April Showers Blog Hop

Today is my day on the April Showers Blog Hop.
The theme is a mug rug made with your interpretation of April Showers.
I decided to use a paper piece pattern that I found here.

I made two with one being reversed.

I then embroidered the words April Showers on some white fabric I had.

I then sewed the two umberella blocks either side.

I always remember the saying "april showers bring the flowers that bloom in may" so I decided to use some flower fabric as edging on my mug rug to remind me that this very wet April will bring the flowers soon.

I am hopeless at doing mitred binding, I really am so as this mug rug was for myself I decided to finish it off by zig-zag around the edges.

Here is the finished mug rug.

I am going to use this mug rug myself in the office as it will make my cardboard coffee cup (health and safety) look a little bit more cheerful.

A big thank you to Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt and also to Erin at Mummy Quilts for organising this great event.

Please check out the other blogs with their wonderful mug rugs today.  Hope you all have a great day.

MONDAY, APRIL 15th

Cathy @ Cate's Linens

Nicola @ Sunshine Reflections

Martina @ Sunshinequilting

Judith @ Frimart

Anita @ Anita's quilts en handwerken

Linda @ Sew Nicely

Kris @ krislovesfabric

Laura Ann @ The Fuzzy Hat Quilter

Carol @ Just let me Quilt

Selina @ Selina Quilts

Mary @ Crooked Gulley Art Quilts

Marisa @ Passion et Couture

Stitch me up.

I was lucky enough to be picked to take part in the Stitch Me Up blog hop.

First I want to say thank you to  Debbie from Busy as can Be, Cyndi from Stitch Stitch Stitch, Jane from Janes Fabrics and Madame Samm for giving us such wonderful embroidery patterns, supplying great Presencia threads if you wanted them and organising the blog hop.

Thank you all very much ladies.

There was such a great choice of patterns to chose from (geometric, contemporary, traditional).  Also the threads which I bought from Jane were great as well.  

I chose to do the chair and mannequin embroidery. Sorry for the photos but it's been grey and dull here all week with snow showers.

I made embroidery into a small wall hanging for my daughters room which was recently decorated with blues and pinks.  Here is a close up of one of the small folded squares in the corners.  I used four different fabrics.  I learnt this technique from Rami Kim's book and I've used it quite a few things.  It is so easy to do.

I used a blue fabric for the backing which reminds me of the renaissance.

I used the Presencia threads I'd bought from Jane and it was my first time to use this brand of thread.  I loved it.  It was easier to use than floss thread and didn't tangle as easily.  I will definitely use it again.

It's been a while since I did any embroidery so I am really happy with this.  I am going to try some of the geometric patterns next.  If you get a chance check out the blog listing below to see what some of the wonderful ladies have created.  

As I'm off work until Tuesday I'm going to get some more stitching done over the next few days.

Have a great Easter everyone.

P.S.  Apologies to those who visited earlier, I didn't realise that the word verification was still on.  I've taken it off now.  SORRY.

THURSDAY MARCH 28th Kristin @That Other Blog Robin @That Other Blog Jane's Fabric and Quilts Dexterdays The WorldThrough Our Window Sew Nicely  thistle creek cottage My Art, My So Called Life Just Sew Sue Co mne bavi... life, quilts and a cat too TeaTimeCreations Read, quit, cook, pray Cate's Linens Shade Tree Quilting Ladybug Dreams

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it's been so long since I did a blog entry.  Bang goes my new year resolution.

I have managed to get some things done.

I am taking part in Stitch Me Up blog hop over at Sew We Quilt.  My day is tomorrow (28th) so don't forget to check and see what I've made then.

I'm also taking part in the April Showers mug rug blog hop in April and have been working on my project for that.
I'm also in a doll quilt swap for March based on "a little bit of green" which I hope to get finished this week.

My sewing mojo vanished due to illness and life/work changes.
I had a very bad kidney infection which had me laid up for almost two weeks.
Then just as I was getting over that I got a major change in my work.
I have worked for the same company for over 30 years with the last 14 working from home.
Our company has now been bought over by another company so I have to relocate back into the office.  It is a major change not just for me but for the whole family and it has taken me a couple of weeks to get my head around the change.  I start after Easter and with a long commute my sewing time will be a lot less so I am going to have to curb my urge to join in on all swaps that I find.

See you all tomorrow.

pouch, zips, flowers and cupcakes

First off, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

I received a great package today for the Pretty Little Pouch swap on flickr.
It has denim fabric and beautiful orange fabrics.  I gave a hint that I didn't really have anything that had orange in it so if my swap partner had some and wanted to use them that would be great.  She did and I love it.  It even has some great orange lining and of course my all time favourite, hexies.  She also included a great shopping bag with hexies (in some prints I've seen other people using and raving about).  There was even some chocolate (which I had to give some to youngest daughter as she wanted my lovely pouch).  Thank you Judy.

I also received an order of zips I made.  I have been waiting for these so I can make one of those fantastic Triple Zip Pouches.  Now I just need time.  I've also signed up for a Stitch Me Up blog hop and am working on my piece for it.  I signed up for the April Showers blog hop as well for which we all make a mug rug with our interpretation of what April Showers means to us.  Better get a move on.

Hubby gave me some beautiful flowers (I love flowers).  There's a big fuzzy red heart in the middle of them.

As a treat the four of us are going to have one of these after dinner (I know I'm on a diet but it's Valentine's Day).

PLP6 pouch finished

I finished off my pouch for the Pretty Little Pouch 6 swap.

Here are some photos of it.  I sewed some buttons to the centre of the hexagons and did some outline quilting around the shapes.  The back is Echino fabric which my partner likes.  I used a paw print fabric for the lining and some white ribbon and bell flower beads for the zipper pull.   My partner likes bright colours as well so I hope I've made something that she will like. I used Kelby Sew's tutorial which is quite easy to follow.  This is my second time to use this tutorial and I think I'm improving each time.

I've signed up for a sew along on flick for the Triple Zip Pouch.
I'm going to have to invest in some zips now so will have to do a bit of a search online to see if I can find some really nice zips.


This Friday, 1st of February, is Friday Night With Friends.  Why not sign up over at Cheryl's blog.

Only one day left in January and I have one thing left on my to do list, a top for myself.  I hope to have this cut out tomorrow and that will mean I've finished all I wanted to do in January.

Works so far

I've managed to get one thing finished and another started as well as getting the sitting room 95% finished.

I was in a mug rug swap on The Quilting Board.
Here is the mug rug I received from Nelco.  I love the shape of it and will enjoy using the lovely teas she sent me.

Here is the front and back of the mug rug I made for my partner.  She likes yellow so I hope this is cheerful enough.  I used wool (a fancy knitting yarn) around the edges and zig-zagged over it.

I also got my partner's name for the Pretty Little Pouch Swap No. 6.  I decided that I would sketch my idea out after seeing her mosaic of what she likes.  I went with the following.  The first one will be the front using a grey/linen for the background, bright hexagon flowers, stitched lines and fabric leaves.  Not sure about the fabric leaves yet.

The next photo will be the back of the pouch using echino fabrics with four horizontal strips at the top and six vertical strips at the bottom.

Here is my progress so far.

I'm stitching each line in a different stitch.  The orange is chain stitch, the blue is stem stitch, green is backstitch and the red is two different tones of red in running stitch.  The fabrics will be the ones I'll use for the hexagons.  I have some lovely echino 10 inch squares which I bought so I will choose which ones to use for the other side.  I have to go through my "magic drawer" which has buttons, threads, zips etc.  to pick out a zip and I also have to decide on the lining fabric.  Not a bad start.

That leaves me with only one thing left on my January list of to do things.  Only four days left, will have to get a move on.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

January to do list

I've a list of things to make this January.

