Pillow Talk and a walk

I've finished my pillow for the Pillow Talk Swap. I was really excited when I found out my partner and I pulled out my extra special bag of little scraps to make a happy scrappy pillow that I hope she'll love. I really enjoyed making this and I a wee bit sad it's finished. It'll be on it's way to it's new home soon :)

The centre part is a New York Beauty block that I made using this great tutorial, and I hand quilted it using perle cotton.

On Sunday morning I enjoyed a lovely a walk in the woods with my daughter and Murphy before we went to watch her brother play rugby. I love this photo I took. It just sums up an autumnal Sunday morning :)

Happy Wednesday

Fiona x

Drunk Quilt, Scrap Vomit and a Tova!

Thankyou so much for all the lovely get-well messages you sent me after my last post. I'm feeling much more like myself again :)

I've been busy (not tidying and cleaning like I should be) I've been finishing things and making new things too :)

Want to see?

 I finished my Drunkard's Path mini quilt (totally inspired by this beauty made by Michelle I like Orange Too)  and it's now proudly hanging in the living room. I'm not sure how impressed my husband is with the new wall art, he hasn't mentioned it at all since it appeared on the wall, but the kids like it, and it makes me happy every time I walk into the room :)

Scrap Vomit is almost finished. It hasn't got the binding on yet, I've just zig-zagged round the edges.
It's the kids' new favourite quilt, and Murphy seems to like it too! I didn't use wadding, just backed it with an old flannel sheet that I dyed kind of wine coloured.

And I'm very proud of this make....

I made myself a Tova! The pattern is now available for download and after months of wishing I had more time to start making myself clothes again, I decided to just do it.

I followed a lot of the tips that Kerry gave during her Tova Sew Along and it came together pretty quickly (about 4 or 5 hours total, including cutting out and taping the pattern together).

It's a bit crumpled in the photos because I have been wearing it all day, but I absolutely LOVE it! I love the little gathered details and it's just so comfy! I used quilting weight cotton (Make Life by Sweetwater for Moda) and lengthened the sleeves so it's warmer for winter.

I'm going to make a Portfolio dress next! And just in case anybody fancies a bit of dress making, This site is doing simplicity patterns for $2.99 just now - I just ordered the Lisette Diplomat Dress pattern and the Lisette Souvenir Top :)

Hope you're all having a good week!

Fiona x

A hand-stitchy kind of week

It's been a hand-stitchy kind of a week this last week. I won't bore you with all the details but when I got out of bed on Monday morning I fell over as soon as I stood up. It pretty much went downhill from there. Another attack of labyrinthitis perfectly timed for the school October holidays :( we were supposed to be going to stay with my Mum for the week but it wasn't to be.

Instead she spirited the kids away for a few days (Thankyou Mum xxx) and I have spent the week in bed. After a few days I was able to sit up enough to do a bit of hand stitching and that's what's been keeping me sane(ish)

First of all I hand-stitched a keyfob for my Mouthy Stitches partner (triple-stitched to make it good and sturdy!) Embroidery pattern is by the amazing Lilipopo

Then I worked on my EPP Bee blocks

Did a bit more quilting on my Loulouthi quilt (yes it's covered in dog-hair - I took pity on my poor attention starved puppy and let him curl up next to me while I stitched this)

and my favourite :) This has cheered me up! The lovely Susan cut these fabrics for me months ago after I fell in love with this beauty made by Michelle I like Orange Too, and just had to make one of my own. I've been scared to put them together and quilt it because I was scared I would mess it up. This is the very last bits of some of my most treasured fabrics! Luckily it seems to have gone okay (or at least if it hasn't, I still can't see straight enough to realise!!!)

I'm feeling a bit better now and managed to watch a tiny bit of TV with the kids last night. Paul O'Grady - for the Love of Dogs My little lovelies waited for me to feel better so we could watch it together on Sky+ :)

And there have been benefits to being poorly. I've got an early start on my Christmas weightloss - I've lost 6lbs!

Hope you've had a good week :)
Fiona x

Swooning and fading

Today I'm quilting.

 My Swoon quilt top has been finished since March. I had started hand quilting it, but it's massive at 80" by 80" and I realised I would probably never get it finished. So, I decided to practice my FMQ.

I'll be honest, I'm knackered! And a little bit sick of it, but I'm more than halfway finished. My quilting isn't perfect (in fact it's pretty dodgy in places) but I'm improving, and I'm getting more confident at trying new things. I bought Angela Water's book a while back (I really quite like it) and I'm trying some of her ideas out.

My 7th bobbin has just run out so I thought I'd spread it out and take some pictures to inspire me to keep going.

Keep going Fiona, keep going!

Happy Thursday!

Swapping!

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I'd fallen off the swap wagon. I'm glad a had a little break and now I've tumbled back into swapping I'm having a grand old time!

First up is the Mouthy Stitches Swap. My Mama has assigned me a brilliant partner. I've done a bit of stalking, had a good rummage in my stash and come up with this.

A little braided panel for the front of the tote bag. I've had some lovely feedback from the others in the group and I'll be quilting it soon and making up the bag :)

Next up I just couldn't help myself signing up to the Pillow Talk Swap again, and I'm so glad I did. Again my Mama has given me a fantastic partner, and I dived into my extra special bag of teeny tiny scraps, pulled on my big girl pants, and started on this

A New York Beauty block, using the brilliant tutorial by Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations. I've spent a lot of today piecing and now it looks like this

I've got a bit more to add and then I'm planning a bit of hand quilting using perle cotton.

Somehow these swaps have made me abandon everything and they're all I can think about! I'm going to tear myself away for a couple of hours and try to get the house presentable, and make some dinner before anybody realises I've spent every spare minute of the last couple of days sewing and ignoring everything else!

Happy Wednesday!
Fiona x

September......

I really didn't think I'd made much in September. The month seems to have whizzed by, and I'm really not sure where it went!

Anyway when I went back and checked my Flickr stream, it turns out I've made more than I thought. Here's a wee summary :)

1. Scrappy HST pillow/cushion, 2. Row Along Rows 1 - 3, 3. I'm done!!!!!, 4. Do.Good Stitches - September,
5. Nursery Versery cushions, 6. Recess in the middle, 7. Addition for Nichol, 8. Invisible zip,
9. Scrappy baby boy quilt, 10. Hexagon cushion finished, 11. Nursery Versery Mice, 12. hexagon cushion

Linking up with the lovely Lynne's Fresh Sewing day!

Happy October everyone!
Fiona x