Waiting In The Wings......

Are three very excited girls wanting to make their entrance onto the stage. They have been practising and are now ready to show you what they can do. These girls are sisters, not always devoted to each other but, when it comes down to it they love each other and know what is right.

Mary - Is the eldest of the three. She has a great sense of what is required of her and is strong willed but, sometimes she wants to break free and do her own thing.



Edith - Is the middle sister and is sometimes overlooked by her family and often she causes mischief to get her own back. Deep down she is very loving and she is loved.



Sybil - Is the youngest of the sisters and the youngest member of the troupe. She is a daring girl and likes to shock but she is also the most kindest and caring of girls. Sybil has an ambition to be a nurse.


Exit stage left.

Encore!

Take a bow girls.



There! I knew they were ready to meet their public. I love the fabric I found the other day and think it will make the perfect backing.


This morning I came downstairs to make a cup of tea and the light filtering through the window blinds was highlighting the trees outside and it looked pretty amazing.




Happy Stitching.

Shirley.

House Building

This week there have been two houses built. All the pieces came from the scrap bag and Wendy may recognise the ones on the right as they came from a rummage in the scrap bag that she gave me. I know they were meant for the doggy pillows and yes, I know, I am shameless but, the real scraps have gone into the pillow. Honest!

Total houses built - 7.



Quiltmania is my favourite magazine and I just had to make this little pouch from this issue. It took a bit of humming and arrghing and some head scratching but eventually it worked out and I am thrilled with the result.The pattern is a log cabin formula and is made of folds of fabric. The fabrics were a gift from my friend Pat last year and high time they were used. I can see lots of possibilities with this little bag and may be making a few more. The hardest part was fitting the little zippers onto the zip itsself. Fiddly. Inside though, it is finished beautifully as per instructions.



Down at Cawsands the other weekend I found this beautiful hydrangea in a churchyard. It was a blustery day and this flower was rocking about so I am amazed to snap it so well. The petals had gone skeletal and looked quite beautiful. They look like handmade lace.



The bedroom is at last finished and no I didn't lock my husband in there or the builder for that matter. The builder/decorator did a great job and we are pleased with our new look room. I patiently waited my turn and over the months the doubt kicked in and I thought my choices of everything wouldn't work, but it does. Phew!! The kitchen too is now neat and fresh and I am on a mission to de junk my house.(Not my sewing room though).



I did sew together quite a few hexagons but thought that they would save for the grand reveal. One day that will happen.

Hope that wherever you are you are staying warm/cool and enjoying some stitching.

Scraps

They say that nothing good ever comes from staring at the bottom of an empty glass but as I finished my Babycham there at the bottom of the glass was a hexagon. Who would have thought to look there for one. The more I looked the more I saw as they graduated in size down the stem of the glass.



Talking of hexagons. I am still plodding on and still have many more to sew but I am halfway there.



Today I have been indulging myself in a little bit of scrap sewing. Selvedges to be more exact. I had all my scraps neatly stored in a box and of course now it looks like an explosion and I am wondering how I am going to get them all back in the box and shut the lid. It also has not made even a little dent in the mass. This probably will be a wallhanging.



Two more Farmer's Wife blocks which brings the total up to 13.

Block 12



Block13.

This was definitely an unlucky number. I discovered that the sizing is completely out on this one. It has gone back in the box until I have the will to put it right and continue. Lesson learned - check the size before stitching. It is so out that no way can I even fudge it.



All the small blocks for Dancing Dollies are done and there are 3 very excited girls waiting in the wings to make their debut on the blogging stage.



Total housebuilding stands at 5. These 3" blocks really do make the most of tiny scraps. Now I knew why I was saving them.



DIY of a different kind. My new bedroom. Well, it will be in a few more days. By the end of the week I expect it to be completely done, new curtains installed and all shipshape. Meanwhile, everywhere else looks rather untidy and will need an early Spring clean.



Happy Stitching.

Shirley.

I Love Sewing

Just before Christmas I spotted this little decoration in a shop and it had to come home with me. I think it will look good in my sewing room against the red wall.



This week I have been working on a little bit of secret sewing. I cannot show you the whole thing as it is a sample for Barbara Chainey's new pattern book which will be out later this year. Hope the stitching will pass muster. Thank you Barbara for sending me pink fabric.

Edit - the stitching won't be appearing in the pattern book, just the patterns. Barbara will be using the samples to show what the patterns look like made up.



I have also been catching up with the border blocks for Dancing Dollies. This pattern is a delight to do and the colours are just so cheerful. The dollies are still awaiting to make their debut but all in good time.



One more house to add to the collection. There is no pressure to make one a day which is just as well as I have only made two this week. It uses up the smallest of scraps proving that you shouldn't throw them away.



