All work and no play.

26 Mar
Originally uploaded by TonysMRs

I didn't get much done on my day off. I dug out my Butterfly Fling blocks and made a whole bunch more. I think one more session will have all of these blocks completed.
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That was it, Friday was the last time I had time to even think about sewing. Maybe tomorrow.....
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Take Care.

Reading materials.

Although I didn't find a decent sewing shop while I was away I did find a bookshop and was able to treat myself. I picked up Lynne Edwards Stash buster quilts book. I read it from cover to cover that evening!

There are some great ideas and patterns enclosed and several that would lend themselves to scrap busting never mind stash busting.

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I also managed to find a quilting magazine, it was the last one in the shop. I've never had my hands on a copy of The Quilter before and thoroughly enjoyed the read. Yep, I read it from cover to cover too.
And you know how much I love blue and white right? There was an article about reproducing handed down quilts. The one on the left is the original an album quilt and the one on the right using the darker fabrics is the copy. There is a pattern provided.............
I have to make one of these, though it looks more like a scrap creator than a scrap buster! LOL

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I have a day off today, so I get to play, all day! :-)

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Have fun.

I'm Back.

I got back from my three day jaunt to Newcastle yesterday. I was pretty tired and didn't do much at all after I got home. Then this morning it was back to the grind and off to work. (Sigh)

Never mind, look at the lovelies that were waiting for my return. This is my share of the booty from the Pot Holder Pass 2. I love them, this photo really doesn't show them at their best, they are so rich and warm in their colours. Just yummy. Thank you Jillybeans.

I wasn't all work and no play while I was in Newcastle. I hunted down a sewing shop and was disappointed, they had loads of crafty stuff and some sewing machines but no quilty goodness to offer. :-( So I went across the street to a book shop and treated myself. :-) I also got a quilty magazine which has some lovely ideas. They made up for the lack of fat quarters! LOL I'll show pics of them another time.

Not A Finish!

Just for a change, I have no finishes to show today. I got nothing done after work yesterday afternoon. I had no energy left, so I sat and read your blogs, then made a huge pan of spag bol for dinner, there was sooooooo much that there is plenty left for another day. And yes, it was yummy.

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This post is not entirely devoid of crafty content though. Look what the postie had delivered for me. It was sat on the steps waiting for my arrival. Some Figgy charm packs, just because they are figgy. I may use some of the Gypsy Rose charms in DDs quilt.

A schnibbles pattern, I saw this one around blogland a lot a few weeks ago, I think it must have been the schnibbles a month pattern recently. This one especially I fell in love with. (Scroll down a bit) And of course I just had to have the book given my recent interest in using up my scraps.

I also signed up for this BOM. I think I'll need to organise another project box!

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Time for work again. Would someone please purchase the winning lotto ticket for me. I promise to open a guest house with quilty shop attached, it will have class rooms and all the things we'll need. The doors won't open until 10.30, plenty of time for a lie in and get some breakfast. Of course last one out locks the doors. You can all come visit and we'll sew together.

Dreams.

Have a great day.

Another finish!

My sewing is my hobby, something I do just for the pleasure and fun of it. I make what I like and I like what I make. No one can tell me what to make or when to make it. Right? So why is it that sometimes we feel guilty about starting something new?

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Yesterday I sat with my pencil and drew DD's next quilt, it was in my head and wanted out. I knew exactly which fabrics I needed to get out for the flowers and went digging for a back ground fabric. That was all I was going to do, then I was going to cross stitch. The whisperings from the sewing table grew louder and I found myself looking at my project boxes! I even managed to empty one. Last year I stopped and started Elles Country Calender. I finished all the blocks but they have lain unloved ever since as I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish them. Then yesterday this happened.

Six little double sided minis. I love them. I just need to find a hanger and a tiny bit of wall space, somewhere easy to access as I'll need to change my mini every few weeks.

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But that wasn't enough, as I pulled out the ironing board to press the back ground fabric for DDs flowers I was pulled back to the project boxes.

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This time it was the denim quilt whispering to me. I already had a bunch of strips made and in just over an hour I had them all put together. These circles are only small, so this piece is not very big at just over a meter wide. I have a bunch more circles cut ready to sew.
I played about in outlook yesterday and set myself a perpetual reminder to sew for at least an hour a month on this one.

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I did eventually manage to get to the iron and press my back ground fabric, but I'm really not sure when I'll be allowed to play with it! LOL The empty project box? It already has the flower fabrics in it a new label and is back in the pile. But my list of WIPs is getting shorter.

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Time to go to work.

Take care.

French Roses Too.

I finished it. By lunchtime on Tuesday I was all done and my latest offering was going round in the washing machine. I always like to give my quilts a rinse and a turn in the tumbler before they get used. It's a bit washed out here, the next picture shows the colour better.

The fluffy edges have started their journey. As you can see, I stuck to my usual less is more and very simple style of quilting.
Eventually even the label will have fluffy edges. I decided to try out the letters program on my sewing machine. It was fun and I think I'll be doing this some more.
So I spent the afternoon sat with my cross stitch. My bear has the beginnings of a purse.
I'm on a late shift today, I'd like to do a little more cross stitch, but my sewing machine is calling to me. I was designing quilts in my head last night and really need to get some paper out and do a little maths. I don't think DD will be waiting very long before she sees progress on French Roses Again!

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Take care.

A busy weekend.

I had a very busy weekend, with Mother here for her dinner on Saturday and the whole crowd here on Sunday. It was wonderful and especially good to see DD Kay, we've not seen her since Christmas. She has requested a larger quilt. I made a pink version of this for her birthday last year and when I suggested a larger version she was happy with that.

I suggested using some of my Mill House Inn fabrics and that met with approval too. I did warn her that there is a waiting list and to soften that blow I loaned her one of my larger quilts, it is only a loan though. LOL She may not have to wait too long, I'm itching to start it. First I really do have to quilt this one. I had planned to do it yesterday, but I had one of those crappy nights and gave up trying to sleep at about 04.30. I can't blame the snoring bed hog either, it wasn't his fault, just one of those nights. So yesterday I did very little, just watched some TV and took a snooze here and there. Today after an early night and a really good sleep, I'm all fired up and ready to quilt.

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I did do a little cross stitch yesterday, but only a little. If I get that quilting done this morning, I can spend this afternoon doing a little more.

My bad! I was so tired yesterday I left the hoop on my work. My bad. It should wash and press out once I'm finished.

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I love having these long weekends off work, I usually get so much done. Tomorrow I'm off to the Onchan office, it's been a while since I was there, I'll bet there is stacks for me to do. Next week I have to go away for a couple of days! My boss sprung that one on me. I have to attend a conference in Newcastle, but because it is impossible to get daytrip flights I'm flying out on Monday morning and home on Wednesday morning. I'll be busy all day Tuesday but what am I going to do all of Monday afternoon? Anybody out there from that area? Where are the crafty shops? What is the museum like? Anything I really have to see? Maybe I'll take my cross stitch and hope there is a really good light in my hotel room.

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I'm off to play.

Take care.

05.30

That's what time the snoring bed hog woke me! I got up and had a cuppa before deciding to get on with that pile of quilts on the back of the chair. By the time the bed hog appeared at 08.30, I was just finishing off with Verandah Views. I've done some in the vicinity of the ditch quilting and also set my machine to do some fancy stitches around the edges of the stitched panels.

I just need to attach the label to the back, I'll do that this afternoon while the F1 GP is on.
Next I turned my attention to finishing Gail Pans Christmas Wishes. It's also quilted near the ditch and I used a plain stitch to go around the edges of the stitched pieces on this one.
As you can see the pieced border is also waiting for the GP.

