Do you need a new pincushion?

Of course you do, we all do. One can never have too many!!

For the chance to win a lovely pin cushion pattern pop over and visit Karen as she has one to give away.

Keeping the postman busy!

There have been some lovely things arriving in the post again recently. First of all I received this lovely bundle of fabrics from Wendy at Sugarlane Designs. It was my prize for taking part in the September FNSI (post from Australia takes a while!)

They are Heart of the Garden by Kim Schaefer and I think they are gorgeous! They will be used for a special project in the new year. many thanks to Wendy who does such a great job organising FNSI.

I love joining in with Sheila's postcard swaps and this Autumn I have swapped with Maria from Life on the Block. 
Here is the lovely sunny postcard she sent me to warm me up!

It is so beautifully made and the finishing is so neat! Thank you very much Maria, I love it and thank you very much Sheila for organising our swaps.

This is the card that I sent Maria - somehow I forgot to photograph it so with apologies to Maria I have lifted this from her blog!


I went with an Autumn theme for my card.

A little while ago I lost the little wooden stiletto that I use to make holes and push threads through in my embroidery and although it is not a tool I use every day it was a useful little item.
I do have this little one which I think is quite old but unfortunately the point is bent and so it lives on the shelf with my collection of tools.

I have been scouring the brocantes and vide greniers all summer in hope of finding a replacement but with no luck so while at the Knitting and Stitching show I thought I would buy myself a new one. Not so easy though - very difficult to find but eventually I discovered Golden Hinde a small company specialising in supplies for goldwork. They had some lovely samples of pewter stilletos and I was able to order one to be sent to me (no sharp objects on the plane). I also could not resist ordering a pretty stitch ripper too - well if you need to do it you might as well do it with something more attractive than a piece of plastic!
My purchases arrived yesterday and here they are, I am so pleased with them.

As you can see my October crazy block is progressing and I think a couple of evenings work this week will see it finished. I have a few other projects to show you but will keep those for another post.
Hope you are having a good week.

FNSI for October

FNSI turned into Friday afternoon and just over an hour - we had a supper invite for the evening and a sunny afternoon was just to good to miss as there is so much to do in the garden.
I spent my precious sewing time working on my October crazy block - adding some sequins that I bought at Ally Pally and finishing off the woven wheels.

Many thanks to Wendy for hosting - click here to go and see what everyone else was doing.

EPP and Ally Pally!

It's time to Piece Yourself Together again over at Anthea's place. Do pop in and see what everyone is up to.

This block is now finished

and ready to applique onto a background although so far I am unable to find just the right background so will keep searching. Still no decision as to whether it will be a cushion cover or the centre of a medallion quilt - but it will become something.

Last weekend I spent in the UK and visited the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace on Friday. It was a great day out as I met up with a friend - sadly another was unwell and could not come - and we enjoyed looking at all the exhibitions and doing a bit of shopping! Here is my haul for the day

I got just about everything on my list plus a few extra's that tempted me.

Just a few pictures from the exhibitions to show you.

This log cabin - a winner from Festival of Quilts - was stunning! The individual blocks were just under 2" square.

 

I don't know anything about this quilt except that it is beautiful!

  

 

The next pieces are all from the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) exhibition based on the roles that food plays in daily life.

These beautiful scarves are all hand crochet by Sophie Digard using single ply merino - unfortunately my photo's do not do the colours justice. Each scarf is aprox 12" x 36".

And finally I loved this fish stall - Kate's Plaice, the Stitchmongers - where all the fish have been knitted or crochet by Kate Jenkins.

And there was so much more - definitely worth a visit if you are likely to be in London in October.

It's turned really chilly here over the last few days - there could be a frost tonight! - but things should warm up again over the weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend.

FNwF - it's October already!

Many thanks to Cheryll for hosting us again - even though she was away! Do pop over to Cheryll's to see what everyone else got up to.

I spent my evening putting together my BOM.

This was the last of the group choices and I now have ten of these 12" blocks. I am planning to make two more so that I will have four rows of three blocks. If anyone has any suggestions do let me know as I am looking for ideas.

After that I spent the rest of my time basting hexies.

I have my CQJP block for October put together and ready to embellish - I could be starting on it tonight!

Hope you are having a great weekend.