Quilting fun!

Well as promised I have the photos of some of the things I have been working on over the last few months. I am joining Nan at Moms the word for the first time in a long while!



I feel really shy about putting my handiwork on display but I do want to share with you all. I want to encourage others to try their hand at something completely new! It really gives you a sense of accomplishment! I hadn't used a sewing machine for years. The one my mum gave me was damaged in the flood in our house so I was thrilled when Colin allowed me to buy a very small machine. I love my Janome sew mini! It is small but cute and perfect for piecing together fabric. It won't do much with heavyweight fabric but I don't work with that just now anyway!

After making a few gift quilts Colin demanded a large quilt of his own! So I have been working on this since December. The hand quilting is the time consuming part but I really enjoy quilting by hand. I used the machine to piece the blocks together and then decided on a pattern and began hand stitching. My template for the pattern was very hi tech! A plate for the circle and a paper leaf shape drawn round with chalk! It seems to work fine for me! The blue and brown backing fabric is much darker, my camera plays up lots and the flash wouldn't turn off!

I made this Amish star block just to try something more complicated! I followed the instructions found at McCall's quilting, an excellent site with many blocks and instructions to try at all levels.

And finally this is the charm pack that I am desperate to start on with lots of crisp white and printed pinwheels! This fabric is gorgeous and will look great against white.



If I can quilt then anyone can! I encourage you to give it a go! If you are interested in the process then I am happy to share it with you (mistakes and all), as I tackle my first pinwheel quilt. Let me know if you want me to share the process? Hope you enjoyed looking!

hormones and crafting

Why did God have to give women raging hormones? Not to be sexist but men don't know the half of how hard it can be being a woman. This is my pre menstrual week and my mood has been kind of flat since Sunday. I hate feeling this way. I try to be positive, pray about it, and fight it but it is so all consuming. I become jaded, cynical, sloth like and unmotivated. I do know that it will pass thankfully!

Thank you Lord for great friends who understand! In the words of Tammy Wynette, " Sometimes it's hard to be a woman"!.

Thankfully we have a God who understands mood swings and depression. There are so many characters in the Bible who had a hard time in their lives. Way harder than mine is ever going to be. Job springs to mind. Abraham's Sarah longed for a child for many, many long years. Paul and his thorn. There are many more. I should be more grateful that my feelings of lowness will pass with my change in hormones again. It is not a persistent state of affairs and I am glad of that.

I have decided to include my quilting efforts on this blog. I think you guys are so wise and have offered me good advice. To set up another blog would be too much work right now and why not just use this blog more! So I am hoping that I can do a post tomorrow with the some photos of my recent quilting endeavours. They are total beginner quilts so be warned!

I then hope to begin a new quilt project and display the process step by step as I complete each part of the project. I will photograph each step and share it with you all. I am going to be tackling my first pinwheel quilt and am quite excited about it!

Take care and have a lovely day everyone!