making stuff for ME!! Finally...

The last of my makes this month. This wee table topper was for my Mum (I did my first hand quilting with Perle cotton on it - fun indeed and very quick!) and matches...

...this roman blind I made for her new kitchen last month. It's Amy Butler Love fabric (it's the most fabulous GIANT print) home deco weight and was really nice to work with.

This weekend hhas been spent celebrating my spouse's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday, Al!) and playing with some of the hcarms I received in the Japanese charm swap. Yes, mine did arrive at swap HQ  and the ones I received are all just gorgeous! I divvied them up into 3 piles. Beige/neutrals, red/white/blue (and a green snuck in!) and all the pinks. The neutrals bundle I made into...

...a new table runner! Finally, something made that's staying in my house!

Those prints are just SO amazing. I wanted to keep them as big as I could without having them all square so HST's seemed the way to go. I originally planned a sharks teeth pattern (I dunno what it's proper name is but you know when it's all pointy along the top?) but the zig zags are one of my absolute favourite patterns and won out. Gotta love that Gutterman Sulky thread, too, it's just a bit thicker than normal and you really see the quilting. The binding is the Amy Butler Lotus spots which I dearly love - that was my last fat quarter used. *sad face* Solid is Kona Bone which is a really good, strong cream.

So the red/white/blue is going to be an ironing pad for my sewing room and I think the pinks may end up in a skull quilt for little miss Chookie. What an amazing idea for a swap!

a very happy mail day.

I nipped home in my lunch hour yesterdy to a red card from the postman. He'd left a parcel with my neighbour and when I collected it I couldn't figure out what it was. I wasn't expecting anything from the States, was I? And then I saw the sender's name. It was the delightful Dolores which meant it could be anything in that there box coz she sends the bestest stuff. 

Hmm. A t-shirt. Okay. (It's actually an uber cool Nascar one for the spouse!) It was serving as bit of protection for something else, though.

Lookie here. Is that a Breyer horse lovingly wrapped in wondrous fabrics? Why, yes, I do believe it is!

Wrapped in all these wonderful scraps (scraps?!?!? biggest bloody scraps I've ever seen!) along with a necklace, 2 bracelets, stickers and skull (skull!!) badges were...

...FOUR Breyer horse models. Now, for those not in the know, Breyer's are pretty much the Rolls Royce of model horses. They have proper competitions for them and everything. You know; turn out, tack, markings and all that. But apart from that, they are amazing fun to play with. Chook and some friends have quite a collection and Dee and her daughter Maria had made the umtimate sacrifice. Y'see, these ponies are four of Maria's own collection from childhood. How's that for generosity, eh? My gast was well and truly flabbered. And I knew that Chook of mine would be totally made up so I wrapped them back up in the box til she got home from the stables. Want to see?

Hmm....what is it, Mum?

It's not, is it? IS IT?!?!?

I think it is, y'know!

Breyers!!! If you enlarge that photo you may see some of the extensive muck she's picked up this week!

They have all been named. Left to right they are Casino Royale (Blackjack), Highland Mist (Misty the foal), Chocolate Bubbly Fun (Aero) and Virginia's Pride [not Delight like I thought, oops Maria!] (Ginnie). They have pride of place on her Breyer shelf and apparently one whole morning next week when I'm off is to be spent making them field rugs and halters. Rats.

Thank you so much, girls, you made a wee girl incredibly happy. She tells me they're "vintage" Breyers. Makes me feel kinda old.......or should that be "antique"?

confidence and responsibility the easy way

We bought Chook a pony loan for a week for her birthday. What that means is one of the riding school ponies becomes "hers" and consequently she's in charge of feeding, cleaning, general care as well as being able to ride when she likes. She has, as you can imagine, spent a lot of time up at the stable the past 2 days - I've been dropping her off before work and picking her up when I finish. She. Is. Knackered.

When I dropped her off this morning I had a few minutes to spare so followed her down to the field where the ponies are pastured to watch her collect Skye. It was a revelation, I tell ya!

This is the wee path down to the field. It was a beautiful morning, we've actually had some sunny days this week! Little miss is full of business.

The ponies weren't at the top end of the field, however. They were just about as far away as they could get! More marching.

Finally, after a chase and some galloping, Skye gets her head collar and lead rope attached. She's actually a very biddable pony and was beautiful after all her grooming yesterday!

And heading back up to the yard. Simples!

