Jelly Roll

I like the brown accent much better than the multi coloured ones. Four panels made, five more to go.... and no more sewing until I get back from work on Thursday!

Jelly Roll

I spent yesterday cutting up my jelly roll. I love all the neat little piles of fabric, ironed and ready to go!

However today when I started putting the pattern together I realised quickly that it won't work. I love the fabric but its just too busy for this quilt. So I spent the rest of the afternoon unpicking it and starting again. So I have taken the middle square out and replaced it with a brown batik. By tomorrow I should have some more to show!

Marwell Zoological Park

As a family our new years resolution this year is to do something different once a month!! January's something different was a trip to Marwell Zoological Park, near Winchester. And it was a great day. We set ourselves the challenge of taking photographs in various categories (not sure what the prize was) and you have to use your imagination to fit them into their categories anyway here are some of the highlights that my DH took:

Handsome!

Cute!

Elegant!

Funny

Vicious - ok not so vicious, but a roaring, snarling tiger would have been a better photo, but they won't do it to order!

Black and white!!

Ugly!

Crochet

Someone at work makes the most beautiful crochet baby blankets. She does them in one colour and pattern and doesn't use the traditional pastel colours but lovely strong colours in unusual shades and yesterday she gave me a lesson in casting on and basis stitch. Here is my first attempt!! OK its not exactly a blanket (yet) and the tension is not so good but it does look a bit like the photographs in the book - so I'm pretty pleased with myself.

SHR

Ive just finished round 7 of the stay at home robin. I think I've got the colour balanced just right, the turquoise gives it just the right amount of lift. Looking forward to adding February's round now!

Babushka Dolls

Number One daughter made these darling babushka dolls from the Tilda Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle book that I got for Christmas. They were quite a fiddle to make but well worth the effort and I really like the fabric she used! I can see the house may well be filled with them

Little Quilt Challenge 5

I finished embellishing my contribution to the little quilt challenge last night! He is inspired by my daughter who went travelling last year to South East Asia and returned with the background fabric (along with lots of other batik fabric) and wonderful stories of feeding honey bears by hand and riding elephants - a highlight of her travels.

When I have made small wall hangings in the past, I have always gone to town on the embellishments. It was more difficult with this one because the background fabric is so busy but hopefully I have got enough tassels, sequins, bells and beads! Great fun to do - I hope who ever it goes to in the challenge will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

The Maltings

Today was The Maltings, (in Farnham, Hamsphire) annual patchwork and quilting day. So number one daughter and I went along. It was the usual mad rugby scrum to get in when the doors opened at 10, in the hope of bagging a bargain!!! I wanted fabric to go with my jelly roll and got a few odd fat 1/4's and a pattern (I'm heavily into angels at the moment) along with wadding.
Number one daughter was far more focused and knew exactly what she wanted!! Her next project is a cushion for a friend at work, some lining for a bag, some fabric for another friend who is just discovering quilting and all the floral fabric is to make a house quilt (for when she eventually moves out!). She also found the kimono pattern and as we already have lots of japanese fabric, it was a must have. A good day - exhausting but fun!

Little Quilt Challenge

It's been a busy weekend what with marmalade making (you really have to go for it while the Seville oranges are in the shops - so I think it may be a lean month sewing wise while I marmalade make!), entertaining friends and it was also back to dancing yesterday! But to show I have managed to do some sewing I thought I would put the progress pictures of the Little Quilt Challenge from Kate's blog. Most of it has been sewn now, but lots of embellishments needed and the clock is ticking - deadline 31st January!!

Tilda Angel

Here is my completed Tilda Angel. I loved making her although the hair was a bit tricky and not how the book suggested doing it, but I'm quite pleased with the effect!

I'm not sure I like Tilda's angel wings, so they are very loosely sewn on. My DH is going to make her a proper stand also.

Welcome 2011

Welcome 2011!

Wow where did Christmas and 2010 go? As you will be able to see from my 'to do' list I have several new projects on the go. The plan was to go into 2011 with all my UFOs completed but no chance, the best laid plans and all that! But I have decided what I am going to do for the Little Quilt challenge. I am basing it on my daughters travels to Asia last year and using some of the fabric she gave me on her return (mind you it might be difficult to give it away of course - so I might make two simultaneously).

I have also nearly completed my first Tilda doll - just have the hair, features, halo and wings to complete. Hopefully next weekend!

And of course Kate has put up step 7 of the Stay at Home Robin Challenge!!

So much to do and so little time to do it in!