GYB Winner take 2 !

Okay so since the original GYB winner still hasn't answered my email Jack and I drew another winner today and that turned out to be Nanette!
In this case number 13 was lucky!
I have emailed you Nanette : )

I picked Jack up from school yesterday and this plant took my eye in the school grounds, does anyone recognise what it is please?  the stems had a bamboo look to them but then I have never seen these seed heads on a bamboo?

I think I may have a kidney stone again, had one years ago and I appear to have the same pain again, along with a lower groin pain too. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just flush the damned things out with wine, or dissolve them with gin ~ sigh  lol

Vintage puppets

Nipped into a charity shop today and there was a box of 'vintage' handmade puppets for £30 - no I resisted lol
But they were so funny, well some of them!
They were mostly (painted) fabric heads, over what felt like paper mache shapes.

But at the bottom of the box were these two that really were charming - even Big Ears's dented nose was kind of cute lol
I think the lady puppet is probably one of the Gerry Anderson characters.

A change is as good as a rest ~

A break from the Millefiori BOM whilst waiting to see what rosette 3 will be -
my grandson had asked if Id make him a Trex, so here it is and I faffed a bit with a crochet hook to see if I could make a hexi.

 

The pattern is from the book 'knitted dinosaurs' by Tina Barratt, I borrowed it from the library. 
I can see I may have to buy the book since am pretty sure that Jack will want a whole mixed herd of dino's now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitted-Dinosaurs-Tina-Barrett/dp/1861088175

 

Rosette 2 is finished

Well I still haven't heard from the GYB winner and I remembered that this happened last year. That winner didn't get in touch till about 3 weeks later and when I did post her giveaway gift, I didn't get acknowledgement that she'd received it lol I had to email her several weeks after that!

Sarah doesn't appear to have a blog but does have hundreds of blogs she follows, so goodness only knows when she might read my blog again lol
She did leave an email which is what I have used to contact her - so why do I feel guilty that she's not been in touch? duhh

Rosette 2 is now completed - yeahhh - I'm SO enjoying making these, that's kind of sad though isn't it?
I should really maybe be having a fulfilling relationship with a guy at my time of life, but no, here I am, making out with fabrics lol
The bonus is probably that I don't have to wash anyone's skid marked pants or share my bottles of wine!

There's about a week to go before the March block is released and I'm really looking forward to seeing what it is.
This darned BOM has spoilt me for doing any other stitching mind you, despite having other UFOs in progress.
If I get this cover completed, I am seriously considering having it quilted by a long arm professional, so it stands a chance at looking good.
I have no idea how much that is likely to cost, does anyone have any idea how much folk charge on average?

The raised beds are coming on - here's 2 of them. I need to cut back the tarpaulin sheets yet of course, blues not really my colour! - and the other 2 beds are to the left and behind where I was standing.
Harvey thinks the raised beds are for him to tiddle in mind you .... lol

Rosette 2 is growing and nearing completion : )

This was in a charity shop last weekend and I meant to post it, it made me chuckle. It has press studs at the bottom so whether its a hot water bottle cover or for tucking nightwear away in, I have no idea.
Cute though.
Today was wonderfully sunny, so I took my last of this years, leave days and nipped into town to the library and onto B&Q for more bags of soil for the planters.
A couple more hours in the back garden, in the balmy sun, was just delightful. I was easier on my back this time, I sued the sack trolley I had hidden in the shed lol
The shed whose door is falling apart so it seems silly to still use the padlock but hopefully any thief wont notice that only the top hinge works!

After picking up the series 4 (dvds) of Boardwalk Empire to watch, I nipped into the nearby charity shop that gathers together all the stitchy and yarny stuff from the rest of their Hull charity shops.
Bad move every time I go in really.
However at a £1 each, how can you not bring them home?

Okay Bloggers playing silly buggers and has skew whiffed my picture but you get the idea am sure lol Cracking condition books at a £1 each!

Anyway here's the last round on rosette 2, almost complete. Only 4 more blocks to add, 2 on the left and 2 on the top right.

