Ummm Brown??

Hey.. Who said brown is not cool???

 

 

My bee block that I made for the Modern Irish Bee. 

Yes I ditched the Low Volume charms...( I have another idea for those...one day) and stuck with one LV fabric...Crosshatch in grey which I was excited that Kate from M is for Make stocked...

 

 

I knew that no one would take brown when I put up the list of colours to choose in out bee....really I would never pick it too but I was quite surprised when I went through my stash, how much I had of this colour.

 

 

So on to the next block...almost finished, and then on to some playing around with my new camera that hasn't come out of the box yet.....I may have to take some photos of the snow today!

 

Happy sewing.

 

Erin

Something is Buzzing in the Bee Hive.

I was trying to finalise my bee block for the month on March for the Modern Irish Bee.   See it is the first time that I have been the Queen Bee and there are many ideas buzzing through my scatty brain over the past month. 

This was my idea but I think there is far too much buseeeeeey - ness going on and my little star is getting lost in the Low Volume background.  

Before I cut into some other background fabric to send my starved colony of bees to work, (I think they are buzzing with impatience for me to get my parcels of honey out to them) Is it going to look too much? or am I better sticking with one coloured background?

 

Queen Erin......buzz, buzz, buzz.

Bee... bee.... busy

Alleluia.  

I have finally got some of my bee blocks finished.

 

Yesterday was much more productive than I thought.

 

I joined the Bee a Brit Stingy Bee this year.   I think it was that Nicky knew that I had soooo much fabric that needed to be used up before it pushes through the cupboard door and escapes, that it was time to use some of them.

 

The first month was January and Lucy from Charm About You requested the Feather block from Anna Maria Horner  

 I did fall in love with it but, when I read through Lucy's instructions she did say not to start it if you were tired....ah that's me all the time these days Lucy!  So I put it off and put it off and procrastinated a bit more and before I knew it, it was the end of February and still no block completed.

Anyone that loves this block....get someone else to make them for you.  It's a perfect block for a bee.  I don't think I could have made loads of these myself.  I would have gone a bit batty.

Lucy had requested a LV background and you may not see it but at the moment this is a favourite of mine, so much so that I have returned twice to Celtic Fabric Store to restock it.  Another one of my favourite fabrics was a Japanese fabric that I bought from Pippa Blue when I was in Galway.  Eva I do not know if you have any left of this fabric but I love it and am now wishing that I bought another FQ of each colour (Blue and green).

 

Emily at Strawberry Patch got us to do the x block...I do love these and was thinking of changing my block idea for the Modern Irish Bee to this one. 

 

I decided to be a bit stingy....(as the bee members are meant to be) and use bits from the leftovers from Lucy's block.

The second block is a bundle from Fabric Worm that I bought last year... Not what I would normally buy but it caught my eye and I fell for it.

Once again both have a LV background (so the rage isn't it)

Now off to organise my blocks for March....

 

Happy Sewing

Erin

Finally!

I am happy to show you that I am finally back in front of the sewing machine.  

 

As I have a few bee blocks to get finished and to plan my block for March, I really need to get my skates on.

My blocks for Fiona at Patchwork Delights is for the Modern Irish Bee.   You can find the tutorial at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

I loved making these little triangles out of my scraps.   I'm glad now that I keep every little bit of fabric because I was able to use lots of little bits up....so much so that I went a little crazy on the blocks.  They were lots of fun to make and really quick and easy to do.

I haven't forgot Lucy at Charm About You too.  Lucy is always efficient and I know she is probably waiting for her feathers and tapping her fingers at me..."Come on Erin!"....I got most of them done last night but have stalled with one side of the feathers.   I hope to get them finished today.

 

So I better head off and get them finished and make sure they are both in the mail for tomorrow morning.

Happy sewing.

 

Erin

Take it easy.

I was told to take it easy of late, so that is exactly what I have been doing. 

Feet up and chilling out.

 

 

Late last year after going to the K&S show in Dublin I ordered some hexegons and although I do not have a clue what I am going to use these for, I have stitched a few in some of Karen at Blueberry Park fabric that she screen prints herself.  

 

I love the colours that she uses and  she has her own Etsy store that you can buy charm packs.  



 I'm looking forward to a parcel waiting for me this week when I get home.

My new bug.

The sewing machine has not even been switched on this year....Isn't that bad!

Yes I am very behind on my bees and don't even start on my unfinished projects from last year.

 

But that doesn't mean that I haven't been doing anything. Yes I've taken up knitting. 

When my mum was over for Christmas I bought some knitting needles and had a quick little lesson and with her help picked out an easy pattern to start with.

Not bad for my first project, still have to sew it together though.

When I come home at night, I'm not one that can have dinner and then climb the stairs to my sewing room and start up the sewing machine.  I like to unwind, chill out, especially after dealing with 22  preschool children each day.

 

I didn't realise that knitting was so relaxing and I seem to have caught the knitting bug as I have started my second project.

And of course I have a fantastic bag for my knitting.  Thanks again to my Mouthy Stitches partner  Janet.

It all fits in nicely.

 

 

Getting back to routine.

I'm back and it has been far too long.
Any of you out there still, I feel really awful that I haven't read any blogs for a long long time and it seems that flicking through a few today I have missed out on many new starts.

Over the silly season I had some family over visiting from Australia.  I really just wanted to focus on them as it may be a long time till some of the brothers or sisters will come a visit again and I wanted to spend all my time with them. 
That also included packing up my sewing machine and cleaning all the threads off the carpet for my mum to sleep in the spare room.  Sewing Machine was reinstated on Monday.

Although I had on hand my lovely Japanese charm pack and my two packs of Low Volume packed when we went off around Ireland after Christmas, they didn't come out of the bag for the whole trip.
That didn't mean that I wasn't thinking at two in the morning about what my wish list would look like for the coming year and my list of finishes that need to be put to bed!

One of our days we headed off to Newgrange in Co Meath.  It is one of my favourite places to show when I have visitors over here as it fascinates me.  It's an old Neolithic site (that is older than the Pyramids in Egypt) and on the day of the winter solstice the sun shines the tomb inside lights up at dawn by the rays of the sun.  I haven't been for about two years and although I know what is coming in the guided tour, this time I got something else out of it!

FMQ.

I'm sure the artists were not thinking of me 5000 odd years ago when they were carving out these stones, but I certainly was when I was walking around the site.
  

Stone carving at Newgrange Co Meath Ireland

Stone carving Newgrange Co Meath Ireland



Front entrance stone.

I was loving all the shapes.

 

 

And come on....I just couldn't resist taking a photo of these two new little lambs with ma.

 

 



Which brings me to one of my new adventures for the year....knitting. 

I had remembered some of my knitting skills but needed the reassurance of my mum to remind me how to do the essentials.. casting on and off.

 

Only a few rows done and I wouldn't say it is the most exciting photos to show yet so I will leave it for a few more weeks and see how the progress is.

 



Oh my hubby bought me a new ultra book for Christmas so I am very happy as the frustration was taking it's toll on me on the last laptop.

 

I do know I have a lot of bee's to look up and start so I better get off the blog and start looking at what needs to be done.

 

 

Erin