Friday 9 March 2012

Rocking Your World Friday

Friday again - anyone else finding this year is slipping away real quick? Time to reflect on all the good and happy moments from the last week to remind ourselves that no matter what there is always something right somewhere :) Started by Virginia over at Celtic House and championed by a faithful team of Rockettes / Rockers.


Let's see people wise first up are my Mum and Dad. Who lovingly put up with myself and toddler for 2 nights to give me a break while dh was swanning around Boston and yes 3 days might have been work, but 2 were jollies (and your still not forgiven for going there when there is the rest of the planet to choose from). Said toddler always loves the excuse of a train ride that visiting my parentals invokes and was happy running trolleys around the fabric warehouse my mum and I visited and charming all the people there.  I am grateful for his personality, ability to entertain himself without causing havoc when needed, his unconditional love and the joy he gives me every day.  

For the friends who come round to visit when dh is awol and give me some grown up time especially Dott who I haven't spent one to one time with in a long while. As a person I survive the day to day by talking through things but that does need a person on the other end.

For the mouthy stitches swap which just worked so darn well.  All credit to the mama's that headed it up. The idea was that we were assigned a partner, stalked them then put together a plan. We then posted up hints and ideas about our plan on our flickr group and then waited for people to comment and hoped that the intended recipient made a comment so you could make sure you were on the right track. I am sure it worked to varying degrees depending on how well partners commented but I did just splendidly both ways. On Monday I arrived back from my hour and a half adventure to deposit child at nursery (my fault never learnt to drive and no desire to  - Toddler enjoys bus rides and of course has to do lots of exploring on the way - dh arrived back 8:25 very jet lagged and deposited himself in bed for a few hours and then on the couch). So anyway I arrived back home and there was a most definitely zippy pouched shaped parcel all the way from Australia :D  and only 8 days in the travelling (amazing). Now when I was looking and commenting (yes I'll show you in a minute stick with me) there was a lot of work that I admired, people from the quilting world. But there was one pouch which I fell in love with and it was the one that arrived on my doorstep :) my partner was Dolores who blogs at labouroflove, I nicked this photo montage from her site because it was so much better than anything I took.........


Turns out that W was for Wendy (and womble and woolly mammoths (furry elephants (and cows for that matter) are brilliant)). Not only is that pouch and all my scraps fantastic but it comes on the back of the fact that Dolores's favourite colour (and 80% of her stash) is the colour I hate most in the world (pink). Which links me nicely into the recipient of the pouch I made whose favourite colour was also pink and therefore provided me with a challenge. Cindy's response was everything a girl could hope for from a swap partner and blogged here. I am very grateful to Cindy for introducing me to Kate Spain's Terrain range of fabrics many of which I adore although they are quite difficult to get hold of here in the UK.

I am grateful to the couple of new bloggy followers/friends I have made through the swap and hope there will be more. I love the chance to chat to people.

I am grateful to Boots decongestant tablets and nurofen express that allowed me to get through a ten and a half hour tutoring session yesterday. The joys of being self employed, no work no pay. Once this is published I plan to do as little as possible today (having woken up at 3 this morning, gave up and got up at 5, all the chores are out the way so it is just the feeding that is essential left to do and hope toddler can mostly entertain himself.

Hope you have all had a splendid week to :)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

WOYWW

Right at this minute (due to be removed for 11:30 so my tutoring can start) Chusby station (elf is looking a bit bedraggled at the moment as we are fighting a crusty scalp so he has been oiled!)


The reason we have made Chusby station is so that the train below on its tracks can pick up the passengers (which will be our family next time we get the paints out)


Also recently I finished the mini quilt that I have entered without much hope into the modern mini challenge (button over there somewhere). I say finished but I plan yet to do some more silver cloud quilting in the sky and quilt the curves that form the grass. A girl needs something to do of her evenings see..........

Oh and last but no means least the happy 17th birthday card mum that I was commissioned to make and was very well received (does it help if I tell you that the mum in question was born on the 29th Feb?

I am sure by now you are all familiar with Julia at the Stamping Ground (see WOYWW linky on the right if not) and fly visit desks, lots of desks and find everything from paper to fabric and in between.



Sunday 4 March 2012

Modern Mini Challenge

Right, it has been a year of firsts so far for me. I apologise for my quietness in some areas of my blogging life I will be back soon. The reason for my quietness is that at the beginning of the year I decided to join 2 challenges the first was the mouthy stitches zippy pouch swap and my pouch is winging its way across the oceans and I wait somewhat patiently to see what that person thinks and for my pouch in return. Hot on the trail of the Mouthy Stitches I found out about the Modern Mini Challenge over at Jennifer's blog.  I so enjoyed making my pouch that I checked I could make a 'circle' and I could, so I set about my plan, It is finally done and is definitely a tad quirky but I am happy.  


The quilt is 18" in diameter. My photography skills are needing some improvement so here are a couple of close ups to show the hedgehog with his rainbow crosses between his spines and body :)


And a close up of the birdies (plus the cloud complete with a silver lining ;) 




Thanks to Jennifer for giving me my next sewing challenge and Mouthy Stitches for providing the original boost! I am off to see the other entries (some which I already know are amazing) and to dream up more creations for my rainbow hedgehog :)