I have not heard from Sarah who won the draw yet and she doesn't appear to have a blog but in the unlikely event she doesn't get back to me by March ~ I may have to do a second draw!
Fingers crossed she logs in soon since I don't want her to lose out.

Last Saturday was our stitchy club meet and Alice Fox gave us a talk about her work, most of it was complied from her period as Spurn Point Resident Artist. To me her best work is the rust dyed fabrics, much of which was strapped to the rusty metal on the groins on the beach!
They were battered by 2 tides a day for 2/3 week periods, in between her visits to the lighthouse which was her base whilst there.

Club members had items for display on the stage and this cushion was made by our Chairwoman from one of those upholstery sample packs that hang on a coat hangery thing?
You tend to get half a metre of one fabric and several smaller pieces attached, perhaps you've seen them. 
 I really liked it.
Made by (Margaret Wright)

A GYB draw winner! A day late mind you ~

 

It's half term school break and today instead of having Evie, I have Jack for the day to play, and as you can see Harvey is in playful mood too.

I love the reinstated 50s door, although it needs a repaint and I have yet to put the safety film on the delightful fishing boat patterned glass. The original door handles don't exactly 'go' now the house is decorate differently, so I might try and wrap them in fabric scraps rather than replace them. Afew scraps of fabric and some Mod Podge dhould do the trick there.
In fact since its sat in the garage for over a year, the wood has swelled so I have to wait until its dried itself out in the hope it reduces slightly. If not, it will need some sanding down so its closes properly.
Oh and  .....
I had an email from Rae today (  http://www.feltbyrae.com/ ) telling me that my name luckily came out of the draw hat,with 2 others, for the GYB draw  - and besides being thrilled
~ I realised I had forgotten to do my own draw!
( these senior moments are coming thick and fast lol)

SO, since Jack is here, I have asked him to pick a number between 1 and 21, the number of comments on my GYB post.
His first choice was 21 - sometimes so like his Dad - LOL
so on his second try ...
FANFARE ......
Jack said Number 6 and that is Sarah ~
and she had said

Sarah29 January 2015 at 02:43

Hello, so glad you got into the party, and I was able to find your blog! I signed up to follow you. I LOVE that picture of your cat in the sewing machine -- makes me laugh and reminds me of the cat we used to have. She was very helpful, too! I am from the USA, and would LOVE a couple British magazines!

 

Am emailing you Sarah : )

 

Rosette number 2 is taking shape and I have cracked the fussy cutting technique I think on this one. I have some outer blocks cut and ready to stitch on each side but thought I would show the so far stage anyway.

This one is for the bottom right corner of the finished quilt and the two sticky out blocks at the bottom show how the quilts edges will be finished off.

If you don't look too closely at the Y seam joins its not that bad lol This is definitely going to be my learning curve of piecing!

surprisingly several folks are making these up by machine using invisible threads, masking tape and weeny, weeny, zig zag stitching from the front.

I'd like to give it a try, but later, not now Ive started in hand stitch.

 

 

 

I spent all day yesterday setting in position the newly chopped down to 6' x2' raised beds out back and they look okay thankfully. I raised 3 of them up on a layer of bricks, ( need more bricks ) and got 2 of them tarpaulin lined, then third filled with shredded paper and cardboard pieces.

I had to dig up several plants and move them and just hope they all forgive me and continue to grow!

Mind you today, I ache everywhichwhere!!

I am so unfit! But then lugging the raised beds, 60 litre bags of soil, trolley loads of bricks about the garden and digging plants out from claggy, wet clay didn't help lol

I went to bed after a bath, lathered in Volterol - this ageing lark has its downside! In a way I'm only amazed I can still stand upright, had best try walking shortly I think!

 

Many thanks to Vicki of 2bagsfull.blogspot.com for hosting the GYB event and thank you to those of you that have decided to tag along with me on the blog.

I welcome comments and answer all that have email contact and love to natter away by email in between blogs too.

