Bag me some more September

My poor machine! I'm obviously not as patient as I'd like to think I am! I felt pressed for time so I sewed franticly. A bad workwoman always blames her tools, but this was definitely operator error!! I broke 2 needles, one bobbin, cut my finger and now have a machine that doesn't sound so happy! BUT I did make the September bag and I love it! It reminded me how much I like Log Cabin as a pattern and it is IMHO a great bag thanks to it's designer, Kandy.



I used scraps from cutting out of my hexagons, so it's very 'rosey' and frugal :-)
The strips were only 1.25" so out of a 5" square I could get one hexagon and one strip. (waste not, want not, they say!)



It's lined in roses too. I did make a 'boo-boo' with the lining, but I hope it's new owner won't mind!!



It's our neighbour's birthday today. He's 63!



No-one is ever too old for a tractor cake are they??

Hooray! - we have a door! (plus we are 4!)

DH wanted to know if he could write a post. Absolutely not!!! But he wanted all those who thought he was clueless when they saw him scratching his head to see that we are no longer exposed to the elements!


Ok, so there are still a few holes in the stonework, but we'll get used to them LOL




More exciting for some is that they are now 4!!

Yesterday DS1&2 had a joint farm party with lots of their little friends...


(Don't you love the hand over the little girl's mouth as she tries to blow out the candles on the homemade (GF) tractor cake?! LOL)

And today at 14.50 hour DS1 affectionately known as 'Mister Jack' turned 4!!!! At that time today he got his 'big' present LOL :-)



They also both got Halloween costumes for their birthdays and we had a little Halloween lunch with some of the family. There was a skeleton dining with us and a...

...little pumpkin!



He is just so big now *sniff*. Next week DS2 (a.k.a. Dennis the Menace) will be 2!!!



Where does the time go?? It's certainly not been spent sewing!!!

In fact on the sewing front, I have only a few days left to get my September BQL bag made. So far I have managed to make the log cabins out of the 1.25" strips.



I have now also sewn them together, basted them and am quilting them in a haphazard fashion.


The pattern called for some cool quilting, but I didn't trust myself...


I hope to get this done in time or I'll miss out on the October bag. DH said "why don't you just not do it, you could use a break?" But what if October is really good, then I'd be annoyed I'd missed it LOL

I ordered more scrabble tile pendants, I couldn't resist!



Christmas is coming (Ho Ho HO) and I need to be ready in case Santa doesn't stop here LOL.

Kindness is sweeter than candy

Today I mailed my Booty swap disguised as some candy!



I hope my swap partner doesn't eat it!!



I also received a surprise in the post today. Josie a non blogger, non quilter, but wonderful old neighbour from Cape Town who needs to come visit me (at the latest next spring to help me with our garden as she has the greenest fingers EVER!) sent me a lovely parcel full of fabric-y goodness!




She writes:
"I don't know if these pieces will be useful to you..."
yes, yes, thank you!!!!
"...remembered that you like hearts and roses - and got you some oddments (FQ's?)"
Josie, you did great, thank you so very much for your generosity!

I absolutely love the "Breast Cancer" rose one (on the left). It's gorgeous and graduated so will make lots of hexagons. I actually only need 4 inch squares (or 10cms square) for a single hexagon, but FQ's are wonderful too especially if the fabric is this yummy!

Speaking of yummy DH and DS1 went blackberrying so that I could make some jam.



There were slim pickings so it may have to be a pie.

Meanwhile DS2 has found a new mode of transport



- the cooler bag! We've not used it all summer with this awful weather so I guess he wouldn't know what it's really used for LOL!

I won't know what to do...

... when the postman stops being nice to me and starts bringing me just the bills!

Even my Mom, who nevers sends me any post, mailed me some of my pre-papered hexagons which I received today!



I felt a sense of urgency to have these pieces sent over in case I managed to piece the whole top before Mom comes to visit in November, but I doubt that will happen. Although I am managing to do a bit here and there while watching the kids in the park, or waiting at swimming etc etc... so maybe soon I'll have some progress to report on that project...



And I was lucky enough to win Lynda's 100th post blogaway. And what a prize! An awesome Japanese magazine, gorgeous fabrics and some quirky charm squares too.



