It's what it's all about

Good morning ladies

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on the quilt. For those of you who have never tried quilting I would urge you to have a go. Start with something small like a baby quilt and check out all the fantastic advice available online. I would definitely recommend using a thimble though! Any advice on the best thimbles to buy?

Baby J's mummy sent me these photos of the said quilt in use by Baby J and I had to share them with you. This is what it is all about for me...making something and then seeing it being used by a gorgeous little one and knowing it will be treasured.

Enjoy your weekend! xx

A quilt for Baby J

Hello my dear ladies

I hope this weekend finds you happy and well and (if you are in the Northern hemisphere) enjoying some autumn sunshine.

We have a winner for the giveaway - chosen by the random number generator known as Little S - Sarah at All Fingers and Thumbs! Congratulations Sarah and sorry to the rest of you lovely people who entered the giveaway. I wish I had gifts for you all!

Now onto some crafting......oh yes, I have a finished project........ready?

 The patches were sewn together by machine but the quilting was done by hand...my first ever quilt!

I have to say that I was not prepared for how much I loved the actual quiling process...I am totally in love with quilting! This may have something to do with my fear of the sewing machine! I love how the whole thing is transformed into something cosy and comfy and, well, sort of quilty, just by adding these little stitches. It was all done freehand so you would be hard pushed to find a straight line here (!) but I think it has character!

This is the back. I cheated and made the back much bigger than the front and then sort of brought it round....if that makes sense....

My neighbour, who is a very experienced quilter, told me that I should have used a frame and then I wouldn't have got this puffed up effect....well I LOVE the puffed up effect! Isn't that what quilts are supposed to do, puff up????

And here it is in all its glory...my first quilt and hopefully the first of many. Many of you quilting gurus out there would no doubt question my methods and find lots of mistakes but I really am delighted with this and I hope Baby J's mum likes it too.

Enjoy your weekend!

Andrea xx

Something beautiful :: something ugly

Hello dear ladies,

It's been a little while and I have been busy crocheting - I will share that with you very soon!

I was listening to Woman's Hour on the radio the other morning and heard a really interesting feature about the Shoreditch Sisters WI (Women's Institute) and their amazing project. They are a group of women in London who get together to meet, make and agitate. These women are currently making an incredible quilt to highlight the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). It is something I feel very strongly about and so was intrigued to hear that the Shoreditch Sisters are using craft to raise awareness. It is called the Embroideries Campaign.

The quilt is being made up of hundreds of...well....vulvas! Some are sewn, embroidered, crocheted, knitted. Some are made of velvet, silk, lace, fur. These little creations are works of real beauty - like flowers! it seems a really beautiful way to address a custom that is so very ugly. Apparently there is still time to add your own contribution to the quilt so go over to the Embroideries Campaign website and find out more.

Here is a little glimpse of what they are creating......

Back very soon with some crochet!!!! Yay!! xxxx

In love

I am in love. Totally head over heels.

I may have mentioned earlier that one of my objectives for this year is to become better acquainted with my sewing machine. Well, I have come across so many stunning quilts in blogland that I decided to attempt one of my own. Of course, this meant having to sit for hours checking out gorgeous fabrics online...oh dear, what a chore!

Well, this is what I have decided on......

And I had to order that cute little Chinese pin cushion which I have lusted after for years but never before had an excuse to buy!

I looked at various patterns for inspiration and wanted something that didn't look too complicated, or too large, and I found this....

It is from the sew4home site and is a quilt for a baby. I don't have a baby and the only baby due is Bertie Bump so it may end up another blanket for him/her.

I love this Freebird fabric by Momo and using a charm pack seems a more simple foray into the whole quilting experience. But I need to finish some other stuff first, so I am putting it away for later.

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I also want to thank everyone for the lovely comments on Bertie Blanket. It is fantastic getting such compliments from so many talented and creative women.

And a big thank you to the lovely Maaike of Crejjtion for naming me in her gorgeous blog and saying such kind things about me. Thank you Maaike and these are for you...

 Enjoy your weekend xxx