Sorry girls no patchworky photos this time.  Sun = getting out in the garden and relaxing.  Fear not the mower wasn't plugged in when my little helper decided to play cutting the grass!

Showers predicted for today but the sun is still managing to show itself which is fine by me!

Enjoy whatever you are doing today girls, make the most of the good weather!

For you garden lovers thought I would share a couple of piccies from my garden...

from the Aquilegia family

I bought these little birds about 3 months ago, they are ageing nicely.  I can see them sheltering under the Christmas Box when it's raining!

For those of you living in Dublin, I got these little fellas in Jones Garden Centre in Donabate. Their customer service is next to none.  If you are looking for the unusual, you'll find it there and if not they will get it in for you.

Another swoon block and a bit more

What the last time I posted was on the 6th????

Well I promise I have been buys. I managed to make another swoon block - this time with gorgeous lime green as the centre piece.

So that makes 2 down, 7 to go!

I also bought the pattern to make this gorgeous lined drawstring bag designed by Jeni Baker (check out her lovely blog!)

Lined Drawstring Bag - pattern by Jeni Baker

Just messing with picmonkey's features! 

What's so nice about this bag is that it has a boxed bottom, therefore making it more spacious.  The pattern is well laid out, very well explained and super easy to follow.

That's it folks.  Just going to start playing catch up on orders but also the Zakka sewing QAL that's out on bloggyland at the moment.  I bought the book and it's gorgeous, I love looking at the piccies and dreaming about making some of the projects!

A birthday and a quilt top

It's ma birthday, well it was on Thursday, 21 plus vat!  Not room on the cake for my real age!

I have made a quilt top for my 4 yr old.  Last month I saw this post by I'm a Ginger Monkey.  I immediately fell in love with 1) the fabric and 2) the pattern.  I love the simplicity of it, I started cutting on Friday (bear in mind I work out of the home so my time is limited), went out for my birthday lunch and  I still managed to get the top finished.

I didn't make it as large as the original tutorial because I cut my fabric with something else in mind and then decided to use this pattern.

It measures very roughly 37" x 45" but that's rough as I haven't taken a final measurement yet.  For the border I randomly cut up left over pieces of fabric.

Son #2 inspecting his quilt.

The fabric is the Woodland collection by Natalie Lymer for Lecien.

I also finished my cushion.  I wasn't happy with the backing so hubby helped and we redid it using Klona Grey.

I still had a tiny bit of "rucking" going on, which didn't happen on my first ever cushion last year,  any advise is welcome I don't understand why it's pulling slightly at the back unless the pillow filler is too large?  Having said that I am very happy with it!  This cover is quite heavy, It's padded with cotton wadding and some white cotton and quilted and backed with Klona grey.

I did a fussy cut border which comprises of about 1.5" strips cut from different scraps times 3.  Quilted in straight lines using white cotton thread (not invisible for a change!)

That's my weekend up round up girls, have a great Sunday, enjoy the sun if you have it!

Snuggle into your pillow or cushion.. pillow...cushion

Hey everyone, yippee first day for ages without the rain, a beautiful sunny day today here in Dublin.

I had son #2 with me today so I didn't manage to get as much as I wanted to do but I did finish one of my FALs.

What started out like this and was on my list of FALs which is a great idea being run by Quilter in the Gap.

Has transformed into this. I promise I will take better close up photos on a morning as opposed to this rush job this evening.

A few poses of the pillow, cushion, pillow argghh

I am happy I finished this pillow, cushion, pillow, cushion.  It measures about 20" x 20". 

I have used an envelope closing at the back, but I am not happy with it (no photo sorry just cannot bear to look at the back it's annoying me) so I will unpick the back and redo it with my executive designer i.e. hubby.  But otherwise I am happy with the front.  I quilted the front using white thread in straight lines.  It is padded with some cotton wadding and finally a piece of white cotton so that it all looks nice and presentable on the inside.

By the way did I mention that I am in love with instagram, I just love it!!!

