TTFN

Just to prove I haven`t been a total lazy wotzit since I arrived in England, I made a block for Megan today - she`s the queen bee of We Bee Modern Too and May was her month.

In this bee, we make blocks from the book Modern Blocks - this is the Mondrian block using Megan`s colours pink, red, orange, yellow and a hint of green.  The sashing is Kona charcoal and the 5 inch block is Kona white.

Just before I left Morocco, I made 2 blocks for Kristin who was queen bee last month in the Care Circle for do.Good Stitches.  She wanted scrappy herringbone blocks for a quilt which will be donated to a women`s shelter.

I mentioned yesterday that I received lots of happy mail upon my return from a couple of days away!  I`m bowled over by the genorosity in this soft and squishy corner of blogland.  These were gifts to help me feel like I had been at the retreat. Look what I got?

This lovely cathedral window`s pin cushion from Catherine who hangs out in `Jamland` - Tiptree in Essex! I love the cool colours - they shall come in handy upm my return to the firey furnace.

this gorgeous mini needle case and +x brooch from Hadley, which are cute beyond words!

these lovely FQs from Kerry which I shall make in to something for Zaki along with other lovely Robert Kaufman FQs I received from Susan and Ceri...

and this amazing package from Ceri, which included a gorgeous bag, Oakshott and Robert Kaufman fabric, gorgeous scraps and a very exclusive tape measure bracelet (which only members of the Brit Bee have - shhhhh), Aurifil thread and other yummies. I made a very simple and totally unimpressive name tag for Ceri - my only excuse is that I was feeling very below par but this totally outweighs my effort.

So thank you Catherine, Hadley, Kerry and Ceri - you have made me feel like I was in London with you and all the other amazing retreaters and I really hope that will be the case next year!

Now I just have to do some mailing and packing before we leave at 6AM (hardly worth going to bed really) on Wednesday morning.  Our visit here started in the sun and ended in the rain but it`s all good.

Here are a couple of my favourite photos from our visit here,

Waiting for a pony ride

Paddling at Charmouth Beach

Lovely smiley Susan

A finish! The Siblings Together quilt

Face painting at the local fete

Our holiday is nearly over now - see you a bit nearer the equator!

So Much to Do, So Little Time...

In a week when I should be getting to know everyone attending the FQ Retreat and visiting my bloggy friends who aren`t, I`m feeling completely out of touch.

I have hardly visited anyone in the past week.  I`ve been battling a really bad chesty cough, spending time with my mum and Zaki, (who has become very clingy which makes me nervous for goodbyes on Friday), and trying to get everything done before I leave.

I have however used my time away from the computer constructively.

I have finished the pink and orange Siblings Together quilt and will share photos tomorrow as it is still a bit damp.

I also made my items for the FQ Sampler Swap - I have been having sleepless nights about these as I really had no idea what I was going to make.  Clearly inspired by the Zakka pencil cases I had seen in blogland, I made some sunglass cases using linen and Amy Butler Daisy Chain fabric.

I basically winged it but they weren`t difficult and with a layer of batting they cushion the glasses nicely. All we need now is the sun back!

The name tag I made for my partner has been received by her.  I received special dispensation from trash to post from the UK, knowing how unpredictable the mail in Morocco is. I can now reveal that my partner was the only and only Katy of I`m a Ginger Monkey!  When I heard from trash that Katy was my partner, I gulped and replied, `no pressure then!`.

Uncharacteristically, I posted Katy`s name tag without taking a photo of it so I shall try and snap Katy wearing it at the weekend.

It was no problem coming up with ideas for Katy and in the end I embroidered one of her tatoos on the front next to her name.  It took some slightly scary stalking of her flickr photos to achieve this!

Many thanks to Hadley who sent me a lanyard fitting to attach to Katy`s name tag...only it never arrived.  So sorry Hadley but I really appreciate you doing that.

So tomorrow I have a few last minute things to buy and a name tag to make for a lovely person who didn`t enter the swap and doesn`t want to remain nameless! Fortunately, she has a short name. Wish me luck!

Fat Quarterly London 2012

Back in the depths of winter and suffering from a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out), I booked my ticket to the FQ London Retreat - a mad weekend of sewing with some of my favourite friends.  Just one thing was different.  I haven`t yet met any of them!

This is me. I`m 44 years old. I talk quite as lot and am more than capable of putting my big fat foot in it. For the last 10 years, I have lived in the crazy, mad and hot city of Marrakech, Morocco with my husband Youssef and our 4 year old son Zaki. I`m a SAHM but in previous lives I have been a teacher and a lawyer.

