can't I keep it?

That's what Miss G said when I showed her the animals quilt top I finished off this afternoon. You can give the baby my quilt. Oooh, she's a mean one. But I'm feeling a little possessive myself. Can you see why? (the pics are biggies - so you can click on them for a better view)



It was such a simple pattern, and took me 2 days to make. Yesterday I did the applique panels and spent part of this afternoon sewing them all together. And that was with plenty of tea breaks.

Look at the animals....



can you see the fancy rainbow coloured thread? (Ok, you can't, but imagine the rainbow coloured thread - it's a king tut, colour number 918 and I got it from asding)



I think my favourite is the hippo. Might have a lot to do with that big gingham background.



My only mess up was the elephant is facing the wrong way. But I think it wasn't reversed on the pattern. It doesn't matter, elephant tells me he is over the moon to be able to look at the beautiful tangerine giraffe. Hippo agrees.

My niece isn't actually due until October, so I can rest a while and decide on the backing. Minky? Chenille? Just regular cotton? Hmmm... what do you think? I'm only going to quilt it simply, around the blocks. A cozy backing might be nice. Give me your opinions, I do really value them.

So, if you are in need of a quick and easy project for a new baby, try this pattern. In fact, just have a look at all the other patterns over at Michael Miller. I'm thinking that deer one would be rather nice, or the fridge art one, or doggie daisy. Or about 10 others.

winners!!!

129 comments - wow!!!! Well, 128 because one sneaky Aussie tried to leave 2 comments (she's a sneaky one, you'd better watch her).

So, thanks to the magical random number generator (how do they work? Magic?) I drew 4 names and the results are......

The winner of the basket and all it contains is number 11 florspace


and the 3 runners up (who will win some candy and some other treats) are;

number 52 - tinker899 (Jan - you didn't leave me a contact email, can you get in touch with your address so I can pop you a parcel in the mail?)

number 90 - bluemountainsNSW

number 125 - Marit

I've left comments on each of your blogs (well, I'm about to) so contact me with your addresses purlease and I'll mail your winnings out.

Thank you to everyone who commented, it's lovely to know there are people out there who read this blog and take the time out to comment. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Sunday Stash

The fabrics for the giant animals quilt arrived this week.
Clockwise from the top;
2d zoo, in 'multi' Alexander Henry
Good Folks, Cathedral in 'dusk' Anna Maria Horner
Just Dreamy, Medium Dot in 'orange', Riley Blake
Ta Dot in 'tangerine', Michael Miller
Ta Dot in 'lagoon', Michael Miller
Picnic Checks in 'strawberry', Jane Sassaman
Floral Swirl in 'teal', Erin Mcmorris
Red Letter Day Stripe in 'lime', Lizzy House
Blooming Bubble, in 'yellow', Alexander Henry

All from fabricworm. Just be careful if you click on that link, I've just added some stuff into my shopping cart, and I really didn't mean to.

More stashes over at my mate Tam's place.

And don't forget - the giveaway is still on until later today, just click here and leave a comment if you haven't already!

working through the wip list

I am not a huge fan of paper piecing, I find it a bit challenging, and beyond my poor little brain. But the results (of other people) are always amazing.
I had to make 2 blocks of pink trees for a quilting bee I'm in on flickr, and found a great paper pieced pattern for a fan tree whilst trawling the internet. It looked simple enough for my small brain to cope with, and it actually worked out pretty well. I'd love to see a tree like this in real life. Along with the trees from Charlie and the Chocolate factory, and squirrels that crack nuts on demand.

I also paper pieced a simple triangle tree, and then improvised another triangle tree to make the block up to 15.5 inches. It turned out rather beautifully, if I do say so myself.



Next on my list of things to get finished is the quilt from the old red barn co. quilt along. I have half basted the sandwich, and then ran out of pins. I know I have another pack somewhere, but I can't find it for the life of me. Seems the pin monster has snuck in and gobbled them up. Or I've put them in one of those really safe places. Quite often I buy things for presents for the kids or the husband and hide them, only to lose them again until after their birthday/christmas. Told you my brain was only small.
This quilt is going to be for Miss G, for at her mama's house. I was planning on making the mystery quilt out of sew hip magazine, but I lost my mojo with that one after 2 blocks, so until I find it again this liberty print beauty will suffice. I bought an egyptian cotton for the backing, which was incredibly cheap (£5 for 3 metres) but decided it wasn't quite the right colour when it arrived, even though you won't see it really. It's like a vintage sheet, so soft. But in the end I went and bought a big piece of 'real' liberty tana lawn from shaukat, and spent too much money, but it does match perfectly and I know it won't bug me to death for the rest of my life like it would have done if I'd used the egyptian cotton. I love shaukat, they have an amazing selection of fabrics online and the real life shop is even more amazing. It's like a labyrinth of corridors and tunnels, with more great stuff around every corner. Well worth a visit if you are ever in London Town. The prices are minus VAT, that gets added on at checkout, so bear that in mind if you get over excited and start shopping.



