Fun day at the Bee

It was a fun day at the Bee this week, lots of laughter, much stitching and of course too much cake eating. The Bee is a hand stitching group and that is what we were doing. Alison had started on block 4 of our mystery BOM, but I must show you a corner of her block 3. She had coloured her blossom and then embroidered it, it is so beautiful.

Liz was also working on her BOM, but had brought her Little Dandy Bag in to show us 

( the instructions are on 2nd & 3rd of March on this blog). She has used a lovely selection of fabrics for this one as it's a present for her Mum's 92nd Birthday, I do hope she likes it.

 Isn't this heap just "scrummy", its what Ann was working on. She was rick racking stems for her appliqué flowers. I hope to get a picture of this finished quilt soon. May be we need less laughter and more sewing.

This is a photo I took last week and forgot to include. It's Jean's Rooster and he is having a real crow, my he is colourful.

Me, I was working on a little tiny surprise stitchery quilt, which I hope to finish by the 31st of this month. On the 31st I will have been writing this blog for a year, and it's a little thank you to all my readers, a little free pattern.

The little toadstool quilt is to feature in next years Fabrications Quilting for you, which is a really lovely quilting magazine here in the UK, so I have to get cracking and write up the instructions. 

Keep safe and keep stitching.... Doti...

The Pink Thing

Yes I am calling it the pink "THING." I had added some raw- edge appliqué flowers and a bunny, and it did take off some of the pinkness, but I messed up the bunny with my new machine. So at the moment the thing is residing in the corner in the maybe, maybe not pile, watch this space...

Though if you have a helpful suggestion, I should like to hear it. :0)

It was Wednesday Club this week, which is, as you know held at Quilters Haven and I did finish sewing the binding on the Toadstool Quilt.

So here is a little round up of what the "girls" were doing. Fiona just has the binding to put on her little hen quilt, This has a lovely country kitchen look.

Ann was squaring up her mountain of Churn Dash blocks, this is going to be a lovely fresh quilt. The churn dash block is one of my favourites.

Jenny was quilting the second of her baby quilts, she is Soo into ducks.

And last but definitely not least, this is Pippa's stain glass window quilt top. It was so large it was difficult to photograph. She is painstakingly perfect and puts us all to shame.

Lots of the others were doing lovely things, but these are all the photos I took.

Keep safe and keep stitching.......Doti...

Weekend Project.

Other than hand sewing, I was out of projects to work on, not fancying another UFO just yet. My husband reminded me that, while in Key West last year, I had bought a pattern and fabrics to make a couple of  jackets. All were duly found, looked at, procrastinated about and nearly put away again. The trouble was, I have not made any garments for years and years, so was a little afraid. Much prodding on husbands part, they were cut out and sewn together. 

So here they are, I chose the Batik fabric for the blue one and hubby the brownish/green longer one which has little fish swimming all over it. They are just for putting on over a tee shirt. I had forgotten how good it was to sew garments. Might just have to look out some of my old patterns and update them..

I have had this idea in my head to make a simple block up, random pieced together and then used as a background for appliqué. So I found up some scrap fabric. "PINK" you might well ask! No, I don't do pink, well only in very small bits, and then played around with my very simple block.

At this stage, I was thinking how pretty they looked, so I made up twenty blocks (all the fabric I had)

and randomly pieced them together. It was at this point I thought no "I definitely don't do PINK" and no, they are not suitable for what I had in mind.

What the heck, I will baste it and practise my machine quilting and then gift it. It's about cot size so would make a nice baby quilt.

On the day the BOM was put up on the blog there were 146 hits , so someone out there is following along with us. I do wish they would say hello, and perhaps link up with this blog to show us what they are sewing. I would love to see.

Tomorrow is Wednesday Club and I hope to finish the mushroom quilt. It's quilted and the binding just has to be hand stitched down, the best bit of the quilt. :0)

Keep safe and keep stitching...Doti...

Block 4 BOM

Well, here is block four and I do hope you are enjoying sewing along with me on this mystery wall hanging. It is indeed a mystery to me as well, as I am only two months ahead of you, and I am not sure where it is going at the moment.

Block 4

Cut a piece of background fabric 17” x 7 “

and trace the design on to it.

Blocks 1 2 3 & 4.

You might want to iron on stabilizer on to the back at this point.

Embroider the birds and appliqué the flowers, in colours of your choice.

When embroidery and appliqué are finished.

Cut to size 15 1/2” x 5 1/4” and stitch to the top of blocks  1. 2. & 3.