The other day we went to Dart's Farm Shop and we managed to wander into the alcohol section. As you do. As I turned a corner I gave out a gasp and a ooh in degrees of delight and I heard this voice say " Are you alright Madam?" There in front of me was a little crate with the words RETRO Drinks and my favourite tipple of yesteryear - Babycham. Haven't seen these for years but they are still being made and here in Somerset at Shepton Mallet. So, a few bottles came home with me. Yesterday we had a little drive out to Budleigh Salterton on the East Devon coast and there in a Bric a Brac shop was a Babycham glass. Perfect. Quite a collector's market for vintage glassware. Hmmm, Cheers.



Happy Stitching, hic!

Love Shirley.

Building Houses

A new day and a fresh new year and I have started it with a new project. If you want to join in then the details can be found at Jeanneke's blog. I am not sure yet if I will make all 366 houses and if I can stitch them all on time but I will have a jolly good try. They are tiny blocks and I am hand stitching them. One down, 365 to go.



A few days ago I managed to finish this pair of socks. They are for my sister and only 10 months late. I am sure she will be pleased to see them though.



No resoultions this year. I fail miserably to keep them. What I have promised is to just go with the flow of things and to not worry if things don't go to plan. Does it really matter how many UFO's I have or how many more I start? One thing is for sure I am going to enjoy every stitch and I am also going to enjoy seeing everyone else's stitches and maybe with a more relaxed attitude some of those projects will become finished ones.

Happy stitching.

Love Shirley.

I Believe...

Father Christmas was most kind and generous to me this year and the festive time has passed peacefully and with love.

My friend Judith made me this fabulous cushion. I love it and it fits so well in my home.



This is honorary quilter Pip the dog at Kate's in her festive outfit. Pip mostly sits quietly at our gatherings until she hears the rustle of paper and she immediately thinks it is food and then she visits us one by one in the hope that we will feed her a scrap of something tasty.



Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to win a lovely pack of fabrics from Vreni at Oops-Lah blog. What a fabulous service from the postal offices on both sides of the world. It came from Singapore to Taunton,UK, in 7 days. Amazing. Thank you Vreni, I shall think carefully of how to use it and maybe next christmas I will have something finished.



My Christmas tree twinkling away. Well, what did you expect? I love the pink baubles.



I am plodding away still at the hexagons and this is progress so far. Almost half way and many more plain hexagons to prep yet. Every one made takes me closer though and one day it will be done. Just as well this quilt cannot talk as it has had my most private of thoughts lashed into it this year and I hope that next year it will have lots of happy thoughts sewn into it too.



Sarah bought me a new charm for my bracelet. It is a tiny pair of scissors and they actually open and shut. Rachel gave me a lovely gift box full of yummy things, chocolates, alcohol, perfume and much more.



Stina put out a lovely tutorial for a mystery bit of festive stitching. I followed it very well but just didn't get around to finishing it. It is going to be a pincushion.



I have planned that next year will be a year of many finishes and starts. I have so many things that need just a little bit of attention and many things that require ongoing care and a lot of work, some may get it and some may not see the light of day. I am not going to worry about it and will just go with the flow of it as I see fit. On the list of starts though, phew! where to begin. I have Sue Daley's Antique Sampler kit ready and waiting, I also want to join in with the Building Houses From Scraps project not to mention all the patterns that I have bought and want to make. It is going to be a busy year at Stitcherydo but I am looking forward to it and what is more I shall look forward to seeing what every single one of you fantastic blogging buddies will get up to.

Happy New Year to you all.

Secret Stitching

Apologies for the lack of posts recently and thank you for showing concern. I have been feeling under the weather and have a course of antibiotics to get through and still feel a bit rubbish. I have had an infection in my nose that has been immensely painful and swollen, at least the face looking back at me in the mirror now looks like me. Sarah's comment was that Rudolph would have been very proud of it. (Hmmm, one less present for her methinks).

I have been stitching and cannot show just what in case certain girlies are viewing. No peeking now.

This pattern is by Mandy Shaw and took a lot of fiddling for a small project. I am pleased with the result though. I hope the new owner will like it. Cannot show you inside as it contains a few surprises.



I found a new use for the humble hexagon and again I cannot show you what it is but the pattern is by Gail Pan.



I am trying to make myself feel a bit festive with this delicious smelling candle from Yankee Candles. It is Kitchen Spice. Love the smell of this one.



Tomorrow we have our last sewing day at Kate's and we are having our Christmas lunch. All the presents are wrapped in readiness.



My fingers did a bit of tap tapping on the send button and I bought another Trish Harper pattern. I am such a fan of Trish's work and would like to make all of her patterns. I am not forgetting though that I still haven't finished Camelot or the Dancing Dollies. The New Year looks to be a very busy time for me with so many projects to manage. Trish's patterns can be found at Broderie.



Hope that wherever you are you are managing a bit of stitching time. Not always easy with so many things to do in the run up to Christmas.

Love Shirley.