Scary Scrappy Houses

I have completed a UFO!!!

Toni sent me these cool Happy Scrappy House blocks. I doctored some of the windows and doors to make them more scary for DS1 and have machine quilted it in metallic varigated thread that I won some years back in a raffle at Birgit's Quiltfest. (Time to win another raffle as I'm out of this thread now LOL - or perhaps I just over-quilted with it??)



Here's a close-up of the quilting. I tried some words. I have never done words or much machine quilting, but I am really enjoying it.



I definitely need more practice and I also just need the hanging sleeve or something like that and it's done, done.


I've been having a little play with the leftovers of some charm packs. I robbed the charm packs of roses and then thought that some of the rest of the fabrics would make a few small Autumn wallhangings...



It's still in the 'play' stages... I cut the pumpkins out free hand then I tried a bit of hand stitching and machine stitching of the felt pumpkins and just played around... These were fun. One will be a very mini gift for the hostess of the annual Halloween party.

We just did not 'do' Halloween in South Africa when I was growing up so I've got some catching up to do :-)

And for those who wonder how I sew at all in this house, here are the gruesome details:

We have lost our 'dining room',


(here you can see my friend Vicky and I sitting at the upstairs kitchen table perusing patchwork magazines on the last day the table lived upstairs.)

but gained some stud walls and a skeleton of a bathroom.


Oh well, at least my scrappy houses are finished! :-)

New York (& German) Beauties

I have fallen behind on all my BOM's while being away. Because the New York Beauty goes together as a wallhanging I thought I'd better get cracking on catching up. Also there are 2 a month. I didn't do October before I left so that means I have something like 14 to do just to get back on target...

Here is C1

This is C5

This is E3 in progress..

But this is DH in progress!!!!

I feel the loss of my sewing 'space' is imminent so I better get my sewing skates on!

I have lots of handquilting waiting for me so I won't be idle while I have no access to my machine. In fact as Ruth handquilts her African quilt I get more and more driven to finish DS2's baby quilt. OK, I know he'll be 2 this year, but things got in the way..

Here he is!

I went to take the picture of the hole in the wall which is next to my sewing space and turned around and the little guy had found a place to play. He doesn't mind the mess (much).


My friend Birgit sent me an amazing birthday present today. Boy was I spoilt again!!!
A beautiful 'treasure' box covered in Batik fabrics:

plus a huge bundle of batik fabrics and more chocolate than I can eat in a night LOL.

Thank you so much Birgit! The fabrics also came with a pattern.

Also in the box was my Walburga. Each year Birgit hosts a Quiltfest in her shop in Germany. This year it's on the 26th of July (so if you're in the area do pop in). Each year Birgit also gives out a free pattern. Last year it was a paper-pieced flower by Ula Lenz for a charity quilt and the year before it was the Walburga pattern (also by Ula Lenz). (see her online shop under 'Kostet Nix!' for the patterns and conditions)

Anyway here's my Walburga:

Bit of a self portrait really especially with those hips LOL.

All hail the humble tote

I entered some of my 'handicraft' into the village show... I wasn't going to after I heard a story on the radio the other day of a lady who entered her Victoria Sponge cake into the local show and even though she was the only entrant she came second!.... but I thought maybe this would be an opportunity to meet more crafters and it's just a bit of fun anyway.

The results...
In the 'handbag' section...

I was really surprised that my lowly tote won a first.


In the 'sewn item' section...

this little wallhanging came second
and my patchwork puzzle balls came third




I also managed to sell 'the cube' (which I didn't enter) to one of the organisers,

so not a bad day all in all LOL

No sewing today!

We have been visited by the chicken again!

Toby has chicken pox - the nasty little spots came out today. Last night was very disturbed so I have nodded off each time I had to put Toby down for a nap instead of doing anything creative today. In fact, I had to cancel all the days plans... coffee with a friend, lunch with another and any chance of finishing the hospital quilts I started last night.

Trying to see the lighter side of it, I thought I'd show this little chicken wallhanging from a BlockBuddy Spring/Summer wallhanging swap from last year. I made 2 from a pattern called "Silly Chicken" by Quilterscache and received a beautiful bird wallhanging in return for the one I sent off to swap.

So no sewing, but a few photos of the countryside, caught on the way home from nursery and just before the big rains have started! Jack enjoying some tractors!



These beautiful foxgloves are all over the place - here they're swaying in the wind...
Some of our neighbours sheep
A barn outside our closest village