Time Flies

It doesn't seem like a week ago that we woke to a cold but bright frosty morning.  The skies were  blue and the sun shining, so we felt we could not miss out on a walk.  Luckily living where we live there are plenty of country walks to choose from, but this week we went to East Carlton Park.

I just had to take a picture quickly of the frost, because it was not going to last long once the sun got on the fields.

The White magically turning green

Just around the corner in the sun

Just look at that sky

Northamptonshire countryside

Not so many bright colours left, but still beautiful..

Oh so quiet 

and some leaves to kick about.........never too old to kick those leaves, and everything looking so clean and fresh.

Not even a dog walker 

even the boots stayed clean

who has clean boots after a winter walk?

I spent the rest of the day making a tea cosy.  I had seen a picture somewhere on the internet, and made a mental note to make my own version one day, and that day arrived.  The hardest thing was making the pattern for my very own tiny tea pot, but once I had that sorted the rest was a piece of cake.... or pudding as the case may be

White is not the best colour for a tea pot, but it does look cute.

I have been tidying my fabric cupboards and needed a box to put a few more fat quarters in, so off to scour the internet.  I found a couple of tuts on fabric boxes, but the one I chose to make was from here I have made mine a bit bigger but it works perfectly.

finished ready to be filled

Filled to capacity 

On the same site I found this little hexagon bowl.  I have reduced the size considerably as I thought it might work as a small trinket bowl, but working on such a small item the 'floor' gets a bit lumpy, so not sure it will be used

I still like the look of these so maybe I'll have another try

The weather men tell me we are in for a cold night, so that might mean a nice bright day tomorrow and if so I think the boots might see the light of day again ....OR could it be a day for the bikes?

        

Getting back to normal

About 5 years ago we had an extension to the house which was to be my sewing room well according to my hubby its the work room, but we know differently don't we.  The room has been wonderful, in fact for me the favourite room in the house probably, but recently I thought I could smell a dampness but Mr. D said he couldn't smell it, and I let it go...... that is until I could stand it no longer.  I decided to pull out the cupboard that stores most of my fabric as that seemed to be where the smell was at its strongest and low and behold there was the offending mould growing on the wall behind the cupboard.  We called in the builder who after talking to a number of experts told us that he thought the problem was caused because there was little or no ventilation in and around that corner and that was the probable cause.  After a bit of discussion, we called in a carpenter to raise the cupboards and lower my sewing machine into the work space (because I am such a shorty I would never reach the machine).

Goodness look how clean and tidy it looks

Back to the real world and a working sewing room

It doesn't look that much different, but it certainly smells much better.  Had to alter my sewing mat, but that was my only input.... well other than packing everything up, then unpacking again and that is a lot of work.

I have finished the Tilda sewing doll, she now has her sewing machine and the item she is working on,  and is ready to be wrapped in Christmas paper 

Must make one for me

The other finished bit for me is my Dancing Ribbons mini quilt.  I thought hard about the binding, and in the end made scrappy binding with the same fabrics as the ribbons... Must find room on the sewing room wall for this one.

I do love this mini, so bright and cheerful

  

I told you about the group on flickr that I have joined this month.  I showed you the beginnings of my 3.5" blocks in the last post, this is how they looked when I had finished.  Unfortunately I took the photos at night and as the colours were not true I was supposed to take more photos in the morning, but so intent on getting them in the post I forgot..Boo Hoo!!  still you get some idea of what they look like.

Six with pink buttonhole stitch and Six with blue

My other work in progress is still 'in progress'.

I had forgotten just how long it takes to get all of the lazy daisy leaves sewn, and there are a few more before I get on with the tiny rose buds (french knots), but once all the embroidery is finished I only have to turn up the hem and add the buttons and button holes. Yeah! 

I have also been planning (with a little help from my friends) an "all day" sewing day at our local sewing group Higham Piecemakers.  I have spent hours and hours scouring the internet looking for small decorations etc that we can make and believe me its easier said than done.  There are a few things out there and this is what I have chosen to try.

So hope they like them.  

Owww! nearly forgot

Oh my goodness I almost forgot to show you this, yet another 'thing' not quite finished.

She is going to be a Christmas gift once she is finished, but I can show you because I know the person it is for does n't look at my blog...... Boo Hoo! but what can you do when you own kids won't pop in to see what you're up to ( I'd beat her soundly, but she is bigger than me :)  )
I only need to attach the sewing machine to the doll, and put a piece of fabric under the 'needle'.

Lots going on...nothing finished

I think I am a bit like a butterfly..... flitting from one thing to another and actually not completing anything at the moment.  

