Another swap and a finish!

Last week I received the most beautiful Table runner in the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap, hosted my my lovely Pal Susan. This gorgeous runner was made by Kay Shocking Hocking and sent all the way from Australia! I love it and it's out on permanent display on my bookshelves. Thankyou so much Kay :)

The runner that I made is still on route to my partner and hopefully will be there soon!

This week I've been working on Christmas gifts, but I finally managed to finish my Summer Sampler Quilt. I really struggled with how to finish this quilt. I wanted to put a border on to make it bigger, but couldn't decide what I wanted, and I didn't have a clue how I wanted to quilt it.

My lovely friend who is the new owner of my Across the Sea Quilt asked me if I could make a quilt for her Mum's Christmas. I showed her a few options and she chose my half-finished Summer Sampler. I had to get it finished quickly, so on Sunday I bribed did a deal with my kids amd promised I would take them out cycling if they let me finish the quilt, and got to work at top speed.

I added a thin border in one of my favourite Any Butler prints and a wider white border. I quilted it using diagonal straight lines in the middle and then straight lines round the edges. The quilting is far from perfect, but I think it will look good once it's washed and crinkles up.

I got her to write a little message for her Mum and pieced it into the back.

The quilt is now on it's way over to Ireland and I really hope her Mum likes it! I really enjoyed speding the money my friend paid me for the quilts - on more fabric! Can't wait for my postie to bring me some packages!

Hope you're having a good week!
Fiona x

Swapity Swap

So yesterday I was giving.... today is all about receiving!

I love swapping on Flickr. They are some fantastic groups full of fun, creative and very generous people.

Last week I received this gorgeous Pillow/cushion from Amanda in the Pillow Talk Swap. Isn't it just gorgeous! And she sent me about a ton of scraps that I can't wait to get playing with :) Thankyou so much Amanda!
Below is the pillow/cushion that I made for my partner, and it is now living at it's new home :)

Yesterday I received another exciting parcel in the mail. I started jumping up and down before I even opened it because I knew the name on the envelope.

The fantastic Michelle, swap Mama in the Pretty Little Pouch Swap, sent me this amazing package. The most fabulous pouch and a lovely stack of fabric :) I am in Love! Thankyou so much Michelle! I am also in love with a beautiful quilt and Pillow that Michelle has made, and have hatched a cunning plan to make one for myself ;)

Below is the pouch that I made for my partner, which is also in it's new home :)

Today, I'm working on things for another couple of swaps. The Savvy Seasons Swap is in full swing, and it's mailing day tomorrow in the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap. These festive swaps are just so much fun!!!

I'm working on some houses, right now...

Happy Tuesday!

Fiona x

Giveaway Winner!

Thankyou all for your lovely comments on my last post!

Due to a technical fault (I can't get the prtScn button on my keyboard to work!) I can't show you an image of the Random Number generator, so I went for the Blue Peter approach instead........

Comment number 30 is the winner of one of the cushion covers ..............Archie The Wonder Dog  - Yay!

who said

"Congratulations on being in FQly - both cushions are stunning! I'd love to give a good home to one of them - thank you for such a fabulous giveaway!"

I'll send you an email just now :)

I really enjoyed doing a giveaway and might do another one soon!

Hope you have a good week and thanks for visiting!
Fiona x

Fat Quarterly and a Giveaway!

Today I'm VERY excited because I took part in the Designer Challenge for the latest issue of Fat Quarterly and it's out today!!!

They sent 2 swatches of fabric and we were to create a block that focused on colour. The fabric sent was Too Muchery by Helen Dardik shown below.

I created 2 cushions/pillows and the tutorial for the Dresden one is in Issue 7 of Fat Quarterly - Designer Challenge.

***** Giveaway now closed **********************

To celebrate my excitement I'm going to do a little giveaway. Now I've never done a giveaway, and have no idea how to work the Random Generator thingy, but I'll figure it out, or draw it out of a hat!

If you'd like to be the new owner of one of the above cushions, please leave a comment on this post, making sure I can contact you. You don't have to be a blog follower to enter, but if you'd like to follow me, please do! :) I'm happy to send it Internationally if you're not in the UK.

You can buy the latest Issue of Fat Quarterly, and all previous issues Here

I'll draw a winner next week when I figure out how

Good Luck!

Fiona x

A find and a finish

I've finally finished my Across The Sea quilt!

The other day when my friend came round to pick up the wall hanging and pillow I made her, I showed her some of the things I was working on. When I showed her this quilt, which was full of basting pins, she fell in love and begged me to make a quilt for her. I said she could have this one, and it was just the motivation I needed to finish it up.

I really love the backing pattern that Sarah designed for the quilt along but I just couldn't face making it. I know that lots of people just love grey in quilts but I've discovered I really don't like cutting and sewing grey fabric. It makes me feel grey and gloomy. Especially when it's raining outside and the sky is grey. A few times I got the fabric out to make the backing but always put it away again. On a whim I pulled out one of my favourite prints, the Dandelion Print by Patty Young in Raspberry. I grabbed the leftovers from the Fat Quarters I'd used in the front and just sewed them all together.
I am so pleased with the way it turned out and I think I prefer the back of the quilt to the front!

I quilted it with random wavy lines using variegated thread and I love how on the back it looks like wind blowing the dandelion seeds :)

Fabric used is Heirloom by Joel Dewberry, Klona grey, and Patty Young's Dandelion in Raspberry.
Pattern is Across The Sea by Jennifer and Sarah

I'll be quite sad to hand this over to my friend!

Happy Thursday!

Bunnies in Jammies

Ta Da! (I love saying that it sounds so dramatic!)

I've finished the Bunny Wall Hanging for my friend's new baby nephew. I adapted a pattern in Tone Finnanger's book Crafting Springtime Gifts and gave the bunnies some pyjamas and embroidered the baby's name and date of birth.

I really enjoyed making this. It's almost all hand sewn and it was so nice to curl up on the sofa and stitch a cute baby project :)

I make a Sprocket pillow to co-ordinate and I love it too. I really hope my friend likes them. I get quite nervous when somebody asks me to make something, especially when they are paying me to make it, but she loved the wall hanging I made her daughter, so hopefully she'll love this too :)

Happy Wednesday!
Fiona x