 Your quilt should now look like  this  --->

Month 4 Finished.

Several of the girls at the Bee this week were sewing this BOM, but the best thing was Alison finished her Wedding Quilt. It is very difficult to photograph as it is cream and white, but is so gorgeous.

and this is a close up of the quilting.

I have only gone off at a tiny tangent this week, as my gift box was getting low and a lovely lady had knitted me 64 little hats for age concern. Our total is 221 now, time to send them off.

I found this little Owl tutorial on efemera-ink.blogspot.co.uk if you want to go off on a tangent too... or rather twit tawoo..

Keep safe and keep stitching..... Doti...

Whoooo! What a Weekend.

Whoooo indeed, it was a good weekend. Andy Murray won at Wimbledon, which for me meant lots and lots of hand stitching. I can't sit in front of the T.V. without hand sewing. Which in turn meant I finished the linen quilt, as I sat there most of the weekend sewing and watching Tennis.

 I have one happy husband, as I started this quilt some two years ago, and it was definitely down the bottom of the pile till he spied it. The name of the quilt is Japanese Squares, and was designed by Helen Richards. for PatternSpot.which is a lovely site if you are looking for inspiration.

So today it's back to the mushrooms and it's all been changed again, back looking down the stash and I have now come up with more little bundles of fabric. This bundle is a keeper, so I have been playing with little 1 1/2 inch squares, not sure why I did not cut all the blocks to crayon and embroider all the same size at the start. So I have made life a bit difficult to piece them all in. I do like a challenge.Ha!

"Crayola" crayons are the best crayons to use if you are colouring your embroidery before you stitch.

Colour the area with the WHITE crayon first, then the coloured ones and don't forget to seal your work with a hot iron and paper towels to set the colour. 

Yesterday I made 10 gooseberry crumbles to freeze, and today my husband has been picking our strawberries, he has also hulled them so guess what we are having for desert today, well it is a fast day and they are only 28 calories for 100 grams.

Got to check out the block for this month, I hope to put it up around the 12th.

Keep safe and keep stitching.........Doti...

It's been one of those weeks.

Yes, indeed " one of those weeks". You know the ones where every thing you do turns to you know what. As everyone knows Google reader expired on the 1st of July, and I have been repeatedly trying to to put the Bloglovin' button on my blog, to no avail.

Two pigeons nested in our rose arbour, where we sit for morning coffee when the weather is good and they duly reared one scruffy looking chick, who on his/her maiden flight decided to fly into my green house. My husband carried him/her back to their nest, and then in the evening our Border Terrier presented us with one dead squab. It was a very sad day..  

Baby Pigeon being carried back to nest.

I made a trip to Bungay, to visit one of my most favourite quilt shops Sew and So's and have lunch with my friend Ann. We bought lots of fabric, and though I did not take my little mushroom blocks , thought I had bought just the right fabric to go with them. Not so, they just do not work at all. The fabric bottom left was the fabric I bought at Sew and So's. I then bought some more fabric at Quilters Haven as we were there for Wednesday Club bottom right, not sure they are right either. So then went through stash, top right, and think that might do better. There is a moral here some where, take your blocks with you when you go quilt shopping, or look through your stash first.

On the brighter side, I am about to make the binding for the linen quilt, as the quilting is nearly finished. This is mainly due to Wimbledon and the tennis. I do not feel guilty if I quilt at the same time as watching the tennis in the middle of the day.Ha!

At Wednesday Club yesterday, Liz was making some summer tops for her little granddaughter. Oh how I wish I had some little ones to make some for.. I hope we see photos of her granddaughter wearing these, they are just delightful .

 My car, that is very poorly and in the very expensive car hospital, will hopefully be coming home on Friday. Then we can give back the courtesy car my husband laughingly calls the corset, it's so tiny.....and life might get back to normal, well hopefully.








Keep safe and keep stitching....Doti...

Work in progress.

I am getting on with the Linen Quilt, about half done with the echo quilting around the indigo prints. I decided to do big stitch quilting in cosmos red embroidery thread. I am very pleased so far, I think it is looking good. I am not sure what to do on the borders yet.

Linen and Indigo quilt with red quilting.

The six shirts quilt was also duly quilted and finished. :0) Crosshatched over the nine patches and stitched in the ditch on the borders. It was duly slept under as the recipients made a visit last week end, and it is now ready to be shipped to Key West.

Six Shirts quilt finished.