I also managed to get a quilt finished for my best friend's daughter (Miss G's best friend). She had seen an eiderdown type of quilt in one of my books. I had a layer charm of moda's snippets fabrics, and bought a (cheapy cheap) single duvet from ikea, which I trimmed down a bit because I didn't have quite enough to make a single bed sized quilt top. I even hand tied this one too, so that was another thing to try crossed of my list.

We took it round to Miss E this week, and she was over the moon. So was her mum, which made me over the moon too. (It's a bit crumpled in the picture - NooNoo the cat decided it was his bed, he's not best pleased it's disappeared).




Don't forget the giveaway is still on until tomorrow evening (my time - that's UK time), head over and leave a comment for a chance to win! I can't believe how many comments I've had so far - over 100. Wow. I think I'll have to put together a few runners up prizes too, won't I?

it's a giveaway!!!!!

Since I have been busy making fabric baskets (thanks again to Ayumi) for the kiddywinks's teachers and I believe I mentioned the possibility of a giveaway in that post it's time I came through on my promises.

And here you are - a fabric basket stuffed full with bits and bobs to keep you busy. There are a couple of packets of seeds for you to grow tomatoes and radishes (yum, radishes), some vintage notions (ricrac, binding and lacy binding), a charm pack of tula pink's neptune fabrics, a spool of tape measure ribbon, some quilting pins (the long ones with a flat head), some japanese mushroom sticky tape, a notebook and pen (for emergency list writing), a packet of skittles and a packet of starburst - which taste like summer (and if you are in the US might not realise that over here in good old Blighty, our candy is flavoured with real fruit juice, yep, real juice, and we have blackcurrant flavoured skittles too. Very delicious) and last but not least, in fact it's my favourite thing, a cupcake tape measure come pin cushion.

So, do you want it? Just leave me a comment (make sure I can contact you too, so if you don't have a blog with an email address that your name will link to, leave me an email addy. Thanks)

I'll draw the number at the weekend, on Sunday.

Good luck!

oh my, indeed

As I have mentioned before, I have a new niece on the way, which means baby gifts must be made, and (most obviously) one of those gifts must be a quilt.
After spotting the wise woman planning the 'giraffes, elephants and hippos - oh my!' quilt from Michael Miller (a freebie too), I decided to get in on the fusible web action, I have ordered a heap (yes, a heap) of fabrics from the ever wonderful and incredibly helpful fabric worm, and popped to the copy shop today to get the applique patterns enlarged and copied.

Cripes. I know I am crapper than crap at maths, but when I picked up the (what looked more like a poster rolled up into a tube but was actually a) giraffe and his mates, elephant and hippo, I was a little shocked by the size. It took some gentle explaining from the husband that enlarged 400% is actually 8 x bigger, not 4 x bigger (I think - I was lost as soon as he mentioned numbers). Once I got my head round the size of the shapes I'm going to have to applique, and stopped having a panic at the possibility of the bubbling of fusible web, or bits coming all unstuck where they shouldn't I am now incredibly excited to get started, but I will need to go and get more fusible web, and wait for the fabric to arrive before i can even think about getting anything done. *EDIT - 400% IS 4 TIMES BIGGER, I WASN'T LISTENING PROPERLY TO THE HUSBAND, IT SEEMS!*

Rather than follow the pattern and use the fabrics suggested, so my quilt ends up looking like this....



I (with some help from Cynthia and her web site) have picked fabrics to tie in with this one instead.....



It's a bit cheerier, more suitable for the little lady.

enter who?

I was tidying up one of the drawers in the kitchen and came upon this list Miss G had written some time last year. It made me laugh, I have no clue what Enter Shakari sing (do they sing? Or are they one of those noisy screaming type of bands?). I'm off to google them.

The day has come - my 9 year daughter is cooler than me. I am officially old.

