Sewing in France

My daughter and I are in McDonalds in France - with internet access! Just a quick post... thought I would show you my little sewing corner in our living room over here.Something I have wanted to make for ages - bunting. Finally made some out here, and love how it turned out!

Lots of half-square triangles for my Aviary fabrics quilt. I got most of the quilt top sewn together, but then disaster... my sewing machine needle snapped! I don't have another with me and there are hardly any shops round here, never mind sewing shops!! So just been working on my hand sewn hexie quilt when I get jittery fingers now...

Off to Paris this week, then England at the weekend. This really feels like home here, and I'm not sure I want to get back! (Though I am craving that new needle...)

Bye for a bit!

I should just mention that I will be away in France now for 5 weeks - no internet access (or TV or phone for that matter!), so I won't be posting anything for a while. I'm going to take my sewing machine with me though!
A bientot!

Teachers' Presents

I wanted something we could make for the children's teachers and playgroup leaders, and that wouldn't be too expensive as we were doing 12, so bought these hardbacked note books, and decorated the fronts.

Not much quilting lately... just some mini hexies. I did go to a quilting group at a nearby village, though, for the first time this week. Lowered the average age somewhat, and had a good laugh with my new-found friends!

Grandma's Birthday

A card to my Grandma, to celebrate her 91st birthday!

And the challenge over at Caardvarks is to create a birthday card. For this one I used K&Co papers, and the Stampin' Up/Sizzix alphabet to cut a layer of chipboard and paper for each letter, to add some dimension.

A couple of cards

I needed a few cards this week...A lady from church recently gave me a really nice professional pen set that had belonged to her late husband, so I drew this with them and watercoloured pencilled it in, for her.

Bits & Bobs

I've been so busy taking up quilting that I've not made many cards for months. I saw a couple of things online that I fancied though, and bought my first stash this year... some of Hero Art's new stamps, and a couple of smaller 99p ones by Imaginisce. Also some of the new De Lovely papers by Cosmo Cricket, mini wooden alphabet stamp set, and a Hero Arts brochure. Fun!How could I resist this set?!

Desperately need cards, so went into mass production...

For my card, I watercolour painted some images stamped with Staz On ink, did some machine stitching (to go along with the challenge at Papertake Weekly), and used up some old Ikea notelets as my card blanks. (The challenge at Cute Card Thursday is to reuse, renew or recycle!)

And finally a bit of quilting. I did three more foundation pieced squares and put them together. I debated about how to lay them out, but went for a symmetrical pattern.

Foundation Piecing

I went to my quilting group today, and my friend Liz gave me a quick lesson on Foundation Piecing (sewing fabric onto a foundation of paper). I learnt loads and feel like it has now been de-mystified, and as soon as I got the kids into bed tonight I had a go at it. Three more like this will make up a 12x12'' block ready for a new sampler quilt I want to do! Lots of techniques I still want to have a go at.

Amy's Quilt Finished

I got my niece Amy's quilt finished last night. This quilt was my experiment with sewing on patches of fabric and leaving raw edges, then washing and drying it to leave soft frayed edges. I quite liked how it turned out, though I'm not sure I will do another one. I was surprised how much work this quilt seemed to take considering its size. I did do quite a lot of hand stitching on it though.And finally a picture of Mummy & Baby quilts! (My sister liked the colours used in my Wonky Squares quilt, so I based the little one on it. I thought the material lasted really well - I only bought a fat quarter of each of the patterned fabrics in total.)

Father's Day

The challenge at Wednesday Stamper is to show something or someome we Love. Can't think of anyone we love much more than our Fathers! And the challenge over at Caardvarks is to use embossing.

For this card I layered shiny metallic card with embossed card (using my new Cuttlebug 'Seeing Spots' embossing folder), and then attached two layers of acetate with brads. I sandwiched some rub-ons, and stamping in the middle of the acetate. (I hadn't planned on sandwiching them, but the rub-ons are so old, they didn't stick very well!)

Amy's Quilt

I got the top finished for my niece Amy's quilt today. I appliqued on her name and a kite (a hobby of her Dad's - he even managed to knock out one of my son's teeth with a kite once!), and chain stitched the string. Bit screwed up looking here - didn't get round to ironing it yet!(You can see the kite pattern a bit better on this one)Also today, the post lady brought me a new Sizzix die cutter - I have fancied doing a hand-sewn hexagon quilt since I saw a fantastic one at the quilt show last Saturday. The hexagons are quite small - 2'', so it will take me forever! (I let Harry choose the fabrics for the first 3 hexagons!)

I also got another block done for my 'Traditional Quilt'.

Starting a new quilt

Back from France now, and as well as working on my niece's quilt, I have started a new one. I saw a quite traditional design quilt in a magazine I bought in America (it's the one on the cover), and decided to give it a go, but with more modern fabrics. I've never followed a pattern before, but it's been OK. This may take me quite a long time though - there are so many little pieces of fabric per block - the smallest being 1''x 1''. I'll just do a square a week or so, on the side. The pattern calls for 30 8x8'' blocks. I decided that I'll add fabric covered buttons to the centre of each block when I've finished.Also today I went to my first ever quilting show - a display by a nearby village's quilting group. Some of the workmanship was wonderful! This quilt below was all painstakingly hand appliqued.

I put my name down on the waiting list to join the group.

Don't look, Katy!

My sister Katy liked the colours of the Wonky Squares quilt I made, so I've used the same fabrics to start a quilt (or wall hanging) for my niece Amy, who will be one year old soon.

