NEW GIVE AWAY

It is on its way. A give away for my one year mark. I hope to get it on here tomorrow. This was suggested by Noel and I think it's a good suggestion, thanks my friend.

ANOTHER TREE

Do you remember a little way back I made a postcard with permission from Claire, from a wonderful bead she had designed and made. Well, I have had another go and this one is for Claire. I hope she likes it. Am awaiting her address to send it to.

OOOO LOOK

You could win this
go to
http://spinknitandlife.blogspot.com/
and you could be lucky
It looks good enough to eat.

TOO LATE SOMEONE HAS WON IT....IT WASN'T ME THOUGH BOOHOO

WOOOO TRICK OR TREAT

See what happens when you eat and drink too much Pumpkin juice!!!


hee hee

Have a safe one

VOILES AND NETS

I have been asked about my fabrics over and over, they are waiting in the cupboard for their star turn!!

These are the voile's and nets I have, I was quite surprised by just how many I do have, so if anyone can think of a QUILT I can make using these, even if its only a bit, I would be very grateful. They will NOT be used for dress making - been there done that!
I had a 'ripping' time today with these????

so, they went from this.....
to this, after a spurt from the ironthen I starting laying them out, cos I thought they were so pretty;

I may have duplicate the pictures, I lost track by playing with them. I can tell you there are in total...oh dear...66!

Then I turned round and saw my REAL pile of ironing. Ho hum! Not so pretty!

Oh well, the sooner I get this done the sooner I can sew.

REMEMBER THIS

Do you remember this wonderful quilt that was offered as a Give Away. Of course you do! Well, I didn't win it! Shame. I didn't win the 2nd or 3rd prize either which was the pattern to make the quilt.

BUT.....I have done the very next best thing. I have been in touch with Elizabeth and I have ordered the pattern.

YES.
So after Elizabeth is back from Houston, she is getting in touch with me and we are doing the deal. I cant wait to get the pattern and start making it. I love it. Elizabeth had over 2000 entries for the give away. WOW.

ONE YEAR

Whoosh!

That is how it went. Whoosh. I have been doing this for one whole year. This Blog. Me! Wow!

Happy Birthday to me..and my Blog.

Gotta do something to mark the occasion.

SNOW

Today it snowed. It actually settled and turned the lawns to white. Even though it had been forecast, it was still a bit of a shock to the system. Well, you never believe what the weather people say do you? I don't. I think a piece of seaweed would be far more honest!!!

This being a Tuesday, the computer is being all narky! I have no idea why, but always on a Tuesday evening it plays up. I ought to give Tuesday a miss, then I wouldn't get so angry and frustrated with it.

This afternoon an old friend - in time not age!! - came up to see me. She is thinking of buying a computer, and I of course am urging her to do just that. I invited her up to play with mine, she wouldn't actually use it, just sat at the side of me and watched how I did it. I am hoping to get her here again and plonk her in front and make her go for it. I explained that I taught myself mostly, at the start of having a computer my friend Di helped me a lot, although I have to admit when she was here explaining things to me, I always thought she was talking in double dutch to me. Sorry Di! hee hee. It really is best, I have tried to explain, to just sit and play. The same as a sewing machine really, play and learn.

That is precisely what I have been doing this evening at my machine. Playing! I am still trying to make some journal covers, [book covers]- I think!! at long last I have it. My word I have it!! I am playing with the fabric and thread, remember the flowers on Leah's bag, I liked the way they turned out so much, I am using them again. Boring aren't I? Don't answer that. As soon as I have one finished, I will post a picture here.

Just thought, I should have taken a picture of the snow. Blow! Its all gone now of course.

This evening I was on the PP site and chatting to Tessa. She is a lovely lady, very talented, she has just made a fabulous table runner, it is brilliant. Tessa is getting me some pelmet vilene for my cards. She works in a shop called Just Sew in Penrith, they do have a website but at the moment in time it is being tweaked, so I couldn't go and view the wonderful things they have for sale. Thanks Tessa, you are a star. Of course I will send the dosh when I know how much it is to be. Hooray I will be able to make more cards.

HELP----GIVE AWAY ADDY'S

Noel - Received it
Leah - Received it
Lynn - Received it
Margaret - Received it
Shar -
Phyllis - Received it
Micki - Received it
ALL POSTED ON THEIR WAY. :-)



Jackie - got your addy from Noel.....received it
Sue - thanks for your addy

Cynthia - notepad waiting
Barbara - notepad waiting

I need your addresses still please. :-(

.

