Building Community :: UKQU post on Instagram

I recently wrote a piece for the new UK Quilters United website about Instagram - if you fancy a read then head over here.

Of course I couldn't visit this somewhat ignored blog without leaving a few pictures behind, so here goes.  These items were made as part of the #sendalittleloveswap2018 organised by @madaboutbags over on IG.

This was also an item on my 2018FAL Q1 list - although the colours changed somewhat when I came to make it!!

It is also the only finish from that list so far this quarter!

I loved improv piecing the low volume background for the hearts to sit on.

And because crochet is my second love the extra was crocheted heart bunting.

I do have some other finishes soooo close.  In fact I think there may be another Week of Finishes quite soon!

Crochet and baking ....

I haven't crocheted for a few months now due to the fact that my hands and thumbs have been very sore this year.  However, when I saw Helen's (from Archie the Wonder Dog) post on IG this morning I felt compelled to make some flowers.

There was a call out for #aflowerforjenny on Instagram a couple of days ago .... if you click here there's a great blog post relating to this.  It broke my heart reading about what this family has gone through and the courage 19 year old Jenny is showing whilst planning her own funeral.

So if you crochet or knit or can make pompoms maybe you will consider making some very soon and send to Jenny.  I have just read an updated IG post and they are already inundated with pledges so do not now need anymore!!  How awesome is this community?!!!

Today is also ANZAC Day when Australians and New Zealanders around the world remember the fallen in Gallipoli.  My girls will be happy when they come home from school to find ANZACs in the tin!  It was very strange to be baking on my own and not have the girls asking for a 'lollipop' - ie a spoon full of raw biscuit mixture!

This is the recipe I use (posted to a very old blog of mine!!) and I did just have to try one that broke as I transferred them to the cooling tray - delicious!

Life can be so fragile and can be ended way too soon for some people.  I often tell people I love "I love you!" and I will continue to do so a very regular basis.  Lots of love heading out from me to you aswell!!

A week of finishes (again!) :: Day 1 :: Granny Square Blanket

As some of you may have seen before there can be quite a while between finishes being blogged about here and then suddenly there is a flurry.  Well it's happening again - I have just totted them up and I have a week's worth of finishes so thought I had better get them written about!

First up, No 29 from my 2017 FAL Q1 list, is a crocheted Granny Square Blanket.  All this needed were ends darning in - why did it take me so long to do?????  Well there is a reason for that ....

This was started at least seven years ago, when we lived in New Zealand.  Blankets, of any sort, were a necessity for me in New Zealand because none of our houses had central heating and I really wanted a woollen crocheted blanket for warmth. 

At that time we lived inland in a place called Feilding and had a bach at Waitarere Beach.  We had no TV connected at the bach and certainly no internet connection so I decided to have a hand project on the go for when we were three.  The local town had a great wool shop and so I decided to make a Granny Square blanket - no pattern to forget if it was a long time between visits and I could decide when it was big enough.

Fast forward a few years and we left New Zealand within 3 weeks after a house sale completed and things were put into storage.  (Although why it wasn't finished before then I can't quite remember!).  That storage returned to the UK last July and I was reacquainted with this blanket.  It was so lovely to sit for a couple of evenings in the New Year and remember the times when I was working on the squares.  There really is something to be said for 'slow work' - it does imbue the article with history and a story before it is even finished!

So it now resides in our lounge and is giving the warmth that I had hoped it would - I just no longer need it on my bed!

The Weekend - 28/29 January

It felt strange heading off for a workshop on Saturday when the girls were home from school, but I had booked on it before they decided to go to school.  One of my local club members had made a Swan Confetti Quilt which hung in our show last July and the workshop was to make one.

 

It is still at this rather precarious stage but I hope to get it quilted one day this week.

A new ripple blanket was started on Thursday and so the evenings were spent enjoyably working on this.  The evening lighting has really not shown the colours correctly.

And some baking was done - these are kumara (sweet potato), bacon and onion muffins and they were delicious.  The chocolate cup cakes, baked by my eldest, were very tasty too!

And then there was some post.  Two blocks for my month as Queen Bee of Stash Bee Hive 8 - one from a Hive mate and one from a Hive Crasher!  I still a couple of blocks to receive and then piecing this top is top of my list.  These blocks make me so happy and I am going to love, love, love this quilt!

I also managed to spend some time on EQ7 but that's for later! All in all a good, if busy weekend, the downside being my youngest has been off school today with a temperature and sore throat.  Although it has been rather pleasant to sit snuggled up with her this afternoon watching a film! x

Not much sewing ....

It feels like a long time since I have actually been in my studio and sewing.  I have spent some time this last week sorting, tidying and cleaning which is great and makes for easier and quicker sewing but it's not much fun!

 

I finished the last house on my Italian Houses which I started last week.  I then had to put it back on the shelf because none of the blue fabric I had worked as the sky .....

