Domesticated...

Cleaning, sewing and baking; yep, something has got me in the homely mood!

We did pop out today and enjoyed the warm sunshine and a Halloween hunt at the local garden centre; then we came home, ate lunch in the garden then I baked an apple cake, my first.  I would of taken a photo, but I'm sparing you the shock of just how little is left!!

I made my sample block for November's Stitch Tease (success!), and made up a batch of chilli.

I've also been sorting mis-behaving hudls and their equally ill-behaved owners and now I just want to put my feet up in front of the box; Holby, River, all good.

OK so the ironing pile is humungous and there are other less than savoury piles of gubbins in need of sorting, but I'm getting there.

And just because I have nothing else I can show you just now, here's another little block for My Small World…

xxx

Oh my wife!

On Wednesday I finally pulled fabrics to compliment my precious Gardenvale layer cake for my Farmer's Wife v.2.

I tried and failed with the original book/QAL which I put down to lack of fabric forethought, but I really am going to try hard this time with the 1930s selection; the Gardenvale is going to make me do it!

My plan is to include at least one Gardenvale print in each block, and make 2 blocks a week.  The latter may be flexible, but its a plan I want to stick to.  Seeing all the pretty little blocks popping up on instagram has got to help too #fw1930sqal.

The first block had my name on it!  Well as good as; and it was all HSTs, so a perfect choice of starter…

May I introduce Milly…

I then made the Betty block…

… after one of my dearly missed Grandmas…

I am in love with this colour palette already; totally not my usual mix, but all from stash which bodes well I reckon.

Over the weekend I will be sorting out my Q4FAL list, this won't be on it, but I received the final piece in the Amitié Mystery BOM puzzle today, so I might pop that on, ever optimistic!

So have a good weekend folks, I am going to pop my sororal All Blacks hat on now England are out of the running xxx

I have (another) plan!

I know, I am all about the plans, and if my attempt at the first Farmer's Wife QAL is anything to go by, it's not a great plan, but we shall see…

I am aiming for the 32 block lap quilt, because I don't want to be too over-optimistic, although I've already started putting post-its on the blocks I like.  I am hoping Kerry will keep me in check, someone has to!

Just Keep Stitching!

Although I am feeling down in the dumps with so much on my plate at the moment, I pulled myself together a little over the weekend, and it felt good.

On Saturday there was a quick visit to my parent's to drop off the She Loves You cushion, a success, and then on to Bluewater.  We hadn't taken the kids there since the girls were babies, we wanted to postpone the continual begging to go to The Disney Store, The Lego Shop, Build A Bear, Claire's Accessories, Hawkin's Bazaar et al for as long as possible!

We had a lovely lunch in GBK, I got to spend an early birthday White Stuff voucher from my parents, and grab a few more bits and pieces, including a little home dec from John Lewis to make a summer bag.  Hubby got to do some birthday shopping too, (I hope!).

Sunday was a quiet Father's Day, but there was cake and ice-cream along with the school project work and grass-cutting, so a smiling Daddy here nonetheless.

Today I failed to dodge the rain showers, but just now I happily managed to sew up the cushion pieces I prepped last week…

This is to be my blogiversary giveaway prize in a couple of weeks, giving me enough time to finish it off without adding to the stress!  Bonus.

Month 2 of !!!!!!!!!!

These will keep me busy…

… although the agony; some of the fabrics will be coming in future parcels!  According to the notes, I have the ingredients to complete 4, so that's what I'll be doing, as soon as I can x

Ode To Green Tea & Sweet Beans...

Love love love!!!

It started with two small blocks, selected with Sonia, back at FQR in Jen Kingwell's wonderful hand stitching and appliqué class, and then grew…

Although I desperately want to make the whole Green Tea & Sweet Beans quilt, I decided a cushion, pillow-sized (just to confuse the pants off non-Brits!), was just the ticket to start with.  I had never hand-stitched before the class, and only since hand-quilted one cushion, so this is a practice piece, to keep me going for now!

I so love it when a beautiful plan comes together!

I backed it with a lovely spot, which I know was a bolt end of an extra-wide backing from Village Haberdashery.  The binding is my all time favourite Liberty Lifestyle print; if you know where I can get any more, please let me know, my precious meter is now down to significantly less.

So there you go.  A long time coming, but I definitely think it was worth the wait.

Oh and a FAL tick - woo hoo!

PS. If my posts become even more speedy/sporadic over the next 10 days or so, it's because crazy birthday season will be in full swing, starting tomorrow with a girly sleepover whilst dear son spends the night at the museum.  No. sleep. for. anyone!

I am going to love this quilt!

I know, only one block made, but I am smitten!

I pretty much mastered the 1/4" wheel, I didn't stitch through any seam allowances and resisted the urge to press it.  Hence it looks a little wrinkled and wonky, but fortunately that's just bad lighting and urgent excitement to take a photo!

If you are wondering, the block is only 6 1/2" in diameter.  Those pieces are tiny!

Roll on next month!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excited, moi?

That's my weekend sorted, don't wait up!

BOMing...

I've signed up for a BOM.
Not any old BOM.
A mystery BOM.

I have never signed up for anything so quickly; how on Earth was I meant to ignore Jen Kingwell's mystery BOM!?  The promise of fabric, hand and machine piecing and appliqué, heaven!

GT&SB block

There's still time to sign up, the BOM begins in October; 12 months of awesomeness for sure.  Anyone else taking the plunge?

