Winnings!

Today I received my lovely prize fabric from Sew Hip. 

A lovely Hungarian Blue bundle, with some extra ribbon and piping cord from Patch Fabric and Haberdashery.  I've just had a look at their shop and they have lots of beautiful things.  Their Inspiration Packs do exactly what they say on the tin!

Thank you Sew Hip, Patch fabrics and respect to the sock monkeys!

I won something lovely...again!!!

If you have been following for a while you will remember the sock monkey family.  They were from a Sew Hip pattern, and having made one for my lovely husband, I ended up making one each for the five of us, and adding the pictures to the Sew Hip flickr group.

Well imagine my surprise when I finally got a chance to flick through the latest copy of aforementioned magazine to be confronted with this!!!

 

Not only do I get a picture, I won the star prize!!  A lovely bundle of fabric will be heading my way at some point!  I am so chuffed to see them in print and it was so totally unexpected.

Please excuse me now,  whilst I try to squeeze my 'big head' out the door and take the 3 little horrors to an early Halloween party.  Keep enjoying your Saturday.

They're here!!!

All done and ready to be loved!! Eager children all around, now the monkeys have had their photo-call, they can be released!!



Quilting here we go again!

The big 50!!

50th blog post today - well I could have posted something a couple of days ago, so apologies for the radio-silence, but I wanted to make my 50th a good one and I needed some interesting stuff to show and tell - hope I have succeeded!

So what has been happening? Dear Son went back at school and is loving it, the sun has kept shining and I have been pretty busy with lots of lovely things.

The monkeys have come along a treat, I have just got their eyes to stitch now, then the whole family will be complete.


My Prints to Polka Dots package came, and I am loving the colours even more in 'real-life'. The Amy Butler 'August Fields Poppies' is lovely, and I am looking forward to using it as a backing as it is just too special to cut up! The smaller pieces will be used for a baby quilt (hopefully). The yard of Freebird is destined for the eponymous quilt.


Today saw a superb family trip to Hever Castle. I must admit I had an ulterior motive, The Quilters' Guild show. Having wandered the beautiful gardens, eaten a picnic surrounded by ducks and swans, and packed the children off with Daddy and Grandpa to the adventure playground, Mum and I enjoyed a look at all the amazing quilts and stalls.


Now I have to admit that most of the quilts on show were not to my taste at all, but I could appreciate the absolute skill and passion that the makers have. The intricate detailing and perfect hand-stitching were amazing, really awe-inspiring. I took a few photos, but not having sought permission from the ladies in person, I feel posting them would be a bit rude, so if you are free tomorrow (and not in the southern hemisphere!) you should pop along and see for yourselves! Click here...

I bought a trusty charm pack, and a small piece of Heather Bailey's Pop Daisy, and I NEVER come away from anywhere without a 'bag'!


Hever Castle is just so picturesque and the gardens are immaculate. After the Maize Maze fun we had in Cornwall, we gave both the yew and water mazes a miss! But I want a garden with herbs like this:


Whilst photographing my increasing stash, I think I am developing an unhealthy attraction to selvedges! Is it me, or are they just fascinating and crying out to be made into something special themselves? I remember seeing some pin-cushions once upon a time, so I will add this to my 'One day...' list!


So many wonderful projects and so little time (plus back to work on Monday, boo-hiss).

Monkey Business!

I decided to tackle the monkeys today! Rather than one at a time, I figured a mass monkey-make was going to be a little simpler.


I have all the ears, arms and tails all ready to go now, and I hope I might be able to get the ears on, and legs sewn tomorrow (but we are off to Portsmouth for the day, so I might just come home and relax!).

I did a bit searching online for other sock-based ideas, and found some really cute owls over on craft schmaft.

The amazing Claire had a baby on saturday and is still blogging! I found some similar patterns, so I think I might give some a go - I figure they will be really quick, and excellent as little gifts.

And the sun kept on shining!!

All sorted...

Well Gaz and Charlotte will be having a wonderful weekend at Big Chill c/o yours truly, they seem like a sweet couple, so I know I have passed my win on to deserving folks.

I think I should pay my due to the designer of the sock monkey, KatieMac. Her monkeys are in a league (troop?) way above mine as you will see in her Folksy shop.

The house is starting to show signs of an impending holiday, piles of clothes, cases and towels in unexpected places, the children will now be clothed whatever the weather.

I have stocked up with felt, buttons and thread to try my hand with some 'smaller stuff' whilst we are away - I will try to remember to take plenty of photos of my attempts to be creative.

Winners and Losers...

This morning I won Culture Label's competition to go to the Big Chill Weekend. Unfortunately it clashes with our family holiday, and I never thought for a minute that I'd actually win, so I have offered my tickets (all £300 worth!) to a lad who follows them on Facebook a lot more avidly then me. Hopefully he will get back to me in time for the tickets to be sent to him.


Not quite as exciting, but Monkey number one can see! He is a bit scruffy, but that's 'character'!

Mostly 'armless!

Monkey number one is almost complete, and I only started him after lunch!

Only arms and eyes to go, but I am waiting for better daylight tomorrow as my top-stitching isn't the neatest at the best of times, and I am feeling weary!

I didn't venture to the Open Homes after all this weekend. A shame, but I had a constructive and creative weekend, including post-it sticking all the things I want to try in the latest Sew Hip and back issues.

I need to start thinking about our holiday - less than a week to go, and I have written a list of 'things to do', but tackled none...

What I want...

Popped to town with dear son this morning (it's the holidays - yippee) to buy backing (big success - red/white stripes) and wadding, but all those eager weekend shoppers have gone and bought it all! I have only stitched the strips together so far, but will have to find something else to occupy me before the next delivery.

I had some eBay successes over the weekend, an American Jane Pindot and a couple of Kona solids charm packs should be winging their way to my door very soon. Being new to all this, I am completely jealous that American quilters have the most fantastic array of fabrics, and here it seems the fabrics of choice are mostly old fashioned (in a bad way) or extortionately expensive :(

What I want...















What I find...














Good news though on the sock front - I got a 5 pack (enough for one each!) half price this morning - fun stripes, cotton-rich and going to look fabulous as monkeys!

A Sunny Saturday

Nursery summer fair, eaten too many cakes, sat in the sun, submitted my quilt picture to the Sew Hip flickr group and watched a Tommy Lee Jones film. Very relaxing day.

The children are wanting sock monkeys, so daddy better guard his drawers!