Busy Busy Busy

It's been another really busy week around here and there hasn't been much time for creativity. Anthony has moved out this week in his usual chaotic style.

Both he and Nicki seem to be happy and are counting down to baby's arrival. They have everything in place - the pram is assembled, the cot is up and the rocking cradle is ready with a lovely little quilt and matching bumper.

They have all the other paraphanalia that goes with babies - nappies, dummies, bottles, babyclothes, blankets, toys, monitors , even toys for the bath but I think that is more to do with Anthony!

The house is very quiet without him he always was the child with the most to say and still is, I shall miss him.

Steph has been very poorly. She is still suffering with the headaches and been sick necessitating several visits to the doctors and an evening in AandE. Because the headaches are stopping her from getting any sleep she was prescribed some sleeping tablets but had an allergic reaction to them which got progressively worse. She should have had some more tests this week but was unable to have them done so this has put her further back. I feel so sorry for her she really is suffering at the moment.

On a much nicer note though when I got home yesterday the postman had left an envelope all the way from Australia with some goodies inside.

There was a little handmade doll, very cute and the fabric is lovely the picture doesn't do it justice.

The doll was accompanied with a needlepoint kit and a very sweet card made by Penny the very kind lady who sent me all this loveliness.

I have managed to make this flower brooch for Pam. A while ago I made a little zip up purse/bag for Barbara and Barbara has been taking great delight in tormenting Pam because she hasn't got one. Well now Pam has got something Barbara hasn't! Honestly and I thought the children had left home.

I'm hoping to have some time over the weekend to be creative. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend.

Quilt Festival

I didn't get much time to sew last week. I had hoped to have the necklace finished by now but best laid plans and all that mean it isn't. I'm going to try and get all the flowers done today.

They do look very pretty on the blue background.

On Sunday I went to Chilford for the quilt festival. I went with Pam and Steph, we had a great day, a lovely lunch and spent lots of money. I came away with five books - not sure how that happened but it's Pams fault!. Steph bought quite a lot of fabric, she obviously thinks she hasn't got enough but I know different and so will Nick when he gets home. 

 I will leave you with some photos of some of the quilts. The quilts were lovely it was a great exhibiton.

Nearly There

Thanks to Barbara and Pam my quilt is now layered and basted just waiting to be quilted. I'm looking forward to doing the quilting. I have decided to do diagonal lines because it means that the little square in the middle of the blocks will become four little triangles and I think they will look very cute.







It doesn't show up very but using the rust dyed and painted fabrics I made another fabric ready to make the Artists Trading Cards.



The brown paper is from the bag the stamps came in, I have also used an old road atlas. The two small plain beige squares you can see are tea bags. I used some of my grandmothers cotton lace so they will be very special A T C s. There is even a label from a Layer Cake kindly donated by Pam.



Today I'm hoping to make at least one A T C.

Surprises In The Post

Last week I received a little parcel from Gina . It was a welcome surprise in a very hectic week. Sometimes something small can make a big difference and this was one of those occasions. It may be only a coaster but we have been so busy that when it arrived it made both Pam and I stop what we were doing (obviously not important) and share a few jokes - mainly about my cooking!


I have never understood why people spend thousands and thousands on a room where you go to make a mess somebody eats it and then leaves a mess to clear up, it's a bit like going back to playschool!





Then Saturday evening Neil gave me a little parcel containing two of Gina's brooches. The labels are as nice as the brooches.

Look What I've Finished

I am so happy to have finished this. You don't know how relieved I am. It's not the best of pictures but I finished it yesterday afternoon and just had to take a picture immediately. I will hang it properly and take another one.

Thanks to Pam for holding it for me, now she's concerned about her elbows!

Now I've got to set to work and crack on with my 3D piece.

It's Good To Be Back

Thank you to every one for the kind birthday wishes. We had a great time in Wales, we didn't do anything. It was lovely sitting in the hot tub watching the snow fall, we really did chill out, neither of us wanted to come back. However it is nice to be back at work I did miss everybody and I have got lots of homework to do.

I am still working on my hanging. Some progress has been made, I have finished the embellishing and cut it into three pieces.

This will be the top.


This is the middle section.

And this will be the bottom.

Now I have to make some grass!

I have still got to make Stephs wrap for her wedding which is fast approaching. Today we are going for a hair rehearsal. Last night we were trying out nail varnish, only half a dozen or so and then, she decides that she actually wants a french manicure. I didn't know I could be so patient.

Check out Pams blog she has got something new to show you.

A Week Of Craftiness

Pam was back at work on Tuesday after her week in Scotland, check out her blog for a beautiful sunset photo. It was very quiet without Pam but she was missed and it's nice to have her back.
You know the saying while the cats away the mice will play, well this mouse couldn't wait to play. This is Barbara sitting in Pams chair and she loved every minute of it.



It has been a real week of craftiness here this week.

This is a chicken I have made using commercial ribbons. It's just one bit of homework I need to do for my course.


Next is some experimental work using wire, I have knitted three dresses they aren't finished yet but if teacher is looking then she will know I am doing some homework :-)

Here they are in close up.

This is a baby quilt made by Fiona a regular customer. She thought we would like to see it because she bought the fabric from us and she was right. It's lovely and bright just what every baby needs.

Then there was Steph and she has been very busy.

First some Raspberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies that she made. They were very tasty.

Then of course there were more chickens. She has made these into doorstops.

She has also made a Holdall but has taken it away with her this weekend before I had a chance to take a photo.

I managed to finish my Courthouse Steps quilt including a wavy border. I have got to take a photo of it but I will show you.

Tomorrow Pam is teaching a quilt class. It will be her first time at teaching and I am confident that she will be an excellent teacher - she has put a lot of time into the preparation for the class and made lots of samples and comprehensive notes. If the shop isn't too busy I am hoping to take part in the class as well.

I can't believe it will soon be my 50th post and time for a giveaway. Doesn't time fly by.

The Worst Week Ever

I can't ever remember having such a disastrous week. It got off to a bad start when my patchwork wouldn't go right. I was making Delectable Mountains. I'd like to know why they are called that (a) they don't look anything like mountains (b) they are not delectable to make.

Now you might say to yourself that's not so bad and I would agree, but on Wednesday Stephanie came into the shop do some sewing with us. So far not so bad until she stitched through her finger (I have to say there wasn't much blood). Anyway Pam called for an ambulance and whilst she was still on the phone a paramedic turned up and 10 minutes later an ambulance arrived.
After a little gas and air, a bit of fiddling with the machine and Steph clinging to me for comfort they managed to get her disconnected from the machine with the needle still in her finger. So then it was off to hospital and four hours later the needle was out. The dressing and bandage are now off, and I have to say there isn't much to see.

Then on Thursday morning my Dad witnessed an attempted murder. Definately a case of wrong place wrong time.

On a lighter note I did manage to do some sewing and on Saturday I made this bag.



Then on Sunday morning I went to check on my Quail only to discover that over night one of them had died :-(

So far this week has been okay. I haven't got as much homework done for my C and G course as I would have liked, but we meet tomorrow so that will be a day spent with nice people doing nice things.

This Week

This is Pam at her sewing machine looking rather pleased with herself.

For a few weeks now she has been making a bag from hexagons. These hexagons haven't been playing ball though and she has on occassions got a little cross with them.

Perseverance has won the day though. Pam has managed to work out a way of sewing them on the machine.

I love the fabrics she is using they are so cheerful.

Last weekend Pam had a much better time. She went on a quilting weekend with some friends, and this is what she came back with.

Isn't it gorgeous!

This week I have made Neil a new waistcoat. We have a Gala Dinner to go to this week and he is presenting some awards. He asked if I would make him a new, bright waistcoat. I think I have but you will have to wait for a picture. It is some where in a suitcase. At the moment we are in the Radisson SAS Hotel at Manchester Airport overnight waiting to fly to Jersey tomorrow.

I have also been knitting this week, I have brought it with me. I am making the hat first and it is nearly finished. The wool is 50% Alpaca so it is very soft.

Pam's Progress

As promised here are some pictures of Pam's quilt. You can now see how the quilt top will look, and how the stripey fabric fits in with the others.






The squares are laid out in the order that they will be sewn together.


Pam did get half an hour in the shop this afternoon and she has managed to get the bottom row sewn together.

More images will follow as the quilt comes together.