2020 Wk 7 - in Ireland with Dennis (and Jackie!)

Storm Dennis has hit Ireland and means it’s too blustery and too wet to venture outside - so sewing and crochet has mostly featured this the weekend!

So what have we made?

I was given a load of shirt fabric and brought over what seemed like far too much: we cut it into 4.5” x 8.5” bricks and stared sewing - each fabric is different so no auditioning.   It’s made about 1/4 of a king sized quilt so far, it’s lucky there is plenty more samples left at home so we can do some more next time we meet up

We made some cork baskets (some hand sewing needed)

We made a Pepper Pig quilt for little miss L - to be delivered tomorrow

We learnt that two FQ packs from Aldi cut into 8.5” squares just needs two extra blocks to made a flimsy that fits an Ikea fleece with *just* enough left over to make 2” binding and hardly any waste!

I’ve learnt a new crochet stitch and am making this blanket (waiting impatiently for the first colour change!)

Jackie’s Tunisian crochet

And my travel project has been more chambray hexies!

2019 Wk 44 - Irish Retreat

I managed to spend the weekend at my very favourite place - Jackie's!!!  The saga of the flights showed the carrier as so utterly incompetent you wouldn't believe me if I told you! Suffice to say they eventually issued the tickets that I had paid for three weeks earlier, refunded the monies they shouldn't have taken (5 debits totaling > 3 x flight costs), gave me two apologetic chunks of compensation, and I managed to get to Dublin at the planned time!

So what did we do???

We spent a lot of the weekend in this awesome room!!!

We made two nappy clutch bags (we finished the hand sewing on the other one first as it had to be gifted, and it never made the photo session!)

A quilted pocket on the outside (phone?) and a clipped strap so it can be clipped to a buggy or pram

and two zipped mesh pockets on the inside for nappies and wipes.  All machine washable

We also made these sewing tool cases: two big zipped pockets outside, and I think I counted 29 pockets inside - some zipped, some slip, some vinyl, some mesh and some quilted.  We used Annie soft and stable, and in places there are at least three layers plus fabric, vinyl and zip - and now we have to add bias binding.  I really love the design, but we've made a sheet of notes as to how to do it differently next time (it doesn't need quite so many pockets (5 of them are zipped!) or quite so much padding!

We also made some more boxy zip-on-top pouches, trialing different types of stabiliser.  I think my old favourite of fusible fleece was best

Based on the nappy clutch and the tool case, and the Sewing Folio we made from Aneela's book we then designed our own caddy.  ("Design" might imply thinking about it in advance but don't be fooled!)

We used Aneela's rough size, and used another design from the book as inspiration to make one vinyl pocket with zips at both ends, then stitch through the middle to make it two pockets

Two vinyl pockets got added to the other side (one zipped, one not), and a zipped mesh pocket

And it folds into a clutch great for holiday / travel projects.  Mine will be for hexies, and Jackie switched the slip in vinyl pocket to a padded pocket with stitching to create small sections and will use hers for her knitting needle set that has interchangeable needles and circles of different lengths

What else?  While Jackie and her sewing machine were battling the layers in the tool case, I cut a whole load of 6x10" squares from a pack of Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  She's going to make the shadow box quilt ... and I tidied up the remains and cut myself a whole load on 3 inch squares to make something like this 

We did get some fresh air over the weekend.  Jackie's youngest, Paul, plays hurling for the local team.  They were playing against the "two-time All-Ireland club champions" in the quarter finals and beat them!!!!!

It was a very exciting match (and traumatic for other reasons), and I've got a bit closer to understanding the game!  After my first match six years ago I described the rules here

Finally though I had to leave.  On the two flights and some occasional chatting-and-hand-sewing sessions I attached all the hexies I had brought, so I'm now ready to join these to the hexi round

2019 Wk 5 - Off to Ireland

Chertsey Museum class was on last Friday and we made triangular purses.  Mostly these were made from leather, pleather / faux leather and fleece so no sewing although some ladies did use fabric.  We used Kam poppers which are really sturdy, and we had fun!

