A productive afternoon

This was my first success today. Despite making several mistakes and the loss of the last page of instructions I finally had a finished bag. Its called Bella by Melly and Me and it was supposed to be easy. Well it was I guess, but I just kept doing silly things. Then I put the borders on this BOM by Natalie Bird called Kitchen Kapers. I have been working on it for a long time. It's great to have it finished and I hope to have it quilted ready for the Scottsdale exhibition on the June long weekend.

This is a very old UFO and I have been working on the crazy hearts trying to get them finished. They will be appliqued to the quilt top after it is quilted. I did find the border fabric and hope to have it bordered and quilted soon.

This block using Rural Jardin fabrics was going to be a pocket for a bag, but I think it has turned out a bit too big. I will have to rethink it.

And this will be a quilt using the Eden range of fabrics if I manage to get it right. The 4th block in row 3 will have to be unpicked. Well no ones perfect, I will just keep trying!

The farmers wife and Dear Jane

Today we had our Dear Jane meeting. Well I think we may have got our dates crossed cos there was only Leanne, Christine and I. Maybe we will do it again next week!!! I made two DJ blocks and still managed to talk a lot. The largest block in this photo is from The Farmers wife and is called Butterfly at the Crossroads. I also made this today. I know I haven't got time and I shouldn't be starting new projects but the fabric spoke to me and I had to make it. The heart block is part of a needle book that will be an extra project for my French Medallion BOM.

My Garden fabrics and machines

These are the fabrics we have chosen to make Lynettes new quilt in. They look great with the threads that she has used. We still have a few buttons for sale. Can't wait til they come in.

New Janome machines in the shop. I have almost opened them all now.

Here are two of the owls Kim and I have made. They are from the moda bakeshop site.

Elephants

We have gone a little mad over elephants. I asked Kim to make one for a sample for the shop and she loved them so much she made several. Then the girls in my class wanted to make some so we had a night and made one each. I even made one cos my daughter said she'd like one (don't know when she will get it though!) They are a Heather Bailey design. Kim also made a tortoise from the same designer.

My Garden

As you will see I have just added a new logo to my site. (I am feeling rather clever.)
I am participating in Lynette Anderson's My Garden BOM.
Lynette has designed a nine part BOM and is giving it away with the purchase of a button each month from our shop. I will give more info shortly.

We have Janome sewing machines

They have arrived. Our new janomes are still in the process of being set up in the shop. I have only opened half of them and I can't wait to get them all fired up. It was a big decision to take on a Janome dealership and I am looking forward to selling them.

Another re-organisation is happening and on Monday we should be fully operational.

I am still finishing quilts - and won't it be great to sit in the shop and sew? I only need more hours in the day!

French Medallion finished.

I have finished the largest quilt I have made for many years. I fell in love with the French General fabric-Rouenneries. So I just had to make a quilt for our queen size bed. Mostly I make smaller quilts or samples and many have not been quilted.

It is shown here hanging at St Helen's over Easter in the Break O Day Stitchers exhibition.
And I even got a small viewers choice prize.
I did quilt it all myself even if it did say Leanne quilted it on the tag! Just a small goof but a lovely exhibition, congatulations to the organisers.
I think I am over this range now, after two bags, a cushion and two quilts. And that's a good thing cos Rural Jardin has just come in and another big quilt is in the beginning stages.