Elephants on Parade

I've managed to finish the Elephants on Parade quilt although these photo's just do not do the quilt any justice. I promise to take better pictures, outdoors - once we actually get some sun here in the UK!

I decided to quilt it fairly simply with some stitch-in-the-ditch and 1/4" seam quilting. Not very adventurous I know but I wanted the design to speak for itself.

I had the urge to try something I have never done before and that was to make some simple pieced baskets.

Sorry about the photo again!!!!

Note to self - improve photography skills or no-one will want to look at your blog!!!

I have plans for these little baskets and will hopefully get them completed over the weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

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I LOVE it when a plan comes together ...

I have had this idea for an elephant quilt for quite a while, but wasn't quite sure how I could put it together. I had great fun playing with 'Sweet' fabric over a few snowy days and thought that perhaps they could show off these elephants.

I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to watch wild elephants in Africa and it really does make your heart skip a beat to watch the way they care for each other, defend their young and go about their daily business. They really are magnificent creatures.

I'm so, so pleased with the way this quilt top came together and can't wait to have the whole quilt put together - now to decide how to quilt it - any ideas???

Take care

Caroline xxxx

Playing ...

I apologise for my bad-blogger skills and promise to improve. I have been doing a lot of stitching recently and berate myself for not having posted many pictures. I am working on a few new projects at the moment and this is a couple of them in action.

I've been playing with Sweet by Urban Chicks for Moda and have made pinwheels blocks, nine patch and a couple of other blocks.

I'm also playing with wonky stars after being inspired by AmandaJean from Crazy Quilt Mom. These blocks are so easy and quick to whip up and given that the finished size is 12.5", a quilt top comes together relatively quickly. I'm thinking that this one may become a quilt to put in my husbands study. Red, white and blue with elements of beige are definately my favourite colour combo to work with.

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What a wonderful Christmas ...

Warning; Image heavy post!!!!

Happy New Year everyone and I apologise for my lack of posting lately. I was very busy for Christmas with making gifts, finishing off orders and trying to prepare for the festive period.

This Christmas we were lucky enough to be invited over for a family Christmas with Tony's parents, his sister and her husband. While this meant that someone else was doing the cooking (wonderful it was too) it also meant that treats had to be made to share. With our wedding in June still burning a hole in our wallets, we were on a tight budget - meaning even more homemade gifts and treats. I have to say that it prolonged the festive season for me and I had great delight on Christmas day watching the reactions of gifty recipients;

I thought I would start a new tradition of personalised napkins for all the members of our family, when times when we are together.

I've recently got back into scrapbooking (with the help of some new friends) and decided to make my dear husband (recently overworked) a little book of 'some' of the reasons why I love him.

I made my sister-in-law a sewing organiser and journal cover with some fabulous french fabric (appropriate since she and her husband have recently bought a french farmhouse).

These little albums are such a great idea for keeping a few memorable photo's of the festive season. I made one each for my parents-in-law and sister-in-law.

My mother-in-law received a needle case and scissor case in the same fabric I used for a sewing organiser I made her for Mother's Day. She also received a journal with homemade cover.

I made this cushion cover also for my Mother-in-law with the fabric left over from the quilt I made her for all the help she offered for our wedding plans last June. This one's a pattern from the very talented Camille Roskelly of Simplify.

I made this wall hanging for my father-in-law. My parents-in-law have recently bought a caravan and it has been a stand-in joke about our Jack Russell Henri going on holiday with them - as much as they love him they emphatically DO NOT want to take him in their beautiful, clean and neat caravan. I therefore couldn't help but include Henri in this little stitchery which I adapted from a card we bought them last year.

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Planes and trains completed ...

I have finally managed to complete this little number on time and it will be handed over to its temporary new owner to hopefully make a little boy very happy on Christmas day. I especially designed this quilt for a neighbours grandson who loves just about every mode of transport. I hope he likes it as much as I do!

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Planes, trains and automobiles ...

Thought I would show you a photo of a quilt I am currently making for a neighbours grand-son. She wanted a quilt originally with trains and then told me that her grand-son didn't 'just' like trains but all modes of transport. I must admit that I really had no idea how to go about this one but came up with four scenes - all involving different types of vehicles connected by a road (the blue ric-rac around the road detracts from the grey. The train is yet to be appliqued around the edge on the blue border. There is a lot of applique involved!!!

The quilt is coming along nicely and I'm hoping to have finished the top and hopefully put it together ready for quilting by the end of this week. This is the last order for Christmas that I am doing as I am eager to do some stitching just for me, well gifts actually for other people but on a much smaller scale than big quilts!! If you have any ideas as to how I should quilt this baby I will appreciate any advice!!!

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All better again ...

I just wanted to let you know (after my rant the other day) that my Janome is all better again - the people at my sewing machine repair shop put a note of URGENCY on my machine and had it serviced in record-timing. I had a phone call on Saturday to say that it is ready for collection so she is back before I really got to miss her - here's hoping I can fnish a quilt order this week.

My dear husband and I have had a lovely weekend together - very rare these days with his work - lots of cosy movie watching and for me lots of cooking - iced cranberry muffins, mince pies (hubby's favourite), Jamie Oliver's Spicy pork goulash with chillies and two lots of chocolate ganache` (one with Irish cream, the other with rum) ready for me to make truffles tomorrow to give as gifts (apparently they are easy to freeze once made). I also got three stitcheries completed ready to be made into gifts - postings after Christmas - eyes are everywhere!!!!

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