2012 Finish A-Long (I hope!)

Well, I'm trying not to be too ambitious with this, but....although I only have a few UFO's they are mostly hand stitching/embroidery and I know it will take me an age to do them! AND I have signed up for at least one quilt along (maybe 3 if I am being honest) and then there is the quilt I want to make from the rainbow charm swap, that can wait for another day though!

First of all my crazy Christmas quilt needs a binding, we have been lovingly using it all the holidays with just the zig zagged edge. I must say I have grown to love my fuzzy soft edge but it does need binding or it wont last the test of time. I have plumped for a shop brought binding because I wanted a simple solid colour after all the pattern on the quilt and because I am being lazy and cheap! The whole 7 meters of binding only cost me £2.03! Imagine the cost if I had made it up from yardage. I just need to get it sewn on now.

Then there is this cute little panel, I made it up months ago meaning to turn it into a pouch but didn't! Mostly because I put so much work into it because the pieces are tiny only to realise I had left myself with hardly any seam allowance. I didn't want to hide any of the design as it took me so long and so I just left it on the side hoping inspiration would come to me, it hasn't! But, there is no point loving it and hiding it in the cupboard, I have to make it into something and use it!

Then there is this tea cosy sleeve I brought in a charity shop last year. Its so rare to find something with the pre-printed pattern on that hasn't been started already. I got going on it straight away, I soon got bored! I must get on with it, its just that all that hand embroidery overwhelms me!

This is going to be a Dresden cushion, honest, its a well known fact that fmq Dresden's need at least 3 months airing before they can be made up into a cushion! Seriously, why did I do all the hard work and stop when all I need to do is throw a back on it? This is being done as soon as I find some nice backing.

Finally, my nemesis! The June block for the Birdie Stitches quilt. Cindy so knows what I am talking about here! Why did I ever start, I hate this quilt. I'm hoping that means I will love it the most when it is finally done. I'm not going to list my July-December blocks as ufo's because I haven't even started them and I don't plan on doing it any time soon, I need a breather from it. But I do need to finish this block, it is taunting me lol!

So there it is, I'm hoping I can look back at the end of the quarter with a sense of achievement, no greater dismay than I am in now!

There are still a few spaces left in the Somewhere Over the Rainbow charm swap, sign-ups are here. Be quick though, 15 spaces went as soon as I posted the swap, leaving only 13 and sign -ups haven't even been running 24 hours yet!

Want an excuse to shop the sales? A Rainbow charm swap sign-up!

Here it is, all the deets on the Rainbow charm swap!

» BOTH ROUNDS OF THIS SWAP ARE NOW FULL «

The Modern Christmas Charm swap was such a blast I couldn't wait to organise another. I figure a new year should be bursting with fresh vibrant colours, what better than a rainbow swap.

1)  There will be 28 spaces, each person is to purchase a meter of 100% quilting weigh cotton in their assigned colour (red, pink, purple, blue, aqua, green, yellow, orange)

2) Post your photo in the flikr group (to avoid any doubling up of fabric choices between participants)
Please do not choose solids, make sure that that you choose something that reads as your assigned colour, ie when you look at it from a distance it is most definitely that colour. Pay attention to scale, large scale prints don't often work well as charms.

3) Cut your meter into 56 5x5" charms. There is a great tute on how to do this over at Elizabeth Hartman's blog if you are nervous!

4) Mail your cut charms to me, please place them in a plastic bag along with the fabric info (ie designer, line, colourway) REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A PRE-PAID RETURN ENVELOPE. If you wish to participate and live over-seas please let me know and I will arrange a paypal invoice for your return postage costs.

5) I will work my rainbow magic and send you back your very own rainbow of 56 charms along with a complied list of all the fabrics, should you wish to purchase more.

So, who wants their very own rainbow? If you do just comment below and I'll sign you up. Remember if you are a no reply blogger you MUST leave your email address or I wont be able to contact you with the mailing details.

I cant wait to get going, here is what I will be making once I have my charms:

Ive been admiring this quilt from Netties blog A Quilt is Nice for an age now. Here Baby Stripes quilt tutorial inspired me to make my first ever quilt. I plan on using the rainbow charms to make the little panel in 2.5" squares and sash it in either white or grey solid. I'm both excited and nervous to try the circular quilting. It rocks! Then again, done badly by me, maybe not so much!

Remember to join the flikr group!

And grab yourself the button  from my blogpage (if I've got it working lol!)

Chocolates and tissues!

