Ada Lovelace Day - Patron Saint of Lady Nerds! {16/31}

This post is brought to you through the power of Blogtoberfest 2012

Today is Ada Lovelace Day – a pretty amazing woman – she was Byron’s daughter and worked very closely, totally ahead of her time, with Charles Babbage, the grand-daddy of computing.  She was an amazing mathematician with great vision and a fabulous wildness about her.

Her story is amazing and inspiring and makes me kind of wish I’d been her. 

If you fancy a totally marvellous rollicking read, then I really recommend The Bride of Science by Benjamin Woolley …

If you’re not that bothered then you can still read a bit from the Guardian, here.

Or you can take part at FindingAda by nominating a woman in science/mathematics etc. who has inspired you.

 I’m seriously thinking about nominating Lynne@ Lily'sQuilts for her fantabulous Quilt Math series – binding here and sashing here so far …

If you’re just feeling totally lazy, click pic below to go to the directory of stories and read what others have written:





There’s a load of things happening to celebrate, all over the world.  There are some great links there …

In other news, it’s Tuesday and that means a pile of marking heavier than my weekly shop.  I know this because I foolishly juggled both on the way home.

How is your inner nerd?  Do you embrace it/her?

Or do you register absolute zero on the nerd scale?

(I bet everyone scores something, or you wouldn't be (a) blogging or (b) quilting ... )




Don’t forget to enter my Blogtoberfest giveaway (link below) …

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You still have until the end of the month to enter the giveaway for 12 FQs of Blitzen from Basic Grey.

This giveaway will run for the duration of Blogtoberfest – that is, until midnight 31st October UK time - I’ll announce the winner as close to November 1st as I can, to give you plenty of time to make a little something for Christmas.

International entries welcome!

Through the Hexagonal Window …

No nerdy tutorial today as I’ve had a day of cutting fabric and playing with hexagons, squares and triangles!

I started piecing with gingham for Katy@ ImAGingerMonkey’s Spring Carnival a while ago and I’d decided that I was going to applique them onto individual blocks of some beautiful heavy dark grey linen, to allow me to treat it more like a sampler quilt.

I’d like to do a wholecloth applique, but I’ve read so many posts in the past from people saying in retrospect that they wish they’d pieced in blocks, that I’m as yet undecided.










I thought I’d try using the negative space of the grey a little more …






Then Lynne@Lily'sQuilts just posted about one of her annual summer epp projects – a kind of mutant spring carnival block – The Georgetown Carnival …




So, I just had a little jigsaw play with what I had already basted … I think it’s a wondrous good idea … and with some careful fabric planning could be just delicious!  Yay! I’m thinking a mahusive, many-rowed centre piece could look pretty funky too ...




What is it about the summer that makes us all rush to the EPP?  What have you got planned?

Can you stalk a quilt?

I dunno.  Can you? 

Wanna try?

I would most deffo buy this if it were a pattern. 

Can you hear me Lynne?

And I've never ever bought a quilt pattern. 

Go hassle her here ...





photos via Lily’s Quilts

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

Fresh Sewing Day

Yay it’s FSD @ Lily’sQuilts  .. another month gone (good grief?) …


July was a busy month at work (end of term and such like) and the beginning of my holidays saw me doing a lot of preparation and planning and very little of yer actual sewing … but here’s a little mosaic of what I’ve been up to …



I did do two tutorials though!  A first for me …

One for QAYG Hexies for  Lily’s Quilts HexAlong, and one for a 30 minute Heart applique block, to help out Caroline over at Serenity Quilts raise money for Cancer Research.

On Flickr I’m signed up for the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee, and I’ve been auditioning blocks … It starts officially today, so I’ll be focusing a bit more on it from now on.

I’m also doing the For The Love of Solids swap on Flickr.  I’ll be showing you a few sneak peeks to tease my secret partner in due course ;)

Lynne has also set up a lovely initiative for new bloggers out there …

If you’re just starting out, with fewer than 20 followers you can add your link and we’ll come and give you a bit of support!  It took me forever to get past about 5 followers(!) so I think this is a lovely idea …

                          My sewing day month looks like this … eek!







For more loveliness and to add your links to either the Fresh Sewing Day or the Small Blog Meet Up head over to Lily’s ….

BritQuilt wonderfulness & the lady parts pincushion

Whoa! How lucky am I?  I’ll show you, shall I?

