MID-SUMMER CATCH-UP

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all been enjoying a fabulous summer. We, here in my little corner of the northeast of England, have had loads of yuck weather during the month of July. It’s been a soggy dull mess. I’m hoping that things will perk up a bit before the kids go back to school next month. No matter what, I’m going to try to make the most of this holiday season.

I started off the year full of good intentions. I was going to work on UFOs and try my best to make progress on said projects but life has a way of happening and derailing my best efforts. I have not been lazy, I have simply committed to resolving family matters. Yes, if you’re reading between the lines your assumptions are correct. However, we have started moving forward after seventeen months of uphill struggle.

I generally plan my days via a To-Do List. I recently read somewhere that in addition to a To-Do List you can also have a To-Be List. So here is my list which I presume will grow over time …..

 

TO-BE LIST

Happy

Useful

Kind

Healthy

Calm

Organised

Settled

Creative

Authentic

I’ve done quite a lot of sorting in the garden. Here’s a little peek at the planter we planted up a while ago. It’s done very well …..

I recently tried needle felting at my Burnopfield Belles group. Annette lead the session and did an excellent job sorting out kits and guiding us thru the process of making a ladybird (in UK lingo) or ladybug (in North American lingo). The whole process was thoroughly therapeutic. Learning something new as a group is always more fun than on your own. The action of stabbing something with a very sharp needle is the perfect outlet for all those pent-up emotions. Voodoo dolls come to mind. I purchased a few key needle felting supplies a few years ago and only barely touched them. Now I have more confidence and will be sure to have a go in order to incorporate the woolly pieces in my projects.

In between the chores and the mundane everyday stuff I did some sewing …..

Yesterday, I started gathering more ideas to build a vision board  representing my goals, hopes and dreams for the future.

Life has turned into a learning curve for me. The past years have taught me quite a lot. Not least that when your gut speaks listen to it.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious happy quilt maker will be doing some EPP. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing some that makes you super happy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

PREP WORK ON A SUNNY SUNDAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’re all having an enjoyable summer. We’ve been having the best summer ever. The weather has been rather kind to us. We’ve been able to spend some time outside in the garden; mostly sorting the things and making the garden more manageable. Everything takes time but we’re getting there.

I’ve spent quite a lot of time sorting some legal aspects of my family life. I’m juggling three different kinds of lawyers all at once. I can understand why it takes so long and so much effort to qualify as a lawyer. I think I’ll stick to what I do best.

On the creative side of life ….. I have been designing now blocks for a project. At the moment, I’m doing the prep work to bring those blocks to life. The best part of designing is seeing your drawings come to together. The most difficult part is choosing the fabric. Here’s a little sneaky peek at one of my blocks …..

It’s the perfect day for flashing up the Barbeque. We’re going to enjoy a few sausages cooked on the barbie. We’re thoroughly enjoying doing all the things everyday people do. Somehow, I’ve managed to simplify life back to the basics. Simple is really good.

It’s a while since I posted here but only because I’ve had quite a lot on my plate lately but I’m surviving. I make up a To-Do List every week and try to get thru all the tasks on it. Somehow, I get thru each week having completed my tasks but wondering how the heck I did it. I guess I must be a strong determined woman. I hope to bring you more project progress soon.

So, for this evening, this very happy a super ambitious quilt maker will be doing some English Paper Piecing. I hope you all have super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all enjoyed a fabulous weekend. As most of my regular readers know, I am now a single parent. And as I fit into the category of a parent who plays both the mother and father roles, what better way of acknowledging the day than by receiving these beautiful, which just happen to be my favourite flower, Peony blooms. Thank you, Sarah.

 

To all the great fathers out there, the ones who put their families first, I wish you a very, very happy Father’s Day 😊

It’s been a brilliant weekend for me. I spent some time with a few like-minded ladies sewing and putting the world to rights. It’s amazing how a bit of laughter can make the world seem a great place to be.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be working on an EPP project and enjoying the latest episode of Poldark and his lovely dark curly hair. Swoon ~ I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

PEOPLE WATCHING ON A PERFECT SUNNY DAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’re all enjoying some gorgeous summer weather. It’s been lovely in my little corner of the northeast of England. It’s a super time to get things done in and outdoors.

I have been progressing on different projects as well as trying to keep up with chores and other important issues. Everyday life throws up challenges which need to be dealt with.

First, I would like to reply to a comment from Bryan regarding my Quilts on the Grow which up until just this morning, was in my UFO pile. The main progress for the moment, is that I was actually able to find it quickly!!! Hooray 😊 I have quite a lot of these quilt as you go quilt blocks done right up to the hand quilting part.

