GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME SEWING.....

On my lovely Singer 201K that is!!

Hello everyone!

I've been unwell again with a flu thinggy so not a lot of sewing happening lately but today I wanted to clean out/tidy my box of Christmas fabrics with the view to purchasing some of the gorgeous new Christmas range that is in the patchwork shops right now.  I had a lot of chunky scraps, some already cut squares and just lots of "stuff" so I came up with the idea of cutting as many 5" squares as I could from anything I picked up, then what was left I cut into some squares for my sister who makes fabric flowers.  My first thought was to make a Twister quilt with everything I had cut but then I found I had the right amount of squares (bar one) to make a Christmas Wreath like THIS ONE HERE.  I short changed myself one square of the cream fabric and I had used every last inch of what I owned so I just cut a similar toned cream star fabric - I don't think it will be noticed in the end.  I've been wanting to sew on my Singer for ages, and figured this easy project was the perfect time.  I just absolutely LOVE my Singer... it sews so beautifully and it is so very quiet.  I have the rows all pieced, just need to join them up and then add the cream borders and then of course..... cut the whole thing up again!  and then piece it all together AGAIN!    I love how the twister quilts go together.  My Tuesday craft group is having a "Christmas in July" day next week, so I will have something new for my show and tell.

I have completed my Teddy quilt....   I'm just waiting for the pattern designer to give me her approval so I can donate this quilt to a friend (more about that when I get the approval!).  I used the self binding method for the first time with this quilt and I was very pleased with how it turned out.  I machined it down as well so it was a quick finish.  I cut my backing fabric 2" larger all around, and took off a triangle at each corner and then folded over 1" twice.  I ditch quilted all of the blocks - like I said... nice and quick and DONE!

Oh.... and here is the pile of 5" squares I cut from the christmas box.....

there is probably 50 or more squares in that pile, so I think I might do another disappearing nine patch or of course, I could do another twister quilt.  

On the health front, Fred is doing very well with the chemo.  He is now a quarter of the way through the first lot then he has a break before having the liver operation, then a recuperation time following that and then another three months of chemo.  Of course, he does have his bad days but really I think he's doing so well.

Matt had his check up at the hospital and all went well.  He has another test mid August, but he is really A.O.K.   No job as yet and won't be back at college until February next year.  Yep.... gotta get that job!

Both Matt and I had the flu virus but we did not give it to Fred!!  If you had visited our home over that time, we looked like an episode out of Dr. Kildare!  face masks for all!!  but it worked:-)

I want to thank everyone for their lovely emails and messages - and as you can see... I'm taking your advice ---  trying to look after myself as well --- that's where the sewing comes in:-)))))))

Cheers! and Happy Sewing!!

Helen