And thank you especially to those of you that have stuck with me on the blog before!

I admire your resolve for punishment lol but really do like having you drop by from time to time : )

I found one miniature Iris flowering in the back garden and I cant tell you thrilled I was to find it! The promise of Spring - I hope!

 

Keep well and warm all ~

 

Lyn

 

Measuring stuff : )

GYB info is in the previous post if your looking for that!

You know that adage about measuring twice and cutting only once?
Well, measuring ahead of time might help on occasion too!
I wanted some raised bed planters made and walked into the local wood yard, sort off t he cuff, since I was passing with buggy and granddaughter at the time, to ask what kind of price they would be.
Common sense would have suggested 4' x 18" ish but no,
I asked for 6' x2', thinking maybe, they'd fit anyway.
Common sense might have suggested I wait till I got home to measure the space properly too.
Anyway, no common sense went with me that day, so I ordered and paid for 4 of them.
So imagine my surprise when they delivered these!
 LOL 6' x 3' - and I'd asked for 4 of them but not this wide! 
So these have sat out back for almost 2 weeks, though the cats have climbed over, round and through them, and have had fun on them at least! 

 

Fortunately, chummy who made them, dropped by today to cut them down to the correct width for me, he had he said, had a senior moment.
Well, I know all about them! Two thirds the width might well fit but I need a bloody mortgage for the earth to fill them all now!

Looking in a charity shop the other day I turned round to see this!
The fact that it was made from a real cats fur makes my skin crawl.
Some poor animal was skinned to produce this piece of tourist trash.
Appalling.

I finally got round to making some of these egg muffins and will be making them many times more! Even Evie at 20 months likes them.
I saw the idea on Facebook and although I didn't write down the recipe, I managed to recreate them well enough.
Lovely eaten warm and actually just as tasty cold!

I put some chopped up bits of ham, a few fine slithers of leeks and 4 chic peas in each muffin case. Then poured in whisked up, seasoned eggs with a little milk. Baked for 15-20 mins on 200 degrees.
They'd work just as well with a bit of cooked broccoli and a little grated cheese in them too I reckon. Light lunches made easy : )

Nipped into the bank in town the other day and looked briefly out of one window and was quite taken aback by the opposite building. The upper storey isn't occupied by the looks of it, but the combination of bright blue sky, the ramshackled-ness of the building and yet its evident past grandeur, the old street lamp and that enthusiastic buddleia plant atop on the right - just struck me as intriguing. 

Talking about the GYB Party, I have been making my way slowly round the blogs on the list and this year I cannot believe how many blogs haven't even done a GYB blog post at all!
They have signed up to take part but then not done a blog post, to take part! A bit sad when you consider how much work goes into organising the event.
Anyway I hope those of you that have taken a stroll round the blogs have enjoyed the jaunt!
: )

Grow Your Blog Party and I've been squeezed in after all : )

Vicki the lovely lady who organises the Grow Your Blog Party has slotted me onto the list, after I must have fallen through a crack in the system ~

... so thankfully I can now party fully!  

I may be coming later than expected to the party  - but I'm here and waving Hello from a chilly East Yorkshire, UK.

Vicki's blog is a feast, do go find her beautiful textile nests and most recently her luscious knitted hats and the full list of the blogs taking part in this years event will be found here ~

 http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/welcome-to-my-grow-your-blog-party.html

If you've popped in from the GYB list then I'm thrilled you felt inclined to drop by and if you already do pop in here from time to time,
then welcome back : )

 I work 3 days a week making tactile and Brailled resources for visually impaired children. I took flexible retirement last year and really enjoy having more time for myself and the grandchildren. In fact I am considering dropping to term time from april so I can have even more time to myself.

 

 

A Topic Box stone circle model and a

fastening waistcoat for a disabled child

 

Once upon a time I was an RAF Air Load Master, loading VC10 aircraft and flying world wide but after marriage and then bringing up 2 children alone, I have fallen quite happily into being an old biddy,

with 2 cats and 1 dog and can please myself which craft

to faff with and when!

