Brithday fabric cards

This year I have put my name down to take part in a birthday swap, with fabric postcards of course. So you will see them appear regularly on this blog.

I can try different techniques each time, and I always keep a spare one as a memento.

We had 2 birthdays to celebrate in January, and they received this card below.
It's all free motion quilting around the paper shape of the cup I drew. And then writing free motion as well.

This card with the cup full was my first attempt. The fabric was pulled by the stitching and is all wrinkly as a result. I need to work on this, so kept the card at home.

I am still working on my quilt from the Bonnie Hunter Mystery "Easy Street", slowly making progress.
I am also preparing a little workshop for my quilting group, more to come later.

We had some snow for a week until last Saturday, so lots of things were cancelled, sewing included. England is never really ready for snow, roads get jammed, airports shut down, it's mayhem.
We also have some builders, decorators and other tradesmen working to repair some water damage that happened in the house in July. It took that long for the insurance to authorise the repairs, and it was a minor leak, but with big impact. I can't imagine what it would be like to have some real flooding.
It will be great when I can have the house for myself again, but then the girls want new curtains, cushions, etc...We will see.

Enjoy your sewing.

Pascale.

Easy Street, progress

I am still working on the mystery quilt called Easy Street by Bonnie Hunter. She continued to post clues over Christmas, and I knew that I couldn't keep up then. I was not in the same country as my sewing machine!

Since coming back for the New Year to England, I have worked steadily to try to catch up. It will happen eventually, because the mystery is not a secret any more. The last clue has showed us the end result, which makes it much easier to work on the quilt. I like to know what I'm doing.

Lots of cutting and sewing 

The piles of block pieces are mounting

Clue 7 was the 4 corners and 12 triangles

So I am now working on clue 8, the last one but quite consequent as it involves making all the blocks 16 of one and 9 of the other, and then putting the quilt together....I have made 2 blocks,  but I want to link up with Bonnie's blog and the deadline is tonight. At least I have made all the 4 corners and the 12 triangular blocks to set everything on point.

 This is an arrangement not definitive to show the colours.

 With extra corners ready.

My first 2 blocks, 14 more to go.

There were some points when I thought I wouldn't have enough fabric in one colour-way  but finally all my pieces were cut. It's just a question of assembling everything now.

I will hopefully be able to show you a finished top soon.

Enjoy your sewing.

Pascale.

Mittens Pink and blue

 I have forgotten to post about these little mittens that I knitted. The wool was bought in a very nice shop in Devon, UK, in Bovey Tracey. The shop is called Spin A Yarn and the staff is ever so helpful. I wish they were closer and I could visit often, take part in workshops and buy more wool. All the town is worth a visit for tourists with a river, art centre, and restaurants. There used to be a quilt shop, Serendipity, but it closed and was taken by new owners I believe, somewhere else in Devon. Too bad as they were very good.

So I made these mittens and I love them. I had more than enough for one pair, so started another one, and had to reorder just a little bit of wool. Maybe at some point I will make some more.

One pair has gone to my Mum for Christmas, the blue ones.
They are very good when the weather is a bit cold, not for a blizzard, and you are going in and out of shops for example. You don't want to take your gloves off every 2 minutes, so mittens are perfect.

Enjoy your sewing.

Pascale.

Mug rug like Kate's

As I was browsing on blogs, i happened on Kate North's and saw this with a cup.
I found it so nice and an evening I just drew it and made it using the technique of reverse paper applique.
Mine is my own interpretation but there is a lot of resemblance.

It liberates me to think I could make another one easily, draw a design and go.
So maybe.

Enjoy your sewing.

Pascale.

Some Christmas decorations

As I am finally back home after a nice holiday in Paris to see the family, I can wish you all a Happy New Year for 2013, may it bring you what you wish for. To me it means a happy family, spending time with friends and a good health all around. 3 of my daughters have got exams coming up in 2013, so there will be a lot of revision and studying in the house.

 I thought I should show you some of the new Christmas decorations we had on the tree this year. It was very special for us as last year, or rather in 2011, after moving house in December, we didn't have a tree. There were too many things to do, and we were away for Christmas anyway. But for 2012 we put up a Christmas tree and all the new decorations were special because they were made by friends or by myself.

 This one was made by a lady from my knitting group, her name escapes me at the minute, but it is quite a big bauble, all hand knitted.

 This beautiful robin was made by me following a pattern by Gail Pan for the Aurifil Christmas Ornament series, when we were given 12 designs to make over 4 weeks I believe. You might still be able to copy them from the website at Aurifil, or follow the post made by Gail Pan. I only made 2.

 She explains very well how to make this ornament.

 The second one I made was a pattern from Lizzie B found here.

 This one is new, made by me this year in our quilting group, Golden Lion Quilters. There is a ball covered with fabric. You cut the foam with a knife slightly and push the fabric in. Hide everything with the ribbon. There was a bit of calculation first to draw the lines on the ball.

This was a present from Fiona who lives not far from me and Nicola who introduced her to me. They both love sewing, with a slight preference from them for hand work and embroidery.
I love meeting for some afternoon sewing, they have so many ideas. They go to charity shops to buy outfits in nice fabrics and then give each other half a skirt or jacket, so funny. It is only if you love sewing and making things that you can imagine the pleasure of receiving half a woolen jacket, washed to felt it. Wonderful.
Fiona made many ornaments like this one for Christmas for her friends and family. I believe she didn't sleep much sometimes. I feel privileged to have received one.

I suppose you could copy some links and keep them for next year, ready to be made for Christmas 2013.

Enjoy your sewing.

Pascale.