Friday 31 July 2009

MORE SHOES

My Suzanne came today as it is Thursday - or was -
I couldn't help but notice her shoes...



Aren't they gorgeous...



So pretty, I know someone who would like these...



even inside, just look at that message...



that's not in any of my shoes!
hahahahaha
more like,
your feet look like boats!
hahahaha

Tuesday 28 July 2009

SHOES OR WORKS OF ART

We went to Milton Keynes for the day-
there is a new shop there-
a shoe shop-
bit naff calling it a shoe shop really,
just look at these



we went inside to have a good look, the assistants were lovely,
very friendly even though we made it plain we weren't buying,
they let us roam around, picking up the shoes, studying them,
putting them back in - hopefully - the right place and way!!



Average price was £150 pair
well
I assume it was for the pair!!

They were fabulous though, some SO high, how would you walk in them?
I thought of my lovely little friend Susan in Liverpool,
these would be right up her street
Annette sneaked the pictures on her mobile phone for her to see them
ENJOY SUSAN

MORE BLOCKS

More blocks for the Friday Block Party I am in...

HAYES CORNER UNION SQUARE STARFLOWER



CHAIN & CROSS BOUNCING BETTY



ho hum - these are wrong my only excuse is
hated the machine I was using, was tired and didn't concentrate
this one
should be PINWHEEL #4



and this one
should be Dakota Gold...
can you believe I forgot to print out the front sheet for this block
DOH!



Back to school with me

Monday 27 July 2009

EURGH!

"Look at this"

we all heard hubby/dad/gagee call -

so out we trooped to the back garden, and there, bold as brass,
sitting on a leaf was this ----bug----

WHAT IS IT?

I have since been informed this is a BURNETT MOTH
still don't like it but google it and read about it folks



The picture is none too good I have to say - hubby took it - I have tried to make it clearer to no avail, but I am sure you can see the ugly chuffer. If it's still about tomorrow, and I do hope NOT, I will try to get a better picture of it myself. If you want something doing..........

Sunday 26 July 2009

IT'S HERE

and I got it a lot cheaper


thank you Annette for finding it for me

Saturday 25 July 2009

POSTCARD

What a great card I have received from Lori for the
'B' is for....swap



hahaha those were the days!!!
Thanks Lori this made me smile

Friday 24 July 2009

TRYING - VERY TRYING

Hmm, I went over to Annette's yesterday as Rebecca wanted me to play 'CLUE' with her. Whilst I was there, I had a go on Annette's NEW machine. It too is a Janome. It is so much better than the one I am using, it sounds ungrateful I know, although it is half mine as I bought it from A with Suzanne as she wanted a machine, and I will be able to use it when I go house sitting. Anyway, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this machine, mind you, I still think I wouldn't be able to do my style of quilting on it, I have realised the main problem, I need to have an extension table on a sewing machine, my Bernina has one that slides on it, the Janomes, are quite 'short' on space. I guess they want you to buy the extras. Typical manufacturing trick. I refuse to buy one of those great big glass or whatever they are extension tables, they are way beyond my price range anyway. The one on my Bernina is just right. I am going to see if I can find a picture of Annette's machine to put here. Hold on......

See what I mean a very small area at the side...


Compared to what is at the side of mine -
this picture is not showing the whole extension table...

Not to worry, Annette has said I can use hers anytime I like, till I get mine back.
Thanks Annette.
I am persevering with the little one,
I don't have a picture of that one - yet!
It is hard work for me because of the problems with my hands.
But I am giving it my best shot.


POORLY MACHINE - EBAY NEWS

Oh dear!



OK this is being sorted folks, well all except the micro chip bit.
That part has to wait until we find out where it has to go;
London or Switzerland!
Knowing my luck.......


ANYWAY
Whilst I am moaning and groaning the lack of a decent machine [sorry Annette]
I would suggest you pop to
EBay
and look up

patchworkmad
I have put a link on the side bar for you

she has loads of
Kaffe Fassett fabric for sale,
you wont believe the prices
how cheap!
Go on, go see
YOU MUST BE ON EBAY FIRST
If I didn't have a repair waiting I would be clicking away like mad right now


Thursday 23 July 2009

AN AWARD - FOR ME

Janice
at

Crafts & Genealogy

has awarded me...



What a surprise.
Thank you so much Janice
I know I wasn't the only one awarded it, but it is special,
I have been having a bad time of late and this has cheered me up
BIG smiles :-)))))))

I now have to award it to others, so I shall review all my Blogs over the next few days
and then start awarding.

PHWOAR

My neighbour and friend, Pat, at the top of our street, regularly visits carboots
- I would love to go to one -

she saw these there and bought them for me
cheers Pat.

Guess how much?

This is a folder A4 size - very handy



This is still in its original wrapper...



10p EACH

BARGAIN OF THE YEAR

SKY

Hubby treated himself to a digital camera after seeing how brill mine was.
Ha!
Here are some pictures he took of the sky over the back garden the other night, not bad
hee hee









I wish I had had the chance to take some too,
I showed him how to put them on the computer
and enhance - or not - how to save, and where to save.
I have a feeling he will now be taking zillions of piks.
ho hum
The pictures are the right way up in case any of you are wondering!!!
The first one we saved as a screen saver,
well, you have to encourage them don't you!
:-)

THIS IS WHAT I BOUGHT

Gorgeous or what!
Spots before my eyes...

