Espritpatch

My back has been playing up (again) so I haven't been very mobile lately. This meant that I couldn't do all the tidy up and cleaning I wanted needed to do. So I have listen to my back and sit down in the chair now and then, taking a rest hoping it will be better soon. While sitting down, I have been busy sewing some hexie flowers for my swaps. So yesterday a blue and white flower went on its way to Australia to Norma for the craft forum swap, these 2 pink and white flowers will be flying to Lisa in the UK tomorrow for the Inchy Hexie Swap and finally this blue and yellow friendship flower will be on its way to Elizabeth in Australia tomorrow too. And now for the giveaway: Although I haven't done as much sorting out as I planned, I have been started having a good tidy up and clear out of my craft supplies. I gave a whole bag to school yesterday with fabric bits, threads, buttons etc for them to use in craft or other activities. Today I found 3 kits which were given to ...

I don't know until when you are "young" enough to write to Santa but I thought I had been a good girl this year so I contacted Santa and Mother Christmas electronically with my wishes for this year. I'll see if they've read my emails come Christmas morning! The first thing I have put on my list is the 4 issues of Cotton Life (5 to 8) for 2011. I bought the first 4 issues earlier this year and although the magazine is all written in Chinese, it is well explained and easy to follow with lots of pictures. If you read Laurraine's blog Patchwork Pottery some of her designs have been featured in the magazine. You might remember from previous posts that I used one of my magazine (pictured above) earlier this year to make an "Autumn Bag" for a swap and a purse for Mr Cars. I have also asked for a few of the kits for the blocks from Quiltaid Europe 2011 , Whimsy and Wonder. It is the first year the kits are available in Europe, based on the Australian...

I have just signed off for the last Friday Night Sew-In of the year on Heidi's blog . It is organised for this coming Friday (9). Will you join? I, for one, have lots of projects I'd like to finish off before the Big Day so hopefully the FNSI will help me to focus and concentrate on what I need to do... See you there! Celine

I have signed up for another interesting challenge/project for 2012: the Crazy Quilting Journal Project which  starts in January 2012. The rules are simple, we piece one block a month - 6x6 minimum in size - and then embellish it during the month. It is an individual project but with the encouragements of the others in the group. The project caught my eye because I haven't done any crazy quilting for a while, despite having collected lots of supply over the years and also enjoying the process! Moreover, this is an easily transportable project as it is made of small squares that I might be able to leave around for when Baby has a nap for example (wishful thinking maybe!). I am hoping to be able to follow the challenge but because it isn't a swap, I know I won't disappoint anyone if I can keep up for a few months. If you are also interested in this lovely challenge, and in promoting Crazy Quilting on your blog/website at the same time, run over to the CQJP webs...

I have gone through more of the lovely siggies I have received over the last year or so and I am so happy that I have now catch up with everybody who had send me their little square, it feels so good. I am now catching up with people who emailed me to ask if I was interested to trade with them. Anyway, here is a picture of those lovely blocks I received, organised for me by Miss Strawberry Shortcake: I believe I have now received over 50 siggies from this swap, I will soon have to think what I could do with them! Celine in UK

Have you seen this great challenge that Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times  and Vicki Welsh at Field Trips in Fiber  are organising for 2012? If you want to play with colours and push yourself possibly outside your comfort zone, this is definitely one to consider. Vicki will create a new palette each month and we'll be asked to create and complete something with that particular palette. Sounds interesting? Want to play? Head over to Judy's blog to check the details and stay tuned until 1 January 2012. I will give it a try depending on the free time new baby gives me, if any! Celine

Finally my Advent Calendar for Miss Strawberry Shortcake is finished. I did put the last stitch in the binding yesterday evening before going to bed. It felt so good to sew a binding by hand as I can't remember the last quilt I finished, it has been so long. What felt good as well to finally re-use my big machine. My sewing table had been in such a mess that it was too much trouble un-burying everything to use my big machine so I have been using the small one only for a far too looong time. I have been trying very hard since I stopped work to tidy up a little bit everyday and decided that the Advent Calendar would have to be quilted on my big machine. I did free-motion quilting and although it is far from perfect, it was a great practice piece. So here is (it is now even filled with chocolates of course!): This was my second and last OPAM for November. Yesterday I also finished my framed hexie for Diane. She has a garden theme for her hexies and although I knew what I wanted to ...