Happy retirement :)

What a wonderful retirement do we had yesterday for my friend. We first worked together for two years in 1996 then again for the last 4 years. This was my special gift to her:

There were tears:

And laughter at the pipe and slippers:

And funny speeches:

And she loved the quilt:

Happy retirement, you 'Lippy Plonk' ... you will be greatly missed :'/

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and a Confessions of a Fabric Addict

I'm back ... and look what's on my lap already :)

We had the most wonderful time on our ski holiday in Avoriaz (France) - the four of us look forward to it all year then, sadly, it's over in a heartbeat. Please let me share a few photos with you:

Back safely yesterday and I finished quilting my 'lippy quilt', buried all the knots, attached the label and made the binding! I was so chuffed to find 1/2 yard of the love hearts fabric in my stash which I had used in the quilt so I think it's going to finish this off perfectly. 

My favourite part - hand sewing the binding - expecting it to take a few hours!  Only 4 days to the retirement lunch - easy peasy:

Linking up with Karen over at Sew Many Ways: 

Busy bees a - buzzing!!

If you told me tomorrow I would have to stop blogging,

I would be bereft :(

If you had told me to stop 2 years ago (when I first started blogging) I would have been okay with it.

So what changed? Simple ... I connected with like-minded people and I made some friends. It didn't happen overnight and, like everything good in your life, you have to put in the work ... but it's paid off and I have found some lovely people to share my quilting adventures with.

Introducing (not that she needs any introduction!) one of my most favourite blogging friends - Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts, who is starting a new Wednesday linky party today. Please bee friendly and fly over there:
 

I'm sharing progress on my latest WIP - my first quilt of 2014 - this was the top before DH and I basted it on Sunday:
 

I asked for some tips on quilting it ... I am a serial stippler (don't tell me straight line quilting is easy - it's not for me!) but I wanted to try something new ... at this, DH rolls his eyes at me - he knows I'm on a tight deadline!

Jasmine (@ Quilt Kisses) commented: "I would do some quilting to emphasize the shape of the lips, like echoing inward. Then you could do whatever outside the lips."

Okay then, like the sound of that  ... so I stitched in the ditch around the lips first and it was tough ... ugh, my shoulders are aching already! It's official - I'm a wimp, I know. Did I mention I don't like straight line quilting??!! So, I did some diagonal straight lines in the lips and then - gave up ... off comes the walking foot, on goes the FMQ foot - now we're cooking on gas!

I did some free-motion flower petals along the seams (shows up a bit better in the black and white photo):
 

And then, liking Jasmine's idea of echoing, I started scallop edging around the outside of the lips and just kept going round and around:
 

And a close up - it's not perfect but it's a new to me FMQ pattern so am thrilled with it and probably only a couple of hours quilting left to do:
 

I'm so happy to have my Juki back after her Christmas vacation with the 'Service Man' - she's a treasure:
 

And could my week get any better? Yes it could - I ordered this book before Christmas but was told it was not available (in the UK) until March - they were wrong ... it's arrived:
 

The lovely Lee at Freshly Pieced is one of the authors ... only fitting that I link up with her too:
 

Finished top - how to quilt it ... and unexpected gifts :)

I am ahead of schedule ... yay! I have finished piecing the top of my friend's retirement quilt (deadline 23rd January), have made the back today and DH and I will baste it in the morning.

 

It came together really quickly once I decided not to go with sewing it row by row but in blocks:

 

And, of course, I pinned the heck out of it to match those seams up!

 

You know my quilting is limited - I don't really do straight lines and my free motion quilting is limited but if I was to wave my wand over this tomorrow - how would I best quilt it?

 

And a fabulous reminder of the kindness of blogging friends was confirmed with a bang yesterday (well, a thud on the floor by the front door) as I received this wonderful parcel all the way from Canada:

 

Yes, she knows how much I love pink! Look at how sweet her pin cushion is: 

Naughty Shauna (@ lovinquiltin), I really don't deserve them! You are toooooo sweet, thank you very much :)


I have loved looking at everyone's 2013/2014 posts ... here are just a few from some of my favourite blogging friends:

Nina @ Quilts, Life and Balance
Sarah @ Quilt Candy
Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
Geta @ Geta's Quilting Studio
Julie @ Mack and Mabel
Beth @ Love Laugh Quilt

I am very excited about this year! Are you?

 

Linking up for the first of many times this year (I hope!) with Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday (now have you seen her lovely quilting which was achieved on her domestic Juki?) and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict: 

 

She's a bit lippy!

Just a quick WIP to share because to be honest, who can really be making lots of new quilty things with just a week to go until the big day? Well, not me!

This is going to be my retirement gift for a lovely friend whom I've worked with on and off since 1996. In a mainly male environment (at that time), we refused to not still be feminine and probably took it a bit too far by reminding each other when the lippy (lipstick) was fading ... thus began some fun! 

We've been very lucky to work together again just before she retires. Her favourite colours? Pinks and greens ... and the design? Well, a pair of pink lips - of course!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced