And another one bites the dust - PINK block done

YAY..... I've finished this block now.

It's PINK.

I like this one, it has some interesting shapes and seam treatments.

So now I have to await the big move in November when I shall be reunited with my stash to make the next naked block and start embroidering on it.

I shall have to invent a new crafty project to occupy my hands in between packing. ALL my 'stuff' is now out of reach, and I dare not go shopping for more because I'm fed up with packing it all away and out of sight.

And while I'm on the subject of packing --- I was in a dilemma about what to do with this:

It's a lovely piece of furniture, and I love playing on it (a perfect sound). I have been trying to get Tony to agree to keeping it, but it is rather big, bulky, and heavy, and he says we are rapidly running out of storage space. So I have been thinking about giving it away to someone who will love it as much as I do. Maybe the local primary schools could suggest a child or family who could make very good use of it.

Anyway, the problem of what to do with it solved itself yesterday.

I turned it on and started to play a sad tune on what I thought would be my very last time on the lovely organ. After about 3 minutes there was a splutter, a loud fizz, and then an even louder bang, followed by an enormous amount of smoke coming up through the keys.

Yes..... I killed the keyboard.

 How sad.

A Crazy Quilt Block completed

Dragonflies, Butterflies, Flowers and more make up this crazy quilt block.

The block is from a Kathy Shaw class, with a few extra embellishments of my own imagination.

All in preparation for my 2015 CQJP which is still in the planning stage.

More CQ Silk Ribbon Embroidery

Silk Ribbon Embroidery Flowers

Just a couple of little additions to the crazy quilt block.

Irises

and roses

Heart Crazy Quilt wk 18 ~ Crochet ~ Flowers

Here we go again, I've had another week of fun stitching for my

"Straight From the Heart" Crazy Quilt.

Four Crochet 3D flowers for scattering around the quilt.

Five Crochet Hearts and a bunch of textured embroidery.

I seem to have a 'thing' about pink and orange lately.

And a Checkered Heart with Crochet Lace edging that I stitched onto the blanket stitch surrounding it.

A strange thing happened this week.

I started reading a book that I found in a very old 'back up' file on an old computer hard-drive.

The story was great, and as I was reading it I started getting that de-ja-vue feeling about it, which made me think I had read it before, but I just couldn't remember how the story ended, and it was so good that I didn't want to stop reading. So I carried on, and you'll never guess what happened next (or maybe you have already).

There wasn't an ending. It stopped abruptly half way through Chapter 12, with me wondering what on earth was about to happen to those great characters.

Then it dawned on me. This was my book. The reason I thought I had read it before was because I was the one who wrote it.

Sad I didn't finish it though. If I ever complete it, I'll be sure to let you know.

Crazy Quilting wk 17 ~ Tatting ~ Crochet

What should I show you first this week?

How about the little birdie on the "E" monogram, updated this week with a flourish of floral vine twirling away in the background, and the little birdie now has a 'body' to help it sing its little heart out.

It is a fabric patch on my "Straight From the Heart" crazy quilt.

Simple, yet effective. I hope Emma likes what I did with her initial for inclusion on the quilt.

And here is a crochet flower motif. My own design. 

This is also going on the Heart Quilt.

 Tatting Update

 I have been practicing my tatting once more and made this motif. 

Still wonky, still mistakes, still learning, lol.

And..... for those of you who didn't get to see my excitement on Facebook....

Hold your ears while I sing a loud WAHOOOO.....

(American friends insert 'Ye Haaaa' if you wish)....

....... I ....... CAN ....... TAT .......

Oh my goodness, I can tat. At last. I finally get 'IT'.

Good old Percy did it again.

(Percy = perseverance)

Lesson learnt. See, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

I've had a great week.

I wonder what the next seven days will bring.

Heart CQ ~ Boho Skirt ~ Kumihimo

 Straight From the Heart Quilt 

Week 14

A few variegated leaves added to last weeks ruffle flowers, and I don't think it needs anything else now.

A crocheted purple and white flower has been 'planted' in a flower-pot.

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 Boho Skirt Update 

Wohoo, I have finished the front middle panel of the skirt.

Rough, raw fabric edges, uneven and sometimes wonky stitching (I love it).

I am not embellishing every fabric patch, just an occasional one here and there.

Love that musical fabric.

I might have to add more stitching to tone down the orange fabric to the left of centre bottom. It just seems a little bit bright for what I'm wanting here, or I may even froggit.

Now to carry on around the back of the middle panel.

________________________________________________

 Kumihimo Necklace 

Had a bit of a fun one afternoon and created this Kumihimo necklace.

Yet to add the fastening though. Still pondering on that one.

Heart Crazy Quilt Catch Up

This week I am playing catch up with my Straight From the Heart Crazy Quilt.

Here are three weeks worth in one post (is that good value, or what?)

Week 11

Machine work - haha - something you don't see very often from me.

Playing (experimenting) with free-motion quilting and also practicing with metallic threads.

Pink and purple satin fabric, only the purple one is the shiny, slippery little devil.

Hand stitched to the black rose fabric with buttonhole stitch.

Week 12

Reverse applique heart with a fly stitch decoration and a fabric 'ruffle' flower for the centre.

Week 13

Two more 'ruffle' flowers (just because I was enjoying doing them) and a Suffolk Puff flower (I am English so that's what I call them, you may know them as Yoyo's).

The stamen are made with Cast-on stitch.

The Suffolk Puff looks somewhat black in this pic, but it is actually a deep aubergine.

I may add some hand stitched embroidery in places on this, I'll just have to see what time I have spare.

 Quilt Show Photo Album 

The quilt show photos that I mentioned last week are on Flickr - all 108 photos.

You can catch them here

....and don't be shy, say hello over there...

There are too many to post to this blog sorry, but here's a taster for you....

Cushion for Mum

Warning:  Large photo files....may take a while for pictures to load 

(I haven't got access to my photo editing program to shrink the size)

I can't believe I am actually in England right now.

This cushion that I have been stitching for a few months is finally in the hands of my mum.

It is bright. It is colourful. It is highly textured.

Mum has extremely poor eyesight, so this cushion is for her to feel, and imagine, as a flower garden in full bloom.

We've just had a family party for mums 90th Birthday.

A great time was had by all.

She loves the cushion and wouldn't put it down.

 

 

 The fabric was dyed by my arty son George as experiments for a larger project.

I am pleased to put these pieces to good use.