The Busiest (& wettest) June on Record?

The highlights for me this June were

* Fat Quarterly Retreat in London

* seeing months of planning come together in our Exhibition/Fund Raising day on 21st. 

* handing over the Pippi Quilt to a young girl in need of hope and blessing.

* and seeing my baby girl turn 11, finish out her last year of Primary School and try on her 'big school' uniform!

So many more lovely things happened this month, which are too numerous to mention here.

But I'll leave you instead with my monster mosaic of makes for June (I did make a few other bee blocks in June, but they were for July so I'll pop them into next month's mosaic!).

Linking up with Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day.

Pippi Quilt is Finished!

It has been a joy and a privilege to work on this quilt with so many contributors.

The Front

The Back

Close up

This is a Bee Blessed quilt, which will soon be gifted to a teenage girl struggling through M.E.  I told her mum yesterday that we are making her a quilt & to keep it a secret.  She cried!  She was so moved and touched by the fact that others would think of her daughter, to invest time and talent making something that would be a comfort and blessing to her.

Folks, I really want to encourage and thank you!  You may not think that making a block or two here and there is v.much.  Let me tell you - IT IS HUGE!  I sometimes have the privilege of seeing first hand the impact these quilts make on people's lives.  I don't know what it is, but a quilt seems to represent so much to the receiver.  The impact is deep and long lasting.  Please, please keep up the good work!

I'm not a person who is easily impressed!  But the things that do impress me are humility, courage, hard work, grace and compassion.

I get to see all of these amazing qualities in this wonderful quilting community, both online and through the friends I have the privilege to sew alongside.

Yesterday was one such example.  In preparation for our Exhibition & Fund Raiser day later this month, 10 wonderful ladies gave up their Sunday afternoon to sew bunting, cover jam jar table centres and make up fat quarter bundles.

Here is what 50 metres of bunting looks like!

Thank you ladies!  You are an inspiration to me, and I'm in awe of your dedication & hard work.  When I start to feel overwhelmed and burnt out your sense of humour makes me laugh again, and restores my soul!!

Wishing you all a great start to the new week.

Got Me Some Moo!

I'm not usually one for jumping on band wagons, but I couldn't resist a little bit of Moo! (It's all Susan's fault!).

'Moo' Mini Business Cards

These are half the size of standard business cards, but the fun part is that you get to put your own pics on the fronts. 

And they come in a cute wee box which could easily live in your handbag (well one of my handbags anyway!).

What finally clinched it for me was the idea of swapping moo cards with other bloggy friends at the Fat Quarterly Retreat.

But this one is just for me!

Thank you for all your fab suggestions on how to progress the 'Wonky House for Pippi' Quilt.

In the end I've gone with a narrow white border, with coloured cornerstones.  I got the back pieced too, so I'll be basting this baby on Saturday at Bee Blessed.  I've a dreadful feeling that free motion quilting will be the way to go with this one!!

After days of beautiful sunshine here in Belfast, the awful weather has finally caught up with us on this Bank Holiday Monday!  We've had rain, hail, lightening, rain, and then a bit more rain!!

Hope you are safe and dry whatever you're doing!

Pippi-licious!

Here it is .... 

I love this quilt so far.  Mainly because it is a collaborative quilt, from all around the world.  But also because it is a Bee Blessed quilt, and will be going to a teenage girl struggling with M.E.

I'm going to call it 'A Wonky House for Pippi'!  It is fun, colourful, and tells a story, which all quilts should in my opinion.

I had 2 wonky house blocks leftover, so in true 'Nicky' style, I'm going to put them into the back of the quilt, to make the back as interesting as the front!

All I've done to them so far is add a border of colourful squares, to mirror the Pippi blocks on the front.

Now for the front, the big question is............. border or no border?

It is currently flaunting at a respectible 62" sqaure, I'm just not sure if putting binding straight onto it would look right. 

What do you think?