I’m tempted to switch from my Patchwork of the Crosses project to my Quilts on the Grow project for a few weeks in order to make a little head way on it. All of my hand sewing projects make great evening armchair projects, especially once the prep work is done. So, watch this space Bryan, hopefully you will see my Quilts on the Grow grow and grow.

I have a little longarm quilting progress to show you today. My Burnopfield Belles colleague Lynn was struggling to quilt this quilt using her domestic sewing machine. So I took the quilt top, wadding and backing fabric away and loaded it into my longarm and did this to it …..

This is an example of what working together produces. Lynn pieced the quilt beautifully, I took it away and machine quilted and I will be returning the quilt to Lynn for binding. We both come away from this collaboration feeling like we’ve done something worthwhile. This quilt, once it’s finished, will be handed over to Quilts for Comfort. Being part of the Quilts for Comfort crew that works on these quilts gives me a sense of accomplishment. I know that every single stitch will produce something good. Belonging to the Burnopfield Belles is brilliant as well. We meet once a month to learn something. Everyone has something to offer. We have several ladies who lead sessions in teaching us new techniques and revisiting old ones. Not only do we learn from each other but we support each other as well. It’s amazing how a bunch of ladies with life experience can put the world to rights. I’m thankful for being part of something that brings comfort.

My Sarah and I stepped out today. I rarely go into Newcastle but today I had some specific business that needed taking care of. Once my appointment was over, we headed off to have a sandwich before heading home. We sat quietly people watching while eating. Lunchtime on Northumberland Street is rather busy so there were quite a lot of interesting people to look at. One thing that I looked for is men wearing nice shoes. As I understand it, you can tell quite a lot about a man by the shoes he wears. To my surprise there are a lot less men who wear socks and sandals these days; I’m not a fashion expert but I think socks and sandals do not look good at all. It was the perfect day weather wise for people watching. I’ll be heading back to Newcastle again soon to finish today’s business, and I’m going to make a point of taking the time to do some people watching again.

All in all, it’s been quite an enjoyable day in what is usually my quiet little world. I’m always up for an adventure. My next trip out to Newcastle will be nearer my birthday so perhaps we can have a better lunch than a quick sandwich but I hope to do some more people watching.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be choosing between the Patchwork of the Crosses and a Quilts on the Grow project. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

SOMETHING NEW ON SUNDAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all had a very enjoyable weekend. It’s been lovely in my little corner of the northeast of England. Except for the latest terror attack in London I could say that it’s been a perfect weekend. I managed to reach the perfect balance between work and leisure. I have been pretty busy with spring garden stuff of late. Just a couple more sessions outside and it will be exactly the way I want it.

The weather has been perfect for barbequing recently. So, I have decided to indulge myself this evening. It never ceases to amaze me just how much I can do by myself. Nowadays I manage to put a meal together using the barbeque contraption with great success. Somehow, I manage to cook the meat without burning it to cinders. Who says barbequing is a man’s job!

As you all know, I have been concentrating on making progress on my UFOs this year. Well I must confess that I needed a little change this weekend. So I dragged out these few fabrics from my stash …..

Guess what I’m working on?????? Christmas!!!!! After drawing my blocks, I made a start. Here’s a little peak at the first two.

I rarely use white as a background fabric. I find that the contrast is too stark but this time I decided to go with white. You probably can’t see the print on my background but it looks rather festive making it perfect for a Christmas project. I have prepped six blocks now. I will be securing the patches to the background fabric over the next few days. I hope to bring you a progress report next weekend.

So, all in all it’s been a rather productive weekend. I made a couple of trips to the tip. I baked some scones this morning and they were lovely. I prepped Christmas blocks. And I must say that I’m rather excited about this new project. Something Christmas themed will make a nice change from the regular stuff I have been working on.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will hand appliqueing patches in place. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy doing. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥♥

ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all been enjoying the spring weather. We had a lovely week with plenty of sunshine. It’s been great to spend some time in the garden. I must say that my garden is starting to shape up nicely.

Today is quite a special day for me. It’s the 24^th anniversary of the day that I landed in the UK. From this day forward, I will call it Lucie Landing Day. I posted my little story last year here. The last 24 years have been full of ups and downs. I have experienced quite a lot of loneliness but I’ve also had quite a lot of satisfaction in my role of mother to my one wonderful daughter, Sarah. I have experienced a sense of worth because my lovely friends have treated me with respect and kindness. And thru all the ups and downs my family back in Canada supported me especially during the hard times. I found a quote that struck me last week …

I think I promised that I would post a photo of my funky purple planter when it was planted up and in its’ resting place …..

