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).

 

Ready for posting

With a bit of a back log of swaps and bee blocks to make it was all a bit chop chop busy busy here today. But I am glad to report that the bag I have made for the Modern She Made swap is all complete  now and ready to go off in the post tomorrow.

After a bit of brain wracking I figured out  a way to section the middle as this has a specific purpose for my swap partner . The pattern ( from Amy Butler) as mentioned in my previous post did have instructions but I never did figure them out so I have done my own thing but I think it has worked. The bag has an elasticated split pocket inside to keep things safe and easy to find, again for its specific purpose. I wonder if anyone can guess what my partner wants to use it for?

As a little extra I made a small draw string bag with 1 inch sawtooth squares on the front to match, which I hope comes in handy too.

Now its time to move on to a bit of paper piecing and my April blocks for the Modern Stash Bee. As I am not really a fan of paper piecing this might prove a little bit more difficult, but I will let you know.

 

Oh and nearly forgot to say, I was the lucky winner in the lovely Sheila's give away this weekend on her blog at Bluepatch Quilter. She blogged about her "significant birthday" and it took me back to a couple of years ago to my perfect gift of a pair of red patent crocodile Dr Martin's. I am not sure if I won on merit or in sympathy for my dodgy dress sense. Anyway thanks Sheila and I can't wait to see my lovely little win in real life.

see you all again soon. JB is off back to work this week so more sewing will ensue.

Swap Sunday

 

Lots achieved today ( and a bit last night) as I have been beavering away at my make for the Modern She Made Swap Round 3. This swap needs to be finished by 24th of this month and as we are away next week to see a gig ( Jb's Christmas present from Emily), I really needed to crack on. I had a good plan but as the day has gone it has changed and evolved but I think it will work really well. I cannot share too many details for fear of giving away my partner but I think you can get the general gist from the photos. It is probably not giving too much away to say its a bag!

 

 It is based on an Amy Butler pattern, although I am not saying which one ( again it needs to be a secret for now) but I have had to improvise a wee bit as to be really honest I didn't quite "get" the instructions. Either I have got my dingbat hat on today or they were written for people that are regulars of her patterns. I adore her fabrics but this it the first of her  patterns I have used. I think I will get  a very similar effect but by a different means. One of the issues was how the bottom went on (as well as a very important detail to be disclosed at the end), but I have just squared mine off by stitching and pivoting at each corner.

 

Once I am done and its been received by my partner I will share which pattern it is and you can all tell me where I went wrong. I was reading Hadley's post a couple of days ago about the fab bag she had made and she said she didn't struggle too much with layers, even though her bag had piping. I am the contrary. I had no piping or zip, but the thousands of layers in the bag floored my lovely machine somewhat so I may have to park my plans to make a weekender, unless I get some sneaky tuition or make a more relaxed bag. As a pretty relaxed little bod I think that will suit me down to the ground!

Turning down the volume

First of all, apologies for these rather ropey photos. Whilst it is April, the sun seems to have left the country and my every effort to get a decent picture of this quilt has failed due to sleet, fog and/or a near on blizzard. Anyhow, as you can see I have finally finished my low volume quilt, which I have named "Spot on". It is more than a nod to cushion I saw in Issue 12 of  Fat Quarterly and which I fell in love with. It was called "Bulls Eye " and designed by Brioni Greenberg who  blogs at FlossyBlossy, so thank you Brioni for your amazing inspiration, and of course all the gang at Fat Quarterly for bringing it to us.

 

As I explained back in my post in February, the low volume background was some fabric which I have had a while and which, to be honest, I had gone off and couldn't understand why I had bought. But I have to say, now I have funked it up a bit with these chocolate brown Kona targets, I am quite pleased. It has a bit of a 60's feel about it ( all Mods and Rockers and the Who and all that).

I will try and get some better pictures of this and probably post them on flickr if your interested, as these really are too dark and not doing it much justice. Thing is, given the present clime, that might take till about August.

 

I am off to watch Victoria Wood and her show about the elixir of life- the good ol' cup of tea.

Enjoy.

 

It's been a while

Life sadly has over taken us here, as we have had to say the final good bye to my Pa-in-law. He was a strong and proud Scot to the end and he lived a good and long life. My poor old JB lost his Mum many years ago, so he believes his Dad is happy now at last, back with his beloved Bessie. These sad events have a weird way of bringing some unexpected  joys though and this sad occasion meant that we finally got the whole gang together at once which is a very rare thing. Pinning down the movements of 5 twenty/thirty years olds is  no mean feat, I can tell you.

Sadness brings joy...

