Happy 2014

A quick round up of 2013. All in all not too shabby.

There were 10 quilts quilted (I don't seem to have a picture of one of them). There is one quilt top in need of quilting and only one UFO.

There were 14 placemats, one table topper and two mug rugs. An untold number of purses, pencil cases, make up bags, wash bags and tissue holders. Two handbags and 12 baby bibs.

For the daughters I made 6 tiered skirts, two dresses and two pleated skirts. I also made them a swim bag each, a PE kit bag bag and a shoe bag each. That is a total six drawstring bags and two more for my friend's daughters.

I also made six fabric baskets (must blog about them they are cute.) and a skirt for myself. All in all 2013 was quite productive.

One thing I didn't manage to do was make a dress for myself. This is firmly on the agenda for 2014. I have the pattern and the fabric, so no excuses.

The plan for 2014:

• Dress for me
• More skirts for me (the first one was a success, so need to make some more)
• quilts for four family members. 
• finish the UFO 
• Quilt the starry might quilt. 
• Make two outfits for "space day" at school (why do teachers think that we want to do this?)
• Make clothes for my daughters. This seems to be an ongoing thing they keep growing.

All the best wishes for 2014.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Christmas

 I have been working on a set of four Christmas scrappy trip placemats. I have foolishly decided to quilt them with gold thread. That stuff is a bother to work with. It keeps splitting.

 Anyway all four are now quilted. I didn't get to sew the binding on though because I had to supervise pumpkin carving. The girls want to do it on their own but I have slight issues with them and knives and hard skinned fruits.

 Both pumpkins are successfully carved and in place to scare people.

They are mighty proud of their handy work.

Maybe I'll manage to sew on the binding later.
I am linking to Freshly pieced WIP Wednesday.

Not much sewing happening

Hi all,
I am sure you are wondering what happened to me. Well maybe not.

I have been busy with paid work and lots of school commitments. I am sure I have not been to that many assemblies When I was at school. I was at school every day last week. I hope show you some things I have been making soon.

Because a post wouldn't be a post without picture:
Here is a Gütermann thread I have used recently. Look it's made in West Germany. I figure that this may well be vintage thread.

Hope to have some more fun updates soon.

Love,
F

Maths homework

My daughter's maths homework was to shade in half the squares. How great would this be as a quilt ;-)

Intermission

 We have been away to visit the in-laws. We went to the Netherlands.

 These are some pictures I took at Madurodam. The daughters thought it was great.

 My parents took me to Madurodam when I was 5 years old. I was decidedly underwhelmed. There do seem to have been improvements in the last 33 years. There were lots of hands on things they could do. Before (33 years ago) it was just the Netherlands built to scale.

The birds were a little bit over friendly for my liking but I don't like the flappy wing thing they do. 

We also went to a cheese maker. They had pretend cows to milk. Probably better than letting the daughters have a go at milking real cows. The cow would need to be extra patient. 

Here is daughter 1 pretending to be a milk maid. They had a great time.

The normal schedule will be resumed shortly. They are back at school today and I am through two lots of laundry, so tomorrow I hope to find my trusted Pfaff.

New Toy

 My sewing scissors were blunt. I took them to a local iron monger, who I thought sharpened tools. Turns out they did used to but they stopped doing that about 10 years ago. Drat. Well only one thing to do then, buy new scissors. While perusing the scissor section on Amazon I spotted these "wonder clips" by Clover. I have read good things about them on other blogs. Bit of an impulse buy but in my basket they went with my scissors.
Can I just say sharp scissors are so much easier to use.

 These wonder clip jobs are fantastic. They really helped me sew on the binding on the Granny Squares quilt. No pin pricks in my fingers. No numb left hand and best of all I already have the binding all sewn down. Only took a few hours for a 150cm by 200cm quilt. How great is that?

