I've been searching for ideas of what to make one of my friends for her birthday. Last year I made her a make up bag, so this year I thought I should try something different..... .....I raided my collection of cream fabrics, printed off a photograph onto fabric, added some vintage lace and a few old buttons from my button jar..... .....and lots and lots of quilting - as well as some regular common-and-garden cross-hatch quilting, I even quilted some very arty free motion angular spirals!..... .....and of course it just wouldn't be complete without one of my very own www.nicolaforemanquilts.com labels to the back (just in case she ever forgets who made it for her)!! I secured this by sewing all around the outer edge by machine - and a little bit of hand sewing to secure the binding to the back and it was finished..... .....and here is the completed pillow. I've filled it with a feather pad. I'm certainly going to make some more of these cushions. (My mum has got a special birthday coming up, and I've got a few ideas of crafting her something with some piccies of her and my dad from their younger days). Anyway, Happy Birthday Claire - hope you like this! And no your cats CAN'T sit on it!!!
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A few weeks ago I wrote about a fabulous book that I had bought, Tilda's Studio - and a Norwegian blogger (hei hei Hanne) very kindly offered to send me a Tilda kit! So I decided to post a picture of my Tilda book collection to show her..... .....Christmas, Pretty and Sunny Homestyle books, along with my newest addition Tilda's Studio..... .....Crafting Christmas and Springtime Gifts (Crafting Crhistmas was my very first Tilda book - I quickly became addicted to them!) and Summer Ideas..... .....even Tilda's Friends and a Tilda Characters boxed set..... .....now you must understand I haven't actually MADE any of the things in these books but I HAVE been inspired to give some cushions the "Tilda" touch and added some Tilda stitchery to these ones.....) .....anyway look what arrived in the post all the way from Norway - this fabulous kit from Hanne - a cute tin to keep pencils in and some Tilda ric-rac..... .....everything is here in the kit to make a cute Tilda Santa with his reindeer! Now I really haven't got any excuse to make a Tilda project - looks like I'm going to be very busy! Thankyou very very much Hanne! Now I'm off for a cuppa and to browse through my lovely Tilda books :) Well today Mr F was very busy with new bedroom cupboards and man-stuff, so I planned a little jaunt over to Needham Market to my favourite shop, Halfpenny Home. I always get a little bit excited when I go over there and I'm like a child in a sweet shop when I look at all the wonderful goodies there are on display..... .....and today I wasn't disappointed, especially when Harriet was there too - "Hi Harriet" - anyway, I can't show you a piccie of what I bought as some of it is being posted off for a belated birthday present (I hadn't forgotten you Eva ), so you'll have to make do with a piccie of Nic and Harriet and this GORGEOUS wool. Oh and Nic had baked the most scrummy Rhubarb and Raspberry tart which I had a little of - sorry no piccies of that.... .....after we'd chatted and shopped and had a cup of tea and chatted a bit more and oohed and ahhhed over the wool, we headed off to our favourite place for lunch, Alder Farm Barn Cafe..... .....on the specials board today was Garlic and Ginger Tiger Prawns with Butterd Linguine and Homemade Olive Bread..... .....as you can see from my empty plate, this was horrid and I didn't enjoy it at all ;)..... ....and after a little rest while we chatted over a couple of pots of tea, and browsed through the latest Mollie Makes magazine, we had pudding - Nic went for the Ginger and Orange Cheesecake, while I plumped for dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Terrine with Raspberry Coulis and Cream - it was soooo delicious!! I had a great time today with Nic - now I wonder what will be on the menu the next time we meet? Over at Foreman Towers we have been busy decorating, and I really have struggled to find the time and the space to sit with my sewing machine. As soon as I can get to my table (I really do NEED a Horn cabinet) and find all my equipment that has been packed away in boxes, there will be lots more sewing-related blog posts and pictures. In the meantime, I've had another day out at the races - today we set off with some friends to Yarmouth Races - we had a lovely picnic lunch, drank some wine, the sun was shining, oh and we all won a bit of money - it really was a great day out. Well on Saturday morning I took my friend Fran over to Halfpenny Home - my goodness we had a fab time over there with Nic (sooo sorry I missed your birthday Nic - special pressie coming your way on the 10th)..... .....we ohhhed and ahhhed over ribbons and buttons and fabrics and lace and trimmings..... .....then we drove over to Alder Carr Barn Cafe for lunch - Barn cafe beef burger in a floured roll with yummy caramelized onions and cheese served with hand