As a genius tribute to his Grandpa, one of the chaps came up with a great plan, as the old chap had been a life long supporter of East Stirlingshire FC, the lowliest football team in the Scotland League. Famed for their ability to have the recorded the worst number of points ever  in a season, the team is remarkably well known but I have to say they are not renowned for drawing a large crowd nor for the quality of their football. But on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon in March the eight of us (a couple of the girls wimped out) headed off to " the park" as they say in these parts, to swell the crowd and  take our place in the stand to cheer on The Shire in memory of JB Senior.

thanks to pieandmushypeas.blogspot.co.uk

 

And do you know, we had a hoot. The pies were fine and the Bovril warmed me from the tips of my toes to the very end of my frozen nose. As for the footie itself, well, let's just gloss over that. I will only say one thing. You can see why they are consistently in the final position in the league each year!

 

Life has moved on and Easter came and went with a trip south to see Number One Son, and my dearest Mrs P. I am now trying to catch up with all that should have been done in both February and March but hopefully we have got all the rubbish out of the way for 2013, and we can push on to enjoy the rest of the year.

 

Keep safe and see you soon

x

PS For those interested - Match report Final score 2-1 to Montrose, 1 Red card. Attendance - 261

 

 

Katie Bo

Today's post is dedicated to the game old bird who is my Mum.

 

Having always viewed her all my life as not a  woman to mince with, I have realised over the past few years that underneath there was a vulnerability lurking hidden that I never really knew was there. Perhaps getting older shows up these facets of our personalities. Ones we cannot keep hidden, like we can when we are younger and more in control of our lives? I am not sure. It took me a long time to see this vulnerable side of my Ma.

Growing up I thought she was invincible . She kept me from harm. She made me happy and she could rustle up anything needed for a school costume at the drop of a hat !She would never let me out of the house without looking like a shiny new penny, despite her own sometimes embarrassing tendency towards the Mrs Bucket approach to life ( before Mrs Bucket was ever thought of). In short ,she was star. She had a strength and tenacity to deal with a whole host of poo that life threw at her and battled on regardless and I knew nothing of how hard this all was be for her. But now, I can see through the facade, as her physical frailty gets the better of her. And it makes me sad that I never realised.  

 With my dear old Dad at her side now for the past 63 years, they make an amazing couple. Still holding hands as they sit and watch the TV together, you feel you want to pick them up and put them in your pocket to keep them safe. That's not to say we haven't had the odd moment of disagreement in the past. We wouldn't be mother and daughter if we hadn't. The level of negotiation that was required for me to have my first "midi" coat at the age of 14  was unbelievable and as for me sobbing after being stoodup as a broken hearted teenager, well lets not even go there. But through thick and thin she has done everything she thought was right to keep me safe, make me a happy bunny and let me make my own way. And I love her for all of that and more.

 

She will of course not be reading this ramble, as she is a complete techno-phobe and afraid of the Internet. Did you know porn actually leaps out of the screen at you the minute you a computer on? No, well it does according to Mum... But that's another reason why I love her. She drives me batty, bless her.

 

I hope you all have had a wonderful Mother's day today.  I am off to spend the voucher for The Village Haberdashery my brilliantly trained daughter bought me. Hurrah.

It's all in the planning

Scraps at the ready

The weather is going to be pants so that rules out my other Beloved free weekend occupation which should be starting about now. That is my gardening. Such a shame as the place looks wrecked at the mo, but hey ho, no use stressing because I am no cold weather gardener me.  So that means I have no option but to sit and sew today. Oh dear , what a shame.........

Even the postie called with a parcel to give me a hint that I should be stitching, so what can a girl do.

 

I have an absolute shed load of things I need to get done so the food shop is done, the laundry is laundered (stuff the ironing- that can wait ) and the hoovering is hoovered. Well, sort of. And so I am off and running.

 

 My hit list for this weekend is so vast I know I will not get through the lot but with no distractions I am hopeful for an extremely productive weekend.  Lets see, we have

• make a small crib quilt for train buddy, (promised back in February before body failure)
• finish the Dresden Plate cushion from week 1 of the Bear Paw Classes
• finish the Low volume quilt started in February
• make my Mo' Stash March blocks
• practise a few more double wedding ring blocks from this week's Bear Paw Class
• Pull some fabric for Modern She Made 2 swap
• oh yes, breath

The groups work from week 2 of the Bear Paw classes. Mine is top centre, the wonky one - hence the need to practise more

Lets report back here sharpish Monday to find out how many of those have moved from the list. Of course if I fail abysmally, I will just leave the country and shut down the blog in shame.

 

see you soon