today

In celebration of the date I thought I would share some of the Halloween projects I have made.

This is what I made at the very first workshop I attended, a small start for what has "grown " into a "big" part of my life over the years.

This is a tray cover I made, I was practicing my hand quilting at the time.

This is an early attempt at applique, I have learnt a lot since this one. I love the cat with the glasses!

 Hope you have a good time today....I am back at work tonight, hopefully not too many visits from vampires and zombies!!

Keep smiling
Diane xx

THAT hour!

WELL....we survived the extra hour last night...just!
It was a busy night so, the time went fast...tell you what...I was ready for my bed this morning.... no need to rock my cradle.

As the weather is NOT bright to day I thought I would cheer up this post with one of the sunflowers from my garden earlier this year.

Keep smiling
Diane

extra hour

Well, tonight the clocks go back an hour, MANY people will be in bed enjoying the extra time asleep...spare a thought for those of us who will be AWAKE for that hour! I will be at work all night. Hopefully the majority of our patients will be in the sleep mode..we will see!

Josh (grandson no 1) has been doing a project at school about animals and insects in the environment, with Sally and Blair going to Australia he has been talking about SPIDERS!!! So he decided to make one for his project....here it is

I am soooo glad they are NOT this size in life!!

Keep smiling
Diane xx

postman

I LOVE IT when the postman calls.
I KNOW I have ordered the goods.
I KNOW that I know what is in the parcel.
BUT I love to get a parcel....and open it to see and touch the contents.
The postman came here today....this is what I got.......

I will be working on some of my Christmas makes when I finish my rota of nights (fron Wednesday of next week)
Fun with a capital F!!
Keep smiling
Diane

news...good?

At the moment if I want to go to Hobby Craft I have to make an effort...the nearest to us is situated at Bridgemere Garden Centre and is a 20-25 min drive....so you see effort is needed........

                   NOW

I..........t has been announced that there is one to open in our local retail park....that's a 10 minuet walk!! I go at least once a week!! My poor bank balance......it will NEVER recover!!

On a festive theme I am including a picture of grandson no. 2 from last year....this is being kept in the bribery and corruption file!!...just in case you are confused (!) he was a ROBIN in the Christmas play!...gotta love em!!

Keep smiling
Diane xx

hot off the press

To-day I was going to be working on ....this

(I know it does not look like much...but...its the start of me making Christmas presents)

HOWEVER I went to quilt group in Congleton (Beartown) last night, first off we received our fabric pack for the Christmas challenge...make whatever you want...just make sure you use the fabric in the pack! Need to get my thinking cap on.....AGAIN!

Then, we had a mystery block make. ALL work done by hand, which is good for me because I am not a fan of the machine ...or The Beast as it is known here! Well I made my block...took it home ...and was not happy with it!

SO, what to do? I had arranged a SKYPE session with Sally ,so, while waiting for her I cut out and began to make another one...using The Beast....sometimes you just HAVE to. I was MUCH happier with this block .......SO........

instead of going to bed I made another one!! Which I like as well!

THEN I went to bed....and thought about the blocks I had made.

 When I got up this morning I was still thinking about them....I can get a bit obsessional at times! ....SO after walking the boys, and making our breakfast I carried on sewing.......NOW I have this

which when it has been embellished and "tweaked will be a cushion cover.......and  this

which again needs "tweaking" and embellishing into a wall hanging. The fabric on the back is some I "found" in my stash...its not what I was looking for ,but, its a good fit...and using it will create a  miniscule depression in my stash!

The centre fabric has to be folded and ironed to make the design...and I can add buttons and beads to enhance it. Will post when I have finished...mind you I am back at work to-night ( I work 7 on, 7 off) so they may be sat on the wall for a while.

Keep smiling

Diane xx

musical shows

BIG BIG thanks to Karen and Wendy for your welcome messages....happy dancing going on here!.....its exciting!

I love musical theatre, and. this year I have been lucky enough o go to see 3 fabulous shows.

FIRST we took grandson no 1 (Josh) to see SHREK the musical, we had a fantastic time...he is 8 and just the right age to enjoy the theatre AND all the jokes about farting and burping!!

It was a really hot day and we had been on the London eye previous to the matinee performance.....also just walked up HUNDREDS of stairs at the tube station!! That's my excuse for lying on the wall under the sign that I never noticed until we downloaded the pictures the next day!! ps...the ears were COMPULSORY!

SECOND.  Sally and I went to see my all time forever fav....Les Miserables...With the FABULOUS (in my opinion) Mr ALFIE BOE. I could not speak or think clearly for days afterwards!!!!!

Sally only went to Australia last week ,so this summer we tried to spend time together and do "stuff" off the wish list....sounds so much nicer than the "bucket" list.

THIRDLY (is that a word?) we went to see WICKED, this was the last one with us all together as Sally and Blair were getting ready to go to Australia...so I decided I had to make a wall hanging . (I finished it this last weekend...just too late to put in their baggage...OH well will keep the Post Office going I suppose)

 The colours had to be green and black...so no problem there.

