Phew! lots to tell and show

I think I perhaps should write a bit more often when I have been busy sewing, so you may get a shortened version of everything today...but that may be a blessing in disguise.

Since last Wednesday I have been quite busy.  On Thursday I went to my L.Q.S. to do a bit of sewing and chatting, and managed to finish my Spicy Spiral Table Runner.  The fabric for the quilt was given to me by one of my very best friends V.  She bought me the fabric for a birthday in 2007, and it was wrapped so nicely, that for a long while I have been very happy just looking at it, but time (and design) had come into my life and the runner began.

Spicy Spiral Table Runner

It looks more complicated than it really is, but you do need a 9 (or 10) deg. ruler, and when it comes to the first cut I did get a bit jittery, but as you can see it all turned out fine.

I then had a go at the challenge that was given here and that was a bit of a breeze after some of the things I have been attempting, after all I do have all of the pattern pieces of this.

New York Beauty 

 This is the first one I have made, but I will have to get cracking as the challenge is one a week, so watch this space to see how I get on.


Now you may remember I was having trouble with the Sunshine Rose Garden block. In the end I emailed the editor of Quilter News letter and explained my problem,  she very kindly emailed me the other parts of the pattern, and this is how its going.

This seems to be going together

Oh yes it is working.

I am not sure which took the most time, sewing or sorting through my scrap bag looking for fabrics that would  work.  I love using scraps, as there are bits from all my friends in these blocks.  I have now completed all of the sections for the whole sunburst, just got to find a few mins to get them together... might have a go at that this afternoon.

I think its fair to say that flickr is the main reason for my patchwork and quilting.  I started with an on line quilt back in 2009, and since then have joined some really fun swaps.  At the moment, I am in two swaps.  One is a round robin swap where we started with the centre block, it is then sent across the country/ across the pond to America for someone to add a border.  This was my block, again I have used scraps.

Around the Bend and Across the Pond

Bearpawandbearpaw (in Scotland) has added her bit Click here to see it and its in America now waiting for more rounds.  I have done one round for DeeRoo and that has been passed along, and this month G's quilt turned up.  I have had it finished for ages, but decided to send it on to 'Bearpaw' yesterday and then post a pic. on flickr.  Guess what, I have added one of the borders the wrong way around.... dash and blast, if I had posted the pic  before I sent it off I would have seen it....... big discussions now as to what will be done with it.... think  'Bearpaw' might have the last word on it.

What a boob to make. 

The other swap I am in is the Fab Little Quilt Swap that I mentioned in an earlier blog, well today my quilt arrived.  I knew as soon as I saw the return address on the box which quilt was inside, and I could not believe it had come to me.  FlossieBlossoms was the sender.

Fab Little Quilt Swap

Fab Little Quilt Swap and all my goodies

My dear friend flossie had sent lots of treasures as well, but the quilt the quilt.... oh my goodness!!!!!   it really is beautiful, and I am not sure my photos do it justice.  I really feel that flossie and I are old friends, we have been in a couple of swaps together, and I have joined her in the 'Bitty block committee' swaps  and some of her extra 3.5" blocks were also in the treasure box, so that is another project for me to get around to.