Espritpatch

Last month, I finished piecing the top for the BQL challenge on the wire at the last minute (and I made it the wrong size) so this month I started to piece early (first week of October I think). I hadn't posted a picture yet because I thought I would have time to quilt it before the end of the month but... Here we are again, the month will end in a couple of days but I won't have chance to quilt my top by then. So here you are a picture of my "fall 3D pinwheels" for the challenge proposed by Kandy at A break, at home... . Very effective block, I like making it and I like the way it looks. OK time to prepare dinner for the family before I go out for my gym class... Celine

I now know that my little bag for the Friendship Bag Swap that Michele at the Quilting Gallery organised has arrived in the US so I can now post a few pictures. I have also finished quilting the little Christmas panel that I had bought earlier this month. I went for the all machine option by sewing the binding front and back by machine. I really like this panel it is so cute. I am also finishing my Angel Swap goodies that I will probably post abroad at the week-end as we have lots of postal strikes at the moment here... More on my other occupations later... Celine

I have just realised I haven't posted anything since last week, time flies! I suppose I haven't been very productive on the sewing front this week but it has been as usual a very busy week and I am glad I have today off work! Even more since I discovered that I can't even read my favorite blogs during my lunch break at work, access to blogs is sadly now barred :-(( Anyway I sent to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Alexandra Palace last Saturday and had a very enjoyable day once I finally got parked (wasted 2 hours of day for that...) I am proud that I didn't buy too much but still found some lovely things I couldn't resist buying. After my acquisition of the Gingerbread panel last week, I was browsing on the Marcus fabrics website and came across a lovely Teresa Kogut panel that I was so delighted to find on Saturday. So another lovely acquisition! I also bought a lovely pattern from Brenda Walker to make some snowmen/women for the kids and just a little bit of f...

Yesterday evening was the AGM of our patchwork group Log Cabin Quilters . I took some hand sewing projects with me but... I didn't get anything out of my bag because we had a visit from Joanna and her partner Steve who opened a new quilting shop The Crafty Quilter in Barton-Le-Clay at the end of August. They came with some yummy fabrics and lovely threads to tempt us. The sales table was very crowded for most of the evening... I haven't visited her shop yet but I should do so when I will get a bit of time... Anyway, she had a very lovely gingerbread panel: How cute is that? Today I managed to finish piecing my quilt for the BQL october challenge. How early! I still need to quilt it and bind it but at least the top is done long before the deadline. I'll post a picture soon. Tomorrow I have a day out at Alexandra Palace for the Knitting & Stitching show. I don't knit but I am sure it will be a great day regardless. Oh yes and last night before I went to the AGM, I ...

What can you do when you have no power in the evening? I went to a gym class last night and came back just in time for dinner. After putting the kids in bed, I thought I'd have a nice and relaxing bath when bang! No more electricity, all is black and quiet. The whole street and further was affected. I didn't think it would be lasting for too long but here you are no electricity from about 8.30 pm until 10.30 pm. That means no computer, no blogging, no sewing, no reading, nothing really but an early night for a change... How do people cope when they don't have the basics, we take so much for granted these days it's almost frightening! Celine

As I hinted in my previous post, yesterday was a lovely and busy day. I managed to piece 2 table runners: a Christmas one for us. The squares I used in the centre are the same one that I used for the Scrappy Christmas blocks swap I did in August. and a close-up at the fabric: and a Cat one, which will probably be a Christmas present for my mother-in-law. I bought the cat fabric a few years back to use the square to make postcards and I have made... one card to date! and a close-up at the fabric: Of course there are not finished but I enjoyed making the tops AND I used all fabrics from my stash which is quite nice. Today I went to an exhibition held by the Icknield Quilters Group . It was really nice with a good variety of lovely quilts. I was very impressed by a quilt made with Dear Jane blocks from 4' to 1' (no, it isn't a typo). Can you see the 4 blocks in the center of star, they are 1' each. I am sorry I can't remember the name of the lady who made it ...

This week was also the deadline for the BQL challenge. To get the next password a picture of the finished quilt (at least the top) has to be posted on the BQL website by 30th of the month. So on Monday I started planning how I was going to do this month one, which was a play on dark and light with log cabin blocks. I choose blue and brown colours and decided to do 4 triangles in my square: 2 blue (1 dark, 1 light) and 2 brown (1 dark, 1 light). I frantically sew my blocks Monday and Tuesday night before bed time to meet the deadline. The finished quilt is a 12' square but unfortunately when I calculated the sizes of my logs, I forgot to take into account that there are some on each side of the center square so my quilt has come out about 18' square. I might use it as a cushion I think... Anyway, here is a picture of my quilt top (it is not quilted yet) And I am some glad I made this one on time as this month challenge is awesome. Hopefully I'll be able to get it started soo...

Laurel has received my hugs so I can share a few pictures now: Thanks to Jenny at Elefantz and Paula at Sew Little Fabric for the original designs. Celine

I have a few pictures saved on my computer that I haven't had time to share with you yet. Where do I start? Maybe with the lovely swaps I have received lately. First I received my hugs from Laurel and they are so cute. She had emailed me to ask if I was more a tea or a coffee person and that made me wonder why such a question? Look below for the answer. Thanks so much Laurel I am really pleased with my giftie . Then today when I came back from work was a lovely package from the USA waiting for me. Inside I discover a very pretty Friendship Bag from the swap organised by Michele at Q uilting Gallery . I love the colour combination that Becca has used. Plus she sent me some goodies including a lovely scissor charm that she made me. I am so lucky! Can you see the charm hanging out of the bag? I am guilty of not having finished my bag to send away yet but it will be ready very shortly. I have chosen a different color combination than Becca. Hope the bag I am making will be as nice as...