Time to do some Quilting.

I thought it was time to do some quilting, when I heard it was only 3 months till our Gt Grandson is due to arrive. 

So I started on his quilt, (the fabric is called Guess how much I love you by Clothworks) and is really lovely. I took the idea for the pattern from Lynne Goldsworthy pattern Forest Friends.

The large squares are 8 1/2" as I wanted to show case the lovely bunnies. The photo does not do it justice but just the borders to add and then get it sandwiched and quilted.

A little more knitting was done, and of course it had to be socks.

They look so little next to a pair of normal socks. Fiddly but great fun to make.

A lot of gardening has been done over the weekend. I have been in and out like a yo-yo dodging the April showers.:0)

For those of you who follow my blog here is a view from the back door, not much colour there as yet, and yep the shed door needs a lick of paint..

Last time when I did a round up of the lovely quilts at our Bee, I left out this one of my friend Sandra's. It is machine appliquéd and she has quilted it beautifully, most of it by hand.

Well, the sun is out so it's off to the garden again, till it rains and then it will be cutting borders for the baby quilt..

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

All things Knitting..

This week has been mostly knitting on the craft side, and on the sunny days spring cleaning and gardening. 

It is lovely to have had all the windows open and the bed quilts blowing on the line.

Sadly today, it's back to English weather, peeing with rain.

So the log burner is lit and we are snuggled in again, I really thought spring was on it's way.. 

 I have finished the third Hap, this really is a great pattern and so easy to knit. Pattern bought from Ravelry, its called "A Hap for Harriet" by Kate Davis Designs.

 Baby cardigan knitted for our soon to be great Grandchild, Just the seams to sew up, I am a sower for goodness sake so why oh! why do I hate sewing up knitted garments :0)

Loveknitting had this great yellow wool on sale, now who could resist that. Well, not me, so I am knitting myself this bright pair to cheer myself up. Yellow always does it for me..

It was not all knitting, I did manage to sew this block for Sally. She is the mama for April for ST2 group. It is a big old block 18"X14", ( I do prefer appliqué rather than pieced), so it was a learning curve for me.There is a pattern for this quilt over on sewfreshquilts http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/ 

called Dog Gone Cute..

I picked what I thought was the easiest, but believe me it was't..

On that note, going to sit by the the fire and get some knitting done..

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

Another Week..

Another week, and again not much sewing done.All I have achieved is this tiny 2" X 2 1/2"

corner stone for the Frolic group quilt.

My interpretation of Charles 1st.

 So here is a round-up of what some of the girls were doing at the Bee this week.

Ann had put this jellyroll top together and I like the little 2 1/2" blocks splitting them up.

Quite a different look.

 Pippa was putting the binding on her baby quilt for a boy, (the pattern is called Fiona) and is very popular with the Bee group. I think all of us have made it at some time and everyones looks so different.

 Close up of Pippa's quilt.

Maggie was hand stitching around the pockets on this wall hanging for her Gt Granddaughter.

  

Jenny was putting the finishing touches to yet another garden chair cushion , I think her 6th.

Easter is now with us, and the ladies of our village have been decorating our church for tomorrow's Easter Sunday Service. I have been decorating the same window for the past 30 years.

 Every year we wonder if the daffodils will be out, and of course they always are..

On that note I wish everyone a lovely Easter..

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

Not much Sewing done..

Not much sewing done indeed, but plenty of knitting.

Half way through I thought

"Why, oh why, did I choose 2ply yarn to make this shawl", but on reflection, now that it is finishes and  in the process of being blocked, I am quite pleased I did.

It was very difficult to photograph, as you can see, and seemed never ending while knitting. But it is finished and thats another thing off my to Do list..

Good things have happened this week.

On my blog list, you will find Patchwork Allsorts and Christine was having a give- a- way, and as I usually comment on her blog( she does such lovely work), I was thrilled when I won the Appliqué Art book which Christine was giving away..

 The author is Abigail Mill and a lot of her inspiration comes from Suffolk which was fun for me as you know we live in Suffolk.

Our last guests ever came to stay in our little cottage yesterday. They are friends and came with a lovely gift of Suffolk Black Bacon, Oh! My it was delicious we had it for breakfast.

