do like this one best....

UPDATE: 

Finished the stitching and...couldn't wait to show you!

Apparently I can handstitch after all!

Did you notice...?

....that FQ Retreat is coming around!  Apologies to those not joining in!


I have signed up to a few things for retreat!  

The sample swap, some siblings together quilts and the nametag swap!

I found this picture on a google search and used it as inspiration for my partner's nametag!  I do hope I am on the right track...?

First I drew the design outline onto my background fabric in pencil  - I am low tech you know!   Then I carefully FMQed the outline in some Aurifil 28 deep purple!  Black might have been the more obvious choice or grey but I thought I'd be different.

I aired my first step on flickr and have to say there was not much love out there for Mr Grim as I nick named him!  He is an acquired taste and not really mine but I thought I had managed to represent him quite well.

Next stage was a bit of prettifying!   The original design has lots of detail on it and so I had to do a bit of simplification.  I FMQed some flowers, leaves and paisley designs but as they didn't show up too well I highlighted them with a bit of embroidery floss!   He also has some French knot 'piercings' around his eyes and mouth!

I think he can now be called Mr Not-So-Grim!  

Still not your cup of tea?  Then this nametag is probably not for you then - you can sigh with relief now - or can you Di???

The view outside!

Way back when I started blogging I was expecting to talk about gardening too!

It used to be a passion of mine - hence the Mrs Sew and Sow but it seems the sewing has taken over somewhat.  My garden is at it's prettiest in Spring and Autumn and the blossom is rather gorgeous at the moment so   if you can put up with a bit of garden there might be some other stuff after...

Look what else was in the garden - my second giant star with a black print background kindly donated by the lovely Helen.  The pattern is by Jeni @incolororder. 

Instead of sticking to the straight line quilting that I did in the first one I started playing around with feathers in the background! 

 It was so much fun I carried on...

But then disaster struck!  Not enough thread!  Argh!   And just where do you find Aurifil 28 weight in this country when you want it?   Answer you don't in this pale lilac colour and it would cost a fortune to buy from the US due to increased P&P.  So what do you do??

Well I improvised of course - used another colour and called it my label - ok it is not very legible but it says Feathered Star, by Nicky Eglinton, May 2013!  More of a secret - not so secret label then!   Feathered star ?  On account of the quilting rather than the pattern... 

Must remember to make sure I have enough thread next time!  And this sure used up a lot....

And by the way this is my first finish in Quarter 2 of the finish along!  Oh dear only 6 more to go and one month to do it in!