The magazine holds lots of inspiration especially for those of us who are hoping to end up with lots of spare hexagons LOL



Thank you Lynda! I'm delighted to have read probably every single one of your 100 posts and been the lucky winner.

Not all good news

I am grateful that I have met so many wonderful people first through quilting and now blogging. It never fails to amaze me how generous and thoughtful people can be. I hope I can be the same to my very special quilting friend who is going through such a tough time at the moment.


Anne, a wonderful blogger living in the idyllic Brittany countryside sent me some gorgeous fabrics and this wonderful sewing caddy. I'm not sure if that's it's technical name...



But as I'm using it for my hexagons, that's what I'll call it. Thank you Anne!



Sadly, another local quilt shop has closed it's doors. I had actually not been before the last day as it's not that local to me (about an hour away, just outside of Harrogate), but I decided to go on the last day just to see what I would be and had been missing. It was housed in a gorgeous converted barn...



I took this photo to include the hexagon quilt hanging on the stairwell and my little monsters who are not 'big' into quilting LOL

Such a shame Pennypot Patchwork has had to close it's doors, but I imagine there was just not enough support. At the cost of fabrics in local quilt shops here in the UK, it is difficult for us on budgets to support them especially when fabric can be purchased from the US for half the price including postage. I did buy a few FQ's of sale stock though as I felt, I'd driven all that way and it would be rude not to...



And as it was quite a drive, a gorgeous day and I had 2 wrigglies with me, I decided to stop at Bolton Abbey on the way back so that the boys could have a paddle in the stream.



They loved it and as it had been one of our first 'proper' sunny days all dreadful summer long we made the most of it.

Group therapy

Just a quick post to thank one of my online groups: The British Quilt List for thinking of me and sending me these gorgeous comfort blocks.



Every thought that comes through the mail is appreciated because whenever I think I'm 'all better' something catches me out :-(
Never mind, at least there has been a bit of sewing!
Here's a blurry sneak peak of my very overdue Booty swap...



I'm sorry it's so late. I'm probably the last one to mail, but better luck next time as they say!!

'Double your blocks' - A (silly little) Tutorial

I was trying to explain to a friend the other day how I intended to 'double' my string blocks, but I don't think that I was making myself verbaly very clear so here are a few pictures to explain what I mean - I'm sure this is all very obvious, been seen before etc etc, but humour me :-)

So here you have a pile of string blocks, but not enough for your project...
(These were won from Kate when she was having all her fab giveaways - Thanks Kate.)



Measure them. These were 8". So I cut an 8" square of plain fabric...



Draw a line along the diagonal. Here I have drawn the stitching lines too, but you don't need to. Just draw the diagonal and



lay it on top of your string square. I laid it in such a way as to halve the strings exactly.




Stitch a quarter inch on either side.



Cut on your diagonal line to get your 2 pieces...



Iron towards the solid fabric. And Voila! Double the amount of blocks you started with! Admittedly they will be slightly smaller - The blocks now measure 7.5"



Quick, easy and only a little bit silly ;-)

A whole lotta love!

Bag love

I was reading blogs the other day (as you do) and saw the most gorgeous bag on Peg's blog for Linda's bag swap. I left a comment saying how beautiful I thought it was and Peg wrote back saying "Thanks" and "are you doing this swap?"

So I said "Darn! That means that gorgeous bag is not for me!"

"Not this time" She says :-(

Well Peg is a big tease, because, look what I got in the mail today!!!!!! I just smiled when I saw Peg's name on the envelope!


Yup!!!! It's mine!



Oh my! All mine. It really is gorgeous. I just love the colours (and the spots) and the roses!!! And the stitchery is so delicate....



And all the lovely gifties too. Peg, thank you so much. You have cheered me up no end! I am in bag love!



Quiltie love too!

I'm being spoilt rotten here. Kate, who's work I admire and have been very fortunate to have received in the past sent me a 'thinking of you' quiltie. And it's so lovely. I have already put it up in my sewing room to admire.



Thank you Kate (very much!)


Chocolate Love

My friend came over to chat with her little boy. So I set our two up with some cupcakes to ice and just let them get on with it...