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So now I have only one quilt which needs quilting. It's all layered and pin basted, I just need to get on with it. That's a job for tomorrow.

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I'll have a houseful for dinner this evening. DD Kay and Richard will be here, so will both of my boys and Mother has invited herself too! Hmm, it's Mothers day here in GB, how come I get to do all the cooking? LOL Never mind, it will be nice to have them all together.

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Have fun and take care.

A finish.

Yesterday after my show and tell of unfinished works I got a little bit domestic before having more fun with my sewing, in the end I did a couple of hours of cross stitch.

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This morning, because I was awake and up at stupid o'clock I finished this little panel I brought home from NZ. I just had to do a little quilting and add hangers. Here it is hanging in our sitting room. (One down and three to quilt.)

The quilting is simple, I've stitched around some of the motifs in their black outlines, then stitched in the ditch of the borders. Done! If it looks like it's hanging in a door frame, that's because it is! It's a door we never use, in fact it's blocked with a sofa, I always thought it looked ugly and wanted to put a curtain over it to hide it, but Tony didn't like that idea. We'll see what he thinks of this idea, a bit of Kiwiana amid a bunch of motorcycle pictures.

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Also today, I did more of the domestic stuff, took a trip to the post office and a couple of shops to fine some extras to include with the pot holders and now it's time to play again, I have a couple of hours before I have to go to work. I hear my cross stitch calling.

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Have a good day and take care.

What to do next?

I've finished my top secret pot holder project, it's just waiting for an extra couple of goodies, then I'll mail it. So what am I going to do now?

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This project contributed to my overweight case on our return from NZ and is calling to me.

All those pretty fabrics want to come out of the drawer, they are ready to play.

But I have this pile of project boxes all packed with beautiful things also calling to me.
There are the butterflies I started playing with before I went to NZ, way back in October.
There are all the blocks for Ellies BOM, A Country Calender.
There is a box of scraps waiting to become Bonnies Smokey Mountain Stars.
And a box full of denim circles, I don't want to think about how long they have been whispering away in there.
Then of course there is the chair!
There are four completed tops on this chair, two of them are layered and ready to quilt!One even has it's label completed, even though it's not layered. LOL

On the other hand I could just cross stitch? Go shopping? Do some housework?

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What have you got planned?

A mix of things.

I seem to have lost my cross stitching readers! LOL Understandable really as I haven't done any cross stitch for a long time. Anyway, here's an update, teddy now has a pretty blue trinket box, I'll need to add the back stitch to define it a little better.

None of the back stitch has been done on this piece. I'm not looking forward to that to be honest, I usually do it as I go along, it saves that last slog at the end, but as this is an inherited piece I decided to do as I go, plus a little extra each time. I'll see how that works out.

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Today I'm waiting for a desk! It's my office day and I need to work here in Ramsey rather than Onchan, so I have to wait my turn! I'm told there will be desk free at lunch time. Never mind that means I can spend the morning sewing. :-)
I'm working on a secret project, round two of the Pot Holder Pass.

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And, I've been given an award by the lovely Lynda. She thinks I'm a beautiful blogger. She hasn't mentioned any rules and regulations regarding this award, which suits me just fine.
So like Lynda I'll share the love with a mention of a couple of Beautiful Blogs.

Jenny of Jenny at ELEFANTZ.

and

Janice at Jannimary

Go along and visit them, and tell them why you came. :-)

I'm off to sew some more.

Take care.

Remember this?

I have blogged about it before. About two years ago at least. It's a UFO that used to belong to one of my service users. Even though myself and a colleague tried to help her continue to stitch. She found that the progression of her illness made it increasingly difficult. Eventually as she prepared to leave the island she had a sort out and a lot of stitchy bits and pieces came our way, what we didn't want we were to dispose of. This was one of the items I chose to keep. What you see here is how it came to me.

