What's red and white and stringy?

No - not Liquorice!

Remember this?

I was getting a bit disheartened as the fabrics are all the same and I thought it was getting a bit boring.

I put out a plea on the Stashbuster Yahoo Group asking if anyone wanted to get rid of some of their red and white stash.  After all, the purpose of the group is to get rid of stash isn't it?

I received an email from a lovely lady in Illinois saying she'd willingly send me some of hers as she'd grown tired of them and didn't think she'd use them.

Woot!

Look what arrived the other day. 4lbs of fabric!

<3 those "heart strings".

The quilt is back on the floor and I'm cutting and

sewing again.

I've got so many projects on the go at the moment it's a bit overwhelming. So it's nice to sit down and do some mindless piecing.

If you read the Quilts 4 Leukaemia blog, you'll know that Quilt #32 was made for a little boy called Morgan. Sadly he became an angel in April and his mother is trying to raise funds for the children's ward of the hospital where he was treated. When this quilt is finished I'll be sending it to her so she can auction it.

More soon.

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 ...............................

....... and more Pink (and a link)

Wooo hoooo - this has got to be a first!

Look!



Crap photo - sorry.

The small maverick star on the right has got some white in it which slipped in by mistake.  That's why it doesn't show very well.  I was going to do the right hand border entirely of Maverick stars, but realised I'd still be cutting tiny HST's in 6 month's time!  Remember this?  It's going to be the binding.  Thought I needed to starting cutting into it after just over a year of it sitting in the pink stash box

I've already started tying the quilt and it should be ready to go to the UK at the end of next week for Mum to take to Los Angeles middle of next month.

Whilst I'm here, have you read about Lazy Gal Tonya's latest idea.  Hop over to her Priority Hope Challenge blog and join in.  It won't take up too much of your time and it looks like fun.

And on that note I'm off to bed!

More Pink

It's the Stashbuster Virtual Retreat this weekend so I thought I bust more of the pink stash.

The words are done and all I've got to do now are the borders.  I'm going to put a few small Maverick Stars in them to use up some of those tiny HST's that seem to have been multiplying by themselves in the scraps bin!

I rang my sister in Los Angeles the night before last.   I'd sent her a photo of the current WiP on this quilt and in between telling me how gorgeous she thought it was, she told me that they are going to call Little Miss Bump Estella, which means star.  How spooky is that!

Oh, I forgot to tell you.  The 1425 sewing machine has gone in for a service and renovation.  We couldn't get it to work and DH was loath to touch anything.

He's not too sure about the 191B either.  We are waiting to see how much the 1425 is going to cost before going any further.

Back to the sewing.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

Problem solved (I think)

As you all know, I've been having problems trying to leave comments around Blogland.  I think I've solved the problem.  I switched back to Internet Explorer from Firefox and so far all the comments are working.  I think it has something to do with the Active X controls.

So I'm leaving comments everywhere and having a massive catch up, but really must drag myself away from the computer and get sewing.

For those of you on the Stashbusters stay at home retreat - have fun.

Monday Mumblings - Lots of Photos

Oh boy have I been busy busy busy.

I'm still binding Kezia's quilt, but in between times am having fun. These are going to be sent to the Stashbuster List Mom, Sandra, for her Stashbuster 6 x 6 challenge. Hope she likes them.

Then the black ink cartouche ran out on the printer which meant a trip into Périgueux. Are you ready for some stunning photos (even if I say so myself)?

This is what we call The Fat Lady. She sits in the Place St Louis in the centre of Périgueux. During the winter months this square is turned into the Marché du Gras - selling duck in every conceivable form. In the summer it is lovely. There are restaurants on all sides and they overflow on to the square which is a sea of parasols in different colours. Please excuse the lamp post coming out of her head!

Fountain in one of the Square's near the Cathedral.

 

Detail of said fountain. Those poor ladies holding that weight up! Bet they've got a headache!

I think this must be one of the last remaining shops in Périgueux that still looks like it did 100 years ago. The shop is, of course, closed but I love these doors and shutters. Can't you imagine every shop looking the same.

A little further along the same street I found this.

Hope you can read the words - French on the left, English on the right. The building is in the process of restoration. Must be one of the last buildings to be restored. All the others have been.

An arch

And then a bit further on - found outside the Clinique Franchville.

Which looks like this - outside ashtray!

And saving the best one until last.

This is the Place Franchville. Used to be a huge concrete square with not a lot going on. Now its the home of the multiplex cinema and this is the main square. You can just see the cathedral spire to the left. I love the lamp shade style lighting and the huge metal pots containing Magnolia Grandiflora.

 

I'm going to leave it there for the moment. Really must get stuff done. Back tomorrow or more likely Wednesday with the WiP photos.

 

Yet another vide grenier yesterday - latest haul x 2 (blacks) 50 centimes each!!!! At least a metre big - lucky me - photos next time.

Not alot about nothing in particular & WiP Wednesday

In between this 'n' that I've had my head in the stash boxes pulling out material, putting it back and pulling it out again.  I've got to get together 6 different fabrics for the Stashbuster 6 x 6 challenge and not too sure yet what I'm going to use.

I've got far too much bright, jump out and hit you in the eye red and decided to experiment with a spot of tie dying.  Instead of dye I used bleach and this is the result.

Alex has claimed it and has got the dying bug.

Now instead of quilting I shall be up to my elbows in dye!  Can get lots of white cotton from the warehouse at Javerlhac and then we can experiment.  Anyone got any tips/ideas?

WiP this week is Kezia's quilt.  The top is finished so now it's sandwich time!

And then just as you thought it was safe to go back into the bathroom!

Stashbuster Topic of the Week (a little late) .... My Favourite Quilt Store

Oohhhh - this is hard! I have various ports of call for various quilting bits and pieces. Fabric comes from the fabric warehouse at Javerlhac if we are passing; quilting thread, machine needles and replacement cutters come from Mr Bricolage at Boulazac in Perigueux (don't laugh - they took over the concession of the Arts et Passion store when it closed), embroidery threads come from all over the place (all kinds of shops stock the DMC threads), rulers come from Oasis in Perigueux if and when I need one, but I suppose my favourite of all the ones I have discovered is Saperlipo'patch in Bordeaux. We were there last Friday on a jaunt as it was the last day of the holidays for Alex, but unfortunately we ran out of time and I didn't get to visit. Good thing or bad thing I do not know, but at least the bank balance didn't get a thrashing! Now a new discovery. There is a tissu shop in Perigueux next door but one to the swimming pool supplies shop. DH had to pay a visit yesterday to get a new white bache for the summer pool cover and some other bits and pieces so I popped next door for a quick look. Loads of quilting fabric. Tiny little FQ's for 1 Euro and lots and lots of choice of fabric. Boy was I tempted but I was a good girl and didn't buy. I did see material for the borders for my aunt's wall hanging (WiP demain) and spotted a supply of Coats handquilting thread so will be returning. 3 years ago it was difficult to obtain quilting supplies here without going onto the 'net, so I am pleased to see the choice is finally opening up. I am yet to try Angouleme, but DH has promised a trip there sometime this week. I wonder what I shall find? I don't just get in the car and zoom off at the drop of a hat for quilting stuff. Each visit has to co-incide with a trip out, be it Perigueux, Nontron or, even, Bordeaux.

Merci Mille Fois

A big thank you to Kim for letting me using her February No Fabric Diet badge. The HTML has worked perfectly this time. Another big thank you to Suzette at Stashbusters for letting me join the Stashbusters ring. On that note I am disappearing - guess who added the binding to Crazy Scraps last night!