Was it something I said??!!

Rescue cats ... do you have one? Has yours got over their bad experiences? I think mine has abandonment issues ... still ... after nearly 4 years! Ok, Nell, so we went away two weekends on the bounce but you were looked after really well whilst we were away so just because Mummy decides to sew tonight doesn't mean you should be rude:

The complete opposite of her bad behaviour on the swingometer has to be acknowledgement. Look at the pretty presents I received in the post today with a lovely thank you card from Fran @ Patchy Rose who won my Giveaway:

Too nice, Fran ... and naughty but thank you :) And speaking of gratitude, I forgot to share this little Pants Bag with you which I made just after my birthday for DH's colleague, Mandy. She kindly covered his duty on my birthday afternoon so that he wouldn't be late off work ... it was the least I could do:

And a wonderful acknowledgement was the response I received today from the legendary World Class Snooker Champion - Mr Steve Davis OBE. 

You will know from this post that I am making a 'Snooker Table' Quilt for my colleague Jackie who is retiring next month after 42 years service. When I thought about getting colleagues to write goodbye message patches to sew into the back of the quilt, I wondered if I asked Steve Davis what would his response be? He his Jackie's hero. Like BIG time :)

One of my most adhered to mottos in life is, 'If you don't ask, you won't get.' Not that I encourage avarice (because I don't) but if the occasion fits, and I felt this did, then I think you should go for it. I contacted Mr Davis' Management Company and explained the reason for my request and asked if there was any chance he could sign a patch for me. 

Look at this - and a signed photo too:

I'm beyond thilled! And I think Jackie will have kittens! Thank goodness, it'll take some attention away from my wonky balls!!



Linking up with Janice over at Better Off Thread:

Who's done ALL her work?!

That would be ... MEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee :)

With minutes to spare before the Post Office closed, I posted the other two giveaway prize Pants Bags this afternoon (1st prize sent on Wednesday) and I am so happy because all three lovely ladies will get their gifts soon. I know they didn't mind waiting (was in Sweden last weekend - was the wedding really only a week ago??) but I know what I'm like when I'm waiting for a gift ... impossibly impatient ... so here they are!

First up for Fran @ Patchy Rose who asked for a purple PB. This scrappy block making was something new for me and I sewed it on to Vilene for extra stability and did just a little straight line quilting - I think it worked? I'll let Fran tell you what it looks like in 'real life' but I hope she likes it! 

Then, for Shauna @ lovingquiltin who asked for pinks or blues or greens ... Well, if you give me too much choice, you'll get too much colour, Shauna! Sorry, but I couldn't stick to one colour so you got all three:

And last, but not least, Nina @ Quilts, Life and Balance who asked for pinks and browns. Now, having a lot of pink in my stash but not so much brown, I was really chuffed when these 3 FQs 'jumped' off the shelf to come together:

Don't you just love it when that happens? I made a star on one side: 

And with the cut off triangles scraps, a centre square:

Which I framed:

It's so hard making stuff for other quilters - do you agree - especially when all the winners are so talented! (I stalked their 'older posts' to see what they've made!!)

Three different Pants Bags - each unique and special - just like their new owners! Three parcels off to the UK, Canada and USA ... lucky me getting to sprinkle some happy dust all over the World! Yeah ... get over myself, I know :)

Linking up with Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Friday

and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict - Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

WIP Wednesday updates :)

Back in the land of sewing - a happy quilter am I :)

I haven't made much progress on the Snooker Quilt but I did make a mock-up of a corner pocket using some scraps. It was tricky because I have to get the scale right otherwise it will look silly. I think this should work okay and will make one out of the 'real quilt fabric' tomorrow so fingers crossed that works out better than my wonky balls:

And for the fabby Fran @ Patchy Rose, who won my Birthday Giveaway and asked for a purple Pants Bag, I wanted to try something new so I dug out my purple scraps and some 1/2 yards I've been hanging on to for a special occasion! Had a flick through one of my books for some inspiration:

And here is a bit of scrappy loveliness which will find its way into the completed bag:

I won't show any more photos until I know Fran has received her parcel so that she can have a nice surprise :)

Linking up with the lovely Lee @ Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Back from Sweden :)

Home safe, unpacked, work clothes ready for tomorrow and feeling a bit weary now ... think I need another holiday!!

After the wedding, we travelled from Sigtuna into Stockholm for a couple of nights - a beautiful city surrounded by water and islands ... very special. Just a few photos to share - tomorrow I really must make a start on the Giveaway Pants Bags :)

This was the view from our hotel - we stayed at the Sheraton (very nice hotel but not as special as the wedding hotel):

And of the route to the Vasa Museum (I love travelling around a city on a boat, do you?

