FAL Q2 - Trip Around the World!

This week has been a momentous week with 2 quilts from my FAL Q2 list finished!

The first one has be delivered to the boy's school this afternoon!

I loved making this quilt top, but I don't like the finished design!

The process of making the scrappy along is so much fun and super quick!

To quilt it I decided to practice writing using FMQ. It is for the older children at the school so I quilted reading quotes into the quilt.

The thread shows up on some fabrics and not on others so the kids will need to look closely to find the words:

I loved quilting it! Putting words into quilts was great fun!

The quotes I quilted were:

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free" Frederick Douglass

"I have always imagined that paradise would be a kind of library" Jorge Luis Borges

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

My favourite is the last quote!

Along the bottom I put the words Enjoy, Read and Learn.

It has turned out pretty fun!

Hopefully the kids at the school will enjoy exploring the words and snuggling under the quilt in their new reading den!

Sunday Reading 230213

Sorry I have been MIA over the last week, a combination of work, Scouts and tiredness has meant I have been a bit lax in blogging... I have plenty of ideas lined up though!

So Sunday Morning Blogs to read... I need inspiration (and some energy) so I have picked 3 that I love going to for the photos as well as the content!

If you haven't visited Cluck Cluck Sew then you are missing one of the most beautiful blogs on quilting. There are amazing photos, gorgeous quilts and amazing tutorials. I love this blog so much, it is so lovely to read. Go and visit, it is a lovely first blog for a Sunday Morning!

This second blog is Diary of a Quilter, another fabulous blog, with amazing photos with gorgeous photos. Amy is a wonderful quilter and lots of hints and tips for new quilters. I love visiting to catch up on her adventures.

Another lovely blog is Gingersnaps Quilts. There are lots of lovely quilts, ideas and pictures! The quilts are so much fun and lovely! Plus who doesn't love a Laura Ingles wanna be!

Hope you enjoy them!

Sunday Reading 10 Feb

Last week manic and I am glad it is over!

Saturday was my second quilt in a day workshop at Prema Arts in Uley.

I had 6 lovely ladies, each with different ideas, quilts and patterns!

A whole day of working through questions and the learners trying out new ideas!

So I am hoping for a well earned break today and some blog reading!

This week it's all about meeting three lovely gentlemen who quilt and sew!

Male Pattern Boldness is Peter Lappin's blog all about things sewing! Peter loves vintage sewing patterns and shares his collections on his blog as well as sewing tips and sew alongs. I love the idea of the Men's boxers sew along he held in 2011!

Go check it out for vintage yumminess!

Piece and Press is the blog of quilter Dan R. I just love his latest blog post about his Geese Trail pattern:

I mean, how amazing and gorgeous is it?

Dan is an amazing quilter and his photos are really inspiring. Lovely reading for a Sunday morning!

Finally for today, we are visiting the blog of fabulous quilter John Adams.

John is part of the team behind Fat Quarterly and is an another amazing quilter. I love his blog because is is full of ideas, quilts and glimpses into John's life.

So go grab your mug of coffee and get reading - they are wonderful blogs full of inspiration!

Saturdays

I always greet the weekend with mixed emotions... no work (this weekend at least), but housework to catch up on and 3 hyper active monsters to keep entertained...

The routine is the same if we don't have to rush somewhere:

• Mummy has coffee
• Boys fight - mummy intervenes
• Mummy tidies up a bit
• Boys play nicely
• Mummy hides in bed reading blogs and looking at handmade shops/blogs
• Boys fight - mummy drags them out to run it off....

Getting some space to just be alone is kinda hard and the boys don't spend every weekend together so the first couple of hours on a Saturday morning are a contest of the testosterone to re-establish who is top dog - mummy!

So I whilst we are in the second playing nicely phase I thought share some of my blog finds recently.

I think I must have been very slow in discovering the blog of designer Anna Maria Horner. And I kinda regret that... her blog is a stunning visual peek into her world. I mean serious gorgeous! The pictures are perfect for drooling over with a mug of coffee. There is so much to ogle at and so much inspiration that I could happily pass away an entire morning just here.....

blue elephant stitches is the wonderful blog of quilts, quilts and more quilts! There a pictures to drool over, tutorials to follow and so many gorgeous things to look at it is hard to drag myself away from it. I haven't explored every part of the blog, but I plan to! The creations and colours are so vibrant and fabulous that you can't help feel inspired to go and sew!

Another new blog I have been checking in on is block-a-day. It is a gorgeous log of a fabulous crafter and her journey through life. I like taking sneak peeks at other peoples worlds and realising that we are all pretty much the same... it is comforting to know you are not alone!

Hope to you enjoy the blogs.

I would to see your favourites if you fancy sharing....

The Simple Things

At the Festival of Quilts I managed to find the Mollie Makes stand.

I love this magazine.

It is my guilt free pleasure. I run a bath after the boys are in bed, lock the door (just to be sure) and read it cover to cover. The designers and ideas are so inspirational.

I am even that sad person who has not removed the free gift so I can keep it in pristine condition!

But it wasn't the Mollie Makes subscription that I wanted - I get it from my newsagent each month because it make him giggle every time I collect it! Spreading the joy like that is worth the extra cost!

