Winner! (and reminders)

OK, so I've now gone off to random.org and had it draw a number for me for the winner. When I got home, I couldn't find the piece of paper on which I'd written the number of the winner I'd drawn before I left (though I thought it was number 3), so I decided to draw again, just to be on the safe side - and the number drawn (out of 27 possibles - everyone who donated did so in amounts of £5, so for each £5 donated to Walk for Life, one chance was put in the pool) was number 4, which happens to be the same person as no 3, so it is definitely definitely the case that this little quilt really wants to go and live with Angela. Yeah! Once I get it bound, which I might get to this week, I will pop it in the post to you. I think I have your address, unless you have moved recently...

Many thanks to everyone who donated to Walk for Life, either to sponsor me, or to sponsor someone else or to walk yourself! I'll probably do it again next year (the girls want to do it as well), so who knows, perhaps there will be another giveaway to go with another begging blog post!

Oh yes, and a couple of reminders - Julie (Sew and So) and Michelle L, I still need your addresses for the previous giveaway. Anne & Trina, I'll get your things in the post later this week...

Loot!

Of course, being on holiday in a different place, with different shops, I had to go exploring for local quilt shops and whatnot - especially as my partner in crime on this holiday was my friend Cathi, who is also a quilter. I didn't buy a lot in the quilt shop, Coast and Country Quilts and Crafts, though I did pick up a layer cake of this range, Grand Finale by Sandy Gervais for Moda, which I think is a fabulous line - really me. Not sure what I will do with it yet, but a layer cake (10" squares) seemed more practical than a jelly roll. I also picked up a charm pack (5" squares) of the Sunkissed range - I especially like the text in this one! No need to feel guilty about buying fabric (not that I usually do anyway) as I worked out I haven't been to a quilt shop this year yet. I went to the fabric sale at Farnham Maltings, but bought mostly cheaper cuts for backings and have bought plain black a few times - and that's it!

Cath is also very into scrapbooking, and although I don't scrapbook myself, I never mind hitting a scrapbooking shop, as I like to look at (and buy) things like papers, letters, brads, ribbons, transfers, stamps, and other doodads which can be used in ATC making.

These lovely pieces all came from Scrap Angels in St Agnes, where we thoroughly enjoyed looking at pretty much everything in the whole shop, including helping to unpack a shipment that arrived while we were there...

Pick-a-theme Swap

These are ATCs (Artist Trading Cards - 2.5"x3.5") made for a pick-a-theme swap - which means that instead of a single theme, each person in your group picks their own theme. So you make one card for each of four themes, rather than 3 or 4 cards of one theme.

Anyway. The theme for the above card was whimsical birdhouses.

This one was whimsical cats - it's more purple in real life, but purple never does scan (or photograph) well.

Flowers (again, not a great scan - it's a pink sheer fabric on black)

A poodle theme - the body shape isn't quite right, but I am very happy with the fluff.

And this is a hostess card - which is why I can use the heavy metal embellishment - it doesn't have to be mailed on again.

Cross-stitch update

Not a huge amount of progress on this this week (due to more game and card-playing in the evening and less sitting in front of the telly), but I did manage to finish the sand under the fourth beach hut and begin the hut itself. It's coming, at least. Hmm, and looking back I realised I've also finished the roof on the far left hut - so I guess that's more progress than I thought!

All the other posts this week, I did before I left for holiday and scheduled them to post on the right day, but the Wednesday update I needed to actually do on Wednesday, since I wouldn't have done the work before that... OK, technically, I didn't update it until Thursday, but Wednesay is always cross-stitch day, or at least that's the habit I've been in recently.

Brown and Blue with cats

You may remember this from a while back - I've been using it as an "enders and leaders" project, and finally, it got to the stage where I put all the blocks together and made it into a finished top. What will I do with it now - well, it will go in the top stack for a while. And then, who knows. Of course, I still have loads of fabric left of all these fabrics (might use them on the back) - it's possible I will add a border of the cat fabric. We'll see.

African Violets

The August Block Lotto features these great African Violet inspired blocks - on a black background, with the flowers in any shade you can find in an African Violet. They are really quick to do and as a bonus, the instructions come in a variety of sizes (the lotto is making the blocks in the 8" finished size) - I might have to revisit this block as a scrapbuster later in the year... I'll probably make some more of these before the end of the month, but it's such a nice block I wanted to publicise it now so lots of people play along!

Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter my giveaway by leaving a comment about which of my projects you were enjoying watching develop. It was fun to see which projects struck chords with others. Anyway, I have two copies of the Inspirational Projects magazine/book to giveaway - and the magic numbers for those two project books are: 17 and 12. In real terms, that translates to Julie in Derbyshire (So and Sew) and Anne B. Anne, I have your address (unless you have moved from Cashford Gate), but Julie, if you could let me have yours, that would be great.

