Thursday Catch Up

Trying to juggle umpteen UFO's, deciding what to do next and getting side tracked has been the name of the game this last week.

Finn's New Year's Eve Challenge has been giving me nightmares as I know I'm not going to achieve even 50% of my goals.   I'm:

1. quilting the Pink Stars quilt (sister is in hospital as I type this about to give birth to the quilt's recipient);


2. piecing together another Q4L quilt (No. 14).  Wanda at Exuberant Colour sent me a whole lot of strips which are brilliant for strings so I'm creating lots of red and white strings and having great fun sewing them together on this. She came home last week and apart from a slight hiccup in threading the bobbins and altering the tension to suit the fabric, she sews like a dream!  I love the dual speed button.  We found a 1/4 inch and quilting foot combined on EBay and that is now winging its way here from the US.  So once that arrives there'll be no stopping me!


3. I've also restarted Ab Fab in between quilting Stars.  I seem to have gone off it.  It doesn't hold the same excitement as it did before.  Hummmmmm.  Perhaps it will come back.

Last, but by no means least, look what arrived in the mail yesterday.



Oodles and oodles of fabric in all shapes and sizes.

I signed up for Quilt Pixies December Swap. By some flook I managed to get teamed up with Donna and wow did she come up trumps. Thank you so much Donna. I'm itching to get started, but my new no new projects rule is stopping that!

Words! Words! Words!

Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words!
I get words all day through;

© Lerner & Lowe

So we have inspirational photographs instead.

........... a finish

You need to read the post below this one first.



Roughly 10" x 10".

I can see me getting addicted to mini's :-)

And that's me outta here!

We have .................

chaos!



It's the Stashbuster Stay at Home Retreat Weekend.  I'm supposed to be working on those stars, but I needed a break.

Mum wants me to make her a cushion cover.  All I've got to do is the front and she'll do the rest.

Time to get the scrap bins out I thought.  Now I can't stop piecing!

So much for the best laid plans ...............................

Mucking about with Picasa 3

Whose mucked about with the new collage option on Picasa 3?

These were taken at the vide greniers at Bourdeilles last Sunday.


You can view more photos of the expo here.  Tonya - you must check out the skeleton!

Another collage

and another one

Open Letter to Bonnie Hunter

Dear Bonnie,

When I first started quilting little did I know that within 3 years my outlook would have changed completely.

As far as DH is concerned, today was the last straw.  With a huge sigh and a shake of the head, he decided that he's had enough of this quilting lark.  I thought you might like to know that he's walking around muttering "What a waste.  What a waste.".

From My Photos

Perhaps once he's seen them cut up he'll change his mind, but on the other hand probably not!

You also nearly got me into big big trouble.

Remember a few weeks back when we found those sewing machines?  Well, the 1425 is coming back from the hospital next week and the 191B is going in.  It's so far cost us €25 to buy the two and €90 to get Emma 1 restored to her former glory.

Well today, I "just happened" to "spot" a Singer 191B treadle in its original table with some of the accessories.  €50 the seller was asking - €50!  The leather belt had snapped and she was looking very sorry for herself.  She wanted to be taken home and loved.  The seller was prepared to bargain.  I was tempted - very tempted.  DH spotted me from a distance and I swear if there was an Olympic Gold Medal for the fast sprint through a crowded vide grenier, he'd have won it!

DH  "That woman has influenced you enough.  I'm not having any more sewing machines in the house.  You've already got 4!"

ME  "Yes, but look at the price.  And he's prepared to bargain."

DH  "No!  End of!"

I do hope she goes to a good home.   Perhaps if I'd bought her for you and got her shipped over to NC he would have let me buy her.  On second thoughts ..............

Hope you had a good time in PA.

Clare x

PS - the shirts with a non-sewing purchase

From My Photos

Quilts 4 Leukaemia Question

I don't know if you all remember, but sometime ago Jenni and Jen contacted Quilter's Quarter in the US and set up an arrangement whereby you purchased a gift certificate, QQ contacted me with the details and I was able to purchase fabric and batting for the quilts.

Quilter's Quarter have stopped doing gift certificates and I have been searching for another online shop who would be willing to take over.

I have found someone in the UK, but before I take the offer further I need to know if you'd all still be interested in continuing with this arrangement.  I know some of you got a bit frustrated with the QQ set up and, to be quite honest, they weren't exactly on the ball!

However, the new people are, and are willing to help so if you are still interested please leave a comment.

After all, its got to be a damn sight easier to donate this way than sending boxes of batting and fabric through the post :-)

I forgot to say ..........

I've started a Liberated Quilters' Yahoo! Group as the ring is nearly full.

I thought those of you who didn't get to join the ring might like to join this instead.

If you do want to take part please follow this link and click on the "join" button.

I'm sure you are all familiar with Yahoo Groups and how it works, n'est ce pas?

There is Hope Part II

Front

Back

There is Hope

This is the top for my Priority Hope Challenge quilt.  I've started quilting it and hope to get it finished by the end of this week so I can register it and send it off.

Have you checked out the Liberated Quilters Web Ring recently?

There is some stunning liberated quilting going on out in Blogland.

Take a look at Marit's Liberated Stars.

Belinda has got the star bug too, so much so that she can't sleep!

Kristin has been having great fun with solids and she's done some awesome houses.

To round this post off - a photo taken by DD the other day of the Banana Tree in the courtyard (and before you ask, no it doesn't fruit!).