Batiks...
more batiks...


and more batiks...


sorry...


mmm mmm...

a bargain...

black and white - for drama...


these I won from EBay...
Kaffe Fassett fabrics, yummy

Now, if I can only get to grips with the sewing machine,
my cup will overflow.

Tuesday 21 July 2009

CANT DO IT

I just cant get on with the machine.
Given up.
Fed up.
All gone wrong.
Quilting horrendous.
Bad, bad day.
Miserable.
Hubby says to pack it in!

Monday 20 July 2009

QUILTERS ARE THE BEST

Saturday was the day of my group, I had no idea what was in store today, lots of things were discussed but that is all by the by, for me to sort later. I would like to share with you, the surprise in store for myself, but mainly Di and Annette who are collecting blocks to make into Soldier Quilts. Just look at these.

Speechless...











Di and Annette split these blocks between them and took them home to be turned into Quilts.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
BUT
It didn't stop there -
The next FOUR Quilts were donated
by various group members and friends for the Soldiers,









I have to tell you when I tried to read the messages put on the backs,
I broke down, they were so moving.
Again, Huge Thank yous to you all,
you know who you are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I had to recover pdq so I could get on with the days sewing, our stall holder for the day was
SUNFLOWER CORNER
wonderful fabrics and beautifully presented, do visit their online store, you wont be disappointed - here is a small selection of their fabrics...



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Once again I had discovered TWO blocks for the group to have a go at,
one fairly straight forward, the other, hmmmm,
lets just say a few found it challenging...

easy......................oops!!!


they never let me down though - well not often!



almost a Quilt here...



this is my Suzanne's block...



wahey, she finished it last night, well done Suzanne,
she has donated it to the Soldier block collection...



SHOWTIME
starts here...

this was a very pretty bag, made using bag handles won in a raffle,
look at the beautiful beading...



At the June meeting, I had a lady join who had never done patchwork in her life but wanted to learn, she came as I say on the June date for the first time, [this was, unbeknown to us, the first anniversary of her mum's death.] She made the blocks presented to her on that day, using fabrics from her mums sewing chest and old clothes, then she went home and just look at this, she made a Quilt, using all fabrics with memories of her m um, and her own old clothes her mum had kept, plus some of her dad's old clothes, [IE; pyjamas,] this, she now, is going to quilt, possibly tie with buttons from her mums button box, she is going to come to me one day and I am going to help her with the finishing of this Quilt. I wont be doing any of it, just guiding her. When this is done, she will be giving it to her Dad on his Birthday, next month. Isn't this amazing. I am so proud of her, a true patchwork Quilt, in the full sense of the word. Well done B.
Whilst she was telling us about this Quilt, there were lots of tears shed I can tell you, by many in the room.



Hearts and Nine Patch -
Just shows what you can do with a simple idea...



Brilliant Quilt,
but oh my she did not enjoy quilting it,
she finished it never the less, well done D...



A truly stunning Quilt,
there is nothing I can teach S any more,
just look at this beauty...



These Quilt tops are ready for quilting,
they were put together from donated blocks, by Annette,
they are for the Soldiers...



and another...



this Quilt is finished ready for the Soldiers,
made by Annette, using fabrics bought with money donated from Joan
on the Popular Patchwork Forum,
Joan's name will be on the label,
thank you Joan and great job Annette...



Quilt, designed and made by Annette - for herself this time;
it is from the Batik swap on the Popular Patchwork Forum,
a fun Quilt this one...



this is mine, a UFO that is just needing its binding to be complete,
this is the Quilt which caused my machine to pfffttt...
Hmmmmm;



Just how proud can one person be?
I have regular 'UGLY' sales at my group for the ladies to get rid of things they
no longer want or like,
Betty didn't want these blocks, they were half made or in strips,
Rebecca loved the look of them so we bought them for her,
she has put them together ready to be quilted,
then it will be a Soldier's Quilt -
I am bursting with pride.
Well done Rebecca



Pictures of my ladies stitching, or chatting!!! away...









I allow S and J to bring their machines, as they both have problems sewing by hand,
I don't wish to lose them so...



Also at this meeting my friend Betty had sent along some old magazines she no longer wanted, she told me the money collected from the sale of them was to go towards wadding or thread or whatever was needed for Soldier Quilts...we raised £11...thank you Betty so much.

Another eventful day at the Quilt Set. I have to say the thing that remains with me is B's Quilt and the story behind it. I fell privileged to have been the instigator of her making this wonderful memento for her Dad. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she presents it to him. No dry eyes that day I feel.

From September, things will be changing at the group ever so slightly, I hope I get it right for the ladies, time will tell.

I went home put my feet up ,-the toe was throbbing like crazy,- had a lovely cup of tea before having to pack away all the things I have to take along for the day. That is always the part I hate, packing it all away, getting it all in the boxes just right, so it all fits in its delegated place. Nightmare I can tell you. Oh well, its all good fun isn't it? What else would I do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Then it was SUNDAY Hubby's BIRTHDAY

these are peas Rebecca grew in our garden, yum yum...



Annette had made a choclate cake for him...


we set light to it...



ha ha ha...


I love these candles...



He had lots of presents to do with the greenhouse,
plus a book of Road maps from Rebecca.
Happy Birthday Pop

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally...
Look what I was sent through the post as a surprise gift...



what a clever idea this is...



thank you so much Fiona

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~