I also have a copy of the July issue of Patchwork & Quilting and a copy of the August issue to give away as consolation prizes - I am keeping a copy of the August one (because that's where my claim to fame is, lol) and keeping one copy of July until I at least ready it...

Those two winners are: 15 and 13. Which again, translates to Michelle L and Trina. Oddly enough Michelle, I don't seem to have your address in my contact book, even though I'm sure I must have sent stuff to you before! And Trina, I don't have yours either. Once I have that information, I'll send the prizes off (well, not until after the 7th, when we are back from Cornwall).

Oh my Stars

Here's the July installment in the Oh My Stars Block of the Month. Only a few small errors in the pattern this month - nothing insurmountable. Though I did realise after I finished that the bit I made dark green in the largest block should probably have been the background colour (cream) instead. Never mind - the whole quilt will be so scrappy that no one will ever know!

Stay at Home Robin - quilted

Yes, it's been a while since I showed this - I promised it a while back as the prize in a draw for anyone who sponsored me in the Walk for Life back in June. I haven't drawn a winner yet, but I did get around to adding some applique and quilting it. Didn't get any binding on yet, and as I am going away for a week, starting tomorrow, I won't get that done until after I get back. But it's not forgotten, don't worry! I'm still not entirely convinced that I like it, though I like aspects of it very much! Anyway, watch this space (as they say) for an announcement of who it will be going to live with - but not for a week or two...

Oriental Fan Quilt

Been quilted for a while, finally got around to doing the binding on it. It's going to be a birthday present (60th) later this year for my brother-in-law. I should add that the blocks were originally from a swap a long time ago with a group called Euro-Swap. We each made 12 blocks and received 11 different ones from others. I made the one in the left of the centre row in my quilt, and the others I made were very similar, with different fabrics. But all the fancy applique ones - not my work!

Cross stitch Wednesday

The observant among you will spot that I didn't swap cross-stitch pieces from last week, instead working on this one for a second week. The reason for this is twofold - first, I barely did any last week and wanted to do a bit more and second, I want to take the other piece when we go away on holiday next week, as it has fewer colours to manage and they are in larger blocks (thus making it easier to sew, requiring less of one's attention - better for being on holiday!).

Given as school finally finished at the end of last week, I was able to make a bit more progress on this than the previous week, which is a good thing - at that rate, it would never get done!

Ladies of the Lake

Another two Lady of the Lake blocks (12") for the private swap I'm doing with my friend Cathi - we couldn't remember whose turn it was, so we are each making one to take the other when we meet up on holiday next week. Of course, after the holiday, we still won't know whose turn it is!

Farmer's Wife blocks 6, 7, 8

Block no 46: Hill & Valley

Block no 18: Century of Progress (this one couldn't readily be rotary cut, but I was able to paper piece it - yes, I will go to pretty much any length to avoid doing templates!)

block no 51: Hovering Birds

Farmer's Wife Block 5

No 34: Flock

I made another block as well, but looking back at the book, realise I've got the colouring wrong and need to do it again. Oh well, one for tomorrow.

Funky 16 patches

Despite being officially on holiday now (hurrah!) I had little sewing time today. I did just manage to finish putting together these squares into a top. Another one for the charity pile - hoorah! This was a nice way to use some larger pieces of fabric from the "What on Earth can I do with that" section of my stash...

Thanks again, Block Lotto, for such great block ideas!

Giveaway reminder!

Just a reminder to all my readers that I have two copies of the above booklet to give away, if you'd like to leave a comment on my blog telling me which of my recent projects has been your favourite (or which you've enjoyed) - and if you like, why, but that's not required. More details here in the original post about the giveaway.

In addition, I have a copy of the July issue of P&Q magazine and a copy of the August issue to give away to two runners up - I received two complimentary copies of the August issue (the one with my blog featured in it) and I only need to keep one; I also received by mistake two copies of the July issue - again, I don't need more than one! I'll draw winners at the end of July, or possibly a little later as I will be on holiday and don't know how good my web access (or desire to be online) will be!

Tote bags

Now that all the presents have gone to school, I can show a photo of the tote bags. Well received - at least the two which went to Alex's class. I haven't heard from the others yet, but I'm sure a tote bag will always be a useful gift...

One more day of work (but with no kids in school, it will be a little calmer) and then summer holidays - I'm looking forward to being able to do quite a bit of sewing, etc.

Cross-stitch update

Not a lot done this week - such a busy week it's no surprise. Plus, I found a few stitches in the wrong place, which I had to remove! Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes.

Weaving swap

Another ATC swap - I noticed some people in my giveaway made a comment about liking to see my postcards - I haven't made fabric postcards in years - I think probably those folks are referring to ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), which are smaller than postcards - only 2.5x3.5"...

These four were done for a swap which needed to include an element of weaving in them. I decided to use paper of various sorts...

Four Seasons, 1 card