I found this fab travel themed fabric at the knitting and stitching show in Edinburgh this year. I happened to bump into a lovely chum when I was buying it and she said if she bought some would I make her something? Well of course!!
She initially wanted a knitting needle case, no problem! So that's what event on the FAL list but then she happened to buy some more knitting needles which came with their own case so she said she would like a one hour basket instead. I adore making one hour baskets! There was enough left from the offcuts from the side to make the fab Lola pouch, my first one and it won't be my last.
Got to love Jim Morrison, Heavens he was gorgeous. This takes me back to the eighties and The Lost Boys 😬 Totally over the top but a great film!
It's been a funny old week. Started off with a bit of a stooshie on Facebook, stooshie is a grand Scottish word, means "a small bit of bother" I was in a group swap, sent off my mini on time etc and waited. My partner commented she had recieved it and that was it. Ok I thought, probably busy etc, maybe got family around etc so I waited, she started commenting on other posts etc but nothing else so I contacted the swap mama and asked if there was anything wrong. Cutting a long story short, my partner left the swap (she had already sent hers off so her partner didn't suffer, but she left swap and also left main group?? My mama didn't say too much but I could put two and two together and was could see my partner wasn't happy with the mini ... Either that or the fact I hadn't included extras ... (They weren't mandatory and were only suggested half way through swap) I normally include extras but my partner did not interact at all, answered no questions and all I had to work on was original brief which was traditional sampler style with non neon non fussy fabrics. So I came up with this.
All the blocks are from the original Farmers wife sampler quilt book, it's all paper pieced.
Which I didn't think was too shabby?? Certainly not enough to remove yourself from two Facebook groups for? Now partner said she is not on any other social media apart from Facebook so I know she will never see this post and I wouldn't like to hurt her but I'm perplexed. But then again people are strange!! Nowt as queer as folks. But is it so bad that I am concerned about my mini? I put a lot of love and care into that, I am actually distressed it might be somewhere unloved or worse in the bucket 😱😱 I know I know, but still ...
Onwards chaps onwards, my zen and chill was restored when the ever lovely Helen @archiethewonderdog asked me if I wanted to join a very informal Christmas cushion along on Instagram. Yea!! Of course I do!! 😀😀 I'm going to bust out the totes awesome pandas snowmen fabric and cathedral Windows cushion here I come!!
Not sure about the green background fabric but something in my gut is telling me to stick with it.
So people are strange but they are also lovely too 😊😊
So I'll finish this on an even lovelier note. The fabulous Helen sent me a present, a gorgeous shweshwe Lola pouch!! How fab, and she also included some tunnocks tea cakes for my knitted doggie @minibudthepuppy to be shared with my husband affectionately known as Scoobs, here they are tussling over the tunnocks, 😊😊 now that's a nice note to finish on.
Ok all I had to do was sew down the binding but it's still a finish! And my first tick from my Q4 list 😊😊 My mam asked me to make her a makers tote after she saw the one I use to carry my craft stuff around in. I saw this fun fabric at the FOQ and decided to make one for me too. Fabulous pattern from Noodlehead. Love it and mine is in use already 😊😊
Blimey!! When did it get to Q4?? Ok first up is NOT the silk quilt!! Sorry still have to mention it because as my longest ever wip it's now no longer on the list!! Thank you FAL for sticking with me and making me get this one done!
Right so what is really on the list!
This one has to be, almost finished, I've been in the scrappy trip around the world bee for years now! I think it has almost reached its end though. These are my latest blocks. This one will be a siblings together quilt. Just got to quilt and bind it.
Next up some fab house blocks from the stitchgathering. These will be another quilt for siblings together.
What next? Well I just have to finish the binding on these two makers totes. One for me and one for my mams Xmas.
These hexies have been kicking around for well over a year. They need to get made into something! Probably a linus quilt don't think there are enough for another siblings together quilt.
What next? I think I had this on the Q1 list, I really want to make a quilt for each holiday we have been on. Morocco still needs to be ticked off, I want to make one from the Kaffe Fassett Morocco book, I have the fabric.
I'm just waiting for my chum to confirm sizes then I can make her a knitting needle case from this.
I also really need to make this. When I was in America almost two years ago I am not normally a fan of these colours or patterns but I gained a lot of respect for the traditional American quilts. So this need to get done.
I found a conversion for the sewtogether bag to make a mini sew together bag! My lovely chum Marshall bought me this fabric years ago so I want to make her a mini sewtogether from this lovely fabric.
Right this has to be last, again from the trip to America, I found a lovely pattern for a 30s mini quilt with little embroideries on it. I have made two out of the twelve embroideries so I need to get a wiggle on with this!
There are events which punctuate my quilting year. The festival of quilts has become an annual semi colon along with the Cullen quilt retreat. The Edinburgh Modern quilt guild jaunt to Gartmore house looks to become a staple too.
And then there is the stitchgathering! Wow what an amazing event. Organised by the lovely Jo Avery of Mybearpaw this has become the sewing event of the year in Scotland! Every year I don't think Jo could make it any better but it just keeps on getting more and more sooper awesome!
A meal out on the Saturday night is now a regular occurance. A pre event to break the ice and have a few laughs.
Above is the gorgeous Pam who made have led me astray on the old alcohol front .... Not that I need much leading astray mind next to her is the gorgeous Lucy from Skinnymalinky fabrics.
Below is the sooper Nicky Eglinton and the lovely Mrs Moog who had a stinking cold poor soul. That did not stop her having a huge laugh though! Great night.
There were swaps !! This is the stunning badge I got from @cuckooblue the lovely Poppy how ace is this!
This is the potholed I made for @theoriginaltrash I loved making it.
There was a badge swap! I got a boob full of badges 😊😊 thanks to @gingerscribble for organising that one.
This was my badge, me and my lovely boy Bud.
Morning class was with Julie Rutter @forestpoppy we were making bucket totes. Great pattern really good instructions.
There was a show and tell at lunchtime where I got to show off the silk quilt which was finished the day before!
The afternoon was spent with the amazing Trudi Wood attempting to master Free motion quilting won't say it's mastered yet but I am feeling way more confident now after Trudis expert advice!!
The ticket this year was a house block, this is mine.
I took away 20 of the blocks to put together for a siblings together quilt. Watch this space for progress on that!
There was a tombola at lunchtime! Look what I got a Threadhouse pattern from Lynn Goldsworthy!
And of course there was the goody bag!! Every year I think Jo can't make it any better but she does. Huge thanks to the sponsors.
Huge huge thanks to the sponsors, goodness the goody bag just gets better and better every year!! So many thanks to:
