The PERFECT trip

I'm not a partygoer.

I'm not a big drinker. I may have a tipple once or twice a year but not very often at all. Unless cooking with alcohol counts, in which case I may have a problem and need to sign up with AA. Otherwise, not really.

I'm a homebody.

I like knowing where I am, who I'm with and being comfortable.

I'm a long way from who I was ten or twenty years ago.

I like it.

My two favourite things are chocolate and quilting. Actually, if you know me, you'll know I have three favourite things. Chocolate, quilting and ice cream. I can always be easily bribed with anything to do with any of those three things.

Try it.

Go on!

Yesterday I booked a little getaway for the family. What went from originally being a trip for me and Caitlin has now turned into a family affair.

And boy oh boy am I looking forward to it!

Because our little two day trip is going to be made up of a visit to the Festival of Quilts follwed by a day at Cadbury World!

As Fred Astaire sang, "Heaven, I'm in heaven....!"

Oh my goodness me, I'm so excited!

A day at the largest quilt festival in Europe and a day surrounded by chocolate!

Do you think I'm sad and boring?

Actually, don't answer that.

Do you want to come along with me?

If you send me chocolate, ice cream or fabric (especially this one... or this one... or some of this) I'll take you along with me. Well, I'll take my camera and laptop.

And I'll blog about it.

And show you chocolate.

And quilts.

But now I feel some product research needing to be done.

Announcing...!

I can finally reveal the reason I've been so quiet!

For the last couple of months I've been beavering away on a little project. It's been a real labour of love but now, at last, it's ready to show to the world.

Right here.

And here too!

Not only have I been busy making and creating but I've also been working on everything else on getting our two new babies up and running.

I can tell you that there's A LOT of work involved! 

Who knew?!

Anyway, I would love your support so please spread the word.  I don't expect we'll become multi millionaires but I just want to be able to sell something!

My love affair...

...with Moda fabric continues.

What did you think I was going to say?

Ah, all you new (and old) readers were wondering if I'd be writing something juicy, weren't you?! Good title. Hopefully this will get some more hits to the site through the Google search engines :-P

Anyway, it's been a long time since I completed a quilt. Actually, it's been a long time since I did any quilting or sewing of any sort. A few weeks, in fact.

This was actually finished a month or so ago. Sorry I didn't show you straight away. I was busy procrastinating being busy.

This was for Steph. It still will be for Steph but since Steph has a problem with looking after things (i.e she doesn't), I've told her I'm not handing it over to her until the day she marries. In the meantime I shall pass it over to my mother to look after and guard.

And guard it she will.

The quilt is made with Moda's Aviary fabric range. Isn't it beautiful? I love it! I really, really love it.

I hope Steph loves it too.

And that she looks after it.

Now that the first trimester tiredness is beginning to wear off a little I've got several new projects to be getting on with and catching up on.

Looking forward to it!

Works in progress

Very different, aren't they?

PS. Don't forget to enter our giveaway.  Just click on over!

Made it just in time!

Just!

I only got to snip some stray threads and add the label an hour before leaving for my in-laws. 

I think they liked their gift.

I think I'll leave plenty of time to meet a deadline in future.

Maybe.

Still busy

Here is the latest project that I completed this week.  The disappearing nine patches are made with Moda's "Candy Kisses" with a design from "Love is in th Air" doing a fantastic job of backing the piece.  I think it works well personally.

This quilt will be sent of to an unsuspecting recipient tomorrow so I can't say any more about it.  I just hope they like it!

This leaves me one more quilt to make for the out-laws, I mean, for the in-laws for Christmas.  I really must get a move on with it in order to ensure it's completed in time.  It's a good job they don't read this blog really, isn't it, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a surprise!

 

Sneak Peek Complete

Last week I posted a sneak peek into one of the quilts I was making.

Well, it's finished and I'm really pleased with how it has turned out.



I made the design up as I went along. If anyone would like the pattern let me know and I'll come up with something for you.

I started out with the urge to use pinwheels. I ended up with twelve of them making the centre of the quilt. They were then framed by white sashing, then a border made from squares cut from a jelly roll. After some umming and ahhing I decided to finish off with a wide white border.

Then it came to quilting it. The centre of the quilt was quilted using stitch in the ditch. The border looked too big and plain to me. I ummed and ahhed some more. Would it look better left plain or with some kind of meandering pattern?

Mike said plain.



I thought otherwise.

I went for an "it's-not-really-anything-in-particular-it's-just-a-meandering-improvised-pattern" and it looks good!

I decided on a patterned backing which I much prefer to plain. I think it's worked well.



And I made the binding by cutting short lengths of jelly roll using the same fabric design.



It started off measuring 37.5" x 45" and after washing is now measuring 31.5" x 41". That should be all the shrinkage taken care of!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the fabric is from the Candy Kisses range by Moda. Isn't it lovely?

So there it is all made, washed and ready for the new owner to take home and snuggle into.

If she can prise it out of my hands.

I hope she'll love it as much as I do.

Sneak peek

Here is a sneak peek of one of my two works in progress.



Yes, that is a pair of gardening gloves. They help to grip the quilt while you're putting it through the machine. I'm sure that's not what my lovely friends had planned me to use them for when they gave them to me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago along with other gardening equipment. But my, they are so useful! And appreciated!

Each of the new projects will be a quilt for a couple of dear little girls. Even though the second one is a different design to the first I've not posted a picture giving you a sneak peek of it, mainly due to the fact that it's still currently a bunch of patches and I haven't quite decided on the final design of it.

I had hoped to get the one above completed a couple of weeks ago but have fallen behind. This hasn't been helped by my washing machine breaking (*gasp*) and now I have a huge mountain to try to get through.

Any offers of help out there?

Hmm, thought not.

Hopefully I'll get to finish quilting this weekend and perhaps even get started on the binding.

Hopefully!

Getting creative for Christmas

I've been a little quieter than normal blogging-wise lately. One reason being that I'm getting ready for Christmas. Yes, you heard me. I haven't been Christmas shopping though, well sort of.

I bought fabric and made this...

This quilt will be my mum's Christmas present this year. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to make, hence starting it in plenty of time. You never know what'll happen to distract you from the task in hand, after all! Fortunately it didn't take very long at all. If you know my mother, please don't mention it.

Yes, Aunty M. I'm talking to you. Amongst others.

If you're interested the tutorial can be found at Moda Bake Shop where there are so many creative ideas that I wish I had time to do them all! The kit containing much of what you need to make it can be found at The Quilt Shoppe, one of my newest favourite haunts. Even though it's across the Atlantic I still find it very cost effective (read as "much cheaper") to have the fabrics shipped over than to buy it here in the UK. Also the service is fantastic. And no, I don't have a personal interest or know anyone to do with the shop - I just think a place we're happy with should be mentioned.

I'm now waiting on some more fabric to arrive for a couple more projects. I've no set pattern to work with for these but have a few ideas in mind.

So that's the first handmade gift this year. Hopefully I'll have some more things to show you in due course. Do you have any ideas for me to try?