I am so excited!

Sofa so good...

I have been cracking on with my FQR finishes, which includes my hand-quilted cushion that I also presumptuously put on my FAL list…

After a couple of false starts and a little unpicking, I found my hand-quilting rhythm and stitch size, and then there was no stopping me!  I even flukily managed to maintain quite a decent backside, if I do say so myself!

I used a Hera marker to guide my stitching, and as one of many firsts on this cushion it, I was rather impressed that even with all the scrunching up the top got whilst quilting, I could still see where I was going.

I backed my cushion with some Clarke & Clarke home dec weight spots, put in a concealed zip and used some of my favourite Liberty Lifestyle print for binding, and I don't use that unless I am particularly chuffed with something!

I need something else to hand quilt now, honestly I am going to make things just so I can!  I have even pulled out my Midnight At The Oasis today, which has lain unloved for about 6 months, and got my appliqué action on at last.  I think that one certainly deserves the hand-quilting treatment.

So onto the rather over-crowded but oh-so-pretty sofa it has gone…

I should photograph the view from the sofa really, to assure you that I haven't covered the whole house!

Well the weather has cooled a little this evening, we managed about 45 minutes at the park earlier, before the thunder started, and made it home just before the rain.  Not sure what this weekend has in store, but I am guessing it won't be a patch on the fun and games of last weekend.

Let's start at the very beginning...

… a very good place to start.

I already know that I am going to have to break FQR2014 down into multiple posts, because I still haven't been able to get it all straight in my head; there was so much information to digest and ideas to ponder over, I don't want to forget anything.

So let's see how far I get!

Friday.  It started with a 4am thunderstorm and power cut, meaning all sorts of re-setting phone alarms and worrying about the lack of hot water and straighteners in the morning!  By 'wake up time' it was all good; and by 10am I was on the train, not quite sure what to expect.

I was checked into my hotel by midday, then strolled up in the ridiculous heat to BP House.

The welcome committee was in place, Lynne, Brioni, Tacha and Trash, plus the 2 Jacks; game on!  A quick hello with Tammy, Betty and a few others, and by the time we decided to escape the heat and decamp to the terrace, more and more lovely people were arriving and we headed on into the wonderfully air-conditioned hall.

I have to admit, when the FQly ladies began the Intro, I was wondering where everyone else was!  I don't know the exact numbers but compared to the manic squeeze at the beginning of the last couple of years, the hall was virtually empty.

I was so excited that I got to meet some of my long-time 'friends' for the first time, like Sarah-Fairyface, Joanne, and Blueberry Park Karen as well as old buddies like Cindy, Sonia, Sarah and Nicky and, of course, Brit Bee buds Troods and Di.  So many more, so forgive me if you haven't been name-checked, but if I am not careful this will be playing out in real time like 24!

First class, quilting with Jen Kingwell - A-MAZING!!!!

I absolutely love Jen Kingwell, and I don't care who knows it - I think I may have told her anyway!  Not only are her quilts the most beautiful things I have ever seen and touched, (oh there was lots of touching!), but she is the most engaging, interesting and down to earth funny lady I have ever had the pleasure of listening to!

I didn't stitch much, but, I was too busy having a wonderful time!

After an hour and a half, including a power cut, (pity the poor folks using sewing machines or in the windowless hall!), I had learned more than I have learnt years!  All mostly simple and 'obvious when you know', but still 'new to me' tips and tricks.  The real life Gipsy Wife and Green...Beans quilts are beyond stunning, I could gush for hours!!

Let's just say this short and intimate session, (I think there was only a dozen of us), set the tone for my weekend, and I didn't stop smiling!

My other class on Friday was embroidery with Jo-Bearpaw, more love!

I was not particularly good, there was some unpicking and a lot of squinting (oh my rubbish eyes!), but I learnt the wonders of the whip-backstitch and how not to do bullion knots!

I even stitched up a little more that night in bed, and have been slowly adding more since coming home; so hoping to have this one finished some time soon.

After classes, there was time for a trip to Waitrose, a freshen up and then off to dinner.

A typically raucous affair, so much laughing and chatting; I was next to Cindy and opposite Sarah, Jenny F-P, Love P&Q editor and Karen, and despite the heat, did I mention it was hot, we had a brilliant time.  Good food and good company, the perfect end to the day.

℅ Karen

Is that enough for now?

Saturday was huge, but I will try my best to cram that into the one post tomorrow.

I haven't even mentioned the goody-bag received on arrival, that will need another post all to itself!

First class prep...

My first session at FQR2014 will be hand quilting with Jen Kingwell (yes, Jen Kingwell!!!), and the supplies list says we require a 50cm square quilt sandwich, and that solids are good.

You know I don't easily do solids, nor do I hand quilt, so I am starting a long way from my comfort zone, which, I suppose is the point!  I don't see sense in paying to do something you are already good at.

So I dug deep and whipped up this panel all ready for some quilty action...

A bunch of Kona solids and white Essex Linen, I had to have a little texture.

This, and a couple of my other class makes are destined to become cushions, I hope.

I have two classes with Jen, (we are friends already, but she doesn't know that yet!),  so I am hanging my head in shame that my Midnight At The Oasis has been untouched for months.

I am hoping that I will return from Retreat inspired to hand stitch as much as possible, and get those applique flowers on so I can start on the teeny, tiny-pieced borders.  Well it's a plan!