A new arrival

I got to go and meet a new baby this week.  She was born just over a week ago and is absolutely beautiful!  I made this quilt for a couple of months ago ready for her arrival and delivered it to her today; it really wasn't exciting enough for her to wake up for but luckily her equally gorgeous big sister is an expert at present opening and was happy to help out. 

I chose the red and white Scandinavian prints and the duck egg blue fabric before I knew what sex she was going to be, but when my friend told me she was having a girl, I picked the red and pink spotty fabric to use as both backing and binding. 

Once she had arrived, I embroidered her name and date of birth on the top and bottom borders of the quilt, using a pearle thread in an almost identical shade of duck egg blue,making it very subtle but very personal to her. I'd also made her two matching bibs, which seemed teeny when I made them but huge compared to the tiny newborn! x

I'd like to be a busy little bee.....

Things have been pretty productive around here for the last couple of weeks - about time too!  I finally got round to finishing the colour wheel I'd started at Easter and then not known what to do with.  In the end I quilted it with simple lines, bound it with plain black cotton and finished it off with some cute black and white polka dot ribbon.  I'm not sure how this photo has managed to make it look so wonky - I think it says a lot about my appalling photography!









I was really excited to be asked to make a cushion cover and some bunting for a friend's sister, using some gorgeous striped fabric that was left over from her new blind.  All I was told was that her room was going to have a beach theme, and I was given free reign with a design.  I had so much fun appliqueing three little beach huts, and found these teeny buttons in my stash for the door knobs.  The back has a simple envelope opening, with matching trim and some cute wooden buttons.

I've also been thinking about craft fair stock - I'll be having a table next month at a fair organised to raise money for The Laura McPhee Memorial Fund. 








I was making a bib as a gift for a lovely lady at work who's going off on maternity leave soon using some super soft towelling that I picked up a few weeks ago, and I decided to make a batch for stock.






Last weekend gave me chance to catch up on a couple of baby quilt tops which needed finishing up.  This boys zig zag top is now quilted and is now patiently awaiting binding and the pink top is waiting on more batting supplies.








And I found some more fabric to do some of my favourite sewing; some little dresses for the dress a girl around the world project.  This pink fabric is a really nice weight cotton which was a dream to sew, and I made three more from a quilt cover which was kindly given to me a while ago.  I'll post these off the the lovely Louise tomorrow.









In between all the sewing I signed up for the pin cushion swap that Rachel at House of Pinheiro and Charlotte at sew far sew good are organising.  There's still time to sign up - so pop along to their websites and read all about it!












And little Alfie.....He's been very busy; napping, being lavished with attention, going walkies - it's just so exhausting ;-) x

Spring is in the air!

Spring has arrived!  I even got chance to sit in the garden last weekend for an hour or so to do some hand sewing!  I was finishing off the baby quilt for one of my lovely friends whose baby is due in a couple of months.  I won't post a full picture of the quilt in case she looks, but you can have a sneak preview!  I'm loving these colours together, and I've quilted it with a thin batting, so it's really light but still snuggly.

Brenda at Just A Bit Frayed has now opened the linky party for the Bust Yo! Scraps quilt-a-long, so that everyone who took part can upload a photo of their finished quilts.  I used this photo that cee pea took for me as, although I know it doesn't show the quilt up close and personal, it's a pretty special photo to me.




I also had a sort through my fabric last week and managed to find enough to make another couple of pillowcase dresses for the Dress a Girl Around The World project.  These dresses are so quick and easy to make, and knowing that they're going to children who really need, and will love wearing, them makes it even more enjoyable.   I sent all four dresses off to Louise at Sew Scrumptious; she does an amazing job collecting these dresses and making sure they get to where they need to be.





Talking of amazing........I read this post on Lilly's Quilts blog a couple of days ago and instantly knew I'd like to be involved.  Siblings together is a charity which provides opportunities for contact between siblings who have been separated by care.  This organisation arranges camps where separated siblings between 7 and 17 years old get to spend quality time together.  Lynne's idea is to get enough quilts donated so that each child leaving camp this summer will take their own home with them, with a label on it which their sibling(s) have written a special message on for them.  Pretty awesome right!  This Flickr group has been set up for everyone to share ideas and support, and I am truly amazed at the generosity of fellow quilters!  I know that I can find enough time to make a quilt, but don't currently have enough fabric - cue lovely people!  Some people are offering fabric to those people who need it (like the lovely Bessiemae who is sending me some fab purple scraps to use), others are organising group projects so that people can make as many blocks as they can and they will turn them all into quilts, and others are donating quilts that they have already, or are planning to make.  There are therefore loads of ways to be involved!  So, can I tempt you to join in too?