A January Finish!

It`s been a week since I last posted! With still not feeling 100% and a visit last week to the Midlands to see family and friends, I am still hopelessly behind with emails and blog reading.  I promise to do better although I think I said that last week.

I do have a finish.  The first of the year.  I calculated that last year, I made 5 quilts - yes, five!  I finished Zaki`s quilt, made a quilt for Elicia, the Across the Seas quilt for Mr. LRP and me, the Marrakech Rose quilt and the Red City quilt.  In my book that`s quite good considering that I didn`t have a machine for 6 months of the year and didn`t touch quilting for 2 months because it was too hot.

I haven`t resolved to make a certain amount of quilts this year but one a month would be nice.

I brought Baby George`s quilt top with me and basted it on Christmas Eve.  Last weekend I machine quilted it by echo quilting the crosses, keeping it light so that it was soft and snuggly for Baby George to roll on.

You may recall that when I made the top (using 1001 Peeps and a touch of Terrain) I felt it was a bit flat - a bit matchy matchy.  The hazard perhaps of using a line of fabric.  Many of you left suggestions and a couple included handstitching the crosses in a contrasting colour.  I did try this but didn`t like how it came out on the back of the quilt. Having heard much of the delights of perle cotton, I picked up some in a vibrant orange and outlined the scrappy border only going through the top layer of fabric.  It has survived a wash.  I`m hoping it will survive George and his wriggling and rolling.

I bound the quilt in a burnt orange binding, which ties in with the perle cotton.  While many of you made the brilliant suggestion of using a binding which would pick up on the chartreuse colour of the onion domes in one of the prints I liked the orange because this is a baby quilt and seemed less grown up.

I backed it in a simple green candy stripe fabric.

Now it`s ready to be handed over to Baby George later this week. It measures 41" x 41".

What are you up to on this Sunday?  For us it will be a quiet day in front of the log fire, perhaps a walk or a wallow with Zaki at the local pool, roast chicken and then curling up in front of Sherlock!

Reflections

In January, I wrote a blog post but never pushed the `post` button.

February was the month I celebrated my 11th wedding anniversary.

and I found the courage to push that button.

My mother visited in March and Japan was tested to her limit.

Origami cranes for Japan

Terror came to the streets of Marrakech in April when a bomb exploded in a cafe and we hopped over to the Lakes to celebrate my mum`s big `0` birthday

In May we had the joy of celebrating Zaki`s 3rd birthday, we returned to England and the sadness of having to say goodbye to Granny Anna

June was the month that I had my first giveaway to celebrate my 100th post and finished my first quilt of the year.

In July we went on holiday!

and in August we celebrated my birthday, my husband`s as he turned 40, we fasted and we sweltered in temperatures hitting the mid forties C.

After months of temperatures obliterating any chance of sewing, September brought a new chapter in blogging and I started quilting again.  I began my first and favourite QAL - The Across the Seas QAL and started making this quilt top...

...Zaki returned to school

...and I had a giveaway to celebrate my 100th follower!

In October, my mum visited and I finished this quilt which now lives happily in Paris.

November turned out to be my most productive month of the year including another quilt finish...

...and a Christmas tablerunner headed off to Alberta, Canada...

and I was super excited to see it featured in a mosaic on the Fat Quarterly blog`s `Merry Christmas` post here!

December came and went quickly with few blog posts and fewer makes. I visited Paris, came `home` for Christmas and spent the week after Christmas feeling really sick with a stomach virus.  I`m better now and looking forward to a new year.  A chance to do better and be better.

I may even have a finish to show you tomorrow!

Again, I hopelessly behind. I can`t hope to catch up on a week`s blog reading so please be patient with me if I haven`t been to visit in a while. I will.  I promise! 



Sherbet Pips

Zaki road testing his new scooter from Uncle Jim and Auntie Bella on New Year`s Eve at Lyme Regis, Dorset

Wishing you all a very happy 2012

May you scoot through it peacefully,happily and in good health.

Boxing Day at the Beach

This is Zaki.  I`ve taken over mummy`s blog.  I am a guest blogger.

This is me on the beach today.  If you look closely, you can see the bruise on my forehead from when I hit it on a wooden chest.  Long story.

It hasn`t stopped me being a cheeky monkey..mummy always says, "Monkey see monkey do!"  Is that good or bad?

Do you like my new dinosaur wellies? Note there is no security tag attached - that`s a good thing.

I would have worn my new wooly dinosaur hat but the "stupid man in the museum shop" left the security tag on and mummy says that it will look like she stole it if I wear it.

Why is he on a beach today, you`re asking yourself.  Well we went to watch some crazy people in fancy dress go for a `wallow` in the sea but because of mummy we were late and missed it. I could have worn my new dinosaur costume but the "complete idiot " (that`s what mummy said to me but she was spelling what she thought of the man to granny) in the museum shop left the security tag on it too.  That` s a problem apparently.

