Cards Anyone?

I'm in 2 online bees at the moment (trying v.hard to resist a third!).

This month in Sew Bee Happy, we were asked to make a card trick block in red and aqua.  And here it is:

This is now winging its way to Leona in America.

Thank you for all your well wishes for my daughter.  Her ankle is still too sore to walk on, but the swelling is going down, and she is adjusting to a more sedate way of life (sometimes!). 

My hair is still intact (just!) because I have a date with these 4 to look forward to tonight!

Oh yeah baby!

Make Mine a Skinny!

Skinny sashing that is!

I couldn't delay my niece's cushion any longer, so I just had a go with the pink scraps I already have, rather than buying new (thanks everyone for your brill suggestions - I was druleing over all the beautiful collections and links you gave me!). 

I've been wanting to try Elizabeth Hartman's Mod Mosaic pattern for ages, and this gave me the opportunity.

Some of these pinks are recyled items, curtains etc., the gingham I've had for approx. 100 years! and the rest are mostly leftovers from other projects.  And despite there being quite a few different shades of pink here, I think they kinda work together, and meet the criteria of 'pale pink'!

I was going to put a button holed envelope back on the back (my button holes need the practise, or rather I need to practise my button holes lol!) and buy some delicious girly pink buttons.  Jury is still out on that one, mainly because time is running out & I have a new complication in my week (see below)!

I've also decided to stay 'skinny' with the sashing on my Stained quilt (now more appropriately named 'Stained Blue' - thanks Nicky!  Hadley's suggestion is unprintable!) and will make the outer border larger instead.

Well, today was the first day of the Easter school holidays, and guess what happened?

My footie mad daughter had day 1 of her much loved annual footie camp, but ended up in the Minor Injuries Unit with a very badly sprained ankle.  No footie (or anything else for that matter!) for 2 weeks!  To make matters worse, she had been invited to County level football trials tomorrow night!  Bummer! 

So our Easter break looks a little different now, with the daughter who can't sit still having to sit still for 2 weeks!

I wonder will I have any hair left by the time they go back to school!!

No Fools Here!

It's been a busy March!

Not everything you see here has been blogged about yet, but I'll get around to it eventually!

Linking up to Lily's Quilts Sew Fresh Sewing Day.

Btw, can someone tell me why Mosaic Maker auto crops some of my pics, and how to stop it?

Wanted! Wonky Homes for Pippis

Don't you think March has hurtled through at an alarming rate?

With the end of one month comes the next block for Bee Blessed!

Thank you everyone for your cuter than cute Pippi blocks.  You can see most of them here.
Don't they look quite the dysfunctional perfect family!!

And yes, we even have a set of twins!

If you are still planning on making a Pippi block, there is still time - we will never turn away anyone from our Bee Blessed family!

We thought these Pippi blocks would look great in a quilt alongside some wonky houses, so this is what we are setting as the April Bee Blessed block.

There are several great tutorials out there already (thanks Nicky!), so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel on this one (and apologies for not having an example made for you to see)!

Improv. pieced house by Unruly Quilter
http://www.unrulyquilter.com/tutorials/wonkytown.pdf

How to draw your own paper pieced house by Free Patterns by Sophie Junction
http://blocksnswaps.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/how-to-draw-liberated-house.html

All we ask is that you keep the background/sky in white, and add a little bit of grass or ground at the bottom of the house.  As always, please square your block to 12.5".

The rest of the colour scheme and style of house is up to you!  Have fun with our April social housing project!

And I'll leave you with some pics of our progress from today's gathering of Bee Blessed:

Man Quilt Top

Sampler Quilt Top

Jelly Roll Quilt - completed

Blue/Pink Log Cabin Quilt - completed

Beatrix Potter Cot Quilt - completed

April Brit Bee

Firstly, 'thank you' to everyone for your thoughtful comments to me this week.  I've been pretty shattered and a bit stressed out lately, and v.much enjoyed some much needed time off yesterday.  It was heart warming reading your lovely well wishes, and I'm feeling much more myself again.

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April marks the final month in the first year long Brit Bee!

It's amazing to think that a group of 12 women, unknown to each other, were formed this time last year out of the first Brit Quilt Swap.

We have become firm friends, sharing the highs and lows of life, and are hoping to continue the bee on into another year.

The super talented Jo is Miss April, and the theme she wants us to work on this month is 'Circles'.

Now I'm not known for my love of circles and curves, so I decided to grab hold of the nettle and get on with it!

I got my package of yummies from her this morning, and by this afternoon I had made this:

18.5" x 22"

Blanket stitch applique in coral thread, and satin stitch applique in invisible thread

Jo gave us the choice between making 2 x 12" blocks or a larger block.  As the piece of background linen was 18.5" x 22", I decided to go with one larger block.  And while the centre piece isn't technically a circle, I wanted to maximise the gorgeous Heather Ross fabrics, and a more oval shape fitted the proportions of the background better.

I hope you like it Jo!

I've also managed to get all my Stained QAL blocks done:

Just the internal sashing to put on now and I'm thinking wider outer borders. My nephew is a rugby player, so yet another sizeable quilt required! 

They make 'em big in our family!

Off to class tonight - can't wait to show you some amazing Value Quilt pictures!

Spring Greens (& other colours)!

I've decided I'm going to enjoy today!

The week has been stressful up to now, and it is robbing my joy of this beautiful weather and season.

So I'm taking the morning off from 'work' (I even had a lie-in, on a school morning - gasp!) and am going to slowly potter the day away.  Just what my (self-diagnosing) doctor ordered!

I've already been out in the garden, enjoying the new bursts of spring colour:

And talking of bursts of colour, I have some pics to show you of our progress in Bee Blessed:

First up, another sampler quilt in green and orange:

Doesn't this one just shout 'Spring'?  Just the back to get pieced for this one and it's ready for quilting.

And Sarah has been beavering away with the orphan blocks (the ones leftover from earlier projects), making up the cutest pram blankets:

The dino quilt was a panel kindly donated by River Fabrics, which has quilted up brilliantly into a cot bed sized boy quilt.

There are a few more still being worked on, and we meet again on Saturday, so I'll have another progress update for you then.

Also, I'll be posting the details of April's block at the end of this week - watch this space!

And now I need your help!

I would like to make my niece a cushion for her 14th birthday next month, using the Mod Mosaic pattern by Elizabeth Hartman.

But my niece's bedroom is pale pink and white, and my pale pinks are sadly lacking.

What collection would you recommend I choose from that fits my criteria, of not being too babyish, but suitable for a girly 14 year old?

All suggestions gratefully received!

Have a great one!

Big Deep Breaths!

I've had a really stressy day so far.  But I don't want this post to become a rant, so I'm working hard at keeping things in perspective, taking big deep breaths and putting it all down to being tired!

I'm pleased to say that yesterday I managed some non work related sewing, and got my no.3 blocks finished for the Stained QAL:

At this moment in time, I'm so tempted to push all work sewing aside (not the first phrase that came to mind) and carry on with the no.4 blocks for Stained QAL.  They work up like a dream, and that would take me within touching distance of getting the quilt top finished!

But at the moment I'm sitting in the sunshine, hoping that there is some scientific evidence that topping up your vitamin D increases calmness, sanity and world peace!

Bit much to ask for I know!

Onwards and upwards!