It was the new magazine The Simple Things that I had seen on Twitter that I wanted to checked out and with a 3 issues for £1 offer, who wouldn't?

Today my last of the 3 issues arrived... so will I be continuing with the subscription?

Yes!

From the very first issue I was impressed. The articles are interesting and diverse - I love My City, it is like a mini escape into someone elses life...

It is chock-a-block full of such lovely things to make and do.

It has the same feel as Mollie Makes, it has the same fantastic images, layout and texture, but if I am honest, it has more substance. As I said I love Mollie Makes, but I can read it in one bubble bath. The Simple Things just lasts and lasts!

Every time I open a copy I find something new. For me, it is like taking journey out of the everyday stress of work and 3 boys without leaving my own home. It is a journey I have come to look forward to A LOT!

So after a lovely morning out in Bath visiting the Fashion Museum, I am tucked away in my room with a mug of coffee just about to start my journey into The Simple Things and wondering where I will go....

Sunday Morning Reads 26/08

Morning!

Waking up this morning to gorgeous clear skies and sun streaming through the curtains was delicious!

Mugs of coffee and breakfast have been consumed and work on finishing the binding on my bright quilt has resumed - only one more side to go...

Here are a couple of wonderful blogs I have discovered to give you inspiration this morning:

The first is Kiss Kiss Quilt, a blog all about quilting, fabrics and sewing projects.

Nicke's blog is collection of tutorials, glimpses of her current projects and tutorials. I love visiting other quilters and finding out what they have been working on. I also like discovering that I am not alone in my life stopping me getting everything done to deadlines - see Nicke's most recent post!

Next is Film in the Fridge is a website full of tutorials, quilts and clothing! It is a fabulous website with an abundance of ideas, fabric and scrummy photos!

In fact there are so many gorgeous things to look at it, may require more than one mug of tea! I really enjoyed checking out the numerous quilts and the current Friday Stash is gorgeous... just off to check out Denyse Schmidt at Fat Quarterly Shop

Sunday Morning Reading 12.08.12

Good morning!

Last week was a frantic week of work, meetings and monsters!

I have put the TV on for the monsters and found some gorgeous blogs to explore, and as usual I have them here for you too!

The first is a fabulous riot of colour!

Kate's blog, Greedy for Colour is a fabulous blog. I love this blog because it is packed full of gorgeous images and ideas. There are so many cute bunnies that it makes me want to learn how to improve my knitting and crocheting skills!

The next one is written by an American in the UK:

This blog is full of fabric, quilts and life! The Sew Happy Geek is full of finished quilts and links to other quilters with projects to admire and drool over - perfect on a Sunday morning with a cuppa!

I hope you enjoy these 2 blogs - they are great fun and perfect for a Sunday morning!

Sunday Morning 23 July 2012

Morning!

Here in the UK we have had some gorgeous weather for the first time in weeks. The sun has been visible for the and has stayed around for longer than 5 minutes - it is a shock to the system!

This morning I have brough together some new blogs for you read with you morning cup of coffee.

The first one is Diary of a Quilter, the blog of Amy Smart a very talented quilter. This blog is full of inspiration, fabrics and tips for quilters. I love the amazing Union Jack quilt that is perfect for this summer of British celebrations. There is a tutorials page that is full of great sewing ideas... what more could a quilter ask for?

In the last few months I have become a bit obsessed with crochet and yarn.... it is such yummy stuff you know! I was so pleased when I found this amazing website with so many inspiring and gorgeous yarn ideas! The Purl Bee is a gorgeous blog with amazing photos - you know I am a big fan of gorgeous photos!

Just the banner makes me smile! There a projects and ideas for crochet, knitting, sewing and embroidery. The blog is part of Purl, a shop in Soho, New York. Go and be inspired!



The last blog today is lori times five, a blog of photos, crafting and life. I love have a peek into other peoples adventures and lives. This blog is a glimpse into Lori's life and loves. The pictures are gorgeous, so go check it out!

Sunday Morning Reading 8th July

Good morning!

If you read my previous blog you will know that I like to bring together some fabulous blogs on a Sunday for you to red on a Sunday morning with your cup of coffee.

First up is my lovely Twitter friend Ben who has a fantastic blog all about life, running and his gorgeous family. Mutterings of a fool is an insight into the life of a daddy. There are hundreds of blogs written by mums about their lives, which are fabulous, but it is refreshing to read about parenting from the point of view of a dad. He recently won the BIB's dad blogger award too!

Sunday morning reading needs a sewing blog - sorry, sewing is written into my DNA you know!

Today it is the Crazy Mom Quilts, the blog of Amanda Jean Ryberg, one of the authors of the amazing Sunday Morning Quilts. Her blog is full of useful quilting tips, pictures of her projects and tutorials. I love the book, so finding this blog has been great! I love the way Amanda has started posting pictures of some of the quilts made by the readers of her book - the way the choice of fabrics change the look and feel of a design fascinates me!

The last one for a today is a lifestyle blog. Written by Leya, Curious Bird is a window into the Leya's life with her family. I love the pictures the most. I am a sucker for blogs with gorgeous and varied photos. I also love being allowed to peek into other people lives, makes the world a much smaller place somehow...

I hope you enjoy the blogs!