As well as continuing with my hand sewn quilt, I have decided to maybe try some smaller items so I can practise quilting.  In that vein I have started two new projects, (I know I am hopeless at working on one thing at a time), the first photograph shows some blocks in the style of Rose Windows I think (please correct me if I am wrong).

I am hooked on hand sewing these little shapes, it is very relaxing and I can sew them during my lunch break at paid work

I am looking at making these into place mats or as a table runner.

The second project is very bold and colourful, I have called them my Psychedelic Sunflowers and the intention is to make a small quilt by applique the flowers onto a white background, giving  them a stem and leaves. Or as I am apt to change my mind, to make them into 9″ blocks and sew on to a cushion front.

I love how the coiled centres look 3D almost or is it just playing games with my eyes?

The only other sewing I have been doing whilst watching some TV is the backstitching on my Dreamcatcher cross stitch.  Backstitching can be annoying and slow but it is very effective.  Here is a before and after

It really makes the colours bloom and the bead effect is more defined.  I have yet to sew any beads on and there are little bits of cross stitching still to do.

Well that is all folks.  Happy stitching!

Daisy

x

 

Hello

Aside from my other posts about my hand sewn quilt I have also been busy stitching the dream catcher cross stitch and this is where I was at the end of last year ……

This is the progress I have made so far this year …….

The initial letters are supposed to be filled in with blue but I quite like them as they are now.  Just a few bits to sew then it is time to attach the beads.  This is looking like the first finish of this year.

Bye for now

Daisy

 

Hi everyone

It is the first HQAL of 2020 and over the Holiday period I managed quite a bit of sewing until I ran out of white squares to make the hexies and small border pieces.  I purchased some more and they arrived this week so back to sewing white hexagons.

Here is my progress

Before Christmas ………. I had border pieces ready to be attached.

New Year ……..  green border all sewn on and started to sew on the colourful border and sew white hexagons to the corner pieces.

I’m really pleased with how this looks – next bit – quilting – nervous of doing this as I have not quilted before.  How much do you have to quilt?  Is more better?

That is all for this post, please pop along and see what other members of the group are stitching as we all craft individual projects and reveal our progress every 3 weeks.

If you feel like joining our group please contact Kathy (1st name in list below).

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan,  Nanette,  Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Kathi,  Bella, Daisy and Connie

Dasiy

Hello everybody

Well the final review of last year left me feeling a little happy and a little sad.  So this year I have decided to ruffle up the ideas a little.  I have been pondering about 20 different ideas and it seemed a lot so I have condensed them as follows into 10.  My motto being “Double the effort”.  Hopefully I can stay true to this.

1.    To read or to listen to 20 books.  (This will give me the advantage to sew while I listen.)

  2.   To continue sewing cross stitch and designing quilts, combined with learning to write a quilt pattern.

         (a)   Finish Bee Quilt  

         (b)  Finish Pirate Quilt

         (c)   Finish Lady Greensleeves cross stitch

        (d)   Finish Seasonal Quilt

3.    Learn Applique (new skill) and try my hand at Gold Work (new skill)

4.   To continue writing to penpals   (anyone wanting to be a penpal please send address details to 01daisy1966@gmail.com)

5.   To go walking more/join National Trust again.

6.   To cook from fresh more often and eat more vegetables.

7.   To open Etsy shop.

8.   To care and appreciate more of our planet.

9.   To finish my Novel

10.   To finish my Poetry Book 

Well there is in black and white, it still seems a lot but hey ho! perhaps it will keep me on track.

Happy sewing in 2020 everyone!

Daisy

 

Hi Everybody

Hope you had a lovely break and are now raring to get sewing.  Also a warm welcome to AJ.

I was able to sneak some me time and have stitched the green border to the main body of my Seasonal Quilt and started stitching the colourful border to the quilt (the quilt is getting heavy now).

I also started stitching the corners but ran out of white hexagons so that bought things to a halt (order has arrived today so back to white hexies).

Please pop along to the other members and their projects.  We all stitch our own projects and encourage one another in our efforts so if you fancy joining our group please contact Avis (1st name in list below).

Look forward to seeing everyone’s projects throughout 2020.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ

 

Hi everyone

Well as the title suggests – something has been thrown out and it was with great sadness that I have had to dispose of a favourite pair of boots.  Yes – my black cowboy boots – have made their way to Boot Hill Cemetery in the sky at the grand age of 35 years.  They are well travelled having been to Cyprus, Spain, Menorca twice, Majorca, and Rhodes as well as local holidays around England, Scotland and Ireland.

The picture doesn’t represent the baldness of the suede but it is bad and the heels are bald as well and the boots let in water.  So fare thee well my trusted friends.

Now on to better stuff – I received some lovely fabric pieces from my penpal as a Christmas present ….. see below, and already I have ordered and received today some complimentary materials to utilize the gift  …. see other photos

Thank you Emma @Emma’ Craft Projects

I am thinking maybe a small quilt or cushion covers.

My to do list is growing – I must organise my 20 for 20 project list.

Well that is all for this post.

Love

Daisy

 

 

 

 

 

Hello and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all.

This is just a quick post to check into the new year, and I hope we all have a great crafty time of it.  Good luck with all our projects, new and old.

