Starry eyed!

This block was brought to my attention by Clare , and she did a great tutorial on it, and I know many of you have created little beauties from it! So I made the templates and had a go, and here is my result, which I am very pleased with.

What I would really like to know is- when I applique this onto a background, how do i get rid of the extra fabric at the points?? I have tried this before and failed to get the ends tucked away neatly? Any tips would be very much appreciated!

One of my friends brought in her latest project to show me- it is absolutely stunning and she wont mind me sharing it with you- I aspire to one day sew as neatly as this!!

My new years late resolution is to sew a little bit slower and a lot neater!!

Heather x

Thursdays thoughts and bargain vintage

Had a welcome day off today, so after a few household chores, I took the chance to have a look at some local charity shops- found this great tapestry for the grand sum of £1.49! I have removed it from the frame, and think it will make a great tote bag front... another project to put on the list!

I then found 2 George Hann prints which are unusually bright in colour- so many of them that you find have faded due to sun light on them. These are great and have been hung up in my bedroom.They were a bargain at  £3 each!!

I had a brilliant evening yesterday at Annies "Stampin Up" party run by her sister Sally Bowman- I have never stamped in my life-(other than in temper you understand)- but I tell you what- this could become seriously addictive!! It was a great bunch of girls, we had a laugh and a chat while we produced our first ever card with stamping! Mine was ok, I really preferred some of the others attempts though. But it gave me a taste of what could be achieved and needless to say I succumbed and placed an order- I cant wait to get my sticky fingers on the stamps and ink and get going!!Talk about stash envy-I can see stamp envy on the horizon!

Today I did a little bit of sewing- I had promised my friend Laura  a pot holder and finally got round to making it- in fact I made 2 , very quickly put together as is my wont! I really hope she likes the colours- they do go with her kitchen! 

Off to indulge my addiction- a little bit more of The Killing, episode 14..........

Sunday Sunday......

I thought it was time I got off my backside and got some exercise, so I had a very energizing walk along the sea front at Steamer Point- great name isnt it? I wonder if people went there to let off steam??
The weather was gorgeous, and the walk took me along to Highcliffe Castle.

View from Steamer point towards Avon Beach and Mudeford

Highcliffe Castle

I think I am seeing quilts every where I go- these windows would make a great quilt- I am very fond of squares, probably becasue they are easy? I am such a light weight, I really must try something harder! I am going to quilt my Kaffe Fasset lap quilt with shadow quilting- it is very effective.

Quilted windows!

I came across this amazing tree in  one of the nearby streets- it must be ancient, I wouldnt like to live in the house behind it- the span of the branches is massive!

I have done very little sewing this week- I am glued to the DVD set  of The Killing, series 1. I am usually good at multi tasking but I havent yet mastered the art of doing patchwork and reading subtitles at the same time! I must do better this week- lots of unfinished things around.......

Lazy Sunday

I had a great shopping day with my daughter  Sarah of goldfinch and eagle  yesterday- she has very fortuitously got back into cooking and makes some great meals- so I encouraged her by getting Jamie Olivers 30 minute meals. I always wanted a live in cook!!

We did a few charity shoops and I fou nd a couple of old patchwork books- its great to find these, they have loads of useful information in, and plenty of templates. REally Sharp Piecing is signed by the author!

I decided to do a tumbler pieced project- it is in Liberty fabrics and white Makower. I am not sure what to do with it but it will look nice with a border. 

And heres one I made earlier- this was last month but I havent done anything with it yet- it is in Amy Butlers Love fabric with an Ikea border- I got some pink flannel to back it with yesterday, but I am thinking I may prefer it as a cusion. .....

Today has been sooo lazy- I watched 4 episodes of the 1st series of The Killing last night on DVD- it is brilliant, the only down side is that I cannot sew whilst watching as yu have to read the subtitles! But i do highly recommend it. 

Thanks for stopping by.....

I am a little greedy......

