Scrap busting to make way for new fabric!!

I have had the best birthday weekend and I want to thank you all in Blogland and on my IG account for your birthday wishes. The winner of my birthday giveaway was Anu in Finland and she chose the pouch and tissue holder so my friend Kate gets the Pants Bag for her birthday tomorrow! (The log cabin pouch is an iPad case for me!) 

Giving really is as much fun as receiving:

Speaking of receiving, as well as some perfume and little bits and pieces, DH got me this wonderful stash of fabric from Craftsy:

The top 4 yards are Blueberry Park by Karen Lewis, the smaller two are Cotton and Steel and the 17 fat quarters are 'sweet petites' by Michael Miller. 

I feel very blessed not only to have all that new loveliness to play with but to have a husband who truly gets my obsession hobby and doesn't moan about all the time (and money!) I spend on quilting ... thanks Nick X  

As if that wasn't enough, I also received these gorgeous birthday gifts from my very kind and talented friends Fran and Maja. From Fran, a mini Pants Bag:

And from Maja, two delightful little pouches:

And on to my scrap busting because I need more space! I am continuing the theme of my scrappy Siblings Together quilt by using up more blue scraps for the backing. Not sure exactly how this will turn out yet! And I pulled some drawers and bins of other colours and have started on some log cabin duet blocks. Again, no idea where this is going!

I used to trim my scraps but find grouping them by colour now is more productive to me than by size - that way if I see two pieces of a similar colour, I pick the one closest to the size I want, thus saving the bigger piece for another project on another day. My scraps are kept in drawers, bins and a birdcage:

More scraps were used up in this 20.5" block for Nicky @mrssewandsew who is the queen of Siblings Together quilt making, bless her:

Linking up with Molli Sparkles showing off my new fabric and sharing my scrap-busting with Cynthia @quiltingismorefunthanhousework 

Can't help but play with fabric scraps :D

Since pulling all the blue and grey scraps out for my Siblings Together quilt, I cannot seem to stop touching my fabric scraps! What's strange is the more I use up, the more I seem to make! 

Today, I have made a few gifts all from scraps. Firstly, I look at the fabric colours and sizes and that helps me to decide on a design / object. Also I find great inspiration from the Internet and other quilters. This block was inspired by Cathy's quilt:

All made from pink scraps and white leftover binding strips. I needed a new iPad cover and now I have one:

It's my birthday tomorrow (and St George's Day) and also my friend Kate's on Monday so I decided to make some gifts for Kate and as a giveaway! I raided the red bucket and made an open wide zipped pouch (great tutorial by @Noodlehead):

The large glass of bubbles was for scale but did get drunk eventually! Then I made a Pants Bag (so called because when I travel, I don't like putting my drawers in other people's drawers so I can just keep my pants in a bag hanging up!):

And here they all are together with a tissue holder I made too:

Would you like the Pants Bag or the open wide zipped pouch and tissue holder? Leave me a comment saying which (giveaway open for 24 hours only) and I shall then pick a winner. I will also offer this on my Instagram account tomorrow and will announce the winner on Sunday. 

As I was tidying up, I just couldn't but help touch some more scraps and quickly made these two log cabin blocks in no time - not sure what to do with them yet:

Have a great weekend - I know I will!

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

February catch up ...

I think the same person who stole January is doing a very good job this month too! 

A busy few weeks and a visitor from Jersey ... I've been working on lots of different projects which I'd like to share with you. 

My friend Mandy was celebrating the big 50 and I'd bought her some perfume but wanted to add a couple of hand-made gifts too ... well, it was a special birthday! Mandy loves, really loves, bags and shoes so that made my fabric choice easy. DH has made me a small design board so I put it to excellent use:

I haven't made a Pants Bag (as I call them) for a while and this was a mini one - perfect for a mini break (not for mini pants, DH!) and a matching zipped cosmetics bag. She loved them:

I have also been working on blocks for a Bee I'm part of - this is for the quilt drive organised for the charity Siblings Together. I'm going to do a full post on that soon to publicise the great work this charity does. These are the January blocks I made for Maria @sewlovetosew ... I also make the Queen Bee a matching zipped bag:

Last weekend, my quilty friend, Sarah @quiltcandy came for a quilting weekend - all the way from Jersey to North Wales just to see me and sew! I had done my research and not far from the airport (Frodsham), I found us a lovely LQS called Sew Simple - very friendly and a great choice. This was my 'little purchase': 

Clever Sarah had made me this beautiful embroidered hoop, now proudly hung in my sewing room:

Amongst other things, we both made an open wide zippered pouch using Anna Graham's tutorial @noodlehead - you must make one; and it's a great tutorial. Mine:

Sarah's: 

We had the most delightful time, sewing and chatting, eating and drinking! After Sarah went home on Sunday, I started to make this little pram quilt: My 'own design' (as much as one can claim such a thing for a simple quilt) which came together so quickly that I'd finished it by supper and was able to hand it over on Monday: 

And fleecy hearts on the back:

So, there you go ... most (but not all!) of what I've been working on since my last blog post. Don't forget, I'm on Instagram too ... 