Though it is a little sad that we will not be continuing to let out the cottage, we have met some lovely people over the last 17 years and we will miss that. 

 We will not miss changeover day when we morph into a couple of chars...

There will be more time for sewing and knitting and of course the Garden..

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

A Very Mixed Week..

After last weekend,(full of visitors). this week has been catch up time.

I intended to catch up with my Battle of the Sole Bay block at half term, but that was not to be, so I arrived at my frolic group on Friday with nothing more done.. But!!!! I have been a busy bee this weekend and now I have two boats done (not much of a battle) you might say and Yes, I do need to put in more boats, but it is getting there at last.

I have finished my Hap. A Hap is a Scottish word for a throw or wrap. They are used to wrap anything and anybody from babies upwards and come in all sizes.

I bought this pattern on Revelry and it's called "A hap for Harriet" and is designed by Kate Davis, who is in the process of writing a book on Shetland Haps..

My Hap modelled by Mr M.

A few more Appliqué blocks are now done, and I have to decide whether I am going to make them into a bag (which was my first intention), or carry on making blocks and make the quilt.They are such fun to make so watch this space :0)

Teresa is the mama of the month for March's blocks for Siblings Together 2 and I like to get them done as soon as possible in the month. She has however, put them up early, so thats another job jobbed for March..

Blocks for Teresa ST2

Now off to cast on a little Knitting and watch the footy game..

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

Apliquick Rods

You might well ask Apliquick Rods ?

Well, they have been around for quite a while, but were oh! so expensive that I could not justify buying them.

They were however, on sale on the internet in January so that I thought I might treat myself.

 So, after watching countless videos on the internet, I decided to have a go.

 I tried a very simple block and Whoopee, I think I have got it... I tried straight edges as well as curves and Yep, I am well pleased.

So are they worth the cost, plus the glue stick and Appliqué papers, not sure, but definitely worth it if on Sale.. :0)

First Block attempted with Rods, papers and glue stick.

Also, I am a happy Bunny. Mr M and I are going to be Great Grand parents, our Granddaughter is going to have a baby this August.

So to start off, I have hopefully made a very useful pressie ( a Nappy bag). I love this fabric, it's called Guess how much I love you.

It has four large pockets on the outside, and plenty of room inside for the nappies.

Going to wait for the next scan before starting on a quilt. I have girly fabric as well as lovely fabric for a little boy..

Talking of Quilts, I have put the top together for the next Siblings Together Quilt and it is looking good. 

Next job is to make a quilt sandwich and get it quilted and bound.

But I want to try another block with those Apliquick Rods, and as the wood burner is alight in my sewing room and it is very cosy I think the Appliqué block might win.

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

The Hexagon Quilt

My lovely friend Liz gave me a quilt top that was made by her friend Pat Hansford, who would you believe is 86 years young. Liz had been telling her about the Siblings Together group we belong to, and as the idea of Siblings Not Together was something she had experienced and was therefore very close to her heart, she gave this beautiful hand pieced quilt.The hexagons are just 1inch and there are hundreds of them.

She had bought this wonderful backing of tropical fishes, so it was duly sandwiched and bound.

 And Liz, myself and the lovely Alison tied it all over at the Bee today. With three of us doing it it did not take long, and this is the Finished Quilt ready to be posted off to the Siblings Together Charity.

So a big thank you to Pat for her lovely Quilt.

This will make one child very Happy :0)

Liz, Pippa and Ann were making Hedgehogs for this months blocks for ST2 as Ann is the Momma of the month. Photos of mine were in the last blog post.

The first Owl quilt is all finished and ready to be posted off with the beautiful hexie quilt.

Sorry, not a good photo, the sun came out and that is rare as you know for England in January and February, but we are so pleased to see it we do not complain..:0) only when our photos could look better without it maybe.

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

All warm inside stitching..

Well, this is what is like outside today. Pretty yes, but OH! so COLD. 

You can guess where I shall be than, in the sewing room, the warmest place in the cottage with the log burner doing it's thing.

 And my latest pair of socks are keeping my tootsies all warm too.

Though they do look as if I have odd socks on.

 One bright thing in the day though, my Singapore orchid has decided to flower and is looking very beautiful.

