The Three F's and a T.

A hodge-podge sort of fortnight, full of threads, fabrics, flour and family. 

• A random little patchwork project for no other reason than I fancied doing it. Started as a doodle, and then ended up as a near 12" square. Rather pleased with it too. If your wondering it's a quote from the Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland. A quote I can get behind "It's Always Time for Tea". Here, here!

• More thrifty finds - Went in search of shelving units for the bathroom and instead came back with some cheap reels of Sylko thread for my aunt, a rather lovely plain white linen table cloth for £9 and a thimble rack; no I haven't started collecting I have other plans for it.

• I love, love, love Nigel's Lazy Loaf - Lives up to it's name. Second week I've made it now. I have found I had to play about with the amount of flour as Sainsbury's only sell Buttermilk in 300ml not the required 350ml. And I don't like to buy more than I need. So chopped down the flour to 175g and I think it's worked even better this week. Either way, it's super yummy....and toasts nicely too.

• More adventures into Wonderland - The quote that I featured on the little patchwork piece is back again, and this time I've decided to embroider it. Currently work in progress. 

 

Can never find my white tissue paper, so pale pink was used. I tend to find it easier stitching a rough outline on linen that can't be drawn onto, rather than using the prick, pounce and paint method. It's quicker, well for me, and less messy. If your interested in the other method, my good friend, Jen Goodwin, has an excellent tutorial. 

Of, course my favourite stitch is back, trailing for the win! And there is going to be quite a bit of it. Can't help it.

See, I told you there was going to be more! You can just make out the start of a clock, with multiple hands. 

• Giving child marriage the finger! And you can too. Let children, be children. I have recently supported this campaign, and you can too. If you can't donate, but have a social media account, a blog even. Post a link to it. Spread the word. 

Tidy Up and Exciting Adventures Booked

Tidying up and getting things in place seems to be the general theme of this weekend. From finally pulling my finger out and getting the last of the hallway decorating jobs done, it wasn't really a sudden desire more the case I actually got the carpet ordered. 

So the woodwork is sanded now (thank gawd for liquid sander), ahead of priming and painting next week. 

Trips galore booked with my best mate, because having things to look forward to is the best thing ever. Firstly, we are going to... 

HARRY POTTER WORLD

HERE WE COME....Oh yeah, I am totally excited!

And, in July we are on a quilting trail which involves visiting three stores, with demos, goodie bags and cake. I will admit the latter swung it for me.

And, other than that it's working on projects again, picked up the little quilting patchwork panel, and have begun adding small details and tidying up. I am feeling that there is going to be a few embroidered details dotted about using the colours and the patterns from the fabric as inspiration. So probably cute little dots, flowers and simple shapes.

The compass piece I started is still about, just been musing on what I want to do with it still. But it will be making a return as soon as I get this blasted hallway finished....

So come on then, do you have any fab trips or adventures planned? Projects working on at the moment. 

Patchwork WIP and 2015 Projects

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all made it in one piece. 

I thought I would skip over a review of 2014 and just crack straight into what I've been stitching, cause frankly getting back to stitching and mucking about with fabric has really gone me into a happy place and got me in the zone for looking forward to 2015.

It feels so good to get back to stitching and working on projects that have had to put aside for months in order to concentrate on deadlines and so forth. The quilt I started last Christmas was brought out once more and I cracked on with putting together the last four blocks, tidied up the size so they were all an even 12" square, and then..finally started to add sashing! It really is satisfying that before I return to work next week that the major part of the quilt is finally, finally complete!

Working out the placement of the blocks...but changed it again before I machined the sashing on.

And as you can see the border is now on! Love, love it! It's not an overly complicated design but it's tested me for the first proper patchwork quilt I've put together. Really looking forward to sorting out the backing fabric, as I have so much of Petite Street Fabric and white left over there might be another larger patchworking on the back. Then I can get the wadding and then...then I can do some quilting. So excited. Okay, I know I wanted to get it done before this Christmas just gone, but still I feel fairly accomplished that I've got at least this far and from here on it's at least likely to get done by winter 2015 now.

