Pin cushion makes

 

A couple more pin cushions, half inch hexis on the right.
I'm making some sale-ables for a May Day stall I've been asked to do, in an orchard - rather like that idea.

Oh and yes, I take it few of you sussed what I did wrong below
 but in case you didn't see it - like me, till too late!
I managed to spell Jill with the L's the wrong way round : (
I had cut out the letters and then made 2 sets of split pea, millet and sand paper versions before the penny dropped why the name didn't look quite right!
Duhh
Am reassured one or two of you too missed it too lol

Hope your all having a lovely Easter, maybe with friends or family.
I envy you if you are, I miss having company at times like this must admit.
But a spare old biddy is not what's needed at most family events these days though at least I haven't had chocolate thrust upon me, which I would have all too gladly eaten and I'm already gaining weight like there's no tomorrow! lol
Funny how they get in touch when they need a child looking after, so they can go out of course.
Yes, apologies, am feeling a little resentful at being taken for granted lol

Still I've had the chance to do some family history today, though do wonder why I'm doing it, because neither of my kids are in the least bit interested in knowing about our heritage.
Mind you my son would be all on board if he thought there was an inheritance for him somewhere!

Okay off to make some pin cushions in tea cups now.
I nipped out to the car boot earlier on and picked up 4 odd cups which should do nicely enough.
Have fun folks - am waving from the newly 'sprung forward an hour' time zone \\\\ ////

: )

Ottoman pincushion is finished

Finished yes, well, all but the 4 beads on the base as per Karen's  pattern, but think I will leave them off and have it flat on its base.
The traditional old British 'pouffe' was always flat to the floor, so think this one should be too lol

Really like the crushed walnut shell filling, its so much nicer sticking pins in that lol
I love the pattern, so thanks Karen - your pattern is brill!
(Available on  Craftsy if your interested folks)

http://faeriesandfibres.blogspot.co.uk/

Kintting & Stitches/ Sewing for Pleasure Show

I couldn't not buy these could I, from my favourite charity shop?
At £1.50 a packet, 6 packets, Laura Ashley fabric from at least 30 years ago!
According to the pkt, 6 packs will make a single cover - fancy that.
Larger hexis than I have stitched with so far and I may well cut them down yet, will think on that however. before making a rash decision.
Which reminds me I have some pre cut LA blue fabric squares I was given when I was pregnant with my ( now 32 year old) son - somewhere ... shame they wont match!

I wasn't going to go to the Knitting & Stitches show at the National Exhibition Centre. It would be cheaper if I didn't go, well you know, my not having any success with my will power at shows. 
Although I had wanted to browse sewing machines because I was thinking of buying a model that would enable me to have an extension table with it for doing a little more patchwork.
So, I made a last minute decision to go with our stitchy club on the coach on Saturday.
Must admit longer journeys on a coach are less comfortable for me now, either my bums widening or coach seats are narrowing ( Ha! as if - ) and the seats are set so close together for those of us with longer legs and gammy backs -
Anyways, I sat and hexi'd an ottoman pincushion together just got to fill it with crushed walnut shells now.
The ottoman pincushion below is a delightful pattern by Karen at http://faeriesandfibres.blogspot.com  which is available on Craftsy.
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/other/ottoman-
pincushion/182091


 Must find a local source for walnut shells that doesn't involve postage though! I paid as much in postage as I did for the ground shells AND that's within the UK too!
I wonder if crushed oyster shells would work as well, they sell that in our local big pet store? Anyone tried it by any chance?

Okay so I am proud to say that I did not succumb to buying any fabric!
Trumpets now sounding - can you hear them?
I did buy 3 sizzix dies mind you, the 1/2" and 3/4" hexis and a triangle one too.
And a book.
And one of those mini coat hanger like gadgets, where you can make several woollen pom-poms all at the same time.
Clearly a gadget I will have to use a lot now, pom-poms anyone?
And I bought a couple of patterns, both had sold out so they will post them to me.
AND, yes I bought another sewing machine.
Well as it happens I am giving one of my machines to my son in laws Mum who wants to learn to sew and use a machine.
So the timing was right to find one with a wider throat and/or an extension table - cough, cough....
I'm not a prolific quilter so what I got is ideal for my use at home and the fact that its heavier than my Janome and Brother, which are great for workshops, means it will be more stable on the table lol 
Delivery on the 30th : )
It looks a bit like a 1950s coffee machine in a way to me. Its very fluidly- curvily-designed chasis is unusual to be sure.
And last years limited edition model was in black which would have been wonderful!
Its a Singer One - voila - fingers crossed its not a pig in a poke!
It doesn't sing, dance, make toast or compute algorithms but it should be fine for me.


http://www.singerco.com/products/2251/one

Anyway now I must catch up on some Splendid blocks.
Oh and the selvedge bag, that then almost became a machine cover, is now a bag - for my hair dryer and tongs!
Must take a picture, it hangs quite nicely with the gadgets tucked inside. Its way too jazzy for me to use as a shopping bag - what was I thinking!!
But it got me thinking and Mary Anne your right, who needs a carrying handle hole in a machine cover anyway - so I must make myself 4 covers now for the new and other 2 machines.
Maybe I should make one for the one I am giving away too, first - scrappy bag here I come!
Oh and do you know having made this for work - it took me ages to see what was wrong with it lol then had to remake it lol

duhhhh


 

Bridlington in the sun and Andrew G Storrie at Brdlington Spa

I went to Bridlington today since there were delightful blue skies.

