Twitt Twoo

This is what I am going to be doing early next week- making curtains for the nursery at son and daughter in laws house. Isn't it just charming fabric with all those lovely folk art  birds. 

After my trip to Houston I have been inspired to make a Texas Star quilt and have started making these using some metal templates I bought back from the show.  Loving digging through the repro fabric stash picking fabrics for these and sitting quietly at night with the TV on doing a little  hand piecing.

As 2012 approaches I am sure we can all look back with highs and lows but hope you all have lots of HIGHS in 2012.

Happy New Year to  you all  and thanks for following my personal highs and lows.


Happy Stitching

Sue

Brief Encounter

Yes, We had a brief encounter with Ricky Tims, Justin and their friend Suzanne ( sorry if I have your name wrong) but it really was a very quick meet at Oxford station today.

Alex Anderson left a message on the http://www.thequiltshow.com/  last week to say Ricky was on a private vacation to the UK but would be happy to meet quilt show members along the way and then gave his itinerary of where he was going to be travelling whilst here.

He lets members know when he is travelling throughout the USA and they get back to him and are usually hanging off bridges with their quilts for him to photograph.
No hanging off bridges for my partner in crime  and myself today . We meet and had a nice chat with him at the railway station and he photographed us with our quilts outside the station much to the amazment of  other passengers   It was a mad thing to do but we had a bit of a giggle about it.

He will post our  photos up when he's back home in about a weeks time,  but meanwhile here are ours.

A happy meeting with Ricky Tims

Also the cabinet makers finished work at my house last night and curtains are up . Its has the beginnings of looking like a home in the sitting room. Still cushions to make lamps to buy but it is coming together. I love my window seat they have made. A nice cushion to go on here and I will have a nice little nook to sit and read in.

Have only managed a few decorations this year. I decided to keep it simple with all that's been going on but I have the tree up and the sledge I spoke about in a previous post is now piled with presents.

My french sledge purchased at the Christmas Fair

My mantle decorated for Chrismas

The new TV cabinet  and curtains

Loving my window seat. with its pull drawer

This has to -say the least been  the most difficult year of my life and want to thank all my faithful  followers for sticking with me and sending the most heartfelt messages when my DH passed away in August.

 January 2012 will bring forth my first grandchild and something to remain positive about -So here's wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and wonderful productive sewing year.

Sue

The Sewing Room

Sewing room is coming together- These things were either bought for me, made for me and a few things made by me thrown in for good measure.

Maybe this room will be seeing a little bit of action soon.


Sue

Bad Blogger

Yes, very bad blogger I am.

Let me apologise to all of you who leave me lovely comments and I haven't responded to them. I will try to do better in 2012. I just I really seem to have lost my mojo.

That said I have had an outing to Cowslip Workshops for the Christmas Fair.

My Pic Sue and I  decided to rent a cottage in Cornwall for a couple of nights and immerse ourselves in this wonderful event.
Channel Four were filming there for Kirstie Allsopp's Christmas programme's. Their was a real buzz about the place and of course we were delighted to see Petra from Holland and Mary and Joe all the way from Pennsylvania . They had delicious things for sale along with lots more craft people selling their wares.
Did I buy anything- YES i did. I bought a wooden french sledge. What is she going to do with that your asking? Well I am going to put it round the base of the Christmas tree ladened with presents.

Petra and Mary looking very happy

Sneaked a picture with Kirstie.

Parking for the fair was in one of Stevens and Jo's fields and of course someone always has to get stuck in the mud and this year it was me . Steven came to the rescue with the tractor and had me on my way in a blink of an eye. Thanks Steven.

I am working on getting a bit more of the house sorted and took a little trip to Ikea and bought a cabinet to hold some of my quilts.

The only sewing that is going on here is for curtains for my son. They have been doing some work on there house too and are really nesting for the baby's arrival in January.
Baby bump is coming on very well as you can see from the picture - 6 Weeks and counting!

Happy Stitching
Sue

I'm Back

This is definitely me always have to have one in every colour.

Linda from QUILTS IN THE BARN , Me and MARY KOVAL

The Texas Quilt Museum

Do you remember the film Baby Boom with Diana Keaton when she gets back into the board room and then goes off to the bathroom and has a little conversation with herself in the mirror saying I'M BACK!!
That is just how I am feeling as at long last I am back online with my home computer which I am far happier with except blogger seems to being doing a few weird things to me.