WASPS ALL GONE - HOORAY

This is the Wasp nest that was in our roof. Hubby went up and cut it off the rafter. I was stunned when I saw the size of the thing! I had used this as a basis for one of my postcards, the Alien ones if you remember.

Here is hubby's hand against it to give you the idea of the size. Also you can clearly see the entry hole.

Then we measured it...27" round

It started to deteriorate as soon as he cut it away, the outside is like tissue paper and very fragile. BUT... when he cut it in half, he found the centre is like rock, it is solid and cannot be cut at all. Look, isn't it amazing. I hate wasps but this is a fantastic thing.

Then I saw them! Wasps! Some still in it. Yuk! They were dopey or dead, but yuk I was gone from there.It is now in the garden shed, we are hoping it wont deteriorate too much as we want Reb to take it to school when they go back after half term. I Am sure the kids and the teachers too will be really interested in it. We will clear it of its residents first though!

The hole outside has been filled in so hopefully they wont get back in next year!!

BACK AGAIN

Last week was a bit of a horrible week but that is all behind me now. I start afresh.

I am just back from house-sitting yet again for my elder daughter. I am going to put some piks here of the 'Zoo' I have to look after. She doesn't know it, but when she visits here, she will find I have posted piks of all the cats, etc etc. Oh blow, just thought I forgot to take a pik of the fish. Tch! Oh, and I forgot NOISY.


This is MAZ, my favourite - if you look closely, you will see she has one blue and one white eye, how neat is that. She is a British White and she is the mum of; Emma, Foggy, and Onion.

EMMA, who is a little munchkin, she is the one who always goes missing when I go house-sitting. But not this time, aha, I managed to get her in and she stayed in!!! I had to take two pictures to get a good one of her, little madam isn't she. She is very vociferous!

just look at those eyes...is she thinking she is going to make a run for it?

Here are Maz's two sons. FOGGY and ONION. I do sometimes get these two mixed up, but there is a difference, one is fluffy and the other is sleek, and I also thing one has blue eyes and the other green. Best check on that with S. They are always hungry cos they go out all day.Now this little girl is called PILCHARD. She was abandoned at the Garage Rich owned with his dad, so he brought her home, a little scrap of a thing she was, but baby, look at her now. She will insist on rubbing against my legs, I cannot stand it, she knows it. So she does it.

CHABLIS Here is another of the abandoned cats. This one was found it Rich' dads garden so again, she was brought to their house, and there she stayed cos after informing the cats protection league no-one claimed her. She knew I wanted a picture of her and shut her eyes at just the time I clicked the shutter. Another madam.
She is a very pretty cat as you can see. Very playful too. I love watching her chasing and sometimes biting - silly thing - her tail. Not me, her.
Now we have BERTIE, he is an African Grey Parrot. I have to admit I am not a lover of birds, they scare me, but as long as Bert is in his cage I am okay with him. Bertie is very clever he imitates everything he hears, so I never feel lonely when I am at the house. He chats away like a mad thing, first in Suz voice then Rich, he even mimics my message ring tone on my mobile phone. ha ha, much to Rich' disgust. I am teaching him to say, Robbie Williams, and to sing the first line of Angels, one day he may do it. When he stretches he has the most amazing red tail feathers, you may just be able to make them out. He is one smart parrot.


There are the fish of course, which I forgot to photograph, they don't have anywhere near as many as they used to, all the Angel fish died, that was a shame cos they were pretty. I have also forgotten a picture of Noisy, he is the outdoors cat. The people who lived over the back of S and R moved house and left him behind, so what do S and R do? Take him in of course. They call him Noisy because, well, he is noisy, very noisy.

I find it hard work, but someone has to do it so they can get away. I will continue to house-sit until it becomes too much for me. Their stairs and the bending feeding the cats, get to me a bit these days, but what else is a mum for I ask you? Besides it is my 'quiet' time when I go there. No computer and no sewing machine. I read and bead for a change.

This time I took a book A had given me to read, and my icicle dolls to finish. Didn't finish either, the book or the dolls. Took me one whole night to do the hair of one doll!!! Why does it take me so long Noel? The book was excellent but very sad, I had to stop reading it to get my thoughts sorted and not to cry.

The book is...........'goodnight, beautiful' by Dorothy Koomson. I have read three of hers now, all totally different, all brilliant as far as I am concerned. I came home today and sat reading until I had finished it, HUGE lump in throat at the end.

THANK YOU

This wonderful Tote arrived from KR for me, this is the front, or it could be the back!!

Because, you see, how would you choose, isn't it gorgeous. Thank you KR I love it. Plus she sent me the little friendship doll, and two QTC's. I am so lucky.