It's not the only patchwork piece I've been turning my hand to, because I have a stupidly large stash of scrap fabric from the embroidery work last year, the quilt and so forth I like to every now and then just do a little hand sewn scrap quilt. No plan to it just going with the flow. In fact what started as a small square is now looking likely to be a long panel which I think might go in the bedroom to compliment the quilt. You can follow the progress of this here and over on instagram. 

I've also decided as this is the year to being creative as possible. Being creative makes me happy, and keeps me focused on that. So one thing I signed myself up for as a bit of a mini year long challenge is a project my friend Nini of Made By Nini has set up 12 page in 2015. I didn't stop and think as to whether or not to do it I just signed myself up and so not to backtrack on it I set about making my little 12 page journal. Rather cute if I do say my self and made completely from one box. The first prompt has been announced, 'New Beginnings, Friends and with a bonus of Washi Tape. I look forward to spending an afternoon working on my page. Again keep an eye on instagram. Oh, and if you are interested in participating, not to late to join, lots of folks from around the world are taken part.

Got a project your working on or planning to start?

I have some doodles in mind for future embroidery projects, as I am nearly ready to get back to doing some more intricate stitching.

Oh, and one final thing I have the sale still going on!

Heading to Farnham Xmas Fair

Christmas has properly arrived at Mason Bee HQ...as the new Christmas bee bauble has been designed, stitched and made up, well the first very batch at least. More will be made over the coming weeks, all the way on the run up to Christmas, reason being because I'll be at Christmas fair this year, not done one in...well a few years now.

I've just paid for my stall and with that bit of admin sorted, I can now announce (for sure) that I will be at the Farnham Malting's Christmas Fair this coming December. Which will be exciting and a touch nerve wracking as I do now need to start upping the anti with the making of stock, without getting too worked up over it. So...no pressure then. Thankfully, as mentioned previously I've been doing a little bit of planning over the last couple of months, and will be mainly concentrating on small items. Which was the reason I forked out for this little bundle of fabric. Can't beat the plain colours of Kona fabric. It's enough to make you smile.

So it's a short post today, mainly because I must crack on with the day, not only to get on with stock making but with the change in season, god I love autumn, I feel more in the mood for cooking. So lots of large vat sized portions of stew, soups, pies are on the horizon. Good, simple, tasty fare. So I hope everyone is snug as a bug this weekend. Do let me know what your up too! Also if your on instagram let me know, and I will be sure to follow you.

Time to Mention Christmas...

I know, I know! 

It's the middle of September and here I am talking about the one word that even makes me twitch. But I have to do it, I have to break it to you that alas I really do need to start to think about it. Like others in craft land its time to think about Christmas. Those who are better at working out that schedule have already started, and are well into their preparations.

Me?

I've dipped my toe in over the past couple of weeks and now it's time to cannonball into the pool of Christmas making. There is a good reason for this, I've got a fair in December, more on this soon, my first in over three years. I think? Memory fails me. Anyway, so whilst I am doing my utmost to remain calm and collected I do have to pull my finger out now. Now whilst I was in the States, I took the opportunity to purchase a few items (coughalotcough)...

Not only for playing about with, but to use for the fair in terms of decorating the stall to using to make stock with. I had a great time purchasing lots of lovely new quilting fabric (I will seek out a fabric store where ever I am), And I came to visit a couple of times, Flash Sew and Quilt store in Naples, Florida. It was lovely and holy crap there was a lot of fabric I wish I could have purchased. Next time, I'll bring and even bigger case...

I made a few notes about what I thought was realistic to make in the time and what I wanted to take. A few new ideas were jotted down, including a design for a Christmas card. It had to be stitched now so that I had time to get it photographed and printed in to cards. It was nice to do a spot of stripy trailing again. 

And it didn't take me that long either, which was nice. Was a bit worried I had gotten a bit rusty...

Anyway with it stitched I can now start working on the other bits and pieces on my list. I have two test pieces to try out one is the new Christmas bauble bee design. Last year it was a Queen Bee and this year? Well you'll have to wait and see. The other is just small little keyring idea, there will be bees...again.

Didn't start this weekend as it's been a bit busy as for most of today for instance I attended The Handmade Fair, with massive thanks to We Make London for my ticket. I entered a little comp they were running to win a ticket. And low and behold I only gone and won. Now, I'll talk about that adventure with the one I will be undertaking next weekend when I pop along to Threads, with Laura Howard aka Bugs and Fishes.

