Tea and Toast

Hi everyone,
Time for another blog update. The star of the show being this beautiful pincushion which I received as a belated birthday present from my lovely friend Pat.
I understand this dainty china cup and matching plate is called a tea and toast set.
The pincushion design is from Blackbird Designs Christmas Garden.
It's a miracle this fine china made it all in one piece on the long journey from the USA to Spain. I would have been devastated if anything had been broken.
Pat really spoiled me as she also gave me the two latest Blackbird Designs books. A Schoolgirl's Work and For my Friend. I can't wait to start stitching something!


I've been doing some finishing and am happy to have finished the Stacy Nash Pears and Strawberries Sampler Sewing Bag.


It is stitched on 40ct linen using the recommended DMC threads. Fabrics are silk matka for the outer bag and checked homespun for the lining.



This little finish is a freebie from Patrick's Woods Designs and can be found here




Backing fabric is Pure by Sweetwater for Moda




Way back in 2008 (it doesn't seem that long ago but that is the date stitched on the piece) friend Sheila came over for the day. She'd stitched My Favorite Kitten Pinkeep by Primitive Betty's and she'd stitched it a second time for me.
We sewed our kittens up and then we spent a very messy time distressing them with walnut ink and stuffing them with sawdust.
I'm afraid I'm not into extreme prim and my poor kitty looked as though it had spent the night in a coal bucket! The sawdust wasn't a success either as it seemed to sink to the bottom so that the top of the kitty was very saggy.
Last week I decided to give my kitty a makeover. I took it apart, washed it and stuffed it again using a mix of toy stuffing and some soya beans to add a bit of weight. I think he looks a lot better now :)



I saw on this blog a SAL for a paper pieced pincushion. You just need to email Kris to request the pattern.
I don't think I could make a whole quilt using the English paper piecing technique but I did enjoy making this pincushion. It's a big sturdy pincushion and one I intend to use every day.



Friend Sheila came over last Wednesday and we went into Alicante to visit the quilt shop. The fabrics are very expensive and for that reason most of my fabric shopping is done online but it's nice to go to a shop to see and feel the fabrics every now and again.
Here's what I bought


I love the green fabric with the tiny sheep. A piece of blue homespun, two pieces of Sweetwater Hometown and one FQ of a sewing notions fabric.

I think that's about it for rhis time.
Just a reminder that if you are a noreply blogger I have no way of getting back to you if you ask me a question. New reader Barb asked me about the designs in my blog header but I had no way of replying.
Welcome to my new followers and, as always, a big thank you to my regulars and for the lovely comments that you leave.

Margaret

A Happy Sewing Weekend

Hi everyone,
Time for another update of what I have been up to lately.
The first thing I have to show you is this knitting bag. This is the Baguette Bag by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches the pattern was published in the Australian magazine Homespun.



Here's the back of the bag. Fabrics are Objects of Desire by Sandy Gervais for Moda Fabrics.


I enjoyed working with these bright colours. Here's how the bag looks inside



Next up is a little fabric basket that I'd seen on this blog and of course I had to make one.




Since I had to cut into two fat quarters of fabric I had to find as many ways as possible to use every last scrap and I managed to get a zippered pouch, a needlebook and a four patch pincushion so I think I did well.



The needlebook is a favourite pattern from the book Remembering Adelia by Kathleen Tracy
and the two fabrics I used were by Tanya Whelan.



Yesterday I spent some happy sewing time making blocks for a little quilt from this book which is another book by Kathleen Tracy



the little blocks are just 4 inches square and are a lot of fun to do




The pattern I'm doing is Little Red Schoolhouse and with the the exception of the red homespun the fabrics are by Thimbleberries.



The other thing I've enjoyed doing this Easter weekend is to bake (and eat) some hot cross buns. Well, they don't actually have a cross on them but otherwise they are the same recipe.



I made the dough in my breadmaker until it was time to add the fruit and then they were baked in the oven.
While the dough was being kneaded in the breadmaker I was in another room when I heard an almighty crash. It nearly stopped my heart and when I went to investigate there was the breadmaker lying in bits on the kitchen floor LOL.
It must have been kneading so hard it jumped right off the counter top with a force that pulled the plug right out of the electric socket.
I didn't know if anything was broken but I managed to fit the lid of the breadmaker back on. The dough was safe enough in the metal pan. It was actually halfway across the kitchen floor but happily the dough did not touch the floor.
I plugged the machine back in with bated breath and it started up again! Phew! Note to self to push it well back on the counter top next time.
Finally, a new book on my bookshelf is the latest from Lynette Anderson and shown with it are the beautiful fabric Secret Garden fabrics that I won on Sigrid's blog





Thank you so much Sigrid. I can't wait to make something out of the book using the gorgeous fabrics you sent me.

Well, I think that's all I have to show you this time. I'm sorry there is no cross stitch - hopefully next time!
Thanks as always for visiting my blog and for your lovely comments.

Margaret