A Christmas Gift Challenge End of Wk 7

The end of Wk 7 (19th Oct-25th Oct) Am still doing the said challenge in that I have managed 1 gift this week the socks below, but that not that good my excuse is that I been working on the applique top so hope to do better this week, well it can hardly be much worst lol
My Sewing machine has arrived back this morning so I will use that so I can try it out to make sure it going okay I do need to cut some fabric for sashing & border on some table runners so hoping that I may get the ones I need to do done this week but after yesterday's shock not sure what this week will hold, I know that Thursday is out for sewing as having the boiler serviced & it is in the room where I have my computer & do my sewing so have to move stuff out the way so the engineer will have room plus not ruin any fabric.
How are you all doing on you holiday gifts are you on track or way behind what you need to do, come on do tell.

Sad Sunday

This is a sad Sunday, I heard a little while ago that my DSIL passed away in her sleep last night she was the wife of my eldest brother & was 72.
She was working up to last year & leaves 3 sons & I think it 7 grandchildren
They saying a heart attack but it won't be know for sure for a few days at least.
In Memory of Jean

Received in Post Swap & PIF

I received some lovely items in the mail today from Khris in Australia who is also doing a Give-away, the first photo is a beautiful drawn string bag & some coasters/mug mats in a nice little holder this was for me signing up to her PIF I have shown the mats so you can see both sides.
The second photo is of a lovely pin cushion with a needle purse which I have it open in the third photo these are all lovely & was for a swap we did, Thanks Khris
Today had to be up early as we had a electrician coming to fit a cooker/stove point in so by the time he came did it all it was going on to midday so we had lunch before we went off out for our weekly grocery shop.
We done our shopping plus we got some joints of meat for the freezer so we won't starve lol
I also had a call from the sewing machine shop where my Brother BM2600 went off to they did say the handle which lowers & raises the needle was tight but it seems that I had not quite located the bobbin case in correctly & that was the problem they have been testing it & have it all set up correctly & it will go out on tonight's pick up so may get it tomorrow or Monday when it arrives back I will take a photo of the bobbin so I can see how it done I done this with the settings as then I know I can reset back to normal if I don't do the photo I know I will forget it not like my Silver Viscount machine if you switch off it set back to normal as it computerised where the Brother is mechanical.
So it not sewing today after shopping will just knit as I am rather tired especially as I am not sleeping too well I am waking up every couple of hours which don't give you a good nights sleep.

Applique Top So Far

I finished the applique on the top that I am working you all remember it my Quilting Group that I go to once a month project.
Here is the Appliqué top I am doing so far it still needs work doing to it but the Appliqué is all done if you wish to see how it should look to This & That Fabric
Scroll down to Back to Grannys & that what this is suppose to be like as you will see it needs more squares to go round the to make it bigger still not sure if I will just do it to the size it given yet you all know when I come to finishing it lol

I must say while I have never done any applique I have enjoyed it wish my sewing on the bits was better but they say practice makes perfect well I am going to need awful lot of practice lol.This has not been without it problems biggest one the machine I take to group decided to not work right on Saturday, had been getting some sewn then I had to stop, the machine will be delivered to the shop today as I been tracking it they picked it up yesterday so with luck it could be back by next week.Am working on more socks on the knitting side, when I go shopping this week I want to look at some kids colouring books to see if there is anything in it that I could do as applique who knows what out there.Weather is damp today it was raining from last night to early this morning while it stopped for now it is damp they say that the wind is making it feel colder being indoors it not as cold as it was yesterday so I guess it will be the wind that makes feel worst & not so much lower temperatures long gone is summer well didn't really have a great one here in the UK yes it was dry & warm but never really had very hot long spells not like we use to get years ago now I am sounding old talking about the Good Old Days & When I was young lol so I better shut up now

Blogs doing Give-Away

Today I am posting a This & That Day or Blogs that are doing Give-Aways

First must tell you of a Give-Away it from Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe she doing a fantistic Give-Away so go & look

Next is a blog with a tutorial for flying geese it at Quilters Going Bananas that says it all about us Quilters lol

As I look at the blogs I am putting links for other Give-Aways so here some more Spark Barks is also doing one

The next is not a enter a Give-Away but they are doing Freebies they are Among the Gum Tree they are doing a freebie each week so you have to check back well that should keep you looking at some blogs other than mine for a little while