I hope everyone had a lovely fun, and crafty weekend.

Magazine Review: Love Patchwork and Quilting

As you know I am a little obsessed by my sideline hobby of quilting, its my go to thing to do when I don't really want to do any embroidery. Still keeps my hand in stitching just in a slightly different way. Some point I might combine the two and bring it into more Mason Bee things, I have done a little bit in the past but for now I am happy keeping it as a way to make things for me. 

I've been looking a lot lately at books and magazines on the subject for sometime to build up a bit of a mini reference library. Now I know I have mentioned several times over that I am not much of a magazine buyer, being rather fussy about it too. I have ones that I buy from time to time, and others that I have stopped buying all together as it was turning into an expensive coffee table habit; quickly read and discarded. 

So I was rather happy and surprised by how much I enjoyed Love Patchwork and Quilting mag. It's a rarity to find a publication that I want to read cover to cover and have a really strong desire to make the projects. Not just think about doing them but actually working out when I can do them.

As you can see from the two editions I have, lots of sticky tabs for me to refer back to, for little projects I am tempted to do, fabrics and bits and pieces for reference.

One project I have my list to do, and have already sourced the fabrics (one of which is going to be this delightful Koi print), and worked out the quantities for is this Hexagon Table Set by Elizabeth Bett. Been after some nice table mats for sometime, especially now that I have chairs for my dining table...it's taken a while.

I am having to keep myself on a bit of a tight leash so I don't end up buying loads more fabric before I've got even one project complete. 

But it is rather tempting and this magazine doesn't help...

What's in the Post?

I've been rather fortunate over the past couple of weeks to have oodles of yummy packages come in the post. Some of it is down to me ordering books, magazines and what not. I know I said I would talk about those books and mags, but I became rather sidetracked by the fact amongst those deliveries some rather lovely folks, that I am rather fortunate to know, have sent me some of the most wonderful sewing materials for me to play with. 

First to arrive in the post was these wonderful silk threads from the Silk Mill this came about from a discussion over on my facebook page where I was talking about Mulberry Silk was having a January sale. My friend Jen Goodwin, fellow RSN Apprentice, suggested I looked at Silk Mill, and very kindly offered to send me some of her spare skeins for me to try out. Byjove they are so utterly lush! So shiny and bright.

Almost too pretty to use, but use I will. I need to think of a project just for them. Having dug through and sorted out several boxes of materials last night...I know I have some rather lovely beads and crystals that would work well with them too. 

Several days later, Bridgeen of Cherry & Cinnamon sent me a package of fabric that she designed herself! There so ruddy awesome that they, like the threads, need a project for them or several...agh so many uses! You can check out Bridgeen's fabric designs over on Spoonflower. 

Now who doesn't love a bit of post?

Silk Threads and a Quilting Show

It's Sunday, so that means I get to catch you up on a few things. Firstly I have nothing to show for the quilt, the mini quilt as they have been put on the back burner this week whilst I worked on the latest project for Crafty. As there are just mini makes I'll be going back to them very soon. 

It has also meant that I have done much in the way of the cloud embroidery either, though I had ground to a halt on that whilst I sourced a few more threads. Threads which I picked up today. So spur myself and complete the samples for Crafty magazine, I nipped along to the Quilting show at the Farnham Maltings. My main reason for going was to go and see my favourite thread supplier, Mulberry Silks. I have been in dialogue with the lady who runs it, Patricia Wood, who very kindly was holding some particular thread packs for me to match to the cloud project fabrics. It was so nice to put a name to a face, and she's awfully sweet. Naturally I didn't just buy for one project, I also got drawn to another thread pack, which has me in mind for a potential future project to do with illuminated text and fonts. 

The show itself was interesting, but like with the last one at the Maltings I didn't stay long, it was busy, a little bit hot and sadly there was none of the rather lush quilting fabrics that I have been drooling over online were there. It was strange though I did notice that at lot of the fabric that was on sale was a similar tone and colour range, lots of muted colours and some of the designs were a little dated to me. Or it could just be I am incredibly picky.

