The Treehouse

My Garden Block 3

Almost missed posting this - we've had a buy day today. Catherine and I bowled in a competition which started at 9.30 this morning. It was a lovely relaxed affair and we really enjoyed it. While that was going on Matthew was playing a football match (they won this week - yeh!) I had another game of bowls left to play when John came to pick Catherine up to go to kayaking - phew! what a busy Sunday. We've just come back from a lovely meal out altogether, it's been a really lovely day and the sun has shone as well :D

I've not stitched the little snail on yet - I'm seriously thinking of giving this quilt a wash once it's complete as there are a few pencil lines that I need to get rid of and it won't be good to wash it with the lovely buttons in place. Now - there is a HUGE mistake on this stitching, quite funny really and I did notice before it was too late but I decided to leave it as it is...what is it though?

 

I think it's not too obvious really and I decided that it didn't matter. When I was tracing the pattern, I was thinking how feint it was showing through the fabric this time...the reason for that was because I had the pattern the wrong side up so my tracing is back to front, lol! I think it makes for a unique quilt! I'll be having some time with the sewing machine tomorrow to put its Courthouse steps on and then this can go into the box with the other 3 blocks.

I spent a lot of time with a Scandinavian Christmas block yesterday - it isn't finished, there is a HUGE amount of stitching in those blocks...maybe sometime this week it'll be completed.

 

Beehive Sewing Book

This turned out beautifully, I love it! Would it be considered a new project altogether if I were to make the scissor holder this week? Hmm, lol!

 

Here's the finished cover - I didn't have the bird button on before. I used the same fabric that I used for the door to bind it in - I wasn't sure about it at first but now I think it's just right!

 

Here's the inside - filled up with a little Blackbird Designs cross stitch that I've got underway.

I may be forced to stitch again today as the rain has put paid to all of our outdoor activities. I'm so very tempted to join in with Jenny's bird cage weekend

 

  

but that would be a new project wouldnt it? I may need to make a little adjustment to this no new projects rule, lol!

 

Friday Night Sew In - September

I had a bit more than a Friday Night Sew In - I had a whole Friday Sew In :o I had booked a class at Patchwork Chicks - the quilt was so pretty, I couldn't resist and part two is on my birthday so it was meant to be, lol! I had the tricky job of choosing fabric for the quilt before I set off for the class of course, always a nail biting experience for me. I had been tempted to buy some Park Avenue...I have a couple of fat quarters already (they're destined to become a cushion) and really like the fabric but...I was looking at my stash of French General and it looked a bit neglected - I've only made a bag from it so far, and so I decided it was time to cut it up! 

Yesterday in the class we got started on the centre applique panel and I managed to fussy cut the bird for the centre of the design...here's the progress so far (I'm itching to do more)

 

I managed to put together everything from stash for this quilt except for the large outer border, it finishes at about 54"x54" I think. The rest of the quilt is made up of 4.5" squares some of which have stitcheries of quilt block designs in them. I did make a start on a stitchery yesterday but there isn't really enough done to show just yet. I did buy a metre of the beautiful blue bird print from Rural Jardin for the outer border - it's my absolute favourite from that line of fabric.

When I got home John and Catherine had an evening of kayaking planned and Matthew was communing with his friends on Xbox live so I was all set to carry on sewing :D

I had brought a couple of little bundles of wool felt home with me - needed for Lynette Anderson's Beehive Sewing book. Patchwork Chicks sell great little bundles of felt for £2.50 which is much more affordable for projects that need only a little bit of felt than buying great huge pieces. I was eager to play with the felt so I did...

 

and these were the result!

I had already appliqued the beehive onto the front of the book and done the stitchery on it - I'd come to a full stop though because of the lack of felt. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out - I would have carried on to finish it off last night but a) I was shattered and b) I had forgotten to buy a magnetic clasp!

I'll be slipping off to the market while Catherine's having her hair cut to get one so that I can finish this off later on. Since I stitched the My Little Heart block for August I seem to have added a bumble bee obsession to my bird obsession  -  I have a few more bumble bee things in my stash to make at some point!

So that's my Whole Friday Sew In - I had a fabulous day, it was a lovely treat and I'm already looking forward to the next one and seeing what everybody else got up to with their needles and thread last night. 

