Finishes, gifts and purchases = a good week :)

We had a lovely long weekend with family and friends in Chester. Lucky for us, our dear niece and nephew (and their adorable partners) weren't working the whole weekend so we got to spend some quality time with them too :)

I took up this Pants Bag I made for their little cousin who has a birthday coming up soon:

My niece, Hannah, loves to shop (don't know where she gets it from!) but she's also always thinking of others. It's a rare day she goes shopping and doesn't buy something for someone else. She saw this (doorstop) and thought it woud make a fabulous pin cushion for me ... it's a biggie (I've put my phone next to it for scale) and it made the boys smile (naughty boys!) 

I love it, thank you girlie xx:

On Saturday we went charity shop shopping and were really lucky. Hannah has been looking for a 'man-chair' for a couple of months. We found not just one but two reclining man-chairs :) so I bought them both - one for Hannah and one for dear nephew ... well, we couldn't leave them behind and it was for charity :D 

Here's Hannah's partner modelling his ... problem is, she can't get him out of it! Goes well with the drinks globe which we got him for Christmas:

Then I spotted this cute little table. Seriously, I have no idea yet what to do with it - its a bit battered - but it will join me in my sewing room when DH has scrubbed it up a bit! And at £4.50 I could not leave it behind: 

So, back to work Tuesday. I haven't had the time to start on my Jelly Roll quilt but it is the weekend ... yay! I did make an ironing board cover which I've wanted to do for ages as you'll see why when you look at this sadness:

I used this tutorial from Jennifer of Mama to Three Chicks which was really easy. It took me just under an hour (trickiest bit was threading the elastic) and I'm really pleased with it:

And a close-up of the fabric and the seam-join:

Linking up to Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts and enjoying a bit of 'Finish-Envy' at all the lovely completions this week :)

Plans for March ...

Have been hopping around the wonderful blogs I follow after getting home from work tonight ... oh, that makes me happy :) 

I don't know if it's the same for you but if I'm not sewing, the next best thing surely is drooling over reading about other people's sewing and looking at all those pretty pictures! 

I've been reading through all the different projects being planned at Shanna and Melissa's 'A Lovely Year of Finishes'. If you haven't been over to have a look, you really must ... there's already over 120 quilters who are linking up to share their project(s) for March. 

I missed out joining in the fun in February - it was a short month, work was crazy and we were away two weekends - I did finish a few things in February (but I didn't plan them in advance so didn't link up in time) - no such excuses this month!

I'm going to finish a little jelly roll quilt this month - here's all the lovely fabric just waiting to be cut up:

Are you joining in the fun??

Lovely Lilac Hill Lapquilt :)

I love the idea of paying it forward. Thanks again to Tonya for gifting me all this fabric and charm packs last year:

Two were used to make this Hurricane Sandy Quilt and my finish today used the pair of Lilac Hill charm packs. This little quilt didn't take me very long to make (a week!) but I wanted to finish it by today so that I could bring it to Chester this weekend to give to Mum to give to her friend Joan.

They have been friends for nearly 70 years so when Mum asked if I would make a little something for Joan, I was more than happy to oblige. 

We left home around 10 this morning and this was the set up in the car:

Thankfully, DH was driving! It was a bit bumpy on the motorways so I definitely  wasn't sewing at my usual speed! Nearly 4 hours later and we arrived with just this little bit left to do: 

A coffee and sandwich later and she's all done! Here's Mum 'modelling' her for me:

And DH doing his usual poses:

And the all important label:

"Warm Friendship" - 41" x 41" - just big enough to cover your lap, Joan :)

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts  Finish it up Friday.

Thanks again, Tonya xx

WIP or just an IIMH?

When does a work in progress officially qualify as a WIP? If you've gone beyond researching and thinking - is it now more than just an idea in my head (IIMH - I'm inventing a new acronym!!) or do I have to start an actual activity e.g. cutting or sewing for it to be a bona fide WIP? 

I won this delicious Moda jelly roll (Me and My Sister) from Carla's giveaway (thanks again, m'dear) and unwrapped it today! Would you take a look at all that gorgeousness:

I leafed through my library of books and found ths one:

I flicked through the pages and have decided to make this quilt:

So, is this now a WIP?

Well, just in case the QP come a looking, here's a definite, stone-bonker, real deal WIP ... just got to hand sew the back of the binding on this little lapquilt:

And, whilst I'm here, let me share a little finish I made this evening for Pam at work who's celebrating her birthday this weekend. A single lady, I thought this fabric to be most appropriate ... I hope she finds it funny too :D

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Good Morning indeedy!!

What a wonderful start to the day - Mr Postie has delivered the most AMAZING parcel :)  :)   :)

Naughty naughty Carla (@ Creatin' in the Sticks) but I love you! Oh, you should have seen my face when I opened the parcel - not only did I get my fabby prize from your Blogiversary Giveaway:

... can't wait to 'tap and unwrap' that jelly roll gorgeousness but you sent me all this other lovely stuff toooooooo:

The 'Sparkly Red Shoes' card is just beyond fantastic - I shall keep it forever! And the fat quarters, thread and ribbon - all pink! And the Deputy badge from Dodge City ... just too funny :D

Thank you, Carla for being very generous and so thoughtful ... you have made my day. Can you tell?!?! 

Thankful for a quickie :)

I have had this awful cold for 5 days :( and DH thinks my 'Pee Wee on helium' voice is very amusing!!! Ugh, just want it to go now ... I'm not a good sick person. 

So, Amanda Jean's comment on her Finish it up Friday post today - I appreciate all of your link ups and for the accountability that it brings. Boy, oh boy, do I need it! resonates well with me this week. 

I didn't have a finish or even a WIP to finish until a couple of hours ago, hence my gratitude for a quickie! Ooh er, missus!! (Sorry, everyone outside the UK - its a very British humour throwback to the 'Frankie Howerd and Dick Emery' days!)

It's been said before - a quilt top is a finish in its own right so that's what I'm sharing tonight :)

Nick's Mum has a childhood friend called Joan who, sadly through ill-health, isn't getting out of the house much. It's a real shame because Mum really enjoyed their trips out around North Wales. Mum asked if I would make Joan a lap quilt ... of course I would. So, my quickie finish today was using 2 x Moda Lilac Hill charm packs (thanks again Tonya for kindly gifting me these charm packs!) to make this very simple quilt top:

And a close up ... I really like the purples and greens in this range: 

And I have just ordered some yardage of this square for the backing:

Hope you all are well and enjoy the weekend.

Brrrr and Grrrr but Yay!!

Brrrr it was very cold this week - too cold for me to brave the sub-zero loft (that's where my sewing room is) so Grrrr for not getting any sewing done after work :( 

It was that cold, Nell found a new bed for the week ... On, yes on the satellite box - I guess the motor is warm on her belly ... bless her:

But Yay, nay double Yay, shout it out YAY for today - warmer weather, no work and a deadline so I did a little bit of sewing this afternoon :)

A friend from church is having a fundraising 'bunny-cuddling' day next week and asked me if I would make a Pants Bag for the raffle. I think we can do better than that so here is a cushion and a Pants Bag :)

I 'fussy cut' 4 squares, each featuring a different bunny, and picked out the purple and orange from their coats for the sashing and border:

I hope they like them - and good luck to Joy, I hope you have a great day and pray that the homemade cake selling, cuddling bunnies and all their raffle prizes raise lots of funds for the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice ... sorry I have to work and can't be there to help.