I chose the snails trail/monkey puzzle block because there was a journey involved (in the show and for Sally and Blair) and, because there are monkeys in the show. The words are for Sally's fav song from the show......and the one she kept singing for days afterwards!

The fabric on the back has been in my stash for about 6 YEARS (!), I have not been able to bring myself to cut into it...but this is special SO I went for it. LOVE IT.

Now its finished it will be going to show and tell, and then, it will be sent to Australia. Another journey!

Keep smiling.                                                                                                                           

Diane                                                                                                                                       

2 in one day!!

I have been exploring what I can do with this blog....first off I have been playing with the backgrounds! Not sure it will stay like this ....BUT having fun
AND I discovered how to add pictures of the family    WhooooHoooo!
Mind you have managed to add MYSELF as a follower! Dont know how I did it!!
Looks good on the statistics Im sure! lol

Diane
xx

more inspiration

Sometimes inspiration comes to me from the time of year, or the holiday that is looming on the horizon...sometimes it is me getting inspired and making ...sometimes it is one of my quilt groups and we all have a go at making items.
.
I thought this might be a good way to show you some of the things I have made ....so...some of the holidays I have celebrated are;

These as you may guess are spring...they are tulips! We made them at quilt group in Congleton (Beartown)...that was a fun evening.

You may have noticed (!) that one of them has a pin holding the leaf in place...I'm getting round to finishing it! NO it wasn't THIS year we made them!! I have had a lot to do! Usually they sit on a table in my craft room ie back bedroom, so its a case of OH! I must finish that...then I get distracted....

You may have spotted Christmas next...this wall hanging was a challenge, again from Congleton. Christmas brings out all the glittery "stuff" LOVE IT.

Rudolf was an evening make...Congleton again...he was claimed by Sally (daughter) who wore him to work.....I got him back AFTER Christmas lol

I'm not sure how Halloween got to be after Christmas but hey ho! These little pumpkins were made by me and my 2 grandsons......well I made them and they issued "ORDERS" as to construction and placement of features!

This was the original pumpkin... they are all sitting on my hall table at the moment...safer than real ones with candles in....I can be a bit clumsy at times! 

That's it for today  

keep smiling

Diane xx 

                                                                                                                                   

excited!!

I am SSSSOOOO excited....I got a comment! WOW! How excited am I!! I never expected a reply so quickly!

NOW I HAVE TO CARRY ON!!

I was thinking about inspiration and where it comes from....I know where it goes!...thats another story

The family bought me a digital camera last Christmas, and , I think it must be one of the best presents I have ever received. I take it everywhere...yes I'm one of those who whips out the camera all the time! But I have got some great pictures....and I don't have to rely on the failing memory for inspiration!

This is a picture of a shop doorway in Llandudno...I wonder how many feet have walked over these tiles and never seen them? I wont necessarily use the whole design... but it has possibilities.

Rocks are a great source of inspiration...they just do their own thing and make up colours and patterns as they go along......I love to look at them.

This elephant was just sat in a park in London....I loved him for his sense of colour! His boldness and just for being there in an unexpected setting!

I am NOT a fan of vegetables,but, when I see them in the supermarket I just LOVE the colours and variation in pattern that they achieve.....fortunately Caroline (my sons partner) is a vegetarian and as they are on a tight budget they are always grateful for donations.....they do well out of me at this time of year!...you may notice these also match the colours in my curtains lol

Another squash....bit different colouration this time.

off for a cuppa now, and maybe a piece of toast....got to celebrate my getting a comment !!

Keep smiling                                                                                                   Diane                                                                                                            

First try!

This is my very first go at blogging on MY VERY OWN BLOG! I have posted blogs on TQS...cut my teeth as it were! But this is my first go on my own! Its sort of scary...sort of fun and liberating!
I have set this up so that I can share what I am doing, share any and all inspiration that comes my way...and to be part of a like minded community....fingers crossed.
I am sure that the family will creep into this and it wont all be sewing and quilt related...thats what they are like! Want to join in all the time...gotta love them!
My most recent quilt is a scrappy one....I am going to attempt to post a picture when finished, difficult to do with fingers crossed ,but, going to try!
!.....I love charm square packs, and over time have collected quite a few (!), so, I decided I would have enough for a lap quilt.... LOL ... it sort of grew and fits on a double bed!!!!
I did not quilt it but used buttons from mine, my mums and my (long gone) grannys button boxes......LOVE IT....also used some lenghths left over from a jelly roll.
In the picture Sally (daughter) and Blair (her partner) are stood on chairs! They were doing a lot of moaning about aching arms..but.. I had to get a picture...didnt I?

 WOW!! I did it ....Im not as technically challenged as I though I was...whohooo!
This is to show the buttons on the back.

 And the buttons on the front

Phew Im exhausted now! Off for a cup of tea and a lie down to recover!

Will return soon with more ramblings...hope someone reads and enjoys this !

Dianexx