Friday Night with Friends and a catch up.

First of all thank you Cheryll for hosting us again this month, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone has been working on.

It was one of those odd, pleasant days. It started out with an early trip to the market for our sausage and bacon supply for the next couple of weeks from Franklins Farm Quite chilly at 8am and I had to find a jumper. 

Then we went off to the hairdressers, our first trip in 4 months as fotunately we had squeezed in a visit just before lockdown. Perfect timing really as our hairdresser has been open since mid May and busy catching up with all those people who would have visited in March and April. 

Then a socially distanced visit with a friend on the way home who was busy spraying everything in sight with Zoflora!

After a late lunch it was time for some 'me time' and as the fabric samples I had ordered at the beginning of June had finally arrived I spent a happy time deciding which to order and browsing the web site for anything else I might 'need' lol.

I took photographs of these butterfly blocks which are this months task for the Red Manor House BOM

Such a pretty design which I think will make a great table topper at some point. They will be the corners of the border which includes these Flower pots which I completed earlier in the week

and the petals from May.

They need sashing in between each block, hence the fabric samples as I dont have enough of any one fabric that is suitable.

By the time I had printed out pictures of my June finishes and added them to my journal

it was time to water pots and the afternoon was over.

In the evening I worked on my RSC Dresden. Dark blues this month and I was struggling to find different fabrics to the ones I used last year until I remembered the lovely dark blues I have in my Christmas stash.

This has given me an idea and there may well be a red and green Christmas Dresden before the end of the year!

During lockdown I was busy working on some secret stitching which has now been gifted so I can reveal all!

My neice in Australia was expecting towards the end of June and so I had plenty of time to work on a quilt for her new baby. I used this pattern from Annies Craft Store

swapping the pieced elephants for appliqued ones. This was a lovely project to work on - I had all the fabrics in my stash apart from the grey elephant fabric which I ordered and it came from UK very promptly despite lockdown. (Far quicker than the fabric samples!!)

So the quilt was all ready to post off as soon as I had a name to add into the label. As soon as Dylan arrived I was able to post it off and it arrived in Australia 12 days later - never known the post to be so quick!

And here he is with his quilt!

Big brother Cooper insisted on getting out his quilt too

So thats me all caught up - I am getting out my diamonds for the table cloth today to make into basket blocks and theres an autumn mini that needs working on too. Have a good week.

Another UFO off the list!

Several years ago a friend came back from Le Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork with this beautiful bag.

All made with beautiful silks and velvets. My friend very generously allowed me to borrow it (thanks Mad) to make a pattern and you may remember seeing my almost finished bag here when I was unhappy with colour of the handles. They have now been re-dyed and the bag is complete.

I have made it using my own dyed cotton velvets plus some silk furnishing fabric samples which I have had for years and knew would come in handy one day!
The interior is lined with hand dyed silk and has one large pocket.

I have used a sparkly brooch to decorate.

Unfortunately my friend does not remember who she bought the bag from and there is no label inside so I am unable to credit the designer of the bag. If anyone recognises the bag then please do let me know so that I can rectify this.

Another UFO surfaced this afternoon and I got this Mystery Quilt from The Quilters Guild layered up.

It's from a few years back now and we worked on it a row at a time. Hoping to get the machine out over the weekend and make a start on the quilting. Meanwhile my Four Seasons Crazy just needs its binding hemming down and a hanging sleeve - handwork for the evenings while the football is on! - so hopefully that will soon be finished.

I have been playing with a couple of small projects. First of all I saw this gorgeous little dish in a charity shop in UK and at 50p it had to come away with me.

I found some gorgeous Tilda fabric that I had been saving and made myself a new pincushion.

I have see quite a few boxed zippy pouches around and had a go at making one using this tutorial.

Not a bad effort although the corners could have been more symetrical! I shall definitely be making more of these though.

Well I think you must have had enough of my pictures now! Hope you all have a great weekend.