WIP or just an IIMH?

When does a work in progress officially qualify as a WIP? If you've gone beyond researching and thinking - is it now more than just an idea in my head (IIMH - I'm inventing a new acronym!!) or do I have to start an actual activity e.g. cutting or sewing for it to be a bona fide WIP? 

I won this delicious Moda jelly roll (Me and My Sister) from Carla's giveaway (thanks again, m'dear) and unwrapped it today! Would you take a look at all that gorgeousness:

I leafed through my library of books and found ths one:

I flicked through the pages and have decided to make this quilt:

So, is this now a WIP?

Well, just in case the QP come a looking, here's a definite, stone-bonker, real deal WIP ... just got to hand sew the back of the binding on this little lapquilt:

And, whilst I'm here, let me share a little finish I made this evening for Pam at work who's celebrating her birthday this weekend. A single lady, I thought this fabric to be most appropriate ... I hope she finds it funny too :D

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Good Morning indeedy!!

What a wonderful start to the day - Mr Postie has delivered the most AMAZING parcel :)  :)   :)

Naughty naughty Carla (@ Creatin' in the Sticks) but I love you! Oh, you should have seen my face when I opened the parcel - not only did I get my fabby prize from your Blogiversary Giveaway:

... can't wait to 'tap and unwrap' that jelly roll gorgeousness but you sent me all this other lovely stuff toooooooo:

The 'Sparkly Red Shoes' card is just beyond fantastic - I shall keep it forever! And the fat quarters, thread and ribbon - all pink! And the Deputy badge from Dodge City ... just too funny :D

Thank you, Carla for being very generous and so thoughtful ... you have made my day. Can you tell?!?! 

Thankful for a quickie :)

I have had this awful cold for 5 days :( and DH thinks my 'Pee Wee on helium' voice is very amusing!!! Ugh, just want it to go now ... I'm not a good sick person. 

So, Amanda Jean's comment on her Finish it up Friday post today - I appreciate all of your link ups and for the accountability that it brings. Boy, oh boy, do I need it! resonates well with me this week. 

I didn't have a finish or even a WIP to finish until a couple of hours ago, hence my gratitude for a quickie! Ooh er, missus!! (Sorry, everyone outside the UK - its a very British humour throwback to the 'Frankie Howerd and Dick Emery' days!)

It's been said before - a quilt top is a finish in its own right so that's what I'm sharing tonight :)

Nick's Mum has a childhood friend called Joan who, sadly through ill-health, isn't getting out of the house much. It's a real shame because Mum really enjoyed their trips out around North Wales. Mum asked if I would make Joan a lap quilt ... of course I would. So, my quickie finish today was using 2 x Moda Lilac Hill charm packs (thanks again Tonya for kindly gifting me these charm packs!) to make this very simple quilt top:

And a close up ... I really like the purples and greens in this range: 

And I have just ordered some yardage of this square for the backing:

Hope you all are well and enjoy the weekend.

Brrrr and Grrrr but Yay!!

Brrrr it was very cold this week - too cold for me to brave the sub-zero loft (that's where my sewing room is) so Grrrr for not getting any sewing done after work :( 

It was that cold, Nell found a new bed for the week ... On, yes on the satellite box - I guess the motor is warm on her belly ... bless her:

But Yay, nay double Yay, shout it out YAY for today - warmer weather, no work and a deadline so I did a little bit of sewing this afternoon :)

A friend from church is having a fundraising 'bunny-cuddling' day next week and asked me if I would make a Pants Bag for the raffle. I think we can do better than that so here is a cushion and a Pants Bag :)

I 'fussy cut' 4 squares, each featuring a different bunny, and picked out the purple and orange from their coats for the sashing and border:

I hope they like them - and good luck to Joy, I hope you have a great day and pray that the homemade cake selling, cuddling bunnies and all their raffle prizes raise lots of funds for the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice ... sorry I have to work and can't be there to help.

Liebster Blog Award :)

Thank you to Pauline at The Little House on the Hill for this nomination.

The Liebster Blog Award is an award given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers, most of whom have less than 200 followers (or have been blogging for less than 6 months). It is to show newer bloggers that they are appreciated and to help spread the word about new blogs. It was created to promote appreciation and recognition among the blog world.

Along with this award come a few rules:

1) You must post 11 random things about yourself

2) Answer the 11 questions given by the nominated

3) Create 11 new questions for those you nominate

4) Choose 11 new blogs (less than 200 followers or blogging for less than 6 months) and link them to your post

Firstly, 11 random things about me:

1) I'm half Welsh/half German 

2) At the grand old of 44, I still hate getting told off, especially if I think I'm in the right!

3) I love watching chick flicks and have lost count of how many times I've seen Pretty Woman/The Bodyguard/Somewhere in Time ...

4) Sometimes I drink Bubbles (Champagne, Cava, Prosecco) just because I can 

5) I still blush :(

6) When I'm tired or nervous, I play with the top of my ear - I can actually fold it in on itself when it's warmed up ... DH just said, 'TMI!'

7) I play the flute

8) I lived with my Nen (grandmother) for about 5 years when I was growing up ... she died when I was 21 and I still think about her every day

9) I still eat children's sweets e.g. pink shrimps, white mice, Curly Wurlies ... yummeeeeeeee!

