Extra Fabness...

So, here is this weeks round up of my fave picks from the Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop, enjoy:
Ellas Cottage- these amazing tie bibs, how cute- and there is talk of a tutorial :o).  And check out the moustache babygrow- gorgeous.

The Tilted Quilt- wowsers, look at these cartwheels, stunning!

Lauren at Seraphym Handmade- gorgeous styling

And Amy at Cloud CouCou with her Bloom Bloom Pow Quilt- nuff said!

There is loads more to see on these blogs and all of the others, so keep looking ladies, and this weeks list of new bloggers is:

Friday, June 28

Green @ So Sew Green

Gwendellyn @ The Rainbow Revolts

Jessica @ Stitched In Thyme

Amira @ Little Mushroom Cap

Kathy @ Kayak Quilting

Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts

Paula @ The Sassy Quilter

Kris @ Sew Sunshine

Camilla @ Faffling

Ange x

Secret Sewing And A New Project....

It's been a busy week or so of sewing, as I've finally caught up with a couple of things I needed to get done, one I can't show here yet, and one I can, the abridged version of the Fat Quarterly Retreat name badge for my secret swap partner.  I was struggling a little for inspiration as my partner doesn't have that much information on their Flickr account, so I decided to work off an idea on their favourites, and to do a square in square, rainbow brights block- and this is what I came up with...

So, I added a little border, and hand stamped their name on it, and now I just need to figure out what type of ribbon or fabric to hang it on, any ideas?......

I also got all of the half square triangles cut for my June Simply Solids block, now I just need to actually put them together, and quickly- this will be an Inverted Star Block.

And finally, I cut and sewed a couple of blocks for the start of my own bed quilt, it's a low volume background, and high volume plus block, from the Marcelle Medallion Quilt, just the plus blocks, I've been itching to get started for a long while- and I needed to scratch this itch.  

Now, after a marathon cutting session last night, this must be put aside, whilst I finish my bee blocks and a few little things for Retreat, which is just about 3 weeks away!

Right, I'm off to get sewing :o)

Ange x

Linking up to needle and Thread Thursday

Let's Get Acquainted Link Up...

Good morning (afternoon or evening depending on where you are in real life), and welcome to my little corner of the blogging world.   A massive thank you to the wonderful Beth at Plum and June for giving me the opportunity to host the link up this week *gives a little curtsey*.  

If you want to find out more about me, then either pop over to the Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop 2013, or my Liebster write up.

So, let me tell you what I've been up to this week, sewing wise, I've been focused on binding this Hexy quilt for my little one.

I started it 2 and a half years ago (it was my very first quilting project), and although it has been put aside, sometimes for months at a time, I am now quite determinedly in the final throws of the finish.  It is 3/4 bound and the final side will be completed tomorrow, and then I plan on quilting the binding hexagons to secure it all in place.

I am loving the look of the binding Hexies, it is such a cool and unusual way to bind a quilt, this tutorial gave me the idea, and it is really simple process.

So, now it's time for you to tell me what you have been up to:

1. Link up any recent sewing/quilting post.
2. In your post or on your blog, please include either a text link or a button letting people know about this link up and link it back to this post.
3. Visit at least the two bloggers who link up before you and everyone who visits you from this post.
4. When the link tool asks for your name, enter your favourite fabric line.

More Fabness...

Ok, it's not really a word, but so what!  I thought I might mention a few faves from this weeks Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop.

I admit to being a little biased about Sarah at Duck Egg Threads work, she was my first bloggy friend, and a great support when I cold barely figure out how to insert a photo into a blog (still a challenge getting it straight sometimes!).  And she makes the most fab quilts, bags, and the like, see below, now go check her out.

Duck Egg Threads

Molli Sparkles, wow, what can I say, great post on Colour Theory, and you can really hear Joshuas real voice in his blog, I love when personality shines through in a blog, and he certainly has plenty of it.

Molli Sparkles

Cari at There's A Thread has another great blog, this is her first tutorial linked up, how great is that cushion!! Consider yourself pinned Cari, and fingers crossed I get time to make one soon.

There's A Thread

My Stitch Tease 2 Bee-Mate Valerie at Between Quilts, check out this beauty.

Stunning!

And last but by no means least, Adrianne at On The Windy Side.  

Adrianne -On The Windy Side

Adrianne made this last year from Oakshotts, and I love love love it! Check out her finished items 2012 and 2013, there is loads of inspiration here, well worth spending some time looking around.

Right, that's it for today, have a great weekend, and here are this weeks blogs to hop to:

Friday, June 21

Leigh Anne @ Ella's Cottage

Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt

Sarah @ Quilt Candy

Jackie @ NW Patchwork

Liz @ Beadqueene's Bits And Baubles

Erica @ Happy Fabric

Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity

Lauren @ Seraphym

Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts

Ange x

It's All A Bit More Real Today.