  I am keeping up with the 365 challenge and these are my latest blocks. They are however getting a little bit fiddly now. The next one to do has 25 pieces and they are only 3 and a 1/2 inches big. 

Challenge is the right word but the one after that is a half square triangle so only two pieces.:0)

The lovely Ann has asked for an appliqué block for next months Siblings Together Quilt, they are delightful hedgehogs and I could not resist starting them already..

Just the hand stitching to do, so I shall sit buy the fire and get started..

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

Off we go again 365 Challenge.

The 365 Challenge.

Every one must have heard about it by now, it is all over the internet.

You make 1 block every day for a year. Yep, 365 3 1/2 inch blocks. Now that sounded like fun :0) and  I did like the the quilt pattern, and yes, I thought I could use up all that taupe and blue fabric in my stash .

Finished quilt, arrow points to where we are at the moment.

Well, I am not sure how far I shall get, but here are the first seven days of blocks. Some of this fabric has been in my stash for years, so I am quite pleased it is finally seeing the light of day.

Week one.

Other than doing the tiny blocks for the 365 Challenge, I did finish the blocks for Sue, who is the mama of the month for the Siblings Together 2 Group.

These blocks are called wonky crosses and there is a good tutorial here at

www.sewmamasew.com/2010/04/wonky-cross-block-sew-along/

if you want to have a go.

Sue would like to make her quilt for a boy, so hence the colours. I think the child who gets this quilt will love it..

Other than doing a little mending, that is all the sewing I have achieved. plus just a little knitting.

First pair of Socks for 2016.

The Christmas Decks are all down and yes, a little spring cleaning was called for, especially in the sewing room  :0)

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

New Year and a New Start.

Christmas has come and gone and I do hope every one had a good family time, and are now ready to start the New Year.

2016, what will it hold for us all? Lots and lots of sewing and knitting for me I hope. I am not going to say I will finish off lots of UFO's like other years, and then carry the burden all through the year.

If I do get around to them, then thats good. If not thats good too!

2016 is going to be FUN

Our youngest two granddaughters made this gingerbread house for Mr M for Christmas. He was thrilled and is still munching his way through it. I love the sledge out front and the windows made with spun sugar..

November, I was the mama of the month and asked for Ollie Owl blocks. These are the first 12 made into a quilt top, and I have enough to make another top,.Not sure how I will put the next group together as yet, but I hope to finish two quilts for the Siblings Together Charity, which is very dear to my heart.

My next job however, is to make some wonky cross blocks for Sue who is the Mama for January. First to find some bright blue and mustard fabric in my stash suitable for a boy..

I have succumbed to the first temptation, but what a FUN one.

Guess who has a sale on and yes I could not resist Oakshott fabrics. You may remember the floral Appliqué quilt I finished last year. It was all made in Oakshott fabric and was wonderful to sew with.

On that note myself and Mr M wish every one a Happy and Fun filled 2016...

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

Churn Dash Block..

Well, my last post was" Woo Hoo" and since then its gone wooooo and with it my mojo..

No stitching has been done at all, though I have done a little knitting. 

I was, however, on a course with the lovely Lynne Edwards last Friday and she seems to have rebooted my mojo a little.

It was all about a quick way to make the churn dash block, and as always with Lynne, a fun day..

I only made two blocks up on the day. but what an easy way to do it..

 However, the next day Mr M went off up to London to watch his football team, and I sewed all day.

I might need to add another border to make it a little larger.

And then, gift it to my favourite Charity. Siblings Together and they now have a blog.siblingstogetherquiltgroup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/welcome...

I did make just a couple of tree decorations, just two 7 1/2" circles stitched around, turned inside out and stay stitched and then all four middles joined and the corners flipped over.

I also took pictures at the Bee last week, so here is a little round up.

This was the lovely Pippa's french braid all made with scraps.

This was Maggie's Mammoth quilt, two girls stood on chairs to hold it up and it still reached the floor. It was a commission.. Maggie does do big..

 Then the lovely Liz who had made three of these great wall hangings for her grand children.

The Christmas tree is up and I have finished the Christmas shopping. 

Mince pies and sausage rolls are in the freezer. Just the wrapping of the presents to do, and of course the cards to write, but they can wait until tomorrow..

Going to put my feet up and do a little knitting..

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