cut chips and salad, washed down with elderflower presse..... .....we were too stuffed to have a pudding each so decided to share a slice of this yummy bakewell tart - deeeelicious :) On Friday I met up with my friend Heather and we had a lovely lunch together at the Quayside, Ipswich. I didn't get any piccies of the starter - (we both decided to have the country terrine with apple and pear chutney and crusty bread) - or the main course - (we both really enjoyed fillet of hake, Israeli cous cous, provençale vegetables and pesto) but just LOOK at our yummy puddings! Heather had floating island, strawberry compote and custard and I had the most delicious iced dark chocolate parfait with orange sorbet. We topped this little lot off with coffees and enjoyed a good old natter. Unfortunately Heather couldn't make it to Birmingham, so I'd bought her a present - a kit to make a bag - which she seemed to be very pleased with. Maybe next year we'll go to Birmingham together Heather :) My special friends Hanne and Eva bought me some lovely presents when they came to Birmingham. Hanne has these wonderful purse frames in her shop in Norway, Lappedilla, and she thought I might like some, together with a pattern to make these cute purses - oh I'll be able to have a different to co-ordinate with every outfit ;) Also she gave me this lacey zipper-by-the-metre for making some more make-up bags..... .....and Eva bought me a pattern and a kit to make a toalettveske (toiletry bag). She very kindly helped me to translate the pattern into English, although I'm going to make one first of all using "ugly" fabrics so I don't make a mistake using these beautiful ones. Eva also gave me some brown cheese which is delicious, especially served with Norwegian waffles, and she also gave me some hornsalt, which is essential to making perfect waffles. Oh and Hanne and Eva also taught me a few new Norwegian words, but I won't think I'll be repeating THOSE on my blog hehe especially the rude ones ;) It was really great to be able to spend a few days with Hanne and Eva. While we were there we met Merete, who is a long-arm quilter in Norway. I saw some of her work when I stayed in Norway, and it is really beautiful..... .....then we bumped into Merete again the next day! We also saw Heidi Bolgnes several times (another lovely Norwegian lady who I met in February during my travels) - sorry I didn't get a photograph of us together Heidi - maybe next time?..... .....and I was really excited about meeting two Norwegian sisters, Anne-Grethe and Mona (they are also nurses, something else we have in common!) and I have been following their blogs for a few years. We all had the same bag, "Håndbagasje" (hand luggage) by AnnAKa, and several ladies all stopped to take our photographs..... .....I "borrowed" this picture from Anne-Grethe's blog to show you what I mean - do you think they were saying "oh there's that famous Nicola Foreman" hehehe..... .....and finally Eva and Hanne on our final night in Birmingham. We had such a great time together - shopping for fabric, looking at a few quilts, shopping for fabric, chatting, shopping for fabric, eating - oh and by the way we had time to do a bit of shopping for fabric too! I really am very lucky to have such good friends. My friend Heather came up with a BRILLIANT idea - a day at her house for like-minded ladies, to sew and knit crochet and of course EAT!! I made pavlovas to take along for a shared lunch(with eggs from my hens, of course) and off I went. Anyway, this was my project for the day, a stitchery pattern by Leanne Beasley, called Peace and Plenty, shown here with my very useful Couch Companion..... .....and here I am teaching Sian how to make a boxy-bag - she was an excellent student, AND she managed to get if finished which is more than can be said for my stitchery!! Oh well, just have to take it with me on the train later in the week ;) There were lots of other activities going on - (mostly eating and talking) but there was crocheting too and general oohhing-and-ahhing with a show and tell. We all had a great time, then left poor Heather to tidy up!! looking forward to doing it all again soon ladies. I had a great day out today, as I drove over to Needham Market, to visit a veritable emporium of all things haberdashery, the wonderful Halfpenny Home..... ..........which is like an Aladin's cave to anyone who likes ribbons and buttons..... .....and thread and more buttons and lace and fabric ..... .....and general all-round yumminess like this cute baby - isn't it just darling?..... .....and of course I was also there to see my friend Nicola Gouldsmith, who with Jacqueline Mann has recently published a FAB-U-LOUS book, A Green Guide to Country Crafts which she very kindly signed for me. I'm gonna be reading this book tonight from cover to cover! We then hot-footed it off to Alder Carr Farm Shop to the Barn Cafe for lunch - more piccies of that to follow tomorrow :) |
About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! Archives
July 2023
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