30 months, 6 friends, 1 broken shoulder !!

Doesn't every quilt have a great story behind it? Well, this one's no exception ... in fact, this has to be one of my best :)

In June 2013, I joined my first quilting bee, thanks to my dear friend (now) Fran @ patchyroses suggesting me as a participant to our lovely Queen Bee, Maria @sewlovetosew. The other 3 talented ladies were Amy @cloudcoucou, Julie @mackandmabel and Sarah @quiltcandy. The idea was a strip quilt - we'd each make a strip and pass it on, adding a strip to compliment as we went along until all six quilters had added a strip, then the quilt would be returned to its owner.

Here was my starting strip:

Each quilt was very different, I learnt some new paper piecing skills and played with different fabrics and really got to know my fellow Strippers along the way!! 

In fact, we were getting on so well, I invited everyone for a weekend in March 2014 so that we could meet and hand over our finished quilts in person. The day before, I went grocery shopping and, with two heavy bags, I tripped in the street, fell hard, dislocated and smashed my shoulder ... ouch!!

I was devastated - not just for breaking my shoulder - I had to cancel the weekend :( 

The ladies were marvellous about it and Queen Bee organised everyone and they made me a delightful wall-hanging strip and sent me extra gifts too: 

They made me cry:

Everyone was still keen to meet up and, thankfully, we didn't have to wait long. In June 2014, we finally got together. Here am I (you can spot the poorly shoulder) with my finished quilt:

And here's the whole crowd - from left to right: Sarah, Amy, Julie, Me, Maria and Fran:

My shoulder was really smashed so it took me a while before I got back into basting and quilting so she was put on the UFO pile for a year :( But recently, I got her out, dusted her off, added some borders and started quilting:

And here she is, at last - complete:

It took some time but I have a lovely quilt, my shoulder is as good as it will ever be, I can make quilts again and, more importantly, I have 5 new friends ... just like their quilts; they're all different, all unique, all very special. Thank you, ladies, you rock xxxxx

Linking up with Amanda Jean @crazymomquilts and Sarah @Confessionsofafabricaddict

Lots of stuff ... :)

I really am a happy little quilter at present. I'm feeling so creative and productive ... if I didn't have to stop for work, I would quilt the world, I'm sure! 

Last weekend, I finally started quilting my 'soldier's quilt':

And I made another scrappy zipper pouch for my friend at work:

And put borders on my Strip Bee Quilt:

And I'm turning these 4 gorgeous fat quarters gifted ages ago to me by my dear friend Carla @ creatin in the sticks:

into a sewing mat, sewing machine cover and 'enders' bag! There's nothing wrong with the old set I made:

But I'm thrilled to be making fresh stuff for the new sewing room. There's lots of tutorials out there but I just made it up as I went along this time! In essence, you're making a mini quilt with a pocket in it. You can spend as much or as little time on it as you want. 

Here's some photos I took along the way:

I have learnt to leave a good 10" when joining the binding ends in this way:

And check before you cut:

Add your pockets where you want them:

Just need to hand sew the binding down:

Do you have a sewing mat? Would you like one? It's my birthday tomorrow so I think it's only right to do a giveaway post :)

Linking up with the lovely Lorna and Lee:

Jackpot!

You need 6 winning numbers to win the lottery?! Well, there were 6 winners in my garden on Saturday when we finally handed over our strip bee quilts ... I definitely hit the jackpot when I joined this online quilting bee :)

It all started a year ago thanks to Maria who asked us to make a strip of any colour and design, then pass it on to the next person for them to add a strip.  We didn't start out intending to meet at the end because we live all over the UK and Jersey - but thank goodness we did ... we had such fun - I was quite emotional:

On Saturday, we had the 'great reveal' and we were all reunited with our quilts. Here they all are - beautiful quilts, beautiful ladies:

Sarah:

(My strip was the bottom one)

Amy:

Not sure my photo in the garden does this amazing quilt justice so here it was on my table:

(Mine - the arrows at the bottom)

Julie:

(I added the baskets)

Me:

(I started it with the 3rd strip down)

Maria:

(I paper pieced the butterflies)

Fran:

(I added the fourth strip)

I also received some gorgeous presents:

And learnt some new tricks:

And thoroughly enjoyed having the girls coming to stay and play in my loft:

More importantly, I've made new friends ... aaahhhhh! I loved meeting all of you -  you'd never have thought we hadn't met before by the amount of chatting that went on! What a wonderful weekend ... fancy a reunion in Wales next year, ladies?!

Nearly 3 months ago ...

I can't believe it was nearly 3 months ago I was cleaning my house, changing the beds, planning menus, getting rid of DH (just for the weekend!), getting all excited etc and so looking forward to the Strip Bee ladies coming to stay for the weekend! And then the day before they were due to arrive, I went shopping, tripped up some dodgy bit of paving, fell on my right arm, dislocated my shoulder, broke 3 bits of bone off the humerus and sadly had to cancel the weekend :(

So with the groceries being delivered tomorrow, just one more bed to make and getting Glinda to wave her magic wand, the ladies will arrive and we can finally meet, have the grand reveal and hand over our strip bee quilts :)

I can't wait to finally meet them all:

Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts

Fran @ Patchy Rose

Julie @ Mack and Mabel

Maria @ sew love to sew

Sarah @ Quilt Candy

This was my last post (where you can see all our first strips) and this post was the beginning of it all for me - almost 12 months to the day! Here's my strip, which has been passed from quilter to quilter for her to add a strip of her choice and design and now she's coming home. What will they have done to it?!

I love my hobby and blogging ... I have had so much fun getting to know the ladies over the last year and am so lucky we're actually getting to do this. Hurry up Friday!

And just a little bit of new sewing to share with you this week - my friend asked if I could do something for her grandson's Scout blanket - put his name on it somewhere ... so here's my little WIP:

That's a mini quilt with appliquéd letters onto some football fabric and I'm just going to sew it onto his blanket. Hope that's what she wanted! 

Linking up with Lee and Lorna :)

They made me cry!!

You will recall I am out of action having had a nasty fall in the street nearly two weeks ago. I dislocated my right shoulder and smashed the humerus in 3 places ... ouch!

The operation went well and, although I'm still in a bit of pain, I'm recovering on track - I saw the Consultant on Monday: x-ray showed everything was back in its place, he was pleased with my (limited) range of movement and the surgery wound is healing nicely. It was a serious injury and it'll take months and a lot of physio to get full movement back but I'll get there :)

On the day of the accident, I had been grocery shopping for the weekend quilting retreat I was hosting ... I still feel really bad that the weekend didn't go ahead - all the 'Strip Bee' ladies were wonderfully understanding for the last minute cancellation and sent me some beautiful messages - I do hope we can rearrange :)

And as if I needed any more convincing what a fabby bunch of ladies they are - they sent me the most delightful box of goodies. DH had to open it for me and when I saw what was inside, I burst into tears (yes, am on a lot of morphine!!) There was a a gorgeously pink and purple wall hanging, where they've each made a block and signed it and there were lots of great individual gifts as well. You ladies are just too wonderful :)

Here's me modelling the wall hanging in this morning's glorious sunshine:

The back and cute label:

And with the gifts:

Thank you sooooooooooooo very much, my friends, what a wonderful tonic you are (shame I can't have the gin with it!) I'm a lucky girl.

Linking up with the lovely Lorna:

And Heather and Megan: