Catching up

Well I haven't blogged for nearly two weeks - how time flies! Life has been busy here following hubby's hideous work shifts, post-workmen clear up and election fever! The snippets quilt remains unfinished - after starting quilting straight lines, I changed my mind and returned to stippling! I have a few more hours work to complete before it is well and truly finished, but the end is in sight. I have also just completed a charm squares quilt for one half of my friend Rachel's twins - pics to follow! The last few days have been manic preparing for Sophia's 5th birthday - where did the time go! I managed to make her some birthday bunting (excuse the decor in the pics, but we have only lived in the house for 8 weeks!), a Barbie birthday cake and some birthday cupcakes. Tomorrow I am having a well earned break and am heading to Malvern for the quilting show. Lovely fabrics here I come!

Weeknight Quilting

I am trying this week to finish some WIPs. My Dr. husband is working four 13 hour shifts this week which means I have free quilting time once Sophia is in bed! I am trying desperately to finish a quilt I started for her just after Christmas. The quilt top was finished shortly after we moved house, it was even backed and basted ready to go, but there have been major delays as far as quilting was concerned. I started stippling it but soon realised it was going to take forever as it was so large! For speed, and ease, I have decided to quilt in a straight lines instead. With a bit of luck I should be posting a picture of the finished article before the week is out!

Confined to the Sewing Room

The builders are in this week. We're having some damp proofing done in the house - what we had hoped would have been done a month ago, before we unpacked all our boxes! Nevermind volcanic ash from Iceland, my home has a thick covering of mortar dust, cement and now plaster! It has got EVERYWHERE, despite having protected everything with dust sheets - I can even taste it! Thankfully, the work has only affected downstairs so upstarus has remained relatively livable. I've been confined to my sewing room all week indulging in enforced sewing! I've started machine quilting a baby blanket, nearly completed the embroidery on block one of the 'Down in the Garden' project and started block two! No pics as yet as the camera is somewhere under a dust sheet...

Ella Bella Bunting

This project has been an absolute joy - made as part of a birthday gift for my friend's daughter, Ella. It was a new one for me, as I've never tried making bunting before and I can safely say that bunting is going to feature largely in my future creative life! I used a few squares from a Moda layer cake - the fabrics are from the 'Oh cherry oh' range, which I love. There is an excellent bunting tutorial over on Moda Bakeshop, which I used for general direction. The only modifications I made was to use a zig-zag stich around the applique, and bias binding for the heading tape. We are off to Ella Bella's party this afternoon, so I hope she likes it!

Cupcakes

I am still very busy with various projects. This week I am making some birthday cupcakes and some birthday bunting for my friend's daughter Ella. I have twenty four cupcakes to make - they are baked and ready to decorate, which is always the fun bit! Here are the first ten - a big swirl of pink royal icing with a big white daisy on top!

Easter Wedding at Birling Manor

Well, it all came together and I completed the bridesmaid cardigans and the wedding cake with time to spare! This is largely due to the fact my lovely friend Lisa gave me a big hand with the flowerpaste daisies. The whole day was a chilled, relaxed affair, held at the beautiful Birling Manor. The bride wore a beautiful, vintage inspired gown, designed by herself, the champagne flowed (I have never seen so much champagne at a wedding!)and the wedding breakfast was inspired. This consisted of a sussex cheeseboard to graze over while we waited for our main of freshly fried fish and chips from 'Moby Dick's Chip Van'! This was followed by waffles and organic icecream, freshly made in the waffle van! Much fun was had by all, although I missed my brother and his bride attacking an Easter Pinata whilst blindfolded...

Busy, busy, busy

I am busy, busy, busy at the moment! My brother is getting married on Easter Saturday and I am frantically trying to finish some flowerpaste daisies for the cake as well as knitting two bridesmaid boleros! One bolero is done but not sewn together, and the second, smaller one is well under way! There is nothing for it, but to cwtch in and knit this week!! I had planned to make myself a cover up in the lovely Rowan Kidsilk haze, but alas, unlikely to happen at this rate. All these wedding projects are getting in the way of what I really want to be doing - starting my new project 'Down in the Garden' (pictured above). This is a block of the month programme, run by the fabulous Buttonberry, making Leanne Beasley's amazing quilt. Check out her blog for what I hope the finished project will look like!