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 :)

Back to work, here's to routine!

I had a really good first week back at work ... don't get me wrong, I missed home, the Christmas decorations, the time off - but in many ways, I like it when things 'return to normal' and doesn't it make you appreciate the weekends even more? 

Last night, I finished the binding on the cushion for the lady at work who's retiring this month. I enjoyed making this Dresden Plate cushion very much and, as Jane enjoys gardening, I'm hoping the flower and outdoor theme will hit the spot:

Also, just as a little extra ... one of my Pants Bags for her netball games:

My little big sister visited before Christmas and asked for a 'scrappy iPad case' - your wish is granted, dear sis:

And the back:

There's a lot of quilting activity going on out there this week and I'm doing my best to keep up but, in the meantime, I'll just keep tinkering away in my little oasis here (my delightful sewing room) on a very blustery day in Wales. Happy weekend :)

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

Last few Christmas gifts and a tidy up ...

I'm so looking forward to today as I am going to spend the day in my sewing room ... after I've tidied it up:

 

 

I have a few little finishes to share - for Madalena (our cleaner at work):
 

For my cousin's daughter (for her trip to Paris):

 

For my little sister:

I'm going to make my big sister a mini iPad case, a charm square bag for my little niece and work on some UFOs. Happy days :)

bags ... bags ... bags!

I promise to stop banging on about my recovering from a broken arm eventually soon but what I love about this hobby is if you can't make big quilts or don't have the time or energy for making them, you can make little things. And I don't know about you but I get just as much pleasure (and more quickly!) from finishing these.

It was DH's birthday this week. Let me tell you - he is not a big spender ('just as well married to you,' I hear you shout!) and never asks for anything. I struggle most years to get him anything 'special enough' as he's completely happy with a book, a CD or a shirt.

Because he was sooooooo wonderful looking after the injured patient that I was, I treated him to an iPad. So I just had to make him a little bag to go with it:

Also this week, my friend, the golfer, who took me out shopping when I was off sick, collected her Pants Bag and an iPad case (well, there were scraps left over that I wouldn't have used for anyone else):

I've made a  few of these iPad cases now (could also be used as make-up bags?) from this tutorial. I can't wait until my Quilt Bee ladies come and visit at the end of the month to show me how to do a fancy zip. At the moment, I just sew mine - same size - onto the fabric - works perfectly well but looks a bit ''unfinished':

And I finished a carrier bag holder for my niece from this tutorial in the Moda Bake Shop:

They all loved their gifts. And they each took just an hour (or two in the case of the Pants Bag) to make. I am so happy! What quilty stuff has put a smile on your face this week?

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

Lots of little finishes :)

Happy Weekend, everyone :)

I haven't made any more progress on piecing this jelly roll quilt this week but I have at least finished cutting and sewing all the 150+ units and am planning to sew all day tomorrow to piece as much of the top as I can! Here are the smaller units in all their finery:

Last Saturday, I sewed my first ever zips and made 3 quilted iPad cases. I only meant to make one (as a birthday gift) but I immediately fell in love with my 'first born':

so I just had to make some more: 

And I was asked to make three more bunny cushions after this one I made for the church raffle was such a big hit. I had just enough of the Peter Rabbit fabric left over to make this one:

But no matter how hard I tried, I could not find any more of this fabric - anywhere :( don't you just hate it when that happens? So after a bit more searching on t'internet for 'bunny fabric', I found an alternative that is more than acceptable:

I left the loft to get some coffee and when I came back, this bundle of furry loveliness was in my seat and would not move:

So I played around with the colours and eventually discarded the blue and just stayed with the peach and green and here are the finished cushions:

And silly me for turning my back again on her gorgeousness, 'I'm just trying them out for you, Mummy!'

I moved her along and managed to tempt her to nestle down again:

Have a great weekend - stay warm - happy sewing :) linking up with the gracious Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Friday 

I did it! I sewed in a zip :)

Hooray, hooray, hooray - and more cheers, please  ... for I am a happy little sewer - is that the right word; best I check. Ewwww, obviously, I am referring to the last bullet-pointed meaning!!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia,

Sewer may refer to:

• Part of sewerage, the infrastructure that conveys sewage
• Effluent sewer, a collection system that transports only the liquid portion of wastewater through small-diameter pipes laid at contour
• Sanitary sewer, a system of pipes used to transport human waste
• Storm drain, a collection and transportation system for storm water
• Combined sewer, a system performing both the functions of a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer
• Sewer, one who does sewing

Yesterday at 0900 hours, I was the first through the doors of my local craft store to buy some 9" zips. Zips? Me? I never use zips ... I don't even know how to use a zipper foot! That may sound a bit lame but I've never had to and, to be honest, I thought it would be way too difficult and would be one of those things I just never got round to doing.

I wanted to make an iPad case for my Aunty's birthday and most of the patterns out there called for the use of a zip. So, to the trusty Google search engine and thanks to Sewing Parts Online for this little gem, I now know which one of those 'spare bits of metal' is my zipper foot, how to fix it on and how to use it.

Next, and another search led me to the very glamorous Debbie Shore at Thimble Lane and her YouTube tutorial on sewing this zipped make up bag. It was so easy to follow - the only difference was I quilted my outside pieces. I even did straight line quilting - it was okay (though, I think I'll still struggle with this when doing something quilt sized): 

Then, following Debbie's clear instructions, within 30 minutes, I had made my first iPad (zipped-up) Case:

Isn't she lovely? Look at that cute label! Aren't those my favourite colours? Oh oh ... I'm in trouble :) She is lovely and pink! I want to keep it for meeeeeee! What's a girl to do? The only thing a girl can do ... Yep, keep your 'first born' and make another one! Here's Aunty's:

Later in the day, my friend (and #1 Fan!) came visiting and fell in love so now I just had to make her one too! She picked her own fabrics and ... ta da, here's number 3:

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED making these - wish everyone had an iPad so I could make some more!

Hey, I know it's not on a par with inventing penicillin, landing on the moon or conquering Everest but it was my greatest achievement yesterday! And I'm still crowing about it today :D

Aunty Monika loved hers and we all had a great St Patrick's Day lunch this afternoon with the friendliest Landlords Sean and Sue, at The Fordwich Arms (near Canterbury, Kent) - here's a picture of me wearing the obligatory Guinness hat to prove it:

Hope you had (or are having) a wonderful weekend and I'd love to hear about your sewing achievements :)