10) Rude and mean people make me angry

11) I am a big softy and will do anything for anybody (as long as they're not rude and mean!)

Secondly, the answers to Pauline's questions:

1) How many UFOs do you have?
None!

2) Which colour do you use most in your quilts?
Pink - I love pink, green comes a close second, I think

3) What was your first patchwork project?
A 20" x 20" 'garden window'' square creation - looking back, I didn't have a clue but it's pinned up on my sewing room wall to remind me how far I've come in 3 years!

4) Do you do other crafts?
Nope, I have absolutely no craft experience, didn't do anything crafty at school so patchwork and quilting is it for me

5) Do you like floral, plain or geometric fabrics?
Floral

6) How many blogs do you follow?
About 50 - but I read 100s!

7) What do you like most about blogging?
It's inclusivity - it doesn't matter who you are, where you do it or how you do it - we're all welcome and quilters really are the nicest people :)

8) Do you like gardening?
No, I really don't like dirt or bugs! I like watching my husband doing the gardening whilst I drink a G&T!

9) What is your favourite time of year?
April - lots of family birthdays and warm, but not hot, weather with lots of new life and colour

10) What is your favourite flower/plant?
Freesias - for their colour and fragrance

11) Do you have a pet?
Yes, a little rescue black and white cat called Nell. She's a madam but I love her :)

Thirdly, my 11 questions for you to answer:

1) How did you start patchwork and quilting?
2) What do you wish you were good at?
3) Is your glass half empty or half full?
4) Do you speak another language? If not, which one would you like to speak?
5) Do you feed the birds?
6) What's your favourite movie?
7) Do you prefer hot or cold puddings?
8) If you could time travel, where would you go?
9) Do you like singing and if so, what's your favourite song?
10) What's your favourite time of day and why?
11) If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

And finally, (phew, I warn you this post takes some time to construct!!) I nominate the following talented ladies for the Liebster Blog Award:

1) Ailsa at Not Enough Time to Craft
2) Liz at Shush I'm Quilting
3) Elaine at Dashasel Sews
4) Hannah at Hanny Bobbins
5) Lisa at Calicos in Bloom
6) Kathleen at Crabbit Quilter
7) Jennie at Porch Swing Quilts
8) Karen at Small Town Quilter
9) Carla at Creatin in the Sticks
10) Kathy at Kayak Quilting
11) Allison at Dreaming in Patchwork

This has been fun - I look forward to seeing everyone else's posts :D

This week's little finishes ...

Just a few little finishes to share - all Pants Bags to be gifted, blogged about here and here. When it's been a busy and long work week, it's good to look back and know that there was some time for creativity too:

For Karen at Small Town Quilter:

For cousin June:

For Amanda: 

and little Nell joined me too ... though, I suspect that was more to do with her love for her treats than for her Mummy!

  

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Friday

Using up the old ...

Just hopping around to see what my favourite bloggers are up to and Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt made me smile. Not only does she make the cutest stuff, she writes some great lines too. For example, in today's post, she wrote about her latest very cute baby quilt:

'I love all that pretty fabric, I love that I didn't have to shop for any of it. My goal this year... use ONLY what I own!!! We'll see how THAT goes. ;)

That sentiment really resonates with so many of us, hey? And, as I said to Beth, I can't promise not to make any new purchases ths year but I will definitely use up more of my old. 

My friend's dad (70+) is getting married on Valentine's Day so I found all this cute fabric in my stash last night and made his new wife-to-be a Pants Bag to take on their cruise:

What about you? Are you buying new fabric ... using up the old or a bit of both?

From zero to three :)

Ok, I wasn't quite this bad on Saturday but I did feel a little anxious that I didn't have a new project to start on! Apart from my Farmers Wife Quilt, I have no UFOs and no WIPs and I wrote a little post here about needing some inspiration.

Bless you, Karen (@ Small Town Quilter) who quickly commented: 'Enjoy your day - I'm sure you'll think of something to make in no time! No UFO's? I could send you some of mine!'

That made me smile and, of course, she is so right. I did think of something to make almost immediately. Karen, had you won my Giveaway, I would have made you a pink Pants Bag - I know you really wanted one - so here is one hot off the sewing machine made in pink just for you and on its way to Iowa (as soon as you email me your address!):

I hope you like it! I have been drooling looking at all the Scrappy Quilts on blogs and Flickr for a while so these were my inspiration for the design and big thanks to Bonnie @ Quilt Ville  for her great tutorial which made it so easy :)

And I remembered thinking when I made my USA cousins their lapquilts that when I had the time (I have soooooo much fabric still leftover!) I would make them each a matching Pants Bag. As cousin June got her quilt last, she can have her Pants Bag first:

And my friend at church is having a bunny cuddling day and asked me if I would donate a raffle prize. Well, how could I refuse? So a little purchase today:

I will turn this either into a cushion or bag ... or maybe both!

So from zero ideas to three projects - two down one to go ... and it's only Tuesday!

What next??

I've tidied up my sewing room.

I've put all my scraps away.

I've sorted through some magazines.

I've tidied up my blog (top pages).

I've visited some blogs and left some nice comments.

I'm stuck - I've no idea what to make next - have I run out of people? I seriously hope not ... I'll just not stress about it ... maybe inspiration will find me tomorrow :)