Autumnal Squirrels

So, no blog posts for four months then two in a week! 

Two reasons - I'm at home this week (as opposed to working in London) so have more time and as I've made a quilt top using Lorna's Squirrel pattern, it's only right I post about it and join her linky party. 

I have bought a few of Lorna's patterns (do please check them out - she's amazing) but hadn't yet got round to making them ... my Mum's friend's 70th birthday next month was my motivation. Mum and Christine will actually be staying with us on her birthday and she loves nothing more in the morning than sitting by the bedroom window looking out at the menagerie of birds, rabbits and squirrels that we feed each day.

Perfect recipient! I started by making two squirrels;

Aren't they cute? I can't tell you how easy they were to make. Lorna's pictures and words were just enough to guide me through. 

Then I stopped ... did I want to make more squirrels or did I want to build a quilt around them? One of my quilty friends suggested an acorn. Inspired ... I went Google searching and found this fabby tutorial by Lisa at Stubbornly Crafty. I added a pop of Moda Grunge orange:

Now what? I raided my scraps and stash and cut out a load of 5" squares:

Some of these are vintage fabrics that belonged to my Great Aunt in USA and I loved playing with the placing - I made six 4x4 blocks:

And then I joined it all together. I love it! Please ignore green bedsheet - so thankful the spare bedroom is next to my sewing room :) It's as if the squirrels are fighting for the acorn whilst playing in the autumn garden:

Not sure whether it needs a border - it's a perfect lapsize quilt as is so I'll think about it for a few days. Would you add a border? 

Thank you Lorna - clever lady - joining you for Let's Bee Social 

Sorry ... neglected little blog :(

Hello and it's September already! How? Where have the last four months gone?!

I won't even try and make excuses - I'm just going to mention a few things I've been working on since my last post. My quilting - this wonderful hobby - continues to thrill me. It consumes a lot of my spare time but the results (mainly gifts for friends and family) are so worth it. I get to play with so many fabrics, make up my own patterns and follow others', make quilts on my own and also in groups. 

At the end of May, a birthday quilt for my niece - fabric all from my stash and a delightful Kaffe Fassett pattern:

June saw a dreadful tragedy in London - the burning of Grenfell Tower (a stone's throw from my work building) and, like many others, I felt compelled to make a quilt (pattern by Jeni B - In Color Order) for a family / first responder: 

In July, the 14 Chernobyl Children arrived from Belarus and Ukraine for a month's R&R in North Wales and my lovely international Instagram group #ccllnorthwalesquiltbee again volunteered their time and skill to make each child a handmade bag and table mat:

Their amazing / funny / beautifully crazy interpreter: 

August and I finished the top of a Christmas quilt which introduced me to a friendly group of quilters in Australia as we finished blocks each week. Organised by Anne - she kept us on track, bless her, in a very relaxed manner. Because we all chose different fabrics (mine were all from my stash apart from the Moda French General Indigo sashing fabric), they all turned out wonderfully different. Pattern #handmadewithlove by Camille Roskelley - can't wait to finish this: 

And a 'commissioned' quilt for my neighbour for her sister who was celebrating 40 years of marriage. This was challenging but I embraced the tests (embroidery / applique) - I loved making the scrappy back - she was thrilled:

Last week, I gave this quilt to my friend Gerrie, chair of our local Chernobyl Children's Lifeline, she chose the colours, I made up the pattern and 47 children and teachers signed patches which I sewed into the back. She cried when I gave it to her (so did I!!):

Each month, I've been making blocks for a different 'queen bee' as part of our Siblings Together quilt group. This was this month's:

And just tonight, I made these two squirrel blocks. I have had this pattern for ages and I can't tell you how happy I was to finally have found the perfect recipient to make it for. Pattern by Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts and it really was the easiest pattern to follow. Thanks Lorna: 

Linking up with Lorna's Let's Bee Social and Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday.