Saturday 14 December 2013

11 sleeps 'til Xmas!

I have still been sewing the odd Flying Geese...goose/singular....this week,  but my spare time is getting less & less as we come closer & closer to Xmas! Lots of shopping for prezzies, lots of planning for "the big day",   oh and a bit of trial sampling of my Pimms- making- skills!!!!  I have been asked to provide said drink (is it a cocktail?) for lunch but I had never made it before.  I googled of course, and am now subjecting visitors - Glenys was the first!!! - to rate my results!  Turns out it's actually quite a pleasant & refreshing drink to help unwind after a hectic day, I highly recommend it!!  
I am going to the Playcentre Xmas party tomorrow, so have been busy making these...

A wee bit of a messy undertaking, but I'm sure the little ones will get the general idea!!! 

On to sewing ...
I have just ordered this, Luminaries pattern, it looks really lovely, don't you think? 
It does involve "precise measuring & trimming" , a wee challenge maybe but it's now definitely on my "to do" list for 2014!!!!

luminaries quilt


We are off down to the bach on Xmas day for a few weeks, so I did think I'd better get a little bit of sewing organised to take along too, you know....just in case!!!!!
Earlier this week I picked up my Zig Zag quilt that I left with Annette @ WildCotton  to quilt. It looks great. I chose a nice pinwheel pattern which I feel softens all the straight line HST piecing. I have cut off strips of fabric for the binding & have sewed it onto the quilt....and now I'll have something nice & easy to hand sew down while sitting out on the deck.


Also, just in case the weather turns really bad (which has been known to happen!!), I have decided to be prepared!!!!  I really love the Penny Patch quilts that are springing up everywhere....small scale prints, simple geometrics & florals...all looking very vintage-y!   
I am following Rachel's receipe over @ http://www.stitchedincolor.com/  quite closely as I do like her colour combinations and I have fabrics in my stash that resemble the look.   So I have cut a selection of fabrics all ready to go, just in case!!!




And I have hopefully discovered a helpful little item after reading Robyn's blog the other day, over @ http://robynppblog.blogspot.co.nz/ .
If you remember, Glenys & I are in the middle of one of Material Obsession's BOM "40 Shades of Grey" and we need to make these ridiculously teeny tiny hexagons....real soonish! I would normally tack around each, but Robyn recommends a Sewline Fabric Glue Pen, so I am going to try this out! So a bit more hand sewing for those beachy summery evenings out on the deck.



Here's the thing thou'   - Every year I always pack a few things that always remain untouched the whole time we are down there!!   
In all reality, I will probably just........
lie on the beach,
read lots of  books, 
swim,  
& cook lovely lazy meals  .... I can't wait!!

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and safe holiday.
See you all in the New Year.


                                                                                                                                         
                                            
 

8 comments:

wishfulthinker said...

Oh Yes the Luminaries pattern looks a bit of a challenge, but lovely outcome.
As for getting someone to quilt the finished product approx how much does it cost?
I saw what you did at the cut outs...yep glass of wine hidden in the corner, keep those edges straight :)
As for the beach, am taking supplies to the Mount but may not get too much done, depends on the weather, although forecast not looking great, so it could be inside stuff for me too. Hope you have a lovely time.

Megan said...

Love your little strawberries! We can compare our penny-patch quilts in the new year! I ended up adding in more low volume after your suggestion which has made it look more like the original, but still 'louder' than Rachel's.

Karyn said...

Yum ... what a good way to eat strawbs. Loved my sewline glue pen when making my hexies. Used about three refills, but will never tack again. I look forward to a new year update on the quilts.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

I have had a few quilts quilted by Annette now, price varies depending on size of quilt & batting. I have done straight line quilting on small baby quilts but am keen to try free motion quilting...need to practice first b4 tackling a larger quilt! L

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

The strawbs were a hit! All the penny patch versions I've seen all look lovely, and what I really love is the overall vintage-y feel about them! L

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Glenys has already made one tiny hexi flower!! So I have to give it a go 'cos we have this little competition going!!!! L

Julie said...

I never tried Pimms before - what fun being your Guinea pig for that. Your new quilt pattern looks lovely too. Looking forward to seeing your Penny Patch. Hopefully I will get to start my quilt once Christmas is over ... Have a fabulously relaxing time at the beach - may the weather gods smile on us all this Christmas:)

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thanx! have a lovely Xmas! L