Little gems....

There's a few things that have been said to me in blog comments over the past couple of days that have either made me laugh out loud, have brought back memories of happy childhood times and made me realise why I chose a certain covet of the week, or just made me think twice about the simplest things and the way they make other people feel.

So, the first one is Jan's (Isisjem) comment about having a yellow telephone like the one in Melody Miller's Ruby Star Vinyl - it made me remember that we had one too, back in times when I was much younger, still had both mum and dad, and life was very much simpler.  I can even remember the number still, which my dad taught me just in case I ever needed to answer the phone at age 4!  It was Chesterfield 78688, and it was our number till I was 14, by which time life had already changed in a way no child's should.  


Then there was the reaction from Annie about being covet of the week... well, the fabric she stocks rather than her personally!  And a designer yesterday, who I emailed asking if I could use some images of her fabric on a covet post next month, and who told be she was 'excited to be officially coveted'. I'm in awe of these people, and it's amazing to see them being made happy by my little covets!  That's made me smile again.


And then there's Susan (Canadian Abroad) who I exchanged some blog reply emails with yesterday, and who made me laugh out loud and who I hope won't mind me sharing this with you:


Susan: "I just used up my allotment of brain cells in one day which left me buggered for the rest of the week."


Me: "Welcome to my world! Every week's like that in my house! :-)"


Susan: "Someone should put the cells into one of those little pill boxes for me so I can dole them out in equal amounts through the week."


Now, how many of you would like one of these brain cell pill boxes once we get them patented..... 

Covet of the week

It's hard to know right now just what I am covetting the most, there is so much out there to be covetted!

For now, let's start with Ruby Star Vinyl by Melody Miller.  You all know how much I loved the Ruby Star Shining typewriters, and I am totally besotted with the amazing sofa that was on Melody Miller's stand at Spring Market.  And then today, into my inbox drops a newsletter from a certain online fabric shop, with news that this line is in the Coming Soon section.  I just don't know what to say!

So, now it's time to start planning what to make with it.  I saved my typewriters for something special which was eventually a 241 tote.  So whatever this gorgeousness is used for will have to be equally special.  I think it's going to be a quilt, but what pattern, that's the question.......

I also think I need to buy up a bit more of the Ruby Star Shining fabric while it's still available - can't help thinking I might regret not having more when it's gone...

All of which will no doubt make Annie very happy!

A little sewing kit

Remember these Sew Stitchy fabric pieces that Aneela kindly gave me for my birthday back in April?  Well, just before the FQ Retreat I decided I needed a sewing kit. Blogland was covered with Zakka style kits all made with greige linen (sorry, I know this is heresy, but it really doesn't do it for me and it was everywhere!) So I decided in my contrary way, to look for an alternative.

Firstly, the tutorial, and I found this one by Amy at Lots of Pink Here.  It seemed to have all the necessary and desirable bits of a sewing kit, and so I decided to cut into my Heather Ross campers fabric and make one up to take to retreat.  After about an hour I was looking for something on the top shelf in my sewing room, when an envelope fell down and hit me on the head.

Talk about a eureka moment!  This was the envelope of fabric I'd placed there for safe keeping, as I was saving the Sew Stitchy to make myself a sewing machine cover in due course. It's kamikaze leap from the shelf and assault of me between the eyes seemed to be a sign however, and with a blinding flash I realised that was just the fabric from which to make a sewing kit!  Quick aren't I??? 

So I started with the pins for the outside cover, and quilted with a lime green thread in random lines to match the random pin placement. I really enjoyed that bit - the freedom of just sewing wherever I wanted!

I then chose the chain stitch for the lining and the turquoise robins for the pockets.  The lime green french knots then offered the perfect binding.  I decided not to add the strip for thread spools, mainly because to be honest I was running out of time!  But I did add the scissors pocket and the needle book.  I used a scrap of wadding for the needls as for the life of me I couldn't find the white felt I was sure I had!

Last was the bit to make to tie it closed.  I could have made it from some of the fabric, but I realised there was something far more perfect.... 

One of the things I love about buying fabric on the internet is when it arrives tied up in a bundle with white twill tape - like a little present.  For some reason I'm sure I can't understand I seem to have quite a few of these parcels (!) and I thought if I used some of the tape it would be like opening a present every time I use the kit.  

Here's the finished article, and it did the trick a treat at Retreat, as well as causing quite a few envious glances!

I've got a couple of other bits of the fabric too, and I have two particular projects in mind for when the full line is released.  One is the afore-mentioned sewing machine cover, which I want to use the super-cute hexagon print for, and the other is a quilt for my niece's 3rd birthday....  But I can't tell you more about that yet, as that's going to be using a very special fabric in the range and I think that is still a secret at the moment.  I can't wait!

The excitement of a new garden

In July 2007, we moved into our current house.  Remember those terrible floods we had that year?  Well, the day the heavens opened is the day we moved and I thought I would never be dry again!  Needless to say after several weeks underwater, there was not much garden wonder to behold.  But I knew the received wisdom for a new garden was to wait 12 months and see what you get.


The following year, some foliage appeared.  Looked bushy for a few months, but no flowers, and I had no idea what it was.  It died back in September time I think.


2009, it came back and with it a couple of buds.  No flowers though and again, a few months later it died off.


2010, back again and this time four buds.  They opened up into relatively small peonies and I was beside myself.  I LOVE peonies, and I happily cut them as they were weighing the stems down so much, and as soon as I did that, they died.  Ah, I thought, bad plan!


So in 2011 I bought bamboo canes and tied the stems up, so the 8 buds this time wouldn't be spoilt then they opened.  And open they did and they were gorgeous.

