Boiling Beetroots!!

It's been a milestone week for me, for several reasons!

My 2 'at home' daughters have been away from me for a total of 6 days this half term holiday! The longest I've ever been 'home alone'!!  I resisted from having ice-cream for tea every evening (just 4 times!! Joking!)

And just so that I didn't feel completely like a non-parent, my precious first-born turned 20 on Tuesday!!  T W E N T Y!!!  Crikey-oh!  No more a teenager!  Trying hard not to feel old, and missing her all the more!!

And today, I boiled by beetroots!!  You heard right!!

A first for me, from my hearty first crop of ....... 6!! Just enough to make my mean chocolate and beetroot cake!! YUM!

And finally, let me show you my porthole notebook covers, as seen in the November issue of Quilt Now:

I love making portholes and the cute critters in the Dashwood Studio 'Nature Walk' range inspired me to create butterfly and hedgehog shaped portholes!



Normal service has resumed - 2 daughters back home, 40 minute telephone catch-up with first-born and freezer re-stocked with Ben and Jerry's for the weekend!!

Jude xo

Brit Bee Round 4!

We are off and running!

Brit Bee Round 4 is a go, and it's just as well we have a super-complicated clever table to keep us on the straight and narrow!

Said table was designed by the equally clever Hadley, who I just happen to be making for this month!!

Here's the science bit...

This block was designed by Susan, made by me, for Hadley!! (next month I will make Jo's block for Sarah! Savvy?)

You see, we have each designed a 15" x 30" block, so over the course of the year, we will make each other's blocks, in the colour/fabric preferences of the next person in the table!  At the end of 12 months, we will each have received 12 blocks (made by others) in addition to our own 15" x 30" and 15" square starter blocks, to make up the quilts as we please.

I'm so glad I'm in a bee with really smart & talented people!!

Jude xo

More Christmas Coasters!

If you are not ready for more Christmas projects, then look away now!!

These are my dresden Christmas coasters, as seen in the November issue of Sewing World!

This project combines EPP (english paper piecing) with a little machine quilting and finishing. Perfect for using up leftover charm squares too!

I teamed the Christmas prints with some Essex linen (black) for the background, but you could quite easily make non-Christmassy versions of these!

This cute little set would make a happy stocking filler don't you think!

Jude xo

The Best Bit!

The best bit about being involved in a charity quilting bee, is donating finished quilts to good causes and those in need.

Me with Pat, Senior Social Worker at RVH

Last week I had the privilege of bringing 15 baby and children's quilts from Bee Blessed to The Royal Victoria Hospital's Mums and Babies HIV unit.

You may remember contributing to these quilts over the past year, or seeing them on my washing line!!



It is a privilege to pass on these quilts to families in much need of support and blessing. This was our 2nd bulk donation to RVH and we hope it won't be the last.

Remember, if you would like to contribute a block or two to this charity bee, check out this month's block tutorial here.

Jude xo

Scrappy Scissors Cozy!

My scrappy project for this month are scissor cozies!

The genius behind this clever pouch is my lovely friend Svetlana! She has a brilliant eye for shape, design, colour and style! And very generously shares lots of tutorials on her blog!

For this pouch, I dipped into my large 'sweetie jar' of leftover half square triangles and just randomly sewed a low volume triangle to a coloured print!

And this one got the EPP treatment, using up small red scraps with leftover Essex linen (black) pieces to create a diamond/harlequin piece.

I think these pouches would make great presents for those who love to sew.  You could even keep a rotary cutter or two in them!

I highly recommend this pattern from Svetlana - in fact all her patterns are clearly written and easy to follow!

Linking up with the Queens of Scraps, Nicky and Leanne!

Jude xo

Tova Tunic Trials!

I have long admired the Tova dress by Wikstein!

Some time ago, I bought the pattern, even printed out all the pages, stuck them together and cut out my size!

And then I parked it, convincing myself it was too complicated for my basic dressmaking skills!

Well, this weekend I bit the bullet and did it!

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily this all came together, especially as I had never sewn a placket before! The pattern is really easy to follow & includes the option of a shorter/blouse version.

I used a lovely piece of (donated) vintage fabric, and teamed it with accents of Essex yarn dyed linen in denim.  I'm particularly pleased with the fit!

I love tunics, and definitely see a lot more of these in my dressmaking future.

Jude xo

Too soon for Christmas?

No?

That's good!

Because I have some Christmas coasters to show you!

Inspiration for these coasters found here.

My friend and I worked on these foundation pieced coasters together! (I couldn't find templates for them, so I drafted my own patterns.) Don't you think they would cheer up any coffee table at Christmas-time!

I'm getting my Christmas class samples ready for that moment when we realise that Christmas isn't that far away after all, and creative panic sets in!!

And if you need to stock up on supplies, don't forget about my lush Essex yarn dyed linen for sale in my Etsy shop, now available in half metre cuts.

Pop on over and grab yourself a bargain!

Happy Christmas weekend!

Jude xo

Easy Baby Blanket!

My tutorial this month for Fabric Yard is so easy, even a complete novice quilter will enjoy making this!

28.5" x 42"

This cute crib blanket is made from a printed panel called Saltwater by Riley Blake. (The backing is also from Saltwater).

This fabric has the cutest mermaids, fishies and even cute turtles!

Some simple quilting and binding and you'll have a sweet gift in no time!

You'll find the full tutorial here on the Fabric Yard blog.

Jude xo

Blocks and Bear Paws!

This month in Bee Blessed we are making Friendship Stars:

Super easy and quick to make! These will make a lovely 'friendship' quilt.

In Siblings Together Bee (2), Jenny has asked us to make the blocks from Cloud 9's Field Crossing Quilt. 

Another fab boy quilt in the making for Siblings Together camps next year. 

A few months back I made a few 'girly' blocks to go into a collaborative quilt for a very special little lady!

Photo from Sarah's blog

My special friend, Sarah, had a baby girl in July, and this quilt has been made with love from several of Sarah's quilting bloggy friends!  

Isn't it gorgeous!  Here are my blocks (sorry about the washed out light - it was a very grey summer!)

You can read more about it (& see the cutest baby girl EVER) on Sarah's blog!

And finally, October issue of Popular Patchwork is in the shops now! (I might have a wee project in it! Just sayin'!)

Bye for now!

Jude xo

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder!

Apologies for the blogging absence!

Not intentional, and certainly not because no sewing has been happening in the Hollies' Household!

I've been beavering away on more magazine commissions and gifts. I was so busy I barely noticed we had moved seamlessly into a new month!

Here is my September Roundup.  (I'm using artistic license to include some magazine items revealed, as opposed to made, in the same month.)

The weather here this week has been so beautiful, a reminder of summer.  It got me thinking back to fun times in August!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jxo