60 degree diamonds!

Three days of birthday celebrations (and the hot, hot days and nights) has left me feeling really tired! I've spent the last few days being rather lazy. But what I have done is cut lots (and I mean lots) of 60 degree diamonds for my travel/memory quilt project. I emptied all the fabric from my boxes and started to cut three diamonds from nearly every piece of fabric that I own. It's been a trip down memory lane, discovering little bits of fabric that I used years ago to make various quilts. And like every quilter who is addicted to collecting fabric I have quite a few fat quarters of fabric untouched, just waiting for the right project.  Well this feels like it might be the right project!

This is supposed to be my holiday, motor home project, but I am itching to start sewing and I suspect this will become my travel anywhere project, including sitting in the evening watching TV project!

I've managed to complete five stars already and I just love the process of English Paper Piecing. Its very satisfying when a star comes together and one completed star is easily achievable in an evening.

Tomorrow is Sunday and after walking the dog I will probably sit and watch the Belgium Grand Prix on TV (I'm missing the Olympics already and can't wait for the Paralympics to start) and maybe sew a couple more of these. I will link up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching. Hop over and take a look at what other people are hand sewing today!

Birthday parties!

It's been a bumper week and weekend. Faye and her husband came to stay for a week which was lovely. We did lots of walks on the beach with the dog and visited a number of cafes for coffee and cake! It culminated with a surprise party on Saturday for DH, organised by the children and their partners. They put lots of work into the party, with Faye organising the food, invitations, making the bunting and organising lots of balloons and my sons girlfriend making 60+ cupcakes! It was a huge shock for him and he had no idea what was going on despite Faye's husband nearly giving the game away twice! It was lovely to see family and friends. Lots of them stayed in the New Forest area for the night which meant we could have Sunday lunch with DHs sister and brother and nephews and nieces, in a lovely fish restaurant on the sea front (a couple of miles from where we live). Unfortunately Faye had to be back in Germany on Monday for work so the children all left at lunchtime. Monday was actually his birthday (you know one of those big 0 birthdays) and I had planned a lovely long walk that took in a tea shop where we were going to have a cream tea.  That was shelved when his brother and sister and their spouses turned up with everything for a BBQ in the garden. They did all the cooking (and loaded the dishwasher before they left) and even bought a couple of bottles of Prosecco with them. It was great and DH had a fabulous 3 day festival of a birthday!

I don't have a lot to show for the week, although I did quilt my hexies and cut the shape for the sewing kit. I've also made the bias binding for it and now things have settled down a bit I will sew it on and hopefully finish it today.

Hexies and 60 degree diamonds

It's been a very (very) busy last few days. We travelled into Essex, with our motorhome for a few days with family and friends and had such a fantastic time! I prepped some fabric to start my new EPP project. The plan is that this project will stay in the motorhome to be worked on as we travel around the UK and Europe (so it is definitely a long term project). Every star I make will be surrounded by neutral 60 degree diamonds where I can write where I was when I made it and the date - A travel quilt. The idea came from the 'Quilt as you go' book and despite being busy I managed to do a couple!

While watching the Olympics (which have been fantastic) I've sewn the tiny hexagons together for my little sewing case. I need to quilt them next...watch this space!

Butterfly Sampler

Last Sunday I got all the antennae finished on my Sue Spargo Butterfly Sampler, the binding and a label! It feels like a huge Ta Dah moment, especially as it has been sitting in my UFO box for an eternity! And I'm so pleased with it. I've hung it in my work room as an inspiration when I need a different stitch.

Like most people who sew or quilt, I always seem to have lots of unfinished projects on the go.  But I'm just not inspired my any of them at the moment - and if I'm honest I really want to do another EPP project.......so with that in mind I sent off for a couple of supplies!

Some 60* diamond templates (a long term travel project for the motor home), some hand quilting needles for my hexie quilt (can't believe how small those needles are - but that's what You Tube suggested) and a thimble (never, ever worn one but apparently you can't hand quilt without one!). I still need some other bits and pieces (quilting hoop, wadding and backing fabric), but as this will be a winter project those will come as and when I find them.

I really needed to scratch that hexie itch so yesterday, while watching the Olympics, I started to baste some tiny 1 1/4" hexies to make a little sewing kit to keep in the van with my next project (I mean a girl can never have enough sewing kits!). This time round I've read the book 'Quilting on the Go!' by Jessica Alexandrakis and know the correct way of basting them, so I'm very grateful to the Slow Sunday Stitcher who recommended the book to me! I'm off to watch some more of the Olympics and baste more hexies. Take a look at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching to see how other people are relaxing and what they are sewing today!