2013
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Crafty Magazine - Issue 8
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I get inspiration from everywhere but I do love curling up with a good magazine. I subscribe to Crafty Magazine because it is my monthly treat and it's one magazine guaranteed to inspire me, as it did recently when I made my High Voltage lampshade. I like the range of crafts it covers (without being too broad), the style and tone, and also the little fact that it's created where I was born (big up Stockport!).
Here's a glimpse of the goods available in Issue 8, out November 7th:
Gorgeous woodland creatures
Frida Kahlo Embroidery
Awesome cross stitch Day of the Dead jewellery
Love these beautiful cushions
I can't really knit but I so want these socks!
This is just a snippet of some of my favourites and there are plenty more projects to make and inspire you.
There's always interesting interviews and articles too and I would recommend it for a Crafty read!Check out the Crafty Magazine website for subscriptions (currently 3 issues for £5!) and stockists.
a sense of control in a world full of chaos
All in all October was a good sewing month. In other ways it has been hard but I've realised just how important sewing, quilting, crafting and designing have become to me. It is my time, my way of blocking everything else out. My way of creating, doing things I want and I'm in control of it. There are so many things I can't control but the fabric, needle and thread are in my hands.
Too Far Quilt, custom cushions available in my Etsy shop, rose star block, High Voltage lampshade, Skull decoration, applique zip bag.
Hoping for a very creative November and to continue to find my sewing joy.
There's still a couple of days left to enter my giveaway and win yourself some haberdashery from Minerva Crafts!
Linking up:
fourth quarter FAL list
I love the finish-a-long for keeping my projects in check and also for giving me goals. Here's my list for the last quarter of 2013...
1. My Feather Bee blocks quilt - needs basting and quilting
2. Apple Bib - although I made two of these bibs I've had a third one unfinished on my desk for months, I'm putting it on the list so that I finish it!
3. Pattern testing quilt - top done, needs basting and quilting
4. Star Flower QAL - need to get this pieced already!
5. Pencil cases/zip bags for gifts - I've sewn together some little panels of scraps, I want to add a bit of applique too.
6. Woodland Sampler - since it's nearing the end of the year I would like to actually finish the sampler in December and try to frame it so I can display it proudly.
7. Rose Star Quilt - this one might be a push since I'm going to hand quilt it but I've decided since the feather quilt is so huge I don't need to make this one so big. Also the thought of making loads more started to feel overwhelming and I don't want this special quilt to turn into an unloved one so I'm going to do a few more and see how big I want it to be.
8. I got these gorgeous spotty curtain fabrics from Terry's Fabrics and I'm going to use them to make a pouffe (ottoman). I'm especially in love with the lime dots and I've been wanting a pouffe for absolutely ages (while nursing it would be so much more comfortable!) and now this giant plastic bag of beans has arrived I really need to get sewing because there's no room to hide it in my house!
9. Finally I need to finish up my Le Challenge project for this month's theme of THRILLER, I'm really enjoying this mad cross stitching!
So here's hoping I can get some checks off my list and thanks Leanne for being an excellent host and motivator!
owl still love you
I'm linking up to Craft Buds for the Craft Book Month 2013.
When I saw this link party I immediately knew which project to enter, this is the Hootenanny pattern from the brilliant book 'Dare To Be Square' by Boo Davis.
This is one of my very favourite quilts I've worked on, it was also a great collaboration. The top was pieced by me, sent to my amazing cousin Jackie in California, who made the back and long arm quilted it. She sent it back to me and I bound it.
This is the 'Owl Love You' quilt we made for my sister and her husband as a wedding present:
I made the owl and Jackie made these beautiful wedding rings. I love the mix of the modern and the traditional.
Jackie did such a beautiful job of quilting, picking out all the features of the owl and using it as her theme for various patterns.
The icing on the quilt, the newly weds names and date of their wedding:
If you want to see more of Jackie's long arm skills, or would like to contact her about her long arm service or custom quilting please see her Facebook page - Bar XX Quilting
You can read more and see the big OOPS I made in the original post.
Check out all the other book makes at Craft Buds.
fully achievable list (?!) - fal
more owl tooth cushions - ready to applique
sucked in (another distraction!)
I was holding off... I worried I won't have time... but Jenelle posting about it was just too tempting, after all these are cute woodland creatures!! So I have joined The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery in their 2013 Monthly Woodland Sampler
Randomly my daughter just asked me, "why, when you are angry does steam come out of your ears?". I am holding Tom and Jerry cartoons responsible for that one. Very funny.
I've just seen the gorgeous QAL happening over at Christa's blog - a Sea Of Squares QAL.
She also has these fabulous kits available at ChristaQuilts - hurry if you want one!
Linking up:
p.s. Still no baby.
To having the best year yet!
Welcome 2013! Cheers to all of you!
I have spent the majority of 2012 being pregnant so it has been a roller-coaster - hormonally, emotionally and physically.
My highlights include meeting so many lovely bloggy friends, the Fat Quarterly Retreat (sobbing I'm not going this year), the Festival of Quilts and overall just how much I've learnt, developed and created.
I've made 12 quilts, so appropriate for 2012! - you can find all the details about each one on my quilts page:
In March I started doing some embroidery, you can see more on my embroidery page but these are some of my favourites:
I LOVE embroidery and will certainly do more.
I even made an embroidery pattern, you can find it with the other tutorials I did this year!
Being included in the Fat Quarterly for the Winkerkist challenge was a huge highlight for me.
This is just an example of some of what I've made, I've also done lots of awesome making with my kids, I've made cushions, zip bags, pincushions and lots of fun blocks for the Bee I joined. This year I've joined another two! I have no clue how much sewing I'll do this year because the baby is due to make its arrival any day now but I'm hoping by being in the Bees I will be able to at least make three blocks a month.
I also have English Paper Piecing to keep me busy - this is my other true LOVE! I'm working on a sweet project just now and should be able to show you later this week.
I was also so fortunate to get some sponsors this year - currently I have to say a huge thank you to Cindy and Christa, whose shops are obviously brilliant but whose service is outstanding and their dedication is much appreciated by me. Please go visit Fluffy Sheep Quilting and ChristaQuilts and show your support for these excellent businesses.
I'm sure they'll be tempting me with more fabric purchases this year!
Finally (and I know people sometimes moan about reading this stuff) I have to make apologies for not commenting on blogs or replying to comments left here for me. It is sometimes just too overwhelming. I am way too tired to sit still in front of the computer for long.
I am reading though and have loved seeing all the fabulous rundowns of 2012 that have been popping up.
Sorry for not being a 'good' blogger but the thing is I imagine this is kind of going to be the norm once I have my hands full with the newest addition.
My point is that I read your blogs, I read your comments... I'm just a bit useless at entering into a dialogue at the moment. I can't be sure when normal service will resume but I am hugely grateful just knowing you are out there reading, writing and creating!
Here's to an amazing 2013 my friends xx
If you'd like to keep me amused and want to have a go at guessing the gender of the baby go right ahead and let me know what you think (judging from the comments on the last post, where I posted this picture of my pregnant self, people think boy - that's my feeling too!). We have a concrete girls name standing by but are a bit stuck about boy names, we are 85% sure of one but if you want to put forward suggestions for boy names go ahead (we'd like it to be old-fashioned - our two kids are called Fred and Joan - so nothing modern or too popular), I'd love to hear some...
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