Three French Hens

Over the last couple of days Ive been working on my hexagons still. Everywhere you go to the the shops is just so busy busy with Christmas shoppers, too much hassle for me.

Id rather stop at home with my dogs Scratch and Alice, be creative.
This morning the sun was out which inspired me paint a quick sketch in my sketchbook named "Three French Hens"
Who knows this may find itself in a quilt or some form of textile art, or stay in place in my sketchbook til a later date.
The Elna sewing machine arrived last week which is a great
machine but Ive got to learn to use it and spend several hours reading the instruction manual. I will do this when I have the house completely to myself with no interruptions from anyone and the phone off the hook. I'm one of those that have to take time reading instructions bit by bit to understand them!.
I hope everyone is able to have fun with their sewing and quilting this weekend.

Beads Galore

Its still hexagon mania in my side of the world and Im desperate for yet more green batik as I need to sew another four to five metres on my hexagon material spread for the coat idea. I will be looking at loads of sites later on for yet more green including ebay. I went along to the crafts group yesterday and it was wonderful to have a chat and get some support and encouragement in what Im doing. Anne the group leader mentioned to me about a place that is doing a bead sale and opening the house today and tommorrow. I asked my Jim to take me and he did after looking at some maps at it was in an area in Leicester we had not been to before. Wow the house was like a palace, very big and beads and more beads on display in every area of the house.
Though Im a quilter and love doing embroidery for time to time I was tempted to buy these beads for future quilt and waistcoat ideas. The gold beads for gold stars on a waistcoat and the rainbow black beads for the middle of poppy stamens, I will be showing you all when I get to these projects much later on.
Today I have another crafts group meeting to attend, I will be taking along my patchwork hexagon pieces to tack, Ive got to get loads of photocopies done of hexagons too which will mean calling in at a shop in town to get them done.
Ive posted a picture of the magical beads that I have bought.... I could of bought more but I said to myself just get what you need.... hee hee so hard in these magical places isnt it.
I hope everyone is still having quilting fun and not too cold.

The YES Concert

Last Monday Jim took me, Rachel and her boyfriend David to see the YES band play in Birmingham. I had never been to a proper rock concert before in a large venue so this was great. While Jim drove us all there in the car the experience was a bit hair raising as we kept getting lost but we did find the place eventually, the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
The music was great and a great inspiration. Jon Anderson the lead singer of Yes wasn't there in the original line up but the person who took his place was good. It was nice Classic rock, no mad head banging.
On the sewing side of things I'm still working on hexagons but the rows are growing.
Ive found myself a crafts group to attend every Wednesday that will help with tips that I get stuck with. The crafts group is a lovely group of ladies doing their own project. The teacher Anne had done all her qualifications and City and Guilds in quilting and other sewing subject so its just great to be able to go to her and say
"Just how do I do this?!"
The group takes place at the side of an old church next door to the historic Belgrave Hall where I showed you some pictures from the Summer. Wednesday was an extremely cold and windy day but it was worth it just to get out and get inspiration from other crafters like myself.
Sam the old sheep dog had a couple of accidents on the living room mat, I wasn't pleased but its what old dogs do, so the mat had a good wash, so did the dog in the shower upstairs. Sam thought he had wings so that he could fly down stairs, silly Sam fell down the stairs, thankfully he didn't break anything so fingers crossed he wont have any more accidents now.
The weather is certainly very cold, bitter and none stop winds enough to give you a chill anywhere. Ive been looking in books for ideas of quickie quilts, Ive borrowed a book from the library on Kaffe Fassett yet again, theres a quilt in there that is easy and quick with strips about 3 1/2 inches across but long strips can be cut any length you want so Im going to have a go over the next couple of days while Jim is at work.
I hope everyone is having quilting fun this weekend, take care all of you
Faithx

Poppies For Today

I thought I would post a picture of some poppies I painted quite a while ago.
This reflected my thoughts to everyone with today being remembrance Sunday for the fallen on all wars and the situation what is happening today in Afghanistan.
For about eight days both me and my partner Jim had a really bad cold and chest problems, thankfully this is clearing up but I got busy doing other things!, trying to catch up on duties around the house I hadn't done while being held up with a cold.
I have a nephew who is proudly in the Coldstream Guards as a soldier serving in Afghanistan. The situation is rather hairy for all the poor lads out there, Jonathan asked me to make him some biscuits and send different things so Aunty Faith has been busy baking biscuits. Only tonight did I manage to thread a needle again stitching those lovely green hexagons and OH MY! how Ive missed sewing but sometimes duty calls to do other things. I wonder what everyone else has been doing over the weekend.
Perhaps finishing those Christmas presents? or like me busy baking and doing other errands. Everyone has been in my thoughts so Ive not forgotten about you and I must catch up on every ones blogs. Take care everyone and keep on smiling and stitching.

