I got a bit of quilting done last night. Really quick and easy bag for Youngest’s Girlfriend, whose Birthday is next week. She is actually going away at the weekend on holiday with her family, so I thought the bag might be useful!
It is an MSQC bag from one of Jenny Doan’s tutorials on You Tube. I have made a few of these, including for myself, and I found it the right size for most jobs!
The inside of the bag, below.
I had a few squares left over and made her a bag to go in the bag!!!
I have one of these in my bag with bits and pieces in and it manages to keep my bag tidy.
I used navy blue as that is her favourite colour.
I can show you these as she does not read my blog.
I love these quick little projects as you get to quilt but they are quick finishes. I do hope she likes them.
House jobs day today as well as work and tomorrow DH and I have a few errands to run and we are also going to see two of DH’s cousins for lunch and then in the evening we are out for dinner at some friends of ours, so am looking forward to a fun day.
Saturday the weather is set for heavy rain so DH and I can get some jobs done in our home and then Sunday the weather is supposed to be sunny and warm so we can get the garden in tip top shape before we go away on vacation.
Last July (where did the Year go?) I signed up for the 6th Annual Piggy Bank Challenge at Val’s Quilting Studio here. Well on Saturday we Opened them to see how much money we have saved over the year, to spend on anything Quilt related. Last year I did well and the money I saved I took to the Festival of Quilts show in Birmingham at the beginning of August. Well I intend to do the same this year.
Here is my Piggy Bank, Mr Pig! Actually he was my Grandmother’s Mr Pig.
I have emptied him and over the year I changed the coins into notes as he is not a very big piggy and he was getting full with the coins!!!!
Anyhoo I have a grand total of £150 ($188) and can’t wait to spend it at the upcoming quilt show! In fact I do need some more material for Eldest and Fiancé’s wedding quilt which I have almost got the top pieced. I need some more material for the back and I got all the material for the quilt at the show last year.
I love the idea of saving your change and any spare money you have for quilting projects and of course if you want to save for something big what a great way of saving for it. I will show you what I buy eventually.
Hop on over to Val’s blog to see how everyone else has done.
Good Morning BlogWorld I know we have missed a few days but we have been so busy. Here am I, above, on Mom’s knee yesterday as it was her Birthday!!!!! We shared some Popcorn as Dad and Boys were all away and busy so it was just her and I!!!
Although it was Mom’s Birthday I got some treats when my food delivery arrived! I am always envious of Molly as she gets lots of things to try and now my foody people are doing the same. So far I have tried the Training Treats and I really like them. I don’t need the weight control of course, as my Doctor says I am in perfect condition but I am sure they will taste nice and the pouch is wet food which I have never had, so that will be different to try.
Mom has been washing up a storm now that her new washing machine has arrived including all the beds and I was with her when she was unmaking them, any excuse to snuggle in the bedding!
So after a very busy few days I am just busy relaxing now that Mom is working at her desk this morning!!!!!
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Thank you Treacle you have a snooze now! I went to the quilt shop that is closing at the end of this month and got a few things which were reduced and I thought I would show you what I got.
My purchases.
Thread was on offer and so were the needles.
Fat Quarters were on offer.
I always buy a new blade for my rotary cutter when I see them.
The material I got was £7 a metre which is half price to what it normally is. I just love the dog footprint material.
I just love the colours in this otter material.
And I love this beach fabric.
I don’t know what I am going to make with it yet but it will go into my stash until a project comes up.
I have finished the blocks for Kathleen Tracy’s Block of the Month and in July we will get the instructions of how to put it together. I have used scraps and bits to make the blocks so I hope they look good together when it is finished!!!!!
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June 20th!
I had a lovely peaceful day yesterday and then went out in the evening to Piccolino in Nottingham for dinner with DH, Eldest and Fiance as Youngest is away for the week on his first training week at the Head Office so he will be home tonight and we are going out with him tonight as Eldest and Fiance couldn’t make tonight!!!! That’s okay I get to go out twice!!!!! Not doing my diet much good though!!!
Tonight we are going to The European in Derbyshire, which is another lovely little Italian Restaurant (above).
I have house jobs to do today and grocery shopping and then DH is out all day again tomorrow commentating, so I have errands to run tomorrow morning and then will get back and do some more quilting. The weather here has been better yesterday and today with the sun shining after all the rain from last weekend and the beginning of the week but it is still cool and not as warm as it should be for Summer!