I learnt to sew while at high school and as you can see, I hardly excelled!

Despite `Warty Wardell`s` less than encouraging words, I went on to do a lot of dressmaking as a teenager and while not finished perfectly, I would whip a skirt up in an evening and wear it to college the next day.

I rediscovered sewing a couple of years ago in the form of quilting and have been seriously quilting for just under a year.  At first, quilting frightened the bejeepers out of me as I had no ideas what I was doing, and as a self-taught quilter I still don`t half the time but I can make a passable quilt so long as the quilt police aren`t in town !

I shall be wearing this amazing name tag made for me by Elisabeth (lemon shark on flickr) - thank you Elizabeth! And...

...I have 2 amazing roomies - my very first bloggie friend lovely Susan and lovely Laura Jane, both of whom are hilarious and talented in equal measures. We`re staying at the Grange Strathmore.

What am I up to?

Portholes and Embroidery on Saturday and the Designer Challenge and Frame Purses on Sunday! I`m also in the Iron (Wo)man Challenge - Group 3 (I think).

Free Photo: Rosie The Riveter Flexing Her Arm Muscles, We Can Do It!

I`m completely disorganised and can be a bit of a ditz.  I still have to source my fabric for the classes and make my sample swap items but always work better with a bit of time pressure!

So I can`t wait to meet the Fat Quarterly team, the line-up of amazing teachers,

my wonderful bloggie friends from the UK and all over the world and make some new friends too.  Please come up and say `hi` - I can`t wait to meet you!

London

*Warning* For readers in rainy and/or cold climes, this post mentions both sunshine and beaches.

I was so afraid my name tag would arrive after I had left for England but I need not have feared.  It arrived today.  So this Cinderella will be kicking her heels up at the FQ Retreat in just over 3 weeks time! A huge thank you to Elisabeth (lemon s
hark on flickr) who made my name tag. I`m sure she must have been hoping for a Kat or a Mel but instead got an 8 letter name of someone living in N.Africa.  I love the embroidery and the fussy cut bus, flag and taxi!  I love Britain and I really love London.

She also popped in a very cute pouch and a couple of model airplanes for Zaki. What she doesn`t know is that every time we`re waiting in a bank queue, Zaki hands me the leaflets they have lying around so that I can make an paper plane for him.  Thank you Elisabeth - I shall wear my name tag with pride!

There was more happy mail in the shape of bee blocks being made by the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches for the Siblings Together quilt. These beauties came all the way from Kylie (Three Honeybees on flickr) in Australia...

...and these lovelies from Karen at Listen to the Birds Sing in N.Ireland...

 ...who also sent me this adorable pouch made from the HST scraps of the corner units of the x and + blocks. What a fab reminder I shall have of the quilt we`re making for Siblings Together! Thank you Kylie and Karen!

Here`s the obligatory group photo.  I`m still to receive from 5 members of the Care Circle, so we should have enough for a decent sized quilt!

It`s still silly hot here and so hubby suggested this morning that we head to the coast for the weekend, so with all the talk of London buses and holidays (well teensy mini ones), I shall leave you with this.

Take it away Cliff!

It`s Friday tomorrow.  Have a great weekend!

Fresh Sewing Day - April

 1. Embroidery Detail, 2. Curious Nature Pouch (Front), 3. Back of Name Tag for Partner , 4. Scrappy x and plus blocks, 5. April Block We Bee Modern too, 6. Embroidery, 7. Parisville Pouch, 8. Stained Quilt Top, 9. Group Shot of Blocks for Hive 4, 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee, 10. Scrappy Granny Block, 11. Curious Nature Pouch (Back), 12. Embroidery, 13. Scrappy Grannies14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

How is it May...I mean, how is it May?? It`s still unseasonably cool here.  Long may it continue but how can it be?

April was the month when I tried something new. I attempted embroidery and have to say that I really quite like it..I`m surprised!  It`s so restful and slow and takes me back to this time last year when I didn`t even have a sewing machine so everything was hand-stitched - blocks, seams, quilting and binding!

It was also the month when I fell behind in the Stitch Tease Bee.  I don`t like getting behind especially when it`s on a project with good bloggy friends.  You see I haven`t been able to even start my blocks for Di - the swap mama of Stitch Tease.  I ordered some white solid as all I had was a small amount of snow and it still hasn`t arrived. I`ve made my excuses and will get started as soon as the solid arrives.  Do I sound like a broken record? So this month I still have Di`s blocks to make as well as Susan`s. Help!

