Have yourself a merry Cherry Christmas

My new boss is a Christmas freak. No kidding, she's obsessed. I did not know this in the interview - it might have changed things.....
I have now managed to add fuel to that fire, at the same time as selling my first quilt - how exciting is that!
My Cherry Christmas quilt that I started last year and couldn't finish because of a poorly sick Janome is now finished, quilted (although not without great fabric-creeping suffering) bound, rolled up and tied with a big red ribbon, and delivered.

And she couldn't be happier! I took it in on Monday after my week off and every time I turned round (she sits behind me) she was cuddling it! It is now apparently already in use on the sofa, and an order has been placed for a table runner, 6 placemats and coasters.....


All I have to do now is make another one for me.....

Quilt stats:

• Size - 58" x 58" roughly
• Fabric - Cherry Christmas by Aneela Hoey with Kona White backing and binding
• Pieced and quilted with Aurifil 50wt, quilting at around 1/4" - 1/2" apart

Posted with Blogsy

Wish it could be Christmas everyday!

At the ripe old age of 17, I had my appendix removed. While I tried to downplay the pain and other symptoms in a bid to avoid surgery, my dad was berating the surgeon who was suggesting the appendix be left to 'grumble' in the way that they liked (notwithstanding the risk of bursting and causing peritonitis....... I never understood that logic).

"Where the heck is she going with this and what does it have to do with Christmas?" I hear you ask. Well, I had to abandon plans for Christmas gifts in the week before the big day because I have a grumbling sewing machine. It only does it when there's fabric going through it (ie not when winding the bobbin or pulling the bobbin thread through) so I'm guessing it's something to do with the foot. It clearly needs a trip to the chiropodist!

I've noticed today two blogging friends talking about Cherry Christmas and one of my abandoned projects was a simple 10" square quilt for one of my sisters and her two children. It pieced ok, but the quilting made it look like the Himalayas!

So it had to be unpicked, which then lead to a tear and a tear or two of frustration! Luckily, it's near the edge so I can hopefully quite simply unpick it and replace the torn square. I've decided that as I replaced the quilt with DVD at Christmas, I have all year to get it finished, and so I'm going to hand quilt it.

I've got a couple of other Christmas gifts that need finishing by this weekend though, and so I'm hoping my machine will just get those done before it goes for a service. Think I might need to invest in a spare!

ermmm.. remind me, when's Christmas again?

Next week, you say?  Ah, well I might need an extension on that - I still have umpty-billion presents to make, and today I decided to start a Christmas quilt for my sister and her two children who will miss Granny terribly next week.  It's a simple Cherry Christmas, 10" squares patchwork, and I'm sewing crazily to get in the post on Friday!

I also have wallets, make up bags, bottle bags to make and another quilt to finish.  The little change purses I was making to go with the wallets will have to wait (as might the wallets!)

I'm also supposed to be making a santa suit for a basset hound.... yep, my family are bonkers.

As well as all this, I'm working full-time and finishing off the planning for a party for 145 on New Year's Eve that we have to do.  

But in the middle of all this insanity, today I heard this on the radio, and I had to go and look up the lyrics.  And then I cried.... a lot, and now everything's slightly blurry....

Jealous of the Angels - Jenn Bostic

I didn't know today would be our last

Or that I'd have to say goodbye to you so fast

I'm so numb, I can't feel anymore

Praying you'd just walk back through that door

And tell me that I was only dreaming.

There will be another angel

Around the throne tonight

Your love lives on inside of me

And I will hold on tight

It's not my place to question

Only God knows why

I'm just jealous of the angels 

Around the throne tonight

You always made my troubles feel so small

And you were always there to catch me when I'd fall

In a world where heroes come and go

Well God just took the only one I know

So I'll hold you as close as I can

Longing for the day when I see your face again

But until then

God must need another angel 

Around the throne tonight

Your love lives on inside of me

And I will hold on tight

It's not my place to question

Only God knows why

I'm just jealous of the angels 

Around the throne tonight

If you haven't heard it, go and look it up on youtube, iTunes, wherever, it's beautiful.

August's been a busy month!

I feel a bit of a fraudulent Slow Blogger this month, because I have actually not only done a fair amount of sewing, but also had time to blog stuff, too!  In fact, if I look over my archive, this post makes August the joint top month in number of posts!

