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 :)

"Aint no stopping me now ..."

I feel like the quilting fairy has bitten me on the bum as I just can't stop making things! I LOVE IT ... everything about it and today has been even more wonderful because one of my followers - ahem, yes I know I only have 9 but ... anyway, one of my followers, my new quilting blogger friend (NQBF?) nay my 'quilt twin' Tonya from Crazy Mimi Quilts contacted me with a 'proposal' ... and I immediately said YES (I'm such an old tart!) I won't spoil it so you'll just have to keep an eye on her blog over the next week to see what it's all about! How cool ... I am such a blogging novice - this is all 'first time stuff' for me ... :)

So, what have I been up to? Well, last night a Pants Bag for a boy (well, my friend Lisa's fiance so, definitely an 'older boy'! After her baby's 1st birthday Pants Bag prezzie, I quickly made this for Lisa's Mum (she's Swedish) as a thank you for a lovely meal:

And dear fiance jokingly? said he'd like one too - out of what fabric, I asked Lisa? Batman/Spiderman/Bananaman ... funnily enough - not fabric already in my stash cupboard! Good old eBay delivered said fat quarters within a couple of days and I turned them into this:

Posted today and it will be a nice surprise for him (I hope!) ... friends and family soon learn - you only have to be thinking of something and if I can sew it for you ... I will!

And in the last couple of hours, I made my Aunty Monika a Knitting Bag - I even had some wool to put in it for her. She's coming to stay with Mutter (who arrives tomorrow to look after Nell while we're off to Amsterdam ...yay!) so she'll get this loveliness on Sunday:

I quilted the centre panels to give the bag a bit of substance and, as you can see from my superior (not) photography, I sewed a long pocket on one side for knitting needles and a diddy pocket on the other side for pins and things:

And speaking of the Nell, I know I've said it before but she really does not have any respect for my work:

I shooed her away (she wasn't impressed and huffed off) ... something made me think, take that quilt off the table and hang it up and I'm soooooo glad I did cos 10 minutes later she returned with her muddy wet paws (on purpose??) I turned around to see this:

Gotta love her, though, poor little rescued Nell who's now cuddled up with me in bed. Nite nite to all you wonderful quilting people x