Phew, what a break I've had. Almost 2 weeks since I last blogged and practically as long since I last sat at the sewing machine. Christmas was lovely, so relaxing and peaceful, so nice to spend time settling into the new house.

The house looked beautiful with all its decorations, all warm and cosy. We barely left the house for a week except to walk the dog. Then new year arrived, along with the germs! It has worked its way through the children and then yesterday I was the next victim! I was so devastated. My darling husband spend the morning putting up new storage in the sewing room and no sooner had I unpacked and arranged and re-arranged my supplies than the runny nose and shivers started. No sewing for me :(

Today I managed to do a little sewing, but not much (I mostly ate chocolates!) and I used my extra spool holder on the machine to hold a toilet roll in case of cold related emergencies - no photo, sorry!

So without further ado, as greatly requested by my bloggy mate Cindy, here is my new sewing room. Before:

Not the best pictures, I kinda forgot to take photos before we started! Basically you get that it was a BIG room with not much furniture. I used an little folding table my MIL got me for craft fairs, it was rammed full with all my bits and they were not easy to get to or use. Also the table is only about 2 feet high so far too easy for little hands to get at.

That's better! We didn't decorate because a) I couldn't be bothered and b) there was nothing really wrong with the paintwork and magnolia works great if I decide to change the 'theme colours' in the room. Right now its a shabby chic kinda vibe because that's what I mostly had already. It was easier to add a few cheap shabby bits of furniture from the recycling centre for now to bulk my storage out.

The wall immediately behind the sewing machine (where you can just see my 'make do and mend' sign hanging) is going to be my design wall, eeeepppp! I cant believe my room is so big, I am mega lucky!

This is our favourite piece of furniture, I stole it for my room ha ha! Its a beautiful arts and crafts sideboard we picked up for a bargain price years ago and sitting on top is my wall unit I paid £20 for and restored. I just love that I have somewhere to display all my fq's. You can just see my little owls and bowl of selvedges. This is one of the little touches I've loved putting in. Ive always been 'squatting' and never really had my own room. It was so fun being able to make it stylish as well as purposeful!

This unit is my mega bargain! The base I picked up for £12 last week at the recycling centre, its missing its shelf but Hubby promises he will cut me one soon. I painted it cream as it was a rather dated 80's high gloss teak effect. The book shelving at the top is my display stand i made for taking to craft fairs. It is made from 4 pieces of old picket fence and 3 lengths of old skirting board. It cost nothing. I love it!

I am in love with this part of the room! This is an old coat rack I made for our first house together. It didn't have a home when we moved here because there were already big racks in the boot room. So, it was headed for the tip. But then yesterday I had a brainwave! OK so I don't really need storage for quilts I've made. And yes I did go around the house and steal them back just so I could hang them and look at them but why not?!

Doesn't it look cosy? The tree is now naked and waiting to be taken outside. I will miss it, having my own sewing room tree has made me feel very special indeed!

Another brainwave, again pulled out of the pile for the tip! This time a seagrass CD rack, turned on its side and hung on the wall. Now home to my jars of buttons. Hubby is going to cut the feet off the bottom (on the left hand side) but for now I've hung tote bags from their that I've made so they may stay!

The little 'shroom hooks below it were only £1.50 and my only purchase for the sewing room other than the bookcase, so in all I spent a grand £13.50! Meaning that money my husband said I could have to kit the room out at the end of the month isn't needed. I wonder if I can convince him to let me use if for fabric to full up the new storage?

I'll leave you with a pic of some of my handmade Christmas gifty makes, not all got photographed in the mad dash to unpack, sew, wrap and gift! I'll be back soon with all the details for my rainbow charm swap and hopefully my link-up to Rhondas 2012 finish-along.

Crazy Christmas Quilt

Not so called because its a crazy pattern, just because at 8pm last night I decided Christmas day just couldn't arrive without having decorated the bed!

Have I ever made anything bigger than a lap quilt? No. Have I ever managed to cut, piece, quilt and bind a quilt in 4 days? No. Do I still have a mountain of handmade presents to make? (and mostly before Friday as that's when they are being exchanged with visiting family). Yes. Did I let any of this hold me back? Oh no!!!

So at 8pm last night I madly started cutting, fortunately I had a head start as I already had a fair number of charms left from the Modern Christmas Swap I hosted. I added to this with fabric I have been hording for years, anything with a Christmas feel went in. I basically wanted to be able to put the quilt on our king size bed. I was rather daunted by making such a large quilt. So the finished article doesn't hang down the sides, I don't mind, after all it will only be used for a few weeks and is most likely to be dragged off the bed and spend half the holidays on the sofa with us!

