Happy Birthday Michelle....

Michelle has a birthday (today in fact) but she decided to go for a trip so I had to work late a few nights to get a little pressie sent to her in time ....

It's a sweet pincushion designed by Natalie bird.... I do like the detail in the sides.

On this side is a stitchery 'even the tiniest bird sings from the heart' and an applique mini house

on the other side are fiddly diddly 1/2" hexagons and a more simple piece of fabric....

I added quilting to all the sides...

... quilting included in the bottom and filled it up with crushed walnut shells so it's a nice weight (and apparently good for the health of the pins!)

Its about 3" high and 4" on the sides....  a little button on the top finishes it off...

all wrapped up like a Christmas pudding (well it is July!) in some French General...

Happy Birthday Michelle - I'm enjoying reading her trip up North.....

Jumpers and Jazz....

The Jumpers and Jazz festival (Warwick) is one of the annual events us Tuesday girls visit...

The street trees are decorated extravagantly ..... as you can see we had a perfect sunny winters day for the outing....

there is an amazing amount of work and detail n the exhibits....

These little ballerina's pirouted in the breeze - it was lovely...

I think yarnbombing a while bicycle is quite a feat....

I did enjoy this totem pole of creatures....

with their lovely big eyes....

outside the art gallery was bombed cheerfully too....

tap, hose and bucket didn't escape...

loved these pineapples in the flax....

inside was this amazing amazing caravan camping site with everything in yarn....

it's hard to show but the grass is all doilies and pompoms too.... just beautiful

... even a peacock on the wheel...

this is part of 2014 'knitchen' .... again so much detail when you think it is all knitted...

.. even the retro ducks on the wall..... who had ducks on the wall growing up - anybody got them now???

they also shared the love and I got a heart from their basket...

there was an invitation to make one, yarn and needles and patterns were available (alas only one chair!) - being true crafters we couldn't resist ...

.... no names are to be mentioned, one over achiever with two perfect hearts, one went for a realistic heart shape (well that was the encouraging words), and one wonky hole in the heart....

well done us......

some kids just can't behave.... actually they look like the mafia here!

speaking of yarn... an update of my ripple blanket ... it's growing... a few more rows and then a border

Righto, Gotto Go - jobs to do!!

Project Bag.....

I've had quite a bit of secret sewing to do recently.....

My friend Lyn had a birthday - we sew together regularly and she always comes with heaps of paraphenalia so I thought a large project bag would be useful...

I also wanted to do some of my fun quilting on a vintage doily....

... so I did.... in addition to  a sweet stitchery in the middle (slightly adapted design by Anni Downs to make it fit into the centre)

It's quite a big bag with a boxed bottom ....

The pink is all quilted to give it some firmness... and so is this large pocket I added on the back....

lined with pockets on both sides for all those dohickeys we need when we sew and a little clasp dohickey to put your keys so they are easy to find when it's time to go home!!!

Lyn loves pink and birds so this fabric I thought was perfect....

A fun project to make ... and hopefully one that will survive many years of service....

Happy significant birthday Lyn.....  such a good friend...

Righto, Gotto Go..... quilting today!!

Giving a new look.....

This stool is part of a dressing table set that I got from my Mum (which she got from her Mum) .... so I have always loved it because of that.  I had the stool covered about 20 years ago - it's lasted well

... but this weekend it got a make-over....

My friend Christine had some of this tapestry fabric leftover from a cushion she made... and I had admired it and this week she gave me this lovely big piece which was just the right size...

I love the fresh new look it has given the stool - and in my eyes there is not much better than a fabric with bugs and plants ....

... isn't there a big difference now?

Whilst I was away Marina had a birthday - and although I had been well planned in making her a gift before I went away I had forgotten to post it!!  Oh well it has got there now - having failed to take pictures myself I have stolen this from Marina's blog...

A little project bag made from a pattern by Leanne Beasley, which had a long bag which would hold scissors, quick unpick, thread etc and I included a little mini pincushion to go in the bag.  I hope it will be useful ....

At least now I can say I have a finish for June/July!!

Righto, Gotto Go.... the day is cooling down and so it's time to set the fire!!

Visiting some quilts....

It was fun seeing some of the quilts I had made and given away when I went visiting....

This is one I made my son and daughter in law.... It was done using Quilt As You Go method and the blocks sewn together with the black sashing.... (I made a smaller one with the leftovers a few years later and there is a tutorial for this HERE)

I backed each black and white pieced block with different Japanese fabrics so it is a totally reversible quilt....

As you can see I did this one in 2008.....

We had lovely warm weather when we were in the UK and whilst on the farm this was the quilt we used....  One of the black/white colours has faded but all the others have held their colour well...

This is one I made for my Mother-In-Law

It's actually one of my favourites - I love the colours and fabrics and the piecing and applique in it

I was just learning free-motion- quilting and though I am happy with what I did I can see how I have improved over the years....

It's easier to see from the back....

Mum always introduces me as her daughter in law who made her quilt (rather sweet isn't it?)

Another favourite of mine was this scrappy one which I made more recently

I have shown more about it on my blog HERE.

It was on our bed at my daughters house and I nearly took it back!!

So fun going to the houses and seeing the quilts being used....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I've got some crushed walnut shells to play with......