To Market, To Market, To Buy A Fat Pig..........

........home again, home again, jiggety jig! Whenever I think about making these, that rhyme goes around and around in my head!

For the first time this year (!!) I found myself with a little spare time today. The kids were at school, orders were packed in record time and rather than do housework, I pulled out those vintage sheets I picked up and started cutting (along with some I already had)

I love making these bags. They are all fully reversable...

..........and so very sturdy - I have used them to carry heavy heavy items without any bother........

.........and they just look kinda cool too, don't they?

My charms are also cut up for the Rainbow Charm Swap over on Flickr & will be posted to the host on Monday. I've loved watching all the rainbow fabrics being uploaded onto Flickr - there are some gorgeously fabulous materials there - can't wait! Now to decide what to use them for!

A Little Pot

I hadn't realised that I'd not yet shared this pot. I have made a few of these (see here for another I made). I made it last year, using scraps (which is great) and linen (which I adore) and straight line quilting (which is new to me and I enjoyed). We use it to keep cleaning cloths for our 3D glasses, remote controls, some tins of mints have made their way in there.....

It's just a great little pot to keep everything tidy in 

And soon I will be making another because since making my Lynnebobsquarepants quilt which is being hand quilted, and since spending a small fortune on Joel Dewberry Heirloom in Citrine (a lot by the yard!!!!) I have come to the realisation that aqua, turquoise and grey are the new green in our house (never thought I would say that!!) so our accessories in our very neutral oak and beige room are slowly being changed to those colours - see that vase in the background with the orange flowers? That's the first new thing to arrive :D

Fancy a Rainbow Charm Swap???

Emily is holding a second swap for those of us (that would be me!!) not quick enough to say "aye" to the first round. I am so excited. My first fabric swap. It's simple. Buy a yard of fabric in the colour allocated to you and cut it into 56 charm squares (5" square). There are 28 in each group so you will receive 28 different fabrics in return - two of each fabric.

I've signed up for two slots and I cannot wait. So if it interests you, get in touch with Emily on her blog now!

Charity Shop Shopping

I popped to the local Charity Shop this morning to drop off some books I'd grudgingly cleared out this weekend (cookbooks - I have too many but find it so very hard to part with them!). Just look at what they had in! Scrumptious pillowcases & sheets/duvet covers which are just perfect for making market bags. I might just make one up this evening

Another grey day here - when's the sun going to come out to play?

Making a Start!

Determined to carry on with my WIP's and having worked until midnight last night with Lianne, I don't have much energy to sit at the machine, which means that a little Sarahbobsquarepants hand quilting to relax is in definitely in order!

Hope everyone is staying safe in these horrendous winds whipping the UK over the past 48 hours - Lianne had to stay here last night as we were fearful her journey along the M62 back to Rochdale would not be so good, particularly when we heard warnings not to travel on that road unless absolutely necessary. We have been fortunate that we have no structural damage here - some of our neighbours.... not so lucky

Finish-A-Long

I have seen posts popping up all over the place about the FAL and thought that maybe I should join in

Not thinking I had much to do, when I really started thinking on, there are a few projects sitting there waiting. Some are really really long term & I think it best not to commit those to the first quarter. However, I am comitting to finish:

Lianne's "Christmas" quilt - back is made - needs to be basted, quilted & bound

My Sarahbobsquarepants quilt - it's a hand quilt job I am part through - a true labour of love but it will be worth it in the end!

My new gorgeous Lotta quilt top which needs a back, baste, quilt & bind

My first ever strip quilt - needs a back, baste, quilt & bind

There's definitely a common theme here - lots of quilt tops which then sit there neglected. So, my aim is to finish them!

In fact, I've not made any New Years resolutions for years but this year I said to my husband that our 2012 motto is "use it up". I am such a hoarder and have so much everything - food in the freezer & cupboards, fabric in my craft room, fat on my body (!!) I am on a drive to start using it all up. We'll see how it goes!

So, as well as these finishes, I am also pledging to make more too :)

2011 Sewing Accomplishments

I have seen photo mosaics popping up all over blogland now that the New Year is here and I thought it would be fun to make one of my own. It has surprised me just how much I've actually made this past year. I am sure there is more to come this year - looking at just how much fabric I have now, I really need to, that's for sure!