Fantastic Friday Finish!

I've had a good day, nay, a brilliant day, thank you for asking!

It started with putting my completed Across the Sea quilt through the wash and tumbler, so I got to see it in its crumpled glory before heading out the door - a great start to any Friday...

... but more of that in a moment.

I came home smiling from passing Katie Price in her bright pink Range Rover and having my long awaited appointment with the physiotherapist, coming up with an action plan to rid me of my aches and pains at last.

Then logging on to have an email waiting from Annabella saying I had won her Intrepid Thread giveaway!  The most gorgeous fat quarter bundle of beautiful Moroccan Mirage.

Grinning?  Moi?  Totally! 

So feeling rather pleased with myself, I got outside to take the finished quilt photos in the Mediterranean heat of the back garden.  OK, I got a bit carried away...

***Photo-overload warning***

I love this quilt.   I loved this quiltalong - I was worried about the pace when I first saw the schedule, but it was perfect!

If you hadn't noticed, I am in total awe and full of thanks to Sarah and Jennifer for creating such a wonderful design and encouraging such a brilliant group of quilters to create such a wide variety of fabulous quilts.  

Thank you ladies for all your help, encouragement and for sharing your skills with all the AtS crew.  We heart you x

Linking with my virtual twin!

Today I was going to try and not gush too much about my virtual twin, (OK, probably not completely obvious to outsiders, but we are, and we know it).  BUT then again, why not eh!?

I got my first goodie swap parcel today from Sarah-Fairy Face and I am still beaming as much as I was 5 hours ago when I opened this...

I coveted the contents of this package as soon as I saw them in the pool, it has to be said, I REALLY WANTED THEM, and may have mentioned it here and there!!!

Look at all this perfect, beautifully made lovely loveliness in the most perfect colours and fabrics and quite frankly I don't have the words to describe how totally chuffed I am to be the recipient.  Look at the super little buttons and I am definitely going to be using the zippy pouch to hold my phone and keys whilst the small folk pull the trolley! 

OK I should have taken more photos, but I was too excited for that!  Thank you again Sarah, you know I love it all xxx

So then back to my planned post, linking up with aforementioned Sarah's Summer Sewing Plans Wrap Up...  Here's how I did...

1.  Finish the Sherbet Pips Confetti quilt, and not let it just sit there for fear that my quilting will ruin it.  Done... 

2.  Finish my Scrappy quilt completely. Done...

3.  Finish the Boutique quilt, even though I don't like it, then let the kids have it for the garden and not get moody when it gets dirty by keeping in mind that I don't like it!!  Done...

4.  Do something with the mass of batik that reminds me every time I look in my fabric box, that sometimes bad ideas happen to the best of us, (a long story)!  Um...I cut it up, but still not feeling the batik love, sorry.

5.  Keep up to date and do my total best with all the Brit Bee blocks.  Done...

6.  Keep up to date and try not to cheat on the mystery quilt.  Um... I've fallen behind recently, but I will finish this.

7.  Make, and maybe send, at least one of my 'Pay It Forward' gifts... but I'm not telling.  Done x3...

8.  Make my Dad the Union Jack quilt I have been promising my Mum I'll make for him.  Done...

9.  Make my Mum something equally lovely for her birthday.  Done...

10.  Make the covers for the final 2 cushions I have been procrastinating about for too long.  Done...

11.  Cut and hem the 2 pocket squares I promised my husband last year - he bought 2 FQs that I can have the remainder of, IF I get on with it.  Done...

12.  Make a tray for dear son that incorporates a tiny Lego scrap he covets.  Done...

13.  Make a 'little something' for the girls, so that all my time spent at the sewing machine is not totally for other people.  Done... Scrap Bag tags...

14.  Do a Swap - maybe not the first Brit Swap, as having looked at this list, I think perhaps I need to get a few other things ticked off first, but maybe in August?  Done x a few...

15.  Start the 'KISS'.  OK, this is really a winter activity, but I did start...

16.  Not buy any more fabric UNLESS I actually have a need, accurate requirements and time to complete another project, (hmm...may be the hardest!).  Oops, and no photographic evidence today!

17.  Try to expand my quilting skills by joining in with more sample blocks and experiments a la BLG and BlindBob.  Mystery quilt and FWQAL fit the bill...

18.  Master a few more embroidery stitches, especially French knots.  Oh yes...

19.  Plan ahead for Christmas!  Still feeling a bit early for me.

20.  Design and make, and then repeat something I am proud of - not sure what yet, but a real long-term aspiration.  Scrap Bag Challenge tags - yay!!  Next week, the full reveal and a mini-tute, I promise.

So, I can live with those 2 'fails' and 2 'not quites'!  How did you do? 

My final bit of Sarah-love tonight comes in the form of the hand-stitching I will get done on my Across the Sea quilt later; I got over halfway round last night.  I have loved this quiltalong, and I adore the quilt that Sarah and Jennifer designed.  Hopefully I will have it fully completed to show you tomorrow.

Did I grovel too much?  Sarah, are you blushing?

Thank you all...

A big and heartfelt thank you for all your lovely messages and congratulations on our anniversary yesterday.

We deposited the kiddiwinks at school and headed off to Brighton.  Lots of wandering, a huge lunch in GBK again - we've been planning the trip back since my birthday, and I was completely restrained and only bought a Heals year book!  The sun shone, it was perfect.

I even got to finishing the last bit of quilting on my Across the Sea quilt last night; stitching 'perilously near to' the ditch along either side of the border.  We then settled in front of the TV and I sewed in a million ends; romance eh!

So this is how it looked first thing this morning before I attached the binding...

The binding now needs to be hand-stitched down on the back (my favourite bit!), and hopefully I will get this done over the next couple of evenings, and get a finish in before the end of the month.

Tomorrow I will link up with Sarah again and her Summer Sewing Plans finale, so I better get checking that list!