ouch

Well, the perfect end to a shoddy year really - on Friday night I slipped down the snowy/icy steps of the Grand Hotel in Brighton (maybe a little the worse for wine, I grant you) and promptly fractured two ribs and bruised my collar bone … grrr …

If any of you have experienced this you will know just how painful it is, and how completely useless any pain meds are, really.

Ne’er mind eh?  I’ve still managed to finish the Ruby Star Rising & Andover quilt - I used my favourite Michael Miller TaDot for the sashing …  Talk about gritted teeth …




… words can’t express how painful the basting was!!




but the hand tying and binding were fun - it took my mind off stuff pain and I did it in bed!





It’s backed with a fantastically soft brushed cottony retro swimmers print - it’s for someone who swims a lot!




Apologies for out of focus pics, but my camera hand is not that steady!

gotta love how some of the hand tying looks like under-arm hair! oops …

Anyway, I’m really pleased I’ve finished it in time for tomorrow when I’ll see the lucky recipient - I love it.

I’ve started another - for my nephew - but I’m not sure if I can finish it in time … I’ll show you a peek tomorrow :)

So, all of you out there - if there’s any snow about - be careful!  Rib damage seriously curtails crafting! 

Another quilt? Have you ANY idea what you’re doing?

Eeeeek!! I don’t know … It just kind of happened …

Imagine!  It’s just like the old buses adage - you wait for ages and then three come along at the same time!  

So, while I’m procrastinating wildly over the binding on the echino quilt, I’ve cut, and am now putting together, the blocks for this one.  

I wanted to prove to myself that I could make something fab out of the few remaining ruby star rising scraps Melody Miller sent me … I thought it would be cool to mix them with some of the Andover fabrics that I won from I’m A Ginger Monkey … 

The colours are bolder and more blocky to give the whole thing (with any luck) a strict graphic theme and tie those wildly different fabrics together.

Even back in October I never ever really thought that I would make a quilt using yer actual sewing machine; I’m just so delighted that I have learnt enough to even consider giving it a go, and then trying another one to learn more!  

I’m not up to learning the whole machine quilting at this stage, no time - am making presents after all! -  so this one will also be tied, and then big basic long stitch sashiko style quilted, with embroidery thread.  I like it.  I like the way the rigid machine sewing perfection is broken up by my sometimes wonky hand-stitching on the echino:




One day soon I’ll give the machine quilting a go, i.e. when it doesn't have to get wrapped up and given to someone else, but for the moment I’m really excited to be doing something using plains, prints, measuring, cutting and sewing!  All my crafting phobias in one! Muhwahhah ...

Phew!  And to think you lot out there in the Blogolopolis can all just whip up a quilt in a weekend ?  Ha ha ha … Sorry, let’s be more festive … Ho Ho Ho! I've got lots to look up to :)




 
 
 
… don’t forget -  click on the pic to enter my giveaway - I’ll post pictures of watchageddin tomorrow …