I also did about 20 years or so of cat rescue and this is the first time in many years, I've only had 2 cats lol

Isn't it amazing how helpful cats can be?

 

 

Some of my current stitching ~

 

 

This below is my first 'rosette' in Katja Murak's BOM which is currently cutting up an obsessive storm and well worth taking a look at.

There is a Facebook New Hexagon Millefiori group page,

 go on I dare you, take a look!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481806698762201/

 

Katja's book The New Hexagon has full sized patterns for most of the 3" hexi blocks needed to make each months rosette shape, through 2015.

So all you need is to buy the book and the BOM details are all provided free for you to follow along with.

 

 

My final round of hexi blocks is slightly different to the January pattern, but that's a flaw in my Creative Gene, I rarely ever follow a pattern exactly!

Impatient to start on the February rosette which won't be released till Feb 1st, I started another batch of blocks which will no doubt slot in somewhere in the making of this quilt.

 

 

some birdie pennants

 

and one of my stitch trees which use recycled materials throughout.

Well the thread used for the stitching is newly bought lol

 

 

Anyway am sure you are impatient to be off cyber travelling,

so if you'd like to enter my Giveaway to celebrate the GYB Party,

please leave me a comment and make sure I can contact you by email, in case your name comes out of the draw hat!

 

 

Given that it's a great long list of blogs to visit I will draw the winners name on Feb 14th, so everyone has a chance to enter.

 

If the winner is from the UK then I will send them a couple of US magazines and if the winner is from elsewhere, then I will send you a couple of lovely British stitchy magazines.

Like this ~

 

 

 

Thank you for popping in, please do come back!

Lyn

The laptop is back and the Grow Your Blog party has started ~

Well I was so keen to pick the laptop up today, having finally got the car back from the garage yesterday afternoon after its' damned repair too, because I wanted to chase home and write my GYB blog post : )



So imagine my disappointment to see that my blog is not included in this years GYB Party listings after all!
I can hardly promote myself as being a part of it, when in fact I'm not lol 
Despite my having emailed Vicki as soon as she had asked for entrants last year, it looks as if I have been missed off.
It is a huge undertaking that she organises each year with such good heart and mistakes must happen now and then, so I've just been unlucky this year.
Ridiculously I now feel at a loss and a bit foolish for apologising ahead of time, for not posting exactly on the 26th! lol now how silly is that lol

Anyway for those of you out there who will surely be interested,
please do nip across to Vicki's 26th January post on her really delightful blog and see the great long list of wonderful blogs and go blog hopping around, at your leisure.
It's a list that will remain up for a year, so you have plenty of time to travel round the world reading blogs and meeting new folks as you travel the cyber airwaves : )
http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk/

 I had intended doing a 'hello this is me and what I do' post, but those of you that pop in now and then already know that, so forgive me, I won't bore you by repeating anything just now.
I'm going to go and lick my wounds lol - and struggle some more with fabric selections for my Millefiori rosettes.

Katja Muraks Facebook group page now has well over 1200 members! It's reassuring to know there are others worldwide driving themselves daft trying to decide which fabrics to place where - so I don't feel so alone!


Enjoy yourselves folks ~ Lyn

Grow Your Blog 2015 ~

Hi there :)

Am waving from East Yorkshire in the UK - see?
Life has thrown me a couple of curve balls and I am not going to be able to write my GYB blog post properly until Wednesday evening which is later than the 26th January deadline!
But I didn't want anyone to look in on the 26th and think I wasn't going to be posting at all!

The cars gone in for repair and I didn't have it on Friday to drive across town that day,
to collect my laptop off our works IT guys,
who were trying to get my printer driver to load properly for me and I was planning to pick it up on the Friday.