More hexagons

I'm still stitching away cutting into greens turquoises, a little purple then more yummy greens. Last night Tam gave us a surprise by killing a poor little hedgehog in the back garden. Tam never made a sound we heard her walking round the gravel but she never growled or anything, it was one silent attack on the hedgehog which made me furious. I just don't like that dog! Tam got told off and put in her cage only for her to get up to mischief again by stealing cheese from the kitchen!!
Ive enclosed a picture of Scratch while I show the growing hexagon coat idea, I have to keep stitching til the length is about four to five yards across. I do have a Kimono coat pattern idea but Jim and my mum said this would look too bulky so I'm now on the look out for another coat pattern suitable for patchwork particularly hexagons so let me know if you have any ideas or where to look.

Faithx

Stll Stitching Away

I had been busy hand stitching shapes, old fashioned paper piercings hexagons still.
My aim has been to stitch about one line a day which makes me feel Ive achieved something.
I'm on different medication to help with my nerves now, so sitting down to stitch small areas is the ideal thing.
As you can guess Ive not been on the computer much as the computer just kept breaking down and crashing, poor Jim had to repair the computer over and over again staying up late for absolutely hours to try and get it mended.
Ive just been pleased to sit in a corner hand stitching away as the computer got fixed with Mr Fix It.... so fingers crossed no more breakdowns.
The nights are getting darker now and its colder.
My nephew who is like my little brother is in Afghanistan on duty along with hundreds of other troops.
I worry about Jonathan, and everyone else out there as the situation is not good.
I also wish there was peace and resolution for everybody.
About a month ago I got a stitching magazine showing blocks done by village afghan women hand stitching and quilting blocks through a charity.
My heart ached for the ladies and for everybody else out there too.
As I'm writing the heavens have decided to throw it down with rain.
Jim took me to the Local Quilters Guild to get some more fabrics and here is a photo showing what I got. The jelly rolls will be cut into squares and sewn together with the sewing machine much later on of course towards another coat or waistcoat.
I hope everyone else is having quilting fun I will go round and catch up on everyone s blog.

Take care all.

By the way Beena if you are reading this I just cannot get through to your block as it keeps saying only by invites.

Faithx

Birthday Bash

On Monday the 19th of October it was my birthday and for a birthday treat
my partner Jim took me to the Cottonpatch shop in Birmingham to get some lovely material towards my patchwork coat. I thought Cottonpatch would be like a large warehouse but it was just a simple little shop with patchwork and quilting galore goodies. There were so many lovely things there it was hard to pick what to get but I got several half a metres of lovely batik greens, and some quilting threads.
Jim took me on the train and I had to accept that long distances I cant walk too far so the chair came in handy, but I will conquer this, and start to get fitter in the next couple of weeks and months. There were lots of lovely cards and gifts of perfume and chocolate from Mum, Mum In Law and Rachel. Rachel, Jim's daughter wasn't here as she was away on holiday but I loved the card and little box of chocolates.
The cloth of different hexagons is growing, stitched one by one. I shall need about four to five yards if this before adding the wadding and backing to quilt ready for a coat.
Last week I found a crafts group where there was a lady willing to help me on dressmaking in understanding the patterns which is great so this gave me an incentive to just keep going with that patchwork coat idea. Already the weather and the season, now Autumn has changed dramatically. Ive not been able to write alot on this blog in the last couple of days and weeks as most of the time the computer has been broken.
Things are slowly up and running. The printer is being naughty at the moment, but hopefully this will be sorted soon. I got some paper that you put through the printer to print on cotton for patchwork so I will let you know how I get on with this once the printer is fixed.
I must catch up with all your blogs I have not forgotten about you so please bear with me.