Here is what I had by 9.30pm last night after an hour and a half of cutting. I then added some large 9.5" squares around the outside as it wasn't big enough for my liking.

By Midnight I had pieced the whole top, hurrah!

I dragged my reluctant daughter out of bed at 9am to dash straight off to the quilt shop for some batting and more red thread as I had run out. A quick trip Trago Mills (the local discount warehouse) and I had 2 yards of festive red fleece to back it with. I had wanted red flannel, I am crazy about flannel right now, but with the time available fleece will do. Then my cunning plan came together, baby girl was worn out from shopping so went for a nap, big girl was bored from shopping so went on the computer to play and I got down to basting and quilting.

Lots of piecing bits of batting together (to save money!) and piecing the back as 2 yards still wasn't quite enough and taaaaa dahhhhhhh........

It is quite possibly the worst quilting I have ever done but my most favourite quilt by far! I think just because I wanted to make it SOOO much! I had to unpick quite a lot of the quilting and man I hate un-picking :(

But I got there, by 3pm, just in time for photos before baby girl woke up. I am so lucky she loves her sleep!

It still needs binding, hey I'm no superwoman! But I have zig-zaged the edges so if time runs out it can still be used for now. Cue gratuitous farmhouse showing off Christmas quilt shots!

Sorry about the next one, I couldn't help myself! I've always dreamt of having a range in the kitchen so I had to show it off!

This next one is our Library! Big girl decided as soon as we realised we had a large upstairs landing it should be a quiet reading area. So now it is complete with sofa and a bookcase full of books. However, anyone has yet to sit there and read, we are all too busy! One day....

And finally, on my bed. I am so proud of myself. Hope you all like it too.

Merry Christmas everyone. I'm off to make more presents, wrap even more, cook dinner and cakes and turn myself into a goddess (pah!) for my Christmas girlie's dinner out tonight, all in the next hour and a half before hubby gets home! Wish me luck, I think I may have used up all my superpower making the quilt!

A little present for me from you?

Well, we are settling in nicely at the Farmhouse, today was spent throwing lots of sticks and walking the dog in the orchard, decorating and scouring ebay for shabby old furniture to kit out the sewing room. We are all looking forward to some quiet family time over the Christmas period.

I'm also really looking forward to getting back into blogging in the New Year and have plans up my sleeve for a colourful rainbow charm swap hot on the success of the Christmas swap. More on that soon!

Perhaps you'd like to share a little Christmas cheer my way right now though, could you spare a couple of minutes to pop over and vote for my entry in the Search Press Christmas Competition on Facebook? All you have to do is pop here and click like on my photo, the same as this one

I would dearly love to win, it would be an absolutely fantastic end to what has been a rather difficult few months this year. Voting is open until 5pm Wednesday, thank you so much!

Im back and im gone again!

Phew, 12 days without Internet is apparently like having ones arm chopped off. Especially when you move to your new house to find that there is no mobile signal and the home phone sounds like you are using 2 yogurt pots and a bit of string at the best of times!

But hurrah, the broadband was connected this morning! I wont kid myself thinking that I can catch up on all my blogger reading AND unpack AND make/buy/wrap Christmas presents! So its just a quick check-in before Im off to toil some more.

Perhaps you guys could be really sweet and leave me a comment about any major developments blogwise whilst I've been gone?! I'm particularly keen to know about swaps etc because I haven't got enough going on right now and life is empty without one.

Oh - and this is completely and utterly photo less. Hopefully soon when all the boxes and bags are banished I can show you the wonders of my new home :)

I'll see you on the other side!!!

This is it, the last blog post from our house. For anyone that is still listening that is! Ive been so pre-occupied with the move the fact that Christmas is 24 days away has escaped my attention (eeek!) and although I have having dreams about sewing its off the cards for at least a week still.

Tonight will be our last night here. Tomorrow we move, by ourselves with a car and a van. 6 years ago, less one child, cat, dog and chickens we vowed never to do it ourselves again, yet here we go! Now I am not 'working' it just didn't make sense to pay someone all that money when we could do it ourselves.

We have had 6 amazing years here and this house will always have a very special place in my heart. Many important moments are linked with it and we had hoped it would be our forever house. It wasn't to be, but it was always our dream house. Perhaps that's the problem, we had it 30 years too early!

I'll leave you with a small selection of all the wonderful times we have had here, with a tear or two in my eye. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, don't have too much fun without me. I may be gone for some time until we get the Internet sorted at the new house, its rather far out in the sticks! I'll catch up as soon as I can :-)