However, there are two very good reasons for that - distraction and convalescence!  And I can assure you this mega-activity probably won't last once I'm back to work full time!

Finishes this month include:

• Sew Stitchy and Cherry Christmas reversible sewing machine cover - see it here
• Summersville Go Anywhere bag - that's here
• Summersville wallet - that will be over here
• Yet another Summersville bag - it's turning into a bit of an addiction, as this post shows - by the way doesn't the lining photo in that post remind you of a shark mouth...?
• and lastly a project for someone that I can't show you yet as it is destined for big things, but which more than tested my sewing superpowers, but I did win out in the end!

WIP's are mainly my raw circle applique quilt, which is coming along really nicely.  Am loving the colours and enjoying hand quilting the free-style spirals (well, spiral-ish!).  I've given this a plain red backing and I'm thinking of binding it in orange magic beans, but that's yet to be decided.  And then there's my fabulous brown batik challenge that I need to get finished to show my friend Charlotte I can work with anything...

Photo bottom right courtesy of Canoe Ridge Creations

Plans in mind include something interesting to do with the Ruby Star Vinyl records, when I hopefully get some; making a start on my niece's third birthday quilt using the Sew Stitchy panel, some Heather Ross fabrics and whole load of other bits and pieces; joining in the Japanese Charm swap and working out my block and fabric requirements for my bee month in November - I want to do something similar to the block Megan showed on her blog although whether they'll turn out quite so gorgeous remains to be seen!

Lastly, a small matter of a paper pieced block to make before the next LMQG meeting on Sunday - for someone who professes to be a slow blogger, I don't half like leaving things to the last minute!

Linking up with Catherine at Knotted Cotton for the inaugural Slow Bloggers linky party & shamefully doubling up for Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day.

A little charm goes a long way....

Yesterday I was in need of distraction thanks to some unnecessary and unwarranted stress following my pre-op assessment at the hospital.  So I had a bit of a tidy up in the sewing room.  I always find that so soothing, although it never stays tidy long - I'm such a messy worker!

Anyway, amongst the piles of fabric to be sorted and returned to their rightful places was a Sew Stitchy charm pack.  This is Aneela Hoey's new line, and I was lucky enough to have been given some bits of the fabric for my birthday from which I fashioned a sewing kit and so I thought what better use for the charm pack than a sewing machine cover.

My Janome has a very utilitarian white plastic cover, and I thought a pretty colourful quilted number would be just the ticket.

I took the easy route, I admit, and made a very simple patchwork design out of 28 of the squares - choosing which 28 was the hardest part!

(As you can see from the pictures, I have another soothing evening ahead of me as I clean up yet again...)

The colours of this line work so well together, and as the designs are all pretty much multi-directional, anything goes.

I used simple white twill ribbon for the ties, as I love it when the fabric comes tied up in bundles with that ribbon, and it seemed to be a good extension of the Stitchy theme. 

However, once I'd whipped up the front, I got a bit stuck with the lining.  Should I go Aneela a-go-go and line it with girl on a tree swing, or use some fantastic Tula Pink fabric I recently found skulking away in a rather odd fabric shop, or go totally bland and line it with Moda white.....  I pondered this for several minutes while staring into space.... then I drank a coffee and ate almost a whole packet of fig rolls....  then I had a mini-row with the hospital (possibly not a good move, am now hoping I won't end up with anaesthetist's equivalent of waitresses spitting in your food... I'm kidding!  We don't do that.... really, we don't) then I went back to staring..... and then I realised what I was staring at....  

Now, admit it, who doesn't do the biggest amount of sewing at Christmas? All those last minute gifts, and seasonal decorations?  So what could be a better lining than a Cherry Christmas scrappy affair?  My little spaniel helped me pick the fabric and sort the layout - she kind of lay on bits of it which meant no more changes to that bit!  I had to add a white border too as the scraps I had didn't quite match the Sew Stitchy front.

I quilted it all really simply, using the Sew Stitchy side, I quilted in the ditch around the charm squares and then did a further two lines either side of that row.  I like the way it shows through on the scrappy side too. 

And it might well be true that a bad workman blames his tools, but let me tell you when a bad workwoman gets the right tools, all kinds of miracles are possible.  Look at this beautiful unpuckered quilting,all thanks to my lovely friend Kelly and the walking foot she very generously gave me on Sunday.

And I think that turquoise hexy fabric is my favourite from the whole line.  oh, with the exception of the panel... You have heard about the panel, haven't you?

