Daisy Made It

Mystery BOM update

I realise it's been a while siince I've posted about my mystery BOM 2011 from Fat Quarter Shop.  We are nine months into the BOM and I'm patiently (NOT) waiting for block 10 to arrive....3 more blocks to go and as I already have the finishing kit, once those 3 arrive I can put the whole top together.

I've loved making these blocks, they are all so pretty and the fabrics are divine......we're using Strawberry Fields by Fig tree Quilts for Moda.  These are the nine blocks I've made so far, please excuse the colour, the light is dreadful here with it beeing so gloomy and overcast....

On to other things.....I'm ready to quilt a baby quilt, ready to quilt my nieces quilt, am pieceing another VERY special baby quilt, am piecing a man's quilt for May and am making a special quilt for June.......busy, busy, busy.......I hope I can keep up with myself :)

In between all the quilting and piecing, I have been teaching myself to crochet.  You can find lots of online resources to help with this, but I am using these videos from Craftyminx, they've been so helpful and after I've done some quilting today, I will start learning to make a granny square.  On Monday I learned to sew in the round, this is my first attempt.... 

....I just need to find my wool needle to finish off and sew in the ends :)

Now I hear the sewing machine calling me......enjoy your day :)

Slightly wonky

I've had a wonderful few days sewing a cute small quilt.  The colours are delicious, the prints are wonderful and the pattern is fun.  I used a wonky 9-patch block and it was so freeing not to have to line up every seam :)  For all you quilters out there I know you'll understand that.....it also made it real quick to put together.

It's really cheered me up making this, the sun has been shining while I sewed and the fabrics put a smile on my face too......but now I have to get back to perfectly matched corners and points and continue on with all the other projects I have in the background......still it was nice to break out and abandon the rules for a bit :)

Journeys....

A very happy journey started today, one my Summer Memories Swap blocks are starting :)

They are starting their long trek over the miles all the way to Utah, where they will play with all the other swap blocks and then when they are sufficiently mixed up one of my blocks along with 17 new friends will start their journey home ready for me to put them all together in a fun quilt :)

As you can see I've made caravan's, and my friends have made all manner of different blocks....there are corn on the cob, bucket and spade on the beach, kite, old fashioned lemonade stand, hammocks, swings, ice creams.....just to name a few.  This is going to be such a fun quilt, I can#t wait for it to make back home to me :)

Now for another very different journey.  I was a little bit quick in celebrating last time.....yes we did win the judgement in court and they were ordered to pay ALL they owe us within 14 days, but have you heard that phrase "it's like getting blood out of a stone"......well they've decided not to pay, and on day 14 applied to the court with what only can be descibed as a 'pathetic' payment plan......one that will take almost 20 years to pay off the debt!!!!

To say I am just about spitting feathers is putting it mildly.......so yet more paperwork, back to court and more stress, pain and just a general feeling of being totally used and abused.......this is a journey I'm tired of walking, I need to get to the end of this, and soon!!!!

I'm back.....

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've been on here!!!

Last time I spoke to you I was preparing for a legal issue, happily I can report that all is good....it's nice to know the British legal system works, as I'd always said, the truth will out in court......and it did, you know you will always get caught out if you lie in court, especially after swearing to tell the truth....shame on you!!!!

After the court case, I had my gorgeous nieces for the weekend.....my sister and brother in law had a well deserved break in bath for the weekend and we got a fun filled weekend with the girls.  We still had some snow in the garden so snow angels were made :)

Later in the weekend, using Charley as a guinea pig, they practised being hairdressers

Can you see the determined look on Analises face?? 

I think they had a great time....I know we did having them here and I know my sister and brother in law enjoyed their time off and chilling out with each other.....something every couple/parents need to have every once in a while :)

Although we had great fun with girls, of course it meant I didn't have a moment for sewing, so I've making up for it since they went home....I sewed all day Tuesday with Chris, all day Wednesday at home, a little sewing Thursday afternoon and some of Friday too.  Hopefully next week I'll have some photos of finished products for you :)

Time flies....

