Happy New Year!

Grr!  I have just lost a whole two hours of typing and getting photos in just the right place.  I keep getting messages saying Blogger isn't compatible with my browser - I'm using Explorer 11.... that it hasn't saved properly and so on...  I could see part of it on the list page but when clicked on it 'wasn't there'! So this is version no 2... shorter and not nearly as interesting... I have a cold and my head is pounding so..... Read on.  Hope it makes sense!

 Well, Christmas is over and a New Year begun. Resolutions made to get some of those UFO's completed (in theory I'll be organised and everything will fall into place... but I know me. Fingers x). Hope all our readers have had a great start to the year.

Sadly, it was a rainy start to the day (and rather too cool to go into The Conservatory), but not nearly as bad as poor Alison was experiencing. I received a call from her to say that she had begun her journey and then gone back as the rain was lashing down, with thunder and lightning occurring also. One of my mottos is safety first... so I am glad she was safe at home.

 

The first to arrive was Chris, followed by Janet then Amanda.  Soon the kettle was boiled and tea and cakes were on the table.  I had made a Betty Crocker Sunshine Lemon cake and some gluten free chocolate muffins.. quite yummy. Several mugs later ....











... I was presented with lots of presents as it was my birthday the next day. I am blessed with friends who know me well and make amazing choices giving me some wonderful gifts.  Thank you ladies. Great Choices! I shall really enjoy using them and will look forward to lunch with Amanda.




Chris and Amanda had brought hexagons to work on (sorry - no photo of Chris's as I didn't remember to take them until she was gone). Their pieces are growing gradually but look amazing.

 I spent my time looking at some of the quilting books Janet and I had received for Christmas.



Sadly, Chris was going to leave early as the Tuesday Puppy was going to class, so we had an early lunch.  Herb crusted chicken, cooked in orange juice, with garlic bread and salad, followed by caramel cheesecake or chocolate brownie desert. We waved Chris goodbye, then another mug of tea and got back to our stitching.. well Janet and Amanda did. I had bought my daughter's friendship braid quilt to work on but... I spent my time looking through my pressies - I can't wait to try the recipes or chose something from the modern quilt designs.

Janet was working on some hand piecing... stunning colours and so beautifully neat! I can imagine how it will look in a short while... the blocks look fantastic even in 4's (see below).  She had an enormous pile of both incomplete and finished blocks.. so

 

 

All too soon, it was time for home.  We talked about going to Farnham Maltings on Sunday then said our good-byes.  Another day was done!  Hopefully we will all be able to get together next month.
Until then.. take care!

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From a very wet Hampshire

Tuesday this week was the first of our monthly get togethers. I had hoped to get there but with the unseasonal amounts of rain we have had, our roads had a tremendous amount of water standing and as it was still lashing with rain with the odd streak of lightning and clap of thunder, I judged it not to be very sensible to drive up to Surrey today. Sorry no photo of the rain coursing down - it would be too depressing!

As I had 'booked' the day for sewing, I decided that I would still sew, I just didn't have the chance to catch up with everyone news. I also thought that I would put in a mini blog entry to let you know what I was up to.

After coffee, some traditions have to be maintained! I started off with some simple piecing on some foundation pieced pineapple blocks. These have been lurking as a UFO for a very long time and are on the list of things to be completed this year. The fabrics are a real mix of very old scraps, it was lovely to see them and remember what project they had been from.

After lunch I moved onto a little appliqué, Petunia Block from the Evening Bloom quilt by Blackbird Designs. it was all prepped ready so easy to get to get sewing. This was another project that has to be on the finish list for this year at least up to flimsy stage.

 Well it was soon time for a cup of tea and what better thing to do but sit down with a bit of hand quilting in front of the fire with a cup of tea and piece of cake.

Overall a very pleasant day but it was definitely quieter than the gathering in Surrey would be I am sure. I look forward to reading the main entry to find out what everyone else was up to.

Hope everybody is managing to stay dry.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

 It is hard to believe that we are celebrating the end of another year, it was lovely to get together again, something that has not happened very often this year for various reasons. Janet and Caroline arrived safely, Amanda was coming later as she was working this morning. Chris, you were missed, hope the Tuesday puppy is on the mend.

After a couple of cups of tea and banana muffins we got down to some sewing, you have to love those RUB boxes they are so good for the organisation of quilt projects.

Caroline was busy working on a couple of projects with a Christmas theme - some table mats with foundation piecing, each tree was slightly different. Not sure I would let anyone near these with food!  Also a table runner with friendship stars. These were both classes with Janet at Needle and Thread, I think

Janet was busy hand sewing some square in a square blocks using a foundation. They are very pretty with a lovely range of fabrics.

Amanda arrived for lunch and after lunch we continued to sew. Amanda was working on her hexagons which has grown in size every time we see it.

I was working on hand quilting a double wedding ring quilt which you can see on the chair in the background. I had hoped to have this finished by Christmas but it simply is not going to happen.

 Of course as it was nearly Christmas we had lots of presents to open. It is always exciting to shake, squeeze and prod the parcels, wondering what delights are contained within. Everyone always makes such an effort to choose such lovely gifts.

After another cup of tea, and a little more sewing it was all too soon time for the girls to head off home.   

                                                                      

As we have all been finding it tricky to meet up weekly, next year we have decided to try meeting once a month, that way we are hoping we will all be able to keep that day free. So hopefully there will still be regular blogposts but just once a month.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2014!

December Again!!

 It was a day of bindings.  Janet was finishing her Kansas Trouble table runner, whilst visitor Janet was also finishing a binding on her quilt.

Cake, as usual, features somewhere in the day!! - Watch out for low fat, calorie recipes in the New Year - have we heard that before??

