Keeping the postman busy

I had a lovely surprise when I got home from the office on Friday. Not one, not two , but three lovely little parcels from the postie. I love getting parcels and three in one day was a triple whammy. 

First and foremost, I received my package from my swap partner, Adrianne, all the way from New Zealand. She has made me this comfy cushion cover which will be great in the garden. Its a lovely size at 20 inches ( I had to go and buy a filler for it today and couldn't find the right one anywhere , so I have filled it with a continental bed pillow which works a treat). I am afraid the picture is a bit dark and doesn't do all the colours justice, as unlike the South of England, we have had a rubbish grey and overcast day, totally not conducive to taking photos. Anyway, hope you like it too. I think it will be ideal for reading in the garden and a snooze under the big red beech tree.

 

Next was parcel two, which was my yard of fabric ready for the texty swap, so that is sitting ready for cutting into its little charms. I had a bit of a disaster for this swap as the first fabric I chose and ordered was from Spoonflower and I didn't read the scale properly and it was far too big a print. It was a very cool " physics equations" print though so I will definitely find a use for it. This one, shown below, which I have chosen now though fits a treat into the 5 inch charms and is called "Calculations" by Carolyn Freidlander.  I found it at at The Eternal Maker, a great shop and always quick on the delivery.

Last but by no means least was the wonderful giveaway I mentioned last blog from Sheila at "Bluepatch Quilter". They are a bundle of fat eights by Jenn Ski called "Mod Century" and are really lovely. Their arrival was very timely as I was about to start my next swap project. This one is quick turn around and my partner has a liking for yellows and sunny things so I quickly spotted a couple that would work really well in with my plan. So that's how I spent today. Pouching again. Its not a huge one but I thought it would be handy for carrying scissors and small projects when travelling.

I hope she likes it. You might spot the other fabrics are from the "2wenty Thr3e" range at Moda. A careful bit of fussy cutting as you see which I thought went with the sunny theme. Anyway its more work for the postie, only in the opposite direction this time.

 

See you soon and hope your enjoying your bank holiday ( normal day at the office or me though- boo hiss).

 

Country Living Fair Giveaway

 

Calling all readers in the more northern climes. Today we have a Give away of 2 day tickets to the Counry Living Fair in Glasgow for either Thursday 22nd, Friday 23rd or Sunday 25th November at the SECC in Glasgow. These are brought to you by Emily Faulkner Photography, who will be selling her wonderful landscape pictures there for the first time. To go along with the tickets Emily is also offering a 20% discount off all purchases from her to the winner of the tickets.

The show is a great mix of food, gifts, clothing and all the usual beautiful stylish and quality items you would see regularly in the magazine.

 

For a chance to win these tickets , just leave a comment below between today and midnight on Monday 19th November and I will contact the randomly drawn winner on Tuesady morning, with the tickets being collectable at the box office on the day.

Why not pop by Emily's website to view her great pictures or the shows website to see what you will be missing if you dopn't pop along.

 

Hope to see you on stand E52- oh did I forget to say it's my Emily!!! She has me in charge of dressing the stand so lots of stitching this weekend. Just finishing off this Star quilt in Moda fabric which I have had so long that I have no idea of the name. But the pin tucked plains make a real contrast and I am very happy with the look, even if my apalling photos dont show it off well. I am going to back it with fleece for a cosy Christmas feel. Lots of other makes needed so if you pop along you will get to see these in the flesh too and how far it get by bedtime on tuesday.

 

Happy commenting and thanks for coming by.

 

 

what a lucky girl

 

Just a really really quick blog to say woo hoo and a HUGE thank you to Cindy over at the Fluffy Sheep Quilting for her giveaway. She posted recently about these great fabrics from Moda, Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater and I am the lucky winner. So I will say it again Woo Hoo!!!!

 Aren't they fab.  Can't wait to see them in the flesh so hurray Mr Postie and get them over the sea to me really soon.

Hiding away

Moda bake shop is hosting a "Show of your stash" malarky so I thought this was good opportunity to share Quilty Doings land with you. Its a small and bijou little land, packed with weird, fun and just soppy keepsakes that remind me of my amazing family and my wonderful life .

This looks like a place of chaos but that's because it is mid stitch. Join me on any normal day and you will find order - well if Emily has been home you will . Whenever Em comes home she loves to spend time checking out my latest purchases and sorting them Harry Potter style but without the hat, into colour and designs. 

