First finished quilt in a year :)

In March 2014, I tripped over some pavement and fell on my shoulder ... hard ... dislocated it and smashed it in 4 places - ouch! I now have a metal plate and 9 screws and am still in physiotherapy. But this week I have finally finished my first quilt and that has made me very happy indeed :)

Sadly, it was a leaving gift for my boss - she was a lovely lady to work with and I shall miss her. I used two Moda Papillon charm packs and added some Kona taupe and aqua to mix it up a bit and to make the quilt a little bigger:

I free motion quilted it with variegated thread - in about 2 hours - and, although the movements were awkward at first, muscle memory is a wonderful thing and I was soon in my flow.

Here she is:

I enjoyed it all so much, I quilted this little lady too (Siblings Together charity quilt) and will be finishing her over the weekend:

Linking up to Amanda Jean (welcome back) @ Crazy Mom Quilts.

Here's your quilt, now get back to work!

I finally finished Mandy's quilt at the weekend and we visited her at home yesterday to hand it over. Mandy is my number 2 (is anyone else giggling at that? No? Just me then!) and she has been off work for 3 weeks after an operation on her foot and won't be back at work for at least another 3 ... and we miss her :(

It was so lovely to see her and the other girls had bought her chocolates, flowers and wine - she's doing alright out of this, hey?! I think it's time she hobbled back to work :D

I've said it before and, knowing me, I'll probably say it again but I remain amazed and joyful that I can turn this:

into this:

I started quilting 3 1/2 years ago and it wasn't easy. I really struggled as I hadn't really sewn before (didn't do it at school or have a relative who'd passed any skills on to me) so it could have been one of those pastimes you dip into as an adult and never master. I was hooked from the start and whilst I may never master it, I know I will always love quilting.

Taking good photographs is a bit tricky in the UK at this time of year so my photo on the garden bench above was an attempt at something new. Looking around the wet garden yesterday morning, it really was just the washing line shot I had to settle for:

At least Nell showed up for the shoot:

The back:

And the obligatory label. Our work is in the public sector so there's no bonuses I can give Mandy but when she's done great work for me, I've always said thank you and emailed her some gold stars (it's our thing) so it was fitting that when I came to name this quilt, I thought of 'Star':

Please get well, get fixed and come back to work soon, it's not the same without you x

Linking up with Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict:

3 finishes, a WIP and a new start ...

Happy weekend!

Why stop at one teddy bear baby quilt when you can make another? Having made the blue one for baby Matthew, last weekend I started on a pink one from these fabrics:

 

This was made for Jacki; our families lived next door to each other in Skelmersdale, Lancashire in the 1970s. We were very close back then, we'd go off on camping holidays a couple of times a year, our Mums and Dads were great friends and Jacki's sister Mandy was my first best mate! We were also part of a dance troup trained by my Mum and their Mum, Aunty Brenda. Here we all are in (I think) 1973/4. That's me in the bottom row (with the end of my arrow on Mandy and Jacki in the centre with the end of her arrow on my older sister, Debbi):

 

When I was aged 7, our family moved to Wales and we still met up for camping holidays and visited for a few years but, sadly, over time we lost touch :( until the end of last year when, out of the blue, Aunty Brenda rang my Mum and through Facebook, I'm back in contact with Mandy and Jacki ... got to love social networks, hey?

So here's the quilt I made this week for Jacki, she's thrilled with it:

 

Love making these teddy bear quilts - I could seriously make baby quilts all day long, couldn't you? My other two finishes are the Christmas Tree mug rug for Pam at work. Made from scraps and a penguin fat quarter, I free motion quilted some stars and loops and straight line appliqued the Christmas tree, star and tinsel. It really didn't take very long to do. I even hand sewed the back of the binding but then, that is my favourite part of quilting:

 

The binding fabric for both of these came from my little binding basket. This is where all my leftovers go until I reuse them:

And the advent calendar made out of a Makower Christmas panel. This was a fun project to sew - the instructions were very clear (half the battle when doing anything for the first time) and this one's actually for us! I have two more to make which I'll be gifting to friends with children:

 

My WIP is a Moda charm square lap quilt for my deputy at work, who's going to be off sick for a few weeks :( started on Wednesday, here's where I'm up to:

 

 

And this weekend, I'm starting on my niece's table runner and mats from this bundle of gorgeousness:

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE my hobby! What are you up to this week? I'll pop over and take a look as well as drooling overall the beautiful things shared at Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday and Sarah's Confessions of a Fabric Addict:

Christmas stuff and other WIPs :)

I'm loving my quilting the last few weeks. Unusually for me, I have a few things on the go but some are nearly finished so I'm not getting too stressy about it. My biggest problem? I keep adding to my list! Take tonight after dinner, I've started on a new lap quilt for one colleague and a large mug rug for another and they weren't even ideas in my head, never mind written down on a list until 6pm!

