Just thinking aloud here

My brother is a wonderful guy. He is charming, funny and quite persuasive. He has a few catchphrases that he uses to get his idea across without you realising he's doing it, unless of course you know them (luckily I know them LOL)

He always says: "Here's a question for you..."
The answer is always pre-determind unless you fall for it...

He also always says: "I'm just thinking aloud here..."
Then follows another pre-determined idea. Living so far away I miss those catchphrases and I love the way he uses them to help me find a solution to something.

Not that I need a solution, but having a blog allows me 'think aloud' and to remember special times.

So I'm just thinking aloud here and I'm thinking of 'another' project for my to-do list!...:
Many years ago (pre-kids), my Mom and I used to go on mini-breaks together. One year we went to Istanbul. Wow! What a beautiful place. We had a fantastic time and because I had worked for a gorgeous antique carpet and textile magazine that had connected me with many people in that city, our holiday was even more special. One amazing treat was being taken around the non-touristy parts of The Grand Bazaar. There we ate in local eateries and got taken to secret rooms off the beaten track to be shown textiles. I worked on the sales side of the magazine so don't profess to know my stuff, however one thing many of the dealers repeatedly said was: "buy what you like, not because you think it's an antique!" I bought a small textile that I use as a bedside table topper.

I love it! It has a velvet centre and cotton patchwork border with what look like some Ikat pieces.

The backing is a Russian cotton (I believe)

and I just love the primitive stitching, the 'quilting' and the colours.


One day I plan to re-create it (without the velvet), but in the meantime I enjoy it and the memories it holds.

The Mac is back!

At last a new charger! To replace this damaged one:


I hated not having my computer, but I did gets lots of other things done *LOL*

This means I can finally thank Kate for an African block for our swap


Kate also included some goodies... the dog paw print is for the boy's dog quilts (WIP's!) and the roses is because I just lurve roses! And the Black & White leaf print is because Kate knew I had my beady eye on it! Thanks Kate!

(While I was typing this I looked down and look at this!!

The fabric on the left is from Kate and the fabric on the right is my skirt *LOL*)

Also in the post this week, a magazine and some great bits (fabric, a pattern, a wonderful card...) from Wendy. Thank you for swapping with me Wendy!



Wendy and I swapped the magazine I wanted for a kitty pincushion. I had been reading blogs and everyone was making the tea-towel bag in this magazine so I had to try it...


I didn't have any nice new (large) tea towels needed so I just tried it with fabric and it's quite fun...

Also in the magazine, a new one for my 'To do list' (someday before I die *sigh*!!!)


I just love these colours and it's a favourite design too!

On the bag front, we had a leaving 'do' slash teddy-bear's picnic for Sue who has now retired...
Kids...


Cake...


Gifts...


I think it went well...




I bought myself a book. I love books. This one has great pictures and before you belly-larf (!) even if I never put it into practice it's quite an interesting read...


The weather has been abomnible (sp) and our poor garden is quite flooded


So I won't be rushing out to 'grow my own veg' just yet, but at least I'll have a little think about it LOL

I'll show you mine...

Kate and I were talking about 'doing something' with the blocks we've swapped using African fabrics. I was hoping to put some of mine together for a quilt.

On Kate's blog you can see her blocks and here you can see mine...



I started making blocks with another friend so there are a few other's to Kates...
(The 'sun' one with the orange background has been made by Donna)

Then there are a few that I have made using Carol Doak's free patterns from her website and her group BOM's.
BTW Carol has just started a blog, you can visit her here! (I haven't had a chance yet, but will do soon!!)

Then there were blocks that have been made 'just because' for Kate and I...

I seem to have quite a few so it was difficult to take a picture of them altogether (plus I'm using DH's computer so I don't know how to crop the toys out *LOL*). I'm thinking I may make a quilt using most of them, but we'll see how it goes... I hope to keep making them because they are fun to do...

I'm still waiting for a new charger, but I am being 'allowed' to occassionally check email on DH's computer when he takes a break from setting up a website for our self-catering holiday home on Thesen Island in South Africa, you can check his hard work out by clicking here.

Just to let you know...

My computer charging doo-daddy has just sparked, starting smoking and died. I can therefore no longer charge my computer. I see I have about 20 minutes charge left so if you don't hear from me for a few days, I'm here,
just computerless :-(

When I get back, I'll show you some of the African blocks Kate and I have been making. Until then I'll leave you with a glimpse of one of the kid's books that I love...

The Cockerel, The Mouse and the Little Red Hen:


Gotta love this: (click on the picture to enlarge)

Well, "I've got my sewing kit", but I don't have any good ideas about getting a Mac charger for a G4...

Two birds, one July bag...

Each month we need to make a bag for the BQL Bag Challenge to qualify for the next month's pattern. Each month I either learn something new or get to practice something I need to work on. Slowly, but surely I am gaining (a bit) more confidence to machine quilt.

Last month, I made my bag (twice) for DS1's nursery teachers. This month I was told that one of the children's playgroup leaders is retiring so I decided to make the July bag for her in Dick & Jane fabric by Michael Miller.

Here it is...




Now I have no more of this pictoral fabric left which is a pity, but it was also nice to use something that was so appropriate for a playgroup leader :-) and it's good to use stash and not just stash it LOL!

Pincushion perfection!

Thank you Caryn for my wonderful pincushion parcel received yesterday (in the hugest box ever LOL).