Once I get into a project, which hardly ever are planned they all get hauled out and end up all over the place. I love my den though and it is my sanctuary when the beloved JB is away at work. On goes the radio or ipod and the music will be load and on the money and the machine or rotary cutter will be going hell for leather.

If you look one way you will see rows of our books, covering all sorts of subjects and styles. Biographies, novels and a huge amount of travel guides which I adore. These are a total necessity before any trip abroad. Love them. Look the other way and you will see old photos of the gang growing up which make my heart smile. Tom beaming on his first visit to The Bridge, aged 15 ( that's his football mecca for the uninitiated), or Emily aged 3 as the prettiest cow at her first nativity play when every other little girl was asked to be an angel. Poor child. 

The room is littered with children's artwork, wedding keepsakes and just generally daft stuff. For the eagle eyed you might spot the odd strange memento such as the Toy Story toy or a Star Wars Man. The pony surprisingly was a Christmas present only last year from my lovely son in law Greg because when asked what I wanted from Santa I replied " a pony" in jest.  Well what do you know ,I got one. Anyway, as you see , I think my stash lives in a very individual place and I hope you love it as much as I do.

PS its looks nothing like the rest of the house.

a bit of this and a bit of that...

Today has been what my Dad would refer to as a pottering day. Nothing major has been done, but lots of little odd jobs have been ticked off the list. Sometimes this is the best way to spend a Sunday, as it somehow re-aligns the brain from whirring around at high speed and lets you unwind with the more every day items of life. JB was setting to at sorting out our garage which somehow has become overwhelmed with every thing except those things you would find in the garage, so this left me to dip in and out of all kinds of jobs and fun activities.  

First on the list was go pay attention to "Hermann", the German Friendship cake I had been given by a young friend of mine called Katherine. Katherine is a great baker and regularly keeps us fed in the office with yummy Irish snacks whose recipes have been passed on to her by her Mum. 10 days ago she shared with me a pot of a gooey bubbling mix from the friendship cake which she had baked for our morning coffee and so I have been lovingly looking after Hermann since then. 

For all of you not familiar with these cakes, they are basically a sour dough mix which you nurture for 10 days and then divide into 4 and share with 3 friends , keeping the last quarter to make your own cake. The basic cake is an apple and cinnamon flavour and is delicious but I fancied making a different variety so plumped for a Raspberry, Blue berry and White Chocolate version which proved a great great success with all the family. If you would like to start your own friendship cake, or try my version you will find the recipe on my Recipes page. 

Next on the list was finishing a binding on a small play mat for a wee lad named Adam. I had pieced this but needed to finish the binding as I am hoping to catch up with his Mum Lucie very soon before they both go jet setting off the the Czech Republic to see his Grandma.  Jungle animals were the order of the day for Adam, with yet more Riley Blake fabrics which seem to be very quickly filling my shopping basket these days. Funny how you find yourself finding all your real fabrics with one particular supplier at one times isn't it. They obviously fit with my mood at the moment.

By the way I have updated my gallery with not only a picture of this finished play mat but also baby Rebecca, of Kookaburra  and Kangaroos fame in last week's blog, and another little friend called Max  ( short for Maximus) who can be seen enjoying his Nursery Rhyme quilt.  

My next distraction I think will make you smile. We have at home a lovely little dolls house that we keep for when small people call by and last time I was sorting my "orphans" ( left over quilt piecings ? ) I thought how some of them may make wonderful tiny tiny quilts  for the residents of Rosie House as the dolls house is known and so whilst the machine sewing was plugged in today I couldn't resist stitching a couple of them  together and popping them in for the little wooden family. 

Now baby wooden top has a smart pink and green 9 patch, Ma wooden top has a cosy red white and blue throw on her bed and the sitting room is adorned with a  rather snazzy purple floor rug embroidered with a flower motif.  I hope Zoe and any future play mates enjoy them in the house. JB is going to try and install lighting in the house which will bring it from the Edwardian era into the 21st century( even though it prides itself with  a tiny  computer on the desk in the nursery?).

Now the day is done but I  am thinking ahead to my next project. On my last visit to Kaleidoscope in Milngavie I bought a layer cake called Happy Campers by Moda. I have been looking at it all day and wondering what I want to do with it. 