 I did just go off on a tiny tangent, (well I was being so good) and I saw this tutorial on Twitter, and I wanted to fire up my new sewing machine. So I made a couple of these little coin purses, are they not the cutest little coin purses ever.

It was the Bee this week and I thought I must show you Alison's BOM that she is following on this blog, I just love the colours she is using. 

I have been given a new Nike fitness band, so I have to go for a walk now to up my steps, or I shall be all behind for today.

Keep safe and keep stitching..... Doti..

Back to plan A.

It is indeed back to plan A to finish my UFO's this year. I keep all my quilts, including the ones ready to quilt on the spare bed, and as we had visitors coming they all had to be taken off and stored away . My husband offered to help, "bad move" as he spied a quilt I started making for him some two years ago, all basted and pinned and ready to go.. You know the rest without me telling you. No more playing with little toadstools, got to finish his quilt.

Essex Linen with Japanese fabric Quilt.

I was very surprised to see how much the blocks resembled the confetti block that I had made recently for Siblings together charity quilt, although this pattern came from Patternspot.com and I can't even find it now. I intend to echo quilt around the indigo blocks in red/maroon so watch this space.

My friend Anj from Meadow Yarns came up trumps with 15grams of the exact wool I needed to finish my little shawl, which was great so that will be one Christmas prezzie done.

My goodness, this has not been a good summer, but things are looking up in the garden at last. We always come in the back gate and I am now loving this view that greets you.

Although I might have to get in the front garden and do a do a spot of tidying up, don't you think?

Front garden

Going to finish the shawl first and then start on the Linen quilt.

Keep safe and keep stitching...Doti...

Merely Multi-Tasking..

I have been told by one of my best buddies that I do not go off at a tangent but I am merely multi- tasking. Oh! I do feel so much better now. I always feel a little guilty when I start a new project and I have not finished the last one, sometimes leaving them never to return. Not so the Six Shirt Quilt  before you ask, it is in the tumble dryer as I type this..

I am so loving this new project I am working on, but I fear it may end up as another wall hanging.

Although I did get one suggestion via Facebook to make a bag, but I think she was pulling my leg as she knows how many bags I have made. Can a girl have too many bags I ask?

It was Wednesday club again yesterday, so I was working on my little mushroom project. Ann and Maggie were working on their BOM's and it was great for me to see what they are doing with my designs, I am kind of liking theirs more than mine now, but it's too late to change my colour scheme.

Maggie and Ann's BOM's

I love their bright colours, Ann is working in Batiks, and Maggie lovely autumn colours.

 I do wonder if some of you who are reading my blog are sewing along with us, I would love to see what you are doing..

Now this is my disaster for the week, just 20 more rows of this little edging to do and I have run out of wool. I was making this little shawl to replace the one I had already made as a present, and decided I liked it so much that I wore it. 

This evening I am at "Stitch and Sip" and my friend Anj from Meadow Yarns has said she may be able to help, keep your fingers crossed for me..







Keep safe and keep stitching.....Doti..

Off at a Tangent again...

It's true,  I have gone off at a tangent again, but I am having fun so what the heck. The first six things on my to do list are all done, so I am having a break.

Playing with colouring my stitchery.

I started with some little mushroom and flower drawings, transferred them to some fabric, but they looked a little bland. My friend Ann suggested I coloured them, as I had done on a Meg Hawkey Quilt of  Crab Apple Hill Studio that I had made (all stitchery done but not finished). It is on the to do list but a long way down, Ha!

I am liking them a lot better now, but not sure where I am going with this. Any suggestions please?

This weekend is a lot quieter then the last. My youngest grandchildren came to stay, and Molly was given her scrappy heart quilt as it was her birthday. They were here for the National Dry ski Championships, They both did very well but Molly looked so weeny coming down that great big slope.

Wish I had though to tidy the cushions on the sofa before taking this photo.

 The first Block, "Wonky Stars," for the Siblings Together Bee 2 has been duly posted to the Mama for June, and the Mama for July (who's just had a baby) requested the "Confetti " block and put it up early. So I have just finished making that, and am well ahead at the moment and quite pleased with my self. This quilting Bee is a great learning curve for me as the Blocks are HUGE 20" square.

I had always fancied making a full size quilt from Confetti blocks, but I have learnt something while making this big block. Perhaps I won't, very fiddly..

Keep safe and keep stitching...Doti

Mystery Quilt Block 3

I have had a very busy time and I am sorry that I am late with this months mystery BOM pattern, though I did say on or around the 12th of the month. This month it is piecing with a little stitchery thrown in.

