Not posted for a while

I haven't posted for quite a while, so will give you updates on what has been happening with me & my husband

I have been knitting a few pairs of socks, but most of the time i been reading as Greg (DH) got me a kindle for my birthday

I am not sure if i have mention having some memory problems which has been ongoing for a while well earlier in the year they decided that i should have a MRI just to see if anything is causing it.

Big surprise i have a Meningioma (Brain Tumour) which is benign so after another MRI I went to see a specialist in Oxford 

He said i could have had it for years so he will see me in 6 months for another MRI to see if any chances if not they won't do anything just monitor me so it fairly good news

Greg has had shoulder surgery he had work done on the bone plus repair to a ruptured muscle & work on tendons he had it done early August & still in a lot of pain plus he had pain elsewhere so he struggling more these days

I been working on a quilt this was from a few years ago i did so many blocks doing 2 of each which i sent the 2nd set to a friend in the USA she did the same so the blocks are done by both of us i have now made them in to a quilt with photos below

I am hoping to work of some projects now the big  quilt is out the way

 

Sweater

I haven't posted in a while I have done a sweater in Aran Yarn it a tweed effect i done it in Stocking Stitch it a green flex 

I need to do some more socks as this sweater plus other knitting that i will be doing is for a holiday we booked it a coach one Monday to Friday & it in the Highlands of Scotland we going in December that why i am knitting we may need warm items lol

The holiday is what is called Turkey & Tinsel so it means that they do the evening meal on one day as a Christmas Dinner then night before we go it be like new year's eve as it just before Christmas it will have the a good feel i should think

Baby's Quilts

My Cousin's daughter just had a Baby Girl, & I have done her a quilt plus a playmat one I had to wait to do the labels, plus the playmat while doing it my machine went wrong so had to take it to the sewing doctor 

The man at Silver was great he had it done on a very quick turn around, so could go & get it

As DH has had a operation on his thumb i been very busy he got a call on Wednesday to say he could go in at 12.30 that day which he did 6 hours later still not been done as they couldn't find his notes

So Thursday they sorted it out called him & they had a space with a different surgeon the next day so he went & had it done on Friday he okay of course in a bit of pain & no heavy lifting not that he can anyway so that 1 surgery down & possible future surgery we know more when he goes about his shoulder next month

I will be seeing the memory nurse earlier than originally said from her last visit in March so instead of 6 months from then she coming back next month after my Doctor wrote to her so will see what they say 

I not done much crafts in the last few months i had to push myself to do the baby quilts anyway here is the quilts & the labels i did using the method i saw on YouTube  which i tried

 

This, That & Some Others

 I haven't posted for a while so what have I been doing well as the title says This, That & some others so here goes

Just finished a Aran Sweater for DH, when I did this didn't think it was going to fit I think that while it came to size his shoulders would be the next size anyway I washed it & it has dropped slightly plus just eased as he said it was a bit tight going over his head but after the wash it don't I would do the next size when I do another one for him but in no rush lol

Chocolate Aran Sweater

I also been playing around doing what is called Fabric Boxes I am not sure if that the correct description but that the title in my friend's book these you can put cotton wool or some other bits even your sewing bits in, i also had a go at doing a tissue holder just the sort you can put in to your bag

Fabric Boxes & Tissue Holder

Inside fabric box

Inside fabric Box

Tissue Holder

I also knitted 2 cloths which are quilt inspired for a swap then i done 2 pot holders to go with them they are friendship Star & Nine Patch 

Nine Patch Pot Holder

Nine patch Cloth

 

 

 

Friendship Star Pot Holder

Friendship Star Cloth

Here is also some other pot holders i have sent in swaps

 
I have also been getting some templates I got Log cabin Trim Tool got 2 one is for a 
8 inch block & the other is for a   6 & 12 inch   block the 8 inch video is not on there now

I also got    Kaye Wood's Hexagon templates    She shows in the video how to do a nice pot holder/Kitchen Quilt

I also got Square up rulers which has the middle cut out for fussy cut they are the June Taylor's Get Squared    I got the 6.5, 8.5 & 12.5 inch ones which give 3.5, 4.5 & 6.5 inch fussy cut I also got   Clearly Perfect Angles   I haven't tried it yet 

I also got a book   Love to Sew: Mug Rugs   i also have on order Quilted Flowers it not been released yet

What I been Up to

First let me wish you All a Very Happy New Year hoping that you will have a wonderful 2013

Well here some of the things I have done I did a Sweater for 2nd granddaughter i had done her sister a Aran sweater which is in September blog.

The sweater used Aran yarn but a plain one

I  did myself a pair of long pair of socks I used a 6 ply yarn

I also done a quilt which I actually finished on New Year's Day as I had to do the binding which I attached by machine on front then flipped & hand sewn on the back

I used the Binding Tool for the first time as it says about leaving a gap of 12 inches so on small projects not worked out if i can cut down the size you can see the video of this   here   It shows you how it works

Well here is the quilt the 1st photo is the quilt on the bed I couldn't get further back to take a better photo, 2nd photo shows the top border with the last one being 10 inches
3rd photo is of the blocks showing the floral fabric of Hydrangeas & it diamond in a square, the last photo is the label I put on the back

Stained Glass Window Table Runner

I have just completed a Table Runner for a swap I am in 
I thought I would do a sort of Stained Glass window one as last year I went to local exhibitions & saw some lovely ones which I took photos of which the link is on an older post you can get to the link  by clicking here 