Its been warm, though you did need a coat but the mornings fog and mists had burned off nicely and left a wonderful Spring day to enjoy.

I drove across to see the sea really, but the tide was out so it was a good job there was a quilt show in a local hotel - what a coincidence lol  

All sales profits were in aid of 3 charities, so if that's not a fine excuse to buy fabric, I don't know what is!

So of course I bought fabric, magazine back copies, a 2nd hand book, and some home made scones - at the hotel where the quilt show was...

The Royal Bridlington Hotel is just out of sight but on the right of the picture below, so your across the road from the beach!

AND let me tell you they do workshops, retreats and have a long arm quilter should you require a quilt top quilting professionally.

AND they have one of the largest collections of extra wide backing fabrics at very reasonable prices and available online!

www.quiultsandwich.co.uk 

http://quiltsandcraft.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

The quilts were for sale, hope they sell some since there were some delightful ones there. 
The one on the left below is in a raffle, one ticket for very £2 donation. So of course I bought 2 tickets, just in case...

The one on the left below is in another raffle and it was stunning,
so of course I bought 2 tickets ... and now will have my fingers crossed till they draw the winning ticket!
PL-ease let it be mine!

I liked the scrappy quilt below too,
the kind that I might just manage to make and it look reasonable!

I also knew that The Bridlington Sewing Centre was closing this weekend and had a sale on, almost everything was half price.
So I walked along the southern promenade, past the harbour
- told you the tide was out -
to get to the store to see if they might have had anything I 'needed' to buy.

I have known John who runs the store with his lovely lady wife for many years and wanted to wish them well in any case.
I felt obliged to buy some of the fabrics, I didn't want them to be stuck with stock come tomorrow evening you know?
cough ......
On the way back to my car I stopped in at Bridlington Spa Theatre and looked in at an art display they had there.
They have 2 blue plaques on the front of the Spa -

Most of it seemed to be amateur artists work but there was a featured artist who clearly has great skill and I fell for the top picture in this photo particularly.
It was such great fun!
I was very tempted to buy it ......... but self discipline kicked in!
Go figure lol

I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures so its a skew whiff

picture sorry!

The artist is Andrew G Storrie

http://andrewstorrie.com/page3.htm

http://andrewstorrie.com/ In fact he has the bike picture on that site - see what I mean?
Is that fun or what! Do look at his other pictures too please, they are beautifully painted and chummy on the bike features in many of them.

Selvedge Circles : )

So the selvedge circles now -

The circles have been machine zig zagged down, then I have hand stitched round and through each one adding running stitches round
the squares as well.
I have used the IN R Form bag making wadding for this, which is great for stand up ability for bag making and a doddle to hand and machine stitch through.

http://www.empressmills.co.uk/shop/bag-making-supplies/bag-linings/in-r-form-wadding/

I fancied doing some different circles - and then picked up a pkt of 3.5" cut squares of cotton fabric at the charity shop, for 50p - I couldn't not buy them at that price.

So sat and stitched them into 4's, practising getting the points to match up, thinking the fabric was all but free so no loss if I screwed it all up.

Practise makes perfect and all that.

Well, no one was more surprised when my points did match up with the exception of two that I unpicked and did right!

Inspired by my success lol

I then stitched them together thinking I could make a shopping bag/tote with them.

Then I thought, the 4 square blocks, well they could be blocks for more circles!

And since I have a great many selvedges stitched together - one thing led to another -

So, thus far! A bit in your face for a shopping bag right lol

but even so, it qualifies for my 365 Circles : )

Someone on the Facebook Splendid Sampler group page asked if that ruched effect technique that I had used  for a circle,

might work in a heart shape.

Well I didn't know if it would, so tried it and although I don't much care for a heart done this way,

having not paid much attention to the hearts shape,

it does indeed work!

Now, am going to trial a ruched square and hexi and .... well it could give rise to small geometrical shape ruched something or other!

Perhaps the next 'IT' thing for the whoever, with everything!

I watch all the rumpus going on over here about the forth coming UK referendum on whether we remain in the EU or leave it.

Then I see all the theatricals going on in the US around Trump and Clinton and wonder what on earth is happening to humanity.

Such starvation, poverty and devastation in half the world, phenomenal mass exoduses, racial and cultural hatred rising now

in all corners of our world.

I find it worrying frankly.

However, over here some folks call a 'trump'

a fart ............

somehow, that kind of puts things into perspective for me !