Novella - time to finish

Novella fabric... It's different, its multi coloured... And I wondered what I was thinking...

So I cut some up into squares and played... (squares and Novella strips are 2.5" - chocolate strips are 1.5")

And realised that it all works together... I mean it should as it is a range... but it really does.

So I kept going for a while and ended up with a quilt top. Which means I had to make a back.

(If I can I will try and use all my leftovers on the back). The spot is not part of the range but works really well.

And now I have picked the binding - again not part of the range but I do love using a stripe on the binding.

I might just add that it was suppose to be quilted in January .... then it turned hot - really hot - so it has been put on the cool weather pile.

Oh well, on the next thing ..... Happy stitching!

What about a set of placemats for you???

I dont know about you but I feel like I have Festive Season jet lag.... I am still trying to catch up on all the things I was suppose to have finished before Christmas but....

Anyway... ages ago these came in...

There are four fusible placemats in the pack and they are the perfect size.

So I decided to do something with them using Sunrise Silhouette panels for the front....

and Sunflowers for the back... Both these fabrics as well as some others are on sale at 25% off on our website

But then promptly sold them all before I got a chance to tell you about them (and finish them).

Now they are back in stock and are great to play with.

Have fun!!

Hope 2014 is everything you wish it to be (notice there is no mention of resolutions here!!! I have made a resolution to ban resolutions!!!!!!)

And to you a safe and happy festive season

So that time has arrived again...

Most of the presents are bought and wrapped!! Usually we are wrapping until the wee hours of Christmas Day but we have managed to get them done....

Family gatherings are planned and (almost) catered for...

One final thing to do...

Wishing you all a

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Take care
Threadneedle Craft and family
XX

Christmas Quilting - Not two words I would usually put together

Our local quilt group is called the Spa Quilters.  A lovely bunch of creative ladies that have so much skill and knowledge I try to go and just gather information on how to do things.....

Each year there is a challenge and the decision was make to make some thing Christmassy..... You could say whether or not you would go in the challenge in March. We were given a piece of felt, some ribbon and two pieces of fabric.

Yes I did say I would do the challenge in March.......

Suddenly .... it is the start of November (that is roughly when I actually started this)... and it is due to be finished by the end of the month....AARRGGHH.... What was I thinking???? Where has all my time gone. I couldn't back out... the threat of having to judge the challenge loomed....

And of course I could do something simple but no - I planned what I would do in October (when I still had heaps of time).... so I had to work out how to make a hole in a quilt....(hellooo google...)

Well now you can see it - almost done.

If I am feeling brave (insane) there might be a bit more going on it but basically it is done...except for the stitching, finishing the binding, trimming the threads........ yes I know, back to work.

Anna Tunic

I have knitted a few things of late but something I haven't done for a very long time is sew something for myself....that I will wear and enjoy.

Like many, I didn't enjoy sewing at high school with the "though shalt sew straight lines until they are straight!!!" approach .... But when I started working I couldn't afford all the clothes I wanted.

Purchasing my first sewing machine at 20 (Mums old and heavy Singer was on loan for ages) I started sewing clothes for both myself and some friends....

Then.... nothing for a whole lot of years (ahem we are not going to say how many....) The odd mend or two with a few curtains and cushions thrown in, but basically not much. More hand stitching that was portable.

But now I have finished the Anna Tunic designed by Amy Butler in Collage Bird Dot I can see a whole bunch of clothing happening....

The Cherry Blossom Princess

I was hoping that this would have been available for the School Holidays but unfortunately it came in just a bit too late to add to the collection of activities.

We did Owlivia a while ago and that was hugely popular...

So when the Cherry Blossom Princess was shown to me I had to bring her into our shop...

If you look closely you will see that at this point she was a little bit pinny!!!

But I do love that details they have included...

So here she is in all her glory - de-pinned and thoroughly finished... (I am on a roll finishing stuff!!!)

Guess How Much I Love You....

I have talked about this on Facebook and Twitter but I thought I should show the Guess How Much I Love You quilt that I made very recently.

This is the quilt to before it was quilted.  It sat there looking at me for a couple of weeks and then I thought I really should get on to finishing it.

I don't know about you but I think this is a lovely story and have read it many times to my two boys.... In fact my oldest (who is now taller than me at 13!!!) saw it and simply said... "Mum... to the moon and back!!"

 (I am guessing if I tried to read it to them now I would get an extreme eye-roll or "Can't you see I am on the playstation/playing minecraft/etc/etc !!!!!)

The fabric is available at our on-line shop (the backing fabric is also at our shop but is not online and not part of the GHMILY range).

And no, I don't have the book available for sale... too many memories in mine..