12 Days of Christmas

Hazel (http://hazelsworldofjoy.blogspot.co.uk/) has sent a lovely parcel of goodies for the 12 Days of Christmas swap organised by Jo (http://jo-throughthekeyhole.blogspot.co.uk/). The little packages are intriguing shapes, they are not numbered, so it will be interesting to see which shape I go for first on the 25th December.

Here they are this evening, under the angel tree on the landing.

I am just finishing off another swap for a mugrug, to go the States.
I will post photos tomorrow.

Friday Night Sewing

Saturday morning, just before 10am. the weather is grotty, raining and overcast. So as usual my excuse for the poor photos is bad lighting.
I managed to finish hand sewing the binding on the two place mats. The colours are more vibrant in real life, I enjoyed the simple leaf quilting with Finca no 5 variegated thread. It shows up better in good light.
I also used the leaf print to back the Halloween project from last week, to make it reversible.

I am hoping to sew again today, in between housework.

Wooooh

I actually finished this on Friday, ready for my grandsons' party on Saturday. It was a printed panel I found in Bury St Edmunds in September. I decided, because I had left it so late, just to quilt the mock blocks. I used Insulbrite for the batting and a autumn leaf print for the backing.

They had a merry time with their friends, nothing scary, just fun.The panel is much brighter in real life, the orange dominates.

Reach for the Stars

Reach for the Stars was the quilt pattern for the virtual retreat I joined last Sunday till Thursday. I have not finished my quilt blocks yet, I had problems with my flying geese. I need to sew three more.
Here are blocks one and two. It was raining when I took these photos and I put the blocks on a sloping surface, which has distorted them.

The retreat was organised by The Quilt Pattern Magazine which I subscribe to.

Another coffee mug rug.

I have a lovely new purple computer, new purple mouse, so what's stopped me from blogging! Mostly a busy year on my allotment, my best year yet.

 I have been sewing and I will take photos to prove it.
Just to see if I can remember how to post, here is the mug rug from left over triangles.

I had been sewing on my Singer 222K, now I'm giving my 201K a workout.
It can certainly zip through fabric, I will use it for a while as it's rather heavy to lift up to the desk.

International Quilters' Day

I know it was yesterday but I didn't get the binding sewn down in time.
A Sentimental Quilter kindly had the pattern on her blog yesterday. I seem to have lost a few points and it all looks a bit wonky. My tea mug is happily sitting on it now and from across the room it looks okay.

I am still only on Rosette 1 but it is growing. I cut some pieces wrong and have had to fudge it abit.
Now back out to the greenhouse for more planting.

Rosette 1

Here is how far I have got with the first rosette, not very far.
It is the lovely design of Katja Marek, her New Hexagon - Millefiore Quilt-Along. There are some wonderful rosettes by other quilters, using pretty fabrics.
I am lucky enough to have some beautiful fabric from Archie the Wonder Dog's give away. My local quilt fabric shop, Quiltessential in Cromford, Derbyshire is stocking the full range of solids, so I can eke out the patterned fabrics.
I am way behind, as the second rosette is now available.
The blocks are from The New Hexagon book, some with adaptions.

The snow has melted but it still so cold. Time to get back to Dick Barton special agent and sewing