Janet's birthday, better late than never!  The dorothy bag made in memory of a late friend, Chris Thurlow from a pattern given to me by her in a past workshop.





Our visitor had some lovely examples & has been very prolific.  This quilt was made up from Red Rooster fabrics, "A Year To Crow".

Meanwhile, the finished Kansas Trouble table runner by our own Janet.  Love the way it went together - a workshop to do, I think!

 Again, our visitor at work.  The above panel, again Red Rooster Fabrics, Let It Snow & the table mat from a set of African Birds from Out of Africa.

As Some of us have reached the age of in built central heating, I did not have the radiators on.  Caroline was feeling the cold so we wrapped her in a quilt, of course!!

My effort for the day - Fabrics from "Worn & Washed" purchased at Sandown about six years ago, made up & left in a drawer!  Thanks to Yvette at Needle & Thread otherwise it would never have been quilted.

The recipients were delighted so it was worth it in the end!

Where did November Go?

Here we are at the end of November, where did the last four weeks go? Or the past eleven months?

Caroline was the first to arrive this morning, as she would only be with us until 12, as she would be teaching this afternoon.

Caroline was followed by Amanda and Chris soon after. Alison had other plans today.

With our tea this morning, we had a Carrot Cake, which Caroline had bought - a very nice cake.

Caroline brought me an early birthday present, a patchwork book, that uses precut fabrics, book marks showing the buildings of New York and some cat themed sticky notes.

Amanda was making the borders on her Jacob's Ladder quilt, there is a photo last week's blog. 

Chris was continuing to make hexagons.

I was making a Mini Travel Bag by Brenda Walker, a kit I had bought last year at the quilt show at Duxford.

For lunch we had Chicken and Vegetable soup with Ciabatta and Apple and Blackberry crumble with custard.

After lunch Chris had a 'show and tell', the quilt pattern is 'Going for a Spin' by Sue Harlan.  It was made using a split stripe fabric.  The split stripe fabric (a wide stripe that has a row of flowers, where the colour changes) has been fussy cut in each of these patterns to create a special effect. This fabric is no longer available.

Until next time. 

Remembering how to blog ...

Well it has been such a long time since I wrote I blog post that I had to refer  to remind myself how to upload an entry! Keep your fingers crossed that it works - I guess if you're reading this I've succeeded.



Janet and I spent the morning alone, chatting about all our ideas for quilts and browsing some of the magazines available to us for ideas. As always, matching stash fabrics to patterns is the sticking point. I was looking for quick and easy stash busters and was able to put post-it notes on a few ideas.

 Janet was unpicking the sample on the left. She had made the triangles with a 60 degree triangle ruler. I thought this pattern might be useful for a jelly roll and as luck would have it, found not one but two such rulers in a drawer!

When Amanda arrived for lunch she had this UFO with her (I think it has made a blog appearance before but it's so lovely it deserves another post!)
It was made in a class at Needle and Thread and is a Jacobs Ladder pattern.





Amanda and I both have long-term hexagon projects. They are English paper pieced and make an appearance every now and then. I had been cutting fabric for hexagons earlier in the day but haven't joined mine as Amanda has done in this photo.

Janet was also cutting - a Thimbleberries scrap project - watch this space!

There will hopefully be a full gathering of Tuesday Girls before Christmas!

Cool Conservatory

Well, it was a great day for us as we were all able to make today.  It was a little too cool to go in to the conservatory today so I pulled back the curtains and stayed in the dining area instead. Alison, who travelled up from Hampshire and most of us, who are much more local, arrived around 11.00 am.  I had boiled the kettle in readiness.  Waitrose Heart shaped shortbreads in Lavender and Rose varieties, along with a gorgeous chocolate ganache covered cake and an apple crumble cake courtesy of Morrisons', were on the table.  Chris, who had taken the Tuesday Puppy to the vet for her vaccination, arrived about 12. She was the recipient of a lovely bag and matching notebook, which Amanda had made for her birthday, in just the right colours too!

We chatted amiably about many things and looked at some of the items we were working on. I had been given, as a gift, two packs of Liberty Lawn prints.. the blurb says it is enough to make two 70 x 80 quilts.  I am not sure this would be possible, but I will wait to see.  It all depends on the pattern I follow. The girls gave me plenty of advice so will consider it all.

Janet had a sample quilt she was completing for Needle and Thread, then went on to another project, cutting apart some half-square triangle squares.



Alison was appliqueing a beautiful felt snowman candle mat and Amanda was working on her hexagons.  Me.. prevarication ruled yet again and so although I got out my new little 'take it anywhere' Janome, I didn't actually get going with the sewing!  It is still set up waiting for that trial run! I should have been working on daughter's red, black and white friendship braid quilt top!!! Chris was working a grey shawl she had knitted.  It was quite beautiful and we all had shawl envy!

Lunch was of the soup variety - I had roasted a batch of vegetables and blended them ready with some stock... I baked a loaf of sundried tomato and parmesan bread, also had some French Bread which I heated up. A sprinkling of pine nuts (I'd run out of croutons) completed the first part of lunch.  Desert was a baked apple, courtesy of MIL who was gathering Brambley's weighing more than a pound each. One was so large I cut it in half!  I stuffed the centre with Demerara sugar, pecans, sultanas, raisins, chopped apricots (I placed one large one in the bottoms to stop leakage), then a sprinkling of cinnamon, orange juice and zest, and a squirt of golden syrup. The fragrance when I got it out of the oven was just amazing.  The orange really came through. Custard was warmed through and a very pleasant desert was eaten with gusto by all.

Tea and sewing followed but sadly 3.00 pm arrived all too quickly, thus I had to say goodbye to the Tuesday Girls until another day.  I had a date with the gym later to work off some of the hideous number of calories eaten!