birthdays

May is the month of birthdays - for Jo and myself. For Jo's we went out for snack where I had a monster of a hot chocolate -

- and a monster of a scone. Both were delicious! Presents were given and a good time was had by all!

Two days later I had what's commonly referred to as "a big birthday". Jo's card to me was ingenious!

I got some lovely gifts which all made me very happy!

We had a combined birthday tea with all sorts of good things. Yummm!

And Jo added some number candles to the cake. Yummm!

It's a good thing that birthday food doesn't have any calories, eh? 🎂 🤣

HST quilt and using up some stash

Last month, I showed a photo of a pile of half square triangles all ready to be made into a quilt. I'm delighted to say, I got the quilt made and I LOVE it! See:

Here's a closer view to show off the quilting. I used a rainbow variegated thread and a serpentine stitch - aka the wiggly line stitch! - through the diagonals of all the squares and along the black sashings. I am so pleased with how that looks. I will definitely be using that thread and stitch again!

On the back, I used a grey fleece from my stash. I don't have many of these left - I'll need to keep an eye out for the next sale of fleeces in Asda! They're really lovely as quilt backings and, if I wait for a sale, they're also a good price! Win, win!

Next, I made myself a new nightie. I didn't have enough in the length of the fabric to get the full length of the nightie but I managed to cut a couple of strips out of the sides of the fabric and just joined it on to both ends of the fabric before cutting the nightie out. It worked out perfectly which pleased me no end! You can see the join but that doesn't bother me one bit. Another piece of fabric used up for a worthy cause!

I made myself a vest for my holiday. I took a pattern for a top (with sleeves) that I knew fit me and adapted it to be a slightly longer sleeveless version. It's very comfortable and will, I'm sure be well worn in the heat of July in Canada!

I decided to dig through some of my stash and use up some bits to make some new oven gloves.

You can see in this photo that I didn't have enough to make the backs so I just joined bits together to make them work. They're only oven gloves, for heaven's sake. Who cares if they're patched together as long as they do their job?

Lastly, I had a piece of fabric that was big enough for a couple of pinnies and a couple of pairs of oven gloves so that's what I did. I love them!

I'm so pleased to have used up more bits of my stash although it never seems to go down very much. Might be because I keep buying fabric, maybe?? 🤪

pinnies, oven gloves and joined up bump

I had some of the faces fabric I'd used earlier for pinnies and oven gloves for myself and Jo so I used it to make more of the same. First off, a couple of pinnies for Debbie:

and a pair of oven gloves:

Then I made a couple of mini versions for Emily and Isla. I won't be posting these as we're visiting them in Canada in July. I can't wait!!

This next "make" is a bit strange but, honestly, I am so pleased with it. Every time I make a quilt there is always bump left over - the wadding used inside the quilt. It's always small strips or bigger strips, small squares or bigger squares, small rectangles or bigger rectangles. You get the picture. Well, I decided to join all my leftover bits together to see how big a piece I could make. This is what I ended up with. It measures 52" x 50" so big enough to use in a quilt. All made out of leftovers. And, when it's used in a quilt, nobody would ever be able to tell it was joined up bits. I feel like I definitely got something for nothing there!

I made up some half square triangles for a future quilt. I hope to be able to show that soon!

I told you last month I was knitting a cardigan for Isla. I got it finished and I'm chuffed to bits with it. I know it'll be a bit big but, apparently, that's how the girls like their cardigans so it should be fine!

So, that's my March makes. I wonder what I'll get done in April?

February's bits

I've been trying to get this post written since the end of February. So many things wouldn't work the way I wanted them to - specifically the photos were annoyingly fuzzy and I couldn't figure out why. Today, for no apparent reason, it all started working again! So I'm going to post this in a hurry just in case it all goes to pot again!

We started February with Douglas's birthday. Jo got him this card - soooooo brilliant! LOL

I found a recipe in my recipe file which I hadn't made before. I have no idea where it came from but I decided to have a go and am glad I did. These are sooooo delish!!

Here's the recipe:

I finished the stained glass quilt for Jo. I loved making this. It's such a happy quilt!

I always keep notes of how I made my quilts so, as this was a repeat, I looked back at my notes to see how I made the back. That saved me so much time as I just followed my own instructions and it worked out perfectly! Here's the label and you can see the yellow fleece I used for the backing.

Lastly, I made another smalls bag. I found myself getting annoyed at only having one when I might need one for lights (my bras) and one for darks (my tights) so now I have 2 smalls bags and don't get annoyed (at that) any more!

I'm currently knitting a cardigan for Isla. I'm up to the armholes of the second sleeve so nearly done. I hope to get it finished soon and make a start on one for Emily. I doubt I'll get Emily's finished in March but I should have Isla's ready for showing off in March's post. 🤞

makes for January 2025

I started the year by making a new smalls bag. The one I was using was beginning to show signs of over-use so a new one was needed. It's not particularly pretty but it does the job so that's fine by me!

I then decided it was time to put together the Squares and Chains quilt the blocks for which I showed back in November. This is the front - all made from the contents of my scraps boxes:

I LOVE it!

