Back to school, back to work

Here's what came in the post today - two postcards, one a belated Tree card from Angela - definitely worth the wait, as it's a great card. Frankly, with all the effort Angela puts into her cards, I'm not surprised she was unable to catch up quickly when life happened and she got behind in swaps. That's a compliment, really, in case you all missed that. :)

And the other card is from Jeanette, I for Imagine (the song) - great idea, and a fun card. Which reminds me, I should start thinking about what J might be for...



With most of the kids at school today, I did have a bit of time to myself, so of course I sewed. Alex had a picnic - or rather, there was a picnic for nursery and reception students - in the park at lunch time, but this morning after dealing with the uniform shop (chaos, horrors - first day of school - yikes!) I came home and finished the stripes cards (they were mostly done, as I mentioned yesterday). Now they are completely done (except the writing on them, which I will not waste valuable sewing time doing!). I think they came out well, and they were fun to do. The yellow stripe is a flange (i.e. loose flap) which is kind of quirky...



Then I also worked on this piece - finished quilting it with a flame pattern - and at the same time, quilted all the sunset postcards, as I was also using flames on them, and the same colour thread. Two birds and all that. Photos of them when they are finished - perhaps tomorrow, perhaps later. They aren't due out yet, so I might put them aside for a while.

Not sure whether this piece is finished yet or not (obviously the edges aren't finished) - might want something else around the faces. Will let it rest for a few days and tell me what it wants. On the whole, though, I like it. If I still like it when it's done, I might put it on etsy.

Hats off - or on, rather

Today - the last day before the girls go back to school (Alex won't go back until next week, but it's still an official school night). Ran some errands - post office (including sending my blue & white quilt off to Hever), library, hair trim for Sarah, and then some friends around this afternoon, but despite that, I did actually work on the stripes postcards this morning - got up to the edging, but no photos. I'll photo them tomorrow, as I'm sure I'll finish - I only have a few more edges to do.

Instead of today's work, here's the post - a postcard from Anne for 1900's (SOS accepted as universal distress signal in 1908), an African block from Karol Ann for our private block swap (great block, but now it's my turn, unfortunately) and Cloth, Paper, Scissors, which I took with me to the park to read when I took the kids out for half an hour, but of course, there were two friends I hadn't seen for most of the summer in the park, so I just chatted instead. Life is so hard!

And finally, here are the girls' hats - we finished Sarah's this morning, and started Olivia's almost straight away. She did some rows, I did some more while chatting to my friend Caroline, Caroline's daughter (Sarah's age) did a few rows, then Olivia did some more and I finished it off tonight. They love them - in fact, Sarah has worn hers all day. It suits her, actually. And they were so easy to make. I foresee presents!

Little bits and pieces

So, believe it or not, I actually got some creative stuff done yesterday on the journey home from Ireland. Cathi had a set of these knitting rings, a bit like big knitting dollies and gave us the larger two (there are two small ones as well) - Sarah started a hat for herself and Cathi started a scarf for me, which I have subsequently finished - did all the length of it in the car yesterday while Geoff was driving (I usually do most of the driving as he doesn't really like it, and I am a bad passenger, but I was so tired and my ankle and knee ached, that I had to swap) and tonight put some tassley bits on the ends. It's quite a loose weave, so it will be a good intermediate scarf. And great yarn - it was called Monet, and you can tell why. Sarah's hat is nearly done, just needs to be cast off, which I will help her with tomorrow.

Here are some more bits and pieces which arrived while I was gone - the moulds I actually had to go and collect, as they had to be signed for, but if I'd been home, they would have come Saturday - really quick service from Argentice. And hoorah, new faces to make! The bits on the right are experiments with sheer fabrics - a technique swap for my surface embellishment group. Lots of fun pieces. Which I might use for something someday... or not.

Then today's post brought me these little chaps, which look very decorative in their bundles, but don't really show, so I have taken them apart and spread them out to photograph. When I have a few more, I will have to work out how to display them. They are all great, but of course being me I particularly like the brown row...

And finally, amidst the laundry, errands (post office, school (to put away uniform in the uniform shop in prep for wednesday), haircut (olivia), playdate (sarah), dentist (all three)), and general getting-the-house-back-in-order-after-holidays I actually did manage a little work. I made up three more cards with faces on, and did a prototype of a stripes card - it will also have some stitching on it, not sure just what yet. And will be edged with variegated thread, which produces a striped effect. I also worked a little on the sunset cards, the prototype of which I made before going to Ireland. Perhaps more tomorrow on those, though we have another busy day, of course.