Caryn was my secret swap partner and she excelled herself in the pincushion stakes!!
Look at this beautiful pear!



Now how am I supposed to stick pins in this??!!!



But that wasn't all, Caryn also made me this yummy pincushion...


Good enough to eat! I love the little seed beads all over it. Gorgeous!

Still that wasn't all, Caryn had been lurking on my blog (as I had done on my partner's blog) and sent me these wonderful rose fabrics for my hexagon rose project.


They are super.

Thanks also to Linda who hosted this well-organised swap. I enjoyed both sending and receiving as well as meeting fun new to me bloggers!

Pay it Forward...

Lured by Jo in Tas's lovely blog I crazily signed up for another round of 'Pay it Forward' :-)
So this is the deal...

"I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this post requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."

So anyone want to play?

BTW, I think Jo is still looking for one more blogger to sign up, you can do that here and at the same time look at her fun blog.

"Where are the friends?"

Today I had the great pleasure of meeting Anne (a fellow blogger and friend) and her lovely family. They stopped in on their way home and it was just so wonderful to put a 'face to a name' and to get on as well as we do 'online'.

We had a lovely visit, but becasue DS1 had missed their arrival because he'd been at nursery and had been a bit confused at their departure he came up the stairs later and said "where are the friends?" So although he hadn't been that social, I think he had enjoyed the visitors as much as I did!

DS2 was a lot more social...



Here we are braving a few raindrops for a photo op with my very generous gift from Anne


I was so delighted with this beautiful quilt.


I had seen Anne making it on her blog and just loved it. I joked that I hoped it was for me, and it was!!! I have been stroking it and you know when people say it looks better in real life, well it does. Much, much better! The colours work so well together and I love all the different fabrics and the beautful applique. I pinned it to our curtains for the photo and liked it hanging up so much that it's still up in the lounge at the moment and I'm enjoying it immensely. Thank you so much Anne!


I made Anne this very little sewing caddy gift seen in a past issue of Popular Patchwork magazine.
The front...

And inside

(the reflection is off a tiny chocolate bar)


Although today (and most of the weekend) has been rainy, Friday was glorious so we went to Underley farm in Kirkby Lonsdale to "pick your own" strawberries...


DH does the picking...


DS1 does the quality control (with friend)


And the children enjoy the swings and play area...


I had hoped to bake Anne a pie, but settled for chocolate brownies and fruit cake as the strawberries and most of the gooseberries managed to mysteriously disappear :-)

A New Baby!

Today, I visited my friend who has given me a Singer treadle sewing machine. I brought my camera this time. As I took this photo my battery died!! But here she is:


Isn't she beautiful??? I can't wait until we can fit her into our house...

My 'old' baby came with me to play with all the other great toys in and out of the house


On the sewing front I have made another June BQL Bag Challenge for DS1's other teacher. Here are the 2 together.

You may notice I got the 'geese' the wrong way round on the second bag, hey ho LOL

I have also made my 2 blocks for Alison's project called Kid’s Quilts



These will hopefully go in the mail tomorrow!

On Sunday I got this parcel from my Longarmer Chris

Binding is being handstitched down at present...

When I was taking the block photos I looked up and out of my 'sewing room' window and this was my view

DH has done a wonderful job on our garden!

Home and away at Levens Quiltshow

On Friday I came home from various playgroups to clouds of dust all over the house. DH says it's not dust it's fumes from his Stihl saw.
I beg to differ...

It's dust LOL!

Saturday I had a wonderful bit of 'me' time. This is more an exception, than the rule, but a quilty friend and I managed a few hours at the Levens Quiltshow held at the Heaves Hotel. This is fairly local for me so I have no excuse but to go :-)

The quilts are displayed in the function room




and throughout several of the bedrooms


It's not a big show but there were 2 traders, a sales table, demonstators, a Quilter's Guild representaion and of course refreshments in the hotel.


Here my friend Vicky is demonstrating Robins.


It was a great day out. We did hit the sales table, BUT my purchases were so nominal that they're not worth showing :-)
(That's my story and I'm sticking to it LOL)

The pincushion has landed!

I signed up for a great swap hosted by Linda which involved making a secret pincushion for a mysterious person.
My partner has such a great name: Ginger Patches!
And Tammy a.k.a. Ginger Patches likes cats so it was obvious what kind of pincushion I should custom make for her...



On the back I sewed some 'Ginger Patches' too...



If you want to see it on her blog you better be quick because I believe her kitty really likes it too LOL

Are you receiving me!

Firstly, apologies if in the last few days (3 in fact!) you have expected an email from me or if you have left me a comment. I have diligently emailed replies and merrily sent them off into the World Wide Wastebasket!!! Turns out my yahoo! email was just not sending. I have been so frustrated. Finally after an email to yahoo!, clearing cookies, cache and my inbox it seems to be semi-operational again. I have signed up to google mail too just in case this carries on...

So, in the last few days, the only person who has received something from me has been Birgit...

I made her this fabric postcard to wish her luck for her Quiltfest in Schoenaich, Germany on the 26th of July. The theme for the day is fruit or vegetables. Birgit is a big tease and is concerned that we may not have any fresh vegetables here LOL


The big clearout has unearthed some good stuff :-) So I have upgraded my sewing bag for handquilting to this...


In its previous life it contained skin creams.
So it has been saved from the skip, but will my yahoo email be so lucky??!!!!