Yeah Yeah...

I know, it's not exactly craft-central round here right now!

There was a little of this though...

... prepping a couple of teacher gifts, because end of term will be here before we know it, and I really want need them done before Retreat.

But mostly today was about this...

Before Friday I have 3 mornings of work, a Key Stage 2 performance (or 3), Cubs, swimming, a hair cut, packing and writing a big list for dear husband for all the weekend's eventualities. 

Apart from literally having a meltdown about what clothes to take if the weather stays like this, it'll be fine, I hope.  xxx

Hot Hot Hot!

No stitching today, not a lot of much really, except buying ice lollies and lying in the shade; the garden was slightly less stifling than anywhere else, well except the chilled aisle at Tesco, that was quite a nice place to be for a change!

So here's photo of my new case that I ordered and received earlier in the week with Retreat in mind...

Having done all my fabric-cutting and other prep a while back, I have that niggling feeling that I should be doing more, as quite frankly, a huge list is rather reassuring!

Well I hope you are maintaining a comfortable existence this weekend, and I will try to come up with something more exciting tomorrow xxx

Inspired...

For pretty much all of the Q2 FAL I had a tab open in my browser which I would look at longingly, promising myself that once I had ticked off all those WIPs I would be able to indulge.

So the minute I was done, and my July Bee blocks were in the bag, I got to it.

My inspiration...

I know; improv, solids, all those things you don't really associate with me, but the minute I stumbled on these bags, it was love at first sight.

If you follow the link, or google until you are blue in the face, you will not find a decent, large, detailed picture to see exactly how they re made.  So I winged/wung it!

The pictures don't really do it justice, yadda yadda, sunshine, shade, the colours are off, the lumps and bumps look lumpier and bumpier, but you get the gist.

I raw edge appliquéd, then not liking the result, zig-zagged the edges to stop the fraying.  The affect is a little more heavy-handed than I had envisaged, but I really wasn't wanting to change thread colours a million times and I am very happy none-the-less.

The hand stitching in DMC Pearl #8 is completely rough and ready, and was a joy to sew. 

The stinky handles are just leather, they need to be used and after a little scrunching and rolling they have already lost their stiffness, that was probably bothering me more than the smell to be honest, so now I am content I made the right choice to stick with it.

I used woven interfacing to give the Kona Glacier and Wisteria a bit more weight, but I may re-think for no.2; I have learnt a lot and oh yes, there will be more.

This will be my school run, quick dash bag, for phone, wallet and keys and room for all sorts of extra
junk the kids hand over on a regular basis.

So there you go, I am a happy bunny; and the linky for FAL Q3 is not even closed and I have a 50% success rate.  Woo Hoo! xxx

Slightly less random!

Well my random post is no where near as random as the comments you left on last night's post!! 

So firstly, to set the record straight - no I am not pregnant!  I bought some leather to use on the secret-for-me project, it sat in the sweltering conservatory for a day or two, and when it came to stitch it, the real leather smell, nothing more, was just a little overwhelming, and is making me wonder if I want that whiff following me around forever and a day!  So you can take your knitted booties elsewhere; you are all barking mad!

Moving on...

With the end of term coming round quickly, we have the pleasure of all sorts of school activities; my favourite part of last week's Summer Fair was the owls!

Today we were invited to the Year 3 - Healthy Me video show with flapjacks and smoothies as bribery!  Dear son ended up in charge of smoothie pouring, he did a fine job...

The girls had their penultimate after-school swimming lesson...

... and the temptation finally got the better of one of the teaching assistants and I, and we sat on the edge for a rule-breaking leg dangle!

And finally, inspired by Andy Murray, we have the Swingball out in the garden; the big plastic paddle rackets made a nice home for this little chap...

... who the girls thought would be great to let loose in the kitchen!  Um... no x

Linking up with the Home of the Randomeers xxx

Poo :(

I was hoping for a finish.

I was hoping for a leather-fuelled evening.

But the smell is really putting me off, so the plans are on hold.

Sorry folks xxx

Water water everywhere...

I can see the sea from my office. 

Today we got an unexpected day off as a mains pipe from the reservoir burst and without drinking water on another hottest day of the year, and more importantly, no toilet-flush action, it was the only option.

Having driven all the way in, I helped lock up the filing cabinets then headed into town and got fully 'Gok'ed' up with my new glasses and sunglasses.  I now have a headache, as the increase in prescription is a bit of a big one, so keeping this short and sweet.