The only promise I have made to myself is to finish Lady Greensleeves.

Happy sewing!!

Daisy

Hello,

This is the final round up of my successes and defeats for 2019 …….

1. Read 19 Books (6 books read – 2 still reading)
2. Sewing Projects (1 new start – Dreamcatcher – Audrey finished plus Spring longstitch finished) -that’s  6 new starts and 5 finished projects plus some completions of longstanding WIP’s.   Lady greensleeves still a WIP, (owls coloured in ready to be used in a sewing project) (butterfly colouring design ongoing – to be made into cushion)
3. Learn Something New (Learning Patchwork  – 1 x Bee Quilt Top Finished – 1 x Pirate Quilt top finished – 5 more partly sewn together by machine /  1 new Seasonal Quilt hand sewn centre piece finished  – all border sections are complete awaiting to be attached to main body of quilt, and 1 Scrappy/Evolution Quilt part finished the top – hand sewn.  In the New Year I will need to learn Applique for this project.)
4. To Not Buy Clothes as much (1 tee-shirt purchased and 2 new pyjama sets. also 1 pair jeans)
5. To Eat more vegetables (started having 2 meals a week no meat, vegetables on the up.)
6. To write To Penpals (Letter, card and Christmas present sent to  Australian penpal and 1 card/letter to best friend).  Does anybody want to be a penpal?  If so send your address to my email: 01daisy1966@gmail.com  
7. To create something and sell it for Charity Only charity deed was to purchase Christmas Cards as a donation to Kidney Research, oh! and a new poppy wristband.
8. 8. To watch 19 DVD’s or Movies  (watched a box set (4 DVD’s) of Margaret Rutherford ( my husband’s favourite) depicting her version of Miss Marple – absolutely brilliant comic timing and shrewdness – laughed a lot – my favourite Miss Marple is Joan Hickson – who’s your favourite??  Have received a new DVD of Freddie Mercury as Christmas Present from my husband – not watched yet. (12 in total this year)
9. To Finish my 1st Novel (Still a W.I.P.  Have wrote another chapter and feel it needs the characters padding out a bit.)
10. To write a Small Poetry Book (3 more poems written)
11. To laugh more – Lots of laughter I’m happy to report
12. To Play my Saxophone Played twice on a Sunday.
13. To try and Learn the Ukelele Nothing to report here
14. To Learn Pilates and Deep Breathing – (watching Darcy Bussell Pilates DVD – feel a little more flexible and helps with my Asthma)
15. To Visit National Trust Houses/English Heritage places Nothing to report here
16. To visit the V & A Museum Nothing to report here
17. To visit an art Gallery Nothing to report here
18. Go On a Long Walk Nothing to report here
19. Go to Local Craft Fairs More Nothing to report here

Well – what do you think – some moderate success – other’s complete failure.   Perhaps I need to get out more though, I am determined to walk more this coming year.

Let’s see what 2020 brings!  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

Daisy

Hi Everybody

Hope you had a lovely Christmas Day, Hetty was extremely keen to rip open her presents, little shredding machine that she is.

These are the new toys which she will happily chew to bits.

Hetty’s new pellet, nut and seed food plus some treats.

All food products from Northern Parrots plus the abc toy and raffia mats, other present came from our local pet store.

Well the weather is miserable and I am having a pyjama day and will do some sewing.

Bye for now

Daisy and Hetty

 

 

Hi Everybody

This is my last post before Christmas, and it consists of a variety of subjects.

1. Hetty’s presents
2. New Stash 1
3. New Stash 2
4. New Stash 3
5. Pemberley

 

1. Hetty

I have splashed out a little on Hetty this year, she has food, toys and something to chew to pieces.

She also has a new rope perch as she has started to rip the other one but it will not be wrapped up.

2.  New Stash 1.

This is just an idea mulling around in my head – a bright colourful wall hanging I think.

3.  New Stash 2.

I am thinking of using an octagon rose head centrepiece and surround it with the blenders in each pack making it into a square and than sew each square to make a quilt.  I think it is known as a Rose Window and I hope it looks like an old style quilt.  We shall have to wait and see …..

4.  New stash 3.

I am thinking of making some tablemats or drinks coasters out of this Lewis and Irene – The  Old Chocolate Shop fabric.

5.  Pemberley

Do you remember a while back I sewed a quote from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

well here is a reminder ….. it was from Riverdrift House.

Well I found some Pemberley Fabric and now this will form the centrepiece to my Pemberley Quilt.

(Apologies cannot rotate for some weird reason)

I love how the fabric picks up the colours of the sewing.  They are violins on the fabric just in case you cannot define them.

These are the other fabrics, letters being posted, the pond, flowers, and images of the relevant houses.

I’ve not decided on the layout yet for this design.

Well that is lots to do already for 2020.  As well as the WIP’s I still have to do.

Busy 2020 for me.  What are your plans for 2020?

I think I will do another 20 for 20 – it did spur me on to do projects and read more.

My 19 for 19 will be on another post after Christmas as my final roundup for 2019.

So Happy Christmas Holidays and have a Wonderful New Year.

Love Daisy and Hetty

x & peck