Today, of course, is the Longest Day and it was getting light at 3.30am (Yes I was awake to hear the birds start their dawn chorus!!!!) and it won’t get dark until about 9.45pm so a very long day! Of course that means that the nights will, although slowly, start to draw in again, Noooooooooo!!!!! We are hoping that the weather is going to be okay on Sunday so we can get into the garden as we have not been able to do anything over the last couple of weekends because of all the rain!!!!
Whatever you are up to this weekend I hope you have a great time.
Hugs & Love, Susie xx
Sometimes you just need to see a picture of sun, blue sky and clear water!!!!!!
Since my last post about Chelsea I have not been well! I could not get warm for two days, despite the weather being hot and my wearing lots of layers! I was also very, very tired.
We went out with Fiancé’s parents on Saturday evening and had a lovely time but I felt really tired. DH and I were really busy Sunday and then Monday disappered into a busy day of work and before I knew it, it was 4.00pm and I had had no lunch!!! We were supposed to have a meeting on Monday night regarding swimming which all did not go well and so we had to have another meeting last night!!!!! Grr!
This is where we went for dinner near Ashbourne.
The Dining Room. The food was lovely.
Spring Cleaning is now finished!!!! Yeah! I couldn’t have done it without DH’s help especially with not feeling well too!! It is a little late this year as we would have normally go a lot done at Easter, but that was taken up with the huge empty the attic job!!!!! The only jobs left I have to do is clean all the kitchen machines, oven, fridge, dishwasher etc but I am going to do those on Sunday.
Saturday we will ALL be at the local swimming pool for the Club’s Open event for the younger swimmers. It is a long day but the children love it so hopefully it will be busy and the day will fly by!!!!
DH and I have tidied the garden, so we are now able to work on specific areas to get things sorted. We have quite a few plants which need a good trim so that will be one job. We also need to get the patio clean with the pressure washer!!!!! Treacle is just loving the nice weather and taking every opportunity to be outside!!!!!
My dear Friend, Susan from Washington State, sent me a parcel which arrived today (after being stuck in our Customs for days!!!!!!). I was tempted to save it for my Birthday in a couple of weeks but couldn’t!!!!!! She sent me some absolutely wonderful gifts, pictures below. Quilters are the most generous of people and I have sent her a Huge Thank You!!! I will be putting them in my sewing room and will take some pictures when they are in place.
A lovely bag, filled with goodies and the material it is wrapped in is a lovely red fat quarter.
All my goodies.
Susan and Tara, sent Treacle some goodies and she loves them and sends a Big Woof Thank You!
Susan also sent me this lovely fabric; a fat quarter and also made from it two jar openers and a large tray which will be great for holding my current quilting project.
Susan also sent me some quilting tools and storage pieces and you know how much I love organising things so this will be a great help in my sewing area!
Also enclosed were these wonderful towels. I bought a few when we were in the US in 2010 and still use them.
She sent a gift for DH and he will get this when he gets home tongith
They are all wonderful gifts and my Birthday has come early. Thank you so much Susan!!!!
Tonight I think I will catch up on a few home jobs, tomorrow I have to do the cleaning, washing and ironing and Friday will be grocery shopping as we are out all day on Saturday!!!! The weeks are flying by, I cannot believe that we are in June and six months of the year has almost gone!!!! There is a lot happening in the next few weeks; Birthdays, Carnival in the village (!), visits and we are also coming up to the Festival of Quilts show at the NEC in Birmingham at the beginning of August!
However one of my “go-to” Quilt Shops is closing at the end of June 🙁 as the owner is semi-retiring. On the upside she is having a sale so I will be going to visit to see what I can pick up!!!!!!
Sorry it has been a long post but this is what happens when you have a few days of not checking in!!!! I will also get around to all the Blogs I follow as I have not checked in with them for a while!!!!!!
I have been trying to decide what type of block to make a new project from and have come across, at the MSQC You Tube channel, the Basket Block. However there are many, many versions.
I love the colours in this block and the way it has been styled but I do think that the colours can make it stand out very well and also for it to fade into the background as well. I will need to go through by stash to see what I have. I also have a few other ideas for some quilted items as I have a few Birthdays coming up!!!!
As DH is busy all weekend it will be the ideal opportunity to get these done. I have just done May’s Block for the Kathleen Tracy Mystery Quilt this year. We only have June to go and then we get the instructions in July to put it together. She is known for her small and miniture quilts so it will be great to see how it turns out. I am going to use this to do my first piece of hand quilting. So far all my projects have been done on my Janome so I thought it would be a good idea to have a go at hand quilting but on something small!!!! It will give me something to do in the evenings after the sun has gone down!
