A swap and a win!

Well, I have a few lovely things to share with you!

Back in February I spied a most beautiful wool sheep that Julia (Bilberry Grove blog) had made for Wendy (The Quiet Room blog)and after a few emails we negotiated a fun little swap:) I received a delightful package back at Easter but between events here, I am just getting around to sharing (I have been enjoying their beauty though!)

Wrapped beautifully in prim paper, it was like Christmas, unwrapping all the little packages and was I delighted or what!



Such attention to detail and such beautiful stitching Julia does!
Just look at the little neck label


....and the wired key on the rusty heart.
On the other side is a big red button (I forgot to get a pic)


Julia also popped in some other lovely goodies- this candle smells divine (oatmeal cookies!)


a lovely wool applique book and chocolates (my weakness)...you are getting to know me so well Julia:)



Once again, thank you so much Julia, it was such a fun swap and I am so enjoying my treasures, you are a very talented stitcher.

I also had the great pleasure of winning a giveaway from the very talented Kaaren (The Painted Quilt)

I have been a faithful follower of Kaarens for sometime now and she is very generous with her artistic talent with free patterns and goodie giveaways.

I don't generally enter giveaways because I live across the pond but this one I couldn't resist, both because of its content-Aurifil threads and Floral Gatherings charm pack, (both of which we have such difficulty getting here)and because Kaaren so generously opened it up for all, to include international!

You can imagine my delight when I got word I had won!
Thank you sooo much Kaaren and for the extra goodies included, you are so thoughtful and believe me, they are much appreciated!



Thanks again,for visiting, I am still plodding on with bits and pieces of hand sewing.

It is a cool Bank Holiday Monday here, so the fire is lit, ready for me to stitch at when I get the laundry finished:)
Stitching hugs!

Flimsy collecting!

It sure has been a while......but I am still loving stitching, have no fear! It is just time to post seems to be the issue!

'Son' asked me recently had I quit blogging and when I assured him that I hoped not, he decided my blog needed a 'fresher' look. From what I can gather, the background seems to view ok on computer but not ipad?

Anyways, I have deducted I am a collector of 'flimsies'! When I get one finished, I can't wait to move on to start someting else and they never seem to get quilted. Does anyone else have that issue?

I think it is because everything gets handquilted and that is a slow daunting process.
Here are the latest flimsies,
Having seen 'Winter Solstice' on Karens (Log Cabin Quilter)blog and loved how she made it up, so this is my version, with wool applique


Next up, is Buttermilk Basin, 'Sheep in the Willow'. This was on the go for sometime but I loved how 'Quilt Hollow' put hers together and my desire to get it finished was ignited once again!



Last up are the house blocks put together

Plenty of handquilting me thinks?
Thanks again for sharing with me despite my randomness:)

Such fun! ......and what was I thinking?

Well, here we are drawing to the close of another year and the blessing of beginning another new one, God willing.
I thought I would share a few pics of some relaxing time this evening. The dining room table has been cleared of all its festive decor and a mess is in progress.

If you look carefully you will see my son has been doing art, my youngest daughter was doing her favourite thing 'making wee books' and mum was trying to learn the workings of her new toy!

Note, don't look too close.....cleaning day is tomorrow, when all the decorations will be going away!
The fire was lit, we were warm and cosy and soooo enjoying ourselves!
Do you see my new toy?.......I have wanted a featherweight portable for a while now, since my sewing room is 2 flights of stairs away and it is a days work to bring down my machine, not to mention getting it back up!


Of course I could't wait for a new quarter inch foot to arrive plus it kind of goes against the ethos of using 'old' so I googled and marked my scant quarter inch with tape and my baby is purring perfectly!
There is just something satisfying about the running of these machines.....therapy!

As usual, straight in with both feet..... no small project would do, although it is simple piecing, which is just what I need.
When I saw this in the winter edition of Quiltmania 2012, I knew it was a must for my red and white collection


Next pic shows some of those blocks on the rocker behind


Fun over, now for the 'what was I thinking' part!
Do you see what I have also started? Needleturn applique-but do you see all those curves? Yes, it is ALL curves! That isn't the worst part.....there are 20 blocks to be done!
All because I fell in love with this alphabet border...what was I thinking???
Don't look for a finish anytime soon, but at least each block is pretty mindless with one main colour!



Finally, I have a finish! 'Home sweet home' is bound ans a sleeve attached for mounting when I get my quilt shelf made.
Just 2 more 'Heart to Hand' quilts to hand quilt.......
Thanks again for stopping by and best wishes for inward peace, happiness and much stitching for 2014

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . . . . .

