May Mojo...

Well you would be forgiven for thinking that my mojo has returned!  In May I started on the awesome #mysmallworld QAL and this in turn, along with my new super-duper x-ray specs, has got me back into my Amitié BOM stitching, which I am loving completely!

I didn't realise quite how much I was in denial about my eyesight, because what I was fearing was becoming a 'chore' has become a joy again; the frustration of not being able to thread a needle is a thing of the past!!

June will include a bit of ageing, and what feels like a million kids' activities, events and meetings, so we'll see how the stitching goes in the 5 minutes I might get to myself.

Linking up with the other stitchy folks at Fresh Sewing Day.

April in the bag...

My April looks quite healthy, especially when making my Betsy Travel Bag felt like it took the month to make all on its own!

May is going to start and end with long weekends, and I am determined to make the most of them, just maybe not with stitchy stuff, but I'll try.

Linking up my latest with Lynne and the Fresh Sewers and wishing you a good couple of days until we meet again xxx

Quick March...

I thought I was being so organised, eagerly sitting down to do my March mosaic, shame my output didn't match my enthusiasm!

I will have at least 2 finishes for April by the weekend, in fact we are planning a girly sewing session tomorrow, so that should be another thing off my list.  I hope this heralds a new lease of sewing life!

So no falling for April Fools's day jokes today, just a nice walk round the village on the Egg trail, collecting stickers and chocolates on the way, and a little pressie making.  All good xxx

WTFebruary already!

Grovelling apologies for the lack of a post on Friday - we were all up at the O2, for the Young Voices concert.  It was fantastic, the kids all had an amazing time, the parents probably just as much fun, with added proud grins.

So here we are blowing in to February on a freezing north wind, and still waiting on phones and internet to be fixed!

Hey ho, pretty things from January…

The final makes, sandwiching the Victorian Day outfits were a Victorian style reticule purse, made with my guidance and control of the rotary cutter, and Mrs Beeton's Bread and Butter Pudding for their half-term projects…

Just think what I could have achieved if I hadn't been on the phone to a gadzillion call centres 6 times a day!

Linking up with Lynne for a belated Fresh Sewing Day.

Just say No-vember!

November was all about the purses and pillows, apparently!

Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day is sometimes a pleasant surprise, and November is so full of family celebrations and preparations that it's a complete shock I actually have anything to show you, it all went by in such a blur!

But this has to be my favourite finish of the year really…

Yes it has become one of those cushions that makes our bed look pretty in the day, and gets moved to the foot of the bed at night, but I can sooooo live with that!

So now it's December, and panic is really setting in.  My 'must make' list is not too bad, 2 Hudl cases, 4 'man' gifts and a cushion, but school/Cubs/Brownies stuff has gone into overdrive so freetime pretty much only means 10pm to 6am from now until the 17th.  Next year, everyone gets smellies and socks from M&S!

Awesome October...

From the mosaic alone, you can tell I had a good month; and if you add into the mix that the beginning of October was spent in the company of Brit Bee and friends, then you know it was a month that'd be hard to beat!

In the midst of all the productivity I think I forgot to blog that I have a Christmas Countdown project in this month's Quilt Now, it even made it onto the cover with Jessie's gorgeous quilt…

So chuffed!

Linking up with Lynne and all the Fresh Sewists.

PS. November 1st and I was out and about in a t-shirt and flip flops today, (and combats, before you comment!); when the cold weather comes, it is going to hit sooooo hard!

Sew So September...

I think I left my sewing mojo on holiday; I can't remember such a meagre month.  I am really hoping to rectify that in October!

In my defence, there have been a couple of magazine commissions too which will be revealed over the next couple of months, and my #IGminiswap top, which is on my hit list to be completed on the weekend…

Dear son was probably the most productive one this month.  His first You Tube video has been viewed way in excess of his expectations, thank you to all those who have seen it already, please click the link above if you missed it.

And guess what, a second video has been posted today, so please watch, like and subscribe, and make me the best mummy with the best friends in the whole world, again, thank you!




Linking up with Lynne and the other Fresh Sewists xxx

Well hello!!

I'm back!!

I had a lovely break, we were away in Menorca for 11 days of the past 14, and only had a sporadic internet connection for 24hrs, and as that was so rubbish, I couldn't be bothered to drag myself from the sun lounger to keep trying.

I have missed you all, don't get me wrong; however it has been so relaxing and liberating not to be tied to my MacBook/iPad/iPhone.

I read a couple of amazing books, The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden and I Am Pilgrim, did practically no sewing as it was either too hot or too dark, and took it as easy as I possibly could!  I really wish we were still there, I can feel my blood pressure rising and suntan fading already.  I am not even going to mention the pile of ironing I have inadvertently created!

So linking up with Fresh Sewing Day is a little bit of a lightweight affair this month…

Excuse toes!

The only new things to show are another Green Tee block, the beginnings of my Cartwheels EPP, and a tote I made for the evenings on holiday for carting all our gear to the bar and entertainment; sparkly linen and faux silver-leather and blatantly copied from a Victoria Beckham design; it did the trick.

I also trialled and wrote up another commission, the real-deal will be made in the next week, but you will have to wait until Christmastime for that, which isn't long, seeing as the festive goodies are already hitting the shops!!

So looking out the window today pretty much confirmed that Summer is gone from these here shores, dammit, so back to reality we go.

Oh you missed my chirpy, positive outlook I'm sure xxx

What a month, what a month, what a mighty fine month...

Oh July 2014 you were pretty darn fab stitchy-wise!

Fat Quarterly Retreat was the best - two weeks on and I am still inspired to keep up all those new found skills, and you know me, I can change like the wind when a new shiny catches my eye!

So there was quite a bit of FQR prep, a few monthly commitments fulfilled and a couple of long awaited magazine reveals.  Coupled with my FQR finishes, a handful of FAL ticks and the start of the long hot summer, my mosaic is looking rather healthy…

August will be a little more sparse, as the summer holidays get into full swing.  There may be blogging breaks, as well as a possible sewing machine mini-spa and tune-up.  I am hoping to get a load of hand sewing projects prepared for all eventualities, so I better write a list xxx

Fresh Sewing June

Making a round-up mosaic is usually a bit of fun; trying to make a mosaic when your hard drive ate the last month or so, is not so great!

But here goes…

Only right Aurifil Boy get centre stage!

It was not the most productive of months, what with the bag fiasco, and I haven't yet got any good photos of the massive Siblings quilt, but those will come, I promise.

It was not the best month for technical reasons obviously, and a lot of sport viewing, both in real life and on the box, reduced my output dramatically.

But hey ho; there were birthday gifts and vouchers spent, so a lot of lovelies currently heading my way, and FQR to look forward to.

By the end of July I will be on Summer holidays too.  I love July!

Linking with Lynne and the other Fresh Sewists.

If I May be so bold...

So we trott on into June, and I am well aware that I will come out the other end a year older, but for now, let's celebrate the success of the month just gone, with Fresh Sewing Day...

Better than I thought, it must have been a long month than I remember!  I love the Oakshott quilt, so only fair it gets centre stage.

There was also some secret sewing which I am not at liberty to share just yet, and also a lot of prep work for FQR.

It felt like summer again today, camp was a success, and tomorrow we've got an Inset Day, I think I am going to like June... a lot xxx

April, no foolin'

Well last month looks a little sparse, but school holidays and sunny weather will have that effect on productivity!

There was the showing off of my Jawbreaker cushion, for the Jaybird Quilts bloghop...

... as well as the bee blocks, bags and other bits I made in April...

I am hoping I will be able to get my ginormous Oakshott Carpenter's Star quilt finished in May, I even have the backing and batting now...

I will admit that there was also another quilt and another little make too that will be revealed all in their own sweet time, so maybe not so shabby!

I just need to do my Mrs Mop act and get the house in order before the long weekend before I can play again, but I can hoover quickly with the right carrot being dangled ;)

Linking up late in the day, with Lynne and Fresh Sewing Day.

Mad March...

March certainly had its ups and downs, but I have come out of it happier and feeling better than I went in, so I can't really ask more than that!

It was a month of all sorts of madness...

... and surprisingly quite a lot of sewing...

As always linking back to Fresh Sewing Day over at Lynne's; did you have a good month too?

The first day of April has been spent cutting two quilt tops and plotting another, and there may have been some snoozing in the sunshine, but I can neither confirm nor deny that!

February, tick!

For the shortest month of the year, the wettest, most miserable and generally not great month ever, I was pretty productive, and dare I say there were even a few other secret makes I've not included here...

Today, however, it is me who isn't really here, I will report back tomorrow.

Linking up with Lynne's Fresh Sewing Day, and dashing out the door xxx

And so it begins...

2014.  January is over, it's February already!

It's time to link up for the first time this year with Lynne and Fresh Sewing Day...

My mosaic doesn't look too hot I'm afraid, although I also have a couple of secret makes up my sleeve for a mid-February reveal.  The last couple of finishes, my #economyblockalong and #psboxypouch will each get a post to themselves over the next couple of days, so please come back.

