Flying the Flag in Paris

Thank you for all your well wishes - I'm feeling a lot more my normal self (who shouted grumpy?) today.  Eyeballs aren't so sore and my back and chest don't ache when I breathe in.  Always a good thing.

So I'm back from a flying visit to Paris where it snowed!

Okay - so it didn't actually snow at all but I can dream can't I? Thanks to the magic of picnik effects I can add snow to the Eiffel Tower!  The weather was in fact very wet...it precipitated down most of the weekend...look, even the postcard stands near Sacre Coeur are holding umbrellas!

No special rain effects needed here, but it's December after all and I like the rain.  I was in Paris visiting my very good friend Deborah and hand delivering the Union Jack quilt I made for her daughetr Elicia...only I forgot to take any more photos and only have sneeky peek photos.  Duh.  I can show you the top before it was basted and quilted - taken back in May (yes, that long ago) at my mum's.

and here is a peek at it quilted...

 This quilt has been way too long in the making but Deborah's daughter loved it.  The central flag part was made using Liberty lawn cottons, which are so so beautifully soft and the border is pink silk.  I straight line quilted it after taking hours to unpick the stipple quilting, which I just didn't like.  I didn't over quilt it as I wanted it to remain beautifully soft and fluid.

I also sold this quilt to Deborah's friend Margot for her daughter - yea!

On Saturday morning we headed to St.Piere area near Sacre Coeur  where all the fabric shops are based and spent a couple of hours rummaging.  These are not designer fabric shops but if you like rummaging (I don't particularly) there are fabrics to be found.  Here's a selfie of me.  At this point, my feet ached and I was starting to go down with the lurgy!

We bought lots of fabric (I mean lots) at 10 euros for 3 metres and will be turning sow's ears into silk purses....fingers crossed.

I hardly took any photos as it was dark and gloomy...

and I was feeling awful and the weather was like this as I left...

but I caught up with a great friend, belly laughed until I ached and got re-acquainted with a city I hadn't visited for probably 15 years.  All the anxiety of leaving the little guy (and the big one) behind was worth it and as Arnie would say, "I'll be back!"

It's Achoura today - the 10th day of the New Year when bonfires are lit in the evening, children play drums and people eat dried fruit and nuts - a special day of celebration for children. 

I'll leave you with a photo of Zaki pulling a silly camera face, complete with scratches on his nose, on his way to school this morning - in traditional dress (over his normal clothes) with his 'tam tam' (drum).

I'm back!

I'm back from a lovely weekend in Paris but sick with some achey lurgy, which came on Saturday afternoon with wonderful timing. This will be a quick post as I need to go snuggle under a blanket but I wanted to link up my Drunkard's Path QAL quilt top, which I finished before I went away and the link up closes in a couple of hours. 

I used a charm pack of Kate Spain's Central Park and quickly learned that it didn't go far.

So after some Kona white solid I had ordered ages ago finally showed up last week, I added a white border and an outer scrappy border to make it a decent sized baby quilt.  The scrappy blocks are not Central Park but I tried to match up the colours in Central Park and patting myself on my back, I think I did okay. The scrappy blocks are Parisville, Loulouthi and Kumari Garden.

I have loved making the Drunkard's Path block - it looks difficult but it really isn't and is so versatile...

...if you don't believe here, click here to see all the amazing designs made from this simple block.  Thanks to Kate and Kristie for a great QAL and for introducing me to the drunkard's path! Thank you also to my PIFers, Dolores, Kate and Jenelle. More on Paris tomorrow.

Pay It forward

A few weeks ago I signed up for Toni's Pay It Forward.

Toni was looking for 3 people to agree to have something made for them in the coming year.  A little surprise something that would pop through their letterbox at any given time.  A little something made by Toni.  I'd been reading her blog for a while and always loved her makes, so I signed up and kind of forgot about it.  Well yesterday while the little guy was having a rare and welcome siesta...

there was a ring at the door.  A parcel from Toni!

A gorgeous 241 bag made out of Joel Dewberry's Heirloom (which I love in the citrine palette and I adore paisley) and some gorgeous natural linen, a couple of FQs and some chocs!  How lucky am I?  Thank you so so much Toni - the bag is so beautifully made, totally my colors and so at home here in sunny Marrakech!

So now it's over to me.  I am shamefully red faced to be putting this up when I've received my PIF but better late than never I guess.

I'm looking for 3 people to make something lovely for during the next 365 days.  I shall email the first 3 people to comment saying that they would like to play asking them for their details.  The deal is that they in turn agree to make something for 3 other people in the coming year.  Sorry but you have to have a blog to play.

If you simply want to leave a comment saying how lovely a) my son is b) the bag is or c)both are, then that's fine too.  I know this has been doing the rounds in the blogosphere but I hope 3 people will step up as it's a fun thing to do and you have a year!

Fresh Sewing Day - December

1. Blockade Block , 2. Ready for Binding (The front), 3. Fabric Envelope Front, 4. MCTR Front, 5. MCTS Ornament, 6. Scrappy HST Star, 7. 1001 Peeps Plus Quilt Top, 8. Block Detail, 9. Back of Fabric Envelope, 10. MCTR Back, 11. Duo QAL Quilt Back, 12. Union Jack Quilt Sneeky Peek, 13. An Appliqued Fatima`s Hand, 14. Central Park Quilt Top, 15. Mosaic Block, 16. All Ready to be Packed Up and Sent Off, 17. Lucky Pieces Block, 18. Detail, 19. Proposed Layout for DP QAL, 20. Duo QAL Quilt Front

I've been a bit absent from the blogging scene the last few days as I've got technical problems with the laptop and it's too darn chilly at the moment to sit at the big computer unless swamped in a blanket.  I've also been busy finishing up the Union Jack quilt for Elicia, my friend Deborah's daughter.  There it is in the mosaic at No.12. I'll show you some full frontal photos of the quilt once I've hand delivered it this weekend!  In Paris!  Brrrrrr!