....but it hasn't all been fun.  Me and Ross have had our heads immersed in a load of legal paperwork, which we're hoping will be resolved by the end of this week, I'm sick of paperwork, chasing emails, organising....but we did get a trip into London to meet with the barrister, which enabled us to have dinner at the OXO tower.....great views and lovely food, so not all of it was boring :)

The fun part has been finishing my sisters quilt for her birthday, making another bear for a special order

I've also been putting the binding on my other sisters quilt for her birthday next week, can't show pictures yet and preparing for my two gorgeous nieces who are coming for a sleepover at the weekend......they will be staying Saturday and Sunday night and we will have a ball

It's quite frightening how grown up they are looking in the latest photos of them, Lily will be 6 in June and analise will be 3 next month......as I said time flies!!!

Busy, busy, busy...

Phew it's been a busy week, I've been busy sewing, finishing some presents so I can't show pictures yet.....well maybe a sneak peek :)

I also went down to Brighton to stay with Charley for a couple of days, which was nice for both of us.  I enjoyed chilling out with her and she enjoyed the company while she finished her last assignment :)

Charley starts her placement in a weeks time and I know she really looking forward to it, she's working in a Special Educational Needs school and the best news is it's near home, so we'll be seeing lots of her :)

Well time to get back to sewing, no rest for the wicked :)

More goodies :)

Well so far I've had a lovely day :) This morning me and Ross drove over to Patchwork Corner to pick up some rolls of wadding and of course while I was there I had a little look around and got a few more dies for my Go! cutter....

I go tthe Go! feathers

the Go! Funky Flowers

and the Go! Round Flowers

all in readiness to make an applique quilt for Charley :)

So after being thoroughly spoilt at Patchwork Corner we then called into the Fox and Hounds for a delicious lunch.  While we were there we ran into a couple of friends who joined us and we all had a lovely time, catching up and making plans for a future visit :)

So now I am finally home and am spending an hour or two in my studio sewing down circles onto some blocks - happy days :)

A late Christmas present :)

Ross being the super, awesome husband he is gave me a late Christmas present today.....and to say I am a little overwhelmed (and super excited) is an understatement :)

Quite a few months ago, he decided that as I would probably be making quilts for people for Christmas he would get me a quilt made, and he knows I love Amish quilts.....I'm always badgering him about us taking a trip to Pennsylvannia and visiting the Amish community or going to a quilt auction.  Well it's taken a few months to be made which is why I'm just getting it now....so without further ado, here it is

Here's a closer view and a truer colour of the quilt, this is one of my favourite blocks

You'll have to excuse the quality of the photos, I took them quickly on my phone in my excitement.......I will be taking my quilt out this weekend to show some friends and next week when it's on the bed and my camera is properly charged up I'll take some better pictures :)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

WIP Wednesday

I've decided to link up with Freshly Pieced and her WIP Wednesday.

This week I've spent some time dithering and playing around on Pinterest but I did manage to piece 2 quilt tops for birthdays in February, they are both the same fabric range but slightly different patterns/layout....here's one of them

So now I just need to get more wadding/batting and quilt and bind them....should have them done before the end of the month :)

I also started cutting out another quilt today for another birthday in May....this one has lots of appliqued circles on it, so I'm using a cheats way, you've gotta love lightweight interfacing.....life is too short for needle turn applique!!!

Just a quickie post today as I NEED to get back to sewing more and more circles....49 of them in fact......I must be mad!!!!

A challenge...

I've decided to set myself a challenge this year.  I don't make resolutions as a rule but I came across this challenge on Sew Cal Gal's blog and knew I had to join.

I tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to FMQ - free motion quilting and I know the answer, as with most things, is to practise, practise, practise, but I am very good at letting things get in the way and not bothering.....so I thought if I joined the FMQ 2012 challenge then I might not find it so easy to put it off until another day.

So here's the first step in me moving out of my comfort zone and improving my free motion quilting skills :)  If you want to find out more about it then you can click the FMQ 2012 button on the right hand side of this post, it'll take you straight there :)