This morning I received my quilt in the BritQuilt Swap.  I had waited till the absolute last minute to leave for work in case the post came. When I opened my front door the box was outside!  Either a silent postman, or my neighbour took it in yesterday, dunno.

All I did know was that I absolutely didn’t have time to give it the attention it deserved.
So, I just ripped the top of the box off, to have a peek, to see me through the day, you know … and I nearly peed myself I tell you. 

You see, Lynne @ LilysQuilts had sent me the best possible “angel quilt” anyone could ever send.  An angel quilt is for when for whatever reason one of the swap partners has to drop out or postpone.  My partner Yvonne has been very poorly.  Sending love Yvonne!


I didn’t even have time to take the contents out of the box -  I just stroked it all for a nanosecond, grabbed the card and flew down the hill to work.

This is what I savoured on my return this evening:





fab mug rug, some scrrrrrrrrumptious  rubystar rising (I don’t have any left, so this was wonderful!  Also my first Sherbet Pips (totally scrummy too!) and some of the lovely post goat Japanese fabric. 

Nestling in there is an infamous piece, now known as the Lady Parts Pincushion you can read a tea snortingly funny thread here from the DQS10 that explains it all and that should give you a clue as to why I’m quite so squeaky!





Introducing Regina Phalange … This was Lynne’s quilt from the Doll Quilt Swap on Flickr, but long story short, her partner sent it back to her. I know. Let’s not judge.  Let’s bloomin frickin celebrate, cos I’ve got it!  Ha-Ha!


So, Lynne, when you said that these had come to their proper home, you didn’t know quite how right you were!  I had to stick a few pins in first,just because I wanted to know if it would feel as wrong as we thought it would.  It did.




But now, you can see the lady parts pincushion happily nestling in her readymade pink pubic heaven, and that is where she will stay.

Whodathunk a quilt swap could give a girl so much fun?

Thank you Lynne.  From the bottom of my flange. Thank you.

Happy Happy Give Me Give Me Mochi Mochi Yum Yum

Be still my beating heart ...

Lynne @ Lily's Quilts is having a fabtastic 2 FQ stack giveaway of Monica Solorio-Snow's gorgeous new line for Lecien - Happy Mochi Mochi Yum Yum, sponsored by The Fat Quarter Shop.  I've had my eye on this big time since Monica first unveiled little sneaky peeks  ... I absolutely love it.

You should see the loveliness that Monica's making over at The Happy Zombie

(Monica's using the line for her Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long! - you can see more here on flickr )

So, what are you wating for .... get on over to Lily's Quilts and be in with a chance to win ...  !

Life on Blog

Ok everyone, gather round but don’t make a sound … Shhhhh ….





We are going to see a rare creature … away from her normal habitat …

Shhhh … quietly … we mustn’t frighten her away …

… if you look closely, you’ll see her here, on one of the many great response posts to the stitchycraftyquilty blogosphere meltdown last week:

Are you ready?  Shhhh … tiptoe now …

Look …

… here …





Bwahaha!  Lynne, we are not worthy :)

Thank you for your quiet (in)sanity amidst the brouhaha  

Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts

Pinch and a Punch … it’s the first of the month …


And we all know what that means, eh?

It’s Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts … Yay! A lovely opportunity to blog hop and see what others have been doing this month.


There wasn’t much choice for me this month, seeing as I only made two things - shock horror probe!


I like making things for me that have some connection. You all know how much I loved my little Cold War Geeky trip to Berlin, and although I really love my Berlin Alexanderplatz cushion, I’d have to choose my first Charley Harper block … I've always been a real fan of Charley Harper's prints and have long wanted to do something involving them.  I loved the process, and I love the final piece.


 


So, what’s your favourite creation this month?  … go play along here at Lynne’s … and take the opportunity to see some wonderful creations from the stitching blogosphere …

Brit Quilt

I had to do a quick post about this while I’m online … and there’s a new button up there on the right - for Lynne at Lily's Quilts new flickr group for Brit quilters.

I’ve always been surprised at the lack of any real community online presence among us Brits - without ever having the brainwave of actually doing something other than moan about it - so this is such a great great idea.

It’s also really fantastic to see how quickly people are joining.  There are 67 of us already … 

Yay! Lynne, you. is. genius.

So, if you are a Brit Quilter, go right now and join Lynne’s Brit Quilt group -

Let’s see if we can get to that first 100 eh?

Spring Has Sprung! Fresh Sewing Day @ Lily’s Quilts

Happy 1st Blogaversary to Lynne over at Lily’s Quilts !!  I can’t believe the amount of fab work the lovely Lynne manages to create in the same time it takes me to make a rustle up a bit of toast and a cup of tea.


Anyway … to celebrate, Lynne has started a new monthly spot:  Fresh Sewing Day - share the blog love over at her fab linky thang - AND you get a chance to win a little something sponsored by Sew Fresh Fabrics … yay!  Go read and post your freshest (it doesn’t have to be a finished item, fabrics are ok too!)


So I’m having two pops with my link:


The first freshness is my Make Mine Modern Swap Handmade Item - All bound and ready to go … It’ll be in the post to far far away tomorrow!  Yay! I love Flickr swaps …

The binding is a lovely Riley Blake raindrop stripe from last year …

I really enjoy making binding now.

the back is this sweet leafy 30s print …

I won’t show you the other bits and bobs that have gone in the package until after my secret partner has received it … heh heh heh …



My second bit of freshness is at the other end of the spectrum - something un-started!

But there’s some inspiration in these fabrics I think … The background colours of the white spots are more greeny and muted, almost earthy (me? sheesh?!), and the colours in the multi-spot are delicately bright … the butterflies are a Michael Miller fabric that I really like - the quality is great - it feels more slubby, like a linen mix, although it’s just cotton  …



Anyway, I have no idea how they’ll be cut, but I think they’re going to make one of my quilts for Modern Relief Japan.  I’m taking a few swatches with me to Berlin, along with my notebook and some coloured pencils (yeah, like I’ll have time!) just in case the inspiration comes …


Only two more sleeps till Berlin … woohoo! … thank you for all your suggestions …



Now, go over and help Lynne celebrate!

Lily’s Quilts - Quiltalong - A Dresden Platter of Deliciousness

 

You all know Lynne at Lily’s Quilts, right?  My quilting crush on her started when she made this beautiful Penguin Books quilt for her very very lucky sister:
 

Then, there was this little beauty on the DQS10 swap on flickr (not just for the beauty of the quilt, which I absolutely adore, but also for the hours of hilarity in the discussion groups … you had to be there)



… and then most recently, Lynne made the fab Hexagon Park quilt for Moda Bake Shop, using Aneela Hoey’s fab Sherbet Pips:



Well, now that Lynne is practically quilting royalty the upside is that we have a wonderful QuiltAlong to take part in … see her post here and the Lily’s Quilts flickr group here

I’m s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o excited about this!

• I’ve been dying to try a dresden plate for yonks
  
• Each block is QAYG (Quilt as You Go) which I’ve also always wanted to do!
  
• It’s the dreaded circle piecing & there’ll be plenty of people to hold my hand. 
  
• Oh, and did you see that concentric circle quilting?  Yup, we’ll be doing that too!

I’m actually only going to do one block, as a mini quilt/cushion [pillow] cover or summat like that … but that’s just because I really don’t have the time to commit to a whole quilt at the moment …

I’ve also always wanted to do a colour wheel, so here are my fabric choices:  YAY!


Just what I need!  A little colour to take my mind off a stinking head cold and a generally grotty demeanour …

So, if you want to get involved pop on over to Lynne's blog or Lily’s Quilts on Flickr and come join in the fun!


ooooh ... and don't forget you have til midnight Tuesday (UK time) to enter my giveaway for some Flea Market Fancy  !!

Sunday in the Park with Hexies - Giveaway on Lily’s Quilts + New Quilt at Moda Bakeshop!

 

Pop on over here to Moda Bakeshop to see my lovely online friend, Lynne from Lily’s Quilts, unveil her Bakeshop debut Hexagon Park.  I’m so pleased that this will bring a shedload  new visitors to Lynne’s blog - she does some really amazing quilting and is so generous with her knowledge and advice!

It’s a really super pattern (Hexies? Tick! Beautiful? Tick! Even I can understand the instructions? Tick!) and it showcases perfectly the gorgeous Sherbet Pips line for Moda from Aneela Hoey @ Comfort Stitching.


Now, the Brucie Bonus here is that Lynne is also doing a giveaway on her blog for a layer cake of Sherbet Pips, so there’s no excuse for one lucky winner not to have a go at her wonderful pattern!
So, make sure you pop over there (remember to come back later though!) you’ve got until morning of Sunday 27th (a day earlier if outside the UK) - don’t forget, this line is not available here until March, so like Lynne’s quilt, it’s a precious thing :)