A Christmas Gift Challenge End of Wk 6

The end of Wk 6 (12th Oct - 18th Oct) & I only managed a pair of socks they are navy I know they look black in the photo.
So still managing to do the challenge of at least one gift a week with needing to work on my Quilting Group Project last week I knew I would only manage 1 gift.
The sewing machine I take to my Quilting group has to go away as it not working right so that will be picked up tomorrow (Tuesday) it will take about a week to turn round & be back with me not that I am too worried will use my main machine.
I have to work on my project before I start on more gifts as I need to have it ready to pin & quilt by the next meeting.
I will be doing more socks plus I want to do some wrist warmers for DH you will see how I get on when I do them.
I will be going to the Malvern Quilting show in a couple of weeks time so will also report on that.
Today I been out & ordered new glasses more expense, also book in for the dentist which is in a couple of weeks seems it get everything done at once
Later this week have an electrician coming to fit a cooker socket & socket so when we go to have a new cooker which will be possible just after Christmas we don't just have to choose gas we will be able to get what we want, then the following week it a service on the boiler well want that done before the winter really sets in.
Not too much else to report, don't forget to let me know what you done especially if you are taking this challenge

Just Another Sunday?

After my Good day in all yesterday was my Quilting Group day so off I went with machine (brother 2600) & all that I needed plus my friend from across the road Pat came so was working on my project.
Then had to start sewing the next lot applique that I had put on Janet who runs the group helped me well she started to do it so set to zig zag & it was going well did think it was slightly noise but some machines are then I did some & Jan came back over & the machine seemed to skip a stitch every so often so said to clean it which I did not that it needed it as this is the machine I got in June & is only used for Quilting Group, anyway put it all back & it just wouldn't seem to let the top thread pick up the bobbin thread well it caught it but the top thread seems to get stuck somewhere so after several times of taking it apart & re-putting it back still no luck also the wheel/handle at the side that lowers & highers the needle this seems to be very hard compared to what it was well today had DH strip it down & re-assemble it & still no luck so will phone the shop to arrange a collections for them to sort it out so that will be gone I guess around a week I will have to use my main machine (Silver Viscount 9500E) which I don't mind except I had started on the brother & so it will be slightly different stitch but I know the settings on this so it better I can be more consisted
Am off to knit now want to finish a pair of socks I am doing so I have a gift completed this week, as I been working on the Quilting Group Project it taken it time so not much else has got done
I won't post photos of my project until I get a bit further on but you can see mine plus lots of other ones & how different they can look at Jansmusing well worth popping over to look

A Good Day Over All

It been a fairly good day, first off went & got our grocery shopping done & came home shortly after we got it all packed away the postman came & had a couple of packages for me I do love getting packages don't you
First one which is the bottom photo was some sock yarn a sort of grey marble effect I got this off ebay & got 7 balls (50grms each) of this 4 ply yarn so will be able to do quite a few socks.
Second package which is show in the middle photo well that was a lovely gift from Lyn in Australia she sent me some fabric which is very nice a lovely book marker plus a little tray that shaped like a teapot & has Roses all over it never seen anything like this it really nice.
The top photo is my Quilting group Project it not finished this is the first finished stage i will be cutting out the strips to go round plus vines ect to go on the strips which is in the same fabric as the background of the centre panel, this is my first attempt of Applique & I did all the stitching around it during the week had been putting it off for ages.
As I laid it on the bed to take the photo my DH came in & was asking about it so show him what I am & still have to do & he even saying about making bigger than the 40 inch square that it should be to be put in to a quilt I will decide once I reached that finish size we did say about using it as a table topper but he said if it on there all the time it would get messed up & it too good for that lol
So I can say it been a good day on the whole I am about to go & rest & will cast on the stitches for the 2nd sock I am working on.

The Book has Arrived

The book I had ordered from Amazon came the other day it Eleanor Burn's Quilts through the Seasons, I am watching it on the Rural Channel (279 on Sky) for those in the UK or possible europe who get Sky TV if not you can alway go to the Quilt in a Day site & watch it on there here a link to the Theater there is more than this one series on there
I like nearly all the quilts in there only one I am not fully sure of & that is the fish one it not that I don't like it I just can never see me even wanting to do I love the Horn of Plenty table runner that is one I expect that people who celebrate Thanksgiving will love here in the UK it not a holiday we have here so it be wasted.
I am going to continue with my Quilting Group Project I have to get it up to the next stage for Saturday so will be working on that in a bit so I guess that I had better get going as I have to put dinner on first so I can then sew this afternoon

