Dear Blog

Dear Blogging  Friends
I am sorry that I have neglected you for so long.  I have had a very nasty shoulder injury that has caused me so much pain.  I am now slowly on the mend but still taking life a little easy for a while yet. 
I had a email from Chooky from the Stitch A Long blog that has prompted me to give myself a good talking too.  I will be posting this weekend an update on my stitching project Natures Journey and other projects.
With many thanks, Deborah

Make Up Bags

 

 These are some of the fifteen make up bags that I have made this month.

 I have made so many bags this month as I have been teaching how to make the bag at the Monday Quilting Group.

 

I now have them for sale on my Etsy shop. Click here to take you to my shop DaisychainQuilter Etsy.

Natures Journey Quilt - April

 

This is just a quick update post about my Stitch-A-Long Natures Journey Quilt.

These photos show April's five large applique blocks.  There should be four small applique blocks but I have put them in my safe place to keep them clean but cannot remember where the safe place is!!
I am off to find my blocks and finish May's blocks.  See you again soon. 

More Bags

When I have some spare time I cut out fabric for future projects and keep all the pieces in boxes until I am ready to stitch or machine.

 

As I now have time off recovering from recent surgery,  I have spent ten minutes most days doing a little cutting out of bags to sell on my Etsy shop. 

 

I can only sit at the sewing machines for a few minutes every day due to the nature of my surgery. These bags are now complete and ready to sell.

Two bags are made of oil cloth and one linen fabric with waterproof white lining fabric.  They are 7.5 inches long, 4 inches wide and 4 inches high.
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DaisychainQuilter

Plym Jar 3 x 20p = 60p
Total £9.90   

Katipatch Friendship Sister Swap

Whilst visiting New Zealand on my first visit in 2007, I happen upon the quilt shop called Katipatch.  Carol and Cindy were organising their first Friendswap Block Swap.   

 

I signed up immediately.  The idea is that you purchase at least half metre of fabric that Carol has chosen.  The photo above is the fabric for this year's swap.

Then make blocks using the fabric somewhere within the block.  There is always a theme.  This year's theme was butterflies.  The size is usually 12 inch finished.

Another rule for this year, we were allowed to use any technique to make our butterflies blocks.   The last rule, all the blocks must be signed with your name, location and year date.

Then all the blocks are sent to Carol at Katipatch by the date set in the rules.  This year the blocks needed to be with Carol by the 1st May.  Carol swaps all the blocks and send your swapped blocks back to you.   Simple. 
Pop over to Katipatch to sign up for the next swap.  I will see you there!!

Natures Journey

I am a slow starter for the stitch-a-long project called Natures Journey by Anni Downs.

I cut all the squares out for the applique at the start of the project.

I also cut the templates out of plastic for the embroidery. 

 

The next step is to choose embroidery threads.  I have match the thread colour with the block colour.

 

I complete the embroidery on the blocks before I started the applique.  I sit in my garden during the afternoon whist the sun is shining and stitch.

Chooky has set us a timetable.  I am alittle behind this month again so back I go to my stitching!! 

One Project A Month.

I have had my Etsy shop now for over five years but have done nothing with it until now.

Due to my recent surgery I have to take time out for several months. So my dear daughter,  Baby Girl, has been helping me to get my act together and uploading items to sell on my Etsy.

 

I have been getting lots of traffic looking at my items and making some lovely comments.

My first sale is for eight bags from a lovely lady in the States looking for gifts for her bridesmaids.  So I had made eight of my boxed bags. 

Plym Jar 20p x 8 = £1.60
Total £9.30 

A Gift

I have made my dear friend Sue a fancy french sewing/jewellery roll.

 

I used cream linen for the main fabric and polka dot linen for the pockets.

I used perle thread in a matching red colour to quilt hearts on the front on the roll.

 

The ribbon is hand stitched using silk thread.  This sewing roll is a Mandy Shaw design from her 'Quilt Yourself Gorgeous' book.

Plym Jar £1.00
Total £7.70

Fabric Bowls

 

I have been busy making more fabric bowls.

 Each of these bowls start off as an nine inch square.

 Changing the depth when folding gives a different size bowl. 

These bowls are quick and easy to make.  They make wonderful gifts especially if you fill them with chocolates.  I also sell them at local craft fairs.

Plym Jar 3x 20p = 60p
Total £6.70 

Loughwood Meeting House

Loughwood Meeting House is four miles west of Axminster, off the Axminster - Honiton road (A35).

It is a 17th century thatched Baptist meeting house.  This church is one of the first baptist church in England.

The baptismal pool is situated beneath the pulpit with its bible.

This is the view from the pulpit.

 

The view from the galley towards the pulpit..

 

The King James Bible.

The graveyard.

 

Loughwood is located in Devon but when the church was built its was in Dorset. The change of county is due to boundary changes between the two counties many years ago.  

Mothering Sunday

Today is Mothering Sunday in Great Britain.  On Friday I made two bags for my mother and mother-in-law.

 The blue bag is for my mother.

Each bag has a waterproof lining fabric.

 The outer fabric is oil cloth.  The other name for this type of fabric is PVC cloth.

 This bag is for my mother-in-law.

 Happy Mother's Day.

Plym Jar 2 x 20p = 40p
Total £6.10

St Catherine's by the Sea

We arrived in the beautiful county of Dorset for a week's break yesterday.

Many years ago we lived in this wonderful county.

If you park in the National Trust car park above Ringstead,  there are a number of enjoyable walks along the coastal path.  We walked to the far end of the car park, through the gate and down the hill.

Follow the signs to Ringstead.  At the bottom of the hill you will find a charming church called St Catherine's by the Sea.  It has refreshments in the hallway for the wary walker and most important toilets!

Take time to sit in the garden/graveyard to enjoy the views.  It is so peaceful. It was a clear day today and I managed to get a photo of the Isle of Portland. 

The above photo is the pebble path as you leave the church and re-join the coastal path.  I thought it would make an interesting quilt pattern.








It's in the Bag

 I made my mum this bag as a birthday gift. 

It has seven pockets.  The pockets vary in size.

It is a free pattern on the Popular Patchwork website.  It only takes an hour to make.  It is an easy pattern for a beginner to achieve.  



Plym Jar 20p
Total £5.70