Tired teddy ...

It's a Saturday and so I should have been feeling refreshed and raring to create ... but I didn't. This probably had something to do with staying up until 0130 this morning watching a film I had seen before -

- so why oh why did I stay up WAY past my bedtime to watch it?? And, because my eyes are used to opening at 0600 every day, that's what they did this morning ... despite having only been closed for 4 ½ hours ... that'll learn me!!

So, I decided not to attempt anything difficult. Hoping I'll be 'awake' enough tomorrow to have a go at Trish Preston's cute bag. But I did make something new! I saw this post for this handy sewing machine 'accessory mat' ages ago but have just not got around to making it. TODAY was the day!

Isn't it lovely?

And thanks to this You Tube upload from Connecting Threads, I've finally made something with 'properly finished binding'.

Oh, and of course, SHE had to join me ... that's my Dad's Quilt she's got her bottom on, the little madam:

And a dear friend came around to say 'hi' with some lovely daffodils (they weren't really for your Mum for Mother's Day, hey?!) so not a bad day after all ;)

Bye bye Daddy ...

My dear Dad passed away on Sunday (19/02/2012) after a long battle with COPD- we've been looking through some old photos and one of my American cousins posted this on Facebook for us:

Bless him - he looks like an angel - and so young. And here's one of me and him from 1989 - it was my 'Ladies Night' - I'm loving the hair!!

And one of his last photos. He wasn't well and had lost a lot of weight but he still had a twinkle in his eye ...

I'm glad he was my Dad. I'm glad I made him a quilt, I'm glad I was with him, holding his hand when he passed ... I love my Dad xx

2010 continued ...
So, having made over 20 cushions and 20 Pants Bags (I know!!) in just a few months over the summer, it was definitely time to try and make a quilt ... very daunting and where to start? Looking back, I actually made the hardest quilt first (typical me!) as I wanted to make something for my dear Dad - a lapquilt I thought would be a safe start ... and a nice easy design - simple blocks, hey? That would have been sensible but that's not me - I decided to design a seaside themed quilt as my Dad loves boats and the sea ... what was I thinking??

So I started with a boat ...

... and added some sand

... and even made a lighthouse!!

I even hand quilted the clouds to make them 'fluffy and puffy' and tried (not very successfully) to free motion quilt the sand. Thankfully, I managed to do the backing with one piece of material so that reduced the time a little bit. It took weeks ... but I really really enjoyed making it and learning all sorts of new things as I went along.

And my favourite bit - apart from presenting it to Dad - was the binding ... I absolutely LOVED making it (out of the spare backing fabric) and hand sewing the back of it to the quilt in the car journey's to Dad's (sooooo last minute, me!) It was worth it:

More of 2010 still to come ...