Where Do I Begin?

Since I've last posted on the blog life has been busy. Besides work, we have been doing the last of Sarah's move and she left her flat a couple of weeks ago. She's started her new job and came home with lots of equipment and has been going through a lot of training.  She's finding it a bit tough going with all this, but it's early days and I hope she will soon settle into it.

Then last Saturday we had a visit to the Isle of Wight, which was a fab day out, but my phone refused to share them with my iPad, so no pics to show here.  The occasion was my youngest son, Jamie's 30th birthday and we were joining him and his family for the last day of their holiday there.  We had a lovely time seeing small aeroplanes in the nearby airfield and later a nice meal at a pub with a play area, which kept younger ones amused.

 

Yesterday I went with my Mum to the annual Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta. It has a lot of varied traders, from embroidery suppliers, quilting shops, knitting supplies on the ground floor and demonstrations by local groups and teachers on the upper floor of the community centre.  I also took the opportunity to take my main sewing machine to New Milton for servicing en route to the Fiesta.  I had to buy fabric, from The Dye Bag and from Cherry Tree Fabrics

I also bought a knitting pattern book

Yep, it's Christmassy, but it will take me a while to knit, so starting early!!

But I have also been sewing.  Now the evenings are lighter I don't need so much artificial light, so I have been hand quilting a couple of Dolly Dress Up blocks that seemed to have been hanging around for ages. I've still got to get more of the water erasable pen removed in spite of spraying copious amounts of water the other morning.

I've also sewn together backing fabric for my deconstructed quilt from last year, piecing the remaining blocks to two halves of backing fabric to extend the width of the backing.

As a reminder, this is the quilt top

Next job will be to iron this and sandwich together the quilt ready for when my machine comes back from its service.

So I'm still fitting things in when I can.

Coming Home

Last weekend we spent Good Friday taking a van to Bristol to load up most of Sarah's belongings to bring back to Poole to a storage unit near us. With the help of her friends who came up from Dorset furniture was taken apart, boxes were filled and packed which all went inside the van easily. 

Sarah came with David and I back to Poole in the evening to unpack the van on Saturday, together with our son, Alex and more of Sarah's friends to help.  Sarah returned to Bristol on Sunday to finish her last shifts at hospital, moreorless camping in what remains in her flat until tomorrow.  I'm taking the trip back to Bristol to collect her and the rest of her belongings, leaving the flat she's lived in for almost 10 years.

She starts her new job on Monday and which will be such a change from working in the NHS and in a hospital. She will be out and about in the community, so see how things go.

Meanwhile, the journey in the van last Friday and travelling through Somerset gave me the opportunity to stop at a quilt shop, Midsomer Quilting, just a bit north of Shepton Mallet. A lovely quilt shop and a handy break in the journey, I hadn't been there for a few years and noticed how much the shop has expanded to include a workroom and long arm machine and more space for fabric.

So it would have been rude not to buy some fabric

I like these Aboriginal inspired fabrics by Makower

A couple of pieces from the bargain shelf.

Some seaside inspired fabrics too.

Now its April

A review of what's happened in March.  Last month has seen a trip to Duxford quilt show and a visit to Cambridge, my 500th blog post and International Quilting Day at a Dorset quilt group.

Here are some bits and pieces this month

From top left, clockwise, a couple of Bee Blessed blocks (although I sent 3); more blocks to go to the Sibling's Together block drive; some bunting at Tarrant Valley Quilt group on International Quilting Day and two pencil case pouches for my granddaughters. The elephants in the background fabric are upside down, and iPhoto has decided they should stay that way.

Here's a photo of some bits from IQD

Also March saw some purchases, what with visiting a quilt show and lastly at Hobbycraft.

From top left, again, from Duxford show at the top row and bottom left pic.  Fabrics, thread, a ruler for free machining and some English Paper Piecing papers.  Bottom right was the stash that I bought from the charity table at my local Hobbycraft.

For a few months now I have been sending some blocks for Bee Blessed, but I've read that Judith and Sarah they will no longer be collecting blocks and making them into quilts.  I've enjoyed making blocks and and there is more about that on Judith's blog here.

As you've seen above I've been making blocks towards some Siblings Together quilts as mentioned on Lily's Quilts. These Home Sweet Home blocks have really sewn up quick, especially when time has been limited.

Another quick make has been the pencil cases that I have made for my granddaughters, I made the grandsons' a little while back and being fair I had to make girls ones too.  The handy pattern was from a free Crafty class called "Bag Making Basics - Reversible Tote and Zipper Pouch".  I've never made the bag, but I really love making the pouches.

As for next month..Changes.  I'm not sure I will get much sewing done as our daughter, Sarah, will be moving back to Poole after 13 years of living in Bristol.  She is starting a new job and will be staying with us for a while until she finds somewhere of her own to live.  It may cause some disruption until things settle, but at least I'm not losing my sewing room. We will just have to see how things go, but I'm not planning anything just yet.

Joining up with Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day