I got an afternoon in the sun, hubby got to cut the hedge and the sum total of my sewing was this...

Dear son got his Housework, home-help, or some other token gesture lady badge!  This evening he did tracking in the woods and rolling about in dirt, much more fun!

The conservatory/sewing/dining area is maintaining a steady 32 degrees, so not conducive to much; we have been eating outside since last week, but dragging the sewing machine out to the wobbly picnic bench is not really an option.

Still, we know it won't last, so I should have proper things to show you soon.  Keep cool xxx

FAL 2013 Q3 - The List

Well this is going to be a brief one - which is a good thing!

I am currently quilt-free and up to date with all but the Lucky Stars BOM, so I will keep this to a simple pair.

Firstly I am going to complete this...

I am so close; waiting on the finishing touches which should arrive in the next couple of days, and it could be completed before Retreat.  It won't be coming with me though - I am trying to keep the baggage to the minimum, (trolley bag ordered), and I am on wind-down now; so much school and after-school stuff between now and then, I have little time for anything else, except a couple of teacher gifts, but I haven't even started those yet.

My other goal is to get my KISS tapestry finished...

This has sat neglected for over a year; Lynne has pushed me to pick up the wool again, so this is going to be my slow summer project.  I think it has languished mainly because it doesn't make good viewing for you guys.  But I am putting my foot down, and going to finish it!!  I will try not to bore you too much - maybe keep it to a weekly update, but it will be done, oh yes, it will be done.

I will inevitably have all my Retreat makes to finish afterwards, along with Bee blocks, and it will be my month in Stitch Tease in September, so there will be plenty of other things to fill the time over the holidays!

Are you linking up?  I love the focus the FAL gives, and the confirmation that you are not alone in the unfinished stakes!  

I will be so disappointed if I don't complete these, so regular heckling is required please!  Thanking you in advance xxx

Seven!!

As per the plan:

1. I did all the cleaning and tidying bright and early.
2. I went to Tesco.
3. We had a BBQ.
4. I spent a bit of time in the sun.
5. I did all the ironing.
6. I watched the tennis.
7. I painted my toenails blue to honour of the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years!  

The last British winner was Virginia Wade in 1977, when I was 7, and today is 7-7.

Way to go Andy Murray!

You said you would!

Having asked if anyone would be interested in buying some Liberty key fobs at Retreat, the positive vibes meant I have been cutting, stitching and clamping away and have come up with these...

They weigh a tonne, and having played a little with my proposed baggage, I really am thinking again!  Travelling handmade is all well and good if you are an octopus, and not considering the train, Tube and anything the weather can chuck our way; but right now, a big wheely suitcase is looking very tempting!

Hope you are enjoying the weekend; I have ordered new specs, Gok Wan if you please, and spent a bit of time in the garden.  Tomorrow will incorporate all the boring stuff, but hoping to get a BBQ in before the Wimbledon men's final.

PS.  I am hoping this will appear in the Dashboard pretty pronto, as it seems recently that there is an annoying time delay going on, but hey ho, today I am sweating the hot stuff, not the small stuff xxx

Me me me!

Two weeks and counting!!

Well I know it is hard to believe that there are people don't know who I am, but I guess being a legend in my own lunchtime is not the same thing as being distinguishable from 135 other sewists in a big room!

I wrote a post for last year's Retreat - and quite frankly not a lot has changed in the last 13 months, although I have somehow gone from 41 to 43 already!

So if you really don't know me, check that out, but briefly, because I am not all that exciting, here's the deal...

My name is Hadley, after Ernest Hemingway's first, and best wife, thank you for asking.

I am a mummy of twin girls aged 6 and an 8 year old son; wife to a husband who is not really looking forward to holding the fort for two nights, (or is that just me, fearing the carnage I will find when I get home?); I am a part-time Civil Servant, and full-time sewaholic with a re-invigorated passion for all things fabric and stitchy, and I have been blogging and enjoying the social side of sewing for almost 3 years.

I am a member of possibly the best Bees in the world and wouldn't be without my online-slash-real life crafty friends!

I hate having my photo taken, but look like this...

When it comes to photos, I find safety in numbers!

... and I will be wearing this (well not just this, good lord no!)...