 

 

My Garden Block 2

I've had this block finished for a while now and should have posted its picture yesterday so I'm a little behind - in my defence, we had a busy day of bowling, football and kayaking yesterday and I just forgot about this picture altogether.

Love the birdhouses on this one. I've got all the bits ready for the next one which I collected from Fobbles last week - the button is a very cute snail.

 

I wasn't well at all last week so I got very little sewing done indeed. I'm on a mission this week to finish some things off - there's a list of course. It's a list that I'm going to plug away at and not allow any new starts until these tops are finished (note :  I didn't say quilted!). The only exception to my 'no new start' rule is the quilt that I'm starting on Friday at Patchwork Chicks :blush: 

 

Exciting Times

There was something of a stitching hiatus while we were on holiday - not because I had been disorganised and forgotten to take my stitching along with me but because the light in the lovely cottage we stayed in wasn't good enough to stitch by in the evenings. I think I'll have to get invest in one of those portable OTT lites for next year as we're planning to go back there. I did do a little stitching and almost finished this month's My Garden block, I think there is a daisy or two left to do.

We were only back one day from our holiday before it was time for me to jet off up to the Lake District with Jen to take a couple of classes with Lynette Anderson. We spent a lovely couple of days at Fobbles, stitching away and getting to know Lynette who is a very talented and lovely person indeed. It was such a pleasure to see her wonderful creations in real life...we were allowed to touch and stroke too! I did take some photos but probably not as many as I ought to have done. We had two beautiful projects to work on - the first being a book cover and a pencil case featuring Badger Cottage and the second project was a lovely Christmas table runner featuring Santa, his sleigh and some reindeer. 

 Tomorrow night is the Friday Night Sew In and I've fancied joining in a for a little while now so this month I've taken the plunge and decided that I'll finish off one of the Badger Cottage projects - would be nice to get the stitchery completed and made up into a pillow (I've decided not to go with a book cover) and maybe the pencil case started...we'll see how it goes!

~*~

Oops, I promised photos didn't I? Here you go...

I'm ashamed to say that I can't recall the name of this one - just the fact that I fell in love with it, wanted to buy the pattern and wasn't quick enough before it sold out! It's going on my wish list, it's gorgeous. Muddy Flowers may be the name. (that's Lynette's arm in the corner there!)

~*~

  

Now this cute little number was Jen's favourite...must admit, those snowmen were super cute.

~*~

Oh now look at this - a whole dresser full of scrumptiousness here. Second shelf - first two items...those were the projects for our first day featuring Badger Cottage. I fell in love with the tree on it, it's beautiful. Now, I wanted to buy the pattern for just about everything on display but after I'd given myself a good talking to and Bev had assured me that she would be keeping a fine stock of Lynette's patterns I bought the pattern and buttons for the beehive sewing book and scissor case (okay, I didn't stop there, I'll point out the rest as i get to the photos!)

 

 

~*~

Poor, poor Edna - I went and asked her about 50 times if she had put the pattern for this beauty in my bag - there was NO WAY I was going home without it! Somehow, I've managed to never see it before :shock: there are birds a plenty on there and look look look at all of that gorgeous Rouenneries. I have the stash to start on this quilt right now...how often does that happen? It was meant to be! 

~*~

 Your Home or Mine this one is called. It's a block of the month. It's irresistable. I didn't come home with it. Only because Bev is contemplating doing it as a BOM next year though :grin: (it's got a windmill on it, that's my favourite block of all but they're all super cute).

 

 

~*~

Here's Lynette (look at her fabulous trousers), she's opening up a present that Bev made for her - it was a beaded scissor fob. Now behind Lynette is the table that held all of the goodies from Lynette's brand spanking new book (yes, I got a signed copy whoop whoop!) The book is called It's Quilting Cats and Dogs and is a must buy item. There are also some pieces from Rainbow Cottage on that table - I loved those, such beautiful soft colours and pretty designs. I came home without but it will find a home here one day in the future :)

~*~ 

A Kitten's Tale.

What can I say?

Stunning, just stunning. I spent two whole days sitting right next to it.

It has pinwheels and kittens and suffolk puffs. I will make it. One day!  

We're in a bowling competition on Sunday so I need to polish up my bowls and go and get some practice in and hope that the weather keeps fine, bowling in the rain isn't nice! I've a little video to post soon of some kayak action that took place while I was off sewing.