I wanted to try out the technique where you sew on patches, leaving raw edges, then wash & dry it to soften up the edges. I just cut out patches at random, and layed them all out, then pinned them on ready to sew. I hope it works!

I got the idea from the 'Scruffily Quilt' shown here.

The Ugly Quilt is Finished

I finished off the binding on the Ugly Quilt when the kids got back from school this afternoon. I backed it with a kind of fleecy/almost faux-fur stuff, and it was a nightmare to sew with - it stretched, and made all the quilting sort of puffy. The up-side is that it is gorgeously, wonderfully soft, and Tom loves it and is adopting it. Here are Tom and Harry (watching something very engrossing!), snuggled up in it.
It's safe to say that I won't be making another true scraps quilt - sewing with chenille, suede, satins and fabrics that fray ridiculously, wasn't that much fun! (I also appliqued two hearts on, to hide two bits I managed to melt!) At least now I feel more justified in buying new fabrics!

Desperately in need of cards!!

I have none whatsoever in stock, so I set aside a couple of hours this morning... The Daring Card Makers' challenge is to use green, so I did, on a baby card for a friend. Used a few things from The Making Memories Chloe's Closet line.

This card for Scott's Uncle, goes with the Male theme that is the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday. No ribbons, flowers or pink! (Saying that though, it's my least favourite card.)

Made with the sketch from Mojo Monday - love the papers from K&Co Cut n Stick. Ribbons mainly Making Memories. Rub-on from Melissa Frances.

Baby card made using the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You, with Colorbok chipboard stickers (not the 'Baby' one though - can't remember that one) You can't tell in the picture really, that the green cardstocks are all different - linen textured, glitter and metallic, all by DCWV Latte Cardstock Stack.

Used the Card Patterns sketch for this one. Mainly made with the Making Memories Noteworthy Delaney line.

Oh, nearly forgot...

...I wanted to add these pictures too - we went to Yorkshire last weekend for a hike, and after we had finished, we were hanging round waiting for some others of our group to finish. It was pretty cold, so my kids got their quilts out the car.

I love to see them being used!!(That's not my kid by the way, that's my husband, and I'm not sure where he was wandering off to in this pic?!)

I am finally getting sorted out after returning from America - the first week I had horrible jetlag and then last week I totally did my back in and couldn't do anything much.
Yesterday I finished off the ugly quilt and pinned it, so it is ready for quilting now, and I sorted out the material I bought back from the States.
And here are two new books that I got for my birthday last week... lovely, lovely, lovely!! I have to say I was a bit disappointed that I didn't find more beautiful fabrics while I was on holiday. I think I should have done my research better and gone to the right shops. I did visit one really nice one with all my favourite lines of material, but it was pretty pricey, and no cheaper than buying things online and having them imported.
I did find a sale of Kona Solids though, so bought a few.

Some fabrics more suited to my boys, than those I am usually attracted to.

More sale items.

And a few other fabrics that I have no plans for as yet, but just liked, including a fabulous little town print, all in black, white and red (2nd from bottom) which Eve, the woman who kindly housed us while we were volcano stranded in NY, gave to me.

We're back! And the Ugly Quilt is ugly.

Well nearly a month on (8 days later than planned due to the volcano), and we are back in England! Reunited with the kids!
Scott and the kids had to go to work and school the day after we flew back, so I got the house straight, and carried on with my Ugly Quilt...
I felt very noble cutting out all the squares, and finally using up all those bits of fabric that have been under the bed for so long. Here are some of the squares (mainly old curtains, Scott's shirts, upholstery fabric etc.). Sadly though, most of them ended up in the bin, because when I laid them all out, they looked really ugly, and the miraculous transformation I had hoped for did not occur!I narrowed down the colour palette, and started sewing squares together yesterday.
I was thinking I would back it with a fleece blanket that is lurking in the back of the airing cupboard, and add green quilting (using up some old green POLYESTER thread... how bad is that?! My quilting teacher would NOT be happy - she of the '100% cotton' variety!), and then green binding (it's the only fabric I have enough left of.) Truly a scrap quilt.
I thought it would be good to use in our new (2nd hand) playhouse that we just bought off some friends, which is in the garden, lying in about as many pieces as this quilt. (Trying to reconstruct it is a fun job for another day!) Our middle son, Tom saw the quilt after school, and wants it for himself now though.
It's not quite as bad as it could have been, but still pretty ugly!

Our holiday in America is now longer than planned thanks to a certain Volcano (which I have no hope of spelling correctly here). Our flight home was cancelled, and we are booked on one in another week and a half, if the ash has cleared!
We're staying with some of my Sister-in-law's family in up state New York at the moment, though my husband is eager to hire a car and carry on with the holiday!
I did visit a knitting shop this morning though, and bought a very lovely book...oh no.....another hobby coming on!!!!!!

Love it!!

Our holiday is going wonderfully, brilliantly well! We have squashed in a ridiculously lot of stuff so far! (Salt Lake City for our church conference, Arches, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and now I'm in an apartment right on Venice Beach, L.A!)

Anyway, as this is a craft blog, I wanted to show you my latest quilting buddy who I met today...

He was sitting in a quilt shop in the ghost town Calico, CA, when I came in, and we got talking and found out we have both just started quilting... ie. we speak the same language!! He showed me his first ever quilt that he is working on (in a pile just to the left of him, in the picture) It's actually his wife's shop, and he showed me her long arm quilting machine etc. Fun!!

Now I can tell my boys that quilting is cool - even cowboys do it! Calico Ghost Town:

(P.S. Yes, I have found time to visit Jo-Anns and Michaels!)