Remembering

For The Fallen

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon 1869-1943

A long Scrappy Trip

Around Easter last year I was bitten by the Scrappy Trip Around the World bug that was going viral at the time.  I pieced my top and put it in my pile of things to get quilted 'one day'.  A few months later I was so lucky to win the quilting of a quilt on a blog giveaway from lovely Linda - Razzle Dazzle Quilter.  I received my beautifully quilted top back in December, and it's taken me several months to get that binding attached and sewn down.  However it is finished for Easter 2014, and the colours remind me of the bright, happy colours of easter eggs and spring flowers(though the irony is not lost on me that we celebrate Easter in autumn.)

                            

I've tried to get some close up pics of the beautiful swirly quilting Linda has done, isn't it so pretty, I am so thrilled to have been lucky enough to win this generous prize from Linda, her work is absolutely stunning and I would definitely recommend her services.  Why not pop over to her blog and see more of her lovely work.  Thanks again Linda!!

Kelly couldn't resist some photobombing..... she has rather a thing for blankets and quilts!

There is just one more week of school and then it's holidays for a couple of weeks, we're all looking forward to that, it's been a long school term and things have been crazy round here the last few weeks!  Daylight saving is now over and as the nights are longer I live in hope for a little more sewing time in the evening..... a girl can dream.....

Thanks for visiting me today, till next time..... happy stitching...... Nicky x

 

Scrappy Trips, Spiderwebs and Swoon

Another month has come and gone, and for a change there has been some action in the sewing department.  I finally attached the red spotty binding to my Scrappy Trip quilt that Linda quilted for me when I won a very generous giveaway on her blog.... the hand stitching is about halfway done now......  

Last weekend I attended a fabulous retreat with the quilting group I joined last year, so much sewing time, lovely ladies, fabulous food  and lots of laughs..... before I went I started a new scrappy project to work on at retreat.  I've been fascinated with spiderweb blocks for a long time, but all the foundation paper pieced patterns I'd seen had scared me off.... until I found this wonderful tutorial where your plain fabric is used as the foundation.  The blocks are a great way to use scraps, they are slow to piece but I am so pleased I persevered as I love the overall effect.

My finished spiderweb top.....

Once my spiderweb was finished it was time to start a Swoon at retreat, I've been planning this for a while to use a lovely bundle of Hope Valley fabrics I'd been saving for just the right quilt.  These blocks are massive - 24" square, but fun to put together!

Other than retreat there has been lots of these to work with..........

 ..... and a few of these..... the two calves our girls hand-reared two years ago, Ash & Donny......

I hope to catch up on some blog reading in the next few days, I managed to get myself very behind while I was away at retreat and since then....... catch you soon....... Nicky x

The longer you leave it, the harder it gets

Oh dear, it seems to be the same old tune here.... far too long between posts.... but hello anyway and a happy New Year to you!   I haven't even managed to get a post done in January, now we're in February and I am woefully late in sharing some beautiful Christmas swap gifts made for me by my lovely friend Leanne.  We did three swaps last year, Easter, our birthdays and Christmas, and it seems Leanne knows me so well, even though we've never met!!

Leanne made me this beautiful Christmas wallhanging with a redwork stitchery, it is gorgeous, and was admired by everyone who visited us at Christmas, truth be told I have now moved it to hang in my sewing room, it's far too pretty to only have on display at Christmas time!  And of course it's in one of my fave fabrics 'Scrumptious'.

She also made me this sweet little pin pillow... isn't it cute with the little orange flower..... and a cute pattern and magnetic closure to make a little hexagon purse.  Thank you so much Leanne for another great swap.....  xx

   

This is what I sent to Leanne, a Thimble Blossoms mini Spools quilt and a journal, both in Scrumptious fabric(both of us using the same fabric was not planned, but great minds think alike!!)

And now tilt your head to the left, this is the journal, a Melly and Me kit, and some Tilda braid I sent.  For the life of me I can not get this photo to stay turned around the right way in Blogger!

I have done almost no sewing in January, and February hasn't started much better, I am heading to the sewing room this afternoon to make the binding for my Scrappy Trip quilt, I really want to get that baby finished, and soon!  As usual January has been crazy busy on the farm, so much stock work to be done, and I am only now catching up on the several hundred blog posts I was behind on reading.  I have missed the signup deadline for OPAM for 2014, but I'm still going to try and get something done each month anyway..... last year was my best year for finishes in a long time, I think the Stitch-Along projects being small each month helped my cause.  So here's hoping 2014 will be a good stitching year for me..... hope you're finding some 'you' time too..... Nicky x