No.1

I have made many smocked dresses for my granddaughters and one of my favourites is one from the Country Bumpkin magazine called 'Gathering Roses'.  I made it a couple of years ago for my youngest granddaughter, but when I spoke to her just a couple of days ago she informed me that it was now getting toooooooo short and she needed another.  She has asked for it to be exactly the same as the one she already has........so I am in the process of making this dress for the third time.

Lots more smocking to do.

Smocking finished, now for the bullion roses that give this dress its name.

Lots more bullions, but you can see where they will go

There's still a bit more to do before this is finished, so you will see this again I am sure.

No. 2

Remember this....

Look what's happening...

                          Yep, paper being removed...... looks promising

Not finished, still got to sandwich and quilt...... 

No.3

With all this going on....should I really be getting into something new.  Of course the answer is NO, but my online friend has asked me to join in with this group here.  I used to make bitty's each month, but had to give it a rest for a while and now only join in occasionally.  This months themes were Christmas/winter and Aliens, now I am not into Aliens, but Christmas ....that's my thing.  So this is mine so far

Doves and olive leaves ready.

Tomorrow I hope to get these 12 little blocks completed and in the post to America then I can sit back and wait for the other 11 ladies to send me their beauties. 

What next is on the list??????

Visiting and sewing for visits

Not so much sewing been going on, but I have been busy visiting with family.  My niece and her hubby (from Australia) had a few more days of their holiday left for visiting London spots, and one of the places on the list was Kew Gardens.  Its been a few years since we had been to the gardens so it was a good excuse to go down to London to see them before they left and get to see the gardens in the Autumn.  The weather wasn't the best, but we didn't get too wet.

These Autumn Crocus were popping there beautiful heads out everywhere.

The palm house from the Tree Walk

Is that someone taking a photo of me taking a photo of him?

I am sure I had these in my garden in South Africa... memories..

I couldn't find the label for these, but they remind me so much of a flower called Narina, that grew in the garden in S.A.

These stunning white star flowers grew from the centre stem of the branch...unbelievably beautiful

And who could go to Kew without a visit to the Water Lilly House....... I would have taken many more photos of these wonderful flowers, but would you believe the battery of my camera ran out.

We also spent a weekend closer to home when we visited with my sister-in-law and her hubby.  They live near Birmingham and suggested we visit Ironbridge.  I don't think any of us realised just how much there was to see.  We did a couple of the museums and then thought we would visit the Victorian Village, but once we mentioned this to one of the ladies at the museum, she said we would be better to return and spend a whole day walking around the Village as there was so much to see and you needed at least 4 hours.  So we chose to take a rain check on the Village, but will return.

What a beautiful day to visit

Don't you think it clever not to get any sightseers in the photo

There has of course been a little sewing.  Most folk would have used this fabric back in June for the Jubilee, but I had no idea of what to use it for.....then I had a brilliant idea of making cushions for my grandchildren in South Africa.  Now back in 2011 they came to visit, and some of the things my granddaughter (who was 4 years old)  wanted to see was Buckingham Place, The Wheel, and Big Ben (her baby brothers name is Ben) all of which are on the fabric Yeah! 

These are my chosen fabrics

With these fabrics they will be able to pick out places they visited and ways they travelled.

I wanted the children to be able to see a big chunk of fabric 

With cushion inners,  very smart.

 So these cushions will get packed away until we go visiting next year in February, and now I suppose I should start thinking of some small gifts to make for Christmas... well, that might have to wait as we are off visiting again.

Tah Dah!!

Yes, I think a Tah Dah! moment coming on.

In January I joined a splinter group from 'Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along' called 'Around the Bend and Across the Pond', you can find the latter group here  These are a couple of the flickr groups I look into on occasions, about once a day to be honest, anyway back to the story on hand.  In my group, we had to make a centre for a quilt, then it was passed along and across the pond for others to add borders.

This was how my one started, just a 16" square made up from my scrap bag.

And this is the signature block that was to accompany my centre so that all that added a border could sign, date and add the area they live.

I said farewell in January and watched each month as my centre grew and grew.
At the end of August my 'now quilt top' was returned to me from my mate Dee.  Just in case you don't know Dee lives in America and we met up in June when she came to visit her daughter who lives in Oxford, you can catch up on her visit here.  The quilt returned and I loved it.

and this is the signature block.. all filled in

All I had to do now was to redecorate a room for the quilt to feel at home in.  So, this ........

has changed to this........

The colour looks a bit blue in this photo

 

Looks good doesn't it?

So I really think this is well worth a Tah Dah!! and a Thank you to all the ladies that took part in this 'Round Robin'.

Just popped in to say!

Just popped in to say I have joined a 'small blog meet', its run by Lynn from here.

There is a button on my side bar, so hopefully that will take you places.

 I hope to see some new blogs, and will come back to let you know if I find anything exciting.