On the 10th of August, 1628 Vasa commences her maiden voyage but heels over and sinks in the middle of Stockholm harbour after sailing barely 1300 metres. Captain Sofring Hansson is arrested but released. No-one is officially blamed for the catastrophe. Attempts to raise the ship failed and she was left in the waters (perfectly preserved) for over 300 years!

Here she is now:

Someone made these 100s of metres of sails. Aren't they amazing?

DH next to a gun:

In Sweden, you have to eat meatballs - its the law!

And here's me and the bride - my beautiful 'pbf' - it was a fabulous wedding in a glorious setting. Truly, a wonderful experience and holiday. Thank you, my dear pbf xx

Welcome to Sweden ...

Doing a happy dance in Sigtuna, Sweden, having just booked into the fabby Stads Hotel for my dear pbf's wedding, which takes place tomorrow!

Complimentary Molten Brown toiletries ... thank you!

Complimentary lake view ... I thank you again!

My OWN quilt - no fighting with DH tonight ... Triple thank you!

Place to hang our Pants Bags ... Tha - ok, you know where I'm going:

And - the price list for the mini bar ... er definitely NO thank you - divide it by 10 and that's £9.50 + £3.50 for a gin and tonic and £2.50 for some peanuts:

The best things in life are free ... going for a walk by the lake now :)

Giveaway Winner ... Winners!!

Hey lovely quilters, I am pleased to announce the winner of my birthday giveaway - oh, what the heck, let's have more than one winner!!

Because you all left comments and guesses over 3 posts (and some had multiple wrong guesses!!), the fairest way was to write everyone's name on a piece of paper once and then write the names of those who guessed correctly on another piece of paper (so getting two chances.) 

The correct guess was SNOOKER!! Yes, dear Jackie is an avid and passionate snooker fan (well, it takes all sorts as my Nen used to say!)

Here's where I'm up to so far - a long way still to go and I will have to sort my balls out - they don't look too bad here but close up .... hmmmm:

So, names in a bag, shake 'em up! The winner of my rainbow colours (Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue) pack of fat quarters (FYI, there's a couple of 1/2 yards in there):

is ... drum roll, please:

Well done, Fran (@ Patchy Rose) Congratulations!! You get the FQs and I will also make you a purple Pants Bag :)

But you all made this such fun (my little band of munchkins!) and it is still my birthday week (until midnight tonight!) and I got lots of nice presents and cards and had a fabby night out, I wanted to share the giveaway love a bit wider! So, next out of the bag is:

Congratulations, Shauna (@ lovingquiltin) but you'll have to let me know what you'd like - a Pants Bag, a Cushion or an iPad Case :)

and one more? Ok then, you twisted my arm:

Congratulations,  Nina (@ Quilts, Life and Balance) I will also make you a Pants Bag in the colour (s) of your choice :)   

What fun - I really am very fond of you all - even though we've never met and, sadly, probably never will :( you make me smile with your wonderful comments and I love our exchanges, visiting your blogs and getting to see what you make.

I will email all the winners to request posting details and confirm those orders! Thanks to everyone for joining in - I wish you could have all won ... still, there's always next time!!

Making balls ...

Although they're not very round! Does anyone know how to make appliquéd circes without lumpy edges??

I have started today on my new project blogged about in my giveaway posts here and here.

I have done some drawings and think my finished quilt will be around 75" x  50" so I cut my background fabric into 9" squares - it was tight ... this was the last cut and just look at that pretty pink rotary cutter :)

I need to make a lot of balls ... and applique them onto the background fabric.  I also need to make corners and pockets ... here I go ... AGAIN - why couldn't I make this easy on myself?? 

Using my button tin for the 'pockets':

Here's the story. We have a dear colleague at work - Jackie - she's retiring after 42 years service. As is tradition, she will have a leaving party in June and there will be a collection amongst the team for a gift. I don't know Jackie that well but she's a character and when I started to think about her leaving gift, I just felt ... unhappy? ... that she would leave after 42 years with a card and a good present but perhaps without a sense of what she's given to our organisation and what she's meant to the team. 

We had one of our weekly management meetings and the thought just came to me (Don't tell them - I often dream about quilts during these meetings!) ... I'll make her a quilt. And I'll get all the Team Leaders to sign a patch with their personalised message which I'll sew into the back. Brilliant ... what could be easier? 

'Any other business?', the boss asked and I floated my idea. They LOVED it! 'The only thing is,' I said, 'is that I don't know Jackie that well - what she likes, what she doesn't like so does anyone have any ideas?' 

One more clue (if you haven't got it already), as my colleague pointed out - every year (at this time), Jackie takes 2 weeks leave to watch this tournament, televised every day from a city called Sheffield. She loves it that much! So that's why there's wood, green fabric and lots of balls :)