Here's mine, taking a breather from all that sugar. You'd think butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!



You'd be wrong LOL

Clever and thoughtful

I like things that are clever, where someone has had a great idea and made something and I've thought "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Well I saw these scrabble pendants on Juliann's blog and as I'd just come out of hospital and in need of a pick me up I thought I'd take a look. I bought one with a chain for Toni because I felt bad missing the deadline on her Booty swap and one for me just to see what they are like (and they are great...)



You can find more designs on scrabble tiles by Mark & Stefani here.

Also in the mail this week was something very thoughtful. Caryn was my pincushion partner for Linda's pincushion swap and she sent me that beautiful pear. After reading about my difficult time she sent me this gorgeous little case for cutting out my hexagons when I'm out and about. It is so cute and so thoughtful and in rose print too! Thank you Caryn it's lovely.



Here you can see it open with the mini cutting mat. It's so thoughtful (and clever!)



Also pictured are some flowers a friend dropped off on Saturday. When I asked how she was she said "same as you". Sadly, it seems she is currently going through what I just have and is awaiting finalisation. DH and I had discussed how so many woman have had such experiences and he said that perhaps woman share their stories to empathize with each other. That perhaps we try and make each other feel that we're not alone, but in a sort of club. I guess that's true. Groucho Marx once said "I wouldn't want too be part of any club that would have me as member". And I agree, I don't really want to be part of this horrible club! I'd rather be quilting!!

Friends like these

I must be unwell, I've blogged almost every day since I've been home from the hospital!

Today I got a little parcel from my wonderful friend Vicky! Even though Vicky has just had surgery herself and is not feeling the brightest she managed a brief visit to the Harrogate Quilt show on Sunday.

Here she is with her snake quilt which she has made for James (her Step-grandson, I believe)


Isn't that a great quilt!!! And a cute bag! :-)

Vicky very kindly sent me a CD with some photos of my quilts and other inspiration. As well as buying me some rose fabrics (I'm getting a reputation here!!)



And how is this for a special surprise. When Vicky was buying my fabrics she mentioned to the lady at Cotton Dreams that I was unable to attend and see my quilts due to circumstances and the lady threw in an extra FQ for me! I am delighted and touched at the kindness of others! Thank you Vicky and thank you Cotton Dreams!

Here are my quilts (again for some!)
My Scrapbuster (also seen in my header on this blog)



And Toby's baby quilt. (Which he has never used - perhaps this winter. He'll be 2, but he's still my 'little' baby! LOL)


This photo I nabbed from Andrea's blog who was also at the show on Sunday and who also got me some beautiful roses! Thank you again Andrea.



Well, it wasn't quite like being there, but it's not bad at all considering. Thank you my friends! And get well soon please Dear Vicky!!!

I want to lay me down in a bed of roses

I realise I am becoming a bit of an old rose lady! Especially as Andrea bought me some rose fabrics at the Great Northern Quiltshow at Harrogate.




Thanks so much Andrea. They will be absorbed into my rose quilt (just as your kind gifts for the boys have somehow been absorbed into the house LOL) ((And the lovely Sarah of ifonlyihadchocolate sent me some... chocolate(!) which has also been absorbed - so no photo! But it was yummy! Thanks Sarah!)

So what's the big plan with all these rose fabrics that my lovely friends send me??

Well, years ago my mother made a hexagon quilt from scraps and I just love it. I used to sit and try and find all the roses. So I decided to make my own, but with mainly rose fabrics. There are some leaves, some neutrals etc here and there to add a bit of variety, but it's mainly roses for me!

And now the current plan is to include my paper-pieced rose by Ula Lenz....




I laid the hexagon panel I've finished with the paper-pieced rose on my bed and then just sort of filled around it will loose hexagons...



Here's a close-up.



I think this is approximately the layout I'll go for, obviously I have a long way to completion as I want to make it about King-size!! But I see it as a sort of long term project that I'll pick up every now and again when I need to do some handwork :-)


On a family note, there are other people with other plans in this house too! My 'big' boy will be 4 at the end of the month.



He gets the John Deere catalogue out every now and again to remind us of his birthday hopes.