And, according to one of her classmates, I look like a mannequin. I'm not sure if that is a nice thing or not, Miss G wasn't sure either.

school's nearly out

Time to think about what to do for the teachers. Especially as I have both Ginger and Miss G to think about, since he started at the local nursery. Last year was a quick rush to the gift shop, and a cobbled together gift was delivered to the teacher. A shame really, because I really liked Miss G's teacher last year. I'm not so keen on this year's, but that's a whole 'nother story. Still, Miss G seems to like her and the one thing going in her favour is how much she likes homemade stuff, so a homemade gift was the order of the day. And whilst I was at it, I thought I had better get Ginger's teachers done too, because if I left it I would forget, and even though he has 3 weeks more of school after Miss G finishes I would forget and forget and forget and then be off to the local petrol station for a crappy bunch of flowers on the last morning of school. I know myself too well.

Thankfully after reading Paloma's post on her teacher's gifts I decided on what to make. Popped over to Ayumi's and whipped these 3 little baskets up in an afternoon. Now to fill them with emergecy teacher supplies (chocolate, paper clips, pens etc). I have another one cut out and ready to sew together. I can sniff a giveaway in the air...come back next week and I might have something to show you on that front ;)

Over on flickr I joined a placemat swap. My partner likes red and green. Ok, so this doesn't really fit the brief, but I couldn't get the red and green to look anything but christmassy, so version number 1 was binned at planning stage and version number 2 (there is a lot of red and green in it - just look closely) was a joy to put together.

Here it is showing you her behind. Cheeky madam....



and here it is showing you all her glory...




I am pretty, pretty sure my partner doesn't visit my blog, so I really hope I haven't ruined the surprise, but I was so chuffed to bits with how it turned out I couldn't wait to show you.

You can see more quilted placemat goodness over in the group pool.

summer in a box

I was asked a little while ago by abel and cole if I would sample one of their veg boxes, do a little review and blog about it.

Never one to turn down food, I jumped at the chance, and the above box was delivered earlier this week by a really friendly man in a van, called Phil.
When Ginger was first born we used to have their basic box delivered weekly, but this was back in the day when if you lived outside of the M25 your options were pretty limited choice wise, and although the quality was always good, I found myself craving more variety, and went back to shopping locally. How things have changed!
This box was filled with delicious, and useful fruit and veg - crispy apples, bananas without a single bruise (my pet hate is bruised bananas!), lettuce, spring greens, spring onions, carrots, new potatoes, broad beans, a red pepper, and a melon.

We ate a salad on Tuesday night and every single thing was delicious - really fresh tasting, full of flavour. Far more like veg used to taste in the olden days (do I sound like my mum now?) The broad beans brought back memories of my Grandad's vegetable patch. Last time we had broad beans from the supermarket they were small, and watery - these were big and fat and meaty, and tasted like broad beans should taste. Last night we ate more salad, and this time added the potatoes too. I'm not sure, but they were so tasty I have a feeling they were jersey royals.

Looking at the web site there is a great selection of fresh foods and cupboard items, as well as wine and beer. And meat, fish and pies. Oh, and household stuff too.

I'll definitely be going back for more, having the option to stay in, avoid the supermarket, and have my organic fruit and veg delivered to my door leaves me more time for sewing. It's a no brainer.

Sunday Stash

Heather Bailey fresh cut, bought on sale for $6.75 a yard from Fabric Lane. Well worth a visit - she has a fantastic selection of sale fabrics, and some great new ones too.

Remember the rule - if in doubt, buy it... you wouldn't want to spend your life with regrets, would you?

Thank you to everyone that snapped up the items I listed yesterday - wow, you lot are FAST! There'll be more coming soon, probably next weekend. I'll keep you posted.

Monkey Business - shop updated too

The monkey swap I signed up for a little while ago over at Claire's is officially over (that link isn't working - I have no clue why...). My monkey parcel has gone out to my partner (haven't heard back from her, so maybe she hates it?)

I used one of the ink stamps I had made ages ago to stamp a monkey onto linen, and then I stitched around it, and glued it into a hoop. I made one of these ages ago and loved it, and then never made any more. I think the quilts distracted me. I think I should probably make a few more, they'd make cute gifts for friends with little 'uns.
I also made a drawstring bag, using some fabric that Kelly sent me recently (thanks, Kel!). I hope she liked it. I did.



And then, on to what Mr Postman brought me. All the way from Nottingham (ok - that's just over an hour away, so hardly 'all the way'), check out MALCOLM (can I get a drumroll, and some applause? Thanks)



Thank you, Emma. He's patchwork - he couldn't be more perfect, could he?

Shop news - I have listed some new fabric scrap bags and FQs so go and check them out!!! Click here, go on, you know you want to ;)

with the economy being as it is...

...maybe we should start thinking about using some of the cheaper cuts of meat out there.

