No time to talk

I have been busy, busy fielding squabbling children (are we really still in the first week of the holidays?!) busy cleaning and washing whilst the sun shines and happily busy sewing when I can.

So with the kids wrapped up in bed I am going to give you a whirlwind update of what's been going on here before whizzing off to do some more (or possible collapse in front of a film, I will see how far my legs take me!)

First up, my new wallet! I have been drooling over the wonderful purses Ali at Very Berry Handmade makes for months and every time i get out my tattered old wallet I swear I am going to make myself a new one. I finally did it and I love it! Best of all the fabric was in the bargain bucket at a local quilt shop and I found they also sell fusible fleece (amazing, no-where here ever stocks anything useful or modern!) so I got everything I needed, hurrah!

I took photos of it VERY late at night, hence the poor quality, obviously I couldn't wait to use it!

Next I trialled a block for my month in the new Modern Stitching Bee, Alleyways from the book Modern Blocks

I did a quick mosaic to give me an idea of how this would look as a quilt, although it is hard to imagine because each block will be made from different fabrics from their own scraps, so it will be less uniform but I think I will like it. I have a few more to trial when I get a minute!

I also finished my frame purse last week for my swap partner, I had a bit of a mare with the glue, which was very frustrating after all the care I had taken to make up a pattern, embroider and sew the purse together. Thankfully some lovely smelly acetone took care of my spilt glue :-)

The front, thankfully now glue free (almost!)

The back...fly birdie, fly!

The inside, yes, more bargain Amy Butler, but when it is so gorgeous why not?!

My not so little purse is now stuffed with goodies and ready to be wrapped up and handed to the postie at the end of the week.

Finally last week just because I could I made a quilt! It is not on my FAL list, it didn't need making, but sometimes you just have to. I had a beautiful Cape Ann charm pack from one of the lovely ladies in the rainbow charm swap, sent as a thank you. As soon as I received it I knew it would be a quilt for one of my girls but it promptly got stroked and put in the fabric cupboard, where I forgot about it!

So I pulled it out last week (does this mean I can buy new fabric now as I have used up some stash?!!!)

Love that vintage sheet stripy binding, my favouritest binding ever (and yes that is a word)

 Vintage sheet backing too, quilted with free motion loopy hearts

 It is amazing how far a charm pack can go! This is a generous fit on little Juliettes toddler bed and I am hoping it will sit widthways across the bottom of a single bed when she moves up to one as it too pretty not to keep using.

So that's me pretty much upto date. Tell a lie, I did finish my BQS3 mini today but was too busy hand sewing the binding and sunbathing to take a picture, so you'll have to wait!

Sewing for Siblings with Mary (and the pillow weekend)

Today I went to Mary's house to sew, with a basted quilt, a 2 year old and a bag full of snacks, toys and vintage sheets for bartering swapping.

I left a few hours later after lots of lovely chatting, some tea, delicious home made soup and bread for lunch, a fair bit of sewing along with a nice new pile of vintage fq's from Mary's stash having watched our little ones play adorably.

Photo taken from Mary's blog, we were too busy sewing to remember to take any! And yes that is a rattle on the table, not some new-fangled sewing tool!

I was on a roll and when I arrived home after picking up the other small one from school I managed to finish the last few lines of quilting, attach the binding and get the Siblings Together quilt in the wash. It is now dry and waiting for some sunshine (pah!) to photograph it tomorrow. I am very pleased to go from a messy looking un-trimmed top yesterday to a completed quilt today.

I must give a HUGE public thank you to Sarah, for she sent me the wadding that enabled this quilt to become a finished article. Such kindness, thank you Sarah.

This weekend I popped into my LQS as the lovely owner had offered me some fabric for backing the siblings together quilts. Whilst there I couldn't help but notice a bolt of Michael Miller fabric, plaidsportation, it stuck out like a sore thumb in all the 'traditional fabrics' mostly stocked there. I quickly raced over and grabbed a fq. Now I know I have a little girl but she is very much into cars and diggers and anything automated!

I used almost the full fq to run up a new pillowcase for her toddler sized pillow, adding just a little piece of flannel to make it up to the required size.

She had great fun spotting all her favourite types of vehicle!

And snuggling up with it almost as soon as it was finished!

Not wanting to leave big sister out, I came across the tumblers Mary cut me using her Go Baby last time we got together. Feeling slightly guilty that they had been lingering at the back of the cupboard for almost 3 months I thought it was time I used them!

Made with tumblers cut from vintage sheets and bound in vintage sheet too, I bordered it using fabric from an old pillowcase. This old pillowcase is quite special. It belonged to a friend who we once took Eloise to stay with when she was very little. I have a beautiful picture of my husband and Eloise snuggled up on this pillow. Recently my friend had a clear out and gave it to me, I am so glad she did, there are such memories in this new pillow already!

I love how it matches in with her giant star quilt, even Pudsey seems pleased with the new addition!

A simple envelope back but this time I bound the edge and I am pleased I made the effort!

My two favourite prints, love those anemones.

So, we won't run out of places to rest out heads for a while, I now have the small matter of a FQ retreat name badge to nail and get in the post asap and another Siblings Together quilt top to plan/cut....good job I like being busy!