A Finish

I was full of good intentions as the week started but I am afraid lots of other things got in the way.  I really need some me time to sort my head out and catch up with my admin, sort out my computer, take some quilt photos and generally get myself back on track. I have managed a bit of hand stitching this week though, the binding of 'All Churned Up'.

I finished my hand stitching of the binding on this churned up 15 minutes of play quilt last night and I am really pleased with the result.  Although as you can see I decided to add a few more lines of quilting stitches.  The label is attached and so I have another quilt ready for Marie Curie Cancer Care fundraising.  One of the ladies who nursed Mum last year, has kept in touch with the family.  She is organising a few events herself over the next few months and will use some of my quilts either for fundraising, or at my request she may give them to someone she is caring for, to give a little layer of warmth and cosy comfort.  I know how much Mum liked hers.

Do you remember this?  If not have a look at my first post and here

Over the last year I have been sewing together some more scraps and have produced a Mark II version.  It is very similar but will not be the same.  This time this one I will part with and it will be sold for Marie Curie!  Here is a sneak preview.  

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I hope to get it finished by the end of June the anniversary of Mum's death.  Any offers just drop me an email.

I have managed to organise some dates for the syllabus for class next session and we welcomed two novice quilters to class on Tuesday.  Quilting is such a fun pastime (when you have the time to do it). We are very lucky to have the facilities to allow us to meet regularly and discuss and share our talents with each other.  Our class can be busy and a bit noisy at times but we will need to try to be a bit more organised to accommodate everyone.

It's been a lovely day today and lovely to just sit in the garden for a while.  Have a good week.

Update on the Athletes

Just to let you all know Ian and Eilidh pulled out all the stops this morning and completed the Edinburgh 10k finishing with great times.  Ian crossed the finish line at 50.33 minutes and Eilidh just a short distance behind in 56.44 minutes.

We are all extremely proud of their efforts and their fundraising for Marie Curie Cancer Care in memory of their Gran.

Almost Back to Normal

I am pleased to say life in the Mackie household is starting to return to normal - whatever that may be.  We still have lots of sorting and clearing to do, but that will all be done in due course.

Quilting activities are returning albeit slowly.  I think it takes time to get your enthusiasm back when you have been away from your familiar sewing area.  Well to get myself going again I decided to just do a tidy up, sort some scraps, rearrange my notions and threads, tidy my desk and next I will be sorting out my quilty photos to make sure they are in the correct folders on my computer where they should be.  How many of you out there actually keep a proper record of your quilts?  I have always kept a photographic record of all my quilts and label each one, right back to my very first one.  Recently I have started keeping a notebook, detailing fabrics, amounts used, time taken to complete and the approximate costs.

 

My First Quilt - 2006

Oh dear when I look at it now there was definitely room for improvement.  This little table runner was the product of a beginners class I attended way back in 2006.  Now I think about it, it is the only quilting class I have ever attended.  All my knowledge has been picked up by reading books, magazines and the internet and of course listening to like minded ladies and picking up their tips.  It's great to be part of a group where tips and ideas can be shared. I have also learned by my mistakes.  As you go along you find easier and more effective ways of sewing and cutting, all part of the fun.

You may remember the 15 minutes of play blocks I mentioned in a previous post.  Well here is another of my efforts using the churn dash block.  A really good way to use up all these leftover scraps from your previous projects.  It's also good to share and swap scraps with fellow quilters.



As promised a better photo - although I do have a bit more of the binding to finish

 

Last weekend our elder son took part in the Strathclyde Park Triathlon and was pleased with his times.  This week he and my niece are taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival running in the 10k in memory of their Gran who died almost a year ago.  They have both been training hard and are looking for sponsorship to help them on their way to the targets they have set themselves raising funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care and the wonderful ladies who looked after Mum during her final months.  Read their stories here and here.  I am so proud of them both and wish them well in trying to do their personal bests for a very good cause.