Of course my greatest/favourite achievement for January got revealed yesterday...

Indulge me xxx

I hope your crafting year got off to a better start than the weather.  I know that pretty much wherever you are in the world, it has been too wet, too snowy or too hot, so let's hope beg that this month gives us all a little of what we'd prefer. xxx

End Of The Year Sewing...

December was pretty much all about the Christmas makery...

Job done for another year!

Over the Christmas holidays I started a few hand-stitchy things, which I hope will be finished early in January, the sewing machine has not been touched in over a week, and that doesn't feel like an entirely bad thing.

And so with 2013 coming to a close - it has not been the best of years, but heck, it hasn't been the worst.  It has pretty much all been documented in this little corner of the blogisphere, and it should never go without saying that I cannot thank you enough for stopping by, reading my waffle, leaving comments that make my day, and making me smile.

Once again this year has proven the power of friendship built from a love of fabric of all things!  I met up with friends old and new, been involved in secrets group for celebration and to console, I have contributed to charity quilts and bee quilts and stitched up gifts and prizes as well as a huge load of things just for me, me, me!

Tomorrow I will indulge in a pictorial review of the year just gone, and before the end of the week I will be rounding up those FAL makes and plotting ahead for 2014.

If you have the energy to go out celebrating, have a safe New Year, or if, like me, you will be snuggled up under a quilt watching others celebrate on the TV, I will raise a cup of tea to your good health and happiness in 2014 xxx

No-vember!

Well for the second month in a row I am late in linking up my Fresh Sewing makes because of MacBook woes; yet again I have stumbled on a fix, so fingers crossed pleased, and a little patience whilst I try to catch up with emails etcetera!

So here is my meagre collage.  It was a ropey old month health, making and technologically-wise.  There were birthdays galore, little time behind the sewing machine and to be honest, I am pleased to have the month well and truly behind me...

I left December 1st in a better mood than I entered it, and December 2nd has been OK, so let's hope the rest of the month, in fact year, goes to plan.

I have a scarily long list of things I'd like to make in the next 3 weeks, but I am already thinking that I will be last minute shopping rather than stitching for many of those pressies; only time will tell!

Not-so Fresh Sewing Day!

I'm back online, with pictures, and feeling better than I have done for over a fortnight, although fading fast after a very busy day, but let's hope good things are in the offing at last.

I have a lovely brand spanking new hard drive in my MacBook, big thanks to hubby, and the girls are tucked up in bed with new teddies...

I thought I would link up with Lynne anyway, even though I am a day late, purely as when it came to it, I was surprised how much I had achieved in the first half of October...

And obviously my proudest moment was piecing together the strips of the secret Oakshott quilt top for my/our wonderful friend Helen...

So I will wish you adieu for now; leave contemplating the mind-blowing number of unanswered emails that just downloaded until tomorrow, and keep taking those pills!

xxx

September stuff...

It's flipping October already, I am having the flip-flop vs boot dilemma and despite buying a coat and body-warmer in the last week, I really don't want to have to wear either of them just yet.

I need to admit to my one and only finish with Leanne and the FAL, but for now, just a quick recap on my September makes and link up with Fresh Sewing Day....

Looking back over my photos, it was surprising to remember that we were still on the School Holidays at the beginning of the month, and we have packed in so much since.

Again convinced I have been slacking, the mosaic, fortunately, begs to differ...

Also in the month, plans for the 3rd round of Brit Bee were finalised, and I can't wait, as this month we will all be making the first blocks.  Excited?  Oh yes!

I just realised that I haven't told you about our anniversary weekend in London and the goodies I came home with; there was shopping, and not all fabric; but I will get some photos tomorrow, as long as those builders don't drive me out of the house on my day off!

So into October we go chaps, let's hope its a good one xxx

Fresh Sewing Day - Holiday edition

So August was all about our family holiday.  Preparing, being there, and then trying not to lose that holiday feeling.

I love being away.  I love not having to shop, cook, clean or make decisions;  I love knowing tomorrow will be sunny and that all I will have to do is relax.  Shame it's only a couple of weeks a year eh?

My August makes were therefore pretty few and far between, but I managed to scrape a little mosaic together...

And not forgetting my favourite make of the summer...

I am hoping September will be a good one stitching-wise; the work/school routine will kick in all too soon and so I am going to need that little window at the end of the day to focus my crafty thoughts on!

Linking with Lynne and the Fresh Sewing Day Crew xxx