Have a great evening everyone!

X

Fi

My fav person in the whole world...the postie!!

Oh my goodness, what's with the new layout, I think I like it but there's a lot going on, another thing to get used to now.

By the way, anyone else finding FB really dead at the moment?  Think I'm going to spend more time on Twitter.  Here's my twitter info if you want to meet up over there.

Got some lovely post this week.  I have been keeping a low profile as I need to get several baby balls done for Monday therefore have been making my way through them.

But look what I got in the post.

21 FQs of Flea Market by Denise Schmidt and I have to say I love it!  I think I am just going to collect bundles of fabric and not use any of them!

I got one of two books I ordered. 

I have always liked Crazymomquilts, and she has collaborated with another quilter to produce this lovely book with I think 16 projects.  The piccies look great and I cannot wait to spend some time using this book.

I got a couple of other bundles of fabric, but they are already upstairs in my spare room and I am down here at the pc and well I guess I am being lazy about running upstairs, and I have a beef casserole to start off in the slow cooker so best get on!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Fi

Winter Stitching Wrap Up

Hailstones are you kidding me, I know this is Sarah's Winter Stitching Wrap Up but hailstones today pelting down??

I might not be able to show loads of photos because hubby changed something with the PC and my lovely photos are goodness knows where on it the bloomin' machine, I cannot find them!

So let's see what has been done...

1.  Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap - made using my fav the wonky star block

2.  Completed and hand quilted a hexie pillow.

3. Made my first tumbler quilt (tutorial here) - fmq - love this block

4. Tried my hand at mini hoop art - beaded (of course!)

5.  Made several coin purses

6.  Managed to assemle a quilt top for a QAL hosted by Fat Quaterly a year or so ago, getting nearer to quilting this quilt, looking forward to it being finished. 

7.  Participated in the Mouthy Stitches Swap, made two pouches for my secret partner to choose from.

8.  Made a few linen mug rugs

9.  Made a Stargazer block, was going to make this for son #2 but he isn't that enamoured by it, fair nuff, I love it myself so I will make this into a boyish quilt for s/o!

10.  Made several drawstring bags for a mum emigrating to OZ for the year and to hold everyone's nick nacks

11.  Finished a cot bed quilt

12.  Started a strip pieced quilt - want to make more progress on this, but other things in the way.

13.  Started the Swoon block QAL - 8 more to go!

That's about it, hopefully be the end of the summer I will have some actual quilts to show you and not just beginngs of quilts but I will get there eventually!

Thanks for reading and I am going to link up with Sarah's linky party where you can read everyone else's achievements so far!

Fi

A Mini Quilt Swap and some other bits and pieces

Well after all the (welcome for my garden) rain this week, I am happy to say the sun is shining beautifully this morning.  The boys are playing upstairs (bribed with apple), don't know if any one else has probs getting their kids to play up in their rooms??? Advise welcome!

Anyhow, ok so some housekeeping just quickly for the Irish readers, don't forget the Mini Quilt Swap with the Atlanta Modern Quilting Guild - to register pop over to the blog and while we are talking about the Irish Guild they are running a contest to name the upcoming quilting bee so here is the link for that (some yum prizes to be won!)

Ok one more thing, PICNIK is gone - what's everyone using?

 On the picnik page they suggest some photo editing alternatives, I have to be honest I am not that techy so I went to one of the suggestions which was PicMonkey, works fine for my needs.  Any one else using it?

I finally managed to make some bunting using Sarah's tutorial, I love bunting, I mean who doesn't?  I started cutting fabric for this about six months ago and only this month finished it, jeez!  Story of my life, er the swoon QAL, long finished, I am still on block 1, waiting for my Kona Grey so I can get to block 2!

I love my penguin fabric (oh and the frogs!).  I have used different colours on the reverse of this bunting.

If you haven't made bunting yet, go for it, you don't need much, scraps are enough and the bias tape is easy to find.  Go on you know you can do it!!!

:)