Happy New Year

Happy New Year. Our New Year celebrations got off to an early start this evening with a fireworks display in Newcastle. It was soooo cold -2C. Any thoughts of partying tonight went in favour of a long hot bath to thaw out.
Christmas has passed in a haze of presents to be opened....
decisions ...What to wear...?
and grandad on the bed settee in the living room
Hope you and yours had a Happy Christmas too.

Wishing you health, wealth and happiness in the New Year.

Happy Quilting xx

Quilters Christmas Party

Friday afternoon was the Quilters Christmas party for the girls from the Fat Quarters Friday afternoon class. We had a Secret Santa deliver pressies to Lintzford garden centre where we all met for lunch. You can see that aprons were a popular present this year.


With the credit crunch on our minds Helen and I came dressed to do the washing up instead of paying.

Here is Margaret modelling her apron.


And these are my presents from Santa, Thank you. They are lovely, the decoration is on the tree and the sewing goodies are already in my sewing room.


And this is my favourite Christmas card. Its not often I get a card with my latest project on the front.

Saturday night I was looking after my niece so out came the sewing machine again, this time to make the Matroyshka Angels from Rosalie Quinlan's Gift book. When I went to buy freezer paper and stuffing you could have thought I was going to do some cooking but no they are essential ingredients when making softies.

Next time I think I would do them in brighter fabrics as these muted colours tend to disappear on the Christmas tree.


I must go and wrap some presents now.


Happy Quilting xx

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming ...and there's no avoiding it. I am not a great fan of Christmas. That's a bit of an understatement, I would do anything to avoid it. I just find it so stressful. The present shopping has to be done well before all the other stuff starts, parties, lunches, carol concerts etc etc. Every other programme on TV is about Christmas cookery (I can't believe anyone would actually make their own sweet mincemeat when M&S make such good mince pies - get real Nigella!!)

Jenny knows I hate it and does her best to help. This year she chose the tree and decorated it. Michael (our resident audio visual technician ) was in charge of the lights so they worked first time. It looks lovely, unfortunately it was in front of the door to the conservatory and we had forgotten to swap sofas. The sofa bed from the conservatory needed to be in the lounge for visitors over Christmas. Moving things around was a mammoth task but (touch wood) the tree has not fallen over yet. Although wait until the rabbit sees it, now there's a challenge for her. The little snowman came from the Christmas shop in York.

This weeks sewing challenge has been the Christmas edition of the Fat Quarters Club from Melly and Me. Just for a change I made an apron. This Christmas apron called Merry was just started on Friday afternoon and finished this evening. I substituted one of my own fabrics because I didn't like the red fabric supplied. It has taken quite a lot of work. The red gingham binding was difficult because my bias maker was only 3/8". I finished up putting the binding on like a quilt binding. I cut a 2 1/2" wide strip , folded it in half, stitched the raw edges on the wrong side, folded it over then top stitched on the right side. I think I should have ironed it before taking the photo but I couldn't wait to get blogging.

Enjoy your Christmas preparations.

Happy Quilting xx

Presents for Friends

Most of last weekend was spent making gifts for Christmas, I can't show them all here for obvious reasons . I also managed to finish of the fourth project from the Fat Quarters club. I am really pleased with this lovely needle case. It turned out almost perfect, except when I got to the end I had a bit left. When making the fastening tab for the button the pattern said "stitch and put to one side". Unfortunately when I got to the end, the button tab was still "put to one side". Never mind, a bit of jiggery pokery and it all came together. It even looks like the photo on the pattern.

I love the fabric Durham quilting collection by Lecien. I used it in pink on one of the aprons on last weeks post.
Jenny has completed the last of her crazy patchwork bags on a theme of music and rainbows. They are all wrapped and ready to go.

And she even found time to dress up for another murder mystery party. This time no sewing was required only recycling of an old dressing gown and the chop sticks I use for stuffing and turning things inside out.

Happy Quilting xx

Cold and Frosty Mornings

Over the last few days we have had very cold and icy conditions here in the North of England. On Sunday Jenny and I went to the Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust at Washington. It was sunny and lovely but ooh soo cold. -4 degrees in the afternoon.

The birds migrate to the Wetlands area at this time of year and are in their most colourful plumage.

This was definitely the prettiest duck

Even the ponds were frozen.

These geese took food straight from Jenny's hand.

When we came home we got down to some more sewing , another apron nearly finished.
Its not that I have got completely carried away with these Australian designers and just putting Sheila on the apron to keep the the Australian theme, it really is for my Aunty Sheila.

Then got out the advent calendar from last year and filled it up with chocolate.

Mandy -Sorry to hear about your ankle. Hope all goes well with the surgery,Take care, rest up and get down to some sewing.

Happy Quilting xx