Here they are in action. Bit of a poor picture because it was night time but you get the idea. If you have been wondering if they really are "wonder clips" I can tell you they are great. Would not call it a wonder. As Friend A pointed out they are like those clips you use in woodwork but smaller. Not a miracle or wonder but jolly useful. 

Yesterday, you may recall, I was feeling rather smug. That is all gone. I have noticed how much laundry needs ironing and small black dog was bored. 

As you can see she shredded her pillow. She also found the kindling basket for the fire. I now have lots of little tiny bits of wood in the living room rugs. I would share a picture but the wood blends into the rug. As you can imagine I only found out about the wood when I walked around without slippers on.

I am off the restore order and clam. Granny squares quilt is in the washing machine. Provided there are no major incidents finished quilt picture tomorrow. 

Sometimes things don't go to plan

Sometimes things don't go to plan. 

I wanted to go to pick up my quilts from the local shop where they were on display. But the car didn't start. We tried to jump start it but no luck. 

So no quilts, no background fabric and no quick stop at Tesco to buy coffee. 

What is a girl to do. Well she get out her scrap buckets and her Accuquilt and cuts lots of 2.5inch squares and half square triangles. 

This is now know as the goth quilt. I know a teenager who will like this. Must dig out the other squares I made. 

Need to cook dinner now. 

Trying to get ready.

It's been a little frantic. I have made a Greek chiton (tunic) for the youngest daughter. All right that wasn't particularly tough. After all it is only a sheet with the sides sewn up and a hem.

 The hair do was more complicated. Lots of hair spray and lots of pins later this is what I came up with.

 The full length photos didn't work out. She is too aware that I am taking pictures and then poses. But Look! She is cross stitching and she can even thread the needle herself. OK not all the crosses go in the same direction and some a slightly different size. However this is her first cross stitch kit and I think she is doing very well.

I converted a gold or should that be base metal with a gold finish necklace into Greek jewellery for her.  All in all not too shabby and her teacher was pleased with the "project homework". Surely teachers must know it's the parents? 

The older child is in a school play this year and is a cook in a Victorian workhouse. Yes, that's right they are doing Oliver Twist but we are not allowed to call it that. Something to do with copyright. 

I have converted some old clothes of mine to  make her outfit. It is a scary moment when you realise that your old petticoat is in fact older than the "woman" who teaches your child. Maybe I am just old. 

I made some earphone purses for friends' children for Christmas. I found the pattern for these in Making magazine. They still need some key rings and some chocolate coins, then job can be ticked of my list.

I aslo made a couple of other things for people but they know my blog address, so no pictures yet.

Of course there are always more things that I need to make but this will have to be it for a little while. We have guests coming to stay next week and I am sure I have mentioned before housework is not my strong suit. So, with that in mind, I am off to find the Dyson.

Craft fair - the aftermath

 Well this was our little stall. We had good fun but unfortunately it was a very quiet weekend.

The craft fair is organised by our local community art centre. We thought this was the first year that they were hosting the fair. Well the organisation and communication was all a bit hap hazard. It transpired that this was the fourth year of hosting a craft fair. Friend Anna (my co conspirator) and I live within 2 miles of the Community Art centre and this was news to us. However given the lack of advertising for this year's craft fair maybe not that's surprising.

Most of the visitors came along by chance because they were going to a performance at the centre or because they had popped in to have a cup of tea (it does have a nice cafe, I can recommend the club sandwich). 

Between us we earned back the entrance fee for the craft fair and some extra. Oh, and got some custom orders. We have a couple of leads for selling small bits via local shops, so all in all not too bad. We gained experience and knowledge, so I would call that a success.

Holiday

Well sort of. It was more a stay at home and do fun stuff with children.

 We went to a craft fair in Stonor Park. This little vase came home with me. Very pretty. The potter who made it had lovely vases but I hadn't taken enough cash, so just a little vase this time. Next year however...

We went to exciting swimming pool with lots of slides. No photos the cameras were not allowed.

