Quilts for my grandsons

 

It must be 5 years or more since I first net Vikki of Shute Lane Fabrics she is an incredible artist and she has used this skill to start a business creating beautiful fabrics.  When I first met Vikki it was at the stitching for pleasure show at the NEC and it was her first show at the NEC and she was both excited and nervous in equal measure.  She had her mum there for support and they were both lovely and they chatted to us for ages and myself and my friend gave her lots of encouragement and suggested other shows that she could attend such as the Festival of Quilts and she has been attending every year since and I was even lucky enough to win tickets to the FoQ pre pandemic from Vikki's lucky draw. As soon as I saw the penguins I fell in love with them and I kept telling Vikki that if I were ever lucky enough to be blessed with a grandson I would definitely want to make this quilt. Of course at the time the other obstacle was that I had no idea how to use a sewing machine, that situation has now thankfully been resolved so when I saw Vikki at the Festival of Quilts last year I immediately said I need to make this quilt now before my grandson is too old to appreciate the love of a penguin🐧😀.  The penguins come as a panel and I set about looking for a fabric to back the quilt with and I really struggled to find something I liked.  Eventually I had a little light bulb moment 💡 and asked my sewing guru friend who has made many quilts, What if I buy a duvet cover would that work?  She confirmed it would and I set about finding a seascape duvet cover and came up with one that has pebble design on one side and the sea on the other and I set about unpicking all the seams to ensure I got the most material.  I don't like to waste any fabric if I can help it.   This was my first attempt at a quilt of any description and some would say this was a cheats quilt because it came as a panel but in fact because it was pre printed if the lines were slightly off it could throw me completely and I am a bit of a perfectionist and I was trying so hard to have straight lines but in the end I decided what I needed to do was sew the panel by eye in creating the squares between each of the penguins.  Adding the border was a lot easier.  

My sewing guru friend was always on hand to help and told me about the merits of  505 spray

and,  although she made me do all the work otherwise how else do I learn, I did appreciate the fact that in doing so it meant I got to create a beautiful quilt for Freddie Bear for Christmas.

And having always been adamant  I wouldn't buy an embroidery machine I have to confess to you that I did succumb last November and brought a Brother Innovis V5 which I have named Brother Bert.

It meant I could add a personalised  label to the back of the quilt so when it is rediscovered in an attic in years to come and I am no longer on this earthly plane everyone will know who made this quilt and hopefully not have too many stories to tell about grandma Mitzi.

and look what I found a quilt panel that matches the fabric book I made for Theo.  It's part of the range of fabrics produced by Henry Glass called Whirly Gig Magic.  I added s black polka dot on red background as the border and the backing for the quilt and used navy blue cotton fabric as the bias. 

and of course I added a label with Theo's name and date of birth and another grandma label with the year it was made.   Just think in years to come when these quilts are unearthed in the attic somewhere and I am no longer on this earthly plane there will still be a little bit of me there, lets just hope that whoever comes across them they don't know all my other secrets 😀.

 For someone who was so against having an embroidery machine I have to confess I am rather in love with my Brother Bert. 

Mx

Scissor keepers a potential new obsession

Last year I went on my first sewing retreat and the one thing I was told was to make sure that all my scissors were labelled as they are the one thing that could potentially be picked up by mistake and lost in someone else's bag. 

It is   quite possible that I got a little carried away.

All these beauties were found on Pinterest 

The little bird cage you can find here

The little pink bird here

The little blue bird with the strawberry here

This little set is one of my favourites and took no time at all to stitch and you can find the chart for them here

I have two very good friends who mothers were always very good to me when I was growing up.  It has long been a tradition that each house I have ever lived in I have always planted a rose in their memory now they are no longer with us.   My mum always liked white roses the same as me or may be that should be I have always liked white roses the same as my mum, the yellow rose represents on eof of the mums and the red represents the other and when I spotted the little rose chart I  knew I would have to stitch them so that they get to come on my sewing journey with me where ever that may take me. You can find the little rose chart here

I love the Scottish thistle design it actually came up better than I expected.  The details for the thistle chart are here

Love to stitch was the first of the scissor keepers that I stitched and it grew from there you can find here 

and the Scandinavian design is from a set of four you can find here 

                        I do have a liking for Bee's and when i saw this little chart I knew I had to make them and you can find the chart here

and of course I had to have one that represents my Celtic heritage and you can find the chart  here

Not all the charts have the colours stated but that makes them all the more appealing as you can use whatever colours of your choosing or whatever you have in your stash. 

What I hadn't realised was just how many pairs of scissors I have and of course they all have their own use.  Some are for fabric, some for paper  and so on and what D has learnt is that if you are looking for a pair of scissors and the only pair you can find has a scissor keeper attached you do not use them on pain of death. 