Block 3 This months

Block 3

Cut 17  1 1/2‘squares in dark fabric of your choice

Cut 16  1 1/2” squares in light fabric of your choice.

Join together to form a checker board design.  (see photo)

Cut a 1 1/2” X  12” strip of contrasting fabric, and add to bottom of checkerboard strip. (see photo)

Cut apiece of background fabric 3 3/4” x 4 1/2”, and add it to the side of panel (see photo) then add this to top of Months. 1 & 2

Trace the cherry blossom design on to this block, starting on the 3 3/4” x 4 1/2’ block and draping down into the side of the month 1 block (see photo)

Stitch in the colours of your choice.

Block 3 finished, and should now look like this.

Blocks 1 2 and  3 sewn together

 I do hope you are enjoying making this wall hanging. Some of the "girls" at the Bee yesterday had brought their blocks to show me, they were great and such a diverse colour range. I wish I had taken photos. Oops!  I forgot to put the stitchery drawing in..

It was more like a Knitting Bee yesterday than a Sewing Bee as several of us were knitting up the little hats for Age Concern Suffolk.We have now knitted 93, a bit down on last year when we knitted over 200, but we do have till the end of July so who knows.

20" Wonky Star block.

I told you about the on line quilting bee in my last post. Well, I finished June's Block, and now have to post it off. Goodness me that was well out of my comfort zone. The block had to be 20" and that is a big block for me.. 

I have loads more to write about, but I want to go play with my new sewing machine !! At the moment, it is scaring the wits out of me. Watch this space.

Keep safe and keep stitching... Doti

On Line Quilting Bee.

This is all new hi- tech for me. I even had to join Flickr. WOW.. Its called Siblings together Bee 2. Siblings Together is a charity for siblings that don't live together to have a holiday. Groups of 12 Quilters get together to make 12 quilts in the year. You make one block a month and send it to a nominated Mama and she puts the quilt together for that month. My month is January 2014 so at the moment I only have to make one block, and this month it is Wonky Stars. I will tell you more about this later, as I am the last recruit and have never done anything like this before, so still feeling my way. Thank you Teresa over at Hilly Filly for twisting my arm, it is a very worthwhile cause.

Yesterday was a fun day at Wednesday Club, which as you know is held at Quilters Haven. I hung my Six Shirt Quilt up on the design wall there, to photograph it, and spent the rest of the day making the scrappy binding, chatting and having fun.

Six Shirts Quilt and Me.

All the "girls " were working on different projects, or had brought things to show and tell.

Fiona with her beautiful cushion she had been working on at the Bee, now finished! The detail in the hand embroidery is wonderful to see, and as you know I love Cow Parsley or the prettier named Queen Anne's lace. Fiona had bought the kit to make this cushion 20 years ago so well done to her for finishing it.

Fiona with her lovely cushion

Ann had just basted her Lantern quilt and was in the process of hand quilting it.She did not want to be in the picture so have had to crop her out. She uses such lovely bright colours.

Ann's Lantern Quilt

Alison was binding her lovely quilt (and also would not be in the picture) and each block in her quilt was different. I love seeing all the things my friends make, they are all so talented.

I have to put a label on the little scrappy heart quilt as it's to be a present for my youngest granddaughter's birthday and they are visiting this weekend, and then to sort out my fabrics for my Wonky Star block and baste my shirt Quilt. Oh happy days...

Keep safe and keep stitching......Doti...

Six Shirts Quilt.

 Things are progressing with the Six Shirts Quilt and I think it is looking really good, and I am well pleased with the progress so far.

It is still residing on the spare room bed, as it's a little too big for the design wall. All the blocks are now sewn together on point, ( there is a free app on iPhone called QuiltRef  that tells you the sizes of triangles) and I am now working on the borders.There were a lot of scraps left so I'm now in the process of making piano keys as the second border. The intention is to add three borders.

At the Bee this week, I finished the stitchery on block seven. Now to write the instructions and this is the bit I hate. I could draw all day and stitch all day but the instructions come hard to me. One of the girls brought her first two blocks in to show me. It was lovely to see, and her colour combination was lovely.

Jenny was knitting her hats for smoothy bottles. We knit them each year for Suffolk age UK and last year we knitted over 200. We are a little slow off the mark this year and as Jenny had put me to shame I set too and made these last night. I tend only to knit in 4ply so will have to get some more DK wool.

Back to making my borders now as the sun has gone in so no more gardening today.

keep safe and keep stitching...Doti...