It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas!!

I've had a lovely afternoon and evening sewing with Mum. Thought it was about time I tried one of the 3D Christmas trees - so glad I started with the small one - I can't believe how much filling it took! 

Hoping to finish tomorrow, just found my seed beads to decorate it with but eyes are too tired to attempt tonight.... 

What have you been sewing today?

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced

Work in Progress Wednesday

This is my work in progress today. I have bags of stuff tucked away all over and thought it was about time I sorted it so I can see what I have got! 

I've been really busy at work and socially lately so not managed to do much crafting. I'm hoping this sort out and the colder weather will get me back in the swing of things. 

The dining table

Sewing corner, there's also a knitting corner, beading area and utility room come card making/scrap booking area - not shown here as they're reasonably neat & tidy! 

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced

Work in Progress Wednesday

Almost there with this baby quilt, so hoping for a Finish it off Friday post with it!!

What to make next? My to do list is soooooo longggggg.........

Linking up with  Lee at Freshly Pieced

Happy stitching

Sam x

Work In Progress Wednesday

I needed a session with my sewing machine this evening to unwind after the week so far.......

I have, for sometime fancied the idea of free motion quilting, I took a class last year with Dawn Cameron-Dick which I really enjoyed but as I haven't kept up the practice didn't feel confident enough to tackle a quilt.

When it came to quilt this project I decided I could put it off no longer, especially as it's not very big! 

Love the colours and fabrics in this! 

Aren't those giraffes cute? 

A close up of the back

and front. 

Some of the stitches are a bit on the large side, I will check tomorrow when the light is better to see if any need to be unpicked and redone. 

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced

Hope you've had a wonderful Wednesday :) 

Sam x

Work In Progress Wednesday

Another blogging break..... I have been away on a lovely holiday and then had a week of builders in so not had much opportunity to blog.

Here's my WIP this week, a lovely baby quilt made with fabric from the Riley Blake 'Giraffe Crossing' range. It's so cute and I love how well it works with the orange spraytime fabric. The pattern by Elizabeth Hartman, is here. I just need to order the backing and binding fabric now.

I am linking up with Leigh at WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pierced

WIP Wednesday - Almost a drawstring bag!

This is what I have been working on today, after a visit to the LQS to buy some fabric to line this. I bought the 5" squares from the Creative Quilting stall at the Malvern show recently. As soon as I saw it I planned to make a drawstring bag, I had hoped to get the fabric from the range to finish it but have been unable to locate any locally.

While in the shop Mum found some dark grey fabric in the oddments bag that we love to have a rummage through. I should have bought it as now I have to go back there tomorrow to buy it or some off the bolt to make the drawstrings.

Really pleased with how this turned out, I wasn't sure whether to do the sugar bag thing with the bottom corners but decided not to as I didn't want to lose any of the lovely fabric.

                                                      

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced

Almost a finish - WIP Wednesday & Let's Bee Social

It's been a long time in the making, lots of stitching, unpicking, redesigning of borders, a problem with blue chaco marker, I think there are a few faint marks left, hoping they will go when I wash it.

I had difficulty sleeping last night so came downstairs to make a cuppa and watch a quilting programme I had recorded. I decided to trim the wadding and backing of the quilt instead and then thought I would make the binding as I still wasn't tired. 

My mission this evening was to sew the binding on and start hand sewing it to the back, one of my favourite parts of quilting because its very relaxing, you can watch tv while doing it, keeps you toasty warm and it means another project is almost finished - time to start a new one! 

Just need to sew a few ends in as well but its time for bed now. 

I am aiming for a Friday finish on this one. 

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

& Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee Social

WIP Wednesday & New York Day 3

I have finally managed some sewing!!! After browsing various blogs and websites last night I saw a couple of projects that took my fancy so thought rather than just put them on my to do list I would make a start and luckily enough I had the required amounts of fabric already in my stash :) Here is one of the projects at www.canoeridgecreations.com the design is called 'Flying Together' I have made it slightly smaller as I have a pillow insert to fit my revised size.

I am linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday. I will quilt it and make it up into a cushion tomorrow evening or over the weekend.

This time last week we had another full on day of exploring New York. We hit the subway and headed off to Battery Park to get the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It was freezing, when we came out of the museum in the pedestal of the statue it was very sleety and grey. Thankfully the weather soon lifted as you can see from the photo below.

This was taken from Ellis Island, where all the immigrants were processed before it was decided if they were allowed to enter the US or if they were to be returned to where they had arrived from.

After a bite to eat and a quick trip down Wall Street, photos to follow later as I can't find them at the moment, we headed off to Ground Zero.

This is the South Pool, built in the footprint of the original South tower. There are bronze panels around both pools which are inscribed with the names of all who perished. A white rose is placed in a persons name on their birthday. 

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum is due to open in May so we were unable to see it but did manage a glimpse inside part of it.

Once the Museum opens visitors will be able to go down into the vast spaces of the original foundations alongside a remnant of Survivors Staircase which was used by hundreds to escape. 

This photo shows the Survivor tree, a Callery pear tree that was found in the remains of the towers. It was taken off site, nurtured back to health and returned in 2010.

Thats its for today. Back for the final instalment tomorrow. 

A bit more fabric and a quilt top finish!!

Here is the rest of the fabric I mentioned in my previous post

I have been busy cutting hexagon templates and even put fabric on about 6 of them! 

I have also finished a quilt top - finally, although I love the middle section I think there needs to be another thin border between the two outer borders. The pattern I am following had quite different shades of fabric so there was quite a difference but mine are quite pale. I have had a scour of the internet but so far not been able to track down any of the red fabric.

I had planned to put a aqua binding on this quilt, but i think this is going to be too pale so again I think I need more red, what do you think? 

Here is a photo of the design I am making, although I am not adding the circles as they all need hand stitching :( now I love sewing on binding but am not too keen on sewing on 100 circles.

 Can you see what I mean about the borders? I need to get the backing fabric too then I can finally finish this quilt. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday

Winter's Lane Quilt

This quilt has been a long time in the making, I got fed up with seeing the strips over the radiator and so sewed them together at the weekend.

I have managed a bit of sewing on the borders over the last couple of evenings and hope to get the top finished this weekend.

I am linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced