Birthday cards

 In the BQL birthday card swap, I had to make a card this week. I went crazy.
It 's a technique that I find is not as easy as it seems, so it gave me some practice, and I think the results are quite nice.
I chose bright fabrics to make a cheerful card, and I kept the second one as an example of my work. I hope that Lesley who will receive it will like it.

Skinny quilt

This year I am also taking part in a challenge on BQL to make skinny quilts. It just means that we don't have to spend too much time on them, because they have a smaller size. The first challenge is to make a 12" by 18" quilt before the end of February.
This is my contribution :

 There are 24 log cabin squares with a blue centre, and light surround. Because of the binding, the size is a bit bigger than the one required, but that shouldn't be a problem.
I finished yesterday to put the binding, after embroidering a label at the back, and putting a sleeve for hanging.

To make it more interesting, hopefully, I inserted little triangles of fabric between the rows.

Now the next stage for me will be at the end of February, when we have to choose our 5 favourites little quilts, and then Kandy will swap them between us, with a priority in choice to the first people to have finished their pieces. She has found a way to make us work faster, and not wait for the last day at midnight.

On Monday I have also spent most of the day tidying up my sewing area and my stock of fabric. I am happy to have finished, although I have more boxes of fabric in our bedroom, there is less visible in the lounge where my sewing machine is.
It was nice to sometimes rediscover the fabric I bought. There were even 4 fat quarters bought twice! I have sorted some of the pieces by colour and have boxes for : white, dark, blue, green and red. The rest fills 3 drawers. Maybe I could do some projects using only some colours.
I also need to finish some of my projects, including 3 quilts which are more or less finished tops. One is for DD2 and she reminds me sometimes that she is waiting for it.
I would like this to happen this year.

More postcards

This year I have put my name down for a Birthday Swap with BQL postcard group. There are about 15 or 16 of us, and we have to send a postcard to each person for their birthday.
The first one in January was Lois, and she liked cats and flowers; I made her a cat card, first time for me. I appliqued some pink felt on a background made with 3 green fabrics, and added a ribbon on the neck of the green eyed cat.

There are 2 more birthdays in January, and I prepared one card already, but I find it very difficult to photograph.

The colours are not true. The pink is more intense, and the dark blue is not black.

I find that this swap gives me the opportunity to try new techniques, like free machine embroidery on this one. I first tried with a white thread, but it didn't come out much. I then added a dark thread and it has much more impact. Lesson learnt. I then cut the fabric around the flower designs.

You can now expect a few more cards along this year.

Presents from Secret Santa

As for last year, I took part in a Secret Santa exchange of quilt related presents on BQL. I received this very nice and clever square, with the hanger. It is quilted and the elephant is a little button. The black tree was appliqued. I should cherish this for a long time.

I myself made a present for a lady called Sue S who lives in France. Kandy who runs the group, told me the choice was made quite by accident as she uses the computer to determine who should send to who.

 She chose jewel colours as her preference, so that's what I used. I made a jewellery roll and 6 coasters.

The coasters and the back of one.

There is space for rings.

When open you can see the red fabric flap which I designed to pin earings, or brooches.

I believe she liked her present, and I hope she will use it for a long time.
This Secret Santa exchange is really a great idea.

Bag kits

For Christmas again, we prepared some sewing kits to make a bag. We made 2 and it took me some time to get all the parts together and to cut some of the fabric to the right size.
We, that is DD3 and myself, chose a bag project, so that it wouldn't be too complicated for beginners. At least I hope it won't be.
The 2 nieces are nearly 10 and 8, have never made something like this, and hopefully won't be put off sewing for life by this project.
I thought about it when I saw similar kits sold for £10 in shops, with some very basic supplies. I knew I could do better, but it does take time to get everything together.
I took some photos of the bags, which don't show much.

Everything was included, even the wadding.

The project was from a Tilda book which I happen to have in French. I copied the pages and put them inside, with some of my instructions as well. Book "La maison de Tilda" or "Sew Pretty Homestyle". The book also includes the needle holder shown in the previous post.

Now I just have to wait for the emails from the mums to ask for help.. or maybe not.

Christmas sewing present

I know I am late, but I would still like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We spent 10 days in France after a long journey in the snow, we just had to take our time to drive slowly to Paris.
Now we are back and the house is starting to look tidier, I can show you some presents I made and received. First today will be the little sewing kit I made for my nearly God Daughter ( she is my husband's but on my side, just a question of how many sisters the parents have ). She is 8 years old and lives in France, and her mum told me that they had done some knitting together.
In the process I made a needle holder for DD3, she loves it and I have more photos of that one than the other, pink one.

This needle holder is a model from Tilda

This is the pink needle holder

Here you have the kit for my niece with a zip closing case, the needle holder and a pin cushion.

 I forgot to take a photo of all the things we put inside like scissors, pins, needles and a thimble.

I also made this pincushion in the shape of a strawberry. At least it is supposed to be a strawberry, but one of my girls thinks it looks like a radish !
Next time I'll show you the little bag kits we prepared.