And this is the back with a label I sewed on my sewing machine. I was sure I could reduce the size of the font but I couldn't figure out how to do that so I just used it in this big size. I also should have balanced the lines better but, you know what, if anyone complains about it, I'll tell them where to go!! 😝

Jo gave me this faces fabric last year and I decided it was time to use it so I made a couple of pinnies ...

... and some oven gloves to match. Jo got one pinny and a pair of gloves and I kept the others. They've already been slotted in to the pinny/oven glove rotation. I LOVE them!

I'm now working on another Stained Glass quilt. I made this one back in March last year and decided I'd make another one this time for Jo.

All the squares and strips and sashings are cut and I've made a start to the blocks.

I'm loving re-making this one and I know it'll be just as stunning as the original one.

So, that's January done. How can a month of the year be gone already? 😵‍💫

the rest of December

I know it's not quite over yet but I thought I'd post the other things I've made this month - and last - so that I can start the New Year with a clean slate. There's actually not that much to show but, like every other person, I've been a bit busy with Christmas prep! LOL

First of all, I made Jo's diary cover. I make one each year for her and she seems to appreciate them so I suspect I'll keep doing that! For this year's one - actually, it's next year's! - I used calico for the outer fabric, the pockets and the lining. I used my embroidery machine to embroider a J on the outside and the year - here's where I got that.

This is the diary cover flat:

The inside showing the pocket flaps:

The front when the cover is closed:

The back when the cover is closed:

As you can see, I used a piece of elastic to close it this year - MUCH easier than faffing about with buttons or magnetic catches etc etc. The elastic also holds the pages at the one you're working on. I will definitely use this method of closing the covers in the future!

Next I made a Christmas stocking for a wee baby boy. I'd made him a quilt earlier this year which is being well-used so I thought a Christmas stocking would be a nice thing to make. I made it double sided so he can hang it whichever way he wants! I bet it'll be filled with lots of stocking fillers!

I put his name on one side:

And this is the other side:

I then made myself another Archer shirt. I LOVE this pattern so much. According to my notes on the pattern envelope, this is the 11th one I've made! And I have one more cut out and another ready to be cut out. Goodness me! I've definitely had my money's worth out of it!

So that's December done. No doubt I'll be back next year showing off all the things I've been making. In the meantime ...

things I made in November

I started the month with some quilt blocks. I can't remember where I saw these blocks as they've been in my "inspirations" folder on my computer for a very long time. The name I have for what will be the completed quilt is "squares and chains" but that didn't lead me anywhere when I tried to find out a source. Oh well, here are the blocks:

I haven't joined these together yet - I suspect that will be a January make.

I then made Douglas some pjs. He needed some new ones so I used up some of the tartan from my stash to make these for him.

They're already in the rotation and, more importantly, the ones that needed replaced have been taken out of said rotation!

Then I went on a dolls' clothes making binge! First of all a cardigan:

I tried it on Grace. She loves it!

I made another one exactly the same. I haven't shown it because, honestly, it is exactly the same!!

Next I made a couple of dresses out of old shirts of mine. The shirts had seen better days but still had enough decent fabric to make dolls' clothes so that's what I did. The fronts:

The backs:

Yet again, Grace loved them!

Then I wanted to make an easier dress - sewing dolls' clothes can be very finicky! I couldn't find a pattern in my stash that I wanted to use so I made one up myself. I am so very proud of these!

Grace tried them on. They don't quite sit right at her neck because I left her top on and it had a rose in the front which made the dress stick out a bit. Still, Grace loved them!

Next, Debbie asked me if I had a pattern for trousers for dolls. I didn't but I did have a shorts pattern so I lengthened that to what I thought would fit Grace then tried it out. It worked beautifully! (You can see the rose I talked about in this photo!)

Of course, I had to make 2 pairs of those!

Next I made Christmas ornaments for the girls. This has become a bit of a tradition now and that's fine by me! These are the bejewelled heart ornaments from Embroidery Library.

I always put their names on the back so they know which is which!

I watched a youtube video of how to make Christmas tree shaped napkins and wanted to have a go. I'd tried a couple of years ago using a different tutorial and they were not good but I thought these ones might work and they did.

I had to make another 2 so Douglas, Joanna and I could all have one on Christmas Day.

There is another thing I made in November but that's a Christmas gift so will have to wait to be shown later.

Normally, all of these dolls' clothes and the ornaments would have winged their way over the pond to Emily and Isla but Canada Post, in all its wisdom (!!!) decided to go on strike. So our girls won't have all the little bits and pieces I've picked up through the year for their Christmas. It's so disappointing. I sent Debbie money so she could get things from us but it's not the same. Thanks Canada Post!! How selfish could you be?

Oh, and I *think* I might have solved the problem I was having with the comments on here. Blogger, for some reason, wasn't sending me notification of comments so, unless I came on here and looked, I never knew if anyone had commented. Apologies again to anyone who wondered why I was ignoring them! Anyway, fingers crossed that's sorted now. I suppose I'll find out!

I hope to get back with my December makes before the end of the year. I doubt that'll be before Christmas so let me wish anyone who's reading a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you!