I've had a good week

Well, what a fun week I have had.  I had a great weekend with my friend Dee who I met through flickr and I thought the rest of the week might be a bit of a let down, but how wrong could I be.  Monday I went off to my sewing group and as it was one of our all day sessions a plan had been hatched to make Table Centre's. Quite a few of the ladies 'had a go' and most of us got most of the Table Centre finished, just maybe the binding to be finished at home.  This is my masterpiece.

On Wednesday Mr D went off to play golf which meant I could play at home making a mess to my hearts content.   I decided to make some pin toppers,  I have made a few in the past, some successfully, others not so hot! So off I went to the world of Pinterest to see if I could get some ideas... well we all get inspiration from Pinterest don't we!  These are the product of about 4 hours work...... think I might be a bit slow, but it was a fun day.  I just love the Penguins and the Rabbits.........hope you can recognise them!!!!

there is a hedgehog and a funny bird at the back - they weren't quite so hot!

Thursday brought the postman, and you will never guess what he brought me!!!!!! Two drinking straw containers....again the wonderful world of  pinterest.  I found this  and knew it would be a great way for me to store some of my ribbons.  What do you think?

Think I might have to put some brighter ribbon in them

I also managed a few finishes this week.  Firstly my Mandala, that I first saw here, it was a project that was to keep us busy with hand work on a Monday.  Four of us started them, 2 of us have all the hexies on the backing fabric, and one(!) of us is FINISHED  Yeah!!!

The hexies were randomly placed, so no measuring.

My friends daughter is getting married, so she needed a special coat hanger for 'The dress'.

just needs a ribbon around the hook

and lastly you must see my Agapanthus.  I don't have as many flowers this year, so I think I must do some research on what to do to improve them for next year.

Love them

The flowers this year have been absolutely fabulous.

To finish off my week we are off to Norfolk on Saturday to celebrate Mr D's uncle Stan's 90th birthday. Whoop Whoop!!

Friends from afar

Phew! been out and about for the last couple of weekends.  I managed to get to the Birmingham Festival of Quilts last weekend, and what a day!  I didn't buy too much, but had to indulge in a couple of gadgets, the first was a seam ripper with a sort of rubber on the end, and you use the rubber to rub out all those small bits of thread left in your work after you have been through with the seam ripper.....guess what??? it works, so I was quite pleased with that.  My other (sort of ) gadget was some tiny plastic templates that you can use for English Paper Piecing and I have used them successfully.  I can't show you exactly what they are for, as they will be part of my flickr Mini Q T swap and if you remember that mini can't be shown until my partner has received it.  However, I can show you just how small they are.

Half inch diamonds ...

Do you remember last year I met up with Dee her visit who was visiting her daughter in Oxford, well, she is back so this weekend Mr D and I travelled over to Oxford to meet up with D and family.  Miss D's daughter had a friend racing in a local regatta so we went down to the river to watch.

race beginning

They obviously didn't cheer enough

because D was left cheering at the finish line.... they came 2nd  

We then went off to Cowley Classic Car show.  As we walked in, D pointed out an American Police car and told us that she drives one just like it.....fool that I am I didn't take a photo and as we saw so many cars I now can't remember the name of the car (I'm sure if D reads this she will add the name in the comments), all I can say is my last little car (a Fiesta) would probably  have fitted in the boot (or trunk if we are talking American)

We wandered and talked about cars our Dads had driven, cars we had driven, and cars we would loved to have driven. But all agreed this car/ truck was just a great colour and we needed a photo shoot.

Got to admit it would have been a bright car in its day

I had made a couple of gifts for D.

I showed you these in an earlier blog

but added this to the pile....

I did add one of my little pin toppers, hope it gets through customs

and what a lucky lady I am as in return I got a bumper gift pack........ so many beautiful fabrics 

What a lot I got, but this is not all..

Look who joined them........ these little birds were made by D's dad, they have ribbons around their middles

They stand on their own...so cute!

and one day I hope D and her family will come to see those little birds sitting in my sewing room.

Standing outside some beach huts

It was great to spend a day with D, her hubby and her daughter M.  I do hope they manage another trip to the UK.

Before I go I just want to show you that Stargazer Lilly that was growing in my garden.

8 blooms all on the one stem....so beautiful

What a couple of weeks....what will the next couple bring????

Busy doing nothing....not quite nothing

I have been a bit busy socialising just recently, so only a few bits to show you.

I have made a couple of things to show and tell, one of which is part of my bumper winnings from Geta, and as you can see another glasses case, this one is the bigger style ready for some fancy sunglasses.  I am still working on different interfacing, and this is a softer vilene, but the magnet clasp seems to work well.  The other item is a key holder ....yes, you put it around your wrist and never loose your keys again ....well that's the plan, you just have to remember to put it around your wrist.

Nice little collection

I have been meaning to show you is this little  fabric box .  I think I may have increased the size a bit, but you know me, got to alter something!  I am going to fill it with fabric and it will be part of a gift.

the fabric on the bottom is all sewing related

Now some of you that know me, know, that I play swaps on the flickr site.  Flickr have altered the site, and I really don't like the improvements  so don't go on the site as much as I used to, but one of my 'on line' friends encouraged (won't say bullied) me to joining a swap group.  This group is the Mini Q T swap, where you make a partner (who you know) a mini quilt no bigger than 12" x 12".  The reason my friend mentioned this months swap was because it was English Paper Piecing or Foundation Piecing (you have a choice)  and as Miss D says 'right up my street'.  This is not a secret swap you are allocated a partner, so as we know who is making for us, we don't post photos of the whole quilt, just "sneaky peeks" so that's all I am allowed to show you.  This is my start......

Dotty Hexies all ready to go

I must just show off this Star Gazer Lilly, it really is a beauty and as I step outside of my kitchen door its perfume greets me...... what more could you ask.

It has 8, yes 8 buds so 5 more of these 'lovelys' to come

This weekend is the Festival of Quilts, so I am off to the NEC this Saturday.......anyone else going to be there???  I missed it last year, so am looking forward to seeing what's new in the quilting world.