 

Cue a Quilt Show at the weekend - Malvern Autumn Quilt Show to be precise.  Whilst I have lots of lovely images of that but they will have to wait for another day.  But the roll of handyed fabric I bought from Farne Designs did not disappoint.  The softest blue at the top works perfectly as the sky!

 

Some crochet has been done .... these whilst watching the second semi final of the RWC.  Of course watching the first one, All Blacks v South Africa, was not conducive to crochet!!  These require one more blue round and then they will be made into badges for the street collectors for Gaga UK.  I have been helping with The Remembering Tree and thought it would be fun for the street collectors to be wearing a rather bright crochet motif!  If anyone out there who knits or crochets would like to donate a square or two there is still time.  All the information can be found over here.  If you happen to be Home Educators then please get in touch with me and you can send squares to me because we are going to be yarn bombing our own HE community tree!  My square total now stands at 28!

 

This one has come all the way from ....... Canada!  Isn't it amazing?

 

This weekend saw the end of British Summer Time with the clocks going back an hour.  An extra hour in bed?  No, don't be silly!  But it did mean that I got all the dinner prepared before 8.30 in the morning .... all under the watchful eye of Smiggle.

Garlic and lentil soup which felt suitably autumnal and body nourishing ......

 

and apple crumble - always a failsafe recipe in this house.

 

And finally I made it down to my studio last night.  Whoops I got side tracked and this is what happened .......

 

 

My eldest daughter would like a black and white quilt.  I had very little in my stash so some fat 1/4s were purchased at aforementioned show and together with a few reds (I'm not sure I want to make just a B&W quilt) they are looking rather good together.  She requested a cat quilt ..... still not sure on that either.  The Dog Gone Cute quilt I made for my other daughter was gratefully and enthusiastically received for her birthday and it's my turn to shout out it on the Blog Hop tomorrow.  Thank goodness my day is here I've been almost ready to burst with wanting to show the finished quilt!!

 

Here's a sneak peek ........

 

 

Be sure to pop back tomorrow to see the finished quilt.  It's worth taking a little time and visiting some of the other participants because there are some lovely finished projects - and all so different.

 

Linking up today to Let's Bee Social over at Sew Fresh Designs and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

 

My first ever mini quilt swap ...

** This is a very photo heavy post!!!! **

 

Here's what I made for the Schnitzel & Boo mini quilt swap over on instagram.

 

My partner's colour preferences were purples, blues and greys ...

 

 

 

And some little extras ....

 

three crocheted cotton snowflakes

 

a FMQ decorated mug, a rather festive mug rug and a little something tucked up safe in the dotty pouch!

 

And all ready with 10 days until the posting date!! x

 

I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts today and her Finish it up Friday party.



Just a normal kind of Sunday .....

Today I have ....

:: almost got the laundry basket empty

:: looked after a child who has injured her neck

:: crocheted granny squares for The Remembering Tree - total now up to 21

:: crocheted a snowflake as an extra in the Schnitzel & Boo mini Swap over on instagram

:: liked the snowflake so much that I crocheted 7 in total

:: hand sewed some hexies together for a FAL2015 - Q4 goal

:: machine pieced my foundation pieced blocks together for the Schnitzel & Boo mini quilt swap ............. and then had the horrible job of taking the papers out

:: machine quilted my S&B mini

:: watched the third quarter final in the Rugby World Cup - which sadly Ireland lost to Argentina

:: realised the aforementioned quilting had rather skewed my mini quilt so learnt how to block a quilt, with pretty good results actually!

:: cooked dinner - or at least managed to put something on the table for everyone to eat!

:: watched Scotland narrowly lose to Australia in the fourth quarter final

:: played with my hook and some yarn and came up with a very cute crochet reindeer head - still playing with eyes so no photo yet

:: been asked to organise a quilt show!!!!!  This will take some thinking about .....

Wow - good job I woke up at 5.10am!!!! xx

Our home has been visited by coughs and colds this last week so things have slowed down somewhat.  We were all determined to be well by tomorrow in order to go to London for a birthday trip!

 

But with a new woodburner just installed, a hook and some yarn I have been able to keep my hands busy.  And so the saga of 100 Snowflakes to Crochet continues into its third year!  Along with some more granny squares, which will be used to yarnbomb The Remembering Tree in Stratford upon Avon at the end of November.  Some more rows were completed on a scrappy treble blanket that is an ongoing project and some slippers were done for my youngest - and haven't been off her feet since! x

No 38 of 100 - Thundersnow

No 39 - Kaikias

Granny squares to donate to The Remembering Tree in Stratford - total now at 16

Newly installed woodburner
Wonderful to have fire in our home again after a long wait since returning to the UK

Smiggle is quite happy about the woodburner too!

He seems to have claimed my ripple blanket as his own!