And the winner is...

...ME! Ha ha Just kidding, I'll draw a name tomorrow (the 14th), but in the meantime I won a gorgeous mini-quilt on Hedgehog's blog. I am thrilled to bits and it came with all these great goodies too.


I also received a book I won on Kate's blog (this was one of Kate's Manic Monday offerings, and I've already gotten stuck into reading it) Kate also sent me some super-cool shoe fabrics.
Thank you both for your generosity.


Today my lovely husband took me to Embsay Mills near Skipton to buy some fabric for my birthday tomorrow. He asked me what I wanted, I said I know I have a room full of fabric....., but I have no yardage. I'm doing Bonnie's Orange Crush Mystery quilt and have asolutely no yardage for it.

And this is what I bought:
One Fat Quarter of lovely brown stars, I did want to buy more of these lovely brown stars (which were in the sale bin), but they only had this one FQ left (yet again no yardage!). I'm sorry, but birthday or no birthday I am not paying almost $20 for a metre of fabric!


Here are my 4 patches (clue one) for the Quiltville OC Mystery.
While I was sewing these I got a bit carried away and made over 180 and then I started sewing more four-patches for my Mom's quilt. While doing this I started digging in my stash in an attempt to sort some fabric out and scrabble together a bit of yardage (i.e. fabrics that from afar might pass as the same) and instead I unearthed some blocks Kate P had sent me for Project Linus UK which became (with a little help from my stash):


I also found some leftover blocks and squares from another Linus quilt I'd made. So I made another top, almost the same as the one I did last year:


And if you can keep a secret, I'll show you the top I've made for my mother...

She chose the colour scheme and wanted a Double-Four Patch type design. (I say 'type design' as I got a bit confused and ok, it's got lots of four patches...but not many doubles). I plan to quilt this myself as it's only a lap quilt and she says she likes quilts soft and underquilted - I can manage that LOL.

More travels, a quiltshop and road trip ramblings...

We have just returned from 2 days and nights at the hot springs in Montagu.



It was wonderful and because DS1 gets up pretty early I took him for a pre-breakfast swim both mornings. (DS2 came along on the second morning) We were always among the first people there besides the pool cleaners. Nothing like a warm dip before the sun comes up!





It's quite a drive to Montagu from Knysna and there are 2 routes: the R62 which is much longer, but more scenic or the N2 which is quicker and not so scenic. I convinced DH that if we went the N2 as he wished we would have loads of time to visit a quilt shop I had read about on the SA Quilter's Guild website. He obliged so off we went to the 'Hilltop Quiltshop' in Swellendam (a roundabout way to Montagu, but not too much out of our way). Sorry no photo, but this is what I bought. I did remarkably well as Carool who owns it doesn't stock a lot of fabric, but she did have these fabulous African prints...


(...and a few rose prints too)

The next day we strolled around Montagu, but a lot of the shops were shut (being Saturday afternoon.) I had read about this little fabric shop called 'Lapland'. It had this gorgeous hand made sign outside...



Inside they were stocktaking, but kindly let me have a little look. It stocks mainly dressmaking fabric, but I found this cute African fabric and a few iron on badges for DS1's clothes (Just had to get the Union Jack!)



Also in Montagu... an art gallery with a Christmas tree


decorated with teapots and teacups



Security is an issue in South Africa, but here's how to do it 'Montagu-style'




I came home to discover the cleaning lady had thrown one of the boy's quilts in the machine. It washed remarkably well according to DS2's inspection LOL


This quilt was made by my friend Ria and the boys both love it.

The great British seaside

Today saw us taking a train to the seaside.

It was DS2's first ever train ride so it was very exciting LOL. Here are some pics our first ever trip to Morecambe Bay...



It was bl**dy freezing and the wind was blowing a gale, poor Toby took shelter in his pram,
but Jack and his friend took no notice of the elements
No self-respecting seaside trip would be complete without a cup of tea...

or an amusement park!


And for me, of course no day is complete without something sewing related. I purchased this dinosaur fabric, not thin enough for patchwork, but it may make the boys some nice curtains or bags or something. Oh and I bought some bag handles, but I'm not sure where they are now... oh, and the dotty background fabric is a piece of pvc-coated fabric for our kitchen table. Oh, and...just kidding!

On the actual sewing front, I have been using our old bedroom to cut strips for my next few projects (hopefully never to be UFO's!). A while back I collected butterfly fabric for a project for my DSIL, but then she changed her decor to brown...

I have brown LOL

Spot the difference

Anyone got any good ideas for some big navy triangles? Don't ask, just don't ask!! But I managed to cut them too small, first cutting the most enormous squares and then cutting the diagonals only to find when I attached them that I hadn't added a seam allowance! I can't believe I did that - although now I am pleased, because that means that this scrappy quilt gets to be even scrappier. I have used bits of my absolute favourite colour: plum. I didn't have one big piece, but I used my raspberry (or is it plum LOL) Fossil Fern piece that I was saving (not sure what for), some plum stars and some other plummy purples. I am a few triangles short so feeling virtuous that I am not buying backing fabric because I will be piecing a scrappy back, I placed a little order with Chris for some other plum stars. I hope it will arrive tomorrow, so I can keep the momentum going on this quilt top.

Stash and grab

Yesterday I met Chris at Embsay Mills to pick up my quilts. She did a fabulous job on Toby's First birthday quilt (deadline October).

It's just a simple all over design, but I'm very pleased with how it's come out...

Now I just have the binding to do. We have had new carpet laid in one of the converted rooms in our building site, er.. um I mean house, but it was a great place to attach the binding and Toby gave his new quilt a test run at the same time....



Chris also basted my Ostrich and as soon as I've finished handquilting the heart quilt, I'll get going on it.


Because Jack has the pox, I couldn't bring him in the shop, so with both kids asleep in the car, I ran around the shop and 'grabbed' this little lot. It felt like a 5 minute trolley dash LOL...