I'm going to the Fat Quarterly Retreat in London in less than 4 weeks time.  I've always been going, since I missed last years but today, it all became a little more real.  I am known for being a bit slow on the uptake sometime (be nice ladies), so when a little parcel from the lovely Helen at Indianna Dreams dropped through my postbox, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why she would be sending me another package.  I say another because we were in a swap together a few months, back, and she made me this fan-bloody-tastic pouch and needlebook, which I love, love, love!

And then it occurred to me (slowly) that it must be my Retreat Name Tag!  And here it is, in all it's glory.

Despite Helen worrying it's too big, I don't think so, it's just perfect, and like she says, once the Retreat is over, it's just the right size for a wine glass rug for my sewing room :o)

Thx so much Helen, looking forward to thanking you in person!

Ange x

Naughty, naughty...

I've had a busy few days (don't talk to me about kids parties!), but on a recent trip to the Fabric Guild to pick up a little extra wadding for my Monochrome Quilt, I was a little distracted with the Polka Dots and books, and purchased some of both, whoops!  

The blue background dot was £2 a yard, madness, and as the lovely Jennie (my Guild sister) that I bumped into said, at that price, who could say no!!  

I know, I succumbed to the lure of the Patchwork Please!, I have seen so many fantastic projects, especially this one, and well, knowing my love of books, did you think I might resist?

It's not going to help me get my sewing room organised, but despite it's fugly appearance and being rammed to the rafters, I have managed to give it a little tidy up and organisation, and am planning on getting a little sewing done in the next day or two.

 

And so on that note, my Monochrome Quilt, how on earth am I going to quilt it, any ideas?  I genuinely have no idea, and as a sampler, it's kind of thrown me, seriously, keep it simple, but what do you think?

And finally, in my busyness of the last couple of week, I forgot to mention the beautiful fabric winnings that arrived from my Stitch Tease 2 bee mate, Marit, just over a week ago, aren't they lovely.

Marit is a very clever young lady quilter, and I can thoroughly recommend a little look around her blog.

Right, back to the binding of my hexy quilt, I'm over 3 quarters of the way round, yay!

Ange x

And There's More...

Last week, myself and these lovely ladies were Getting Acquainted on the Plum and June Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop, and what a fab week.  

http://owensolivia.blogspot.com/

http://www.13spools.com/

http://wasntquiltinaday.wordpress.com/

http://studioloblog.wordpress.com/ 

http://www.yeahimadethat.com/

http://robotmomsews.blogspot.com/

kitchentablequilting.blogspot.com

I have met and "spoken" to some fab ladies, and seen some amazing quilting and sewing, so I figured I might do a little synopsis of some of my fave bits/quilts:
Owen's olivia has a fresh, modern style, check out her stunning room makeover, that wood panelling looks amazing, and I would LOVE to have that as my bedroom. I'd think all my birthdays came at once- but then my bedroom is currently a murky brown/dark purple, and makes my stomach turn every time I see the wallpaper!

Owen's Olivia Room Makeover

13 Spools- well I'm already a big fan, Amy is a clever lady, and having recently come out of hibernation/anonimity she is definitely spreading her wings- you'll find lots of great tutorials and quiltalongs, and check out the quilty eye candy. This is one of those quilts I wish I had made, and I want to make, now!  Amy, how about a little tutorial on this Bargello technique for us, you know you want to!!

Black Jag, stunning

The fab Robot Mom, she sews you know!?!  Knocking it out of the park this week with a tute on how to laminate fabrics, and a heads up on how to sew them as they're a little tricky, definitely worth a "pin" for later even if you're not planning on using it right away.

Robot Mom Sews

And finally, Erica at Kitchen Table Quilting, and her Briar Rose Single Girl Quilt- gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous (and backed with minky!). 

Erica, Kitchen Table Quilting

 I have already been salivating (not literally) over this fabric line, and can't wait to get my hands on some when it is released next month- can't imagine cutting it though, I'll probably just stroke it for a while, although this lady has tempted me with a Briar Rose sewing play date, and as they say, I can resist everything except temptation!  And whilst you're there, have a look around, the 2013 and 2012 quilts are stunning, all of them, every single one, and I'm not jealous, honestly, much  that is a lie!

So, onto this weeks quilters/sewists, I've already managed a visit to them all, and I can confidently say, all killer no filler here (especially the fab Sarah at Duck Egg Threads, my first bloggy friend- we started blogging within days of one another).  
So, what are you waiting for?!?!  Get yourself blog browsing asap:

Friday, June 14
Julie @ Jolie Maxtin

Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting

Adrianne @ On The Windy Side

Molli @ Molli Sparkles

Laura @ Little And Lots

Sarah @ Duck Egg Threads

Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

Cari @ There's A Thread

Valerie @ Between Quilts

Ange x
p.s apologies for any spelling errors, after a crazy afternoon at a kids party I figured i deserved a few glasses of vino!
 

Decisions, decisions.

After a week and a half of no bath (no shower- but we didn't have one anyway) we have tiles, and a bath- with no taps- no shower, and not even a hole in the bath for taps, yet.  

