Christmas is coming..........!

Hello everyone.

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since my last blog.
It has been quite a stressful time over the last few weeks one way or another, with a lot of things going on, but suffice to say things are looking better now.

So have I managed to fit in any crafting this last few weeks?

Well, as you saw in my last blog, I made a Christmas tree skirt, so I decided to spend some time cutting out the "Dresden plate" shapes, for when I had a few minutes to spare.
When I had time I assembled them. I did get a bit carried away though!
I also made a small version for my Mums tree. (Forgot to take a picture of it though.)

I have so far finished one more skirt:

This time I used more traditional colours of green & reds.

I have a couple more "work in progress" that need binding, but should be finished by Christmas.

The other sewing I have been doing is an embroidered tablecloth.

A few months ago I went to a car boot & saw some embroidery threads. When I bought them, the seller included a bag full of transferred linen as well.

One was a tablecloth that was obviously "vintage". I didn't really know what to do with it, then inspiration hit me. I would convert it to a Christmas tablecloth!

Searching through my vintage embroidery transfers, I found some holly & mistletoe designs, and ironed them on. I decided to use Christmas colours of red, green & gold to embroider it.
It is still being worked on, as I just pick it up when I have a few minutes.

So here is the progress so far:
                                                               The centre:

(Can't seem to turn it round the right way).

                                                 A view of one of the sides.............

                                                        Work in progress!

 Will it be finished by Christmas though?!

I love Christmas. Even though it is the busiest time of the year, there is something special about the atmosphere. I love homemade articles and it is lovely to get things out you have made in past years.

This year will be especially busy, as my daughters Dance School has got it's first show on December 14th & 15th and I am acting as compere! She started her dance & drama school earlier this year, and it is going from strength to strength, and already gaining a good reputation.
Then we are off on our mini cruise, leaving the menfolk to fend for themselves for a few days, returning on the 21st December.

So, I had better get on with my sewing, if I am to stand a chance of finishing the tablecloth for Christmas lunch!
Thanks for reading, and see you soon!

Friendships, and village show progress.

Hello everyone.

I had a phone call today from an old friend that I hadn't heard from for ages. We chatted like we had met only yesterday, and it got me thinking about friends.

A very dear friend of mine gave me a coaster which has a lovely quote on it: "Friends are like stars, you don't have to see them to know they are there."
That is so true.

This week I will be catching up with two friends who I haven't seen for a few weeks. As they work in a school, the only time we get a chance to chat is during the holidays.
I really look forward to catching up with the news (and gossip of course)!!
We always have lovely cakes, and the time flies by.

I try and take a few flowers when I go to visit someone. Doesn't have to be an expensive bouquet, but I have a philosophy that it is better to take flowers to people when they are alive, than to send flowers when they are no longer with us.

Each of my friends have different lifestyles, jobs and families, but I always like hearing what they have been up to.

Well, what else is there to tell you?

Tonight I have finished my cross stitch 'Congratulations' card, so all my entries are now finally completed for the village show.

This year I will be entering three craft classes, my quilt, my card & a knitted baby cardigan. I will also be entering the poetry class, in an effort to retain my trophy from last year.
I usually enter some of the fruit & vegetable classes, but due to the weather this year I don't think any will be ready.

The plums are tiny and green, the tomatoes haven't shown a sign of going red, and the apples are small and a bit misshapen! Oh, and the huge raspberry canes are all plant & no fruit!

Oh dear............

It is only a couple of weeks away now, so I will let you know how I get on.

That's all for now. Be back soon,

Vintage Sewing.

Hello everyone!

As promised, I have taken a few pictures of my lovely vintage sewing book.

It was written in the 1940's, and is very much in the wartime spirit of "Make Do & Mend".

I treasure it, although am unlikely to be making any garments from it!

The cover. Not bad for over 70 years old!



The inside cover.



 

Giving Bodices a new style! (As you do)!!!

 


Giving sleeves a new style........





Mending table linen.

And of course, we all have buttons on our undies.....!



I wonder how many of us even wear gloves, let alone mend them!
                    

Well, I hope that gives you a little insight into the fashions & trends of wartime Britain. Hope you enjoyed it.
Thought you might like this cartoon I found. It is SO true!!


Be back soon!



Pretty towels, cross stitch & quilt backing.

Hello again!

I am thrilled that fellow crafters from 10 countries now read my blogs. Welcome to you all!

I thought you might like to see what I've been up to since my last blog.

QUILTING.

