Oli's Birthday Present

Front

Reverse

It was my nephew's 8th birthday earlier this month. His request was a bright quilt and this is what I made! I used the same stack of fabrics (with a few added from my scrap bins for good measure) as this quilt. My nephew has high functioning Autismn and despite being 8, has become very attached to his doll "Baybo". So, I decided to make Baybo a quilt too

Front

Reverse

Oli loved it and I loved making it. Dolls quilts are the best for using up scraps of fabric and scraps of batting. I shall be making more for future presents, for sure!

Once again both quilts have been quilted using stippling. I just think it suits this kind of quilt best. The countdown is on for our retreat - less than 2 weeks now and I'm busy busy busy! Not entirely sure how much quilting/sewing will be going on but I will give it my best!

Another Baby Quilt monkeying around

Jen has been on our Design Team for a few years now. We were delighted when she announced at our first retreat last March that she was pregnant and even more so when baby B was born last October. Hard to believe that a year has passed and he celebrated his first birthday earlier this month. Because I'd made Abigail a quilt, how could I not make one for B??

This is another charm pack from Adornit - this time their Buckaroo Stack in Blue. I backed it using a remnant bought at the Quilt Show this Summer (brown with tiny blue dots - perfect for this quilt!) and bound using black Michael Miller Ta Dot. Simple stippling quilting all over in white.

And when Jen mentioned that B was having a Monkey party - well, I couldn't resist making a sock monkey for him now could I??!

My two cheeky monkeys saw me making this and wanted to make their own..............more on that another day!

Must go - Ross' 40th tomorrow & his chocolate cake is baking in the oven - nothing like leaving things 'til the last minute!

When it's VAT (Tax) returns time.....................

..............what better to do than sew?

Ross was out Friday night having pre-40th birthday celebrations with work so I had some time to myself. I had promised that I would sit and do paperwork with the VAT returns due again. But no. My fabric pile (which is ever increasing) called & so I started

Trimming

pressing & trimming some  more.....

I chain stitched & pieced & ironed & trimmed until finally on Sunday afternoon I had this:

This is the first time I have used Kona Ash from Mandy's fabulous shop and will definitely not be the last. I am about to order again - I didn't think to order for the back *d'oh* so this will stay as a quilt top until that arrives

So, this quilt is destined as a gift for someone special. I think it may just be called the procrastination quilt or the Tax Return quilt. Isn't it amazing just how much you can get done when there's paperwork calling? I've always been the same. Still, at least I was productive!

Alzheimers Quilt

Our Third Sarah's Cards Ltd Retreat is fast approaching (4th - 6th November) and as we did in March, we are holding another raffle for one of my quilts. I have used Moda's "Blush" range. It had to be - this was originally designed for the scrapbooking market by Basic Grey and then licensed to Moda. What better range to use for a scrapbooking retreat? In March at the retreat and a generous donation from my better half, we managed to raise £500 for MacMillan Cancer Care. Can we beat that for Alzheimers this time around? I do hope so!

The back

The sashing and back are all Kona Bleached White. The quilt has been stippled & bound using those Michael Miller Pindot in Cocoa again

Oh, and if this quilt looks familiar - I have already made it quite a few times, including this one for our neighbour's daughter - just a different colour sashing this time around

Thank you to Lianne for holding the quilt up and crouching behind it after bemoaning that it didn't cover her *love you babe*

Sarahbobsquarepants Quilt!

Too long ago, I started making LynneBobSquarePants squares for this quilt. I have never taken on a challenge quite this big before (each HST ends at 3 1/2" before being stitched together and this quilt has 16 blocks of 36 squares in it ( 576 squares in total). Doesn't sound like a lot but it was, believe me! I cut, I stitched, I trimmed, I stitched, I pressed & stitched & pressed some more...............you get the picture! I have really enjoyed making this quilt and absolutely love everything about it - the colours, the design, the fact that it's MINE and that I will be hand quilting it once I've decided on a backing design. BUT. I think it will be a while before I make another!

Measures approx. 72" square. I did consider adding another row of blocks to the bottom to make it into a twin size, but decided I do like square quilts for snuggling on the sofa on Winter days.

These are the best shots I could get on this blustery, grey Autumn day. Hard to believe we were in sun dresses on 1st October - how it all changes in less than 2 weeks!

The sewing continues (I'm on a roll!) - more to show later this week, once pressing work issues have been dealt with. Juggling a kit club, busy shop and retreat planning is never an easy job! Oh and the blasted VAT returns are due again *humph*

A Vintage Groove

I purchased these fabrics waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in January at CHA in LA from Adornit - a Company I have known and loved since my first trip to CHA (that time in Las Vegas) in January 2006. They have grown and grown as a company from simply papercrafts & scrapbooking products to adding the most wonderful fabrics to their products range. They have been sitting patiently waiting for me to upload them to the shop & do something with them.

The perfect opportunity arose when Laura, one of the newest members to our Design Team, gave birth to a beautiful bouncing & healthy baby girl last week.

Browsing Lynz's blog the other week reminded me of this pattern by Elizabeth which I last made for our baby Elizabeth last year (!!) So, I made it again for Laura & Will & baby Abigail

What I love about this pattern is that it can be made with a charm pack and some solids for sashing. It's a great size for floor time or using with the pushchair.

Simply backed with some MME fabric in hot pink to emphasise the fact that this quilt was made for a baby girl. Bound by Michael Miller Garden Pindot in cocoa.

Lots more sewing going on here and more projects to show (I hope) in the next few days!

I am sewing.........................

.................................... I'm just rubbish at remembering to take photos in the light (and some am hiding as they are presents!)

Am hoping to be back soon with pictures of pretties

xxx