I'm not thinking of frying steak as opposed to fillet, I'm talking about the head of a sheep. Yep, you heard me. This one's for summersadie

Take one sheep's head
1 onion
1 turnip
2 carrots
1 table spoon pearl barley
bunch of parsely
and some seasoning

Soak the head in salt water for 2 hours, then put into a large pan, cover with fresh cold water (no using the water from the pond for this bit, ok? It needs to be FRESH water), and bring to the boil.
Take the head out and remove the brains (which should be set aside for another dish - apparently they are delicious and known as the poor man's sweetbreads - I don't think I'll give them a try though, sorry). Return the head to the liquor, add the barley, the vegetables (sliced), seasoning and parsely and stir continuously until boiling. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for about 3 hours. Strain of the liquor (which can be used as soup), cut the meat off the head and serve with the vegetables and the barley.

Actually, it doesn't sound as nasty when you read the whole thing. But the thought of a sheep's head boiling up in my kitchen does make me a little queasy.

After seeing the post on an old recipe book summersadie picked up recently, I was having a good read through my own old and crumbly cookbook - modern (well it was back in 1946) cookery illustrated (which used to be my nan's). Some (well, a lot) of the recipes would make great cheap meals, I think I'll give them a go, and report back. If anyone is actually interested (but no sweetbreads, or brains, or tongue - please no).

shop update

Just a quicky to let you know I have listed some drawstring pouches made liberty prints and some made from Michelle Engel Bencsko's dogwood fabrics in the shop....and that there'll be another update on Saturday evening (UK time) of scrap bags and some Cath Kidston fabrics in fat quarter sizes.

So, head over to the shop now!

Rocket Love

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Emma asking if I'd take a couple of pics of her new rocket bunting in the Ginger one's bedroom and in return I could keep the bunting. Well, that was a difficult decision to make. If she had been sat in front of me I might have jumped on her. Instead I said 'yes please, send it my way, thank you very much'.

And here it is in situ....



cool, isn't it? It's a huge hit with the Ginger one, and Miss G noticed it right away chirping how great it looked, and did I make it (um, no, mummy's not that clever, actually).

Anyway, Emma also makes a cupcake one - which is incredibly cute. You can find them on her website, nestled amongst all sorts of other cute things for the kiddywinks, right here.

Whilst I'm on a rocket love roll, I thought I'd share some other rockety things I'm a bit fond of too.....


Fancy a rocket playhouse anyone? (I can't tell you how much I want this - I want it so badly, but I think it's a little out of my price range)

How about a set of super cute rocket prints. They'd look great on a nursery wall.



(all photos belong to the respective sellers of the rocket items)


Or some wall decals. I'm in love with the photo too - with the chair just sat there. I want that bedroom. Why can't I be a small boy?

Maybe you fancy the look of Ginger's rocket ship light. Well, now I know I can get the proper bulb for it, I'll be going there (instead of using the much smaller bulbs I could find locally).

Busy Day

it's too dark and yukky to get a decent photo today, so you have to make do with this one instead.

Yukky days mean more time sewing, so I'm not complaining. The ginger one doesn't want to go out or do anything, in fact, he's only just got dressed, after refusing all morning (it's 4.30 - he's a lazy boy).

I have sewn the quilt top together for the quilt along over at Dana's and pieced the backing for my sew connected 2 quilt.

Those wips are getting whipped!!!

oh, you beauty

After many, many weeks of being way too afraid to touch them I have FINALLY sewn the blocks for my sew connected 2 quilt together, pieced a 6 inch border, sewn that on...and stopped to breathe. *sigh* I think I am in love.
I wanted a sampler quilt, with loads of different types of blocks, made in different ways, each one totally up to the person making the block.

I don't think I could have ask for anything more perfect, do you? (I'll try and get an outside photo at the weekend, it's a bit windy today but if you click on the pic it gets BIG so you can see it better)




I have been toying with the idea of adding another border, but I wasn't sure. I think I'll leave it as it is. The wise women of flickr have said to leave it be. The husband also suggested leaving it with the one border, and binding it in a purple based fabric. Check him out, he's picking things up - maybe he'll turn into another quilt dad and try and steal my machine. There'll be trouble if that happens. He also suggested a very busy quilting pattern - like a paisley. You know, I think he might be right.

cutting for comfort

I've started cutting out half hexagons for the quilt along over at comfort stitching. I love cutting out, I find it so dreamily relaxing. I hate it when there are lots of things to cut out in different sizes, but something simple like strips, squares, or these half hexagons is bliss. A bit like sewing the binding onto a quilt - the very start and the very end are my favourite bits.

I still have another 100 or so to cut out, but I'm waiting for fabric from here. They are a bit slow with their postage, so I don't expect to see it today. Maybe by Wednesday...