April was my month as Queen Bee in the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches and I asked my lovely ladies to make me as many x and plus blocks for a quilt of Lynne`s Siblings Together.  They lived up to expectations and then some.  We are going to have ourselves a great quilt or quilts for someone at camp this summer.  There was also bee blocks for the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee and We Bee Modern Too.

I also had to make a name tag for my secret partner in the FQ Retreat Name Tag Swap.  I have a fabulous partner. Ideas came very easily.  The hard part was executing those ideas.  I can`t show you the front as to do so would give the game away.  You`ll just have to sit tight until she has received it.  I hope she likes it!

May is already shaping up to be super busy  - my head is already starting to spin. With the usual bee obligations, playing catch-up in the Stitch Tease Bee, quilts for Siblings Together and preparations for the FQ Retreat - help!

It`s May 1 and it`s a public holiday here so we are off out for a spin in the new (used) car!

Linking up with Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day!

I Have (a) Curious Nature

Firstly, I`m loving all the positivity about the dressmaking plans.  Thank you for all your comments. The books are ordered and a pattern too but they are going to my mum`s so not much will happen before we go back towards the end of May for you.know.what. We`ll be back in England for 3 whole weeks and just can`t wait!

Anyway, with pre-school hols there hasn`t been much sewing at all.

The postman made a welcome return today with this little package of loveliness.  I knew as soon as I saw Parson Grey`s Curious Nature that fabric diet or no fabric diet I had to have me some. I bought these 12 FQs from The Fat Quarter Shop and it came with a coordinating Kona Solid in Herb. I`m thinking a man quilt for my man and perhaps I`ll use my curved ruler.

Curious Nature by Parson Grey

Yesterday, I made a couple more x and plus blocks for the Care Circle of do.Good Stitches...it`s my month as quilter and the quilt(s) will be donated to Siblings Together.

...and the postie delivered a couple more from Cindy who hangs out on the emerald isle, and they fit in very nicely. Thank you Cindy!

Cindy`s blocks (top middle and bottom left)

 

 

I`ve been playing with embroidery stitches. I hope to be able to embroider my partner`s name on her tag for the FQ Retreat.  It`s definitely harder than it looks. I`m sure I must have embroidered initials on a felt purse or needle case as a young child at school, but I`m counting this as a first attempt so be kind.

I was rubbish at back stitch.  How could that be?

I was better at Stem Stitch.

Passable French knots

Star stitches

A wonky lazy daisy

and there were attempts at letters of the alphabet but that would be telling...

That`s all for now - hope you are having a great week!

Annabella

Thinking Outloud

I`ve been thinking quite a bit about my quilting recently and it dawned on me what a crazy hobbie it really is for a climate such as Morocco and particularly Marrakech.  I`m sure it`s a thought that has crossed many a visitor to this blog. You see, in the winter it`s way too cold for a quilt and in the summer, a sheet is way too hot let alone a quilt.  They are good for the `demie seasons` but sometimes the cooler weather only lasts a short few weeks.

Add into the mix the cost of importing fabric, notions and so forth, it`s expensive too.

My first sewing love was dressmaking, which I did quite a bit of as a teenager...knocking up eighties style skirts over night and wearing them to college the next day.  I even made ball gowns for `dos` at university - think hot pink, big shoulders, sweetheart neckline and leg o` mutton sleeves and a big full skirt.  It was the `80s.

Claire Hummel, Ariel

 I really want to try my hand again at making some clothes..I want to be able to take accurate measurements, make adjustments and perhaps...just perhaps make my own patterns.  The secret apparently is that you have basic blocks and then adapt each one to change a style. It`s just a question of knowing how.

So recently I found the most fabulous one on one tailoring and pattern cutting course with an amazing woman in London but fabulous courses come at fabulous prices, and for the moment this has to go on the back burner.

I`ve always thought of myself as a lifelong learner and have often usually had to rely on the self-taught method and now is no exception. So today I ordered two books, which have great reviews on amazon.

This one (which has the longest title known to man)  - How to Use, Adapt and Design Sewing Patterns: From Shop-bought Patterns to Drafting Your Own: A Complete Guide to Fashion Sewing with Confidence by Lee Hollahan available here

and this one  - Patternmaking for a Perfect Fit by Steffani Lincecum available here.

Don`t get me wrong, I`m still going to make quilts - I have a bucket list of things I still want to try but practically speaking I would like to try my hand at something I haven`t tried in a while and perhaps make something to wear for the FQ Retreat! Probably from a shop bought pattern. Of course, if it all goes wrong, we won`t mention it! We booked our flights to England yesterday...now I really can get excited!

Watch this space.