The sun has got his hat on-Hip Hip Hip Hooray!

The Sun has made a welcome appearance in the last few days which has led to very little time being spent at the sewing machine and lots of time out in the garden.
Since we bought this house I have been desperate to get out in the garden and dig. I planted a few vegetable plants in the spring, but now I can start the massive job of clearing and getting some order.
We have dug out some big plants to get the light into the garden which seemed so wrong, but needed doing so desperately. This has left us a HUGE pile of wood which needs chipping. I feel so sorry for our neighbours as the chipper is so loud.

We are supposed to get rain from tomorrow onwards so hopefully more work on those WIPs. The box of bagged up projects seems to be growing as I look round the house =(

No more fabric!

A huge decision has been made in my house this weekend-I will not be buying any more fabric for a year and I will have to make do with what I have.
After cleaning out and trying to sort through my sewing cupboard this weekend I was really shocked at the amount of projects I have on the go and fabric for planned projects which have not yet been started.
As I am still new to quilting this was a huge surprise especially as I know that I have at least two boxes of fabrics in the loft in storage from when we moved house.
As a gesture of the way to carry on today I camped out in my sewing room to play with a couple of brightly coloured strip rolls which I received a few years ago for Christmas. I had always thought about doing a log cabin design, but as I had never done one before I didn't want to do one as a gift.
It has been a long which since I have sewed at my machine for a project which was not a present for someone, and the hours whizzed past and I loved it.

Although not much progress was made I did get 5 finished blocks out of it, which I love so I will carry on until it is finished. I think I need to border around the blocks with a plain black to make the colours pop out a little more, but I am sure I have some up in my stash.
I am almost finished with my Redwork Village stitchery and I have just found a gorgeous stitchery pattern online for a Chinese pagoda, so I think that I will have to make a bag to take my sewing in when we visit China later this year. Very exciting to be getting ready- we had our injections on Friday and all we need now is our Visas. I have never been that far away from home before so a little nervous, but mostly that there is such a huge language barrier.
I have just been offered the chance to watch a chickflick, so I had better go and snap it up before the chance disappears.

A little treat (for me)

I am super excited because I have just ordered issue 3 of Vignette, the gorgeous magazine from Leanne Beasley. Hopefully it will arrive after my exams finish on Tuesday so that I can start working on something immediately. I have ordered both of the previous issues and I love to sit and study it with a cup of coffee on a quiet afternoon. Such luxury!!

Back to study but hopefully back soon with some pictures of work in progress...

Amazing disappearing act!

Where did that month go so quickly??!
The sewing maching was packed away a couple of weeks ago so that I wouldn't be temped while I was studying, and I've only got 10 days to go until it is all over. I hate these exams especially as the weather outside is beautiful and I keep sketching away on new projects to make once I am finished.
I think the next quilt will be for my brother who is travelling in Australia, and who feels very far away at the moment. I'm loving royal blue and white traditional style quilts so that is what I am starting to plan out in my head.
I am doing the occasional stitch on Rosalie Quinlan's 'Little Patchwork Village' which I have been working on for over a year, but that I love. It is my watching tv sewing, but mostly the sewing gets put down and the tv wins (which is why I have been working on it for so long). I only have one more picture to complete. Pictures to follow soon...

Love

What a wonderful day and such a great proud day to be British!
I thought Katherine looked beautiful and she and William looked very much in love.
I feel very proud to have the Royal couple as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (where we live) and think that they are a wonderful example of our future monarchy.
My hubby and I had travelled to my parents' house which is about 30 miles away and we had a street party with games and party food.
A day to be remembered for many, many years to come.

Show and Tell

The baby quilt top is done! I was pleased that it only took a day and a half to do (half day on cutting and a day laying out and sewing)
From this...

 To...


And finally by Sunday night it looked like this...

 I really feel pleased with it and hopefully it will be basted and I can quilt it. I love straight-line quilting especially on quilts based on squares and I think this will be perfect for this.
Back to work tomorrow but only for a day because then we have the Royal Wedding. It will be a great day and we are going to a street party with my family which will be really great. I look forward to seeing Catherine's dress and also our nice champagne breakfast! We have so few excuses for a nice community day like this so this will be great! Let's just hope that the weather stays nice (rain is forcast =( )

Finally!!

After six very long months of not sewing I finally managed to get some fabric out and cut into it. With having moved house just after Christmas and two accountancy exams in June, I have barely had any time let alone some clear space. We have a lovely long holiday with Easter and the royal wedding so I have decided to have a few days away from studying to do some sewing. I must get a move on because a friend has a baby girl due any day. I love sewing for little girls and can justify using as much pink as I want.
More to follow....