And is now the time to confess that this isn't all of my scissors and I went on to buy  more at the retreat 😀

Mx

Windswept & Interesting

Windswept and Interesting, that's how I always used to describe myself with my very curly and unruly hair.  It just so happens it is the title of Billy Connolly's autobiography too.  I have long been a fan of the Big Yin, my mother couldn't stand him as she said every other word was a swear word but he is a fabulous people watcher and story teller and makes you think and look at things with a different perspective.  His book Windswept & Interesting tells his story from is not so happy childhood, the love for his sister Flo and his disjointed relationship with his parents.  He talks about his time as a welder in the ship yards and how he turned from a folk singer with Gerry Rafferty to the comedian he became. He talks of his tours on his beloved trike to dancing naked in the snow and receiving his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and Parkinson's disease.  Now in his 70's Billy lives with his wife Pamela Stephenson in Florida and is enjoying his children and grandchildren.  His autobiography will have you laughing and crying in equal measure and definitely worth 

        

This week  I have had some more beautiful flowers on my table, a gift for my daughter in law as set off down the motorway to meet my new grandson Theo and to see my little Freddie Bear.  

I can now show you some of the things I made for our little Theo. I had never attempted to make a quilted book before and wasn't sure whether it was beyond my skill mix but my friend and sewing guru assured me that I would be able to do it. 

As I have my love of all things dragon when I saw this book I knew it had to be the one. The book is called No one is Dragon me down by Leanne Anderson and Kaylyn Kuebler and produced by Henry Glass fabrics.

                         

         

 I love all the little encouraging sentiments of each page  It comes as a complete panel with all the sections clearly marked out and very clear instructions to follow on how to construct the book and the only additional items required is a matching thread and wadding. Best of all it is washable so will cope with any little spills. 

Of course there were the obligatory little knitted jackets from Grandma

The layette set I showed you last week 

and of course Grandma's crochet blankets

 I even had a go at a patchwork, something I hadn't done since needlework classes when I was at secondary school in Mrs Gray's needlework class and that was a very long long time ago. 

Overall I don't think my little hexi ball turned out too badly and I even found a little bell to pop inside so it jingles as you roll it along the floor.  

Last week I attended a machine embroidery class which was a birthday present from my sewing guru friend, and one of the things we were taught was how to put a name onto a bear/bunny.    It looks a lot more gruesome than it actually is 😀

It is all about the positioning in getting the name in the middle.  Thankfully we had excellent tutors who were incredibly patient and showed us a fabulous technique for making sure you as much in the middle as possible.  

I did manage to succeed in putting new little grandson's name onto a bunny and its as near as damn it in the middle and I think he looks rather fabulous with his blue ribbon which was a stocking filler present from a friend as she knows I have a bit of penchant for beautiful ribbons .  Needless to say my daughter in law loved him, my son maybe not so much but he's never been a fan of soft toys and never had them on his bed when he was a child. 

At least he could appreciate his mothers efforts when I showed him this photograph of shear concentration and with everything crossed as I sat there waiting for it to stitch out on the machine. 

It was a rather busy week for me last week, I was on annual leave from the day job but had something booked in most days including going to see Strictly The live Tour.  I had never been to see the live tour before but when I was asked by a friend if I fancied going of course I said yes.  We had a lovely evening starting with a meal at a little Italian café where  nothing was too much trouble and was a very relaxing. The chef cooked the most beautiful fish main and of course it had to topped off  with tiramisu for desert.  We both enjoyed it but neither of us can remember the name but now we know where it is I'm sure it will be somewhere we will go again.  The show was just as fabulous as we thought it would be and of course Rose and Giovani did the dance and picked up the glitter ball at the end of the evening. 

And what have you been watching on the tele box? 

I watched the first episode of Chloe when it aired but I have since then had to binge watch the rest of the series.  Although the filming was quite dark in places although that could be down to the fact I was watching on my iPad, it is definitely one to watch.  Becky Green receives a phone call from an old school friend in the early hours of the morning.  They hadn't spoken in years.  Becky then hears that her friend has taken her own life but that's not the Chloe she knew.  Becky sets out on a journey to find out what happened to her friend and to prove that she was not the sort of women to of taken her own life.  I won't give away any spoilers but would recommend a look if you're looking for something to while away a wet afternoon with your knitting. 

I also caught up on the Bay series III.  I have watched the first two series and I think it passed me by that the third series had come to our screens.  DS Jenn Townsend has moved to the bay with her two children.  Home life is bit challenging as Jenn and her children move in with her new partner and his daughter and it soon becomes apparent it's going to take a little time to blend the two families.  Jenn's first day doesn't quite go according to plan with her children starting their first day at a new school and she is about to take up her new post.  On the way to taking her children to school they are involved in a car accident when a women runs in front of a car in a desperate attempt to get to the beach where a body has been found in the water.  At first it is thought to be a suicide but the post mortem says otherwise and so Jenn is given her first case as FLO {family liaison officer] and she needs to make a good impression. 

It is always difficult when characters change but I did enjoy the third series and would definitely recommend to watch. 

It is another wet and windy day here again in the shire and I believe we are due for some stormy weather again so today I think it will be a hunker down day with my latest cross stitch project. 

Stay safe and warm everyone

Mx  

Monday morning ramblings

Good morning all.  I have some more beautiful flowers on my kitchen table today. I love to see daffodils in the shops it tells me that we aren't that far away from Spring. 

My little grandson now has a name.  We all had to produce a list of favorite names to help them decide and Theo was the top of my list but also featured on other family members lists so I was really pleased when they finally decided yesterday.  I have sat and added his name to his birth announcement this morning and I will take it to the framers this week.   

I have completed my February socks and this time I have used West Yorkshire Spinners Wood Pigeon. The colour shading is so subtle and they really have picked out the colours of a wood pigeon beautifully. 

Did any of you take part in the Black Sheep Wools Day Out Blanket KAL 2021  I finally got it finished just before Christmas and it has come in very handy with some of the colder nights we've been having of late.  I enjoyed learning new skills such as the mosaic block patterns and it was nice to revisit some old friends with the cable patterns.  I used wool that was in my stash which was Stylecraft Aran in Parchment, Plum and Teal.  The patterns are free to download on their website here

I have completed my first February read.  Jodi Picoult and I have a bit of a marmite relationship. Some of her books are outstandingly brilliant whilst others leave me thinking what was that all about, so I am always a little cautious when I pick up one of her books to read.  This one was a birthday gift from a work colleague.  Wish you were here is set around the beginning of Covid 19 when all medical facilities were seeing unprecedented numbers of patients presented to the Emergency Department and the medical teams were run off their feet.  Diana O'Toole and her surgeon boyfriend Finn are due to set off on a trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands when Covid hits and all leave is cancelled.  He tells Diana to continue with the trip and upon arrival she finds the islands are in lock down and her hotel is closed.  She is taken in by an islander and her family and so her Galapagos experience begins or does it.  

On this occasion Ms Picoult has excelled herself.  Written in two parts, it was one of those books you couldn't put down and had to know how everything was going to turn out and I would definitely recommend if you are looking for something to read on a wet and windy afternoon.  

Lastly what have you been watching on the old tele box of late.  My problem is that I work long hours and often miss or are too tired to concentrate on anything when I get home.  I have become very familiar with iPlayer and Catch up TV. 

I caught up with Four Lives based on a true life event and starring Sheridan Smith and Stephen Merchant.  Four young men are found dead and thought to have died from an overdose but their families are not convinced and push to find the truth.   I remembered the case of Stephen Port but still had to watch all four episodes back to back.  It was very good and definitely worth a watch but then anything Sheridan Smith does is usually worth a viewing. 

Well that's me for now I'm off to sort my sewing room out and get things ready for my sewing group tomorrow.  Have a good week one & all. 

Mx

A birthday and a new arrival

Hello everyone, how are you?  January sees me turn another year older but not necessarily any the wiser, for which I received my beautiful flowers.  

My lovely knitting group friends took me out for lunch last week to a lovely place called Fika run by brother and sister Ivo and Tia, which is a lovely cafe that serves Swedish food something I had never had before apart from the meatballs at Ikea😀 do they count?

We liked the way it was set out you felt like you were eating  outside even though you were sitting inside. it was very busy but you could still enjoy the ambiance of the place and hold a conversation without having to shout. 

This dish is their Fika Bowl which consists of bang bang sprouts, roast garlic butterbean smash, celeriac and apple remoulade, beetroot pearl couscous, harissa roast butternut squash and spiced seeds. I have to say was delicious 

January was also the  month we have  been eagerly awaiting for the safe arrival of our second little grandson. This is one of the little layette sets that I have been making for his impending arrival.  As some may remember 3 years ago our little Freddie made a bit of an entrance into the world when he arrived at just 26 weeks, he gave us a bit of a scare but thankfully he is now a very lively 3 year old and meeting all his milestones.  This pregnancy seems have been a very long one so how my poor daughter in law has coped I do not know.      

Thankfully our little baby boy finally arrived exactly when he was due and he is absolutely perfect.

This little cross stitch is called 'Fernley The Hatching' produced by Meineck and one of six designs which you can find here. He is stitched on 28ct Britteny evenweave  purchased from Lakeside Needlecraft and uses a mixture of Anchor and DMC threads although I converted to all DMC threads.

My intention was to add his name and date of birth, well I can now add the date of his birth but as yet they haven't  come up with a name so until they do I cannot finish it and take it to the framers so they really need to hurry up and make their minds up as obviously 9 months is not  long enough in which to make a decision. 

Have a lovely weekend whatever you're  getting up to, I will be off for grandma cuddles ad I cannot wait.

Mx