Building Blocks

DH managed to put my Longarm quilting machine back together.

He described as playing with giant Meccano ;)

 And he did a good job.

It's all back together and it's even had a test run!

I made up a little quilt last night,

quilted it tonight.....

and will hopefully get the binding on tomorrow night...

Just in time for a very quick gift that is needed for

a colleague expecting a baby.

Not sure why I went for frogs,

but she knows she's having a boy

and she has such a cool design and dress sense

I thought she could 'do' frogs ;)

***** 

Here's a shot of my machine.

She's a big girl with a 24" throat on a 12 foot table.

The last time I sewed with her was the day my Mom died.

I have missed them both the last few months

but I'm ready to sew again 

even if I'm not ready to feel better about my Mom just yet...

 *****

I took this photo to show the quilted top,

the black spotty backing and the paper pantograph used

(stars and loops again - one of my favourites for a boy!)

*****

My parting shot is of the part of the living room 

where my sewing table used to live.

All my stuff (ok, ok most of it)

is out of the living room and in my 'studio' now.

It's Complicated....

... but finally my Longarm quilting machine

is 'home' with us!

We have sort of been between houses, deciding what to do

and so my Longarm has stayed where I was not until yesterday!!!

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have it back.

My new studio feels smaller as I have to share

with the laundry and the general garage stuff,

but the fact that it's pretty much in the house rules out all those minor problems.

I can use my limited time better now without having to drive to the old studio etc.

(And I can always do the laundry while waiting for my machine to warm up ;o) LOL)

*****

The two tractor quilts are now flimsies

and are waiting to be longarmed.... 

The quilting will really make them so much better.

I decided against borders as they are only lap quilts....

The one on the left is for a younger boy

and the one on the right for an older boy.

I'm raring to go on my Longarm so must dash and get myself sorted!

Happy Easter

Hello Blog My Old Friend....

.....It's time to talk with you again!

I don't quite know what's happened to me.

I've always been busy, but my life has reached new levels of busy-ness.

February just flew by with a trip to sort out my Mother's flat

which turned out to be a mammoth task...

We're awaiting a shipment of sentimentality soon...

[I was reading with Miss Kalico the other night

and she saw a picture of an aeroplane and she said:

"Mummy went on an aeroplane to Africa. It was sad" :'( ]

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I keep wanting to take photos of things I'm doing,

but the change in Seasons means that if you blink you miss photo weather....

(Spiderwebs get worked on now and again....:)

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The biggest change after my Mom passed away

was that I got a part time job.

I needed a job, the lack of sleep 

and the horrible flashbacks were making the days and nights very difficult.

I think Mom would have been pleased....

It's just a few hours a week with a lovely bunch of people

and a great boss (this may sound a bit creepy,

but when you've spent the last decade looking after your kids

you need a special job with great workmates 

and an understanding boss to break you back in ;o) )

Sewing has taken a bit of a back seat,

except I still sew pretty much every evening (as I always have).

I have been working on 2 tractor quilts....

And I finished my 'Luna Lapin' kit

from coolcrafting.co.uk

 I don't normally buy kits, but this one is so cute.

She's been adopted at work,

so I have made her a 'work' outfit:

 with fabric from our Spring/Summer ranges....

and tiny heart buttons on the back.

*****

There has been much Easter crafting in this house:

And Easter baking:

I love letting Miss Kalico decorate the cake herself:

And 'to the victor the spoils' so to speak

*****

I will try not to leave it so long.....

.....until next time xx

Sorting Fabric

I have been trying to sort out some fabric

as I move it into the new studio...

I had help with the little pieces...

"This one's my favourite" she said!

Then low calorie refreshments were served...

Before fabric was stroked, twizzled

and sorted....

 (Obviously) only after she went to bed

was any fabric order restored.

(And inspected!)

Butterflies & Boys. Befores and Not Quite Afters...

For some time now I have been appliqueing these butterflies

over papers and making them into cushions.

(2 such cushions got donated to the Village auction

in aid of school funds.)

I'm a real English Paper Piecing kind of girl

and that's how I like to applique too...

As usual, a few grew into many 

so I'll probably put them together into a(nother) quilt.

I thought I'd make a few blocks for quilts

for boys.

So I have been playing around 

with a tractor design that works well over papers....

I think this one should work.

Now to make a few more....

In the meantime,

my wonderful DH has been working on my new studio..

 Whitewashed walls, new floor....

I'll share the space with the utilities...

But there's plenty of room for my Longarm quilting machine.

(All 12 foot of it!)

and storage for fabric.

And the view will be very pleasing!

When we lived on the farm,

I always joked that I wanted to escape FROM the country.

I do love the country, but being in the village is so convenient.

Looking forward to being able to post the 'After' pictures of my studio.

Wordless Wednesday - (New/WIP) Studio View

Snow days and 'No' Days

We've had a bit of snow,

not enough as far as the children are concerned.

Enough for me!

And not enough for snowmen

(hence our snowman's nose being eaten ;o)  )

*****

Miss Kalico's friend had a birthday 

- apparently the birthday girl liked her custom bag!

BUT Miss Kalico is not so sure 

about some other things..... 

I told her that I had made her another dress....

 Her response: "Why?"

Oh dear, guess I'll not mention 

that I made her 2 skirts as well!!

Kids, eh?! At least the hugs are worth 

the lack of interest in my garment sewing!!! ;o)

Making More Memories

I have so many wonderful memories of my Mom,

so many little things that make me think of her...

I hope my daughter will have the same...

She likes to sit on my lap when I sew...

But more than that she loves to 'snip'!

Crazy, but true, I trust her to 'snip' the chain threads

on my quilts and blocks.

Start them young! :o)

*****

I have been trying to get another UFO to flimsy stage.

These are the blocks laid out for Bonnie Hunter's 

Criss Cross Applesauce pattern

from her book: Scraps & Shirttails II

And here is the top

(without borders)

laid out over my sewing machine.

The snowy and wet weather is not great for photos,

but I'll get one soon I hope.

*****

I'm also trying to get another UFO finished.

This is my BQL Ostrich started in 2006.

I started hand quilting this years ago

and I had contemplated finishing it on my Longarm machine,

but I'm just sitting in front of the TV in the evenings

adding a few stitches to it as and when I can.

Hopefully it will get done soon

because I remember now why I don't like hand quilting!!!