Just going to ease myself back into posting some fun pictures of Houston and a couple of the quilt museum in La Grange which I went out to on the tour bus.

So hang on in their as I get back to posting and find out what blogger is up to.

Sue

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

I just couldn't stop by and not buy a quilt from Ami Simms at AAQI booth. She has raised well Over 1/2 million dollars auctioning and selling these little quilts to fund research into this terrible desease.
I stopped by a couple of times and felt very emotional and overwhelmed by the whole thing.

I purchased a lovely one with a huge poppy on it and as my lovely friend Dawn who I was staying with in NC loves poppy's it's now on it's way to her.

Funny thing was after I bought it I checked out the back to see who had donated it and it was a lady in NC so it's going back home.

This is me with Ami. Thanks Ami you have done a fantastic job in raising money and awareness for this worthy cause.

The Brits Are Here

I wandered through the hall looking at the quilts today and found we had four entries that were accepted for the show.
I found three of them but could only find one of the two that Liz Jones has here. I will have another good look tomorrow but meanwhile here are the British quilts.

The first one is Songs of the Earth by Liz Jones.

Next next up is Fata Mongana by Ann Taylor and Gisela Banbury.

The last one is Floral Dimension by Pauline Ineson.

Sorry for having to list them like this but I can't seem to get the hang of posting through iPad. When I get back home I will hopefully have Internet connection-well I live in hope!

Houston Calling

I am here and my brain is in sensory overload.
Just going to post some eye candy for you to drool over.

Enjoy
Sue

Happy Halloween

I just had to sneak on to this persons lawn for a picture.
It was on the dot of midnight when my carriage turned back into a pumpkin and not a Prince in sight!
Happy Hallowen

Big Bribe

Not really we didn't even make it to Saturday and I didn't even have to bribe dear Rodger he thought it a good idea to go to Mary Jo's today as he has something else planned for me Saturday.
So here we have my bounty for today some very good repro backgrounds and just a few must haves.
Thank you to all who recommend that I stop by Mary Jo's I had a great day.

A Little Shopping Going On

Well I am settling Into my trip and as you can see a little bit of retail therapy has been going on.
It really isn't all for me - have you forgotten that baby bump is on it's way.

This is going to be one spoilt baby.

Don't worry I haven't forgotten I need space for my purchases's this little lot is being shipped home!

I have bribed Rodger with dinner followed by soft ice-cream to drive me out to Gastonia to Mary Jo's on Saturday. I hope he doesen't realize how long a women can take in a fabric shop. It might cost me two big ice creams.
Whohoo.

P.S sorry for how the first photo is displayed. Not quite got the hang of posting through iPad.

A Gift of Quilts

My timing is completely out of sync. It's 4am in the morning and my body is telling me it's 9am and I should be up and out walking the dog. But here I am propped up in bed playing with the iPad.
Whilst playing around I took a look at the A Gift of Quilts site. Here.
This is a changing gallery view of some of the quilts that have been made to give to the teams who are participating in the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London.

To my surprise their is my quilt made as a gift for a team. It's no 102 when you scroll down.I can't quite remember what I called it . I think it was STARS FOR STARS and I am wondering what country might get it.

Their is going to be an exhibition of all 500 quilts next March in London and apparently a book is going to be available with photographs of all of them.

My Pumpkin Patchers and my local Shipton Quilters quilt group have also made one. I need to keep my eye on the sight to see if those pictures get posted in the gallery between now and next March.

I think I need to try to get some beauty sleep now LOL so I am going to switch off and try to get the old body of mine in US of A time.

Sue

Posting Again

Well at last I have worked out how to get my photos onto blogger from my iPad so normal service may well resume soon.

Last week my pic and I visited Leominster quilters for their bi annual quilt show. I didn't take too many photos but loved this quilt belonging to Gill Hollingsworth. It's a Miss Rosie's pattern and was made by Gill for her daughter. I hope it's now on her bed as Gill has been hanging onto it for a while.

I am finding it quite hard to get back into the swing of life and hoping my trip to stay with friends in Charlotte and then my onward bound trip to Houston will do the trick.

