Orange Saturday!

I rarely post on a Saturday, but decided because I have made something orange (which is February's colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge) I would do a post.  So here is another piece to go with my woodland animals quilt that I started two years ago!

Looking at the photo I probably should have made the green leaves darker than the background fabric but never mind I can live with it!  I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 so take a look at what other people have been working on this week.  It's February 29th today so enjoy this extra day!

Slow Sunday Stitching

Where has the last week gone?  Despite the high winds on the south coast (yes it's still windy!) the signs of spring are definitely beginning to show.  I love the show of daffodils that are coming out in all the gardens, the catkins and there are still lots of snowdrops!  It's been a productive week again and I finished sewing together the 7th felt ornament in the 12 days of Christmas series!

 My swan a-swimming has joined his fellow feathered friends - that's seven completed, five to go.  that won't happen until I can source the right size beads for heads and hands (without buying bags of 30+ that is)

The odd cross stitch has gone into my family and friends stitch a long which I'm loving each time I add a different element to it.  The potted flower actually has two shades of orange and gold in the centre which you can't really see - maybe it's a bit to subtle? 

There is lots of lovely inspiration over at Kathy's blog for SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING - well worth visiting!

Slow Sunday Stitching

There was a lull in the wind this morning so I managed to get the dog out for a walk (unfortunately no lull in the rain but you can't have everything!)  When I got back DH had a coffee and a hot cross bun waiting for me and now the day is my own - how much do I love days like this!!

It has been a productive week and I have all but finished the first part of the Linen and Thread stitch a long.  I really like how it is looking although I am struggling a bit stitching on the linen and despite having a really great lamp I find I can't do any sewing in the evening.....still that does give me the opportunity to put a couple more rows on my crochet blanket!

I am linking up to Kathy's blog for some Slow Sunday Stitching where there is lots of lovely inspiration!  But what ever you are doing today have a lovely relaxing day and enjoy!

Dahlia blanket

It's another cold and blustery day on the south coast as we wait for Storm Dennis (following hotly on the heels of Storm Ciara) to hit us.  That has meant I haven't been out much today, but I have managed to do a bit of cross stitch and a couple more rows on my Dahlia blanket - I love these wonderful bright stripes so much!!  The pattern is an Attic 24 blanket crochet a long and I am on row 48 (nearly half way done). Tomorrow I believe the border will be posted but at my present level of progress that's probably about six weeks in the future!

UFO block swap!

On Monday it was my craft group meeting and this month our challenge was to bring in a UFO between A5 and A4 in size and swap it with someone else in the group (allocated by one of the husbands).  We then spent the day doing wonderful things with it and then at home we had to attach it to a calico bag.  My partner was Sarah L and she bought in a couple of pieces and this is what I made!

I found it quite difficult to do (still it wouldn't have been called a challenge if it was easy) and I started off sewing green leaves to the tree but it just didn't work so I took it out and made it into a winter scene by adding the bare branches (I also added the blue felt behind to stabilise it) I dismantled the greenery which is Tyvek and was a separate project from long ago (funnily enough I made my Tyvek project into a book cover and my felt and silk rods into a picture of beech trees and bluebells which I have hanging on my wall).  I had to attach everything including the silk rods especially carefully as it will hopefully get used as a bag now its finished! I topped the whole project off with a little wooden bunny - not sure why but it felt as if it needed something in the foreground and when I asked her if there was anything she particularly wanted me to do she said anything, even a unicorn if I wanted!!  It was fun to do and I enjoyed adding the different stitches and sequins to it.  I just hope she like it!

I am linking up with Kathy for SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING and as we are being battered by storm Ciera it is definitely a day for staying in and doing some stitching!

Bushfire tree block

I read somewhere that a quilt group in Australia where asking people to make 12.5" blocks that featured a tree for them to turn into quilts for those people who had lost everything in the bushfires.  I came rather late to this challenge but managed to make one block to send.

I found this nice paper pieced pattern in the free pattern library at Craftsy (or what ever its called now) and here is the finished block.  They had requested that blocks arrive by the end of February so I haven't had the chance to make more than one.  I posted it off yesterday (and now Im going to have a bit of a rant!!!!) Surface post from the UK to Australia takes 42 days (must be by canoe?) so had to go airmail which only takes 6 days - so I could have made more!!! Oh well never mind!

Slow Sunday Stitching

I managed to get February completed and mounted just in the nick of time and it looks rather cute!  I've also started the embroidery on the swan a-swimming and have already soaked away the solvy, so this afternoon I am going to work on putting her together!  I am linking up with Kathy's blog for some slow Sunday stitching, it's always a real pleasure to look at what everyone is stitching today and to see there progress!