What's been happening?

Hello! It has been another long while since I last posted and I can't believe we are still living in this rather strange World!  Hopefully you are all coping and are keeping safe and well.  

I have found that stitching has certainly taken my mind off of what has been happening and would like to share with you the progress that I have been making with some of the stitch-a-long projects I have joined in with and which I mentioned in my last post.

I have filled in a lot more squares on my 'Sew a little happiness every day' project which has been hosted by the lovely Sarah Edgar of Pretty Fabrics and Trims.

I have completed all except one of the daily circles on my 'Toned Down Sampler' project which was a stitch-a-long designed and offered by Sue Spargo.  This project has now finished but, I think the pattern and kits are available from Sue's website. I am hoping to get the last circle embroidered and the project quilted (which will smooth out the background.... I used a piece of felt which really hasn't been strong enough to support the embroidery) later this week.

I have also completed a further stitch-a-long project offered by the very talented Laura Wasilowksi called 'Frieda's Nut House' which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Laura is currently offering another stitch-a-long which I am also joining in with.  It is called 'Queen Poppy' and is a lot of fun!

I am still working on some other projects including my 2020 Challenge piece hosted by Anne Brooke of H-anne-Made.  I am currently deciding what to make this piece of embroidery into.  I am thinking of perhaps a book cover.

Well, that's most of my news so I'll finish my post here and wish you all a very happy rest of the week! 

In need of an update!

Gosh, it has been a while and a lot has happened since I last posted.  We are living in a completely different World!  Although there has been a lot to worry about, I have been trying to focus on the positives of the situation that we find ourselves in and, from a stitching point of view, one of the most wonderful things to come from the current situation is that there are a lot of very talented designers with time on their hands who are offering fabulous free stitch-a-long projects to keep us busy.  Of course, I can never resist a stitch-a-long opportunity, so I have joined in one or two..... in fact I may have overstretched myself a little!!

The first stitch-a-long I am participating in is one which actually started before the restrictions but which I am really enjoying joining in with.  It is a 2020 Challenge set by Anne Brooke of H-anne-Made.  This is such an easy project as it uses scraps and you can just pick it up and put it down whenever you want to or whenever you have the time.

Another project that I am really enjoying is by Sarah Edgar of Pretty Fabrics and Trims and basically involves adding a little stitched or appliquéd motive to a square on a drawn grid each day.  I have really enjoyed thinking of what to stitch and adding it! If you scroll down on Sarah's web page you will find a link to the project details which is called 'sew a little happiness every day'.

Yet another project I have joined is another daily stitching project being offered by Sue Spargo on both her Facebook and Instagram pages. It is called the 'Toned Down Sampler'. Sue is demonstrating stitches and adding a stitched sample circle to the sampler each day.

I have also completed two individual stitch-a-long projects designed by Hannah's Room and demonstrated live on their Facebook page.  The videos remain accessible after the live demonstration so are available for you to follow along if you would like to.

Lastly, I have also finished another pretty little stitch-a-long project offered by Laura Wasilowski on her website.  It is called 'Tools of the Trade'.  Laura is now running another stitch-a-long called 'Home Sweet Home' which I am also hoping to stitch!

Well, that's about all that I have been up to since my last post..... better catch up with today's stitching now!!

Stay safe and well!

A lovely visit and some hand stitching......

This time last week I had just arrived in the UK to visit my son, daughter-in-law and their sweet little family.  It was an absolute delight to see my latest grand-daughter together with her older sister.  They are just so gorgeous!

We also visited my father-in-law as we hadn't seen him since October of last year.  While we were there I saw the memory quilt that I made for him to celebrate his 90th birthday. 

He has it hanging in the kitchen.  As I looked at it, I kept thinking that there was something 'missing' from the scene..... something that I had felt when I finished it but, that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I decided to add some hand embroidery to the lower edge of the quilt beneath the tree.  To me it seemed to 'ground' the tree and somehow balanced the whole quilt.  I was pleased that I had added the stitches but, more importantly, my father-in-law liked the additions too.  They were all stitched using variegated hand-dyed fine silk thread from Stef Francis.

While travelling I also managed to finish off my first completed project for 2020!!  I finished stitching a lovely design by Anne Brooke of H-anne-MADE. 

I really enjoyed working on this while I was waiting for various flights.  It made the time just fly by!  This was also stitched using variegated hand-dyed fine silk thread from Stef Francis.

Since I've been home I have trimmed off the excess background fabric and have framed it.

I now have three of these beautiful embroideries in my sewing room.  I love them all!!

Exciting news.....

Just a quick postscript to my last post where I was awaiting the imminent arrival of a new grandchild..... 

A big welcome to the World to my new granddaughter, Amelie Frances, who arrived in the early hours of Sunday morning.

And here is her sister's first visit with her.... so cute!! 

A Quick Update......