Giveaway Monday

Well, you know I've been saying I was going to do a weekly drawing - and I am. Here's how it will work - every Monday, I will post a photo of something which I will be giving away that week. It might be something small, it might be something a little bigger. It might be something I made, or it might be something I have leftover or which I am clearing out of my stash - but it will definitely be something craft related, and usually sewing related. I should think there might be postcards from time to time :) Then on Sunday, I will draw the winner from those who comment during the week. Simple as that. (one chance in the draw per person, so commenting every day won't help, lol)

It's just a bit of fun, and a way to say thank you to everyone who visits and leaves comments and also a way to say thanks to all the generous ladies out there in quiltblog land who take the time and energy to share their work online and bring me so much inspiration!



So, here is today's offering. This is a pile of scraps. More specifically, it is a pile of HST units, ranging in size from about 2" to maybe 3.5". These are mostly units which have been trimmed off flying geese or similar, which I feel I can't throw away, but which I never end up doing anything with except sending to charity quilt makers. I've been meaning to pass these along to someone, as I'd like to put something else in the little box they are living in (see - ulterior motives!). If you'd like to be enterred into the draw for these lovelies, just leave a comment before Sunday... More proper posting later, when I have collected a parcel from the PO and maybe even done some sewing!

[edited to say, I decided that "contest" isn't quite the right word so am changing it to giveaway and drawing... same principle, different title]

Bumper crop (not unexpected!)

Well, we are back home, and of course, there were lots of cards waiting for me. And a few other things, which I will share tomorrow. For tonight, here's a quick rundown on the cards...


left: stripes from Beth (FAI); right: sheers from Myla (FAI)


left: contrasts from Debbie P (Arts in the Mail); right: a thank you from Di for a pattern I sent her (how nice is that!)


left: winter from Mary (Arts in the Mail); right: stripes from Ann J (FAI)


left: pink and purple from Anne R (Arts in the Mail); right: Summer from Ellen (Dyehard)


left: contrasts from Jan (Arts in the Mail); right: something starting with I (Inuit Inukshuk) from Judy (Arts in the Mail)


left: sheers from Elly (FAI); right: summer from Debbie A (Dyehard)

A truly super bunch of cards - lovely to come home to. Acknowledgements will go out tomorrow; tonight, bed is calling - too much driving today...

Retail therapy

A nice retail therapy day with the girls today (in this instance, the girls being me, Cathi and Olivia, who was having a treat going shopping with us big girls). First (bottom left), a visit to Cathi's local quilt shop friend (she has a huge fabric selection in her garage and runs a shop (of the kind where you ring to arrange a visit) & classses - I am seriously envious both of the space and the fabric). I bought a few bits of specific purposes - some pinks and oranges for the September Block Lotto over on about.com, plus a bunch of fabric from the sale rack (6 and 7 euros per yard), plus some that I bought simply because I liked it.

Then, we went into Limerick city, and hit a fabric store, where I got the glittery felt (top left) and the 2 Euro shop (like a pound shop or dollar store) where I got some foil paper and corrugated paper (also top left).

We also visited a number of charity shops (bought a few bits, nothing too exciting) and finally the yarn shop, where I bought the silk ribbon (top right) and Cathi bought lots of balls of wool to make hats for the girls and a scarf for me with her quick knitting hoops (kind of like a knitting dolly, but on a larger scale). In all, an excellent day, not least for being without small complaining children.

Virtual textile experiences

This (a night club in Tralee) is about as close to fabric as I got today...but it was a lovely day, nonetheless, with beautiful scenery - we went out along the Dingle Peninsula (An Daingean), stopping as the spirit took us, including a beach picnic and some scenic overlooks, like the one below, along the Conor Pass...



Cathi, on the other hand, who was not driving, was quite productive (except when the roads got particularly Irish), and finished the second of her funky Pomatomus socks. Here (in the spirit of Yarn Harlot) is the sock at the Conor Pass. Be careful sock, it's a LONG way down.

Hey, if I can't have personal textile experiences, I gotta settle for vicarious ones, right?

Loadsa faces

This morning, the guys took the littles to a soft-play place, and Cathi and I and my girls made faces (many jokes were already made about my girls making faces at one another...). And here are the results! Mine are the columns on the right, Sarah's are the two lines down the centre, Olivia's are top left and Cathi's are bottom left. I then made a couple of cards using a few of the faces. I definitely am going to order some different moulds, too. In fact, I'm going to do it right after I finish blogging!




