Well look what was waiting for me when I got home yesterday after an afternoon out - the postman had delivered this LITTLE box and after I'd quickly scanned the sender's label, I saw that it was from my friend Debs she's very crafty!! and super talented and creative.....

....and just look what has lurking inside! This BEAUTIFUL teal coloured felted bag, with a lime and olive green trimming - and also in the box was a beautiful lime green scarf. It is just SO LOVELY and these colours are just perfect for me.....

.....now most of my friends will tell you I love these colours and I ADORE lime green - as you can see in these pictures here and here - (my friend Lesley Mcdonald says - "Lime with everything - including G and T" hehe)!! Anyway, I was just THRILLED when I saw what Debs had made for me - she really is very very talented and I just love it - thank you thank you thank you Debs!!!

Yes this is the third blog post of the day and the third bag that I've made, from a selection of burgundy and green Lecien fabrics. I had challenged myself to complete at least ONE old project before I started a new one, but thought this was a bonus as I used fabrics and zippers and ribbon and thread that I already had in my stash so Mr F will be very pleased that I've spent a day sewing and didn't actually have to buy anything today to complete my projects hehe!!

Well I still had the sewing bug, so quickly stitched up this one while I still had my machine threaded and all my sewing equipment to hand - Bernina sewing machine, walking foot, zipper foot, cutting board, omnigrip ruler, olfa rotary cutter, thread snippers, Clover Hera Marker, a selection of Mettler quilting threads, fabric, wadding, ribbon trimming, zipper, label, cup of tea - (should've had a glass of wine really as I'm on my holipops)!! Goodness me it's exhausting when you think how much you need to make one little bag!! It makes sense to sew several at once!! Anyway, as before, this pattern is "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, and I've used a selection of fabrics from the "Antique Rose" range by Lecien. This one was quilted a bit differently - I quilted 0.5" straight rows on the front section using a burgundy coloured quilting thread, and quilted the back section in  across hatch design that I marked with a Clover Hera Marker (this little tool is invaluable!). I added the lace-trimmed pink velvet ribbon with a pink quilting thread and used a blind hemming stitch to secure  it in place, and altered the stich width and length so the "zig-zag" and the stitches in-between were really tiny. Now then - have I got time to make a third one before Mr F gets home from work??!!

This pretty Lecien fabric has been in my stash for a while, and had used some of it to make this pretty scarf from some of a few weeks ago. I'm on my holipops from work this week, and hadn't sewn very much (YET!!) as I've been busy seeing friends and family, so this morning when Mr F went to work, I got my machine threaded up and started planning and cutting. I am trying to use up all my smaller pieces of fabric and trimmings and wadding and decided to tackle some smaller projects. I was still in my PJ's at this stage..... 

.....I used my favourite cosmetic bag pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, but decided to use just one fabric for the outside of the bag rather than two. Anyway, I cut and quilted and trimmed and bound edges, and decorated one edge with this pretty lace-trimmed pink velvet ribbon that my friend Eva had set me from Norway AGES ago - I hadn't used it because it was just so pretty, but decided today was the day to use it!! I secured it into place with a blind-hemming stitch.....

.....this was quilted very simply all-over with a cross-hatch design. All the inside seams have been neatened with single-fold binding, and it's got a nice flat bottom. One of my labels has been added too, and it's ready to use! Now my lipsticks have got a very pretty new home!! Right then - better look for some more fabrics in my stash because I've still got a little bit more ribbon to use and I've still got the sewing bug! *I buy most of my Norwegian patterns from my friend Hanne's shop Lappedilla in Norway, and from Lapp-Elisa in Sweden.

This morning I made my way to Norwich to see my very crafty sister, Lisa, as we hadn't met up for months and months and due to various bouts of illness and bad weather, we still hadn't exchanged Christmas presents!! Anyway, we met up this morning and trotted off to Biddy's Tea Rooms where there was a superb selection of cakes to tempt me!.....     

.....and just look what I was tempted with - the largest slice of the most DELICIOUS lavender and lemon drizzle cake that I have ever tasted (and believe me, I have tried a lot of cakes in my time)!! It was absolutely YUMMY!.....