We went punting

 Husband did a great job. He only lost the pole once.

Eldest daughter 

Youngest daughter

My mother made dresses for the Sylvanians, so lots of playing.

Not much happening

I have had precious little time for sewing. Children are home, puppy has become an adolescent and work (paid for work I should say) has finally arrived.

I have made cushion covers for a friend out of her old curtains. Not very exciting but at least it's something.

Have a good summer hols I will try to be more interesting soon.

Internet woes

I am sorry to say that the internet connection here is not as it should be. In fact it's pants. Has been since Wednesday. I have some great new projects I started and a lush birthday present but I can't show any of them off because of TalkTalk, our internet provider, letting us down.

Fingers crossed the internet will be back soon.

It was meant to be an Easter Bunny

It arrived late. I ran out off time before we went away. I used this tutorial by Betz White. I used a piece of left over fleece and the tail is from an old wooly hat. The bunny needs eye attachment surgery but none of the buttons I have are good enough. We will have to raid Oma's button box.

Back from Easter holidays.

 We are back.

 We went to my in-laws for Easter. Before we went I had to make more chickens.

 

 Or should I say chicks? The girls wanted to give some to friends as Easter presents.

Here they all are. Photos courtesy of youngest child.

Post office

I need to go to the post office. I need to find out whether I can actually post the quilts to the cousins in Australia.
I am fairly sure I can it just depends on how much it will set me back...
Fingers crossed it won't be too usurious.

fabric shopping

Fabric shopping on Sunday was really good fun. Friend Anna and I took our time, talked about children, schooling, what we are going to sew next and why don't husband understand the need to have 5 projects on the go at once.

I will take pictures of my stash but the battery on the camera is dead.

The spare room

It used to be our bathroom. Then we had two children. Then it turned out that girls even at age six and seven need extra space in the bathroom. Husband called an architect. Well long story short we now have a shiny new bathroom and I have a spare room. I like to call it MY SEWING ROOM. Husband thinks it's a guest room. I leave him to believe this.
Look he put my thread rack up for me.

 And the magnetic notice board.

 I finally got round to basting my youngest niece's quilt.

 I must however report a sad casualty. My rotary cutter's button has broken. Overuse? Maybe.

Look a thread rack

I know I am a little "sheltered" as hubby calls it. But isn't it fab?

It would have been nice if it were white. I like white "furniture", especially if you are going to add lots of colour. Now all I need is husband to come home so that he can drill holes for me. My more feminist friends would despair and role their eyes. I can use power tools but it makes the much beloved feel needed and manly, so why spoil his fun. I will go and play with the ruler and spirit level to find a good place to hang it though.

Can't wait to sort my threads.

Basting

Or rather not basting.
I went to my parents' house today to baste the purple pink block quilt. This plan was foiled by the daughters having half term holidays. They found Oma's bead box. Instead of helping me with the quilt Oma made necklaces with her granddaughters.

Blue and white creation

Best worn with a pink wooden Hello Kitty necklace and small garnet necklace

Daughter two showing off what she wore today

 Daughter 2's creation. Jade with carnelian and glassonay (don't know how to spell that but that is how mother pronounces it. It the blue beads with white flowers.) I think she has added some little onyx beads to make the necklace the required length as she ran out off carnelian. 

Daughter 1 went for square white jade beads and big blue ceramic beads. My mother believes the blue ones were bought by me at Liberty's when I was a child. I do remember those blue beads but I don't know where they come from.

Frantic activity but no pictures.

I was going to show some pictures of a quilted bright brick work quilt, a nautical quilt with border and a start I made on a pink purple number for niece 2. I can't I have failed to upload the pictures. I would like to get them all finished by this weekend. My main source of work wants to meet this week to discuss more things for me to do. I work free lance writing scientific documents. This is great as far as I am concerned I can work from home and fit it round the children; only down side is that my hobby has to take a backseat.

Fingers crossed I will have some pretty pics to show soon.