This year, then.... we got foliage and buds and then boy did we get rain, and I thought we'd lose it.  Then we got that little heatwave and we got more buds but I still thought we'd lose it, so I watered it.  And then, oh my, we got this beauty.  And this was the 4th flower to open, I didn't get chance to photograph the first 3 before more rain got them.  and we also have these...

I'm mesmerised by how the flowers on the same plant are differently patterned - see this one has deep pink stripes down some of the petals rather than the deep pink centre?  This year we have had some 20 buds on the peony, 16 of which have so far opened, the remainder of which are trying very hard.

But this one is my favourite and I can't help but think it's crying out to be a made into a pattern for a cushion cover.  So any of you clever sorts who can see a picture and instantly conjure up a pattern from it, give me a shout and tell me how to do that, please!

Damn Blogger

So, I've spent all flamin' afternoon trying to pretty up my blog - change my blog header to something a little more fancy etc etc etc.  It has to be said not only am I ready to throw my laptop at the wall, but I'm seriously disenchanted with Blogger, and the way you can't preview fairly major changes like a new header, nor can I find the header I changed from.  So after several hours' work, my blog now looks worse than when I started.

In the words of Queen Victoria, we are not amused.

Harumph!

The last hurrah!

So, where were we....

Oh yes, Sunday.  I didn't get to hang out with everyone on Saturday evening for various reasons, but I was back bright and early on Sunday morning for my foundation paper piecing class with Lynne.  Now, I have done some of this before, with the double wedding ring wall hanging I made for my sister and her new husband, and my Good Friday wrestling match with my beach scene mini.  We had a choice of 3 patterns and unknowingly I picked the 'advanced' option!  Yep, I've done it before but I'm far from advanced level.  So, double circle of flying geese it was...

Anyway, I'd chosen Countdown to Christmas for my fabric and after a really tricky initial hour trying to manipulate my brain into the backwards thinking necessary to work out how the heck* (insert own expletive here) to accomplish this method, I managed to block out everyone else and concentrate hard on getting my first 1/8th of the pattern done.  When it came to starting the second eighth, though, my brain got a bit complacent and I made more errors. In the 3 hours of the class and part of lunchtime I managed to put the two triangles together and make a quarter of the full design.

I'm determined to finish the full cushion cover before Christmas, although I may need to spend a lot of time asking Lynne for help!  Just so you can see how tricky the pattern was, here's a glimpse at one part - admittedly this picture is upside down, but don't let that conceal it's complexity:

Anyway, lunch provided a welcome chance for the grey matter to recover, and to catch up with the LMQG girls and compare notes on our morning's achievements.  After lunch was the class I was secretly looking forward to more than anything, which was wonky log cabins with none other than Quilt Dad himself, John Adams.  I loved John's tutorials when I first discovered them, they were so clear and detailed, and it's my comfort block - when I want something easy, fun and enjoyable to make, it's a wonky log cabin I turn to.  Again I used Countdown to Christmas and actually put a bit of thought into the arrangement of the fabrics rather than the more usual freestyle choosing from a big heap!

I was really pleased with how this turned out, and am looking forward to adding a solid border and quilting it ready for a jolly festive sofa in a few months!

All too soon, it was time to hit the road, cram myself into a packed tube train and head home.  It was sad to say goodbye to all the lovely people there, some of whom I didn't get anywhere near enough time to talk to.  And I cannot wait till next year and have started putting my pennies in my piggy bank to save for my ticket for 2013. 

As promised, more on the FQ Retreat

So I promised to tell you more about the weekend, and the best place to start seems to be with the brilliant name badge made for me by Kelly who is one of my fellow LMQG members. 

As anyone who reads this blog may have noticed I'm a big fan of American Jane's Pezzy Print, and Kelly came up trumps.  There was a great selection on the front, funky tube map fabric for the lanyard and wonderful Melody Millar viewfinders for the backing.

It was perfect and exactly what I would have made (if I'd had the fabric!) and I love it!  I am getting some funny looks wearing it all the time, mind.....

On arrival at the retreat we had to pick a raffle ticket and we were given a goody bag.  Now, I never win at raffles... actually I never win anything - raffles, giveaways, lottery tickets, bets on the horses... - so I nearly didn't even bother leaving the bar for the draw!  I'm so glad I did in the end as I won a jelly roll.

Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air is about to be one of my covet's of the week (yep, it's being dangerously reinstated, so my favourite fabric shop can start stalking my choices and stocking them in time for me to purchase!)so to be able to choose the circa 1934 roll was great.  I can't wait to make something with this, but it's going to be a winter project, and I have a potential recipient in mind for it....

I'll tell you more about the goody bag later - don't want you getting overloaded with jealousy! 

I took 4 classes altogether, and they were all fantastic.  Two were trying something I'd never done before - one of which I really loved and the other I will probably not be trying again.

I made this little pin cushion in the freezer paper piecing class.  It was hand sewn in my beloved pezzy, although it did have a slightly psychedelic effect.  This wasn't my favourite technique to be honest.

In the afternoon however, Aneela had the pleasure of trying to teach me and 34 more competant people, the delights of embroidery.  Reader, I loved it!  I'm so proud of my little robin, and loved the packet of flosses which Cosmo were generous enough to send to Aneela for her willing pupils.  Here's my attempt.... 

Aneela laughed when I told her I intended to make this the central square of a wonky or crazy log cabin cushion with her gorgeous Cherry Christmas range which is featured on her blog today - go and have a look, it's scrummy - Santa's laundry, snowglobes and snowman teapots, roll on July! 

Anyway, it's bedtime now, so Sunday's excitement will have to wait until tomorrow....