Time for swaps

It's the first meeting of the year for the LondonMQG - can you believe a year has gone by since we first met? Friendships have been forged and our monthly meeting certainly gives me the kick I need to find some sewing 'ME' time. There's also so much talent that it's hard not to come away with plenty of inspiration.

Remember my Hexie bunting I made for December's swap? Well here's my lovely Christmas fairy I got in return. Made by Gertie, she really is a thing of beauty and looked amazing in my living room as our tree has a very red, white, green and sparkly look.

Today's challenge is a pincushion. Back in New York in December, thanks to my careful navigating, we 'happened' to stumble across Purl Soho. With The Husband saying, "You can buy one thing!", as I marched in, I came away 80$ lighter!!! (having ignored him totally). Among my purchases was an off-cut of Anna Maria Horner's Crossing Paths in Persian, part of her CrossStitch PrePrints collection, perfect for a cutesy pin cushion.

Close up of the printed cross-stitch design (I cut a smaller motif for the pincushion).

 I went for a plain turquoise back, adding a snip of inch decorative tape.

 And my swap in return, a pin cushion jar, which is very chic. Will take a pic later on in the week. Have a good one…

Christmas decoration swap

Sorry it's been a while, life has taken over again with little time or energy for sewing. With all good intentions from December's LMQG December meeting, I was then faced with a broken sewing machine, which took two weeks to repair (and £140), by which time, Christmas had arrived, along with a hideous cough and cold, which racked my whole body day and night. 

But, here I am, on the other side, having been lucky enough to have had a lovely family time.

First up, time to share my decoration swap. Small hexies, backed onto red felt, with the papers left in to make the little bunting hexies just a little firmer, sewn onto lovely red velvet ribbon - how cute (and how easy). My train friend Helen helped make these, in spite of the strange looks from fellow commuters!

 

The elephants came in more than two by two!

Finally time to indulge with a little sewing 'me time' yesterday. I picked up my half-started Elephants Baby Quilt and finished sewing the front together. I added in two bands of the cutesy elephant fabric. For once, the light was playing ball in our living room and I captured this rather striking shot of the quilt post-ironing. You can really see the rows of bricks.

I am thinking of quilting with circles, but need to practice first. It's all sanwiched, ready to go (I had hoped to take it finished to this month's LMQG, but alas no).

Better late than never (I hope…)

It's a frosty Sunday and time to meet up with the LMGQ in Knightsbridge. I've finally gotten round to my name tag swap from the summer. Kelly made me this one and gave it to me at September's Liberty meet, which was the last time I caught up with everyone.

And here's the one I've made in return…

Elephants baby quilt

Another one on the go, this time for my friend in work, who's baby is due early January.

I fell for this cute elephant print called Bungle Jungle by Tim and Beck for Moda at Ray Stitch recently and decided to follow Julie of Jaybird Quilts' pattern in her new book, Skip the Borders, which I treated myself to along with Angela walter's new quilting book..

Rather than cut these lovely characters up into 8in x 3.5in bricks, I decided to use plains and smaller prints for these, and keep as big a width of elephant print as possible.

Here's my stash, all ready to go…

And here we are several cuts later (I popped Downton Abbey on and cut these out infront of the TV - bliss!)

With The Husband working today, I plan to at least sew the bricks into neat rows - I think this is going to look very cute indeed.