Anyway, I take the time to have a look round at the quilts on display, and there were some stunning designs, and top quality work.I did take a moment to look round the quilts that were being exhibited and there were some amazing designs and amongst them I stumbled across one of my old tutors from Guildford College which was totally unexpected and rather awesome. She used to allow me to work in her classrooms because I was learning toward textiles much to the chagrin of my actual form tutor...oops.

All in all, a nice weekend. I must add that the threads weren't the only purchases this week, I have been going through a  phase of buying books and magazines on quilting. In fact I've even gone as far as to clear another shelf in my study to give them a shelf of there own. As I don't think it will be long till its filled. I will share with you what I have purchased on Wednesday, as the day is getting on and I still have instructions to finish writing. 

Oh there is one thing I mustn't forget, and near enough did! I've reopened my Etsy store this weekend, and as mentioned on Wednesday I have a number of items marked down. 

2014 - Welcome and Winter Projects

*Gives the blog a good dust down*

Hello folks and a very Happy New Year to you all! 

I hope you all made it in good health and spirits. Owing to my extended winter holiday I am very much still in high spirits and I find myself at long last in the mood to get cracking on with things again, whilst at the same time taking it easy. Part of this comes in the form of working on things that are for the flat. Projects that allow me to play with absolutely no pressure to get them done quickly. Perfecto.

So what have I been making whilst curled up on the sofa over Christmas whilst ignoring the bad weather, watching old flicks and generally eating my body weight in chocolate (still eating it now)....

I didn't actually make the Deer head over Christmas it was for a gift, but I couldn't show it off because it was for my mum and she reads my blog posts... She had her eye on the one I made for myself for quite sometime, and has had to be prevented from walking off with it on more than one occasion. So I finally got round to making one for her, and I have another to make now for my sister. You might recognise it to be a Tilda design for a deer version of a hobby horse, you can find it in Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle book. 

I also made this sleepy mouse over a course of three evenings, for my best friends first baby, I've called it Sweet Little William Mouse and it's yes another Tilda creation. 

Projects I have been working on whilst on holiday are as follows, the patchwork quilt for the bedroom, using Petite Street fabric and the Ruby, Opal and Pearl pattern. I've machined two of the twenty blocks I need to make, and I have two more pending. Currently awaiting another stash of the fabric before I start cutting out the rest (underestimated...typical). It comes together quite quickly, which is great as I really want to get on with the hand quilting the layers together.

It's not by any means the only quilting project I have on the go. I've started to make up the design I doodled in my sketchbook for a little while now, a small paper piecing art quilt. I even did samples for it, which for me isn't something I normally do for projects for myself but I wanted to try out the new thread and work out how I was going to quilt it. I eventually settled on the version below, which uses small running stitching and a thin wadding layer. The thread if your wondering is a rather snazzy Aurifil quilting thread, 100% cotton and made in Italy, colour number 4648. It's so lovely to use. It's prompted me to call this the Sunrise Quilt.

The pieces are 1-2" in size. So was a little fiddly!

I did have to unpick some of my stitching as I found I was going a little wobbly.

I will of course be posting little updates on the two projects over the coming weeks and months (in case of the large quilt). Quilting really is becoming very much my hobby of choice. Its both practical as I get to make things for the flat and keeps me stitching when I don't feel like embroidery. I also like it because it gives me a chance to learn new techniques. Techniques I am sure I will start to use in projects for Mason Bee a bit more, though don't expect to see a full blown bed spread any time soon. It took a long time to finish the last one and that was a hand-me down from my Aunt!  

Plus it gives me even more of an excuse to buy more fabric....*whistles*

Aside from the stitching and the quilting, I have also started working on Mason Bee related bits and pieces too, such as updating the website and even tided up the blog as I am sure you've noticed. I've gone for a much simpler design and deleted a lot of unnecessary pages and content. On the website I updated my about me page, removed quite a lot of the gallery and did a bit of tweeking. Main reasons behind this was that I realised how quickly everything was getting out of date because I either forgot to update or it was time consuming to do it. Sometimes pretty designs and layouts can be a headache.

Now enough about what I've been up too, what about you guys? Did you get a chance to work on any projects for you? Purchased or been given any lovely new craft related items? 

I've been spending most of my money on new clothes a necessary evil (hate clothes shopping!), but I did buy a new lamp for the workroom/guest room and as I said more fabric for the quilt and I've heard that Mulberry Silks has a sale on...