1.  Make two crazy blocks in blues for group charity quilt.

2.  Make two Bee Blessed Ladder Strip blocks to send to Just Jude

3.  Make at least four more of NYB (New York Beauty) scrappy blocks.

4.  Start on Pretty Pouch swap when I get my swap buddy's details.

5.  Start on one dressmaking item for myself.


So far I've managed the following

1.  Two crazy blocks finished.  I just have to trim them down.

2.  Two Bee Blessed blocks made.  Here is one of them.

3.  Two more NYB blocks finished.  I now have 9 blocks made.  Three more to go and then see what I am going to do with them.  I have a couple of ideas but will wait to see.

4.  I will get my Pretty Pouch swap buddy's details around the 23rd of January so until I know what she wants I can't get started.

5.  I have a pattern and fabric picked out to make a top for myself.  As soon as I get my other two NYB blocks finished for this month I will cut it out.

For me that is not a bad going.  If I can keep on track then I will be very happy at the end of the month.

Workwise this is a busy month for me (end of year reports, start of new tax year and first payroll run of 2013).  Hubby also decided that he was not too busy (he is a market gardener/horticulturist, that's a posh way of saying he and his family grow vegetables and herbs) so he is redecorating our sitting room.   This involved moving everything except the sofas out of the room so the hall and every other room is now full of stuff.  I've bought the paint, new curtains, curtain poles, light fittings etc.  He has filled in holes and cracks in the walls, sanded, painted the ceiling and drilled for the new light fittings.  He's hoping to make a start on painting the walls today which will need two coats (as he lights the fire everyday the soot on the walls was quite bad and no amount of washing would take it all off).  Hopefully by Sunday we might have our sitting room back.  Tilly and Fudge (cat and dog) will be happy as their favourite sleeping area is out of bounds.  Fudge is getting bigger all the time.

Here he is getting a belly and chest rub (which he loves) from my oldest daughter.  He really is just a big baby.  You might spy a quilt in the bottom right of the photo.  This is the first quilt I made at the classes I went to in 2002.  Lisa loved purple then so it is an all purple sampler quilt.  I hand quilted it and lets say my stitches are all different sizes but it has lasted well and she still loves to snuggle up under it.

Hope you all had a great weekend.  Best wishes.

Where has the time gone?

It's been so long since I did a blog post.  Life dealt a few unexpected cards (my dad was quite ill in hospital but is now improving greatly having been fitted with a pacemaker, youngest daughter developed a mystery rash which doctors couldn't diagnose, eldest daughter had mystery headaches which turned out to be tension and pressure headaches and then caught the Norovirus).  Time just seemed to slip away.  Thankfully we have started the New Year with everyone being well.

I received a wonderful package from Chris who was my partner in Mrs Martins Christmas Angel Swap.  The North Pole Delivery was embroidered and taped onto the box she sent the goodies in.  She sent some beautifully embroidered felt items which I love.  Her work is so neat and really very beautiful.  She also sent some lovely Swiss chocolate.  I am very lucky to have had her as a swap partner as I was late sending my goodies to her because of my family's health problems.

I also received the a lovely bag and scraps from Tanya in the Scrappy Swap on flickr.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.  My two girls bought me a wonderful new camera so I've no excuse not to take some great photos now.  I was sick just before Christmas and they surprised me by decorating the Christmas tree as I hadn't had a chance to do it visiting the hospital.  I think they did a good job.

Fudge enjoyed his first Christmas with us.  Here he is with his Santa Paws bandana on. He's quite the handsome fellow now.

Tilly was in the wars over Christmas.  We had to take her to the vet as she had two large bites on her leg which had swollen up.  She couldn't jump up on her favourite chair so instead she settled for being on a nice quilt on the floor.

I am joining the Friday Night with Friends which Cheryl is running.  Why not join in.  My quilt group are making a crazy patch quilt in blue which we are going to auction for charity so I am hoping to get my two blocks for it sewn on Friday.

I'm going to make up a list of sewing/quilting things I hope to accomplish in 2013 and will post it over the weekend.  One of my hopes is to be better organised and to make more regular blog posts.

Best wishes everyone for 2013.