Hmmmmm.....

A surprise parcel from E Bunny.... 

how pretty and thoughtful and yummy

(one egg didn't make the picture!)

I love them... I think I know who you are... and I love you too..... thank you....x

Today I worked a bit more on mini quilting on my doily..... 

... and I needed to trace out a stitchery... lots of detail in this one and I tried out a trick that Linda Blake showed us at the Girls Day Out....

make a photocopy of your picture ..... (this will need to be thrown out so don't use your original)

(as you can see I am going to do a stitchery of Michelle's) 

place your pattern on some newspaper or something (I have a plastic tablecloth for craft)

spray reasonably generously with your glue spray.....

then smooth your pre-ironed background fabric (I like to starch mine too) over the paper and allow it to dry for a few minutes....

place over light box... or window.... and trace away..... it's not moving....

when all done take the paper away and chuck it out and then add your favourite stabiliser to your stitchery....

nice and easy ..... I like this method especially for larger, detailed stitcheries....

Anthea was returning a coaster I sent in her parcel by mistake... and with it she put in this fun magnet.... how funny.....

(took me a while as I was looking at those slippers!)

Thank you E Bunny and Anthea..... you made my day...

Righto, Gotto Go...... tracing to be done....

Getting back on Track......

I was amazed at how the extra time having no computer benefited my crafting time!!!  

Well, I am sort of up and running again, my old computer is now a donation for spares and I am getting to know a new, racy laptop ..... (a lot of fat quarters worth in it!!) 

There is so much dependency on our technology and somehow I expect it to last forever.... and then of course one has to get to know all the 'new' stuff.......

Back to the crafting ....

I had a visit to a charity shop and found some bits and pieces...

 last year I told a fairy tale with a happy ending....

so first up I made a smaller size mushroom....

... here they are getting to know each other....

then I used a couple of pretty plates...

... and made a fruit bowl....

 .... and a skein bowl (!!!).....

(I have finished the Easter chocolates)

... and here they are getting to know each other.....

I want to find a nice larger plate and base and make a cake stand next.....

Just a cup or glass for the base and a plate or bowl for the top... a blob of hot glue .... done in a few minutes.... 

Oh... and before I forget... I know Sharon is enjoying the sneaky peaks... she does like to have a hint of what is to come....

Righto, Gotto Go..... time to take some pictures of all that quilting I got done.......

Measuring tip.....

I think we all have our favourite rulers ... 

.... and then there are those different sizes that we wish we had .....

These are some rather gorgeous colours I have been sewing with

the main blocks were all made up but they needed to be cut at an angle

A favourite ruler of mine is the 12 1/2" square but in this case I needed 9 1/2" ..... I am always worried about cutting wrong and it is a pain having to check, double check, triple check......

so I mark my ruler to the size using thin masking tape....

this makes it really easy to quickly see that I am in the right place for cutting.... 

... much easier to see against the blocks....

.... and here they are ... all trimmed ready for sewing together....

Being one of those people who doesn't like wasted fabric I am very pleased that most of what I have trimmed off has been usable for the applique  in the borders.....

How about you?  What's your don't want to be without ruler?

This evening I'm going to sew with friends from all over

sign ups are HERE at Cheryll's and everyone's welcome

Righto, Gotto Go....  I want to do some tracing for stitching tonight ....

When 1 = 12 .... Make a Mug Rug

Last year Wendy and Dawn at Sew It's Finished gave us lovely little stitchery blocks to make when we finished a UFO each month.... I was such a good girl and finished at least one UFO a month so I got all the blocks.....

... but I decided not to finish it as 1 quilt... but 12 little ones!!!!  like for mini mug rug quilts!!!

Anyways... I got to thinking that maybe some other people's have little blocks to use up so this is what I did....

.... start with some pretty cute blocks  ....

my blocks were 8 1/2" but a 6 1/2" would be perfect too ... just find a bit of coordinating fabric to put at the side... I used 4" wide (3" for a 6 block) ... no rules... just guidelines....

and sew the bits together...... chain if you are a bit nuts like me and think it is a clever idea to make loads at a time....

and add a bit of trimming .... (of course you can add some lace or something in which case you might like to sew it in at the same time as the edging....) again,  if you are a bit nuts like me and decide to do loads these can be chain stitched too.....

... there we are... looking pretty cute ...

...... select some backing fabric... I had a nice piece of this Joel Dewsbury flowers which I had got off a bargain table.... not enough for 12 of them so there is a bit of my happy green gingham....

you just need enough to fit the mat plus about an inch around the side .....and also whatever wadding you want to use... I had some long thin pieces leftover from the edge when I did a quilt..... 

layer your backing, wadding and mini quilt block....  on a small article like this I don't find the need for pins, or glue... they hold together fine with a good hand press.....

... and practice your free motion quilting..... (or whatever... no rules... just guidelines)

.... trim up.....

... add your binding... I did a single edge... I find it easier to work with that on a small article....

... but do as you like to do best... no rules.... just guidelines....

... and finish off the binding... I chose to machine edge these.... 

.. and there we have it.... 12 little mini mug rug quilts....

This is a UFO done... well 12 done really..... 

Can you guess what is next?  I don't really need 12 mini mug rug quilts..... ... just let me know which is your favourite in your comment if you would like your name to be counted in to win one ... Mr Random will choose 4 ....  the others go in the gift box... except a couple for me ... of course... 

(Please note... I did use these for practicing fmq and single maching binding ... there are of imperfections, going off lines, tension issues)

Righto, Gotto Go.... I'm sure there's another UFO lurking in my cupboard? ... or maybe more?

Good bye old friend......

..... you have served me well.....

... but there's a new boy on the block.....

ok... so it's silly to gender a peg bag....

but admit it... you'd like a snazzy looking male to help with your washing wouldn't you????

This was a UFO from laaaaaaaast year... I was initially going to use up an old pair of shrunken jeans but I changed my mind (as I am totally entitled to do) and recycled an old table cloth.... and used up some scraps... and some of those buttons which seem to pop up in the washing machine from time to time....

(Peg bag pattern from an old issue of Handmade (I tore out the pages so I don't know which one) and designed by Yvonne Reid)

... my old friend is being recycled.... 

..... into garden mulch.....

did you know you can adjust the bobbin doofy so that it takes a bit more thread.....

.... well, I didn't......

.  you can see mine was only filling to about 2/3's of the bobbin.... so I undid that little screw on top and moved the leaf shaped doofy.... then tightened the screw up again.....

.... now it fills up properly and I have to change it less often...

Righto, Gotto Go..... these guys are growing .....