Anyway  it was from seeing them that I took my inspiration from the one I mean is photo 35, I done Free Motion quilting on the runner which will be off early next week to the person who is getting it

Books & Knitting

I haven't been doing much sewing of late not that I not been looking & having ideas

I am in a couple of Christmas Swaps so ideas been rattling around in my head (well just shows how empty it really is lol) 

I got a new book come that i got from Amazon you can look inside here

 

I also got this e-book from e-pattern Central you can see further images the above

 

I have also knitted a pair of socks the socks are done in yarn from Knit Picks the yarn is  felici  yarn I have used Rainbow for this pair doing a Waffle pair of socks

 

Aran Sweater

Here is the Aran Sweater i been working on I finished it yesterday Wednesday 5th Sept, I started it on Saturday 11th August so it taken just over 3 weeks to do

I used Robin Aran 75% acrylic & 25% Wool the pattern is 8 row repeat, this is going to be a gift am hoping that the person will like it I hope to get it sent soon

Angel for September

Here is an Angel for September for you All

Angel Of September 

~Waiting to hear call
To come from the sky
September's sweet angel
Is ready to fly
Bringing you peace and
Love on the way
Kissing you softly
As gently you pray
Asking for guidance
With eyes cast above
Looking to Jesus
To guide all with love
Wanting to be there
Close to your side
September's sweet angel
Your friend and your guide
Reach out to touch
The gentlest wings
Know that you're greeted
With love that will sing
High in the clouds
So peaceful and fair
September's sweet angel
A beauty so rare
Soar to the heavens
With peace of a dove
A most special gift
From God in His Love~

It is Not Fair

The subject of this post is it not fair why you may say, I seen some lovely yarn for socks at   Knit-Picks    click to see it well this place don't do international shipping so that not fair being tempted & can't buy even this morning I seen more lovely yarn on there at such a good price compared to the UK 

The good thing is that I have some coming as Friend is getting me some but still not fair that I have to do it in such a roundabout way of getting it plus couldn't get yarn from here all the time because of this.

The same problem happens with   Connecting Threads    They don't do international shipping either both of these have like pages on Facebook so why have pages that is on a international site & then not ship to them

It the same with some give-aways/competitions that are on FB I seen one this morning concerning a Amish book & yet it says you have to reside in USA, Canada or Australia well what about the rest of us

Moaning done, I am working on a Aran Sweater am hoping that I will finish the back today or tomorrow.

I still have my quilt which is for me to be quilted but DH had painted the hall & you all know what that like can you get me this or can you do that so didn't want to start & then get called away, he then had his last 7 teeth pulled so he struggling to eat while it healing 

I have joined   Pinterest   which gives photos of such lovely projects not just quilting but all sorts of things below is some photos from there these are some of which is on   My Board 
 

 

 

 

 

Blog Help Needed

I am having trouble have Google+ & it seems that when i post a comment on someone's blog i am now on No Reply i tried to change it but i can't seem to find out how to

Someone said if i click on my profile picture i should get Blog Profile but i don't the only profile i get to is on Google+ & i have changed that so i can get replies but it made no difference

I even tried to ask on Blogger forum but no replies & what ever i have tried i have had no luck so can anyone help me please

A Little of This & That

Since my last post, we taken up the quilt which I mention in the previous post to my Granddaughter she loved it so did son 

We had gone up for Sunday Dinner as he asked us to go up as it was my birthday the Tuesday after (17th) so a nice day & it was a rare dry sunny day in the middle of a lot of very wet weather.

My birthday came & I got sick so not a great birthday, had to laugh the first time I was getting sick the dog came up to the toilet & heard me so he started to bark to let DH know i wasn't well lol

On the nice side of the birthday DH had got me a Fujifilm camera so I can hopefully take better photos of my quilts as it not a compact camera it a little like the old ones you could change lens but without being able to I believe they call them bridge cameras

I also got some money & vouchers so have ordered some books & DVDs the DVDs are not quilted related, I also signed up to two courses on Craftsy.Com one is called Big Quilts on a Small Machine & the other is Free Motion quilting I got them half price so the 2 only cost what the normal cost of 1 would be.

I have been working on a pot holder for a swap I did an applique one but a round one never done that shape before & with some FMQ on it  here are some photos with closer view & reverse side views

I also did a pair of socks for the person I was hoping that the size would be okay not knowing it & as it was going to be a surprise I couldn't ask I used Regia Galaxy Yarn which is a 4ply yarn

I am now working back on my quilt I had done the blocks & put them together & now I am working on doing the borders.

The fabric I have used was a large floral one which I got I do like it but it was larger than I expected so I done Large blocks to be able to show the flowers better, the block is called diamond in a square I used a cream for the corners & I must say they stand out more than I expected them to. 

I used 2 of the 4 fabrics I have this is a Pink & a Red one the other two I have are Blue & Purple I don't have one of the blue but it similar to the Pink & Red in that it has green leaves on it & not like the purple one where it more one colour

I am adding 3 borders the 1st & Last are similar with a different one but still similar in the middle I will be doing the top border on the last one much wider than the rest of the ones in the last as I did this on some other quilt which was gifts & rather like it so wanted to do it for myself plus I think it looks good when it covers the pillows

I am going to back it with a flannel backing so it warm to the touch I got a wide flannel backing fabric from the USA at a good price a while ago knowing I would be doing myself a quilt as at the time I didn't know colour ect I went for a cream mottle effect 

I am hoping that I will be able to put the layers together soon so watch out for the finished quilt