Friday 15 March 2013

Did you guess?

 
The secret sewing was finished in good time and arrived to its new home on the right day to surprise a friend with a special birthday. Well done to both the English and Swedish postal services.  Did you guess what I was making? Does this make it a bit easier? 
 
 
 Add this to the mix. Now can you tell what it is? Remember the frame? Shown in a previous post.
 
 
Ah! There it is.  A house shaped bag. The pattern came from a french magazine but was a Spanish design. The magazine was called Quilt and Country. Cannot read French so had to wing it a bit, actually, a lot but it was worth it. Should you like to make one there is a kit and lots of other lovely house designs. Well worth a look and there is a translator button.
 
 
 
 
I am on a roll this week and have not one but two finishes. The wheelchair quilt is now a proper quilt, quilted very simply with large triangles and a few straight lines in the ditch. Being a dark colour you may/may not see the quilting but the orange binding finishes it off nicely. Job done. It will keep some brave old soldier warm and cosy. The backing is brushed cotton as it apparently stays on the knees better.
 
 
The second finish in a few days no less is this little cushion. It  has been languishing in a pile of UFO's for I don't know how long and this morning I decided that today was the day it would be finished. It is 10" and I am pleased with it. I wonder sometimes why it takes me so long to finish things. For the back of the cushion I used a piece of remnant from my curtains. I love these very soft and pretty greens and it has a few birds too.
 
  
 
On Wednesday we celebrated Wendy's birthday with our usual opening of presents and Kate's husband David has taken on the role of baking the birthday cake. We had carrot cake. Kate made Wendy a lovely note book holder from fabrics that were in a jar of scraps from a previous sale day at one of our quilt shows. It goes to show that inspiration will hit at some point for just the right project and it looks very pretty. Our super organised Rosemary is in Australia and left her present before she went  away and the pretty pink card is one of Rosemary's makes.
 

That is me done for the week. I may have to go and lie down in a darkened room now after all this activity.

Happy Stitching.

Shirley.

22 comments:

  1. No wonder you feel the need to lie down. The house bag is beautiful and so is the cushion. Someone certainly is going to be very grateful for the wheelchair quilt, it's delightful

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  2. You are so clever - a house purse! Who thinks of these things!
    The lap quilt shows a design doesn't have to be complex to be pretty. The orange binding is perfect.
    I wonder, too, why I let projects sit - sometimes almost complete. The pillow is sweet with the birds and soft colors.
    Looks like Wendy had a good birthday. So good to have good friends.

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  3. Wow! I like them all! Love that little house, the lap quilt is very striking, and the buttons are a great addition on the pillow (like the birds too). I do the same thing on projects that are oh so close to being finished--just stop...and getting started seems so difficult. Guess we are all alike. You do deserve a nice rest after all that activity--you've been so productive, I'd think a whole vacation is in order!

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  4. Such beautiful work Shirley, I'm not surprised you feel a bit worn out. I just adore the bag with all the stitching. What a clever girl.

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  5. Busy girl. Loving that bag and all of you finishes. Hope when you have a lie down you treat yourself to a glass of something you deserve it.

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  6. such gorgeous finishes, you have been busy!
    love the little house and your new cushion is so pretty and elegant. beautiful quilt too.
    enjoy your lie down hope you dream of some lovely new projects!

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  7. Wow, your are very busy! The finish of the house are so lovely!
    The quilt and cushion are so beautiful.
    Nice work!
    Have a nice weekend, Evelyne

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  8. Oh that bag! I love it Shirley. It's fantastic. Your quilt and cushion are beautiful too. What great finishes.

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  9. So not sleeve board covers then!

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  10. Wow Shirley, you have been busy,
    I love love the little bag...too cute!
    Great finish on the quilt and cushion.
    Julia ♥

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  11. I would never have guessed it was a bag but wow, it!s gorgeous.
    You're inspiring me with your finishes. The soldier quilt is wonderful and so is the cushion.
    Happy birthday to Wendy, she got some lovely things.

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  12. What a beautiful house you made so lovely I really adore it a you have a lovely loevly blog by the way

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  13. The house bag is very very cute! I love the lap quilt you made and a great idea to put flannel on the back. The cushion looks lovely too and I think you do deserve a lie down after all those finishes!

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  14. Two finishes...hooray! The house bag is just the cutest.

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  15. Some wonderful projects and it must have felt good to be able to cross them off the list. I am very partial to houses and this is a great bag and well done with the quilt. The cushion is gorgeous and I just love the fabrics. Take care.

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  16. All lovely but that little bag is superb! Lol

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  17. Just a lovely bag and I had seen it in real life when I visit the owner on her birthday :) You had made a wonderful work on it..
    Take care!

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  18. Dear Shirley,

    Am I allowed to profess deep love for that beautiful house? It hits the perfect aesthetic chords for me colour and detail-wise. What a stunning gift for a very lucky friend!

    I hope you are well and happy,

    Stephanie

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  19. Beautiful house-bag-gift Shirley, I am sure it will be very well received - you have done such a lovely job on it. And I love the flying geese quilt too - I wouldn't have thought about the slipperyness of a the backing of a wheel chair quilt but that makes so much sense!!

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  20. You deserve a lay down after all those finishes. Cute purse and what a nice thought a knee warmer quilt.

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  21. Aw Shirley, you must have been resting for a month as I don't see another blog. Coming back to blogs, made me think that I had missed a big part of my life this winter by not blogging myself.
    come back!

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  22. Shirley....long time visiting you here...and I see a favourite thing of mine...MY HOUSE BAG....:0)))
    Have I said THANKYOU...:0)) Yepp I think so... both once and twice..
    Love your beautiful finishes...well done to you...you are one amazing crafter!! HUGS!!!

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