After finishing the stitchery for Verandah Views the other day I was looking for something to do while watching TV and came up with this one. I'm really not sure what I'll do with the completed piece, but it was nice to sit yesterday and think about my Service User while I worked on her UFO. I'll take a photo in a day or two so you can see how little I've done. LOL

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Back to work today.........

Take care.

Changing Direction Again.

Instead of quilting the flower quilt yesterday afternoon I curled up on the sofa to watch/listen to a movie while I finished off the last of the stitchery for Verandah Views. And this morning I pulled out some fabrics and started to put it all together.

Rather than using Cheryl's suggested thread numbers I just used up left overs and bits and pieces from the thread box. And for my fabric selections I used some slices from a shops own jelly roll. These little flowers were too pretty to resist. I had thought I might use my Mill House Inn jelly roll, but those fabrics just didn't sit right with my thread choices, so I get to keep that Figgy goodness for something else. :-) Of course using Jelly slices means that I have a bunch of 1 inch pieces left, I'll use some of those to border a label for the back. I didn't stitch that yet, I just drew it this morning, something very similar to Cheryl's own.

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By the end of today I'll have four quilts waiting to be quilted, 3 fairly small and one fairly large. I should really get on with it!

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But first to answer a couple of questions. My last post had a comment from Quilt Hollow, she asked about the dream Green batting. I did try to reply via email, but that was a no go!!

The dream green batting has become my favourite. I know the quilt police will have a fit, but, well, they are MY quilts.I can honestly say that the very first time I used it under a brilliant white fabric I did sort of notice a greenish hue showing through, but maybe I just got used to it, Because I don’t notice any more.The flower quilt has off white back ground fabrics and you really can’t tell through that. It is a beautifully soft batting, who would have thought pop bottles could be so nice?And it has plenty of ‘grab’. I hope that answers a couple of questions.

Hmmm, blogger has changed my font?!

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I'm feeling much better, the last lots of tablets seem to have done the trick, I'll be back at work next week. :-(

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Take care.

I felt the need to wash the kitchen floor!

And here's why. It's the only hard surface big enough to pin baste quilts!

The two borders went on yesterday and I found some fabric for backing, it's a curtain back, but I'm happy enough with that. The batting is my usual dream green, hence the slight green tinge.

There are no pins in it yet, so guess where I'll be for the next half hour.

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Take care.

Can you tell?

That yesterday was a pretty good day? My flowers are finished, they have all four layers and I even managed to sew them into their rows.

That done I also cut pieces for the first border which I'll put together today. As there is no sunshine today I may even open the curtains and try to get a decent picture for you!

Time I think to have a poke about and see what I have to back this one with.

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Take care.

Not much happening here.

I finally have all the first round of 'flowers' attached to my back ground squares in the project I showed last time. Yesterday I sat and cut the next round of flowers, maybe today I'll get some sewn on. In between fiddling with my sewing I've been doing a lot of surfing and a little shopping. I'm obviously not at deaths door if I'm planning more projects.

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I received my assignment for round two of the Pot Holder Pass. It's a secret swap, so I'm saying nothing. This round is now closed, but if you're interested, click on the image to go to Amys blog, I think she is planning a third round.

In my wanderings around the blogging world, I came across Moose on the Porch Quilts. Wouldn't you know it, she is having a bit of a mystery quilt along. I'm not much for mysteries, but I'll collect the pieces and see where it goes. For those who do join in properly, there is a bit of a give away happening each time a new block is released.
Part one has just been published, again click on the image if you're interested.

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I'm starting to feel brighter and perkier for longer periods now. That's a good sign, though yesterday I had an appointment with the ENT, he says my ears are very inflamed, that may explain the dizziness. I hope they clear up soon. The walk in the fresh air was nice, though it left me with a heck of a head ache, it was a beautiful bright sunny day. Same as today, I think I'll keep the curtains firmly closed around my sewing perch in the window.

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I'm off to play for a while.

Take care