Jennie's Threads

My final post for this evening. As I said previously, January also involved some patchwork. Aunty Barbara, Linda and I continue to do the Mystery Quilt Block of the Month from the Fat Quarters. So far we have just completed our fourth block. Here you can see all my four blocks laid out together. The top left dresden plate design was completed over Christmas: I pieced it by hand and then appliques it by hand. I'm not very good at needle turn applique, so I attached it with some blanket stitch and I'm really pleased with the result. Bottom left is the latest contribution, also pieced by hand. The two on the right were both pieced by machine. Whilst we at the shop to get our fourth pattern, we signed up for a couple of workshops. The first is a series of at least 6 workshops (one a month) based on the Essential Sampler Quilt book by Nikki Tinkler. It's 25 blocks, each different, and we learn a different technique each month, spend the day making up the first

A new year means some new projects. The first of these projects started in December and will continue all year. Back in September, Debbie, from Letters Tied with Blue, asked me to stitch some models for her, which I have done. It is a set of 12 Calendar Girlies, one for each month. I decided to stitch the set as Christmas presents. Initally I planned to do a set for Granny and a set for Sheila, then we had the idea that Aunty Mary and Aunty Margaret would like it too. Then Aunty Barbara said how much she would like them, and Linda made some less than subtle comments. In the end I stitched 6 January Calendar Girlies which I gave as Christmas presents with the promise that Miss January would be followed by 11 sisters throughout the year. This is Miss January (one of my favourites). The fabric came from the Fat Quarters - I thought it looked wintry without being Christmassy. Throughout January I was stitching 6 Miss Februaries. This fabric also came from the Fat Quar

So it's been a while since we had an update. Christmas is long gone, so I can now post some pictures of the presents I made: The bag pictured here was a paatern from Moda Bakeshop. Originally designed to be made from a charm pack, I bought 5 fat quarters in Moda fabrics from the The Fat Quarters and cut them to the size of a charm pack. The design is made to be reversible, so on the inside it is lime greens adnd on the outside it's the purples. The straps are the same - purple on one side and green on the other. I love the design, but if I did it again Iwould do the topstitch in a colour that matched the inside colour, as it's not easy to keep the lines matching on the back where you can't see it on the machine. This was a Christmas present for Michelle. This needlecase was made for Aunty Catherine as a Christmas present. The design came from the Art for Heart Sew necessary book by Nancy Halvorssen, which Ive already made the pincushion and thread catcher f