This is my third month sewing almost daily and I'm totally loving it.  I feel like I'm improving month by month and becoming quicker and more productive.

Here are this month's stats:

Most fun make -  Christmas Tablerunner (No.4) for Susan's  Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap
Most Satisfying Finish - finally the Union Jack quilt (No.12), which has taken way too long and been over thought
Favourite New Block - the Drunkard's Path! (No.11) I love this block - it's so versatile and fun to make
Favourite Fabric Purchased - Lark in Glamor by Amy Butler (can²t wait to make some Swoon blocks using it)
Prettiest Block - the Blockade block (No.1)
Fun Quick Makes - the fabric envelope (No.3) and the tree ornament (No.5)
New Skills - piecing HSTs and piecing curved DP blocks and stipple quilting my first quilt - the Red City Quilt (No.12)(so called because I used Moroccan Mirage in the Marrakech colourway by Kristian A. Howell)
Quilts finished - Red City Quilt and Union Jack quilt
Quilts started- Drunkard's Path and Plus (No.7) baby quilts

I received a wonderful surprise in the post today but that will keep until tomorrow.

Linking up with Lynne for Fresh Sewing Day.  Why don't you nip over there and see what other sewists have been up to last month.  I'll be away for a couple of days but will tell you all about it next week!  Off to pack warm clothes...if I can find any...

Getting Picky

I have absolutely nothing to show you as I`m finishing up the quilt I`m taking with me to Paris...it`s going fine now but I have been using my unpicker quite a bit but that`s just because I`m a bit picky.

I can`t tell you how I have giggled at the names you guessed for my brothers.  I don`t know who you think I am but my particular favourites are Thaddeus, Tobias, Clayton and Hubert.  Great guesses but sadly all wrong.  Anyone would think you thought I had brothers with unusual names!

Three of the names were guessed - they are Henry (Hen - the youngest), William (Will) and James (Jim).  Nicolette suggested James in the very first guess so congratulations Nicolette -  email me your details and I shall send you a small souvenir of my forthcoming visit to Paris.  It was too much fun to tell you to stop guessing but thanks to everyone who took part and a few of you suggested James.

The name that no-one guessed was my eldest brother.  Now the likes of  Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow may think they are trailblazing unusual names with the likes of Apple but back in the sixties my mum and dad had a good try at it.  My eldest brother is called Torquil which is a Scandinavian Scottish name and which apparently means Thor`s Cauldron.  The Times newspaper said it was the most unusual name given to a baby in 1964 but unfortunately they misprinted the name as Tonquil!

Hope you are having a great Sunday.

Mail Round Here...

...is like the No.33 bus. You wait days for a parcel and then 4 come along at the same time.

First up was this wonderful package from Ruth over at twohiphippos.  She mentioned the other day that she had won a hamper (yes a hamper) of porridge.  Being a foody and a big mouth, I happened to comment that we were big porridge fans in our house and she sent me this little bundle of loveliness.

Not only did Ruth send me gingerbread (squeel) porridge but 3 of her beautiful handmade linen and felt egg cozies, which have the most gorgeous vintage mother of pearl buttons on.  So that`s one each (the middle one has little buttons on so I know who`ll like that one) and we won`t have to fight over them! Thank you so so much Ruth!

Then there was this little FQ bundle of gorgeousness - Lark in the Glamour colorway, which I ordered from Julie at The Intrepid Thread.

...and all the way from Australia, my first block in the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee!

It was made by fellow Hive 1 member Wendy in my colours purple, orange and grey  - thanks Wendy!  I just love that little dog.

My mum came to my rescue again and also sent me a package of much needed thread (thank you mum!)and a new winter coat that I had ordered.  This time next week, I`m off to Paris for a couple of days - I have a special package to hand deliver to my friend Deborah.  December in Paris is pretty cold so you`ll have to wait until I`m back and I`ll show you a picture of me shivering in said new coat in front of some touristy site.

Just for a bit of fun,  the first person to correctly guess one of my four brothers` names (you can have 2 guesses each) will receive a small something from Paris. I`ll let you know who wins before I leave next Friday!

Thank you for all your lovely comments yesterday - normal cheery service has resumed!

Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends around the world - I hope you have a wonderful day with your loved ones.

Breaking a Rule

I`m breaking a self-imposed rule not to blog when feeling less than happy with the world.

I`m feeling a bit meh about things at the moment.

`Things` meaning blogging.

Someone somewhere in blogland has irritated me.  

It was bound to happen. But I won`t bore you with that.

Instead I`ll show you some photos of my Red City throw quilt bound and finished.

The fact it is slung on top of our Across the Seas quilt may give you an indication of my mood.

...and my other finish this week is my tablerunner for the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap 

..which is on its way to its new owner along with a couple of these...

...half inch square tree ornaments made using this tutorial by lovely Leanne.

I made a couple more blocks for my tramodernal quilt.  Here`s a mosaic block...

...and this is a lucky pieces block (it wasn`t so lucky for me as the seamripper came in to play on more than one occasion)...

and here`s a group shot.

Now I`m off to snap out of it.*edited to add - thanks for all your lovely comments.  I`m feeling much better and have officially snapped out of my funk!