Learn to embroider with Aneela Hoey

At the Fat Quarterly Retreat in June, I was lucky enough to get a place on Aneela Hoey's embroidery class, and a great time was had by all there!  So, after much deliberation,  Aneela has decided to run another class, scheduled for 15th September.

The details are up on her blog, along with the opportunity to book one of the 10 spaces on a first come first served basis.

The class fee includes a signed copy of her fab new book (I've had a sneaky peak, and trust me, it is FANTASTIC) along with a proper lovely catered lunch and the best chocolate brownies in the universe.

Of course, the best bit is probably the 5 hours or so of one-to-one attention and guidance from an embroidery whizz, and the chance to learn new skills and stitches.

So, please hurry on over to Aneela's blog now and book your place.

Look forward to seeing you there......

Getting ready to convalesce in a treasure trove...

I'm a terrible patient!  From mid-August I will need to be off work for a whole month, and when combining my huge levels of impatience with my control freakery tendencies, it's going to take something pretty amazing to keep me out of the office. (Granted the inability to drive will help - I will be quite easily left stranded!)


Anyway, I am making a list of projects to work on to try and keep me busy.

Firstly, towards the end of this month, beginning of August I should be able to get my sticky mitts on the much coveted Ruby Star Vinyl and I have a couple of things in mind for that. Thinking about that made me remember I needed to go and check if The Village Haberdashery's pre-sale offer is still on....


while I was thinking about that I got an email from Annie about Cherry Christmas, another covet, and if there was anything I specifically wanted.... 'where should I start?' I thought. So off I went to check the website and see what there was to choose from...

While I was there, I started exploring - what else could I find that would be useful... I started thinking about my two on-going projects, one a Christmas present for someone, and the other my colourful, migraine-inducing raw circles quilt!  They both need wadding purchased for them so I can hopefully have them in a suitable state that i can do some hand quilting on them during that month.  Lucky for me Annie has that in stock too, and just the right size, much more reasonably priced than I've bought it in the past, too!

Then I spotted the embroidery and needlepoint section.  I was thinking about taking some embroidery into hospital with me to while away the 3 days.  I've got a Sew Stitchy plan for my niece's quilt which would include some embroidery of Aneela's designs, but I don't think that fabric will be here in time.  I wondered what kits Annie had, and was besides myself with excitement to spot these Emily Peacock 'Kiss' and 'Hug' kits - I've been coveting these since I saw them on the Kirsty Allsopp TV program, but I thought I'd missed out on them.  Not sure I can afford the two of them, but might stretch to one to keep me occupied!


What can I say?  It has become clear this afternoon that whatever you need for all kinds of projects, Annie is your woman!  Her customer service levels are second to none, and your stuff is sent out super-quick in fantastically cheerful dotty bags that you just can't help but smile at.  So if you're a fan of internet shopping or have never tried it before for your fabric and quilting supplies, do go on over and give The Village Haberdashery a try.  


I, meanwhile, have to go off and negotiate a small mortgage so I can place my order for all the things I just won't be able to get through August without.....

Covet of the week....

So a few years ago now, in fact in 1998, I was lucky enough to be visiting friends in Sydney in July.  I'd been there the Christmas before too, and had the surreal experience of Christmas cards depicting snow scenes and model Santas and sledges on green lawns in 40' heat.  However, during the July visit my friend introduced me to their concept of Christmas in July, when all the stores did big features of Christmas decs etc at a time of year they felt was more wintry (still 25', sitting on the beach, came home with a tan...)


It's been really great this year then to see a whole flurry of Christmas in July activities in the quilting world, and my Covet this week is no exception!  With photos kindly provided by the designer herself, drum roll please........


Cherry Christmas!

Aneela Hoey's first Christmas collection for Moda, the range includes a whole host of funky Christmas images - Santa's washing line, snow shakers, dinky little Christmas cards,and some fantastic presents and snow balls....  all in juicy seasonal colours that somehow add something a bit different. I have never been one for wanting to make stuff specifically for Christmas before, but this range has changed my mind, and I have a huge list of projects in the planning bit of my brain.

Take a look at this fantastic vintage holiday quilt on Aneela's own blog, and then there's this lovely one by Rita on Red Pepper Quilts.  

Appetite whetted??  I had an email this morning to say the fabric is now available for sale over on Fat Quarter Shop - race you......