Nature on the doorstep

As I sat in the dining room I heard a lovely bird song and when trying to find the bird I noticed a male sparrow sitting on the telephone wire and he had an enormous beetle in his mouth and who was putting up a real fight.  Grabbing the binoculars to watch the drama unfold it was entertaining watching the sparrow desperately trying to get it into a position where it was could swallow it but it was far too big and he dropped it.  He immediately swooped down and found it and alighted onto the fence where he was able to use the fence to help dismember and take apart the beetle to eat it. 

I also spotted the bird with the lovely song........a blackbird who knew they sound so good.


Who needs David Attenborough! 

Hexie hell or hexie heaven

Many months ago I joined a sewing hexie block of the month.  I bought the book and then I sent off to the USA for the templates and papers for piecing (I must have been flush with money that month). 

It has almost driven me potty, making the hexies is fine but I hit a brick wall when it came to fabric selection both colour and pattern and I just haven't been able to get back into it. This still had another 2 rounds of hexies to be joined on.  One day I might go back and finish that block and turn it into a 3ft cushion.

I look at all the blocks people have done and they are stunning as individual blocks however folk are now posting theirs all joined up and there are far too many colours and patterns for one quilt and many look nasty. 

To hand quilt or send away?

Having moved into a lovely little cottage in the countryside I wanted a place where I could sew in peace and not have to put everything away when visitors arrived. So I decided I would adapt the guest bedroom into a sewing area which could also be used as a bedroom if need be.

Under one wall and window it was decided that this would be the main sewing area, so a workbench, drawers, small cupboard and shelf was  fitted all on one level.  This is where the sewing machine sits with wonderful natural light through the window. 

Next- It was decided the double bed would remain on the chimney breast wall and in the next alcove would be my fabric storage.  The fabric had always been stored carefully in large plastic containers that were stacked one above the other however every time I wanted to make something I had to move the containers and open each one to find the 'right' fabric.

So here is my sewing room:

Biggest one so far

You know that feeling when you have started something and as it progresses it just feels to be getting better and better?  Well that is the feeling I have had  while making this double bed sized quilt.

Such is my attachment to it I am torn what to do with it regarding quilting it.  To hand sew?  Machine sew? And if machine sew do I try and do it on my little Pfaff at the risk of messing it up badly or do I send it off and then it isn't quite all MY work?

Oh by the way I am a very inexperienced free motion quilter. See, already I am talking myself out of machine quilting it myself!  I do that often, you may get used to it.  lol.

So tell me what you think of it so far.

1st Blog

Machine sewn quilt made for my neighbour and their new born baby.  The amount of times I had to unpick due to managing to flip the material the wrong way round. Still a good learning curve for me. 
Completed January 2015
Quilting technique used was -Stitch in the Ditch
Fabric used was fat quarter pack from Hobby Craft
Sewn on a Pfaff Passport 2.0