When I first moved it and the sun was shining brightly, I thought perhaps the colour was over the top. However, now that it’s planted up and the plants are growing, I really like it. It’s cheerful. And I’m really pleased to have been able to breathe new life into something old.

My main hand sewing project over the past month or so has been my Patchwork of the Crosses. I have so far joined 9 blocks together giving me a real sense of what it will look like when it’s finished. I’m so pleased with the look which definitely makes it worth working on. All in all, it’s not difficult work. And I feel the repetitiveness is soothing and brings comfort. Familiar things always bring security.

So, my friends, please tell me what you have been working on. I haven’t been out and about much lately. I crave seeing other projects in progress which may bring me inspiration. I thrive on inspiration.

The last few weeks have been full of something and nothing. I’ve been working hard rebuilding my life. Slowly but surely things are falling into place. The house is feeling great and the garden even better. The university deadlines have been met. What a relief!!! Now it’s time to get out and about and enjoy the upcoming summer.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be working on the Patchwork of the Crosses project. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something wonderful. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU TRY HARD ENOUGH

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’re all enjoying a super sunny Sunday. I happen to know that it’s Mother’s Day in North America today. Here in the UK, Mother’s Day is in March. In my search to celebrate all things good I have decided to celebrate Mother’s Day again! Once my few meagre daily chores were done I treated myself a quiet afternoon of catching up on recorded shows while doing some hand sewing.

The past week has been pretty busy. I spent a few hours in the garden cutting trees down and preparing to take the offcuts to the tip. What a difference a couple of hours makes. I find that every minute I spend making things better makes me feel better. Rebuilding after a breakup takes a lot of effort but it’s very rewarding.

Although autumn is my favourite time of year, spring is a wonderful time of renewal. My shrubs and climbing plants are reaching for the sky …..

This clematis is growing really well again this year. I love climbers.

My Sarah and I have been breathing new life into old planters. This planter used to be a triple decker …..

I came up with the bright idea to chop off one tier. Well somehow with the help of an electric circular saw I managed to chop off the top tier. Now that Sarah has painted it this interesting shade of purple using proper garden furniture paint it looks fresh and ready for another year of showcasing annual plants. Said planter will be moved into its final resting position tomorrow once the paint is good and dry, and planted up with a variety of annual plants. So much can be done using what we already have. Repurposing furniture indoors has been rather interesting too.  I’ve always wanted to paint my existing pine stuff making it look a little shabby chic. I never realised I had the patience to revive old bits of boring stuff making it more interesting and full of character. You can do anything if you try hard enough.

Life is one absolutely wonderful adventure. Every day brings new challenges. Some of my challenges seem insurmountable at times but somehow, I always seem to work things out. Today, my challenge was trying to add someone to my Skype contacts in order to chat. Well given the fact that neither one of us is very tech savvy it did take a little time and effort to synchronise our efforts but we got there in the end. We didn’t give up. This just proves that if you work hard you can do anything.

Today I have no sewing progress. I have plenty of ideas that I am dying to get started but I’m doing my best to make progress on my ongoing projects. It’s taking all my willpower though.

To all my North American readers and any others who are celebrating Mother’s Day today, I wish you a very good one. I celebrate every good thing that happens in my life nowadays. Every little bit of progress I make is well worth celebrating.

Now I have a little bit of gossip to tell you today. I hope you’re sitting down ….. It seems that season 3 of Poldark will be airing here in the UK next month!!! I couldn’t believe my ears when Sarah told me. I guess I had better get the wine in ready for my evening treat of Mr. Poldark with a glass of wine.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be doing some EPP work. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something you truly love. Remember, you can do anything if you try hard enough. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

TIME TO SHARE

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all enjoyed a super sunny day. My day started off foggy but the sun burnt the fog off and by morning coffee time we were enjoying beautiful sunshine for the fourth day running.

Helen posted a comment yesterday asking how I make my labels. So, I decided to share with you how I make my simple labels. Of course, we all know that we can purchase pre-printed quilt labels but I simply use scraps of fabric which I write on. I tend to stick to light colour fabric with a quiet print. And as I do not consider my writing to be very neat and also because I’m afraid to spell something wrong, I compose the words for my label, centre them on a page and print them out using laptop and printer …..

Then using a light box or sunny window I trace the words onto fabric. Using light fabric helps in the whole process. I use a Micron pen which I heat set once the tracing is done.