Well, I have actually got round to finishing the quilt top for the village show in August, and have tacked (basted) it together with the wadding (batting) and backing. Now just got to decide how to quilt it!
I have made the quilt with my favourite fruit & vegetable fabrics and called it "Bountiful Harvest".
My thoughts were maybe leaves, or a tree quilted in some multicoloured thread I won from a magazine, but not sure yet. It sits waiting for me to gain inspiration!

TOWELS
Recently I saw some very expensive towels edged with pretty material, and as usual, it gave me an idea!
I had some lovely rose fabric in my stash, so I bought some cheaper towels and had a go.
I was thrilled with the result. What do you think?


Inset fabric



Then I edged some new tea towels and got a bit carried away......................

And then I remembered one I had done at Christmas. So back in the blanket box I went!

Here's one I made earlier!

It is surprising what you can do with some fabric and basic household bits & bobs.

CROSS STITCH

I recently bought a lovely mini cross stitch kit showing a quilt block. However when I opened it, it was black aida with the tiniest holes you have ever seen!
Well, my eyesight not being that good (even with my new glasses), I went rummaging in the sewing room, and found some white aida with much bigger holes.
Also found more embroidery thread so have made a start. If I finish it before I go on holiday next week, I will post a picture of it.
Thought you might like to see this pic of Sooty, sleeping on my 'fabric Shop'.

So that's about it for now.

In my next blog I will show you a lovely book my Mum gave me from my late Aunt. It was given to my Aunt in 1943, and has some wonderful sewing ideas in it.

And finally, a lovely quote I found on the internet:

   A family stitched together with love seldom unravels.

See you soon!

Vintage style!

Hello everyone!

Recently my old laundry basket looked a bit worse for wear. I was debating whether or not to treat myself to a new one, but then I thought, why not have a go at refurbishing it myself.

I measured the existing fabric, and used some lovely upholstery fabric in pale blue with roses on it to replace the boring cream colour.

I used french seams (as I had watched the 'Great British Sewing Bee' on  television & apparently they make stronger seams), and eventually got it to fit correctly.

I then lightly sanded the frame, and painted it a very pale pink. (I was lucky enough to have a tin of Dulux colour matched paint given to me by my sister. She felt it was too strong a colour for what she wanted).

I was surprised how nice it looked.

Anyway, thought you might like to have a look. As usual it is not perfect, & I would do things differently next time, but it is all trial & error!



My refurbished laundry basket!



So then I thought, what next?  I know, a peg bag! (I think my American friends call them clothes pins).

Again, I measured my existing bag & cut out some calico for the front as I had decided to embroider it, and a lovely spotty material for the rest of the bag.

I drew on the clothes line & flowers, then found some 1950's transfer lettering I had been keeping in my craft room for ages, for the word 'pegs'.

I embroidered it with three strands of stranded embroidery thread using a variety of stitches.

My daughter Beckie decided to help, and satin stitched most of the lettering, (her first attempt at embroidery).Then I just sewed it together, inserted a coat hanger and hey presto! A lovely vintage inspired peg bag. What do you think?

Oh, and Beckie also added the little bee..........!

My new peg bag.

Well, at least I have brightened up washing days!
Thanks for looking! I will be back soon, showing you the latest quilt I am working on. I really should get it finished.............................!

Time on my hands? You must be joking!

                                        HOW I STARTED QUILTING

Well I have decided to come into the 21st century with a blog about my crafts and hobbies.
This is my first blog, so please bear with me for any mistakes!

When I was at school (many years ago)! I hated sewing and although I have always had a sewing machine, stuck to the very basics.

Just over four years ago, I met a lady called Jill who is a former City & Guilds Tutor in Quilting. 
Jill persuaded me to have a go at quilting. Having never tackled anything like that before I was a little reluctant, but she can be very persuasive! So I decided I wanted to make a quilt for my daughter who was going to Dance College that summer.

The first Quilt.

Jill helped me choose basic equipment, fabrics etc, and I set about tackling my first Sampler Quilt. She was very patient with me, and I found to my surprise that I was hooked!

I started the quilt in the February, and hand quilted it that summer. It was all finished by the time my daughter left for college that September.

That was how my obsession with fabric started.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting pics of some of my quilts.

 They are not perfect, (as the Amish people say "Only God is perfect")! but the fact is, that I enjoy making them.

I do not aim for perfection!

Have a look at one of my early quilts on the Calendar Quilt page.

Any comments/ feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading my blog, see you soon!

An example of the hand quilting.