 

  We are all supporting

 

 

Have a good week enjoying all the things you like to do most.

 

Normal Service Will Resume ASAP

Unfortunately interruptions happen.  Life and death get in the way.  There has been no time for quilting, knitting or anything crafty this week due to an elderly family member's bereavement.  I have been busy doing other things and helping with arrangements.  I will be back soon.

First Picnic of the Summer

 I certainly have high hopes for many more days like it over the next few months.  Friday was another lovely day and hubby and I decided that we should have a day out.  Lots of things are tying us to home territory at the moment but we had a window of opportunity to have a day out.  We are very near the 'The Borders' so we set off on our drive with a view to visiting a little further afield than our usual jaunt.  However we stopped in Peebles our favourite place for a short day trip and needless to say didn't get any further.  A pleasant time was spent viewing shops visiting the butchers, the bakers and not the candlestick makers but the shoe shop.  Good old retail therapy.

We had our picnic lunch on the top of the hill just outside the town overlooking the Manor Valley.  I couldn't resist a photo of the view.  A group of ramblers also stopped to admire the scene and have a rest having climbed from the path along edge of the river. 

We sat in the sunshine reading before heading back stopping for the delicious obligatory ice cream at Biggar.

Sewing has been a bit curtailed since Wednesday.  I managed only one Toes in the Sand block and one scrappy Churn Dash.  I don't think I will manage much the is week either as it looks to be shaping up to be a bit busy here.  Not to worry I might manage to sit with my feet up and knit - no concentration required for that.  

Have a good weekend. 

The Still of the Evening

I have just sat down at my cutting table and looked out into the garden.  This is the view I see each time I do some sewing.  The colours always pop at this time of night and as you can see the rhodedendrons and acers are just coming into their prime.  We have had a shower of rain today and everything looks so fresh and vibrant.  Wouldn't some of these colours look lovely in a quilt.

I have been tidying my lucky dip boxes this week.  These are boxes which hold my pieces of fabrics which are a little more than a scrap but less than half a metre.    Four or was it five boxes looking a jumble like this.

A bit of a mess - how could you find anything in this box

.................and ending up a bit neater like this

Not quite finished - they are not in proper colour value yet

 

Hopefully this will make me more inclined to use up some of these smaller pieces - then I can move on to my proper stash which maybe I will show you sometime in the future.

I am now about to sew two more 'Toes in the Sand' blocks tonight.

Till next time.

Catching Up

This weekend the boys are busy.  It's a golfing weekend for them!  Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a sporty person and I'm afraid I am not really interested in the sporting activities that go on in this household.  Don't get me wrong I am pleased that the boys enjoy and are fulfilled by their sporting events but taking part in conversations of hole by hole accounts of golfing attributes, football teams and ice hockey transfers over the dinner table just makes me switch off.  This weekend Techie has been golfing both days and hubby has gone off for a long weekend break with his friends to hit the little white ball around a few courses in the Spey Valley and Inverness area.

Not to be outdone the wives of the golfers decided we should have a treat too.  S planned afternoon tea at the very prestigious golfing venue for the Ryder Cup this year.   We had a lovely afternoon, we did have a little browse around the golf shop for J but that's as far as the golfing for the ladies went. It was good to catch up with news of our families over a leisurely afternoon tea.  Unfortunately poor F missed out on our treat as she was feeling poorly but we all agreed we would not wait so long for the next time!

So as far as the sewing goes - not a lot has been done since last time.  I did manage a couple more of the farmer's wifey blocks.

At some point today I hope to do the trial for the last BOM.  This one will complete the set.  Now it's over to you ladies of the class to come up with your very own layout and complete the top for the first Tuesday in August, when we will bring them all together to see the result of our very first Block of The Month Project.  I am really looking forward to seeing all the colour combinations and settings.

That's my 15 minutes up now so I am off out to walk around the garden to see how all the little plants are growing, then into the summerhouse for my morning cuppa.

Have a good day!