Swooning!

I've been Swooning over the weekend.

Can you believe that it was a lovely sunny morning when I took these photos?

And because of the wonderful sunshine that we had for the weekend this is all that I did...which isn't bad, I know.

Another two blocks are cut and ready to sew.  Don't know when though.

Erin

So Much Soul Blossom

I'm a real sucker for Amy Butler Fabric.

She was my first designer that I really knew and was all that I bought when I started out two years ago.

When this line of her fabric came out I was quite excited.   

 I loved the bright colours but when I received the parcel in the mail, I was a bit taken back,  It was a lot brighter than I thought so it was tucked away in the back of the cupboard for a few months. 

I had seen Amy's quilt on her web site and although loved the craziness of it, it meant that I would have to buy a second FQ bundle (that's 33 FQ's) so after some deliberation, should I, shouldn't I...well you know... I did just that.

Has the quilt got made....no. And would be the main reason why I stopped myself going out and buying her latest fabric line because I couldn't justify it when I hadn't used this up first.

I think though after pulling the fabric out a few weeks ago  to try and make some i pod covers, and discovered that I have got that excitement back again about this fabric line.

When Ginger Monkey started her Swoon - a - Long early this year, I though about using it and would it work or would it be too bright or large a print for the design of the quilt, hence I have been left behind on that project but

I was flicking through my quilting books and found in Elizabeth Hartman's book a quilt called Kitchen Window.  Maybe this could use a bit of Soul Blossom to make this.

I am now just waiting for a parcel...(only one) to start cutting my strips of Kona Slate...

and we'll be ready to sew.

I did look at the Stained Glass Window QAL with Sarah at narcoleptic in a cupboard maybe after this.  I'm sure that I will have ample amounts left.

As for the Swoon....I think it will be a goer, just need to start it...

Oh the thought of cutting all those blocks.

(Have I just decided to do three quilts?)

 Erin

You're it!

Dear Lucy, Toni, Emily, Irina

I'm really bad at getting organised and writing a blog when an award gets sent to me.  It sometimes takes me a few weeks and then I realise that the blogger that I am about to pass on the award to have received it from some one else.  Man what do I do then...

I have been tagged and awarded a few times now so I better get my skates on and do something about it.

Seen this lately?

I was actually chuffed that there maybe someone out there that thought my blog deserves this.

Emily from Strawberry Patch had me on her list of favourite blogs she likes to read. I was really touched what she wrote about me. Thanks Emily!
But then today I was awarded it by Irina at el petit taller...ah shucks!

There is so many beautiful blogs out there that are kept up to date with lovely handmade projects.

Sometime it takes me a few weeks for me to get through them all so I don't get to write on them every time they blog about a project that they are working on.

A few of my blogger friends (Sana and Nicky) have got this award already in the past few weeks so I'm going to spread it around to some others that I like just as much.

The rules are: I am to pass on this award to 5 other bloggers that I love to read and are inspirational to me. They are all to have under 200 followers.

So my chosen ones are:

Carla @ Grace and Favour
Erin @ Missy Mac Creations.
Laurie @ Dodging the Butterfly.
Helen @ Archie the wonder dog

Catherine @ Sew Wonderful Life.

Now I was tagged by Lucy and Toni today so girls here are my answers to your questions. 

I am really sorry there is a lot of text and no photos.

Lucy here are your questions answered!

1. What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
I went out and bought a pair of Manolo Blanhik's with my hubby's credit card....Well he did give it to me for the day to go shopping!

2. What is your favourite time of day?
Cuppa time.

3. Which colour of fabric do you use the most? 
I don't know if I have any particular colour, I do love Sage and Sea foam in the Kona Solids though.

4. Did you have a toy/blanket that you took to bed when you were little? 
Just 3... A teddy bear, a puppy and my knitted penguin

5. What song always gets stuck in your head?
Heads and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes.  Heads and shoulders, knees and toes.....let's all clap hands together.....Is it in your heads yet!!!!  Heads and shoulders........

6. What's the best concert you've ever been to? 
Rolling Stones at Slane, or would it be with 300,000 others dancing to Robbie Williams at Phoenix Park.  Wait a minute, I saw Tony Bennett at Vicar St.  What a Legend. 

7. What did you want to be when you grew up? 
Mmm a teacher...Is that what I am though?  Ha I still catch myself saying when I grow up I want to do......

8. Camping or a hotel? 
I love the great outdoors, but I do love the smell of starched fresh white sheets and big beds in hotels.

9. Do you have a nickname?
 'Esmay'...oh and 'Francis the Mule'....(all given to me from my lovely brothers and sisters)

10. Can you play any instruments?
The Triangle! DING!

11. Would you rather call/text/email or write a letter? 
Oh  write a letter or is it receiving a letter in the mail.

Now Toni's Questions.

What is your least favorite color?

Oh no I like all colours... in moderation that is.

2. What is your dream vacation, and would you take anyone with you?

I would love to see the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island and the Christmas Island...One day.  Hubby will be dragged along, I know that secretly he will love it.

3. What was your first car?

I still have it, Opel Corsa.  She is called Red Robin.

4. How did you meet your current partner/ love interest?

In a pub, I told him to rack off a few years before and look us now..