I am in love with Liberty, Denyse Schmidt and Heather Ross to name a few; I am very picky with my fabric likes and dislikes, so let's just call brown bad, and leave the weedling out those few and far between good ones to me, it's safer that way. 

I like making quilts, bags and embroidery amongst other things.  This is my favourite make ever...

Liberty+ Marcelle Medallion

You will find me in Joanna and Julianna's Curved Piecing session; Lynne's Touchdraw masterclass; Portholes with Lu and Cathedral Windows with Brioni, and I can't wait!

Last year I was suffering and a little distracted with a severely burnt arm; I came fully medicated and surgically-dressed and spent a lot of the time just thinking 'oooooouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'; so I am hoping for a far less frantic night-before-Retreat and pain-free time.

I am really quite shy, unlike others who just claim to be, but once I am relaxed and with friends, I can be properly loud.  I tend to do the thousand yard stare-unfriendly face thing when I am thinking, please, not to be confused with ignoring you, and with the new glasses I am getting this weekend, I will probably be swearing, bumping into things and unable to thread a needle, again not to be confused with being very drunk, because I don't do that, (any more!).

So that's me, linking up with all the other Retreaters, and starting to get a bit nervous and anxious that I have forgotten stuff already, worrying about what to wear, too hot, too cold and loving every minute!

Random Junk...

We get our fair share of local flyers popped through the door, window cleaners, driveway layers, gardeners, you know the type, what re-cycle bins were made for.  But this postcard image of pure wishful thinking caught my eye this week...

I expect he was just showing the lady of the house how it works, you know, because she couldn't get her pretty little head round it; or all her loose threads and sewing debris had finally tipped him over the edge!  The cleaning company charge £15/hr if you are interested!

Beat that Randomeers!

New Stuff!

OK, well aware that I have been flashing my old finishes at you over and over again these last couple of days, I thought you might like to see some (mostly) new makes for a change.

I have deliberately kept my July 'To Do' list as short as possible, in order to concentrate on Retreat prep, and the inevitable aftermath and start of the school holidays; so I have flung myself into July's 'Must Do's with avengence!

I have already made...

Blocks for t'other Di our Stitch Tease Queen for July...

I will be able to hand these over in person, bonus!

Blocks for Bee Blessed...

Which will also make their way to Northern Ireland via Retreat.

A c.20" whopper block for the Siblings Together Bee...

My thanks again go to the wonderful sponsors for this year of charity makes...

      

            

      

And I have just begun a little something that I have been thinking about for ages, and now the decks are clearer, I have the imaginary green light...

Obviously, with all this productivity I am almost running out of fabric, so luckily my birthday pressie from my sister arrived from New Zealand today...

1/2m cuts of some beautiful Sarah Fielke fabric from Spotlight, (oh to have a Spotlight/JoAnns equivalent in the UK!).

And I am going to add in here these blocks, that I made way back when, for a very special friend and her fine gentleman...

The mastermind, ring-mistress and all-round super special friend that is Susan, has posted best about the quilt made by the self-proclaimed 'Circle of Friends'.  It was an honour to be a part of this secretive international group, and a cheeky thrill that it made Cindy cry when she got it - a sure sign that our work was a success!

So there you go.  I still need to work on my pre-Retreat, all-about-me post, so you have that to look forward to.  Now I am going to turn up the TV, to drown out the ringing in my ears from today's recorder concert, and do some hand stitchery.  Nice xxx

FAL Q2 The Result!

My aspirations were laid on the table way back here.

And so...

1.  Marcelle Medallion, from this...

... to this, my proudest moment...

2.  Stitch Tease Quilt, from this...

... to this...

3.  Siblings Together Quilt, from this...

... to this...

4. Hexie Bag, from this...

... to this...

5.  Aeroplane Bag, from this...

... to this...

So that's my 5.  Yay!!  All done!

Another successful quarter; thank you Leanne, and mastermind Rhonda for keeping me focused; and now to dig about for Q3 xxx

Only June!

I cannot believe that I made all this lot in June!!!

There are a couple of quilt finishes in there, a Super Tote, Patchwork Please! items, lots of Bee blocks, some Retreat goodies to name a few, and believe it or not I also made a couple of secrets that I haven't included.

I can guarantee that July and August will not be nearly as productive, but honestly, I am more than fine with that!

Linking this pretty collage with Lynne and the Fresh Sewing Day peeps, and off to check off my FAL list to see how I did.  I'll let you know tomorrow xxx