Slow Blogging + Fresh Sewing Day = not much to report!

Well, it’s taken me forever, but I’m beginning to have some more energy.  This post is combining the wonderful Slow Blogger's linky over at Knotted Cotton with the equally wonderful Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing day:

It hasn't been a fab month really - what with hospital and pneumonia and concomitant steroid crazies -  but this month I’ve managed my Designer Challenge for Christmas Fat Quarterly – I think I can give you a sneaky peek:





Other than that it’s just been EPP really … I’ve been slooooowly working on my gingham project and I’ve finally started to applique them to wonderfully soft medium weight dark grey linen …

Some of the blocks are Lynne@Lily'sQuilts wonderful Georgetown Carnival 








… while others are just grandmother’s hexy flowers …





There are some square blocks and giant hexies too, but you’ll have to wait for them …



I also made myself a kindle sleeve in about 5 mins flat using some Echino and some gorgeous wool felt – exposed inside seams and everything, but it does the trick and looks great!




So much so that I started a few more for gifts … (but without the exposed seams this time!)





All in all not a tremendously productive month, considering this is usually my solid month for sewing, but I blame the steroids and antibiotics! They've pretty much rendered me useless other than very very slow hand sewing.


… go see what other more on it peeps have been freshly sewing here … or revel in some guilt free slow blogging here !

Fresh Sewing Day – June

Ho Hum … not a tremendous amount of sewing going on this month, but it’s been ages since I linked up to Lynne@LilysQuilts Fresh Sewing Day, so I thought I’d just jump on in  with something that's been so yummy to make …

I finally finished top and backing (linen and scraps) for my shotton dotton cotton quilt using my oakshott shot cottons charm pack and my own polka dot charm pack … this is going to be quilted with double lofty batting to make it really squishy …

Photographs really don’t capture the glory of these fabrics! I'm going to spray baste the little darling this week, so maybe I'll manage a finish next month!

Other than that, really just spending time pootling about with EPP …

What have you created this month?  Link up here and go show some support at the Small Blog Meet too … 

2011? Tick! .... Fresh Sewing for 2012

I'm linking up with Fresh Sewing Day over at Lily's Quilts today ...

I wasn't going to do a review of my sewing stitchy piccy year, but I'm really posting this to remind myself that even when I look back at 2011 and all I see is a totally ghastly year, there were some good things that came from it!  Not least the community and support from all of you lovely people :)


This year really was full of sewing and learning for me.  Well, the first half and then the last month, to be more accurate.  Work got the better of me, as well as ill health, so creative productivity crawled to a halt some time in September.  But, that said, I think I made some good stuff this year, amongst some not so good stuff, and all the unstarted stuff in my head. 

Clicking on any of the pics will take you to the flickr set and links to tutes etc.

I wrote some tutorials: One for Lily's Quilts Hexalong, three for Accuquilt Go! Baby, and one for the Fat Quarterly Designer's Challenge!  Woot!



I took part in some great swaps - Make Mine Modern, For the Love of Solids, DQS10 and Brit Quilt Swap.

I love swaps … they allow me to practise new techniques. 





I received such delightful wonderful things in my swaps - thank you to all you lovely people who make things for other people (you can see them in the bottom of the booth shots for each swap). 

My favourite quilt this year? … Lynne @ Lily's Quilts wonderful Angel Quilt for the Brit Quilt Swap!






I discovered that
I really enjoy embroidery and applique! 

Who knew?









I hosted some great giveaways & the Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge, with help from Melody Miller, Backstitch, The Eternal Maker and Accuquilt - thank you so much!






Ooh, and you all got to interview Melody Miller! 
How cool was that?!!



I only made three full size quilts this year !! One of them was for ME!  I love my Ruby Star Spring quilt more than anything I've ever made … I also made Pingwheels of My Mind for my niece and a giant Lynne Bob Square Pants for my auntie … I practised HSTs like there was no tomorrow … I'm almost ready to make some more … almost!

I played with photography a bit too … there were some great opportunities, like the Zombie Walk in Brighton, and White Night, as well as just everyday moments to capture.  I also re-homed a new cat, Kitsune/Manny - a wild tearabout of a Maine Coon.  I bear the scars.



And, as ever, I start 2012 with a trio of WIPs!  The orange tree is nearly finished, the Gentleman's Relish quilt is shelved until I can get some more grey linen (I busted it on lapkins!) and my beloved Bletchley Quilt - only 4 weeks until the deadline!  Eeek!

So, that's an end to the self-indulgence!
 
Today is the first of a new year, so there are creative and living and loving and photographic opportunities to grasp with both hands … 

Wishing you all 366 (!!!!) days of happy crafting ahead …

Don't forget to check out Fresh Sewing Day over at Lily's Quilts

1.10.11 .... mmmm binary ...

Oh good grief ... that's another month gone and a not very brilliant sewing month for me.

However ... It is the first of the month and this month that means two things ... Day One of Blogtoberfest 

And ... I AM linking up to Lynne@LilysQuilts Fresh Sewing Day because the ONE thing I made this month I love more than anything I've made before ... My Ruby Star Spring quilt.  On MY bed ... teehee ...  

To try and divert your attention away from the fact that it's the only thing I've sewn (other than a pencil case and some bee blocks which I can't show you yet!)... I'll just bore you all with the photos again ... 

... from fabric to quilt ... 

So, if I were you I'd get along over to Lily'sQuilts ...where other people have been a load more prolific and inspiring ... and you can spread the love by visiting some lovely new/small bloggers, like Trudi or Catherine.

And then, if you're not all exhaustipated and needing to lie down with a lavender soaked hankie, you should go and see some lovely Blogtoberfesters too!!

Happy Saturday!  

August! What a month …

Today I’m linking up to Lily's Quilts and Fresh Sewing Day.

I’ve had quite a busy month … I’ve been sporadically on holiday (yay!) and trying to fit in a load of sewing (double yay!) … as well as celebrating my first blogiversary last week!  (triple yay!)

I put in some long, long, hours of mad improv piecing for my ruby star spring quilt … which is now ready to quilt, despite the interference of the cat!  I’ve tried machine quilting it but my machine just can’t handle all that linen (it has a completely linen back too) it’s too heavy and too slippy and it looks ghastly, so on with the perle cottons it is!  I like a sofa project ;) 

There’s no deadline on this quilt as it’s for ME! (this will be my first full size quilt for me).

I also finished my Pingwheels of My Mind quilt for my goddaughter. using the wonderful Happy Mochi Yum Yum I won over at Lily’sQuilts :

Then I went a bit bonkers barmy for my For The Love of Solids Swap .. I started with fibonacci sequences and then mixed it all up. 

The quilting was even more bonkers … I used 3 bobbins for all that cosmic chaos quilting!  I’m going to sit and bind this tonight …

I’ve also been working on some hexies for the 4x5{modern}bee on flickr:

... and a little bit of test knitting (shhh don’t tell anyone)

with this wonderful linen & some variegated yarn I’ve had for yonks:

What a month! 

And now it’s time to get on with my Bletchley Park Quilt:

... be sure to pop over and support all the lovely people linking up for fresh sewing day …