After lunch, the big girls and the daddies went golfing (pitch & putt) and the littles stayed here with us to do dressing up and stuff like that. Cathi and I split up the lovely purple Civil War Repro fabric and pulled bits out of her CW repro collection that might work as well. We have decided to swap Dear Jane blocks in a 6" size - this is great for me, as I really like some of the DJ blocks, but have no real desire to do a whole quilt of them and Cathi is a big DJ fan already (check out her DJ quilt here - fab, isn't it?). With 6 inch blocks, I imagine I'll be able to satisfy my urge to make a good quantity of DJ blocks without a) making the ones I really don't want to and b) ending up with a huge huge quilt. I think I may end up with a lap quilt or something like that. Anyway, it will be fun - we are stealing the idea of a private swap from Karol Ann, with whom I am swapping African blocks - and basically going to do the same thing - swap more or less once a month, depending on schedules, with no pressure and no deadlines. We'll each make 2 identical blocks, keep one for ourselves and send the other. Fun.

A few historic quilty bits

Today's cultural activity was a trip to Bunratty Folk Park & Castle - I took lots of photos, but there were a few nice examples of textiles and sewing related things, so I thought I'd share them here.

This coverlet was heavily embroidered, maybe some stumpwork - I couldn't get very close to it, so it was hard to tell just how it was done. But it was pretty.



This little sewing and spinning room was in the castle - just a little alcove with a window, tucked away in a corner.



And this machine was in a bedroom in one of the houses or cottages. There was also a machine in one of the main rooms in the big Georgian house there - I didn't take a photo, as it was way across the room, but I did notice it was there...



And finally, this was on the bed in the bedroom in a Byre Cottage - that's the kind where the cows live inside, in part of the main room (really). Luckily, they can't easily cross the little ditch and get into the bedroom and eat the quilt...

And there you are - a few quilt & sewing related snaps for you.

Tuesday night quilt group, even here!

Well, some photos of things I have been doing. Worked on the beaded doll watching telly last night and a few other times when I haven't actually blogged it - finished the front, and decided I would also do the back (I hadn't been sure before), so now I will begin showing photos of the back, when I get some more beads on it.

And I quilted the little retro quilt. Tonight Cathi and I went to her quilt group meeting - nice coincidence to have it the week I am here, don't you think? Anyway, met a bunch of nice ladies, doing interesting and varied work, and managed to quilt this - echo quilting in the blocks and free motion in the centre and borders. Detail below. Not perfect, but it works. Border to come, but not sure in what fabric.

Mine, all mine!

Here's my newest acquisition - this totally cool felted basket with a moebious handle, which Cathi made a while back. I kept admiring it, and she decided to give it to me [note to self: try this technique in, say, the Tate, in front of the big Monet waterlily painting, LOL]

To be fair, she had already promised to make me another one, so I did know I'd get a felted bowl at some point (and I was looking forward to it), but in the end, she decided that as this is already my favourite colour, and it was here and I was here, I could have this one. How cool is that? answer: very cool, of course.

Anyway. I love it. You can see it on Cathi's blog here - and watch for future felted things, too. I'd have loved to have some funky felted slippers, but unfortunately, I can't wear wool, so that's a no go. But I am very very happy with my bowl (and now I will definitely have to leave my funky retro miniquilt with Cathi - perhaps that was her intention all along!)

Happy Blogversary to me...and you

Well, I know I said I was going to post the results of the draw tonight, but we couldn't wait. The kiddies helped us draw the names, and here are the results. I will also try to email you personally if your name was drawn, but in a few cases I don't have your email, so I do hope you will check back in. Please send me your snail mail address if I don't have access to it, or if you
aren't sure. I will probably post off most of the cards from Ireland while we are here, so they shouldn't be too long coming to you.

So, without further ado, the winners are (in the order drawn):

1. Ann
2. Teresa
3. Vicki W
   
4. Wil
5. Anne B
6. Jane
7. Shelina
8. Lynda
9. Myra
10. TottyJo
11. Dawn
12. Helen
13. Caroline
14. LisaJo
15. Jan J

So sorry to those of you we didn't draw - but thanks for commenting anyway, and I hope you'll keep coming back - and look out for my new weekly contests starting in September...

Retro miniquilt

So, here's where those retro rectangles wanted to go. Funky, eh? The whole thing is about 24x26 inches or something like that - not real big. And you can't tell this in the photo, but the tiny blue border is actually a little flange, not a border. We only had a tiny bit of the blue or I might have used more. When I say "we" in this instance, I of course mean Cathi, as I am raiding her stash for this work. I feel less guilty about this than I might a)because she said I could, b)because I am leaving a bunch of my purple Civil War Repro fabric with her and c)because I might give her this mini quilt anyway.

Not sure how it will be quilted yet - perhaps just echoes of the curves in the small blocks and something funky in the border. That's a job for another day. But not tomorrow as we will probably spend the entire day out with the kids &DHs somewhere doing touristy things.

Tomorrow, however, is the blogversary draw! So unless we get back really really late, I'll post the winners tomorrow night. Yeehah. I might even mail the postcards from Ireland - I did cleverly remember to bring them with me. :)