The next day I was up at 3:30am!!!  And off to the airport for the first flight to Ireland.  By the time I would normally be waking up I had been driven to Heathrow, flown to Dublin, been picked up and delivered to Jackie's and we were in the sewing room deciding what to make first!!!

These were the winners - pink penguin's cover lunch bag aka a very useful bag

We then made the first of 4 pay-it-forward gifts I have committed to on facebook.  This is for a niece who had sent a link to an infinity scarf with a zipped pocket for phone or keys.  I took the sent link to be a subtle hint so we made one and it will go in the post tomorrow

 We then made a pair of hobo / project bags fussy cutting some bold Ikea flowers (thank you Sharon)

Jackie has made a few Sew Together pouches, and this time we thought we'd have a go at the mini one.  It was a bit fiddly as were had to use the original instructions with the 'mini' adjustments but we got there in the end

 We made (started!) some storage pods

 and some larger-than-we-expected bowls

And then we went to have cuddles with little Miss Gorgeous

And the slightly boisterous big brothers (I am sooo jealous - isn't Jackie greedy having 3 grandchildren while I have none!  I am lucky that she shares though!!!)

we did our usual gift exchange but most of the goodies I brought home have been put into use (love the mug!) or put away before being photographed, but this has stayed on my wrist - so far it's decorative but who knows when I will need to measure something and will be able to!!!

2018 Wk 26 - a bit of a catch up

 I've been having problems getting photos from my phone to the computer, so I haven't blogged for a few weeks, but today it worked - so here is a quick catch up

Niki's colleague's colleagues all attacked her chemo quilt with fabric pens- and my concern that it was too white has been blown away - doesn't it look great!

I went to Ireland for a few days this last week.  Officially it was to see Jackie, but (shhhhh) there was another person I was eager to meet - this little beauty, Leah, my honorary granddaughter!  We spent lots of time with her big brothers too - D in the pic and A who was at school - my gosh . . .  boys are exhausting!

We made a few bits for Leah (or possibly her mum!): this changing clutch

 and changing mat (it did get finished before being handed over)

And her I-spy quilt was finished and handed over too (pic to follow).  Jackie had been on a course and made this fab elephant pic for Leah's room

We made ourselves some great project trays too, by coincidence we had instructions for two: different sizes, different designers and different methods but very similar result.  They have Peltex 72F (I think) in them which makes them really firm, and the closure action from tray to storage is really satisfying

A friend decided to join in the Untangled Threads art installation to commemorate WW1 - I am totally in love with her heart - she needle felted these poppies in a field and it's beyond awesome!

And Jackie and I bought some pickling jars.  For pickling you ask?  No - of course not - for beautiful buttons!!!!

2018 wk 7 - more retreat making

I did have slightly longer than usual in Ireland than usual, but considering one of us was a bit under par  I am astonished by how much we made.  Much of it is on yesterday’s post, but here comes the rest . . .

I hand stitched three Farmer’s wife blocks (thanks Plum for the book, and Jim for the fabric!). A slightly unconventional fabric choice but I’m loving it!!!


We made these,


Which open out to these


(One is slightly narrower due to someone forgetting you can’t iron vinyl!)


We used some more cork to make these Pythagoras pouches


With an inside pocket


We made two girly baby changing wallets - exactly the same method as Plum’s notebook cover but big enough to pop a nappy in one side and pack of wipes in the other.  We added a hanging look and a closing loop in case they were useful


Our final project were these two pouches - a useful 9 x 9 inches with a 7” vinyl pocket front and back.  Jackie wanted hers with a boxed bottom and I didn’t so that’s why they look different heights.


Then I had to take the long lonely journey back to Dublin - just me and the hire car!  Why don’t hire cars have a place to put a mobile phone / sat nav?  Luckily I had a scrunchy with me so I bodged a phone holder.

Now I’m home - it’s all over for a couple of months!  Love you Jackie - thanks is for a great 4 days xxxx