.....anyway, as I said we still exchanged Christmas pressies and look what my very clever crafty sister made for me - this beautiful hottie cover - isn't it lovely? I shall put it to good use tonight keeping my tootsies warm and cosy hehe!! 

OK so it's "Sew Cute Tuesday" again - my goodness that's come around quickly!! Hop over here to the Better Off Thread blog and see what other crafty creations have been going on - I've added a picture of my Mango Salsa quilt.

Do you remember this Mango Salsa quilt top that I pieced together back in September 2012? The fabric was called "Mango Salsa" and was a couple of packs of pre-cut 10" squares, by Timeless Treasures, and was purchased from Glenroy Designs. This pattern is called "McGuffy" from the book "Schibbles Times Two" by Carrie Nelson, and was a breeze to put together! Well I finally took it to Janette, a longarm quilter, and on Saturday I drove over to her studio to collect it, and as usual I wasn't disappointed.....

.....the quilting pattern that I chose is called "Frisky Feathers" and contrasts beautifully against the geometric design of the quilt top. Janette had suggested an extra-wide backing, in mustard yellow, which looks great. She also suggested a quilting thread in a similar shade as the backing - this blends nicely with the backing fabric and looks stunning on the front.....

.....my original plan was to use the same batik fabric for the binding that I had used for the inner border, but when I saw the finished quilt I thought it needed something a bit stronger for the binding. So on the way home from Janette's studio, I made a detour to Quilters Haven, my local quilt shop, and look what I found!! This beautiful orange batik that went perfectly with the oranges and yellows in the quilt.....

.....I decided to use a wider binding on the quilt, and cut 3.5" strips of this gorgeous batik. I joined the strips together with diagonal seams, then folded the binding in half lengthways. Once the edges of the quilt top had been trimmed, I stitched the binding into place on the front of the quilt using a Mettler quilting thread in both the top and in the bobbin.....

.....the binding is then folded over to the back of the quilt, pinned into place and stitched by hand using the same Mettler quilting thread (shade 517). I had already added one of my new labels to the back of the quilt (I stitched this in place before I machined the binding on).....

.....what do you think? I'm so pleased with this one - it looks so bright! I took a picture of it spread out on my bed, so you can see the full effect, but it will also be perfect over the back of the sofa.
*UPDATE: I took this quilt over to show my friend Janet, today, and she is going to display it on her stand at the Spring Quilt Fair at Duxford in March - if you're going there you might get to see it too!!

OK so here is the project that I decided to start last night as part of FNSI. I've got lots of things started and had made a challenge to finish at one project before |i start another - but then I couldn't decide which one to pick and I WAS going to collect a quilt from the longarm quilter so technically that WAS a completed project (I know I need to get the binding on, but I have a cunning plan to spend Saturday afternoon binding it while Mr F and the hairy hound are out on a shoot!!) so anyway I had a rummage in my stitchery project-box and this Leanne Beasley pattern was calling out to me. I bought this "Sew Laugh Love" kit back in November 2011 from Quilt Fabric Delights, and it came with the pre-printed handkerchief linen and several skeins of Cosmo thread that are just wonderful to sew with! I can't believe I had put it away with lots of other kits and never got around to actually stitching it!! So I quickly set to and wound the threads on those little cardboard bobbins, and I was ready to get my needle threaded.....

.....well as you can see I dithered about for so long binding those Cosmo threads onto those blasted little cardboard bobbins that I didn't actually get around to doing very much sewing at all!! Well at least I've got everything prepped and ready - hopefully by next month's FNSI I'll be a bit more organised!!

I've recently made lots of baby quilts for presents, and I keep adding to my gallery of beautiful babies! Here making his debut on my blog is baby Samuel - I met his mummy a few years ago, when I taught a quilt class and she was one of my students! It turned out that we were both nurses, with a shared love of fabric and threads and all things crafty!! Anyway, I made this quilt for her baby boy and here he is, having lots of fun on it. The fabric is "Peakhour" by Kellie Wulfsohn for Riley Blake designs. 

Do you remember this snugly penguin quilt that I made last week? This was for a very special little boy, and although I'd already made him a quilt, but then when I saw this penguin fabric I just couldn't resist making him another one. Well I think Elliott looks rather happy with it and his mummies are pleased with it too!!