When it comes to fabric I cannot say NO! This gorgeous bundle arrived from the fantastic  Intrepid Thread etsy shop. Julie very kindly put together a custom order for me of lots of Domestic Bliss by Moda and Lark by Amy Butler. Havent a clue what I am going to do with it - at the moment I am rapturously staring at it!

Before I had the chance to settle down with my new hand pieced tumbler project in Liberty fabric, I had a mad moment of wanting to use up lots of my Kaffe Fasset stash. I decided on a lap quilt- as I am useless on really big things! Squares are favourites with me and I really need to increase the accuracy of my cutting and stitching. I am very happy with the result and cant wait to get a suitanble border and backing to finish it off. I know my friend Susie is going to faint when she sees this! 

So many things to do - not enough time! 

And Finally.....

One more pieced cushion tops in Rowan fabrics by Kaffe Fasset- I am going to move on to  a new project now !  I must fet these appliqued and backed though- have a habit of putting them in the "to finish" draw!!

I had a great weekend in Sutton and persuaded my very best friend Laura to come to Dorking with me. It was from a recommendation by Used to Bees blog that Dorking was brought to my attention. There is the most wonderful wool shop-The Fluffatorium, and the beautiful Quilt Room- where I saw and purchased ,along with little packs of paper templates, a great book called All Dolled Up.It had 11 miniature paper piecing projects for dolls or wall hangings. 

I am going to do a tumbler quilt with some Liberty fabics that have been longing to be used for ages! I may do it in 3" tumblers though to start with and then do a really small one! Its amazing how addictive paper piecing can become! 

I'll be  back......

Another day,another cushion top.

I was so pleased with my paper pieced cushion top in Amy Butler fabric that I decided to make another in a completely different fabric-  in 2010 my daughter and me went to the Lancaster Quilt Museum, PA, and she bought me a set of fat quarters in Civil war style fabric designed and made for the museum. I used them to make my parents some log cabin cushions this year, and decided to use the same fabrc for a pieced cushion.

As I didnt get round to a pre xmas blog, here are the other cushions I made 

And finally a little bit of colour to brighten up the grey and gloomy days! These are some pin cushions I made for gifts and just because I like making them.....

I am thinking it is about time I got some things into my Etsy shop which has been dormant for a long time!!

New year beginnings

  

Happy New Year to one and all. I had a great 4 days in London working for Crisis, looking after the feet of the many homeless people who are given shelter for the Christmas week. My daughter came to assist for 2 of those days, and then I returned for a further 2 days and nights as they were a little short of podiatry volunteers. You come home with a great sense of just how fortunate you are - I can do what I want when I want to, and have everything I neeed. 

I stayed at the Premier Inn on Tower Bridge Rd, being a Londoner myself it is great to go back occasionally, the skyline along the Thames is fascinating with a mix of old and very new!

I came home for the New Year, and decided to do a hand pieced project so that I could sit and catch up with the good TV that I missed over the holidays. I found this book in a charity store a while ago-- Patterns for patchwork quilts and cushions by Suzy Ives, published in 1977.

The pictures are all hand drawn, no photos, but the templates are provided . I photocopied the templates and cut them out . I decided to use a set of Amy Butler fabrics from her Love collection. After 3 episodes of Coronation Street, 3 episodes of Great Expectations, 1 episode of Living with the Amish, and part Of Sherlock Holmes, I had finished the cushion top . I am very happy with the result as my first project of the New Year, and will make another in different fabrics, probably with smaller prints. 

That done, I was sooooo pleased to see the sun this morning ! I have been on a brisk walk to the clifftops and blown the cobwebs away! The sea was rough but perfect for the 3 hardy kite surfers that frequent that patch.

 And finally here's one I made earlier- I think I added the last few rows on New years day, and it certainly came in handy on the beach today !It was made from Noro wool purchased at the Knitting and Stiching Show at Ali Pali. I can't wait to go to Japan in March to see my son- little does he know he is going to take me to fabric and wool shops!!

                                                             Thats all for now folks!