A long time no post!

Well it’s been a long time since my last post but my hands have not been idle. I lost my mojo for my coat sometime at the end of last year whilst doing other bits and pieces, but know it’s back, thank goodness. I've really missed working on the coat.

So what have I been up to? 

I started working on a quilt for our caravan. I've had a Moda jelly roll kicking around for ages, but couldn't decide quite what to do with it. I loved the colours when it was rolled up, but once unrolled thought it was a little to pinky for me. (I’m not a pink person!) So I had a look through my jelly roll books for a design, I just wanted something easy, not brain taxing to try and find my mojo again. The tops all done and is now layered up ready for quilting, and its growing on me. It’s now packed away as I thought if I start quilting it I’ll never get on with my coat.  

The next distraction was an art day down our community centre which I said I'd volunteer for. We held a couple of sessions during the summer holidays for the kids and then did some adult only days. As the adults needed very little help, I was able to do a small portrait of our little girl Ella, a Newfoundland cross German Shepherd. She was only a pup when the photograph was taken; well she’s still only a pup now at 22 months. It was great fun and I really enjoyed it.

  

Then came Christmas!

Well what sort of patchworker would I be if I didn't make some of my Christmas presents? 

For Alfie bear a little suitcase made from an Altoid mint tin. Just the right size for a 9” teddy bear!!

For my dad, sister and Nigel, some mug rugs for their coffee breaks. For my husband and I a pair of "Paws to Eat" placemats for the caravan, and also some earphone holders made out of the scraps from my much overflowing scrap bag.

Then it was time to think about what I was going to do for the TR&H Spring Show. It’s only a little local show which the local horticultural association hold three times a year. In the spring show they have a handicraft section as well. The categories for the patchwork section were: a Christmas stocking, a pincushion and a cot quilt. There was also a knitted item, a crocheted item, something hand or machine made, an item of woodwork and lastly any other handicraft.

So what could I enter? Well as Christmas was now all done and dusted, I wanted to do a stocking that wasn't in traditional Christmas fabric, so FMQ it was. The pincushion, well that had to be a fun item not something traditional, so the Pavlova slice was born. And a cot quilt, well I did one for the show last year and didn't really want another. So I wanted something that I could use as a lap quilt, and as my “Scruffy Paws” collection was born last year it had to be something dog related. “Paws to Sleep” came to mind. 

A crocheted necklace loosely based around 'steampunk' I thought would be a little different, and a newsboy hat made from the scraps of my coat i entered in as a machined item.

I must explain about “Scruffy Paws”. After doing the placemats for the caravan and having a really cute pup it just sort of came about. Everything I make dog related now goes into the “Scruffy Paws” collection; a bit sad I know but fun too.

Something a little different! A FMQ’d card. Although I’ve done fmq on quilts I’d never done a card. I wasn’t sure quite how it was going to turn out? I don’t think it turned out too bad, well they loved it and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

Meet Alfie Bear..... He's my sister's little bear only about 9" tall. He’s here in his graduation outfit, but has a whole wardrobe at home to choose from. (Good use of my college skills!!) About 4 years ago I made him a snuggle sack which is now looking very worse for wear. So for his birthday next month he'll be getting a new one. He also wanted a birthday cake that was bear friendly, he doesn’t like bath time, and candles would singe his fur. So here it is, his own little cake. Yes I know we're all mad!!