CHARM ABOUT YOU

Ok there's not actually a disco but there's loads of panic!!

I've not packed ONE thing for the Fat Quarterly Retreat and I'm getting on a train to the big smoke tomorrow... help.

Actually the best solution is probably to get off the computer and go and pack everything I can find into the smallest case possible... first I want to quickly show you two amazing things I got in the post this week.

Today I went to the sorting office and picked up my beautiful name tag from Sarah (who had sensibly and kindly sent it next day delivery at the beginning of the week but I was out and I couldn't collect it until today!).



I adore it!! It's so pretty, the hexies are awesome and the stitching is beautiful. So neat!


Ok I'm going to go do what needs done and pack my **** up!!

Have a great weekend and if you're going to FQR see you Saturday, I'm the one wearing the cute hexie charms name tag!! :)

Lucy x

There is certainly a lot of smiling people around! Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my Sew Mama Sew giveaway post, I really enjoyed reading all your comments and was astounded by the response.


I really appreciate all my followers and welcome to those of you who chose to follow this week!

Things have been pretty quiet on the sewing front because we've been enjoying glorious weather but I'll be back on Monday to show you the little I've been doing.

So who has won this great bundle?



Mr random generator chose number 613:

 
Since the posts start from 1 on each page of 200 I had to scroll through to the 600s and 613 (which shows as 13) was:



Congratulations Elaine! I've sent you an email.

I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend. I'm going to try and finish quilting a couple of quilts that need doing and then I seriously have to prepare for the Fat Quarterly Retreat since I'll BE THERE this time next week!!!! Must stop being a last minute Lucy!!
Hopefully I'll have some finishes to show you very soon.

...but the garden and an ice lolly might just distract me again ;)


Lucy x

***THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - see who won HERE!***



I'm hoping to spend the rest of the day turning this embroidery (by Imagine Gnats) into a sewing bag, courtesy of this great tutorial


I couldn't wait to show you because I think the girl is pretty kick ass but the bag is on pause while I join the giveaway madness and offer you a chance to win!






edited to add: I wasn't quite expecting such a great response! It's wonderful but unfortunately means I just can't keep up and have to give in trying to reply to everyone that comments. So sorry!

Just wanted to quickly share a couple of little finishes...

These are the first two (of four) swaps for the Fat Quarter Retreat.





I have machine sewn them onto the teatowels and put a random lone hexagon on the other edge.

I hope you think they're pretty (just in case you're going and get one)!


So two done and two to go...


Linking up to the fabulous There & Back and TGIFF at Color Me Quilty this week:

I'm going to try and check out as many of the quilts as I can and if you've come from there please stay and look around. Comment if you have time, I enjoy making new bloggy friends!

I've had a happy week and some small finishes...

completed


- Bee Blessed blocks:


- Blogger's BOM blocks:



new projects


I joined a Bee!! I'm delighted and there are so many cool ladies in this group, some I have the pleasure of knowing through their blogs and I'm excited to get to know them all better! It's international and scrappy and I love it :)
I'll be working on a block this month for May's queen bee, May - that's how good she is at planning, even matching her name to the month!
I managed to make a little button for our bee and it'll be fun seeing our bee develop on the Flickr group:


ongoing


- I did finish my last two embroideries for the FQR swap and have basted the hexagons but still not done!


- Stained QAL, all was going well until I ran out of thread. More has been ordered, right now it looks like this:


- Retro flowers... well hold on to your hats I managed to make half a block!!!


I love it already!! ;)
This is going to take me forever but it'll be worth it. I'm using Essex linen for the background and the texture is just so beautiful.

I am sewing my curves without pins but when it came to piecing the blocks I followed the pattern and pinned... this is what happens when I pin (because I'm lazy, hate pinning and REFUSE to take them out!!)


Would you believe this pin won?!! The needle broke! oh well... I am thinking of pressing my seams in different directions so I can butt them up and sew them that way, it might be quicker and less painful for the pins!!
Those of you making these blocks any tips on speeding up the process a little?? Otherwise I may end up with half a block a week and I'll run out of pins!!

no progress


- rose star blocks, I just feel sick about not doing any but I think with all the retreat preparation going on I'll just resign myself to looking forward to summer and catching up with them in the garden :)

stats
completed: 2
new: 1
in progress: 5


I meant to share this with you a while ago but think I forgot...

My mum gave me this beautiful handbag that belonged to my Grandmother. It has no label or make printed anywhere I can see. I think it's some sort of skin rather than leather and it has the MOST AMAZING clasp and fittings.





Look at those pockets and that beautiful built in clasp purse! Heaven!
It's only quite small compared to today's huge bags. It measures approx. 10" x 6" x 4.5".
I adore it, am terrified to use it and it is too dainty and precious for all my crap anyway!!
Maybe just for a special occasion?! And keep it nice for my daughter :)

If anyone has any clue about bags or what they think it was made from I'd love to know!! I'm pretty certain it's pre WW2.

Well back to the grind...

Linking up:

drum roll please....


The winner of the Fugly Fabric Party 2 and the gorgeous fat quarter bundle of Blend Fabrics from Prints to Polka Dots is:


Number 4 - Amy of Crafty Shenanigans

Huge congratulations Amy! I have sent you an email :)

Thank you to all of you who linked up and everyone that played along, I hope you enjoyed the party.

I want to say a massive thank you to Claire from Prints to Polka Dots for sponsoring the giveaway and being so incredibly generous. Go and check out the shop! It has a great selection of haberdashery, precuts, patterns and the best bargain basement!

For those of you a little sore that you didn't win I'll be having a giveaway very soon as part of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day so stay tuned (does anyone say that anymore, I mean you don't tune into anything with digital do you?!!)

Over the weekend I finished my last two little stitchings for the Fat Quarterly Retreat swap so just need to get these pretties on some teatowels



I also managed to get my Blogger's BOM blocks done for March and April:


On a roll I just finished these two blocks for charity Bee Blessed:


Hope they're ok Judith! They're like a boy and a girl converging corners!

It was fun making them and I was glad to dip into my scrap bin giant bag because it looks like this:


Serendipitous then that Sana should post about joining a bee that is using scraps and asking for followers! It's called Scrappy? Sew bee it! (great name!!) and is being run by the delightful May over at Confessions of a fabraholic. She is so sweet, incredibly organised and very helpful - I've gleaned all that just from emailing her today so I'll be happy to get to know her and the other bee members better!
If you'd like to join there's still room so go see May and sign up :)

I've never been in a bee before but already I'm enjoying it and so glad I joined on a whim!!

In other fun news, the gorgeous Katie is starting a fun link party each week for hand stitched items. This is such a great idea and I can't wait to see what hand sewing there is around blogland!



Check out her great blog There & Back then get to hand sewing something and I'll see you there on Friday! Maybe with some progress on this:

http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/05/tutorial-embroidery-to-go-bag.html

The icing on the cake today had to be the wonderful news that the lovely Cindy of Fluffy Sheep Quilting has opened her online shop!