What was an eyeopener for me was how Chook is around the beasts. There were maybe another 8 or 9 ponies and horses crowded round the gate we came in. She just clicked her tongue or slapped their rumps or - on one occassion - shouldered them out the way SO confidently. Her chatting to Skye as she deftly slipped the halter on was really sweet (like they really are friends, which they are) and she was just so confident and sure of herself. She's quite shy by nature and it was amazing to see her so calm and strong. Especially since my sandals were making me a bit careful where I was putting them for fear of hooves and...other things. Like I said on Facebook earlier, it's very humbling to watch your kid do something that you can't!

lots being made...

..and none of it for me!

These wee Pacman and ghost pin toppers were to go in the Major Morgan pincushion for my partner in the I heart the Eighties swap. Reene has actually received my package (I think she liked it - she has made a lovely blog post today so it sounds like it!) which is nice. Another swap finished. I mean, I've not recieved mine yet but my part is fulfilled. My parcel for the Japanese fabric swap hasn't arrived so that could be a lost cause. Shame. :0( There was some mutterings on Flickr asking for a tutorial for these fimo pins - really? Would anyone really be interested?  They're easy to figure out but if you want ...

An old friend's Mum was diagnosed with a terminal illness earlier in the year. Now this lady was my "other Mum" when we were teenagers and was a fabulous knitter. She made the Chook a whole pile of amazing wee cardies when she was born. I started to make a lap quilt of sunny stars but her illness took her from us much sooner than anyone anticipated and I only had one block made. My friend's birthday is on Monday and I made the one finished block into this wee cushion. I think she liked it. She seemed to, anyway.  I love the saying "friends are like the stars, just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there" so it was a fitting bit of symbology, I thought. Plus, it matches her living room. *grins*

And finally. Another friend had a baby boy last week. Her last son actually owns my very first EVER quilt - a pram one (I'll do proper linkies in the finished post an' all)  and she said she'd like another for her new baby. The last quilt? Was black and scarlet. She has unconventional tastes. And after being directed to Boo Davis' creations by Hadley at Flying Blind I've been dying to make one of these.

Ha haa!!! Her new pram is bright green and black. And, of course, now Chookie wants one of these in pink. I cannae wait to get it quilted and bound!!

Menorca in pictures (photo heavy - sorry, Dee!)

So, there was cartwheels on the beach at Punta Prima...

...that water looks kinda cold, y'think it is?...

...ooh, yeah, it IS!...

 ...turning nine birthday portrait...

...please don't set my hair on fire!!...

 ...tiny ponies...

...shopping centres inside converted convents...

...windswept and interesting at Fornells...

...the prettiest haciendas all over (this is just outside Ciutadella)...

...fun in the pool (Dad throwing Chookie)...

...beachside feet washing...

...BIG ponies (Menorquin breed horses)...

...more fun in the pool (Chookie throwing Dad)...

...and glorious sunsets over the teeny lighthouse.

Back next year? Highly likely!!

Ola!

Hi hi! Home from Menorca, knackered, washing done but not the ironing, the longest day ever at work. How have you all been? I planned to keep at least some finger in the blog fish bowl but after discovering just HOW expensive roaming internet is (despite having a prepaid amount already) I was pretty much cut-off from the Blogasphere all of last week. I'll never get caught up but I trust if there's been any major excitement someone'll let me know. Right?

I've spent several hours this evening editing the, quite literally, hunners of photies I took so I'll maybe share a few in my next post (there's even one of me in *gasps* a bikini!) but I have some more important things to impart right now. You know, stuff of a fabric variety. 

Firstly, and most importantly, I finished the Major Morgan pincushion for the I Heart the 80's Modern Sewing Swap on flickr. Where the card goes on the actual toy? That's a wee needle case. I was pleased to have the selvedge number brainwave and I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out.

I've a few Fimo pins to finish and he's ready to go. Hopefully by the end of the week he'll be on his merry way.

This wee bundle is already on its way as my part of the Japanese Import charm swap. Glittery Alice in Wonderland by Kokka. I couldn't resist it.

But my incoming mail hits all of that out the park. I'm in the Brit Quilt Swap and I found out a few weeks ago that my poor partner has had an operation and can't use her sewing machine. So my doll quilt was going to be late - which is totally okay. Y'know, I'm always big on the "it's only fabric" philosophy. But bless her, she's sent me some wee extras in the meantime!

Beautiful perle cottons in my very favourite colour combo and - do you see it - a charm pack of Picnics and Fairgrounds! I haven't been able to bring myself to cut into my fat quarter bundle I got a few months ago. This way, I can still play (I see a new table runner in my future!!!) and my bundle is still untouched. And that is called having your cake and eating it! Thank you so much, Rachael, and take care of that knee (it's got bolts in it, y'know!)

Nine.

We're on holiday in Menorca and the Chookie is having her ninth birthday. Where does the time go? Happy Birthday, baby!