So I bussed into town Saturday morning to buy myself an IPad, which is what I'm now using but -
LOL  - I have yet to learn how to use the darned thing - properly -
And - I need to suss out how to move pictures from one place to another, from memory stick/laptop to IPad SO -
to save my sanity I'm going to wait to get my laptop back so I can do a decent and colourful GYB post!
My blog is rated - get this lol - 1211378th in the UK - so in an effort to creep a little higher up that foodchain HA!
Can I sweetheart you to pop back in to this blog midweek PLEASE? lol
I will be offering a giveaway but you'll need to drop in later to see what that is :)
So please pop back !
Lyn

Millifiore update - it could easily become an obsession ~

This is my rosette in making ~ not alot of progress you might think?

 

and with a bit of computer magic it looks fantastic!

 

 

I have to say, this is great fun to do and Katja Marek must be so thrilled, since the Facebook group page she set up to give those of us following this block a month activity a 'voice', now has over 670 members and its proving to be a delightfully supportive group.

We can ask questions and seek advice and get feedback from not only Katja herself, but any of the members logged in at the time!

The dozens of pictures posted showing what we are all

making are amazing!

It's worth looking in on the group page to see what folks are doing, even if you don't want to join in with us!

Just search on FB for this group and take a peek : )

 

The New Hexagon - Millefiore Quilt-Along

 

The 'rosette' above is made up of smaller hexi shaped blocks, which themselves are made up of an assortment of other shapes, and they are fun to make  - BUT .......
the actual fabric selection process is nothing short of masochism lol
well for me!!

I am on the third round above and have yet to stitch in the remaining 6 hexi blocks, in the gaps.
I have stitched several different versions and to give you an idea see below : )

......... and I don't think I'm going to use any of those inserted lol
After this post, I will be back to the fabric auditioning,
with a stiff G&T to help calm my stress levels!
And how about this acquisition to practise my fussy cutting on?
Although, no, its going in this rosette!

I nipped into our local Scrapstore last Saturday and the only thing I came away with was this charming item - I couldn't leave it there unloved. It's beautifully stitched too.

 

Oh I have had to buy a climbing frame - for the cat I rehomed -

hooligan youth that he is!

He assumed it as his territory as soon as it was constructed too.

 

 

Spooky eyes lol

Note the absent door behind?

My son was going to fit one for me, I have been in this house

now 14 months and there's still no door lol

Kids gawd love em ...

 

 

 

Here lies fascinating madness ~ and Grow Your Blog 2015 will start soon

 

I am hooked with yet more fabric patchwork hexagon blocks.
like I need any more hexis in my life lol
but there's always going to room for more!
Katje Murak's book The New Hexagon has 30+ small hexi block patterns and her free 2015 BOM is proving popular, with a 400+ member group on Facebook alone.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481806698762201/?fref=nf

It's a joy to see the fabrics used by so many folks to make their own versions of Katje's rosettes.
It's all quite easy EPP but the fussy cutting of fabric can make me a bit crazy and as far as mirror image cutting goes, I suspect that could be beyond me - although if I find the right fabric, who knows!
All may not be lost.

Here's the central fabric I used -

and fabric 'auditioning' which always sounds so pompous to me lol

I had a bit of help cutting out today - sigh -
he really doesn't like to be ignored at times -

when his patience ran out he started grappling with templates
and fabrics and was unceremoniously turfed off the table,
not once but three times!

 

All too soon my 2 weeks or so off work is over and its back to the business of paid employ again this next week.
Tomorrow is my granddaughter day which can be more tiring than going to work, but is much more satisfying, despite not being paid lol

I wish you all health and happiness for this coming year and am so thrilled if any of you pop in and comment from time to time.
I try and answer all comments and know myself that although I don't always comment, I always read the blogs I follow and try and keep up with what's going on in your lives.
Blogging is such a lovely way to share ideas, interests and every day joys and often to have a proper chuckle over things.

I will be taking part in the Grow Your Blog Hop later this month
on the 25th, which is run by Vicki from the wonderful blog
2bagsfull.
There will be links to ALOT of blogs you might like to take your time and browse through and you are bound to find some that take your fancy I'm sure!

http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/grow-your-blog-2015-party-this-is.html