Loving a bit of Holiday Sewing....

The best part about going on holiday,

besides being by the sea,

was staying in a cottage with no internet!

This meant I got a chance to do

LOTS of handquilting.

I started this quilt in 2006!

(Eeek! that IS 10 years!!!)

It's is my 'BQL Ostrich'

The story of it can be found here: 

http://sewkalico.blogspot.co.uk/2007/05/ufo-of-week.html 

I don't hand quilt much anymore

when I can longarm quilt my quilts

in a matter of days.

But it is very enjoyable now and again

to have something in your lap

while you unwind 

from a day of unwinding on the beach ;o)

What's happening here then, eh?!

My war on my UFO's continues...:

I have sewn together my NYB blocks and am now contemplating borders...

Black with cornerstones or piano keys of multiple colours???
I may need to think about this for a bit.

Then I have started work on my Cathedral Star blocks again.
Like Lisa, I also don't want this to be another UFO!


Just a few more star blocks to go...

I have also completed ALL 12 super-size Jared takes a Wife blocks...

... but have stalled with the sashings...

DH continues to finish up his Do It Himself UFO's...
This time with laying super new flooring and finishing up the dining room/study...

And DS1 has taken up the trumpet.

In an attempt not to curb his enthusiasm,
I will refrain from wearing my earplugs when he can see me :-)

You Can Say 'Du' to Me...

I have managed to get my hearts to 'top' stage.

After my inspirational trip to Quiltville in Germany :-), I have been on a bit of a UFO mission. Hence the state of my sewing table:

Slowly, slowly it's looking a bit like Spring around here...

The temperatures don't feel like it though...

...and the mornings are still quite frosty.

While in Germany, I had the good fortune to attend the Black Forest Quilter's Guild meeting which hosted another Trunk Show with Bonnie.

There was also a raffle which is not normally open to non-members, but as I had brought along two prizes for the raffle, I was allowed to buy a ticket. A winning ticket it appeared! I chose this charm pack:
Great colours and perfect for a scrappy quilter! (Thanks BFQG)

I also had the opportunity to briefly look in on the BFQG 'Virginia Bound' course with Bonnie the next day...

Wonderfully messy and creative tables...

Bonnie & Birgit...

It was wonderful seeing everyone's colour choices. All so different...

On to shopping!

Birgit's shop is a treasure trove!

oohh, aaahhh...

Gorgeous plains and marbles...

Such yummy spots *drool*:

While visiting other special German friends on their farm... my friend pulled out a quilt I had made absolutely yonks ago (at least 12 years!!!) using a panel. (shame on me!!)

These friends also have a farm shop.

At this time of year they sell these coloured boiled eggs...

They also sell their own regular eggs, their own meat...

Their own home-made beverages...

and all sorts of other farm produced products.

So that should conclude my German photos :-) I certainly enjoyed my trip.

I hope it's not too long until I pay another visit.

How many?

Q. How many new projects can you start and never finish?


A. Too many!


Q. How many UFO's can you then dig up and start thinking about again thanks to reading quilting blogs?


A. Only one (this week!)


Q. How many fabric pieces can you get over papers while waiting at the hospital?


Only seven! :-(

But I can starting putting 20 kgs of weight on my leg so hopefully I am slowly on the mend :-)

19 months later...

..and I'm ready to add the binding to DS2's BABY quilt.

Ok, so he's 19 months old, life got in the way LOL
Actually now he'll probably get more use out of it as one doesn't have to worry about baby's regulating their body temperature etc.

Here's the back...

I didn't have enough teal fabric for the binding so I've decided to go scrappy yet again as I am not buying any more fabric!

All I have to do now (after I've put the binding on!) is to decide what to handquilt next:
The +/-20 year old 'monster' I started when I was at school with my Mother's help..



or My BQL Ostrich from 2006? Basted by Chris and ready to go...



The monster is King-size and I've already started a bit of the quilting and the Ostrich is much smaller and only 2 years in the making. Both are UFO's in need of finishing. What to do, oh what to do...

ps we have a new gate..

perfect for dispaying quilts...

The swing of things

I have not been posting much as you may have noticed. 'Crazy' Grandma and 'Grumps' have arrived safely from the UK so we drove down to Cape Town to meet them. Then we spent a few wonderful days in Franschhoek eating lots of yummy food at lots of different restaurants. The highlight being lunch at La Petite Ferme restaurant with stunning views over the Franschhoek valley. The lowlight being crickets jumping on the dinner table at another not to be named restaurant!

As always we visited the Aquarium while in Cape Town, the boys just love it and the sharks don't really mind that we're there!

I have been working on squaring up the monster with the fabrics that we bought at The Quilting Bug.
DH has informed me in no uncertain terms that he does NOT like this quilt. Mom if you're reading this, sorry, but there you go. I will not be discouraged and will try and finish the darn thing LOL.
This is not my colour scheme, but I find it so interesting and a challenge to get it done (Never mind all my UFO's back in England!!!)

I have also been working on my rose hexagon scrappy quilt.

A week or so back I visited a shop in George called Quilttalk (can't find a website) and bought a few small pieces of rose fabric which are already incorporated. If anybody reading this woud like to swap rose fabric for African fabric, please email me (sewkalico at yahoo dot co dot uk) or leave a comment. 4" squares or larger are what I'm looking for and I can swap Shwe-Shwe fabric or anything African...

As I am suddenly able to upload photos, here are some of the boys for my family and friends (who don't sew, but read this blog when they can bear it LOL)

This one for Aunty Jane....

Busy, busy, busy

Things conspire against me daily as far as blogging goes LOL. Today I had time to blog, but had left my camera in the car which DH had borrowed and I thought I can't blog without a picture... I will find one to add to the end of this post as now it's too late and too dark to photograph the lovely fabrics Josie bought me on her holiday in China. Luscious silks (and cottons too) - very nice and many thanks Josie.

I have also not sewn a stitch as we have been out and about for the last 2 days and I'm exhausted... I could have worked on my bear paws for a swap, but I couldn't face squaring up 160 x 2 and 1/4" blocks for the claws! I will do them tomorrow!

So here's my pic to spice up this post...

I started this UFO when I lived in Germany. It's a Lone Star from a course which I did with Magda Goldbach. I didn't manage to get the squaring-up pieces in on the day (or even cut them!) and I never thought I'd be able to do them myself so I just left it. I'm sure I could probably manage them now, but I'm also wondering if I should finish it up as a tablecloth or a bed quilt or even a wallhanging... I fancy a bit of applique if I add white squares to it, but I'm not sure right now. Decisions, decisions LOL. Perhaps I'll wait for the next BQL Ostrich challenge (see mine from 2006 here) to do something with it....

I'm never going to do this again

This is one of those projects (UFO's!) I wish I had never started!

My quilt group decided to make these 'executive toys' at least a year ago and I thought, "Hey, this sounds like fun".

Well, it wasn't, it has taken me ages, but today while visiting my DSIL I decided it just had to get knocked off my UFO list.

The photos don't really show it off well, it looks better in action as it is not 5 different toys, but one toy made up of 8 cubes covered in 6 different fabrics.

I'm pleased it's done, I hope Toby plays with it, but I will never make another (ever!)