Some of these are winging there way to people who entered my Give Away the other week. I have posted off to those of you who gave me your address, I still need some addresses to get the rest posted off.

I was really pleased how this bag turned out, I do so hope Leah likes it.

MY EXCUSE

When I posted the last message about house sitting, you know I thought it was Friday already. Yippee. Its only Thursday, soon to be Friday but never-the-less, I had more time than I thought. Where was I? What was I thinking? Brain addled or what?

My excuse is, I had been to the Doctors, that is yesterday, Wednesday, to discuss the findings of the ex-rays of my neck.

Hmmm, yes there is wear and tear which I can accept. I am knocking on a bit hahaha. The top of the cervical spine has two fused thingies, so nothing can be done about them. Knew that. But, they appear to be very interested in what is happening lower down my spine, so I am being referred to the Pain Clinic, I have great faith in these folk, they worked wonders on my hand. The Doc said something about an injection between the thingies in my spine. Ho hum. Too much information. This is all down to an 'accident' I had as a child apparently. Gracious me!

Anyway, the outcome is, I have to wait for a letter to come for an appointment with them, it could be in two weeks time or two months! I can wait, I've waited this long, a few more days, weeks, months wont hurt. Well it will hurt my neck, but you know what I mean.

It would be great if they can do something for me, it is getting more and more painful lifting up my head. Sometimes my head feels sooooo heavy on my poor neck, I could scream. When it gets that bad, I have to just go and lay down til the spasm, whatever it is, passes. I use that time to dream up Quilts, Quilts, Quilts.

AWAY

Once again, I shall be away house sitting for my daughter this weekend, so I wont be here on the computer for a while. I do hope you all have a great weekend, when it gets here.

I still need the addresses of some of the winners from my give away.

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT!!!

Thought you might like to see a slightly different version. I made these with strips from my box. Yep, I have a box full of strips, I got carried away one day and 'stripped' all my fat quarters - if only I could strip MY fat quarters - ready to make some of Quiltville's quilts. I have done four so far I think. Still the box is pretty full!!!!


OMG just look at the mess, if you look closely you will see my box of strips.

I really must tidy this up, what if one of you calls on me? Argh, I will do it tomorrow when I get back from the Doc's. Off to hear what they have found out about my neck. Hmm, don't suppose they will be able to do anything about it, I can just hear ...wear and tear, blah blah blah!

I hope you have managed to have a go at the notepad cover, do let me know if it was easy to follow.

MAKING A HANDY NOTEPAD SMART - MY WAY

Notepads, very handy, but don't they look boring like this?
Why not make a cover for them? All of a sudden they look smart, here is how to do it.

I cut the fabric roughly an inch bigger all round than the notepad, I opened it right out, the notepad that is, when I measured, you have to allow for the centre spine thingy.

Fabric for cover, I'm using the right AND wrong side of same fabric, little bit of thin wadding

Little bit of quilting................
Pocket goes here, just fold a rectangle in half and stitch in place; That is the wrong side of the fabric, but I like it.




Make a strip for the top of pad, you will see later why, nothing fancy, no need...



Place the strap just made about third of the way up and stitch ends down...
Place the quilted piece made earlier on top of this pocket piece, right sides together so to speak, Stitch nearly all round, leave gap for turn through, I have to leave a BIG gap, dodgy hands!!!



Stitched round........................showing how I do corners.........turning through........


You have to stitch the gap up...watch out for the machine foot........that's better...see...


Make sure foot is OVER..........Do row of stitching across the middle........DONE!


Opened for you to see...........Sideways, see the pen? A different version.

OK, how quick was that. If you get a load cut out you will soon have zillions made and can give them as prezzies for whenever. Please don't forget to look at the wrong sides of your fabrics, they are a surprise sometimes you know. Saves buying more!! Am I stingy? No. Well yes I guess I am.

If you have a query about it or if it isn't clear enough for you, please ask, I am here, as ever!!!
Mind you I DID do the ironing this morning, he will have pressed shirts tomorrow! hahaha
I constantly have to remind the ladies at my group to ask me, and ask me again, and again, if they aren't sure what to do, so I repeat, do ask me if you get stuck. I haven't gone mad on the instructions cos I think it is quite an easy thing to make just from the pictures. I hope!

When you have made this maybe you will like to pop to your Newsagent and buy the latest copy of Popular Patchwork, because....inside is how to cover a NOTEBOOK, much snazzier than this, a really smart job.

I am now crossing my fingers and my toes in the hope the pictures go on exactly as I have put them...ooer......