A Christmas Gift Challenge End of Wk 5

The end of Wk 5 of the Christmas Gift Challenge (5th Oct -11th Oct) I have managed to do another pair of socks a scarf plus a table runner so I am a head of the challenge this past week as it is to do at least 1 gift a week.
This week I know I won't get so much done as I have to work on my Quilting Group project or I will be behind as we meet this coming Saturday (17th) so I suspect I will only get a pair of socks done as that is what I am working on in the evenings with the knitting.
I am waiting on a quilting book I ordered which is Quilt through the Seasons by Eleanor Burns, here in the UK on our Sky Satellite there is a channel called the Rural Channel (279) & it shows Quilt in a Day which I watch & at present they showing Quilt through the Seasons & I rather like the quilts so I thought I would get the book it is taking it time due to postal strikes that are happening in different areas of the country.
My DH has asked me to do some table runners as gifts so that more to the list of to do ones, do you have a favourite size for your table runners or some nice free patterns to share, I rather like these couple of sites Free Patterns which is not just for Quilting but also knitting & other crafts & the other one is Free Quilting you have to sign up to get the patterns but it is worth it.
I also do use e-pattern central but you pay for their patterns & it then you can download instantly I have had some very nice patterns from these as well, in fact if you look at my post for 8th Sept 2008 you will see a Prayer Shawl I knitted for my mum sadly she didn't get to wear it so I had her buried in it anyway this pattern came from a Prayer Shawl book I got from e-pattern central the original pattern does call for pockets but I didn't have enough yarn to do them, after Christmas I am hoping to do myself one it will remind me of my mum all the more.
The weather in the UK is getting colder but it a sunny day while I write this but they do say it will be colder at night, I know parts of Canada & the USA have already had some snow hearing that really lets you know that winter is on it way, well do share what you done if your taking this challenge

A Christmas Gift Challenge End of Wk 4

Well end of Wk 4 of the Christmas Challenge (28th Sept-4th Oct) & I have manged to finish 2 table runners, I can't take full credit as much as I would like to in 2007 I got off ebay table runner tops thinking they make nice presents well didn't make them & had them sitting here so I have finally turned them in to finished table runners they use Thimbleberries fabric which ones who read this regular will know I do love TB fabrics, any the two are now done & are in the gift stash.
The bottom one is a on point so doing the binding on this never done anything with a shape in so was interesting then the top one is just a normal one.
I have still been working on other gifts but they either aren't or weren't finished within wk 4 so you get to see them next week.
How are you all doing are you getting your gifts done the days are ticking away fast so you do need to get your skates on to get the gifts done.
On a earlier posting the Give-Away prize is now in the hands of the Royal Mail (our postal service) & is on it way to Anya.
I hope to have possible 3 or more items done for next week but we see what say what but some is knitting as usual well you all have a good week getting those gifts done take care
Last but not least here is a chance of a give-away go to http://fabricartist21.blogspot.com/ for a chance to win.

Winner of Give-Away

Today is the day I have done the draw to the Give-Away this was the give-away in memory of my mum who passed away a year ago today I would like to thank you all for your lovely comments about my mum & kind words for me in this difficult time.

I thought I would share another photo of my mum this one was taken at Christmas 1976 my Mum & Dad with my eldest son Karl & my Daughter Donna my youngest son Stuart wasn't in this as he was only a 6 or 7 weeks old, now my kids can kill me for showing them on here lol

I did the draw & the name who came out was Anya Her blog is Hills Creek Quilter so congratulations to Anya if you like to contact me with your full address I will get your prize out to you if by any chance I have not heard by Friday I will draw another name out.

I must say that I had not been to all the blogs & this was one I hadn't got to after I did the draw it worth taking a look well Congratulations once again to Anya & look forward to getting her package off to her in the post.

Angel of October

Happy October here is your angel of the month I hope that this month with be a good one for you all

~Windswept in gloryDivine purple huesThis angel of heaven A rapturous view
Wishing you happiness Wants you to beWrapped in her gloryA heart that is free
Cool winds to guide herDown to the landShows you the gloryHer heart in your hand
Warms you with sunshine Bright with her loveThis angel of wind She echoes above
Capture her heart As she comes in your viewForever this angel Will always love you
Breezes through earthWith special sweet songOctober's sweet angelYour heart will belong.~