Hope you're all enjoying your quilting as much as I am! Linking up to Amandab Jean @crazymomquilts and Sarah @confessionsofafabricaddict

A week off work = lots of sewing :)

I have taken this week off work, not to go on holiday, not to entertain guests, just to spend time with hubby at home and recharge my batteries. It's been great. As well as spending time with loved ones, I have been doing a lot of sewing!

Three quilts basted:

And quilted:

And binding attached:

I made a Pants Bag:

Cut 257 pieces for a new quilt:

And made one block for a Xmas table runner:

Phew! I shall be glad to go back to work for a rest!! 

Linking up with the lovely Lorna:

And cute Kelly:

Gifts - bags, tissues, quilts :)

I hope I never stop thinking, 'I love my hobby' because I really do. I love playing with different fabrics, planning my next makes, finishing little projects, starting big ones and giving them all away! Two fat quarters, a bit of lining fabric and ribbon - a couple of hours sewing and voila - a bunch of gifts for a few little girls:

I have been sewing a bit crazy the last few weeks making zipped bags and tissue holders ... great gifts and a wonderful use of fabric leftovers. The iPad case in the top left, I actually made for me:

I made 4 yesterday! This one is going to the USA for a friend who's been a bit under the weather:

And the others are going to friends in Yorkshire, France and Sweden:

Isn't that the great joy of quilting? Spreading the love all over the world?! 

I've also been making a quilt for a colleague who retires in September (best I get a move on quilting it then!) This is my own design, based on the things he loves (photography and rugby) and what he does at work (drinks tea and eats crisps!), using 'boy' fabrics:

Here it is on my ironing table; must make the back and baste today:

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

Instagram? Oh dear ...

I'm now on Instagram (glindaquilts) - something else to take up my 'spare' time because I really haven't got enough things to fill my day! It's great fun because it is so instant and very search-friendly ... yes, I'm in! I have 'met' new quilters already and am enjoying the variety. But ... and there is always a but ... it means I have neglected my blog, which I don't want to because:

1) Not everyone is on IG

2) I really like the linky parties

3) I like writing my posts, thinking about my creations and 'reaching out' to fellow quilters and bloggers

4) I love reading about the extras in everyone's lives and their thoughts on their creations - it feels more personal, somehow.

So, I will not give up blogging - stop with the groaning, now!! You know you love me really :)

Although I have been a lazy blogger, I have been an active sewer. I have also had visitors to my home and sewing room (dear Fran @PatchyRose and her most delightful daughter, Rosie) and have committed to making my charity quilt for 2015 for Siblings Together.

Here's what I've been up to and some quite a lot of photos. As soon as Fran and Rosie arrived, I became 'Auntie Glinda' to one of the loveliest little girls I have met. Look at the gorgeous gift they brought me:

We set to making Rosie a Gym (Pants) Bag; she chose all her own fabrics from my stash - isn't it fun seeing how others put a fabric bundle together?

She designed the bag, I just rotary cut the blocks. She did all the sewing, I just pressed and directed! Within a couple of hours, she had made this - clever girl and she was so happy:

The next day we set to work on my Siblings Together quilt. Please read this post for all the details on this great charity ... I'm so glad to be able to do my little bit. I had already made 24 half log cabin blocks from my scraps (think I started it in 2013) but had lost my mojo but Fran and Rosie spurred me on to finish it and we got the scraps out:

An 'action shot' of me:

And one of Fran, working on her 8 year old Insanity Quilt!

We all made some blocks and chatted away, listened to music .. the time went very quickly. Saturday night, after DH cooked us a fabby dinner, we settled down in front of the fire and watched The Sound of Music - one of my very favourite films. 

On Sunday, I helped Rosie sew down the rest of her binding on her first quilt - she had made this all herself from a kit I gifted her last year:

Oh, we did have fun (come back soon, ladies!) and that was two weekends ago. Last weekend, I finished the rest of the blocks - taking me to 48:

and started to sash them:

It's even brighter in real life!

And made a pencil case for a birthday boy:

As well as my Siblings Together quilt, my other WIP this week is a Dresden plate cushion for my Aunty G (she asked for greens and browns - think I've got a good mix here?):

Oh, if I only had more time ... what else could I do?? Linking up with the lovely Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts and Lee @ Freshly Pieced.