West Bay, Dorset

We had a great day yesterday and I received what everyone wants - model dinosaurs, Hot Wheels` cars and a bunch of other stuff (some without security tags).

Hope you received dinosaurs too and had a great day.

Zaki x

This Post is Bump Free

...unlike the Christmas ones to come.

We had a good day today. All is unnervingly relaxed.  That may have something to do with the fact that I`m not hosting Christmas. My poor mum headed off to the supermarket before Zaki and I had even surfaced at 8 o`clock.  How terrible a daughter am I? On second thoughts, don`t answer that!

Wishing to blow away some cobwebs, we headed off in the horizontal rain and mildly strong winds to the park at nearby Montacute House. 

We were one of a handful (and that`s exaggerating slightly) of visitors in the park with the main house closed.

Granny and Zaki strode off in the direction of the swings resembling horses and made from recycled something.  Couldn`t quite work at what.

See?  Happy and smiling. No bumps at all...until about 5 o`clock this afternoon when I was in the sitting room and heard a bit splatty thud from the next door dining room.  I called out Zaki`s name and there was that awful silence before he wailed.  He had somehow slipped and hit his forehead on a wooden chest.  A large blue egg sized bump appeared fairly rapidly. Homeopathic remedy Arnica and frozen peas in a tea towel were administered along with lots of cuddles and a rapid emotional recovery was made.  The Christmas photos should be interesting though.

Zaki and I wish you all a very merry and bump free Christmas!

Driving Home for Christmas?

More a case of planes, trains and automobiles!

Zaki and I are `home`!  We have left baba (daddy) in Marrakech to work over Christmas and New Year while we stay at my mum`s in Somerset in South West England until mid January.

We left Saturday and flew into London.  Here`s my first sight of England for 7 months.  You can just see the southern coastline under that amazing cloud which towered upward.

Gatwick airport wasn`t going to make the same mistakes as last year and seemed prepared. These were a fraction of the snowplows keeping guard.

We stayed a couple of nights with my bestie Liz and her family (including my Godson) in West London.

My mum`s Christmas tree with ornament donated by Liz

and Zaki had a blast at the Natural History museum on Sunday, where I was dragged around by him so that my arms were pulled out of their sockets - he was that excited. How many times did I hear, "Look mummy!! Come on!"?


Zaki entranced by an oviraptor`s head



Bestie Liz and Godson James next to Dippy

Despite feeling decidedly under the weather, it was the best afternoon someone had had for a long time!

On Monday morning we braved the London commuters and got tut tutted as we shuffled slowly across the concourse of Waterloo station with our suitcases to catch our early train.

Now we are home and have sat happily in front of a roaring fire, eaten mince pies, done a spot of shopping and relaxed. While missing hubby, it is lovely to be here.

Today`s claim to fame is that I look like I`m one of the last if not the last to receive my tablerunner from Susan`s Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap. Sadly, I had to leave Marrakech without it. While I have absolutely no idea where it`s coming from I have a feeling it`s going to be worth the wait.

The good news is that while I have no luck usually in giveaways (apart from winning my lovely bloggy friend Di`s giveaway back in the summer) and am no friend of Mr Random, I was chosen by him as the Free Motion winner for the Duo QAL hosted by Rhonda and Rachel. Woo hoo. Nothing.  Absolutely nothing to do with the fact I was one of 3 entrants!  Thank you Rhonda and Rachel - I am absolutely thrilled to have won.

For those who really are driving home for Christmas, this one is for you... (my mum has just said, "You`re not putting that awaful song on your blog are you?"



The Hive &The Bees

After Turbo November, December is proceeding at a snail`s pace. I don`t know whether it`s having been away, having been ill or the prospect of going away at the weekend but production is on a go slow.

Today I managed to make 2 blocks for the Modern Quilt 4 x 5 Bee.  A few weeks ago, I chose to make the Blockade block for my fellow hive members as I had fallen in love with all things half square triangle (HST).

I love the Blockade block but you do have to concentrate while making it.  My eye sees the pattern but my brain sees something else. It must be a left brain right brain thing but the seam ripper came out of retirement a couple of times! It may also have something to do with the fact that Zaki is under the weather at the moment and needs snuggles A LOT so I now know I can sew and give snuggles if needs be!

Here`s Debbie`s block - her colours are orange, white and mid grey. *Edited to add -  Thanks Susan for pointing out the glaring error in Debbie`s block!  Looks like the seam ripper will be making a reappearance tomorrow.

and this is Wendy`s block.  Her colours are red, black and white and grey.

Another 3 to get done and posted before the mid January deadline.  I would like to get these ticked off before I leave for England on Saturday although they will come with me and get posted from there after Christmas.

While we are on the subject of bees, here is the winner of cute conversation of the day.

Zaki - Mummy, do bees like honey?

Me - Well it`s not so much that they like it but that they make honey.

Zaki - What?  With toast?

I am sending out big positive thoughts to the universe that my tablerunner from The Modern Christmas Tablerunner swap arrives in the next couple of days.  Please please arrive!