The retro  fabrics are wonderful, with the tiny red, blue, yellow and green tones and the motifs of the 1950's camping scenes are really fun but I just cannot decide what I want to do with it.  Some layer cakes turn out a little "chunky " because by nature they can be easily pieced but I think I will throw out the challenge to all of you in blog land to give me some bright ideas of what you think will be a good idea. The best idea will receive an extra special gift all the way from Quilty Doings land, so get our thinking caps on and let me know what what you think I should do....

Kookaburras, Koalas and Kangaroos

Any of you that know me not as Emily's Mum but as a busy commuter may recall we have been going through somewhat of a population explosion in the office. We are a tight little team  who have been brought together through work but bound together by sadness and laughter and whilst there are only a dozen of us, somehow 6 of them have managed  to produce 8 off spring in the space of three years and none of them have been twins! I know it is a reflection on the age group of the core of the gang but honestly- this seems like a pretty drastic way of filling the fine schools of Edinburgh to me. 


Whilst we were away "en vacance" the latest and probably final two babies for quite a while decided arrived and at last we got a girl ( and another boy - the beautiful Adam, a brother for little Filip). 7 boys and one girl- don't you think the odds are badly stacked there for a good and balanced team barbeques once they are all grown a little and running around? That poor wee soul of a girl will be so out numbered by those boisterous boys. 


Anyway all this family growth has caused a great deal of stitching and the arrival of a girl should have given me the opportunity of bringing a little femininity to my fabric choice, but this was not to be.  Mum and Dad to be had spent some time living in Australia before coming to Edinburgh and their time there had very clearly been a very enjoyable one and had left them with lots and lots of wonderful memories. So much so we held a sweep in the office as to whether they would call the new born Alice or Sydney! The antipodean influences were soon to be seen in the decorating of little one's nursery, with the introduction of a lovely deep sandy orange and some lush cactus greens in the curtains and borders,off setting pale and serene cream walls. The room looked a treat and set the tone for me to know where I had to go with my choices. And then fate stepped in. 

One lunchtime, whilst shopping in Mandors for another project I spotted a fat quarter all on its own in a basket by the till. It lay on the top of all its scrappy friends and I don't  know what drew me to look closer, but there they were. Kangaroos, Kookaburras, Koalas, Kane toads, Crocodiles, the lot! I couldn't believe my eyes. I had spent weeks scouring the Internet for Australian themed fabric but none had really hit the spot. But this was just the job, although at first I worried that if the new arrival was a not a boy, it might be a little masculine. But the match in colours to Mum & Dad's nursery choice was perfect so there was no question. It had to be the basis of the quilt, all be it a tricky one. I decided to wait for baby's arrival before picking the other fabrics just so I knew if I had to go all out with the boys fabrics, or whether I needed to soften the tones as the green background really was very strong.

Well baby finally arrived and we all cheered at the birth of a girl for the team and I set off in my quest to find co-ordinating fabrics for her quilt. Again, having seen the nursery I did have some other hints so I decided to concentrate on the orange of the Koala and owl faces and then add more cream.  After a lot of Googling,  I discovered the fabric was from called Hooty Hoot Kangaroo  by Riley Blake so found a couple of co-ordinates from that range as well as a good matching Moda orange tiny spot. As you will see, I didn't actually use all my purchases because as usual I hadn't decided on the piecing.   

However a plan quickly formed again  and I fussy cut the feature fabric , picking out the key animals  in 3 3/4 inch squares , which I pieced in a checker board with nine patches in the orange and one of the cream spots ( using 1 3/4 inch strips). I then added an orange border and then further four patch sets in a pale cream and a pale green which I think brought in the softness to the piece.  As ever this was followed by a quick trip to Brian and Carole at Beechwood Quilting for a session on their long arm machine and give the quilt its wonderful texture. Carole came up trumps, as ever, with a White Chocolate cookie especially bought for my visit as she was out of Flapjacks. What a treat and how spoilt am I? 

Binding ( in the feature fabric) was slightly held up by my excited son and a very long Skype call discussing his pending move with his other half to their first home together, but I did manage to stitch whilst paying strict attention to the growing wish list of household appliances which he was drawing up. Gladly by midnight the quilt was finished, ready for wrapping in its cellophane and  of course a few pictures of the finished product for the blog.  These proved tricky with the flash so apologies for the quality here. A bit disappointing.  

I am glad to say the quilt was handed to Dad this morning and he scurried off home tonight for the first time to his wife and stunning daughter with the package under his arm and a happy skip in his step, in the keen anticipation of seeing his new little family again after a day in the office.  What a joy and oh how life goes on...

Oh , by the way she is called Rebecca.