Anyway at least you now know you might see some eye candy from me over the coming weeks. Now that will be exciting.

Happy Stitching

Sue

Still Here

Yes, I am stll here and of last Friday now have a landline.Internet access to follow sometime this week I hope.
You might be saying that I am posting here- well I am but from the iPad which has been a life saver but have yet to work out how to post photo's. I am sure it will follow when my head is in the right place or one of my son's friends show me how.

A couple of things I have to report is I have my new sewing cabinet ,It sat on the hall floor for a week before I had help to get it upstairs. Glad I was on the upward part of lifting and not the pushing up-it was heavy! The sewing room is still not set up but I am slowly getting back into getting things I need ordered to make my home a home.

The other thing is I am I have booked my flight and am off to Houston for the quilt festival, so if any of you are going and would like to touch base with me please leave me a message.

After a very hectic and eventful year filled with big changes and not much sewing I am looking forward to immersing myself in the quilting world and here's hoping it will motivate me once again.

Lastly thank you for all you wonderful messages and cards at the lose of my DH.
I have quiet honestly felt completely overwhelmed by them so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Oh and just before I go you might want to hop over to Lori's blog at humblequilts. She has dedicated the funds she has raised from her little quilts to Alzheimer's and in memory of Dick my husband a very lovely thing for her to do in my opinion. Thanks Lori it means a lot.

Sue

Life Changes

I have had to resort to buying an iPad as I still do not have a landline or acces to Internet which has been a total frustration since I moved on the 5th August.

Life changes very suddenly and a week after moving in my DH went down with a severe chest infection and peacefully passed away on the 28th August after his 12 year long struggle with Alzheimer's.

I will love and miss him for ever but am glad his ordeal is over and his mind is now at rest.

Life will never be the same without him.

Sue

Packing Up

QUILT BOOKS- DO I REALLY NEED THIS MANY?????

ITS ALL BEYOND MERY

Well Its packing up time and I cannot believe how much STUFF I have.OMG those boxes are just full of quilt books! and I don't have any book shelves in the new house. So much of my belonging here have been neatly stored in custom fitted shelving and storage cupboards. I got a feeling I am not going to be unpacking anytime soon.

The 3 chaps have been here all day packing up but I actually packed the books this morning as we seemed to be getting a little behind.
Shaun couldn't believe how many pairs of shoes I have and now calls me Imelda.They  will be back tomorrow to load the van ready for the off on Friday morning. 

So I am signing off for a while as I won't have Internet access for a couple of weeks then I will tell you if all went according to plan.

Meanwhile take a last look at my Cotswold stone house that I have called home for the past 14 years. Yes sad to be leaving but mustn't look back only forward.

I will have a lot of catching up on blogs when I am back on line so while I am away Happy Stitching to you all.
Sue

Crib Quilts

Don't you just love these crib quilts. Pink for a girl and blue for a boy . I am going to have to get busy  making a crib quilt as soon  as  the new sewing room is set up. News is  I am going to be a grand-ma at the end of January.

We are all so excited about a new little person coming into our family It will certainly fill the void that is in my life. and I am so looking forward to going shopping!

I collected packing boxes today ,  I decided I wanted to pack up my  sewing paraphernalia myself.  I figured If I put it into the box I might just know what to expect to come out. Any way I thought the removal men just wouldn't get IT packing yards and yards of fabric. I don't want them to know I have a habit. LOL.


 

Sashing

Another quilt for the VQF in 2007. The only photo I seem to have taken of this quilt and it must have been for the interesting choice of sashing. I know they always say quilting makes the quilt but in some instances the choice of a border fabric can bring the quilt alive. In this case it is the sashing The block itself is lovely but  think  in this instance it is the sashing that gives the  impact.

The house is beginning to look a total mess with things being taken down from walls
and stacked in the dining room.
I was beginning to think the move wasn't going to happen a week ago as the solicitor found a covenant in the contract that was untenable.  After a week of sleepless nights all the solicitors came up with a suitable solution for my purchase to move forward. Hooray.
I was beginning to think the furniture was going to go off into store  and Mery and I going of with rucksacks on backs into the unknown.

Quilted rucksack of course!

Sue

More Vintage Quilts

Just a couple of  red and green quilt photos I took at the Vermont Quilt Festival in 2007.

Enjoy