So, you could say I'm a little "ripe" now, but fortunately I have a lovely friend who has given me a key to her house with the express instruction to go and de-stinkify whenever I want, yay!  The bathroom will be finished tomorrow, well, the bath SHOULD have taps and the shower should be fitted, and I can't wait to go and get clean whenever I so desire.  You don't miss it until you don't have it, and oh how I miss it!
So, inbetween bossing around workmen, making decisions about stuff I never knew I needed to care about (the colour of grout!), sealing tiles- let me give you a little warning about Travertine or any real stone tile, they're high maintenance, sealing before fitting, special cleaning and then regular re-sealing, snore- I have finally managed to get in a little more sewing.

The quilt top of my Craftsy BOM 2012 is now all sashed and ready to be basted.  After months of never quite getting round to making the final 4 blocks, I read this post by the fab Lucy and had an epiphany.  Who is to say I need to finish those last 4 blocks, so what, I have 16 blocks which is more than big enough for me to make a sofa quilt, for MYSELF, so I sewed it together, and so far, the quilt police haven't come to arrest me.  I'm thinking, sometimes, you've just got to give yourself a break. :o)

It's not perfect, some of the points are lost, it's not 100%, but I learned a lot making it last year, and soon (hopefully) I will have a quilt of my very own, for all of the sofa surfing I do. 

Alongside this, I have been working on the binding for my Hexy quilt, busy busy, and I'm about a quarter of the way round joining it.  The it needs to be sewn down and quilted to hold the edge layers together, this is progress, real progress. :o)

Right, back to my sewing, can't stay here chatting 

Ange :o)

Lets Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop 2013

Hello if you're a new visitor to my blog via the lovely Beth at Plum and June and her 2013 Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop- try saying that fast after a glass of wine!

The hop will be lasting for 2 months (June and July), and is a great chance to get to know some new fab blogs, here is the list for the first week:

http://owensolivia.blogspot.com/

http://www.13spools.com/

http://wasntquiltinaday.wordpress.com/

http://studioloblog.wordpress.com/ 

http://www.yeahimadethat.com/

http://robotmomsews.blogspot.com/

kitchentablequilting.blogspot.com

I can already recommend 13 Spools as I've been reading Amy's blog for a while, she's just re-branded and was previously The Cute Life, and as 13 Spools is just starting to set up some fabulous tutorials.  The others I am just starting to have a nose around, but they're looking great so far :o)
 
So, let me tell you a bit about me. As it says over on the left there, I am Mum to a cheeky 4 year old girl, living in middle England, sunny Leicestershire to be precise, in the borough of Charnwood- which edges onto the National Forest, and the city of Leicester.  My blogging has been a bit of an odd mix of sewing and decorating for the last few months, as we moved to a wreck of a house, with a lovely garden, but more decorating than you can shake a stick at!

I first decided to try quilting about 2 and a half years ago, I had the urge to create, and wanted to make a quilt for my little girl, so I started this hexy quilt.

I am now nearly 2 and a half years into it, and I just need to attach the hexagon shaped binding, just!

When I discovered quilting blogs and Flickr about 12 months ago, it was a total revelation, I have learned so much from them, and made some fantastic friends, does it get any better than that?  I don't think so :o)

Most recently I have entered my first quilt competition.

Been involved with the start up of a Modern Quilt Guild for the East Midlands

And made some flags for the To Boston With Love campaign.

And if you come back, I can't guarantee that I will always be talking about sewing and quilting, but at the very least you'll get to know a real person- and chances are you'll get to see some pretty fabric! ;o)

Ange x

http://owensolivia.blogspot.com/

http://www.13spools.com/

http://wasntquiltinaday.wordpress.com/

http://studioloblog.wordpress.com/ 

http://www.yeahimadethat.com/

http://robotmomsews.blogspot.com/

kitchentablequilting.blogspot.com

Finish Along, The (Sorry) Story So Far...

So, we're 2 months into the 3 for the Finish Along, and to be honest, progress has been pretty poor.  The list went a bit like this.....
1. Chevron Quilt.  Well that one is done, I wont bore you with it again, but if if you missed the original post, click here.


2. Hexy Quilt.  The top is all finished, and the binding hexys are all joined in side strips, I even managed to cut around the outside of the hexys through the excess wadding and backing, ready to add the binding.  And that's where it stopped, it can't be that hard to attach the binding, but it's stalled at the moment.  


3. Craftsy BOM Quilt 2012- After reading this post, I've decided not to make the final four blocks, I haven't managed it in 6 months, and I need a sofa quilt, so a bit of extra sashing and borders, and it will be big enough, yay!  No movement here yet.


4. Siblings Together Quilt- No progress, it just(!) needs basting, quilting and binding, not much to do really then- and did I mention it has lots of brown in it?


5. Crochet Blanket- Still in Granny Squares, nuf said!

Needless to say I will be trying to make progress on these asap, but no promises, as today we are mostly having bits of  bathroom ripped out and put back elsewhere

 

It's carnage!

Ange x