5. What is the worst injury you've ever had?

Never had one, have dodgy knees though.  I get frustrated when I try and run.

6. What is your favorite snack?

I love anything savory and then I love chocolate....Belgium chocolate.

7. Besides quilting, do you have any other hobbies?

I love landscape photography and film, pin hole photography.

8. What is your least favorite household chore?

Mate it's all of it! 

9. How close do you live to the place you grew up?

I'm far far away...the Wimmera, Victoria, Australia is where I grew up!

10. If you had to pick a favorite quilt, which one would it be?

This is hard.  I love to see what every one's interpretation designs are.

11. Do you have any pet peeves that you don't mind sharing?

I cannot understand how women can doll them selves up and look fabulous and then forget to take the sticky tags off the bottoms of their shoes/heals.....ah HELLO!!!!!  it's a tag and we can all see it.  Hubby laughs at me because he know this is the first thing that I look at when someone is walking past me in the pub.

 

 

 Seeing that we are all getting tagged left right and centre and some of us getting awards too.... I'm going to break with tradition and rules and now say that you can blog about these questions  or answer them below...(ah then I will know who read my blog)...

 

 

1.Do you really tell your partner or your credit card how much you spend on fabric each month?

2.On average how many hours do you spend a week looking at blogs, flickr, pintrest?....be honest now!

3. What is your favourite show on telly at the moment?

4. If you could run away for the weekend would the sewing machine come with you?

5.  How many candles do you have in the house?  Come on...all of them!

OK That's it...  Anyone want to respond?

A new quilt for Me, Me, Me!

A long, long time ago.....

I got a bundle of lovely fabric in the mail.

Echo by Lotta Jansdotter..

You may remember that I couldn't wait to get stuck into this fabric and cut it up straight away into HST's  I threw in a few Kona solids with it and this is what came about.

It got to this stage just before Christmas and then with the crazy season and a holiday, it just got put away and although I was eager to finish it, I was a little hesitant on how to finish the quilt off.

So some umming and ahhing, this is what came about.

Straight stitching used about 1/2 an inch apart. 

I think there were 13 rows for each block and 8 blocks across....you do the maths?

There were many, many rows and many, many bobbins and many, many hours and even some un- stitching from time to time.

 

The back shows off the quilting much more and sometimes I just can't decide which side I like the best.

(I couldn't see these HST's going to waste so I had to find a place for them in the quilt.)

Even looks great folded up!

As you can see I'm very happy with my quilt and have had some chill out time cuddling up under it.

Fabric Line: Echo  By Lotta Jansdotter.

A bit of Kona White, Sage, Coffee and Ash to splash it up!
I did want to put some Kona Yarrow in but couldn't find anyone that stocked it.

 

Great line of fabric and wish I did buy some more now...ah well, I still have some scraps to make another quilt from.
But until then, this will be staying with me.

Rhonda .  I'm finished all my Finish a Long!

Going Green



Happy St Patrick's Day!

Croagh Patrick, Clew Bay.  Co. Mayo

If you ever get the chance make sure you climb this mountain...The view from the top is magnificent.

Croagh Patrick,   Co. Mayo

How anyone does the walk to the top each year in bare feet....(yes I did say bare feet) is beyond me!

It was a 5 hour trip up and back down but the knowledge that there was a pub that could make me a hot whiskey at the bottom was what kept me going...

Sorry photos of my time up on top was when there was only film,

(This photo was a road trip last year.)

Now to the other gals out there in Ireland, enjoy your weekend and the extra day off on Monday....mmm some sewing is planned already. Happy days!

Erin

Why has it taken me so long to get an iPod Touch.

My hubby was going to buy me another handbag for my birthday. 

I didn't really need another one quite yet so I suggested a iPod Touch instead. 

(Thanks Kira for the idea)

T is very happy about this as it is so much easier to give me what I would like rather than surprising me. (the first time I asked for a handbag, I got a set of golf clubs....which I do love T...honestly!)

So with my new iPod Touch in my hand, I realised that it wouldn't be around for long unless I got a cover/cozy for it.

Sarah's phone cozy  tutorial came in handy alright. 

Cut out all the fabric on Friday night and whipped them up yesterday. 

 (Sarah I haven't been stalking your blog at all, just needed to go back and check I was doing everything right)

Amy Butler Soul Blossom fabric (which I have a mountain of) and Kona medium grey.  Oh and these were the only buttons I could find in my country town on Saturday morning.

Yes there are two, and am offering Kira one if she wants it.

Very happy with the result.

Got to get back and finish my last Finish - a -Long.

Erin 

Giveaway Winner

One of you is the winner of this lovely bundle of fabric

Thanks again to all of you that dropped by and entered. 

I wanted this giveaway to be for all my followers and let you know that I really appreciate you following me and taking the time to read my blog.

I love dropping by to you all as much as I can and see the great projects that you are all creating.

So  with out further to do....

 I plugged in the numbers of Random Number Generator, this is the answer I got.

Ah...13. 

 A lucky number for me but also lucky for.....

Congrats Toni...Can't wait to see what you will make out of these!

Thanks again all, and until next time.

Erin