Mandy, my loyal deputy, is going to be off work for a few weeks having had an operation on her foot. It's only been 3 days and I miss her already :(  She is so active, hates daytime TV and will be going stir crazy before the first week's convalescing is up! I'm going to visit her during the next week or two so thought I'd make her a little lap quilt out of fabric in my stash - she'll appreciate that :) 

I made her a tote bag last year and she loved the fabric I used - a Moda Lumiere de Noël charm pack and I had another one on the shelf so thought of a pattern that would use all 42 squares and 2 x 1/2 yards of contrasting light and dark fabrics:

I laid out all the squares first so I knew I'd like the layout: 

Then I just put an alternate light and dark 2 1/2" x 5" strip to be sewn on the right hand side and a contrasting 2 1/2" x 7" strip to be sewn on the bottom. So easy! Two rows done, five to go ... at this rate, it'll be finished by the weekend! 

As long as I don't get distracted ... again. I was going to call it a night, remembered I'd promised Pam at work a mug rug and made a start on it. Pam LOVES Christmas - seriously loves it ... all the tinsel and lights :) She even leaves (some) decorations up all year around (bless her!) so what better than a Christmas tree on penguin fabric!?

Still got to appliqué it, baste, quilt and bind it but think this will be another quickie. And I've nearly finished my first advent calendar, just got to bury some knots and hand sew the binding:

Imagine what I'd get done if every day was the weekend ... SIGH ... looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to over at Lee's link up: 

Lovely Lilac Hill Lapquilt :)

I love the idea of paying it forward. Thanks again to Tonya for gifting me all this fabric and charm packs last year:

Two were used to make this Hurricane Sandy Quilt and my finish today used the pair of Lilac Hill charm packs. This little quilt didn't take me very long to make (a week!) but I wanted to finish it by today so that I could bring it to Chester this weekend to give to Mum to give to her friend Joan.

They have been friends for nearly 70 years so when Mum asked if I would make a little something for Joan, I was more than happy to oblige. 

We left home around 10 this morning and this was the set up in the car:

Thankfully, DH was driving! It was a bit bumpy on the motorways so I definitely  wasn't sewing at my usual speed! Nearly 4 hours later and we arrived with just this little bit left to do: 

A coffee and sandwich later and she's all done! Here's Mum 'modelling' her for me:

And DH doing his usual poses:

And the all important label:

"Warm Friendship" - 41" x 41" - just big enough to cover your lap, Joan :)

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts  Finish it up Friday.

Thanks again, Tonya xx

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.

Amazing generosity ... paying it forward :)

I first started reading quilting blogs after my skiing accident in January 2011 and it took me a year to find the confidence (and learn the new skills!) to start my own blog. It took months to get some followers outside of my family (I don't have sponsors, do giveaways and I wasn't linking up!) and to start sharing comments and in this post I 'met' my 'Quilting Twin' Tonya from Texas and we hit it off immediately.

From a little exchange about charm packs in September, I must have planted a seed because this week in the post I received from Tonya not 1, not 3, not 7 but TEN, yes 10 charm packs!! I know. She is the most generous, kind lady and she also included some yardage:

I was (and remain!) overwhelmed and immediately felt the need to repay Tonya's generosity. So, I have decided to make two quilts from this gift:

1) For a soldier through the UK arm of Quilts of Valor 

2) For a Hurricane Sandy survivor, this worthy cause is being co-ordinated by Luana at eQuilter

I will post my progress, so keep coming back. Once again, Tonya, thank you - thank you - thank you, you're a little angel :) I'm sorry you're not blogging at the moment as I can't link my post to you but, hopefully, you'll get some quilty gratitude comments from here :)

Teenagers not allowed!!!

Remember last week was supposed to be a 'rest' from sewing ... well, that won't happen if you invite your teenage god-daughters (visiting for the Paralympics) to come and have a look around your sewing room and then have a conversation a little like this:

Me: Would you like me to make you a new Pants Bag? (Christmas Presents 2011)

Them: Yes please (with sweet smiles)

Me: And a cushion too?

Lucy: No, that's ok

Millie: Yes please

Lucy: Ok, I'll have a cushion too

Me: Would you like to choose your own fabrics?
Them: Yes please (with bigger smiles)

Ah, as you see, I only have myself to blame! And off they went, pulling out fat quarters, charm packs and scraps. I left them to it and went back up to the loft a little while later. It was lovely to let them pick their own selection and ordering of fabric because I know I would have chosen differently. Also, because they had complete freedom to roam and choose from my entire stash, they weren't restricted by any, 'I'm saving that for something else' thoughts.

So as not to be left out, I did invite their Mum up to pick out fabrics for a Pants Bag too! So, off they went to the Athletics Stadium at about 3.20pm and by 8.45pm, I had made all of this loveliness:

Close up of Millie's (she chose Moda Hideaway charm pack and a cream blender) :

And Lucy's (a mixture of Moda charm packs and others):

And their Mum's:

They were home around 10.30pm and I'm just sorry I didn't take a photo of their delighted faces! Maybe teenagers are allowed after all :)