Today it is very sunny and warm again so we will be getting the plants put in and the grass cut.
Chelsea Flower Show begins next Tuesday, May 21st, until Saturday May 25th and DH and I are going on Wednesday. They have eleven show gardens set up as well as other gardens to give you inspiration and these are usually sponsored by companies or charities and then the planting is moved after the show to help others. There is also the biggest Pavillion ever which hosts different suppliers with just about any flower and plant available.
This year the Duchess of Cambridge has, with the help of two professional Gardeners, designed one of the feature gardens to show how gardening can help all ages and to help with mental health issues. “Inspired by childhood memories and with families in mind, this woodland garden is a place to retreat from the world, to play, learn and discover as well as create special family memories.” (from the RHS Website and the picture below, a drawing of Her Royal Highness’s garden). SO because of the Duchess’s involvement the show is now sold out! We actually got our tickets last September and I am so glad we did!
One of the other gardens I want to see is this one :
Sponsored by The Donkey Santuary, who are 50 this year. I really like the look of this.
I am going to make sure my camera battery is fully charged and also I have plenty of room on my memory card to take lots of pictures. I will probably have to do several posts on our visit!!!! The show opens at 8.00am and we are intending to be there for when it opens and the weather so far is for a warm day but light cloud which will be great for seeing the flowers and plants. We are also going to take a picnic lunch!!!!
I have been doing my taxi service for both boys today (!) getting up at 5.00am this morning!!! I do manage to get lots done on these days. I am just off to get Eldest from work now and when I get back it will be time to get dinner!!!
DH and I are off to our Friend’s 70th Birthday Celebration in a little while where we will be having Afternoon Tea. Of course she has said she wants no presents but donations can be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind as she and her husband are Guide Dog Puppy Walkers. However she is also a Quilter, so I just had to make her something for her sewing room.
I got this lovely fabric a month ago when I was on the hunt for some particular bright white material and saw it in the quilt shop and just loved it. It has a sewing theme but also a county theme too and I loved the colours.
This is a sewing kit which she can use at her Quilt group.
You always need a new pin cushion.
This is a quilted mat for under her sewing machine.
Of course you always need more containers for you to keep things in so I made this material bag/bucket below:
The inside with the handles.
Everything fits nicely inside, although I have wrapped them individually in tissue paper and then put it all in a gift bag. I still have some of the material left so am thinking of making myself something for the sewing room, possibly the bag!!!!
I am hoping to get some pictures of the Afternoon Tea and will show you these later or tomorrow if I can persuade Treacle to let me have some time on her day!!!!
The Third Saturday in March is National Quilting Day and this year it is March 16th, tomorrow! Unfortunately I will be out all day so I will be moving my Quilting Day to Sunday, which is also St. Patrick’s Day! What a busy month!
I am busy working on the Mystery Blocks from Kathleen Tracy and her blog “A Sentimental Quilter”. I have finished the January blocks and need to do the February one and of course March has now been released!!! She has stated that we can choose any fabrics we like but she prefers scrappy, I have decided to make each block in different colours to see how that turns out!!!!
I also now have a small quilt, table topper size to make for a friend whose Birthday is at the end of April and she is celebrating a Big Birthday! She is also a quilter so hopefully she will like it!!!! I am thinking of making it along the lines of our friends Golden Wedding Anniversary quilt from last year above, but different colours. I really enjoyed making this and it was quick to go together but looks good.
So that is going to be my Quilting Plans. I hope those that quilt are able to get some quilting done on National Quilting Day and for those who are looking for a new hobby I can highly recommend quilting!!!!
Well it has been 17°C today because of a “hot plume” coming up from Morocco!!! It has been really nice and sunny today but over the next few days the temps are going down and more like February/beginning of March should be!!!
Treacle has been enjoying the weather and been outside and of course didn’t want to come in when I called her! Getting her food dish out did the trick!!!
This Eldest baby of mine has now finished all his exams and course work and is now a fully qualified Technician and has been accepted onto the Elite Group at college to do his Masters (another year) and is being put forward as a candidate for a National Award! We are so proud of him.
Yesterday and today had been busy with work but I have managed to keep up with it all and in fact actually get ahead!!!! Tomorrow I have to run Youngest around as his car is in for a service and he has Thursday off. Before we know it, it will be the weekend. We have another swimming event just Saturday night which I am helping with but other than that the days are free so we can catch up on some jobs.