Where has time gone!

This is my all time favourite season of the year, especially for decorating. I love the cosy lit fires, the twinkling lights and the comfort of my home in the dark evenings, with everyone home and the blinds drawn!

I think it lends so well to stitching, drinking hot chocolate and warming toes at the fire!

Here are a few projects I have been working on


I finished this little Primitive Gathering mat off with ric-rac


Not sure whether this will turn into a framed picture or a cushion. The pattern shows it as a picture


Long dark evenings, cosy fires and a few good magazines.....what could be better?


Simply Vintage is now in English........being in French didn't stop me buying it because the pics were so lovely anyway


Lastly, I am delighted with my purchase from Nancy (Moonpie Primitive) Linen red and white...who could resist! I just love it




The fire is lit, I'm off to rest up with a coffee and get inspired with'Simply Vintage'

House loving!

What do you get when you add house love to red love plus 2 coloured quilt love?

Yes, a red and whit house block quilt! Or hopefully soon to be!

For a while now I have been working on these blocks very kindly produced FOC twice monthly by 'Sentimental Stitches' and 'It takes Two'



lots of threads to clip!
This is going to be a wall hanging when I get 1 more block made and the sashing and borders on.

What happens when you can't decide on whether to do traditional red and white or different reds with a tea-dyed fabric......

Make 2! So I am quite behind with my actual red and white (there are 20 blocks in total)but if I get the first one finished for Christmas, I will be very happy!

I had great difficulty getting the sizing right because UK printers and papers are different to USA. I settled with enlarging 105% for the wall hanging and ended up with 103% for the red and white which seems to be a much better fit, but I sure am not re-doing them.

I don't have much else to share with regards to stitching-shall we just say everyday living gets in the way?
Thanks for stopping by,

Friday catchup!

Well, we have 1 week of school routine nearly finished and it has been a busy busy week!
Hopefully next week will come more naturally.

I am so glad it is Friday, even though it spells a weekend of laundry,but just to be able to relax a little, so what better way to relax and get the weekend off to a good start but to have some stitch fix!
AND to be even more organised........get a blog post underway :)
I can't say I have achieved much on the stitching front but here are a few pics of what I have been working on.

Hubby and I got the most delightful treat at the end of August with a few days away on our own, so of course I had to hurridly prep some hand stitching......just in case! This is another pattern by 'Heart to Hand' with a few little changes.

I also finished the binding on this quilt

And I am still enjoying big stitch quilting this quilt I showed last time

Normally I just keep my blog for stitching but I thought I would share another lovely little trip my sister and niece, my youngest daughter and I had recently.
We got a girlie night to a gypsy caravan 'Rosie Lee' and what fun we had together.

Mums and daughters

Some serious concentration-making jewellery

Smores by the fire

All ready for a sleep? That would be just too wasteful......we were determined to lap up every delightful second in the Rosie-Lee

Now I am feeling inspired to stitch before the school run. I hope you find some stitch therapy this weekend,

Stitching and Birmingham quilt festival!

Well, I am not sure if anyone is still about that used to visit me but I have so missed blogging myself, although I love to jump on to blogger and catch up on some of my favourite blogs for inspiration.

I went last week to Birmingham fesival of quilts and it was such a delight to wander up and down the isles and view all the beautiful fabrics and quilts, not to mention the goodies I just had to have!

We have had a beautiful summer this year for the kids being off school and with us not getting away far this year, the good weather was such a blessing. In between all the running about I have been chugging away on my 'Home Sweet Home' quilt designed by 'Heart to Hand'and am pleased to report that the hand quilting is in progress!


This is the first time I have used valdani 12 to hand quilt with a bigger stitch. I am loving the added dimension it brings to the wool and woven fabrics-hopefully I will finish this quilt this time!


The next few pictures are of the purchases I made at the quilt festival (especially for Wendy 'The Quiet Room' as we had hoped to get on the same day and meet up, but unfortunately with family commitments, that was not to be) I think there are a few similarities Wendy, such as a few wool bundles and 'snowman gatherings' by Primitive Gatherings :)


'Sew Cherished' was a lovely little booth from America, selling wool crazy kits

I bought a few Japanese wovens for my 'Heart to Hand' patterns and also fell for linens this year-I love the lighter look they give-some were tea dyed.

Thanks, if you have taken the time to stop by. I just hope I can get this to publish now!