It seems that is has been a busy start to 2020 and I haven't had much time to post here on my blog.  However, that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy stitching between baking birthday cakes for my husband, entertaining guests and other exciting adventures!!

Husband's Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake)

First of all, I have started work now on the Gail Pan BOM 'Wish You Well'.  This is the project Gail has designed for 2020 for her i-stitch-club.

January's Block

February's Block

I really love the two blocks that have been released to date and have had a lot of fun using up some Tilda fabric scraps to complete them.

January and February side by side

I have also been excited to join in a Challenge set by Anne Brooke of H-anne-Made which is called 'sew4thesoulhannemade'.

January's additions and stitching

It is basically using up a scrap of batting (wadding) and adding scraps of fabrics, trims and anything else you would like and then adding texture using stitching. 

February's additions and stitching

It is such a liberating thing to work on as you can just follow your heart and add fabric scraps and stitching to please just yourself. Here is a closer look.

Closer details

I will probably make my piece of 'textile' into a bag of some sort.  As I have just treated myself to Anne's new book 'Textile Wanderings' I may even use it as a book bag to keep it in!!

I am also awaiting news of a new arrival in the family.  My second grandchild is expected any time now and I can't wait!!  So, I have also been looking at ideas for a new baby quilt. 

So far, I have made a trial QAYG (quilt as you go) block which I am very pleased with.  So I shall have to get my skates on a make a few more!!

Thank you for visiting and until next time.....

Happy New Year!

Hello and Happy New Year 2020!

I know I am a bit late wishing you a Happy New Year but, I have only just returned from visiting my family in the UK.  It was lovely to see all three of my children, my granddaughter, my siblings and my parents!!

Since I got back into my sewing room, I have been organising myself ready for lots of new sewing projects for 2020.  I like to keep a record of the projects that I have completed including swatches of the fabrics used and details of how I completed them.  So, my first task was to close the file for 2019 and open some new files for projects I know I will be starting in 2020.

However, before I go any further with what I am hoping to start work on in 2020, perhaps I should show you the last couple of projects that I finished in 2019.

The first, I had already given you a glimpse of last time, and now that the gift has been received I can reveal the full project.  This cute little sheep that I crocheted, using a pattern designed by Liz Ward.

The second is a Japanese rice bag which I made by adapting a pattern designed by K Z Stevens.  I made it for my daughter for Christmas, filling it with bees wax pellets and organic cotton fabric so that she can make some bees wax wraps to use.  I really enjoyed making this bag and I have some more on my project list for 2020!!  They were my final two projects for 2019.  To see all my completed projects for 2019 you can visit my Projects 2019 page.

I didn't manage to get all of the cute little stitcheries for the mystery advent project designed by Helen Stubbing of Hugs and Kisses completed but I have them on my list to complete this year and will then be ahead with my Christmas stitching for 2020!  Now that the stitch-a-long is complete you can buy this pattern from Helen here.

Also on my list of projects for 2020 is the BOM i-stitch-club project by Gail Pan.  The January block looks gorgeous and I am looking forward to seeing the project take shape month by month.

I joined Gail's BOM i-stitch-club in 2018 too but only managed to finish the first three months as we then relocated back to Switzerland from the UK and I didn't manage to catch up again.  So, I have decided to try and fit that project in on a monthly basis along with the new one! The 2018 project can now be bought as a pattern called Send My Love.

I have started a new file for 2020 and as well as the two projects mentioned above, I have lots of other projects in mind for this year.  I will add them to my file as and when I get started on them.  One of them will be another baby quilt as I have another grand-baby expected for February! Better get started with that!!

Time for another catch up!

It has been a little while again since I last posted and I thought it was time for a bit of a catch up with what I've been doing.

One the first things I have been doing was to crochet a little owl for my grand-daughter.  This little owl is currently making it's way to her new home.  I hope little Sophie will like her!!

I also finally sent my Family Tree Memory Quilt to my Father-in-law for his 90th birthday.  Although we had the party to celebrate in September.  His actual birthday is in December.  Since you last saw this quilt I decided that it needed a bit more colour, so I added some red buttons to the tree to give it a bit of a 'pop'.  He was delighted with the quilt which made me very happy.

I recently had a visit from my youngest daughter and while she was here we got out some of the Christmas decorations which included some of my favourite Christmas quilts.  We had a lot of fun putting them in place.

Since the beginning of December I have been taking part in a Christmas stitch-a-long.  This is being hosted by Helen Stubbings of Hugs n Kisses and is such a lot of fun.  It is a mystery project.  Each day you are sent a little stitchery pattern to download and stitch.  I have been keeping up quite well so far and I am very excited to discover what the mystery project will be!!

Finally, I crocheted another gift for a family member but, as her birthday is later this month, I am not revealing the finished project.  That will have to wait until next time. In the meantime, in case I don't get back here until after the Christmas and New Year holidays, I wish you all a very merry time!!