Once the heat setting is done I press a little hem all the way around the label …..

I pin the label to the back of the quilt …..

And using matching thread I attach the label using a small running stitch making sure that I do not sew thru all the layers thru to the front making sure that the label is secure.

There are many ways to make quilt labels. I keep my labels simple. If you own and operate an embroidery machine you can use it to make your labels. In fact, you can make your labels as simple as mine or as ornate as you wish but do, please do label your quilts.

I’ve read about the dreadful weather in Québec which of course is in Canada. To my Canadian readers who are experiencing life in the flood waters, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. I hope things have started improving.

The lovely sunshine is making my heart sing. The top of my latest To-Do List is: learn to dance like no one is watching; learn to sing like no one is listening. I think it’s time to start living with all my heart. The past year has been a very quiet one in my little world. Now that spring is here I’m going to start partying. After all, we only get one life, so let’s spend it living well.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be doing some more EPP. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something you truly love. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

 

SUNNY TUESDAY CATCH UP

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all enjoyed a happy sunny day. My day started out dark and dismal but by lunchtime the sun was shining brightly making life so much more interesting. I’m not a sun baby but I find when the sun is shining it spurs me on to get things done.

I have a short report for you today. It’s only a wee bit of progress I made on my Bargello style quilt. Somehow, I managed to longarm quilt and bind said quilt. I’m really pleased with the finished result. So here are some photos …..

And here’s the back …..

The quilting design is called Beautiful Butterfly by Hermione Agee of Lorien Quilting. And I used a soft fine beige thread which sits beautifully on the front as well as the back. All this quilt needs now is a label. In labelling a quilt, you give it provenance. In a few decades when I’m no longer around to tell the story of this particular quilt the label will list the name of the maker, the place where the quilt was pieced and the month and year it was completed. So, don’t forget to label your quilts because every time you piece a quilt you’re making history.

It’s been a lovely day in my little corner or the northeast of England. Sarah’s academic year is coming to an end. We have discussed loads of plans and projects for the summer. I’m hoping for a good weather so we can spend lots of time outside; especially now that the garden is starting to take off.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be doing some EPP. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something seasonal. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥

 

BUSY PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY

Hello my lovelies. I hope you’ve all been enjoying a fab weekend. It’s been a typical spring weekend here in my little world. The sun has been sparse but that didn’t deter me from getting on with things that needed doing.

You might remember that I cut and pieced some strips to be turned into a Bargello type quilt top recently.

Well yesterday after running a couple of errands I disappeared into my sewing room and got the job started. After cutting loads of strip sets I flashed up my sewing machine and sewed to my hearts’ content. I sewed and pressed and sew and pressed until I was 3/4 of the way thru the job. I resumed the work this morning and this is what I ended up with …..

This ended up a larger quilt top than I thought it would. A nice generous single bed size quilt. And the best part is that I purchased nothing for it. Every scrap of fabric comes from my stash! I didn’t think that would be possible. I’ve even found something to use for the backing. I’m really pleased with the progress of this quilt and the result so far. I hope to get it longarm quilted sometime this week in between appointments and chores.

It’s been a rather productive weekend in my little world. My Sarah is busy finishing up her end of year assignments. Despite all the upheaval running in the background of our lives, Sarah has managed to hit all her targets and deadlines. I am so very proud of her. She’s so talented and uses everything she has at her disposal to produce original pieces. Thru all the rubbish going on I did my best to set the very best example I could. I’ve taught Sarah to be strong, to stand up for herself and to never let anyone but herself be in charge of her happiness. We’ve put quite a lot of effort into rebuilding our new lives and somehow, we’re getting there. It’s a quiet satisfying life with no chaos now.

While I was working in my sewing room yesterday and today I had a little company. My Maisie, when she’s not snoring, oversees my work and inspects for quality control …..

Maisie was a little off colour last week. Enough so that I was getting a little worried when she went off her food. Maisie never goes off her food! Rest assured she’s taking interest in food and eating well again after her three fast. She’s due for a haircut this week.

I received a few lovely comments about my last post. It seems that somehow, I managed to inspire one or two quilt makers/crafters to progress on their ongoing projects. You may not realise it but it’s positive comments like these that spur me on to make progress on my own projects. So, while you’re thinking that I’m helping you move forward, you’re helping me too. So, keep the positive comments coming and I may just be able to finish a few more of my UFOs by summer’s end. Thank you for inspiring me.

So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be progressing on my Patchwork of the Crosses. I hope you have a super cosy evening doing something your truly enjoy. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching ♥ ♥