(Picture Credit: Kathleen Tracy)
I did get some quilting done over the weekend and began a Mystery Quilt from Kathleen Tracy at “A Sentimental Quilter” here.
This is the first time I have tried doing a small quilt so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. I have downloaded the February block and the whole thing runs to July when Kathleen will tell us how to put it together to make a quilt.
DH was out all weekend and so was Youngest which was great as I got to play in my sewing room all weekend. I managed to get Treacle’s new quilt finished.
Sorry the pictures are a little blurry but it was last night when I was taking them and it was dark outside. I got the material from my trip to the Festival of Quilts show last August.
This is the back and the picture below is the closest of the dogs which look like Treacle except for the white flash!
Below is the quilt in situ. This is where Treacle lies which she chose when she was a puppy as she can see all the rooms in our downstairs when she lies here.
Here she is, half on her new quilt.
As you can see, being an Airedale, it is never perfect!!!!
However she loves being covered in it.
“Thanks Mom for my new quilt!”
Next weekend it is the same thing a second weekend of swimming so I will have time to play with more fabric. I have the fabric, again from the Festival of Quilts, to make Eldest and Fiance a wedding quilt and also my scrap box to cut into different sizes and colourse, so I may do a bit of both!!!
This week seems to have flown by in a flurry of getting things sorted after Christmas including our home and my work! The weather has not been good all week with grey skies and dampness and everyone I know has a cold or getting a cold. What we need is some very cold weather and sharp frosts to kill off all these bugs!!! Or snow, I don’t mind snow!!
DH has a busy weekend with compering a swimming event on Saturday evening for the clubs just in Derbyshire and then he is out all day on Sunday at one of the Clubs their Open. Which means that I am able to be in my sewing room, yeah!! I have DH and The Boys mats to finish and then a few more projects to plan, one of them being Treacle’s new quilt.
This is her quilt I made her in 2012 and she loves it but it is now starting to show its age and some of the squares have ripped in the middle so I have bought some new material for her to make a new one! I think I am also going to use a bit thicker wadding between the layers this time for her as the tiles can be quite hard and definitely cold in winter. I will place this old one in the bottom of her basket as an extra layer.
Talking films for a second, the final and much-anticipated instalment of Avengers: Infinity War will be out in April this year, which we now know is called “End Game” which was mentioned by the character “Dr Stephen Strange” in the previous film. There has been a lot of speculation on the web of how they are going to resolve the matter of half the Universe vanishing at the end of Infinity War with Thanos’ finger snap and here is my theory. The Hulk was conspicuously missing for a lot of the previous film and I think he will be the one to wield the spare Gauntlet that the Dwarves of Nidavellir had made and the remaining Avengers will, with the help of a few newer characters, collect the stones but The Hulk will be the one to wield it to bring about a return of the other half of the Universe!!!! We shall see in April if I am correct! (I have written this in Green for The Big Guy!)
Talking about films DH and I went to the cinema over the holidays, one of those days when it did not get light all day and it was cold and miserable. The Boys were both busy doing their own things so we decided to go to the Movies!! When we were first together we used to on Winter’s Saturday afternoons go to the local cinema for the first showing of the day which was half price and then when the first movie had finished go and see another one straight after! We told The Boys this and we used to do it when they were younger. Anyway we did this, this time.
As you know we are big Harry Potter fans and definitely like the new series of prequels, “Fantastic Beasts” and so went to see the new film “The Crimes of Grindlewald”. We were not disappointed; it does follow on from the last film and adds more characters in and builds on the Grindlewald character played by Johnny Depp. There was a bit of controversy about his casting but he suits the part completely.
The second film we went to see was “Mary Poppins Returns” with Emily Blunt as Mary who is very good. DH and I both love the original film and they tried very hard to replicate it in this film but some of the scenes seemed superfluous to needs, one being the Meryl Streep scene with her singing! Obviously being in Mama Mia has gone to her head and she now wants to sing at every turn! It was okay but the script was too like the original but with different songs and younger cast! Unless you really want to see it on the big screen wait until it comes out on DVD or any of the streaming platforms and save your money!
I hope you lovely lot have had a good first full week back after the holidays, I always think that once this week is under our belts it gets better!!! Tomorrow is Book Club day on the blog!
Have a Thrilling Thursday.
Hugs, Susie xx
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